Today's meal is porridge with dried fruits. Not exactly exciting, but certainly good enough. Good enough to enjoy it even, with a little wine, a light and refreshing slightly sour one, on the side.

The wine serves as a decent excuse for the blush coloring my cheeks every once in a while as well, as my mind keeps wandering to the events of last night and especially the question of who might have seen me.

I'm lost in thought again, after finishing with the porridge, while I cling to my still half full cup of wine, as someone sits down across from me.

It is Nawoja from the smithy, Olgierd's wife. She has a bowl of porridge herself. Instead of the wine she opted to get a beer for herself though. She flashes me a smile, but doesn't start t eat right away. Instead she strikes up a conversation.

“Say, Valeria, you wanted a hand mill and an ice box or rather an ice bucket, made, right? Well, the mill will take a while, as we have to wait for the mill stones, but the other thing is done. Do you want to take it home yourself or would you prefer us to deliver it?”

I think on that for a moment, biting my lip lightly in the process. It isn't just about the question if I want to take it home myself either. I would have to pay right away as well. If I were to opt for delivery I can pay at home. In the end I opt to have it delivered, as most of the coin I have on me right now is supposed to go into additional quests. In the end I nod to myself.

“Could you drop it off at my place? Some time after lunch? I still have to talk with Krystina about quests first though.”

The answer apparently neither surprises nor disturbs her. She nods as well, while shoveling the porridge into her mouth.

“Will do.”

I empty my cup and get up to talk with Krystina who just returns from her own lunch break.

“Got some time? I want to post some more quests. And maybe you can help me with some shopping in general as well.”

She slips behind the counter and gets some empty forms and her guidebook.

“Sure, what do you have in mind?”

“Well, first I want to put the mana mill quest up again. And the second quest I want to post is for birch sap.”

She fills the parchment for the mana mill quest first and I sign it just as quick. Then she consults her book. After reading for a moment she nods and starts filling out the second form.

“Birch sap is usually best collected in spring. You might still get lucky though. Especially with the Twilight Forest nearby. This one will be ten bronze Crowns in total, seven for the reward and three for the fees. And the mana mill quest is two bronze Crowns as always. In total this will be twelve bronze Crowns or one silver Crown.”

I sign the second quest paper as well and pay up.

Krystina writes the transaction down in her ledger and puts the two quests up on the board. Then she returns.

“Well, that is that. What was this about shopping though? You know already that you can place orders for things with Agnieszka. Or did you have something produced locally in mind?”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

I nod and smile.

“Exactly that. I was wondering where best to get some honey and milk. Cow milk to be precise.”

She bites her lip and ponders the question for a moment.

“Well, you probably can get honey from just about every farmer around here. They all keep at least one or two hives. Cow milk might be a little more tricky. You probably already noticed that there are more sheep than cows out on the pastures around here.”

That is true. Keeping cows takes more effort than keeping sheep after all. Cows don't provide wool either. Finally she continues though.

“You could try the place of Krysztof and Urszula. If you follow the road to your place further, that is the third farm beyond Agnieszka's house. You should be able to get both there.”

I nod. That is, thankfully, not hard to remember. I might have even already walked past that particular farm during my second trip to collect Night Candles.

Krystina is not quite done yet though.

“Krystof is Urszula's father. They run the farm together. Just so you don't get any wrong ideas. And if you can't get what you want there, you can still ask Agnieszka. She can get just about anything for you. Either from the city or around here. I doubt there is anyone she doesn't know.”

That too is solid advice. I nod once more and smile although I'm not quite enthusiastic about the hike, however short, that apparently lies ahead of me. Well, there is no way around it.

“Thanks! I'll pay them a visit.”

I wave and am off. I don't head to their farm right away though. First I stop by my own place. After all I'm expecting Nawoja to drop by. It would be bad form to ask her to deliver the ice bucket I ordered only to not be home to receive it.

And I probably should enchant it before getting the ingredients for my next experiment. Well, I plan to use some of these things for an experiment. I need to brew some stamina potions as well. That comes first. Once I have all the ingredients. After Krystina's comment I'm a little worried that it might be a while before I get the birch sap I need.

Well, I know recipes that make do without it, but those use expensive spices like cinnamon and clove. I could make a stamina potion with those, I even have some still in stock, but it would be like giving away money given the regular price of the stamina potions.

Maybe I should continue some of the coffee related experiments from the academy? Early results suggest that coffee probably can be used to make stamina potions after all.

I'm still pondering that question as Nawoja knocks on my door.

I hurry to open and ask her to come in. Cradled in her arms is a bucket with high handles and a lid, just like I imagined it. It isn't too big either. I don't intend to use it as a storage device after all. No, this will become an essential tool necessary to create frozen treats.

She puts is down at the work bench and I get the money I owe her and her husband. She accepts the silver coin and we shake hands to finalize our business transaction, then she is off again. Work at the smithy doesn't wait after all.

Well, I don't exactly have time to waste either.

I decide to enchant my new ice box or rather ice bucket first. I can try to create an experimental coffee based stamina potion later.

I check my supply of enchanter's chalk, noticing that I'm running a little low already again. My brow furrows. I'll need more oil and bee's wax to make more. Maybe I can get some together with the honey and the milk I want to get. Well, I'll ask anyway.

For this project I still have more than enough enchanter's chalk though, thus I get started. I know the enchantment in question well enough after all, as it is one of the most common utility enchantments we learned at the academy.

I grab the wooden bucket, without the lid, and place it at the center of the enchanting table. Then I start drawing the familiar circle of runes around it with practiced ease.

It doesn't take long. As I finish drawing the last rune the circle is drawn into the bucket, as the enchantment takes hold. Success! After my recent mishap with the hair ribbon I decide to check with the appraisal skill right away though, just to make sure.

[Ice Bucket, Quality: Uncommon, An ice box of unusual shape. It cools anything placed inside well below the temperature necessary to freeze water. The effect is not instantaneous and takes some time.]

I let out the breath I have been holding in a sigh of relief. Just as intended. I briefly reach inside the opening at the top and a shiver runs down my spine as I feel the chill. It is working already.

With a satisfied little smile I put the lid on it and put it away. I have an ice bucket now, as well as a whisk and a scraper, which are pretty much essential tools in any alchemist's workshop. Now I just need some more ingredients to make some tasty ice cream. After I take care of the stamina potions. First things first.