242: Stocks
I didn’t have to walk far, as Hari, Luis and Jen were all sitting at a couple of tables that had been pushed together in the corner. The only other people in the inn were the merchants and their drivers, who were amusingly sitting on the very opposite side of the room.
I gave them a nod as I passed all the same, taking my seat at the table and pulling out the pot holding the stew along with the rolls I would serve with it.
What I had nearly forgotten with all the skill talk in the kitchen was to infuse it, which I made sure to do, not altering the buff time or potency, just so I could see the base time for voidscale hare.
“Smells fantastic,” Jen commented while scooping a bowl.
I had to agree. It didn’t have the usual smell I’d expect from rabbit. It had what could best be described as a sweetness to it, along with a rich, earthy undertone.
The first bite confirmed it tasted as it smelled. The sauce perfectly coated my tongue, and the hint of red wine was unmistakable behind it all. The hare itself practically fell apart in my mouth and required no chewing at all, and the seasoning was just right.
What I really needed to check, however, was the buffs.
[Uncommon] Voidscale Hare Red Wine Stew.
- +3 Dexterity
- +2 Wisdom
- Enhanced Hearing (Passive)
I was about to shrug it off until I really thought about what I was hearing. Everything was clearer and louder.
“The buff is certainly interesting,” I commented.
This caused the others to check.
“Oh, I have a similar skill. It’s really useful!” Jen commented.
“Wisdom?” Liane asked.
Milo shrugged. “My understanding is that these creatures are from a cave environment. Maybe the wisdom is not getting caught in cave-ins, but it’s certainly not what I’d expect, and there is likely something to these creatures we don’t fully understand.”
My mind was racing with possibilities of what I could do with it now. I could very easily turn this meat into jerky. It was already incredibly lean, so it wouldn’t take a lot of effort, and with its high dexterity, I could add a stamina regeneration, or find a seasoning that provides perception as well, and have an incredibly useful meal for Jen and Liane.
And other classes that use those stats, I suppose.
My thoughts then turned to Lily. I was slightly concerned that she had not shown up yet, and just to be safe, I removed the scarf from my neck.
“Lily, if you can hear me, I have dinner ready,” I said in a near whisper.
Nothing.
I felt Crisplet pushing across reassurance and a strong feeling of trust, and he was right. Sylvy would keep her safe, and she always vanished after we left the cities, so she’s probably just enjoying not being stuck in the capital trying to protect me.
“I wouldn’t worry, Trev. She’ll be here before long, pestering you for food. It’s not the first time she’s vanished. Only this time we know she’s with Sylverith,” Jen said with a smile.
Liane was just nodding along. “It’s true.”
As the night slowly moved by, Bardo had moved to a stool behind the bar just to keep an eye on things and to provide drinks for Hari, Milo and the drivers, and I was tempted to have an early night when a lady entered. Looking around, her eyes landed on Bardo.
I was surprised when he nodded in our direction.
Approaching us, she looked haggard. Her dress, clearly made to function and not to impress anyone, was currently heavily stained.
“You’re the adventure party that made the soup?” she asked as she reached us.
I was about to answer, but Hari took charge. “Yes. Is everything okay?”
What happened next shocked me as she fell to the floor on her knees, with tears welling in her eyes, as she took Hari’s hand.
“Thank you, thank you so much. Everyone has already recovered. Whatever you gave them is a gift from the gods themselves,” she said.
Part of me was glad now that Hari was taking this one, because I would have absolutely no idea how to react to any of this.
Hari, on the other hand simply took her hands in his own, lifting her back to her feet.
“We’re always happy to help those in need, but you look like you need rest yourself. Please,” he said it with a warmth I had really only seen a couple of times from him.
“Yes, yes, of course. I’m sorry to have interrupted you. If there’s anything you need, anything at all,” she said, wiping away tears.
“We don’t need anything, although Bardo may want his pot back,” Hari said with a laugh, adding a bit of levity back.
A smile cracked across her face as she looked over her shoulder. “I’ll return it tomorrow.”
Bardo immediately waved it off.
After saying thank you at least a dozen more times to everyone individually, she eventually left the inn, as Bardo came over with more drinks.
“That’s a good thing you’ve done for our village,” he said as he placed the drinks down.
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This time he was looking directly at me.
“It’s nothing. I’ll always try to help,” I said.
Bardo let out a laugh. “I’m no novice, lad. I know how injured those villagers were, and what was in that pot was not just a hot meal with minor healing properties. You really helped us out, and for that, if you ever need a room or a drink, it’s on the house. For all of you.”
“That wo—” I started to say, but Milo cut in.
“Thank you for that kindness, Bardo. We’ll happily accept,” Milo said.
Bardo had a beaming smile as he walked away, and I couldn’t help but feel conflicted, and felt I had to say something.
“We don’t need their free food or drink though? I feel bad taking it,” I said.
Milo nodded. “Absolutely, we don’t. But many people Trev don’t want to feel like a debt is hanging over them. We’ll likely never take him up on the offer of a free room or drink, and forget some silver on the table if he tried, but it’s not the point. By agreeing to it, if he felt like the village owed us a debt, that’s now paid.”
“But there is no debt. I wouldn’t even know what to charge for what I made,” I let out a chuckle, shaking my head.
Milo nodded in understanding. “Trev, no villager, or even the village as a whole, could have afforded what you gave them tonight, just to be perfectly clear. This isn’t about the actual cost. Did the medical pavilion in Dunhearth not give you stuff as well?”
“Yeah, but it was just their old cooking equipment.” As I said it, I understood.
Milo just smiled knowingly.
Luis left early in the night, wanting to look around the village before we left in the morning, and I took the opportunity to speak to the group alone.
Whispering to Milo, “Milo, is it possible to create the sound thing here in the open? I have something to discuss with everyone.”
Milo frowned slightly, shaking his head. “It would work for sound, but people would notice, and some are remarkably good at reading your lips. If it’s important, it’s best we go upstairs, or in the kitchen.”
Nodding, “It is important, I think, and something I need everyone’s approval on before I try it.”
Raising his voice, “Okay, we’ll all go taste these stocks you’re making,” Milo said, looking over his shoulder.
I suspected the hearing buff from the stew meant everyone heard the whispering anyway, as they were already getting out of their seats.
Entering the kitchen, I felt the air mana rush past me and was feeling impressed how easy it was getting now.
I waited for everyone to enter, Crisplet going back to the stocks, and as the door shut, I made my proposal.
“What’s up?” Jen asked.
“I think we should try cooking the dragon,” I said simply.
Hari immediately shook his head. “It’s too dangerous.”
“Wait up, Hari. Let’s hear him out. I’m sure there is a reason he’s asking now,” Jen said.
I noticed Milo was nodding next to her, while Liane was staying suspiciously quiet.
“Or Liane got in his ear,” Hari said.
“He’s told me absolutely not every time I’ve asked. It’s not me,” Liane laughed.
With a sigh, I explained. “I have an evolution for the skill that purifies, and I’m worried if I accept an evolution I won’t be able to purify meat, or if I select the meat option I can’t purify anything else, but right now, we know with certainty I can purify drake, which was toxic prior.”
I even pointed to the drake stock to make my point.
“It stands to reason I should be able to purify the dragon right now at level five, or at least get an error message that I can’t, right?” I said.
Hari begrudgingly nodded.
“So what I propose is a test. I’ll make a dragon stock, just like this, using the bones. Then we test it in a safe environment. If it works, amazing. If it doesn’t work, then we’ll have to really consider the evolution options differently.” I looked to Milo for support.
Liane’s hand was in the air immediately though. “I’ll test it.”
“No,” Hari said.
I thought he was going to shut the idea down, and I felt dread, but he continued.
“No, Liane, you won’t. You have the lowest mana pool besides me. You make a good point, and if Milo will take all the precautions, and we are outside the village in case he needs to burn off mana for four hours, then and only then am I okay with it,” Hari said.
I saw Milo nodding to the side.
Liane looked disappointed, but I knew she’d not argue it. After all, if it was successful, it opened up permanent buffs for everyone. It’s just she wouldn’t be first, or third, I guess.
Jen clapped her hands. “Well, I’m going to make use of the baths. I’ll see you all in the morning.”
Liane waved, leaving the kitchen right after her.
Hari was still looking at me seriously before he spoke. “Trev, please, if for any reason you think it’s unsafe, just hold off.”
“I will. I promise,” I said, and I meant it too. The paralysis was bad enough for me. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for crippling or killing anyone.
Hari left the room soon after, leaving only Milo behind.
“You don’t mind if I stay, do you?” he asked.
I shook my head and got to work.
The stock again, I was keeping simple. Finding the largest possible pot I could, I was only able to fit a single vertebra into it, and it was the smallest bone I had. I also failed to remove it cleanly, so it had tiny bits of dragon meat attached to it, which I felt would help the stock.
I was willing to stay up late to watch it and keep an eye on it, but in the end I fell asleep on the kitchen floor. Milo was still there, unwilling to let the dragon stock remain unsupervised due to the danger it posed.
When I awoke in the morning, my body ached, having slept on the hard stone floor, and it was no longer Milo in the room but Hari, sitting there with a book in hand. I looked over to see that the drake stock and voidscale hare stock had already been pulled away from the heat.
While the dragon stock still sat there, with Crisplet actively working on it and giving me a burst of sparks as I stood up.
“Morning, Trevor. Crisplet pushed those two aside a few hours ago, but I didn’t want to wake you,” he said happily.
After thanking him, and using my purification on both of them just in case anything splashed, I stored them both to use later, then turned my attention to the final pot.
I don’t know what I was expecting, perhaps a glowing toxic mess, but the pot sat looking like any other ordinary stock. Even the smell was oddly buvul-like. One thing I noticed, despite not having a lot of meat and essentially no fat, there was a layer of oil on top.
Crisplet gave me a burst of sparks, which I took to mean it was ready.
With a deep breath, I went over and attempted to purify the stock.
It glowed blue, and after a quick glance checking the notifications, I had nothing there except more combat experience.
“Did it work?” Hari asked.
“I don’t know. It didn’t say it failed, so maybe?” I responded.
I used infuse on it too, just to make sure the permanent buff was still there as well.
[Legendary] Nemorax Stock
- +7 Strength.
- +7 Endurance.
- Lightning Immunity.
- Fire Immunity.
- Tempest Flight.
- +1 Endurance. (Permanent)
“It worked! I got the buff!” I said far too loudly.
Hari quickly told me to shush before saying, “But we don’t know that it’s safe yet. We’ll check it tonight. I’ll try to get the caravan stopped early this afternoon. I’m sure you wouldn’t mind some extra time near the forest there.”
Nodding, I stored the stock, eager to get the day started.
I noticed a new notification, however.
Notification:
You have 1 available Evolution Quest
Cleanse one new Legendary ingredient after using it in a meal: 0/1