Chapter 13: Let’s Sell the Medicinal Herbs
〈Your level has increased! You can now cultivate new crops. Would you like to confirm?〉
When I reached level 10, the system informed me that I could now grow entirely new crops.
- Aim Herb – Medium Quality
- Beera Herb – Medium Quality
- Shii Herb – Medium Quality
- Deef Herb – Medium Quality
- Jeechi Herb – Medium Quality
- Fai Herb – Medium Quality
- Hiyari Herb – Medium Quality
- Air Herb – Medium Quality
- Pika-Pika Herb – Medium Quality
- Magari Herb – Medium Quality
Most of these were medicinal herbs. Among them, the Aim Herb stood out—it was a crucial ingredient for making healing potions, highly sought after in the market.
“I-I’m telling you, Onii-chan, this is serious!”
“What happened?”
“We don’t have enough healing potions!”
I remembered my younger sister fretting about this just a little while ago. Apparently, the party she belonged to had noticed a shortage of healing potions at their usual alchemist shop.
“They said Aim Herb—the one used for healing potions—is practically impossible to get these days,” she had complained.
Healing potions, which could mend injuries and restore vitality, were indispensable for any adventurer. For parties without a dedicated healing magic user, these potions were literally a lifeline.
Sena’s party was one such group. With potions so hard to come by, they had no choice but to restrain their adventures, moving cautiously through dungeons and forests alike.
“Well… more days off for me isn’t so bad,” my sister had said with her usual carefree tone. But the party’s leader, Shifa-san, probably didn’t share that sentiment.
“I suppose I could try cultivating some Aim Herb,” I thought.
Part of me hoped that Shifa-san would be pleased by this little contribution. With that in mind, I cleared a small space and began growing the Aim Herb.
As for the other herbs, I had no clue what they were used for. I’d ask Lilcaria–san next time she came over.
As usual, within an hour, the herbs had grown enough to be harvested—or perhaps “gathered” would be more accurate. Carrying the freshly collected Aim Herb, I set off toward the alchemist shop frequently visited by Shifa-san’s party. It wasn’t far from my home.
“Th-this is the place, right?”
The building looked like a deserted mansion, overrun by thick, tangled vegetation. I carefully wove through the shadowy undergrowth toward the entrance, where a weathered door greeted me.
A small plate hung from it, simply reading: OPEN.
Apparently, I’d found the right place.
I hesitated for a moment before stepping inside. As expected, the interior was dim and shadowed. Shelves were lined with potions, but there were also countless mysterious little bottles filled with things I couldn’t even begin to recognize—reptiles, insects… what on earth were those for?
No one seemed to be around.
“Uh, excuse me, anyone here?” I called out.
“W-welcome!”
From the back, a girl timidly appeared, wearing a frilly maid outfit. She looked to be about ten years old. Her big, round eyes sparkled with an almost comical innocence, making her seem utterly adorable.
“Wait… a maid outfit?” I asked, confused.
“U-uh… it’s… weird, isn’t it…?”
I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Did she really think that was strange?
Sensing my silent question, she hurried to explain:
“Ah, no… it’s just… this is the store uniform…”
“I see,” I said.
So she wore it because she had to, not because she wanted to. Still, I couldn’t imagine why she felt embarrassed about it.
“It actually looks fine on you.”
“Th-That’s the problem!”
“…?”
At that moment, another figure slowly appeared from deeper inside the shop.
“…Welcome,” said a woman, her long hair partially obscuring her pale, almost ghostly face. The strands that parted over her cheeks revealed a hint of blue undertone, giving me a fleeting, ridiculous thought: had she just walked out of an undead story?
“…I haven’t seen you before… what brings you here?” she muttered in a soft, almost inaudible voice.
I hesitated. “Uh… aren’t you wearing a maid outfit?”
“Of course not… that’s… only for Denis-chan…”
“Denis?”
“Th-That’s… my name…”
Denis, huh. Surprisingly boyish for someone who looked so delicate.
“I… I’m a boy…”
My ears nearly popped at the confession, as the young girl’s face flushed crimson. So Denis was actually a boy.
Suddenly, the woman shouted:
“No… that’s wrong, Denis-chan! You’re not a boy… you’re a trap, a boy who looks like a girl!”
“What?!”
“I mean… since you were born a boyish girl, you should live as a boyish girl…!”
“I don’t care about that!”
“You must agree with me…!”
“No! Don’t ask me to agree with you!”
…Can I just leave now? The eyes peeking from behind that curtain of hair were genuinely unsettling. And seriously—what even was a “boyish girl”?
“Ah… wait… what did you need again…?”
I had barely started to back away when my attention was finally caught—her voice now only a fraction of the earlier intensity, showing little interest in customers.
“I heard you’re short on Aim Herb, so I brought some to sell.”
“Really…? You did?”
Leaning over the counter, she eagerly examined the herbs I laid out. Not with the wild energy she had just displayed about Denis, but still with a clear spark of interest.
“Where… did you gather these? It’s been dry lately, so they should be almost impossible to find…”
“That’s a secret. But if needed, I can supply them regularly.”
“That’s wonderful… we were in desperate need… Are these really Aim Herb?”
“Yes, this is it.”
I carefully placed the freshly harvested Aim Herb on the counter.
“Th-this… is Aim Herb…?”
“Huh? Could it be… wrong?”
Truth be told, I had never seen the real thing before. I could only hope that what I grew was correct.
Ignoring my own uncertainty, Merlin-san’s voice suddenly rang out in excitement:
“The shape of these leaves… this is definitely Aim Herb! I’ve never seen them this large… so fresh… and brimming with magical energy… With this quality, we might even be able to make high-grade potions!”