Chapter 340: Brewing and learning
People had spotted a large carriage accompanied by more than twenty mounted warriors advancing toward their village. The hunters were always scattered throughout the forest, and in times like these, even the warriors assigned to guard the village spent most of their time outside its borders. Seeing armed groups in the distance told them instantly who they could be.
Preparations were already underway. Since they had expected the visitors to arrive only a day later, however, not everything had been completed. Most of the remaining work involved decorations and preparing the feast.
"You can’t seriously be thinking of laying rags along the entire route. It’s far too long," Gary argued as Baldon instructed the servants to bring them out.
Baldon groaned. "I fear we don’t have enough anyway. I’ve heard they’re accustomed to having something comfortable beneath their feet."
Gary rolled his eyes.
"Thankfully, you didn’t have them make enough animal hide to cover the entire village. Seriously, show some restraint, Chief."
Baldon huffed.
"They chose our village out of so many others. I refuse to believe it was mere luck. And if they have given us this opportunity, then as chief, it is my duty to show them how we receive our guests."
Gary barely restrained another eye roll before saying, "I’ll go check on the patrols. You stay inside until someone comes to inform you of their arrival."
Baldon hummed thoughtfully. "Shouldn’t I be waiting at the entrance beforehand?"
Gary clicked his tongue.
"Then what would be the difference between a guard and the Chief? When they enter the village, step outside the house with your mates and wait for them. Not a moment sooner, understood?"
Gary knew his tone was not exactly appreciated, but this was their best opportunity to leave a favorable impression on the rival tribe.
Even without the support of the head village, they could still welcome their guests warmly and tend to their needs to the best of their ability.
And making a good impression meant having Baldon step forward as a proud Chief, not stand at the entrance like a dog eagerly waiting for its master.
Naturally, Gary kept that last thought to himself as he headed toward the perimeter.
"Dart."
The brown-haired man turned toward the shorter one.
"Is everything in position?"
Dart nodded earnestly.
"Thankfully, we’ve been preparing since yesterday, so everyone knows exactly where they need to be stationed when the visitors arrive."
Gary nodded.
"Good. They’re bringing elite guards, but I don’t want a single one of them to have a reason to draw their blades to defend their lords. Hopefully, our people won’t have to deal with anything more dangerous than a few boars either."
Dart gave a wry smile.
"I hope so too, but I’ve seen strong people attract incidents far beyond their expectations."
Gary jumped slightly and smacked him on the head.
"Don’t say anything stupid! They’re only staying for a day, and that day will be the most uneventful day this village has ever seen. Nothing more."
With a huff, he turned and walked away.
Dart rubbed the spot on his head and stared into the distance.
Beyond the hurried movements of the villagers, the forest stretched in silence, calm and undisturbed.
Haah... I hope everything goes well.
....
"Not the first time I’ve watched you do this, but it still amazes me how precisely you measure everything and brew it so perfectly."
Ginna had held those words back from beginning to end. Partly because she knew she needed to remain silent to avoid disturbing Luke’s concentration, but also because watching him work had left her genuinely speechless.
Luke smiled faintly.
He could hardly claim that practice made perfect when the skill had been granted to him by the system. Still, he had certainly become more efficient with every potion he brewed, growing both faster and more precise.
"Did you learn anything?" he asked.
He carefully poured the finished healing potion into several glass vials before sealing them and storing them inside a pouch he had recently purchased.
"Brewing is actually easier than I expected. I mean, maintaining the heat of the water and stirring it continuously still seems difficult, but I think I could get the hang of it after a few attempts."
Luke nodded.
"Someone who cooks regularly would naturally find it easier than someone who is completely hopeless in the field."
"Right. But I could never pick herbs the way you do. And now that I know even a single bad leaf can ruin an entire batch, I’m much more cautious about it."
Luke chuckled.
"That’s mostly because I’m picky when it comes to herbs. But yes, there are a few things you need to watch for when gathering them. Some perfectly good herbs can look dried out or darkened. Others might have a small mark near the tip or bend toward the ground more than the plants around them."
Ginna gave him a wry smile.
"You notice all of that while picking them? As I thought, I’d rather stick to just brewing."
Luke hummed.
"What’s the harm in trying? Make a batch and bring it to me. Even if you somehow brew something poisonous, I’ll know what went wrong, and you’ll learn from it."
Ginna smiled and nodded. "Okay, I’ll do it."
She had already seen the herbs Luke commonly used for his basic potion, so gathering the necessary ingredients shouldn’t be much of a problem.
Luke then began preparing another potion.
This time, however, the ingredients were completely unfamiliar to her.
"What are you brewing now?" she asked curiously as she watched him take out several more ingredients.
Snake scales. Some dirt... no, roots from a plant. Yellowish herbs. A few small stones, which he began crushing into a fine powder with a small hammer.
"Well, I’m making this one for the first time, so I can’t be certain how effective it will be. But if I get everything right, a single sip should be enough to knock someone out for at least half a day."
"Knock them out... you mean make them sleep?"
Luke nodded.
"A sleep deeper than anything you’ve ever experienced. No stress could keep you awake, and no sound could disturb you. You could be standing in the middle of a ring of fire and still sleep through it. One sip, and you’d be completely oblivious to the world."
Ginna gave him a sheepish smile.
"That’s... quite a powerful weapon if used against an enemy."
Luke nodded and began preparing the potion.
He had originally intended to give it to Laila, who had been struggling to get proper sleep lately. However, judging by how exhausted she had looked earlier, he had a feeling she would sleep better tonight without any help.
Still, just to make sure she gets some proper rest, I’ll dilute it and mix a little into her drink tonight.
With that thought, he continued brewing what was quickly becoming his new favorite potion.
~~~~~
A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have not joined the discord, send a request to hayden_greyhart on discord. There are several images of the characters there which I cannot post here.
And also, check out my new story and save it in your library.