“Is there anything you would like to say to me, child?” Savta raise a slender eyebrow towards her granddaughter. Judging from the lack of volume around Exill’s sleeve, the bandages had been removed, making it apparent that Luna had discovered his deceit.
“No, why do you ask?” Luna’s bright blue eyes revealed nothing as she prepared for Nana’s interrogation. Savta stared at her for a long second, both impressed and saddened by the girl’s cunning. The precious guileless child she had taken in a decade ago was nowhere to be found and it hurt her frail heart. In the meantime, Exill was sweating buckets, fully aware that both women knew of his deceit. He waited for the old healer’s retribution to fall.
“Maybe it’s my eyes growing old, or it’s the news that Exill will no longer treat his ‘fan club’, you appear happier today than before.” Savta let Luna’s deception slide, but not without a parting shot. Pleased with colour creeping up the maiden’s ear, she continued on, “Today’s the second Thursday of the month and that means I’ll be off to the Guild this evening. I’m also meeting an old acquaintance, so you need only make dinner for two.”
“Okay Nana” she turned to Exill, “would you like to help me decide today’s menu and shop for dinner together, or will you be entering the Labyrinth again today?” Luna asked, concealing the anxiety in her eyes.
“I… no, we can shop for dinner after this” he replied.
Old Savta smirked as the two cleaned dishes at the sink. Something had happened last night for sure, and her granddaughter had taken the first step to leashing that ‘man-whore’ and his troublesome tendencies. It was enough to make any grandmother proud.
“So, what would you like to eat?” Luna asked while drying the bowls, suddenly conscious of his broad back beside her. Under his tunic was a criss-cross of scars that only she had been privy to last night and her hands itched to heal their imperfections.
“I don’t mind, anything would do.” Exill replied. He was more focused on the day’s task and when it would be more appropriate to start exploring the Labyrinth again.
“You always say that!” Luna poked him with an elbow, “We don’t have to worry about what Nana likes and dislikes, we can eat anything you dummy!” she didn’t outright say it, but implied that meat was on the menu, her grandmother being a vegetarian.
“Then… could we try some steak?” he asked, realisation dawning on his face before quickly backing away, “no, it’s going to be expensive.”
“There are some cuts of meat that are cheaper than others if it concerns you, but it’s my treat you dummy. You’re still growing you know?” she nudged her shoulder against him playfully. She was relatively tall for a woman, and it had not escaped her notice that Exill had grown in the past month to a point where he was slightly taller than her.
“Sure, it can be a late birthday present” he smiled easily, looking forward to the treat.
“Are you already 18? When did that happen?” she asked, shocked that it had passed without any ceremony. Exill merely shrugged in response, as far as he was aware, the seventeenth birthday was the main celebration marking the turning point of an adult in this world.
“A couple of days ago?” he eventually said, and was struck by nauseating visions of a party held back in Lindtree village, with parents and friends he recognised from fleeting visions and emotions. Emerging from the daze, he blinked slowly to clear the visions, “It’s no big deal, shall we head out to the markets now?” he added, trying to conceal the heartache that wasn’t his own.
***
That evening, Savta eyed her granddaughter carefully before leaving the clinic to meet her acquaintance. “I’ll return in three hours, make sure not to get in any trouble while I’m gone.” she warned sternly, addressing both Exill and Luna.
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“We won’t get in any trouble Nana; you worry too much! It will just be dinner and a study session.”
“Hmph, well then, take care of yourselves” Savta donned a wide brimmed hat and stepped out into the evening streets. For the first time, they had the whole house to themselves, and it was a novel sensation.
“Let me cook the steak, and you can prepare the sides” Exill rolled up his sleeves and heated up the pan to a searing temperature. [Cook] had been assigned as an active job in preparation for this moment. He had noticed the meat wasn’t in its freshest state and took care to season it properly with a collection of herbs and salt pilfered from Savta’s stores.
Job Cook Level 4 Description Production - Tier I
Passive Buff
+10% flavour (scales with level).
“Mm~” Back at the table, Luna closed her eyes and pointed her chin up in the air as she savoured his meat. It had been a long time she had tasted something so flavourful. Exill grinned in enjoyment as well, cutting up another slice to enjoy.
After dinner they washed the dishes, and as Luna wiped the moisture off the last knife and fork, she felt Exill wipe his hand on the back of her blouse. “Hey! I told you it tickles!” she slapped him with the dish towel which he promptly caught, wiping the suds off his well-defined forearms.
“It’s payback for poking me with your elbows, you always do that knowing I can’t retaliate while washing the dishes” he grinned ruefully.
“It’s not good to tease your older sister like that, I’m the senior apprentice here and you should heed my words! Anyway, bring your chair around and I’ll fetch the book.” Luna went to her room and returned with ‘Herbalist Koncoctions’, third edition. It was a red leather-bound tome with gold leaf trim, its pages yellowed with age. She sat next to Exill in the dining room and spread the book open.
“Do you remember the recipe substitutions I taught you the day before?” she asked, fully expecting him not to remember.
“Yes, they were-” he listed the substitutions available for crafting both the healing potion and mana potion, as well as several compost recipes he had accidentally memorized.
“Huh, you’re pretty smart for a big dummy. Since you are so intelligent, tell me this, how did you expect to fool me into hiding your arm injury until it fully healed? She asked, trying and failing to pinch his arm because there was no fat. In the end, she settled on pinching his cheek.
“Ow! I told you I’m sorry. Can we get on with the lesson?” he rubbed his arm. Even though she had failed to pinch through his tensed muscles it still hurt.
“Fine, I want you to read these sections on anti-inflammatory ingredients and tell me which ones can be combined together to boost its effectiveness.”
She turned the book towards him, and leaned on her hand as she watched him read and take notes on his clay tablet. His hands moved swiftly, taking notes with practiced ease and she found himself studying his face. If she wasn’t his senior apprentice, she would have described him as classically handsome, but the feature that most stood out to her was his gaze. His emerald eyes had a captivating effect. They communicated a maturity beyond his years, emphasising its sincerity and focus.
“Is this correct?” Exill asked again, turning the clay tablet for her to examine. She had been staring at him with a vacant expression all this time and it had unnerved him, thinking she still hadn’t forgiven him for lying to her.
“Haah!?”
She realised she had been staring at him, and quickly turned to the tablet to hide the flush creeping up her pointed ears. Thankfully she was saved by the sound of the front door closing, her Nana returning from the Guild meeting. Old Savta climbed the stairs, her weary joints aching with pain and examined the two seated beside each other.
“Continue on,” she dismissed their stares, as she retired to her room for the night.
“How old is your grandmother?” Exill asked, noticing Luna’s brow knitted in concern. He had observed her growing frailty and had grown concerned himself.
“She is 62 years old” Luna replied, silently echoing his same thoughts. She hadn’t seen Nana in such a tired state before and she wanted to check up on her. “All your answers were correct and this should be enough for today, goodnight Exill, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She closed the tome and went to check on Old Savta.