Chapter 373: Pharmacy
What stands out about this inn is the strict service from Mark. For now, I’m planning to blame Haulon if things go south since he’s with me.
The room arrangement assumes I’ll mess up from the start…! Well, I asked the service staff to wait by the door instead of fanning me while I sleep.
I wish they’d at least stop wearing just a loincloth.
At dawn, I’ll use Teleportation to return to the House.
“Rishu.”
After being sniffed more thoroughly than usual, I’m enveloped in his fluffiness, feeling completely healed.
He rolls over, showing his belly, and when I reach out, he scratches at the air a couple of times with his front paws. He sticks out his tongue and smiles.
My little buddy is adorable.
I take him for a walk, extending it to check the fields and orchard. I harvest a vegetable called Caldo, which looks like a robust version of radish greens.
The broad beans have bloomed. The broccoli needs a bit more time—while I’m checking on things, I greet the Spirits as I make a full circle.
I shake off the temptation to eat ochazuke and Teleport to Es’s inn.
The inn’s breakfast consists of finely chopped vegetables steamed or grilled to the same size.
The meat isn’t hamburgers, but rather ground meat skewered and grilled after being chopped. Both dishes are mixed with herbs.
It tastes good, but the contrast from Kanum’s chunks of meat and whole roasted vegetables is quite drastic. Dean looks a bit down. I can see why he’d want something with more texture. At least I wish I had some takuan.
I have a two-night, three-day trip planned, with a sightseeing trip tomorrow night and a return via Teleportation. Until then, I’m free.
“I’m going to secure some medicine stock,” Haulon says, and I follow him along with Retze.
Karn is wandering the town with Baylis, who has vanished from sight, continuing from yesterday. It seems there’s plenty for Karn to see, with familiar things that have changed and others that haven’t.
The shop is lined with dates, lampwick grass, tamarind (though it has a different name here), wild peas, coriander, figs, and various other items stored in small drawers, bags, and hanging displays.
Some of them look quite delicious.
“What’s figs good for?”
“The fruit is good for nourishment and helps with hemorrhoids; the leaves have insecticidal properties,” Haulon replies.
The leaves are probably like mulberry leaves, used for wrapping cheese. I understand the nourishment part since the fruit is rich in nutrients, which shows up in Appraisal. The hemorrhoid thing is a bit iffy.
“Other than that, there’s a medicine to cool the heart, made by simmering figs with anise, yellow earth, and honey.”
Es’s recipe for medicine sounds appetizing up to that point, but for some reason, they want to add dirt.
Also, it’s known as the tree of lovers, with a culture of couples flirting under the fig tree.
The foundation of medicine in this world revolves around four bodily fluids: blood, mucus, bile, and black bile. These four have opposing qualities of hot and cold, wet and dry.
Maintaining a balance is said to be the key to health. This balance varies by region and individual.
So, phrases like “the liver is hot” or “cool the heat of the heart” come from the apothecary, echoing Haulon’s words.
And with the Spirits’ Mischief and magical curses mixed into diagnoses, it’s quite fantastical. Sometimes doctors make such diagnoses because they don’t know, but it’s genuinely a concern.
One relatively expensive item I’ve learned about is called Hemearu Te. It has round leaves typical of legumes and long, slender pods.
It mainly helps with stomach issues, covering a wide range from diarrhea to dispelling magic cast on the belly.
Retze picks up a few items as well. He chooses things that sell well in Kanum and those that are effective for his adventures but don’t take up much space.
“Like a proper Adventurer, you should buy a few things.”
“Yeah. Which ones do you recommend?”
I grab something that helps with cuts and scrapes at Retze’s suggestion.
“The ones sold in Kanum are cheaper and more effective for that. This one treats fevers and diarrhea, and then there are those for magical symptoms.”
“I can mix the magical ones for you. Both of you, return them,” Haulon interjects.
“The Great Sage’s Magic Potion sounds promising.”
It seems impressive.
“It’s ordinary,” Haulon says, but it definitely sounds extraordinary.
“Since you’re offering—no, since it’s a special occasion, I’ll leave this one for the others.”
Retze, who was about to return it, suddenly looks like he wants to keep it and ends up buying more.
I appraise everything one by one, memorizing their effects. I mean, I’ll get detailed results the next time I use Appraisal. The pharmacy’s explanations are a bit dubious, so I’ll confirm with Haulon!
For lunch, I settled for something like kebabs. It’s hot, so the two of them seem to lack appetite.
During the hottest part of the day, we return to the inn for a nap. We’ll head out again in the evening.
I’m not sleepy, so I decide to go see the source of the Es River. So, I pretend to go sightseeing again and leave the inn using Teleportation.
I thought the place called the “birthplace” referred to the spring where the water flows, but it seems I was mistaken. There’s a spot where the water swirls into two whirlpools.
I’ve never been around here, but I’ve seen Demon Beasts, so I’ll avoid them. It’s the middle of the desert, but the area around the Es River is lush and green.
I gather herbs, vegetables, and spices that I’ve learned are quite expensive.
The Spirits born in the Es River don’t stray far from Es, their retainer. Water and Wind Spirits are fine, but the others seem to dislike moving, so even if I name the Spirits, the area on the map doesn’t expand much.
Both water and wind tend to move downstream or from the river to the land, so the upstream direction, where I want them to spread, isn’t quite happening.
I might not reach my destination today, but as long as I spread out the map, I can resume from there, so I keep moving diligently.