Chapter 5: Ich werde eine Kräuterhexe
Rasa's POV: Inside the classroom Rasa and Faador use.
After over two months, I must accept that I won't be rescued quickly. This means I have to either stay here or try to get to another safe location. With a weak body like mine, the second option seems less healthy.
This was why I gave them an explanation about elemental Chakra. It was easy to understand and seemingly unknown to these people. Then again, there was so little Chakra in the air that it was a wonder they could cultivate at all.
Good for me, I'd say, it was applicable to pretty much anything that involved Chakra. If this world follows the standard wuxia tropes, they might even be talking about giving me Outer Elder rights. I might have to give a few more pointers every other month or maybe year and should be fine on my 'contributions' for the clan to stay.
It might also come with more freedom in my movements or, better yet, some more advanced reading material.
The door opened softly, and Faador stepped in, followed by a middle-aged woman. She was staring at me intensely. “Good morning, Rasa. I have Elder Liae with me; she wanted to meet you.” Faador waved his wide sleeve in Liae's direction.
Liae bowed deeply to me, and according to my lessons with Faarod, she was trying to express gratitude for an Elder. “Good morning, Lady Rasa. As Elder Faador said, I wanted to meet you and personally thank you for giving us the information on elemental Chakra. It solved a long-standing problem within my branch of the clan.”
Well, well, an Elder I have helped? It might be useful. For now, she will at least speak positively about me. “I'm glad it could help. I knew my teachings could be used on a variety of matters. Still, may I ask what your problem has been?”
She smiled and answered happily. It must have been something troubling for her. “My branch has cultivators who sometimes have problems with cultivating. They were only able to cultivate during late summers or early autumn, or cultivate quicker during thunderstorms. At the time, some thought those of my branch were cursed by the heavens to only cultivate under their supervision. Thanks to you, we now know what really happens, and some rare herbs have already helped those with a lightning affinity. If you need anything, just mention my name, and I will take care of it.” She bowed again and only waited for my nod of understanding before leaving the room.
“So, what are we speaking about today? Another pop quiz on common knowledge? A refresher on how elemental Chakra interacts with each other or something else?” I asked once Faador sat down. Our talks were done in a classroom; however, not in a class setting.
He was sitting on a comfortable-looking chair, while I sat on a strange mix of a couch and beanbag. The seat and backrest were filled with something that reminded me of beanbags, while the rest was as hard as a normal couch. In front of us was a small table with food and drinks.
“The clan Elders have decided how we will proceed from now on. It has been two months, and your mate hasn't reached us yet. Depending on their location, it might take years to get here, especially if they have taken over a child like you.” He made a short pause to breathe but not long enough to make his words seem threatening. “You've also held your promise and given us something of the same worth, a better breathing technique, which honestly helps us more. As such, we have decided to give you more freedom since it is apparent that you will stay longer with us. Being confined to your abode would not be in our understanding of being a good host to someone who has benefited us greatly. Yet we will have to insist that you stay either here, in the herb gardens, or at your abode. Your frail constitution makes excursions outside risky.
Staying within such a close area might feel constricting, so we have agreed to give you additional access to one of our foundations. I hope it will give you something else to think about.” I blanked him out while I fought the pain from being alone. The tree was helping, but only a pale mimicry of the real thing.
“We didn't expect you to give us something this beneficial, and we want to give something back that we think is of equal value.” He too bowed in gratitude to an Elder. Apparently, they really didn't know about elemental Chakra, what a bunch of Neanderthals.
“Like I said to Elder Liae, it was my pleasure.” I waited for him to continue. I might be able to cultivate the expression of a knowledgeable Elder, even if my mate has always been the one to crack down on the technical parts.
Once it was clear that I wouldn't say anything more, he continued. “We have three foundations that allow our clan to prosper and be as influential as it is. Our Giftkörper cultivation technique, which we cultivate while ingesting poisons and use our Chakra to produce poisonous clouds. In later stages, some can infuse the poison with their hands and kill with but a touch.”
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I tried not to look as if I were disappointed, but he still must have noticed. “But someone with vast knowledge like you will have far better cultivation techniques.”
I nodded slowly, not speaking what I truly felt. “My body isn't fit for cultivation anyway. It might not be healed until after I get picked up.” This was garbage; hopefully, the other two are better.
“The second is our weapons skill, Vergifteter Stachel. It is a fast, deadly, and precise series of footsteps for combat with a dagger. It has good synergy with our Giftkörper, where the user coats their daggers and kills with only a tiny cut.
And lastly, our knowledge about herbs, be they for the deadliest poisons or life-giving potions. Our Kräuter clan has been built on these three pillars, one supporting the other.” He looked proud after his short introduction.
They might even be great strengths in his province, yet he ultimately was only the frog in a well. “I haven't dabbled in herbs yet. I might take it up while staying here,” I answered slightly loftily, not too much. I don't want to look too arrogant. “Who will be my teacher, and when can I start?” Herbs of this world are new to me; there are similarities in brewing and processing all worlds have in common, the herbs are responding to elemental Chakra, for example.
He beamed at me, a full-on wide smile. “Under me, of course! I am the foremost expert on herbs in our clan. It will be a delight to teach you something in return. Wait a moment, I'm going to fetch a few introduction books and some of my notes. Thankfully you don't need Chakra for the most parts. Most can be learned by books.”
And he was gone, his old body having gained a new spring at the prospect of teaching someone. Maybe he didn't often have the chance to teach someone all their knowledge, especially someone who was not a child or had not been under his tutelage before. Clans are often reclusive and teaching outsiders can be dangerous.
Anyway, while he was gone, I might as well start working on my Chakra control. For now, I was only able to grab some of my meagre Chakra and move it through my pathways. The amount of Chakra I had, or could grab, was almost as tiny as the size of my pathways.
Almost nothing would be able to flow through them, not that it would help. I did not have enough Chakra to do anything noteworthy, at least not yet. My body first had to get used to having active Chakra flowing through its pathways.
The girl, Rasa, may have been five, but the state of her pathways was terrible. Any normal clan child's pathways should be less stuffed full of gunk. Even lone cultivators who were forced to consume damaging cultivation aids have less muck plastered on their pathway walls. It might be comparable to a pipe filled with still water. The lime inside will settle down and cling to the walls.
The random elemental Chakra cluster has 'crusted' together and will be hard to get off. At least my little Chakra reserves are useful here. Through precise little cuts, I can regulate the amount of Chakra I free. Too much and my Chakra core might take even more damage.
The atmospheric Chakra will start to clog your system if absorbed without care or refinement. It is as if this girl has been absorbing Chakra and then hasn't done anything with it.
If I refine my control, I might be able to use tiny Chakra needles or precise bursts to clean my pathways. I'll have to figure out a way to save the freed Chakra; it would be a waste not to use it.
I wish I wasn't alone in my training. We found so many uses for seemingly small things together. I'm sure my mate would have come up with a bunch more uses.
At some point, Faador came back and tried to help me out of my depression. It worked enough to also explain the other benefits or regulations for my continued stay.
While yes, I could now leave and come back to my abode whenever I wanted, I was also forbidden from leaving the herb gardens and its surrounding processing facilities. I had access to everything I needed for my studies of their herbs and alchemy, but not to the public or the majority of their clan.
This would aid my alter ego of a diminutive Outer Elder who came and stayed for her studies. I even got an eccentric robe that hides my face behind a veil. I chose one in dark orange with a green veil. My white side-bangs peeked out of the wide hood.
My mate would have found me adorable; then laugh and joke about shooting lightning from my fingers while shouting “POWER! Unlimited Power!”. Unfortunately, my squeaky voice would have ruined it.
My smile faltered as Faador mentioned the allowance for purchasing items from a catalogue. Without the ability to leave and browse the market, I had no other choice. Although, once my mate saves me, I can check if they overcharged me for anything.
Faador agreed to teach me twice a week, and I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted in the time in between. However, I was instructed to have a guard accompany me whenever I left my abode, as my frail body made me vulnerable to danger. I suspected that the guard was also there to learn from me, despite my physical limitations.
"And lastly, you are allowed to leave the clan grounds if an Elder accompanies you," Faador said, clapping his hands. He then placed a booklet and a gold coin, ten silver coins, and ten copper coins on the table.
"I don't have any royal coins or Beast Cores on me, but these three types of coins represent the Empire of Dörpstedt. Our Empire has stood for nearly 600 years under the wise rule of Emperor Dörp. One gold coin is worth ten silver coins, and one silver coin is worth ten copper coins. Beast Cores can be sold, but they cannot be used as regular currency, as their worth varies."
Faador pushed the money toward me and handed me the booklet. "This is our catalogue of items you may need. Let me or your bodyguard know if you wish to purchase anything."
After browsing their offerings, I concluded that a gold coin would provide me with a wider range of goods. I selected a few vanity products, a tool set for raising and processing herbs, and an alchemy set. I also expressed interest in watching Faador brew something, hoping to observe how his Chakra interacted with the plants.