Chapter 58: Diplomacy 4

Yolani hurried across the footbridge, her steps quick and purposeful as she made her way to the mushroohum arena island.

A strong wind buffeted her, making walking on the bridge annoying.

The drop below didn’t even register as terrifying, thanks to the thick clouds contained by Contia’s Celestial Engine. It was still a bit much for her, though… sometimes she missed Neftasu’s walls and ceiling. Not as much as some others.

From what she had heard, there was an entire group of refugees that couldn’t come outside at all. The sky was just too much for them.

Reaching the other side, Yolani breathed a sigh of relief. She noted the four guardsmen standing idly by the colony entrance.

“Henri!” she called out.

Her friend turned and waved back at her. “You okay?” he asked.

Yolani nodded.

“Is it really necessary to have the guards haul the supplies?” Henri questioned.

“Yes,” Yolani replied. “The potions are valuable and need protection. Even if there aren’t many thieves, we still should be careful with them.”

Henri nodded. “You’re the boss, Lady Oracle.”

She raised her chin at him and gave him a warning humph. “Yes, I am.”

He laughed, and they headed to the entry point. The heavy steel door opened with a rush of air.

One of the guards wrinkled his nose. “Ugh, it smells terrible in there.”

Ignoring the odor, Yolani pushed into the warm, humid atmosphere. Really, she was the lady here—if she could handle it, so could they.

They hurried down the stairs and into the main chamber, heading straight for the alchemy station.

The station was a hive of activity. Allie worked diligently, her hands moving with practiced precision as she mixed ingredients and monitored bubbling concoctions.

A group of young mushroohums scurried about, their tiny baskets overflowing with freshly picked fungi.

“Need any help?” Henri asked, greeting Allie with a friendly smile.

Allie glanced up, her face brightening. “Almost got the next batch done,” she replied, wiping her brow with the back of her hand.

Yolani leaned over the counter. “How’s progress been?”

Excitement danced in Allie’s eyes. “I’ve improved the effectiveness by adding young glow moss plucked by the mushroohum tenders. Not sure why it works, but I figured it out when the tenders brought me a fresh batch.”

“That’s great!” Yolani exclaimed, genuinely impressed.

The potion process reached its conclusion, and Allie carefully filled several vials with the shimmering liquid. She packed them meticulously in a crate, cushioning them with dried grass. The guards hefted three of the four crates, ready to transport the precious cargo.

Yolani glanced at Henri, then Allie, before reaching for the fourth crate herself. Henri frowned, stepping forward. “I can get it,” he offered.

“That’s fine. I can handle it,” Yolani assured him, her grip tightening on the crate.

She turned to Allie. “You probably need help to clean up, right?”

Allie blinked, confusion etched on her face. “Huh, um, yes?”

Yolani flashed Henri a smile. “You should help her deal with the rest of the alchemy.”

Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and hurried after the other guardsmen, a cheerful tune humming from her lips.

It wasn’t long before Yolani’s arms burned, the weight of the crate straining her muscles as she and the three guards trudged through the streets toward the Neftasu District.

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Sweat beaded on her forehead, and she silently cursed her stubborn decision to carry the heavy load herself.

Guiltily, she tugged on the divine conduit connecting her to Elania. Energy flowed through the bond, warm and invigorating, washing away the fatigue in her arms.

It was impossible not to smile, the sensation of Elania’s presence filling her with comfort and reassurance.

They reached the medical center, setting the crates down with a collective sigh of relief. The workers hurried to unload the precious cargo and rush it inside.

Naia Silvermoon emerged from the building. “Yolani! Thank you for bringing these.”

Yolani grinned. “I hope they help. Allie’s been working hard to improve them.”

Naia raised an eyebrow. “Improvement? They were already extremely effective.”

“She found a way to use young glow moss,” Yolani explained. “Said it should make them even better, but I didn’t ask for the details.”

Naia smiled. “Let’s test them out, shall we?”

They headed inside, Naia leading the way with several vials in hand. The patient ward buzzed with activity, the air heavy with the scent of herbs and antiseptic. Naia approached a man with a bandaged arm, his face etched with pain.

“We had to prioritize more severe injuries,” Naia explained, gesturing to the man’s arm. “This one’s a nasty gash, but not life-threatening.”

The man grunted, eying the vial in Naia’s hand. “Thank the gods you’ve got more potions now.”

Naia carefully unwrapped the bandage, revealing a deep slash that had been cleaned and sutured. She uncorked a vial and poured the shimmering liquid over the wound.

The application began to glow, its light intensifying as it seeped into the man’s skin. In a few seconds, the wound knitted itself together.

Yolani blinked. It was far more effective than the old red healing potions she remembered using in Neftasu.

The man let out a breath. Naia examined his arm, her fingers gently probing the newly healed skin.

“Any pain?” she asked.

“Just itches like mad,” the man replied, flexing his arm experimentally. His eyes widened. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s healed, just like that.”

They visited several more patients, choosing a wide variety of ailments to test the potion on. It worked wonders not only on injuries but also on illnesses and diseases. For such a minor change, the improvement was massive.

“Could it be the addition of glow moss?” Yolani mused aloud. “Or maybe Elania’s closeness to the project allows her divinity to aid the healing process directly.”

Naia glanced at her, mumbling under her breath, “So it is the demi-divine’s gift.”

Yolani smiled and nodded. She knew Elania was hesitant to accept this kind of praise, but… well, it was fine if her oracle accepted them in her stead, right? For sure, she believed in Elania whole-heartedly, and more than anyone.

After a few minutes’ discussion on the efficacy of the new potion, Yolani decided it was time to bid Naia farewell. On her way out, she made a mental note to write a report for Elania to read later.

As she exited the medical center, she spotted Allie and Henri approaching. They were busy chatting away, and Yolani felt a smile appear on her lips. Henri carried a crate, and Yolani waved to them. Allie waved back, her face beaming with excitement.

“Another crate?” Yolani asked, raising an eyebrow.

Allie grinned. “It just felt like the right thing to do, and it didn’t take long. I’ve been thinking about ways to increase the potion production speed so I can handle multiple batches simultaneously.”

Yolani smiled, impressed by Allie’s initiative. “That’s great, but will you have enough raw materials?”

Allie’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. “The mushroohums have been growing more than I can use, so the increased speed will actually help. That was the other reason for coming up here. I wanted to ask for more crates and other supplies that aren’t involved with the mushroohums.”

Yolani smiled and nodded. “Consider it done. I can double the amount. Would that be sufficient?”

Allie nodded. “Yep, that would be great! I’m pretty sure that should be enough.”

“If it isn’t, you can request more,” Yolani replied.

Henri set the crate down for the medical center workers to take, wiping his brow. “We need a better system for transporting these,” he remarked, stretching his arms.

Yolani hummed thoughtfully, her gaze shifting between Allie and Henri. “Allie needs a helper while we figure something out, then.” She turned to Allie. “Was Henri useful?”

Allie blinked, caught off guard by the question. “Oh, yes, he was. I didn’t think I could carry the crate myself.”

A grin spread across Yolani’s face as she glanced at Henri, who eyed her suspiciously. “Well, Henri, you have a job now. Help Allie get the medical crates where they need to go.”

Henri groaned, his shoulders slumping. “Good work is always punished with more work.”

Allie smiled, patting him on the arm. “Don’t be like that. I’ll help you figure out a better transport method to get them across the city!”

Yolani nodded, satisfied with the arrangement. “I have to go see about scheduling a meeting with Arlois.”

Henri perked up. “I can walk you there.”

Yolani shook her head. “Nah, you should escort Allie back instead.”

She didn’t wait for an answer, and turned on her heel and headed off, a spring in her step.

The increase in potion production was a promising development. Selling the healing potions to the Silvers and Arlois seemed like a good bet to help keep the month’s budget on track.

As she walked, Yolani’s mind buzzed with ideas. She would need to figure out a way to streamline the transportation process, maybe even establish a dedicated delivery system, then send it to Allie and Henri. The arena was a pretty far walk to the Neftasu District, and getting the potions to where they were needed most would be crucial.

Maybe they could rent a cart. She’d seen a few carrying lengths of wood and blocks of stone during the construction in the district, and that would probably work for crates of potions, too.

Halfway down the street, she looked over her shoulder. Allie and Henri were chatting about something, and Allie laughed.

Yolani smiled. That made her happy, maybe even more than the potions.