Lu Yuan was grinding a piece of oakwood bark in a mortar when steady footsteps echoed from outside the door.
Otto pushed the door open and walked in.
He was dressed even more casually today than yesterday, his dusty old coat flecked with bits of soil and his sleeves rolled up past his elbows.
Upon entering, he nodded his chin toward Ibeya. “Is the medicine ready? A few workers at the southern city construction site injured their hands. I'm here to pick up a batch of oakwood bark recovery potions.”
Ibeya gave an affirming nod, turned to retrieve a wooden box from the shelf, and handed it over. Inside, a dozen small, dark brown bottles were neatly arranged.
Otto took it and glanced over at Ibel. “How is the bug repellent formula coming along?”
“Still refining it,” Ibel replied without looking up, the rhythm of her mortar unchanging. “It might take another day or two.”
“No rush,” Otto said casually. As he turned, his gaze swept over the workstation and landed on Lu Yuan standing by the table. He let out a soft exclamation of surprise.
“Captain Lu? You're here too?”
“I know a bit about making medicine myself.” Lu Yuan set the mortar down and clapped the powder off his hands. “Since I had nothing to do, I figured I'd try my hand at it here.”
Otto chuckled, tucking the wooden box under his arm. Instead of leaving right away, he leaned against the workstation and looked Lu Yuan up and down, a hint of appreciation in his eyes.
Lu Yuan didn't stand on ceremony either, taking the opportunity to strike up a conversation. “Grand Captain Otto, are you very close with Kraus?”
“We're old friends of many years.” Otto's tone relaxed, carrying the casual ease that only came with long-standing relationships. “We worked together in our early years before being reassigned. He chose Bronze City, while I came to Oakwood City. We used to grab a few drinks occasionally in the past, but he's grown increasingly busy over the last few years, so we haven't seen each other in a long time.”
He paused, his gaze turning a bit more serious as he looked at Lu Yuan. “He sent word ahead, telling me he was sending a highly promising junior this time and asking me to look out for him. Seeing you now, you certainly live up to the reputation.”
Embarrassed by the praise, Lu Yuan smiled and didn't press the matter. Instead, he glanced out the window, remembering the building he had noticed yesterday, and spoke up.
“By the way, what is that circular tower in the inner city used for?”
“Oakwood Tower,” Otto answered without hesitation, his tone casual. “It's a formation tower with a powerful cloaking effect that also nourishes the surrounding fields. It's one of the cornerstones of Oakwood City, with several inscriptionists permanently stationed inside for maintenance.”
He added, “The higher our oakwood yield, the better the tower's effects. They complement each other.”
Lu Yuan made a mental note of this but didn't ask further. A formation tower that provided cloaking and nourishment was entirely different from the one in Bronze City, which was meant to suppress things.
“Alright, I'll head out first.” Otto walked toward the door with the wooden box. Halfway there, he turned back and waved to Lu Yuan. “Take your time. There are plenty of herbs here. If you need anything, just let them know.”
The door clicked shut, and the sound of Otto's footsteps faded down the stone pathway.
“Isn't Otto a Nightwatcher? Does he usually spend his time doing things like this?” Lu Yuan asked Ibeya as he watched Otto's retreating back.
“Yes. Ever since Oakwood Tower was built, Oakwood City has been very peaceful. The daily duties of the Nightwatchers have shifted to some extent,” Ibeya explained, continuing to grind her medicinal powder.
“Besides, Oakwood City's defense doesn't rely solely on the Nightwatchers. The Count's private guards handle at least half of the security duties.”
Ibeya gestured toward the knights standing outside the door as she spoke.
“The Count can mobilize so many knights?” Lu Yuan felt a sudden wave of self-doubt.
Back in Bronze City, the old count had nothing resembling a decent knightly force, aside from the rank 4 attendant who followed him around.
Lu Yuan had never seen a single fully armored knight in Bronze City.
“The family backing the Count can afford them,” Ibeya said with a smile, not elaborating further.
Lu Yuan understood immediately. So that was how it was. It seemed the disparity between different counts was truly an unbridgeable chasm.
Without asking more, Lu Yuan returned to the workstation to continue identifying herbs and practicing medicine preparation with Ibeya.
Oakwood City's approach to medicinal herbs was vastly different from Bronze City's.
The main difference was that everything was freshly prepared and processed. Herbs that were likely still being dried or cured in the morning would be turned into potions by the afternoon.
Lu Yuan was a quick learner. After Ibeya demonstrated the process once, he was able to do it himself on his second attempt.
Ibel would occasionally chime in during crucial steps with remarks like, “Lower the heat a bit more,” or “Grind this until no granules are visible.” She spoke little, but every word was spot on.
As Lu Yuan got his hands dirty, his experience points in Pharmacology and Medicinal Herbology began to rise steadily.
Time flew by.
After a simple meal midway through, Ibeya and Ibel went out with the knights to deliver a batch of medicine, leaving Lu Yuan behind to continue working in the apothecary. Alone with the shelves packed with herbs, he quietly ground, weighed, blended, and decocted. His hands never stopped, and his mind remained sharp.
The sunlight shifted inch by inch across the window. By the time he looked up again, the sky outside had already darkened.
On the table sat two bottles of freshly made oakwood bark recovery potion. Their color was slightly lighter than the ones Ibeya had brewed, but they had excellent clarity. He had adjusted the ingredient ratios slightly and managed the heating process with greater precision.
Just as he was sealing the last bottle, the door was pushed open from the outside.
Bo Er stood at the doorway, glancing at the table covered in bottles and jars and then at Lu Yuan, who was buried in his work. A wry, helpless expression crossed his face.
“Captain Lu, I've been looking for you all day. I didn't expect you to be hiding out here. It's not often you visit Oakwood City, shouldn't you relax a bit?” Bo Er walked in, his gaze sweeping over the potion bottles on the table. “You're leaving the day after tomorrow, and I'll be heading back with you then. Stop messing around with these things for the next two days. Come on, let's go grab a drink.”
“Just a moment.”
Lu Yuan didn't refuse. Brewing medicine for so long had indeed drained a significant amount of his energy. He sealed the potion in his hand and set it on the table.
In the corner of his vision, the grey-white text surfaced.
【Medicinal Herbology: 31.2 → 40】
【Pharmacology: 49 → 54】
His experience points had increased significantly. Over the course of the day, he had gone from identifying herbs to hands-on preparation, covering everything from oakwood bark to six or seven other unfamiliar herbs. This trip to Oakwood City was definitely worth it.
Lu Yuan tidied up the table before following Bo Er out the door.
Outside the courtyard, Dunn and several other Nightwatchers were already waiting. The scab on Dunn's right arm had mostly fallen off, revealing healthy, pink new skin, indicating he was recovering well. The others were dressed in plain clothes, clearly ready to head out for a good time.
“Let's wander through the market first to buy a few things, then we'll head to the tavern.” Bo Er waved his hand forward, leading the group toward the city center.
Watching Bo Er lead Dunn and the rookies forward with such familiarity, Lu Yuan's lips twitched. He muttered to himself, Aren't you worried you'll corrupt them?
Oakwood City's market was completely different from Bronze City's.
It was wide and bright, with rows of shops lining both sides of the main street. Even the spaces between the storefronts were filled with small stalls selling dried goods, herbs, and wooden crafts. Stall owners and customers bargained at the top of their lungs, creating a lively and grounded atmosphere.
Lu Yuan followed behind, his gaze scanning the stalls on either side. The vibe here was completely different from the tense, high-strung streets of Bronze City; the people here actually had smiles on their faces.
As they kept walking, Lu Yuan noticed a large crowd gathered up ahead.
While Bo Er was still helping Dunn pick out items, Lu Yuan skirted around the edge of the crowd to see what everyone was looking at.
The sound of a lute drifted from the center of the crowd.
The tune was unhurried, carrying a lazy, pleasant charm. Amazingly, the music managed to cut through the noisy chatter of the market, each pluck of the strings carrying a long, resonant echo that slipped easily into his ears.
Lu Yuan paused in his tracks.
He had heard this melody before.
He squeezed a few steps deeper into the crowd to get a clear look at the person sitting in the middle.
It was a middle-aged man with his hair tied back. A lute rested on his lap, his fingers loosely draped over the strings, with a small drum and two pipe instruments resting beside him.
Lu Yuan froze in surprise. It was actually Haimeng.
Haimeng was strumming his lute when his peripheral vision caught Lu Yuan squeezing through the crowd. His fingers paused. First, he looked startled, and then he smiled.
“Captain Lu?” He pressed down on the strings to silence them, his smile filled with surprise. “I didn't expect to see you here.”
“Yeah, brought some people over,” Lu Yuan replied briefly.
Haimeng nodded, not asking who those people were. He shifted the lute slightly on his lap and lowered his voice, his previous lighthearted tone fading a bit.
“My instincts tell me that our previous location is extremely dangerous.” He leaned a bit closer, whispering even lower. “Captain Lu, if you can avoid going back, try your best not to. Things are indeed not peaceful over there.”
Lu Yuan gave him a look.
Yet another person advising him not to return.
Margaret had said it, A.M. had said it, Kraus had shown it through his actions, and now even a well-traveled bard was saying the same thing.
Haimeng observed his expression, likely realizing that Lu Yuan had no intention of staying away. He didn't press the matter further, suddenly laughing as his tone grew much warmer.
“Tell you what, I've recently caught wind of some interesting information. Care to buy me a drink?”
“What is it?” Although curious, Lu Yuan spoke practically. “Honestly, even if you hadn't found out anything, I'd still buy you a drink. Running into an acquaintance out here is a stroke of good luck.”
Haimeng laughed even louder, pulling a book from the cloth bag at his side. Its cover was worn and frayed, and the writing on the spine was faded but still legible.
“This is a book on ancient music theory.” He waved the book in his hand. “And I also heard some news—apparently, there's a place where someone actually understands Ancient Music Theory.”
Lu Yuan's heart stirred.
His Ancient Music Theory progress had been stuck for so long, and he had been unable to find any way to advance it in Bronze City. This was an unexpected harvest.
“Then what are we waiting for?” Lu Yuan agreed readily. “Come on, let me take you guys to the tavern for some food and drinks.”
Haimeng slung the lute over his shoulder and waved to the surrounding crowd. “That's all for today, folks. I'll play again tomorrow.” He called over his two companions—the one carrying the small drum and the other holding the pipe instruments. The group packed up their gear and followed Lu Yuan's party toward the tavern.
Bo Er turned around, raised an eyebrow at the three instrument-carrying men trailing behind Lu Yuan, but chose not to ask anything.
Rate on N.U.
