"You're back sooner than you were supposed to be, did something go wrong?" My mom asked concerned, as I came into the house.
"No, despite the discovery of a new dungeon, things went surprisingly well. We finished negotiations to get the new district built, my designs were approved with a few small modifications, and the budget was approved as well. Jay wanted to stay for the construction, so I rode back with Livia and the two adventurer parties, making it even safer on the return trip. The two parties were B-rank, so they have already taken off to the new dungeon and arrived a couple of hours ago. How were things here?" I answered my mom and asked in return.
"Your father was asked to lead the investigation team and hasn't come home yet, but the guild has let me know he is still safe. Other than that, there are a lot of new adventurers in town, but they seem to be mostly good people. There were a few incidents with some new adventurers, but the others dealt with them quickly. Just be careful if you are going to be walking around town, alright?" When she told me that, I wondered why Revna didn't mention that part about my dad when I was there or by letter, but she probably didn't want me to worry or cause a scene.
"I see, I will be making more potions then, and I will have some sent to dad. Don't worry, I'll be careful while walking around town," I answered my mom before heading back toward the workshop.
After I had finished building my workshop, I moved the majority of my compounding tools and such inside it, keeping only some necessary items in my item box for making things on the go. Before I could get to my workshop, though, I got stopped by my tamed monsters and Kaede, who were all glad to see me home. I gave some attention to each of them and played the chicks who were also doing well before finally getting to my workshop.
Once inside, I took out everything I would need and started producing potions in batches. Through experimentation, I found that it is possible to make potions as many as ten at a time without dropping in quantity if you had enough mana and could move it fast enough. Making potions in batches would be impossible for most alchemists because they don't have the mana control skill, those alchemists use a magic tool that draws out mana at a slow but consistent rate instead.
As I was making potion after potion, I realized I was low on some ingredients, so I had to stop to go out and pick some from my garden. When I walked out of my workshop, I noticed Dryad humming while hanging out near one of the spirit trees, so I decided to stop and say hi.
"Hello, Dryad. You seem to be in a good mood," I greeted her.
"Oh, good afternoon Cero. Yes, I am in a good mood. These trees are growing wonderfully, and this place is so full of life, it is hard to believe this is in human-settled lands." I'm glad she is in such a good mood.
"That's nice to hear. I was on my way to my herb garden to get some ingredients I need to make more potions, so I won't interrupt you any further," I replied, letting her know my purpose in coming over this way.
"Okay~, there should be plenty ready for harvest," she answered going back to whatever it was she was doing.
As Dryad had said, there were plenty of herbs and other ingredients ready to harvest, so I did just that, harvesting only what I needed. When I finished harvesting, I went to the pond I had created for the Golden Vine Snails and collected what I would need to make a few elixirs. Next, I went back to making potions, intent on using as many of the purchased ingredients as my mana would allow. Once my mana had run too low to continue, I cleaned up and went back inside the house.
Dinner was a quiet affair with just me and my mom, though it wasn't awkward or anything, just not as boisterous. Since Miya didn't show up, I knew I would have to stop by her place tomorrow. After dinner, my mom took a bath first while I went to make some more potions with the mana I had recovered. Because I wanted to send an elixir to my dad, I decided to make a magic bag but I aged the leather to make it look old, similar to the magic bags that come from dungeons. I also concealed the information about the bag using a magic circuit and enchantment. Hopefully, I would be able to convince others that I got it as a reward for my efforts regarding the dungeon discovery.
When it was my turn to take a bath, I walked in planning to use the small bathtub. However, my plans got crushed when the spirits, my monsters, and Kaede all joined me for a bath. It was quite a boisterous crowd, and I had given some mead to those who wanted to drink, even my slime absorbed some after showing interest. I had to keep lifting rose out of the water as she would start to drown when she got tired of moving her wings while she was weighed down by her hair (fur?) absorbing water. Despite the rowdy group that showed up uninvited, I was able to enjoy my bath before getting out and using Dry on myself and the others.
Before going to bed, I went out to my workshop again to use up the remainder of the ingredients I had purchased to make more potions. Although it took me running my mana almost entirely empty three times and that is with wearing the necklace that boosts my status and increases my mana recovery speed, I was able to finish the potions I said I would make. Now, I would be able to send my dad some potions and sell the rest to the merchant's guild wholesale. Having finished the potions, including a large number of mana potions, I went to bed feeling satisfied.
The first thing I did after waking up was, write a letter to my dad before summoning a Sonic Eagle and sending it off with the letter and magic bag containing potions and an elixir. Then I began my daily routine, using magic to make it feel like my weight had tripled. I continued my routine outside by swinging my short sword, which was also enchanted to weigh more. It was only when breakfast was ready that I stopped practicing to go inside and eat with my mom. After breakfast, I handed my mom a few more skeins of yarn, figuring she was probably running low by now, and then left the house.
I had a lot I wanted to finish today, so I quickly headed for the merchant's guild, intending to sell off the bulk of the potions I made yesterday first. Today was my first time going to the merchant's guild this early and was surprised that while it was busier than usual, it was nothing compared to the morning rush at the adventurer's guild. Since I had the elixirs, I figured it would be better if I could sell directly to Livia and was fortunate enough that she had a few minutes to spare.
She was surprised I was back so soon, delivering the potions I had just picked up the ingredients for yesterday. After I explained that my dad was the leader of the investigation team sent to the newly discovered dungeon, she understood. I was able to sell everything I had intended to sell and two elixirs in addition, which surprised me considering how expensive they are. As soon as we finished the transaction, we both quickly left to work on our next task. I still needed to collect more materials, but I would need to measure out the lot and design the buildings to have a better idea of the amount I will need to build the inn.
Walking to the properties I purchased yesterday, I greeted the merchants and other townsfolk I had become acquainted with. When I reached the properties I had purchased, I saw the old couple putting up a sign that said they were closing down and selling everything. Curious, I walked into the store to see what all they had that they were selling. Since the door was already open, they didn't seem to notice me walk in, and not wanting to bother them, I just quietly looked around the place. Most of what they were selling was general goods, things you might need for your home, and it was stuff clearly designed for the average commoner, nothing high-end.
After touring the store once, I called out to the old couple, who were discussing their upcoming move. At first, they thought I was coming to see their progress but when I explained that I was willing to purchase everything in the store, they questioned me repeatedly wanting to know if I was sure. I had to explain to the two that I would be building an inn to help with the housing situation before they finally stopped trying to prevent me from 'being too nice' and let me purchase the product.
After my unplanned shopping spree, I measured the property as I had intended to in the beginning. It seemed like all but William, the dwarf, would be moved out by the end of tomorrow at the latest, so I wanted to make sure I was ready to begin the next step. Using one of the vacant properties I purchased, I opened a gate to the forest close to the capital on the Gale side, not far from where the bandits had attacked us. Once there, I reinforced my body with magic and began moving away from the road. Once I was far enough away, I summoned a Dire Wolf and had it smell a piece of incense wood and had it lead me toward where I could more.
We ran for about 15 minutes through the forest before the Dire Wolf slowed to a stop. In front of us, I could see and smell Incense Trees growing in an enormous grove. Knowing that this part of the forest is said to be relatively safe, I went around thinning out the Incense Trees, cutting the limbs off first using a saw I purchased from William yesterday and then using magic to cut the tree down level with the ground before stowing it in my item box. I didn't forget to plant some Incense Tree seeds in places they wouldn't be overcrowded when they grow, repopulating what I had cut down.
As we continued to move through the forest, we came across a glade with a crystal clear brook running through it. I don't know how this area came to be, but it was huge, with plenty of medicinal herbs growing within. Not wanting to pass up the opportunity, I had the Dire Wolf watch my back while I began harvesting. Even though I was harvesting at a fast pace and leaving behind enough for the plants to repopulate themselves, it took me almost an hour to work my way through only about a third of the area. I figured I could just use magic to come back any time I wanted, so we drank some water after I confirmed with Detailed Appraisal it was safe, and we began running again.
This time I was looking for Blue Ash Trees, which are hardwood trees that are great for finish carpentry and other such uses. Not too far downstream from the glade, I noticed that the type of tree around us had changed, so I stopped to check what kind they were. They turned out to be Blood Wood Trees which are softwood similar to redwood trees and are great for all sorts of woodworking and carpentry, so I went to fell some of them as well. About 45 minutes and a mana potion later, I was again on my way to find the Blue Ash Trees. I couldn't find any Blue Ash wood in Gale, so unfortunately, I couldn't have the Dire Wolf lead me to them by scent.
I had left the brook and ran toward a cliff face that was tall enough for me to see through the trees. When I got close, I was happy to discover the Blue Ash Trees I had been searching for and didn't hesitate to begin felling them. As with the previous two types of trees, I would be planting more to make up for what I was harvesting. I spent about another hour in this area felling trees, I wouldn't have been here so long, but I found some Cherry Trees nearby as well and wanted to collect some of them as well, along with some cherry seeds.
When I finished collecting trees and planting new ones, I walked out to the cliff face, thinking it would be a good place to take a break before heading back to town. I also had a few monster corpses to deal with, although most were goblins, so I only needed to remove their magic stones, throw them in a hole, and burn them. I had only killed three monsters myself, while the other two dozen or so were killed by the Dire Wolf I had summoned. I quickly dug a hole using magic and dealt with the goblin corpses, looking around while waiting for the corpses to finish burning.
I saw something sparkling about 10 feet up the cliff face and figured I could check it out while taking my break. As it turned out, the sparkle was a piece of crystal poking out from the cliff, so I used earth magic to dig it out to take a look. As the rock around it crumbled away because of my magic, I discovered that this part of the cliff face was hollow. Being curious, I opened up a hole large enough to step into the hollow, and what I found inside was a cave with a bunch of crystals growing in it. The cave must have been at least 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide where I stood, I couldn't see to the back, even with my Dark Vision skill and light magic. The light refracted through the crystals, causing a myriad of rainbow-colored lights to dance across the floor, walls, and ceiling.
Some of the crystals growing in the cave were enormous, many times larger than myself, while the smallest ones were still big enough to be worth quite a lot. I also noticed that farther into the cave, some of the crystals were mana crystals which are more or less an infinitely rechargeable version of a magic stone, with the added bonus of aiding in one's control of mana and boosting the output when channeling spells through them. I then checked the position of the sun and quickly started mining crystals, figuring I had about 30 minutes before I needed to go to the Cat's Paw as previously planned. In the short amount of time, I had to mine this cave, I collected about five times as much crystal as I have used thus far and managed to find and collect 34 mana crystals.
On my way out, I filled in both the hole I made in the cliff and the one I made for burning the goblin corpses with earth magic before un-summoning the Dire Wolf and opening a Gate back to the building I left Gale from. Stepping out of the Gate, I headed for the Cat's Paw, hoping it wouldn't be too busy to meet with Miya. It didn't even take two minutes for me to walk over to the Cat's Paw, and I noticed there wasn't a line outside, so feeling relieved, I walked into the bakery.
I don't really want to talk about it, but let's just say that chaos ensued when I walked in and Miya saw me. It took about 10 minutes to calm down Miya enough to detach her from me, I even thought I might pass out for a little bit when she was squeezing hard enough I couldn't breathe in. I guess she had heard about my dad leaving town with all the high-ranking adventurers and thought that something must have happened, even though my mom had told her that wasn't the case. Eventually, we had lunch, and I told her I would try to stop by when I wasn't busy but that I would be working on a big project for a week or two and, therefore, wouldn't be available during the day.
After lunch, I went to see if William had even started preparing to move and was surprised to find his shop almost empty when I walked in. When he saw me, he said that if he could buy a larger barrel of mead from me, he would be moved fully out this evening. This had come as a huge shock for me, of course, as I thought he would still be passed out drunk, not having even moved one thing yet. I had to ask about his forge, but he said that was the first thing he moved, causing me to be shocked once again. When I was done being shocked, I promised to come by before dinner time to sell him a barrel.
Leaving William behind, I went to the largest property I had purchased and walked through it to be sure that no one was squatting in it, thinking it was unsold. I was happy that there was no one inside but I continued to look around because I saw that there was a lot of old furniture and such left behind by the previous owner. With the amount of stuff inside the building, plus the size of the building itself, I knew it would take a while to take it apart. I first set up a concealment and sound barrier around the property before clearing the items left inside the building. Nothing left inside was in good enough shape to use as is, but some of it had salvageable materials.
The items that weren't worth it for me were all moved outside, then after removing the materials I could salvage from the others, I piled the remaining materials with the rest outside. I then went up on the roof and began taking it apart from there, tossing the materials I wouldn't be reusing into piles based on type. Using a combination of different kinds of magic without trying to conserve my mana, I finished dismantling the roof, 2nd-floor walls and floor, and half of the first-floor walls before I needed to take a break to recover my mana. After a 10-minute break and a mana potion, I finished taking apart the building, leaving a vast clear space where I took out some of the trees I had cut down earlier.
Since I didn't have enough room to work on all the trees I had gathered, I took out the Blood Wood Trees first because I would be using the wood from them before the others. Next, I used the Space-time Magic spell Spacial Severance to cut the trees to be more squared and cut them to appropriate lengths, some longer and some shorter. After that, I put away the scraps, intending to take them out when I get home to let them dry naturally, while I used a combination of alchemy, fire, and wind magic to dry out the wood. Once they were dry, I cut most of them into proper lumber dimensions, counting to be sure I had a good amount of 2x4, 2x6, and 4x4 boards.
Once the lumber was made and put away, I pulled out the Blue Ash Trees and began processing them the same way, but I stopped at the drying stage. To keep things moving at a good pace, I extended the barriers to the next lot that was also vacant already and began dismantling it as well. I had to drink another mana potion while taking apart the second building before I managed to finish it, moving all the materials I wouldn't be reusing to that now-empty lot before removing the barrier from that lot. It was already late afternoon at this point, so I decided I had done enough work for today, planning to start where I left off tomorrow morning.
I went to see William and sold him the large barrel of mead he had requested from me. He had already cleared everything out and was just waiting for me to come by before heading to his new place. I found out where he had moved to and told him I would swing by if I ever needed more tools or repairs on my current tools. Next, I went to the same old man in the impoverished part of town that I had gone to when I was building the Cat's Paw and gave him the same terms this time as well, leading him to the lot with the piles of materials I couldn't or wouldn't reuse from the two buildings. I told him that there would be more to pick up tomorrow evening as well, and possibly more the following evening, it all depended on how well things went.
Now that I was finished working for the day, I stopped by Jay's store again to order more furniture and other necessities for an inn. I knew they couldn't provide everything I needed in the time frame I was giving them, so I also had to stop by the merchants guild to see if there was anywhere else in town I could order from. Even after ordering the maximum, I could get within a week, I was still quite a bit shy of furnishing the entire inn, so I would have to make as much as I could in the evening over the next week.
To speed things up, I went back and dried some of the hardwood I had left at the lot and took it to a woodworking shop. I managed to order a large number of interior items I would need and got a discount for providing the necessary wood. They even planned to purchase any wood they didn't use for the project when they finished the orders. I had plenty of Blue Ash and Cherry, so I had no problems with that plan and even offered to sell them some more if I didn't use everything for this project.
The rest of the time until dinner and then after dinner until bath/bedtime, I worked on producing innerspring and pocket spring frames. I have not yet discovered a material similar enough to use in place of memory foam, so I will just have to use what I have available. However, I want to stop by the material shop again to see if they have down feathers or something similar to make firmer mattress pads for those who don't like soft mattresses. I was also planning to use down mattress pads or something similar in the cheapest rooms since I figured they would get the most use, and a spring mattress would wear out too fast.
It wasn't until after dinner that I realized my dad had collected the magic bag and letter but hadn't sent a letter in response. Perhaps I should have sent some extra paper and something to write with when I sent that to him. Well, it wouldn't hurt to leave the sonic eagle there for another day or two, I could tell that the eagle was getting food, so there shouldn't be any problems. When I went to bed, I fell asleep rather quickly, feeling more exhausted than ever before.
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That's a dense bit of crafting, he's almost as busy as Rose.