I started my day trying to learn how to cook breakfast. Rose tutored me on how to cook a day earlier. With a recipe book that I borrowed from the library in one hand and tongs in the other, I felt like some MasterChef. If only enthusiasm could magically make your food taste better. According to Rose, it was somewhat edible compared to what she had to eat last time. That does not sound assuring to me.
After breakfast, it was my turn to tutor Rose with sword training. I brought Rose to the blacksmith to find a weapon suitable for her to use. The blacksmith inspected her body structure and recommended that she use a rapier as the weight is more suitable for her body type. However, she will need to be a bit older for her to wield it effectively one-handed. Until then, she will be practising with a wooden sword and occasionally the rapier two-handed to get the feel of the weapon. While I am not familiar with using a thrusting weapon, I will be training her all the same. Swing a set amount of times per day, have a short sparring session with me, then continue swinging until your body is exhausted.
I suspected that Rose's parents had trained her before since her stamina was pretty good for her age. Her stats were actually pretty good to be honest. She is an all-rounder in the stats department, which I am curious to see what guild will be recommended to her. She mentioned that she had some recollection of performing basic training when she was about five years old. The other five, on the other hand, were overwritten with the horrible things that happened to her.
I have faith in Rose that she'll succeed in the guild's initiation test despite only a few months of training. I am curious to see if she's going to end up stronger than me in the future as her stats are so well balanced. As for me, my skill training is going pretty—horribly. Cooking barely increased my skill stats at all. I tried fishing to observe the speed of increasing skill stats but seeing as my fishing skills were absolutely horrendous, I only managed to catch one or two fish in a week's time. And they were measly-sized fish. I quickly abandoned the idea of continuing my fishing path. What other options do I have? Time to try baking, I suppose.
I almost destroyed my kitchen with my horrible baking skills. Rose tapped me on my shoulder and told me to never ever do any sort of baking in my life ever again. I thought of depending on cooking alone but after about a month, my skill stat only increased by one. I certainly need to try something else or it'll take me a lifetime.
Time for me to try practising medicine. What other option do I have left? Cooking alone is just not enough for me. There is another problem though. How and where do I even begin? Is there someone practising medicine inside the city? I am fairly certain there is someone practising it, otherwise where do we get our potions from? The thing is, I can't just kick down their door and demand they start teaching me how to practice medicine.
I decided to seek Miss Angelica for help as she had always been relatively familiar with things around the city. To my surprise, she actually knew someone who does. One of her close relatives practices medicine, albeit mostly for curing basic illnesses. He does not create potions or medicines for combat purposes. Hey, I'll take all the help I can get. Better to start somewhere than nothing. Curing illness is useful when you're travelling around as an adventurer. It is certainly a good knowledge to have even if I sucked at it. I pleaded with her for approval to have her relative teach me in medicine and she reluctantly told me that she needed to get permission from her relative first. Thankfully, her relative was willing to guide me and I can head over to his clinic the very next day. I thanked her with some chocolates, which I had to insist on before she accepted them.
A new day arrived and I stood in front of the clinic in question. It was small, but I was not going to judge. Small clinics are where it is affordable for the needy. I headed in and was greeted by a male who looked like he was in his forties.
"Ah, you must be Zen. Come in, come in," he gestured.
"Yes, sir, I am. I'm here to learn about medicine if you're willing to teach me," I bowed to him slightly.
"May I ask why? Just for curiosity's sake. You're an adventurer, right?" he asked.
Should I tell him the truth? Will he be asking me why I am trying to specifically increase my skill stat in the first place when other adventures don't bother about it?
"I'm— actually trying to increase my skill stats," I confessed.
He looked stumped at me and started laughing. Did I say something embarrassing?
"Are you dating my niece?" he asked.
"W— what? No, I'm not," I was taken aback by his sudden, strange question.
"Ah, in that case, I have no obligation to teach you," he chuckled.
"W— what?" I answered with a sad tone.
"I'm just kidding. Hahaha. Ah, you reminded me when I was younger. Sorry if I gave you a scare," he said.
"Come closer and let me give you a hint," he gestured for me to come in close until he whispered directly into my ear.
"If you wish to increase your skill stats quickly, you will need to practice alchemy instead," he whispered.
Huh? Am I going to end up as some sort of witch or wizard now? Is medicinal practice the same as alchemy?
"W— what do you mean, good sir?" I stuttered in asking him as it was so out of place.
"All you need to do is purchase as many ingredients as you can from the medical shop and just start mixing them together. If the end product tastes good, chances are you found something that benefits you. Bad-tasting products usually de-buffs you or, in the worst-case scenario, poison you. Do be careful in testing the end products yourself. There is a chance where a product ends up being tasteless, but that does not mean it does nothing. Sometimes it gives both benefit and de-buffs depending on the product created. Here is a list of what I created before. It is not an extensive list as ingredients are relatively expensive to purchase. I had to abandon it when I couldn't sustain the expenses any further. You will also need a lot of stat scrolls as you will never know what each end product gives you, and those scrolls are your only way of knowing. So, unless you're loaded, try out doing alchemy," he explained.
"I do have some spare change to test it out. But if it's really the best way for me to increase my skill stats, then I have to pursue it," I told him with conviction.
"You certainly reminded me when I was young. So eager to try just about anything. I like seeing your enthusiasm, Zen. Alright, here's another tip for you since you're so eager to try it out. Head to this shop and pass her this letter. She'll probably give you some discounts, but do expect the price to remain steep," he warned me as he passed me a paper he scribbled.
I bowed to him, making sure to thank him properly before heading out. Written on the letter was the shop's name, 'Pink Carnation'. I believe I saw it somewhere not too far from the library before. Time to make sure then. I do have a few gold coins with me in my pocket, which I hope are enough. Worst case, I'll dig out the remaining 150 gold coins that I left hidden in the forbidden forest. I hope I don't run myself dry before achieving the bare minimum skill stat.
It didn't take long for me to find the shop in question, making sure to knock on the door before heading in. There was an old lady busy sorting out some items on a shelf just behind the counter. She wished me "Welcome" without turning to look at me. I won't blame her, really. At her age, I should let her focus on her task in case she forgets or injures herself. I stood by the counter and waited until she decided to serve me.
"Sorry about that, kid. Thank you for your patience. What can I help you with?" she asked.
"Someone recommended me this place for purchasing ingredients. I would like to purchase some if possible?" I asked as I pushed the scribbled letter to her.
She read the contents of the letter and made a dry chuckle, smirking. They must have known each other well enough to earn such a reaction. She went behind the counter, and sounds of rustling and shifting could be heard. After a short while, she brought out a decent-sized box and placed it on the table with some wrappings.
"This is my starter pack for alchemy, kid. I've got no recipes for you, sadly, so you'll have to figure that out on your own. Not many people make it far because ingredients are expensive," she said.
"How much are you charging me for these, then?" I asked her.
"Two gold coins. I would have sold them for three if it weren't for that letter. Count yourself lucky, kid," she smiled.
Two gold coins for a starter pack? Not too bad. I shouldn't get ahead of myself and start a shopping spree. What is inside this box, though?
I opened it and found a mortar and pestle, some glass containers, and candles. Oh, there are leather gloves along with some other things that would make me look like a mad scientist. Two gold coins for all of these? I'll take it.
I passed her the coins and carried everything home. It was early evening when I made it back home. Rose was preparing dinner when she saw me carrying those bulky items as I came in. She was surprised by the large box that could possibly fit her in, and she curiously followed after me into my room to see what it was. The table in my room was long in length, but I never had a use for it until now. I am going to turn this into my alchemy table. Let's see what the doctor had researched before.
Fortify Constitution +1
Grounded jikentette bones + honey + red berries. Boil the bones in about 30ml of water and add honey. Add red berries after the honey has melted.
Fortify Strength +1
Pounded goblin bones + strong berries. Boil the bones in 20ml of water. Add berries after 30 seconds after the water starts boiling.
Wow, there are a lot of things to study here. Do I even have anything to accurately time with? Oh, there are hourglasses included in the box, labelled properly according to specific times too. This is a good starter pack indeed. I am getting all pumped up about starting alchemy. I will need a notebook of my own to keep track of whatever I have tested. Let me try these two recipes first before getting ahead of myself.
***
Onii-chan came home carrying some questionable bulky items. I was so worried that he might have killed someone and hid the body in the box. Thankfully, it was just some glass equipment and some other things that I had no idea about. He eagerly decorated his table with those strange equipment. I thought that I'll be bothering him with his new hobby, so I decided to continue cooking dinner. Roast jikentette for dinner~ How long have I not eaten this? Seems like the mushroom soup is boiled and ready to go. Oh shoot, I almost missed adding some salt. Hm, it tastes good now. Everything is pretty much done. I should call him out.
"Onii-chan, dinner is ready," I called out.
That's strange. He usually responds to my call. Did he faint or go to bed? Let me check on him. His door is closed? That's odd, he usually leaves a gap open.
It's best to knock before I enter. I called out to him once more and opened the door. Still no response from him. Why is his room so darkly lit? Is that him sitting by the table?
"Onii-chan? Why are you hiding in the dark?" I asked him.
Hie! Who is this person with bloodshot eyes wearing goggles? Is this even Onii-chan? I'm so scared right now. What do I have with me? I only have a mitten, which is better than nothing. Just throw it at him and run!
"Rose, what are you doing?! I need to concentrate right now. Give me a moment, please. And stop throwing stuff at me," he shouted.
Oh, that is definitely Onii-chan. Geez, why does he have to scare me like that? Not to mention he had covered his hair with some sort netting too. This brother of mine needs to be more aware that I am living here with him. At least he keeps his room clean most of the time. I should light up some candles to brighten his room.
"Done! Bottom's up, I guess. Bleh, doesn't taste good. But I followed exactly what the recipe said. What did I do wrong? Hmm," he put on a thinking face.
"What are you doing, Onii-chan? Making drinks?" I asked him curiously.
"Hm? Oh no, I am doing alchemy. According to the doctor, it seemed that this is the best way for me to increase my skill stats quickly. But I need to improve more as I couldn't even create a potion properly even with an existing recipe," he sighed at the end.
I guess I should help him out later. Sounds like fun to me. I can use some of my cooking skills to see whether he actually followed the recipe properly.
"Oh, is dinner ready? Let me check my stats first," he rustled his bag and took out a scroll. He blew on it and suddenly started cheering out loudly. What a noisy brother I have.
"Look, Rose, look! My skill stats increased by one even though I failed at making the potion earlier! But it seems like the potion I made had debuffed my agility stats. No wonder it tasted so bad," he pouted and started thinking again.
"I'll help you out later, Onii-chan. Let's eat before dinner gets cold?" I asked him and headed to the kitchen to set the table.
***
Dinner was excellent. I am impressed by my cooking skills. Onii-chan was devouring the roast jikentette and said it was one of the best meals he had ever had. I might have blushed a little hearing that from him. I usually cook dinner and lunch once in a while since he said that we should eat out so as not to overwork me with chores. But I am staying here for free and he is paying for pretty much everything. I am really happy that such a kind person was willing to take me in. Which is why I must join the Light guild to be some use to him. I want to help him in whatever way possible.
It was out of the blue when Onii-chan insisted that he would be cooking breakfast. His food leaves a lot to be desired but it was at least better than what I had compared to the horrible caretaker's house. I do hope he can improve his cooking soon before I give up on teaching him. No wait, I shouldn't think that. He had done so much for me and I should continue teaching him. I must; I am his little sister after all.
I sighed unconsciously. Oh, Onii-chan, you really are hopeless whenever something requires you to be precise with your hands.
"Rose, dinner was— *chef's kiss*. Thanks for cooking today. I'll be heading back to my room," he stood up and brought his plate to the sink.
"Onii-chan, you forgot the rules. Whoever cooks won't be doing the dishes," I said to him with a grin.
It was his rule that he created, so I was just reminding him. I don't really mind doing chores as I am freeloading here in the first place. I should be doing all these for him as thanks. But I do want to be spoilt once in a while. He he.
"Ha ha— well, I did make that rule. Nothing to argue, I suppose," he said and proceeded to do the dishes.
I quickly rushed into his room to see what he was doing. A paper? Oh, so these are the ingredients he needed for the recipe. Let's see what he did so far.
Huh? It says here for ground bones but these are still in chunks. Is this supposed to be pounded bones? But these are still too large to be considered pounded. Geez, Onii-chan. You really are hopeless without me guiding you.
"Rose, what are you doing? Those equipment are expensive, y'know?" He came to check up on me.
"Here, taste this," I passed him my potion.
"T— this.. tastes good. What did you do?" He asked me with a confused look. I sighed loudly.
"Come here Onii-chan, and sit down. You don't seem to understand the difference between pounded and ground. Here is the difference," I started tutoring him.
We were so engrossed in doing alchemy until it was late at night. My eyes were already droopy now. How is he still so excited? His eyes were practically sparkling right now.
"Onii-chan, I'll head to bed. I'm really sleepy now. Good night," I yawned.
"Thanks for teaching me, Rose. I really appreciate it. You can sleep on my bed if you want," he petted my head.
I swear he knows that petting me makes me blush. Sometimes I just feel like I want to hug him tightly and smell him. It gives me so much comfort that I've met this person.
"I'll take you up on that," I said to him and jumped on his bed. Ahh… so comfy~
***
Three months passed, and I can officially wear the gauntlets. But I held back as it was pointless for me to wear when it barely gives me anything aside from basic protection. It is the hidden spells that I am looking forward to unlocking. My initial thought was that I would be increasing my skill stat with every potion that I made, but sadly, I was wrong. Turns out I need to create more the higher it increases. But at the very least, I managed to increase my skill stat by four points in just three months. This is the best method for me by far. And I had gotten the hang of doing alchemy by now. It was certainly tricky at first. Everything had to be recorded down, right to the slightest details such as the boiling time, how much ingredients to add, the type of ingredients, and how long to prepare. The slightest mistake will cause the whole end product to change its properties for better or for the worse.
Not to mention that it is certainly an expensive hobby. They weren't kidding when they said that; the ingredients purchase alone can burn up to a single gold coin each round. No doubt I purchased in bulk quantities, but still, even my current quests don't reward me with a gold coin per quest. I had already retrieved all the remaining gold coins from grandfather's secret quest. I am happy to report that I had not touched any of those coins yet, but I am afraid I might have to start using them soon. Just another ten more skill stat to go. I can do it!
"Onii-chan, I think I might be—" said Rose out of the blue as she started counting her fingers.
Huh? Might be what? Why is she counting her fingers? Don't tell me she is late. Wait, does she even have it yet? Please don't say you're P, don't say you're pregnant!
"11 by now," she finally answered. I gave her a blank face. Huh? 11? When exactly?
"Um, Rose? When exactly is your birthday? Do you recall it?" I asked her with a surprised look.
"Oh— of course I do. I think it was— yesterday?" she spoke while feeling unsure.
"So why didn't you tell me?" I asked with concern.
"Huh? Was I supposed to tell you about it?" she asked me back with a confused look.
"Rose, did no one ever celebrate your birthday before?" I asked her again, feeling more concerned about her.
"I— didn't know that birthdays were meant to be celebrated. I usually whipped up a nice meal and ate on my own," she looked down, feeling dejected.
I stared at her. She had always put up a strong and dependable front for me. But deep down, she is still a lost little girl trying to find a place in the world. Was it fate that brought her to me? I am sure there are plenty of other people more suited to taking care of her, but as of now, she is stuck with me. I had already accepted that I have to protect her, even though she is not related to me. I am alone in this world as well. Perhaps the two of us can find comfort by being with each other.
"Rose, let's celebrate your birthday. Consider it belated, alright? I want your 11th birthday to mean something before you officially join a guild," I hugged her.
"Y— you don't need to do that. It has passed already. You don't need to trouble yourself with me," she said.
"Rose, you are my one and only family that I have. There is nothing troubling when it comes to you. So go on, get changed and be ready to head out. Go on, young lady, get," I said while pushing her towards her room.
"H— huh? Where are we going?" She asked.
"We are going somewhere entertaining and will be ending with a feast! So put on your best clothes and we'll head out," I pushed her into her room and closed the door. I can hear her frantically opening her closet to check on what to wear. I decided to speak with her through the door.
"Rose— next time, let me know about anything, whether it is good or bad news. I am here for you, don't forget it," I spoke softly. After some time, I heard her replying to me with a "Thank you". I hope she is not crying inside her room.
***
I brought her to a theatre to watch some funny comedy show, then to a theme park where we enjoyed some of the local activities available and eventually brought her to 'Sleeping Daisies' where I celebrated her birthday with Rick and John, since both of them happened to be hanging around the tavern. John was dumbfounded when I introduced Rose as my little sister but he soon understood that she wasn't related to me.
John was already at the rank of Great Viking now. The bastard overtook me in terms of ranking. Damn it, I need to buckle myself and become a Dark Knight soon or I will be a laughing stock in my group. I bet Lily is already a Blitz Knight by now.
Geez, why do I keep thinking about her? It's not like I didn't meet with other female members. Why am I so hung up on Lily? Just because she is the first female I met? Or is it because she made me realise my fetish for female elves? I am sure she had gotten over me or had completely forgotten about me and John. Sigh
***
Hachiu!
Damn it, someone must be talking about me behind my back. Must be John, probably. I rubbed my nose clean with my handkerchief. I hope it is not a sign of bad luck before an important meeting.
I headed into the meeting room to meet with my guildmaster. I bowed to the Elementalist.
"You summoned me, my lord?" I asked him.
"Indeed. I have an important task for you. What say you to serving the Viking Lord?" he asked.
I was left speechless.