Arcane Innovator

It seems it will be only me and Rolf traveling to the city this year since Father is still recovering. He was finally able to work again, but he still wouldn't make the long and difficult journey to the city.

Luckily, I was able to convince the Vogt to take both me and Rolf with him when he delivers part of the harvest as a tax to the city.

The Vogt was an imposing figure, and I had always been intimidated by him. But he had been more friendly toward me ever since the attack, and it seemed that he looked at me differently now.

We packed our bags with the essentials for the journey and set out early in the morning.

As we began our journey to the city, I couldn't help but feel excitement mixed with a bit of nervousness. This would be my first time handling the negotiations and bargaining with city merchants. The responsibility weighed heavily on me, but I was determined to prove myself capable.

Since Rolf, as it seems, knows only very limited math and is very lacking in basic economics, Father appointed me to represent our family and bring back what we needed to survive the winter.

It seems he was pleased with how I handled everything back at the smithy and ensured it ran smoothly the entire time.

Rolf, on the other hand, seemed to have hardly any interest or skill in anything beyond the smithy. It was as though he was content to spend his entire life hammering away at the forge.

I was getting very concerned about his future prospects as things stood. Although it is customary here, I never quite understood why the eldest son is the one who inherits everything and not the most capable one.

On the other hand, I was glad for it because if I had to carry the burden of my father's trade, I could never have the freedom to pursue my own path.

I heaved a sigh, feeling the rough jostling of the wagon as we made our way toward the city. My mind was a jumble of thoughts, worries, and plans swirling in my head like a chaotic storm. The journey was long and arduous, but thankfully, we arrived safely.

The Vogt had hired additional beast hunters this time around. I couldn't help but wonder if it was due to him being scarred by the recent attack or if it was because of the taxes he was transporting. Either way, I kept my thoughts to myself, not daring to ask him about it.

As we made our way into the city, the streets were crowded with people. The air was thick with the sound of chatter, merchants calling out their wares, and the clanging of metal.

Although Rolf had been here before, he seemed lost and unsure, so it was left up to me to navigate our way through the bustling streets to the market.

This time, without our own cart, we were limited in what we could buy. I contemplated what I should do first: sell my rabbit hides at the tannery or try to find a way to sneak into Isadora's shop.

I could sell the hides on the market, but I knew I could get a better price for the hides at the tannery, as I found out last time. But Isadora was still my priority.

Unfortunately, with Rolf following me around like a lost puppy, it seemed impossible to sneak away undisturbed. I found myself wondering who was the older brother in this situation.

Perhaps we should make our way to Uncle's first, and I could find a way to leave Rolf there for a bit. That way, I could conduct my business with Isadora without any distractions.

It seemed like an excellent plan, and I hoped that Rolf wouldn't object. After all, this was another chance to prove myself to Isadora, and I couldn't afford any hiccups.

We walked away from the bustling main street towards my uncle's house, our destination for the night.

As we walked, Rolf reminded me, "Aren't we supposed to find and buy supplies at the market?"

"I thought we could first go to greet Uncle and grab something to eat," I suggested. "Since we'll be here for two nights, we don't need to be in a hurry like in previous years."

"That sounds great! Let's go," Rolf agreed, his stomach rumbling at the thought of a warm meal.

We made our way through a maze of alleyways until we finally reached my uncle's house. Aunt Ingrid greeted us at the door. Her face lit up with a smile.

"Rolf! I haven't seen you in so long! You've grown so tall and strong!" she exclaimed. "And Darian, I'm so glad to see you both. We heard what had happened in your village, and we were so worried."

Aunt Ingrid ushered us inside, and as we stepped into the house, I was immediately hit by the familiar smell of wood smoke and cooking stew. The warmth of the hearth and the cozy interior of the house enveloped me, and I felt at ease.

"Thank you, Aunt Ingrid. It's good to see you too," I replied with a smile.

As we settled down at the table and started to enjoy the hot meal that Aunt Ingrid had prepared for us, I couldn't help but feel grateful for having such a caring relative. Uncle was not home yet, but I knew that he would be happy to see us too.

"So, how is everything in the village?" Aunt Ingrid asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled over us.

"Well, things are slowly getting back to normal after the attack. Our father is recovering, but he couldn't make the trip this time. "Rolf and I are here to take care of things," I explained.

"I see. Well, you know that you are always welcome here, both of you. And if there's anything we can do to help, just let us know," she said kindly.

As we were finishing our meal, Uncle returned from work together with Konrad, and we all settled around a table, also joined by our cousins Kari and Ylva. Everyone wanted to hear our account of the battle that had taken place in our village, and they listened with bated breath.

When we finished, my uncle released a deep sigh. "We didn't know what was happening at first. Alarm bells tolled for half a period," he explained.

"We later found out that there were troubles in your village, so we were very worried."

"Apparently, a whole third of the city garrison went there, and they even took a Lord's court wizard with them! So we knew it was something very serious."

"It wasn't until the next day that we found out that a battle had taken place there, and when we found out that none of your family members were on the list of the dead, we were so relieved," Aunt Ingrid added.

"I just hope that Gorn manages to make a full recovery and that we can see him soon," my uncle said with a heavy heart.

As the afternoon wore on, Rolf easily forgot about the market as he chatted with Konrad, catching up on old times. It was almost too easy to get rid of him.

I, of course, used this golden opportunity to slip out on my own. I told Aunt Ingrid that I wanted to check out the market prices before we made our purchases tomorrow.

She warned me not to stay out too late, and I promised her that I would be back before it got dark. I decided to leave the selling of hides for tomorrow and go directly to Isadora.

***

The city in the afternoon was alive with energy. The sun hung low in the sky, casting its golden rays across the cobblestone streets, illuminating the colorful buildings that lined them.

The air was filled with the scent of sizzling meat and baked goods wafting from the open doors of many inns and eateries in the Southern Quarter.

I made my way down the main street toward Isadora's store, my heart beating slightly faster with each step. I had been looking forward to this moment for weeks.

Not only was I eager to sell my herbs to the herbalist, but I was also excited to deepen our business connections and learn from her expertise.

As I stepped through the door of the shop, I was immediately enveloped in the familiar scent of dried herbs. The aroma was a mix of umbrifila with a hint of something earthy and mysterious that I couldn't quite place.

Isadora stood behind the counter, her eyes brightening as soon as she saw me. "Good afternoon, Isadora," I said, bowing slightly in greeting. "I've come to sell my herbs, as promised."

"Darian!" she exclaimed, her smile widening. "What a pleasant surprise! I was wondering when you were planning to show up. You're becoming quite a regular customer here."

"I'm glad to hear that," I replied, feeling a sense of accomplishment at her words.

"This time, I don't have any umbrifila; it seems I can only collect them once a year. But I managed to get some other herbs," I added, hoping that Isadora would still be interested in my offerings.

Isadora nodded, her eyes flickering over the bag of herbs I had brought with me. "Well, that's true. Umbrifila takes a whole year to grow," Isadora said, her face filled with thoughtfulness.

"Usually, when a herbalist or a hunter ventures to the forest to gather herbs, they only gather a few umbrifila at a time. This is why it's even more surprising that you're able to collect so many at once. It's extraordinary by itself."

I nodded, feeling a mix of pride and satisfaction at being praised like that by a Master herbalist.

"True herbs take a long time to grow and are very challenging to find for most people. The more potent and rare herbs can take several years to fully mature. That's the reason why they're so expensive and in short supply."

"And also a reason most people can't afford even the most basic of medicines," Isadora said, her tone serious.

Hmm, so that is the reason why Isadora always reacts so surprised every time I bring her herbs. I thought it was a normal amount, but apparently, it's not. I guess around the city it is a lot more difficult to find them since there are a lot of people looking for them.

The only reason I'm able to gather them in such quantities is because nobody else in our village gathers them except for me. It was true that gathering herbs was a difficult and time-consuming task, but it was a task that I had become quite proficient at.

'I need to use this advantage and gather even more of them before I leave the village!' I thought seriously

"But these herbs, which you brought, are also useful." She said.

"They are not as effective and sought-after as true herbs like umbrifila, but they have their uses too. They can help with stomach aches and pains, among other things. They are used in many medicinal concoctions and elixirs." Isadora mentioned

"Thank you for your kind words, Isadora," I said, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

"You have brought 23 herbs, all of excellent quality, so I can give you 2 copper marks for them. That will be 46 copper marks in total."

Such a huge price difference! Even though they look similar, umbrifila is more than double the price of these regular herbs.

No wonder everyone looks for them around the city. For the first time, I was glad to be living in such a backwater place where I had all the herbs to myself.

"Thank you." I finished the transaction and exited the shop since it was getting late, and I promised Aunt Ingrid I would be back before it got dark.