Chapter 35: Confidence (End of Volume 2)

After copying down the method for making a basic healing potion, Ren realized that in addition to Heal Grass, he would also need tools like a pot, bottles, and a mortar.

“Maybe I could borrow a pot from the kitchen? …No… that’d be a problem if they couldn’t cook…”

He didn’t even have the other tools yet. Even if he gathered Heal Grass, he wouldn’t be able to start making the potion right away. Realizing this left Ren a little disappointed.

When he went to return the book to the study room, he heard voices coming from the rear garden—his younger brother Yuan and his little sister Yona.

“My hands hurt! I’m tired already!”

“Not yet, Yona! You did more swings than this yesterday!”

“But I’m tired!”

When he went to look, Yona had set her wooden sword on the ground and was crouching beside it, while Yuan stood firmly with his own wooden sword, talking to her.

“Yona… let’s keep trying together! We have to get the ‘Swordsmanship’ skill!”

“But… even if we practice, there’s no guarantee we’ll get the ‘Swordsmanship’ skill, right?”

“That’s not true! Father said if we try hard enough, we’ll definitely get the ‘Swordsmanship’ skill!”

“…Then did our nii-sama not try hard enough?”

Yona’s words made Ren’s cheek twitch. He swallowed hard, the feeling like a heavy lump of lead sinking into his chest.

Yuan tilted his head thoughtfully for a moment, then nodded.

“That must be it!”

“Then… does that mean Ren-niisama didn’t try at all? Ren-niisama got a ‘useless skill,’ right?”

A sharp pain pierced deep into Ren’s chest, as if the lump lodged there had turned into a thorn and been driven in.

“I don’t know!”

“If you don’t know, then you don’t know!”

Yona flopped down onto the ground, her legs stretched out, and shook her head hard.

Ren quietly stepped away from the window.

(Soon… next spring… Yuan and Yona will have their Blessing Ceremony…)

He felt uneasy thinking about that day. If they received good skills, he might lose his place in the family even more.

(When that happens… will they tell me to leave…?)

After returning the book to the shelf, Ren sat down in a chair and retied his bootlaces.

His boots were starting to feel tight. If he said something, maybe he’d get hand-me-downs from Lewis again… but the thought of being refused made him hesitate to ask.

After tying them tightly, he casually took out the board he had written notes on.

“A pot… a mortar…”

As he said the words aloud, the guild dining hall came to mind. Of course they would have pots there. And when he had his fish cooked before, he remembered finely chopped herbs sprinkled on top—wasn’t that similar to grinding herbs?

“I’ll ask at the guild. Maybe they sell them… Oh! Maybe they even sell boots!”

Clink.

Ren pulled out a “small box” filled with large copper coins. He wasn’t sure if it would be enough for both boots and tools, but the weight in his hands was proof of the work he had done—gathering herbs and defeating horn rabbits.

“…That’s right. I can just buy boots. I don’t have to worry about whether someone will give them to me.”

Ren let out a soft breath, a small smile forming on his lips.

As he gently shook the box, the coins clinked heavily inside. He had other boxes too—ones filled with silver coins and small copper coins.

“It’s nowhere near enough for something like attending the academy… but for boots or a pot…”

Little by little, the things he could do were increasing.

And that thought made Ren happy.