[Mek-pendragon] Here it is! Please let me know of any grammar errors and the like!
Chapter 3: Concoction
“Where’s Kekewne going?”
I turned to look at Sharona, who’s lazily slumped on my sofa while holding a book up close with her small hands. Crystal white skin shone lusters against the exposed side of her dark robe.
“I’m going out.”
“Going out? This early?”
She pressed the book—a book on how to properly concoct a potion volume 1—on her face, her ears were reddening just as if she was embarrassed to ask. It didn’t escaped my eyes how lonely she looked just now.
“Yes, it’s the best time for me to pick up some Piofonera.”
The desire to conceal that loneliness jolted inside me; causing me to walk back to my side table and grab my blanket. Because of her dainty build, I folded the blanket twice before putting it on top of her. Hopefully, that’s enough to keep her warm. The forest can be quite chilly this time of the day.
“When will you be back?”
“I’ll try to make it before noon, but I won’t promise anything.”
“Mhm. Alright…”
I cracked a faint smile after seeing her nod her head. I knelt to her face and kissed her forehead—quick enough to leave that smacking noise of my lips. Damn, I might get addicted on kissing her if I keep doing that.
She rubbed her half open eyes, as if she’s barely hanging in there to stay awake.
“When I wake up, Kekewne will be here?”
“Haha, of course.”
After I reassured her like that, I left our workshop.
I reconfirmed my equipment: My gathering knife on my girdle, this rucksack used for storing medicinal herbs, and a few antidote herbs just in case.
Piofonera is a type of flower that blooms on top of a deadly shroom. I usually harvest this flower every other week because that’s the time it regrows. The morning mist clears the poison gathering around the area overnight—giving me the best reason to gather the flower approximately this time of the day.
From them on, after reviewing everything, I continued walking down the trail.
----------------------------------------
I have reached my destination. Also known as the Deadly Zone, this part of the forest could be describe as the most toxic.
I wrapped a bandana around my mouth and trudged on the fresh foliage. From the many man-size mushrooms surrounding me, only one of them holds the flower that I need. If that shroom doesn’t move around, it would’ve been a lot easier for me to discern which one is which.
However, the said mushroom is alive. A moment’s carelessness and it’ll swallow me whole. Last time I gathered the wrong flower, these mushrooms shot a very deadly toxin that would’ve no doubt killed me if I was a second too late from running away. Unfortunately, the Piofonera wasn’t as lucky as I and it withered that very instant. That’s why I have to spot it first before the shroom could even break its camouflage.
“Mushy, mushy. Come to papa.”
I played with the knife in my right, steadily drawing in to one mushroom and the other. The mushrooms caps also grew some deadly thorns. Something that you wouldn’t want to touch unless you’re looking to say goodbye forever.
Shaking, sobbing, trembling, that type of noise echoed in my ears. The longer I stay here, the illusions would surely suck me in.
I drew a long breath and continued.
At the corner of my eye, a mushroom moved. It shook a little and I smiled.
That’s my quarry right there.
Taking safety in mind, I approached this mushroom.
A few more steps and I’ll hit gold…
The technique to catch this guy off guard is to relax. But not so relaxed that you’re basically marching. Think of it as a stroll down a busy crowd. Enjoy your walk, but be careful not to hit somebody else.
I reached out to the flower and nipped it in an instant with my knife. The petals were showing a vibrant red color—a sign that I plucked it at the right time.
Good job me, I guess.
With the flower in hand, there was no need to stay in that dreadful area any longer.
----------------------------------------
A short time after gathering the flower, I cut through the forest while gathering some magic herbs. Magic herbs are the most natural ingredient you could find to make a tonic. Luckily, they sprout all over this forest too.
So much for the people calling this forest cursed. It’s flourishing with natural resources such as this one. I guess from the outside and how the forest confuses its visitors with a maze, it does seem like its curse.
Not to mention, the witch that sits in the middle of this maze.
Although, looking from the outside of our house, it does have that pointy-end design that my master requested me to built. I even have to go through extreme hardship fishing and cutting some dark oak just to match her preferences.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“I’m home.”
I entered the house and Sharona greeted me with a commanding tone.
“Welcome back my servant, how did it go?”
Looks like she’s back to her usual self. If she would only keep her meek expression, she would be really cute, but I guess that’s only a privilege I could enjoy while she’s still half asleep.
Nonetheless, no matter how commanding or haughty she becomes, having someone greet me back gives me that warm and fluffy sensation in my chest. It feels good.
“Not a problem this time, I got it.”
I showed her the flower, the embodiment of my success.
“Good, bring it here.”
Sharona stood from my couch while bringing the same book she was previously reading with her and we entered her room. There was a gigantic cauldron over there, underneath the wide chimney.
Yes, the layout of this house is abnormal.
“Umm, can milady really do this? Our allowance for the next two weeks relies on this, you know,” I spoke behind her. “A simple mistake and all our money to buy that melon bread will be gone.”
Master and I have been making a living by concocting useful elixirs on my master’s free time. We sold it once to one of the town’s residents and ever since then, we made a contract to deliver potions every other week in exchange for money.
“Are you trying to enrage me? The sin of enraging the great me can cost you dearly, so I suggest keeping your tongue to yourself unless you’re praising me.”
I sighed. “Alright.”
After ignoring my warning, Sharona grabbed her wooden staff—err my master’s wooden staff.
“Drag that table over here and start the fire.”
Just what my mistress had commanded, I dragged the table and set the materials I just gathered on top. While she’s configuring something by herself, I started lighting the fire of her cauldron. Thankfully, I already filled it with water fresh from our well outside this morning.
Once it was it at boiling point, she started throwing things in the cauldron.
“What—”
“Shssh, I’m concentrating.”
“Concentrating? This is merely playing around!”
I was ignored once more. Counting on the magic grasses she’s thrown inside, there’s already a total of 26 magic grasses swimming in that boiling water. Although I do not know the process myself, I do know myself that that’s too much.
Sharona snapped the flower in half, by the receptacle, and mindlessly threw it in that gigantic pot.
I was panicking around, all over my master’s room, my hands on my head.
Let there not be any explosions!
Let there not be any explosions!
Let there not be any explosions!
I look back to sharona and she stare back my way.
Her mouth curve a little as she said. “HAHAHAHA!! Watch closely my dear!”
With an open book on her left and her staff on the other, she started stirring the contents of her cauldron. The cauldron started producing a black smoke—a smoke that I’m oh so familiar with.
I knew it! It was a bad decision to let her do this. This house will be gone for good this time.
“Stop it! Let’s run away!”
“Shush!”
I would’ve argued a lot more, but I suddenly saw the light in Sharona’s eyes. That’s the eyes saying “I’m awesome” or something like that. And when an egotistical person like her thinks on those lines, I hardly doubt she’ll fail.
I pressed a palm on my chest and prepared for the worst.
Faster and faster.
Faster and faster.
Faster and faster.
My eyes followed her every move.
And then——
*Boom.*
A small puff of black smoke, and a sweet and enticing smell followed.
“Sharona?”
She was just silently standing there. And then, without saying a single word to retort me, she drops her book and I rushed to her aide. She slumped on my arms with her eyes squeezed tight.
Perhaps it was due to the intense swirling that she felt tired?
Nevertheless, I carried her up. At the same time, I caught a glimpse of her finished product. The usual color of my master’s elixir was close to reddish, but this one is pinkish at most. Could there be a difference or is it merely the color?
Not that it matters.
I dipped a finger and tasted it. Immediately, I felt refreshed.
“Hmm, this might be something good on it’s own.”
Well, my client will be the one to judge that tomorrow. For now, I guess I could say that she did a good job. I patted Sharona’s back and laid her down my master’s bed.
After that, well, I cleaned up her mess.
What else should I be doing as her servant anyways?