13
Lecan kept practicing <Barrier> every single day. Yet there was no sign of him casting it.
As they entered month nine, Shira suddenly made an announcement.
"Let's go pick some herbs."
"Shira, Skalabel is arriving soon. He should be halfway here from the capital by now."
"Oh it'd be fine. We're only picking one type of herbs this time around, see."
"One type?"
"It's Tago Grass. I'm teaching you how to make Mana Restoratives."
The following day, Lecan went out of town along with Nike. They spent two days gathering a whole bunch of Tago Grass before going back to Vouka.
The day after, they started the process of making Mana Restoratives.
"Well now. Originally we should let them dry for ten days first, but we're running short on time here so let's make do with magic."
Shira laid Tago Grass across the desk, held her hands over them and started pouring mana into them.
Lecan used <Mana Detection> to watch the mana movement, yet he couldn't grasp what was unfolding before him.
This way of mana control is not magic in its strictest sense. Through the peak of all kinds of disciplines, she's freely controlling her mana to raise an item's degree of perfection. Lecan has also learned these kinds of mana control during his herb making study.
However, what Shira is doing now goes far beyond that, being exceedingly complex and high level.
In less than four and half an hour, the Tago Grass dried up nicely.
"And now onto the making of Mana Restoratives. First, the ordinary method. We'll make it using the pot twice. The first one I'll show you how it's done, watch closely from the sideline. The second one I won't say or instruct you on anything. You have to make it on your own."
The main ingredient of Mana Restoratives is Zahad Moss. They have gathered that in month two, as well as processed them already. The second sub ingredients are Nichia Grass and Shiarigi Buds, which are gathered already. The third sub ingredient is Tago Grass, which they have just gathered. This one can only be gathered in month nine to ten. Powder made by scrapping two types of ores is also used as catalysts, they've gathered that in month two as well.
The medicine making process itself isn't too complex to Lecan who has been diligently studying under Shira all this time. He just found adjusting the amount of two catalysts and balancing the melting point of the main and sub ingredients difficult however.
After watching Shira showing him how, it was Lecan turn next.
All the while, Shira watched over Lecan next to him.
Lecan felt a numbing sense of tension.
It's a comforting kind of tension.
Lecan saw himself working as if he had another him watching over himself in a contest of techniques, how his techniques would clash with the opponents' and how to overcome them.
"Good. That's nicely made restorative. Well done."
Shira's words were more gratifying than anything to Lecan.
"When you're making medicine from herbs, you can't aim too high, okay. Keep it just right. You musn't ask for more than the herbs can afford to. Extracting the efficacy of herbs to their limit without pushing beyond that represents the deepest secret of medicine-making, see."
"Yea."
They continued to <Barrier> practice afterward, but there was still no sign of it.
The following day, Lecan was taught the special method to make Mana Restoratives. He was finally given the passing mark late at night.
As he was about to go home, he found a letter pasted on the door. Looks like they were too focused in the basement to notice that they had a visitor.
It was from the town lord, informing that Skalabel will be arriving earlier than expected in two days from Vantaroy. Hence, he wishes for Shira, Lecan, Eda and Norma to move in the town lord's mansion tomorrow.
Back at home, he got the same letter from Eda.
They were scheduled to arrive in ten days at the earliest, two days are too fast.
The day after, the four moved in the town lord mansion's detached building.
The guesthouse's construction is done already, temporary employees are busily running around everywhere to prepare things.
Same situation in town lord's mansion, stuff like food is getting carted around everywhere.
The town lord kept shouting at the coming and going merchants to stop messing up his garden.
Even here, Lecan kept practicing <Barrier> under Shira.
After dinner that day, he finally managed to cast <Barrier>.
The next day, he spent all day getting taught how to control <Barrier>. Once cast, the rest was simple, the more he was taught the better he was at it. In the end, he was taught the anti-physical version of <Barrier> like it was just an extra.
"Lecan. Congrats. You've made it to completion. Both in medicine making and in magic. In all of my long life, I've never had a pupil who managed to master these two simultaneously let alone to completion. I'm really proud of you as a pupil."
"Shira. I'm in your debt. Gods have my thanks for giving me this chance to meet you."
Before they knew it, Eda and Norma were watching over them from a distance.
Eda was moved to tears.
Afterward, the town lord came by, so Eda cast <Purification> on him.
Tomorrow, on the eighth of month nine, <Herb Saint> Skalabel will finally arrive.
[Episode 25 Sushana's Naivete] End/Next [Episode 26 Herb Saint's Visitation]
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