A/N : okay, 3rd chapters, I wonder how this go for you all. I hope it's not boring.
Thanks for review/comment/fave/follows! I love it!
The more you give, the happier I am~
They explored through the forest,
Kotori managed to get a lot of materials with Honoka's help. She also seems to be very sharp with foods materials too— she even show some mushroom that Kotori can use as materials, but they still couldn't find some other materials that is not food such as copper ore, Otonokizaka mud, coal, and some other.
"Uhhnn…it's almost dusk, I still can't find the rest of materials…." Kotori sighed.
"Hmm… It sounded like it's something that you can find around the mine, but I doubt it's accessible right now…" Umi said.
"Uh…why?" Kotori asked.
"Hmm… the mine is abandoned because it kept getting landslides in every rainy season and killed a few workers. So the kingdom decides to abandon the mine and work on something safer like… farming…" Umi said.
"But our lands aren't fertile too…" Kotori said sadly.
"Yeah… that's sad….." Umi replied.
"No wonder our population keeps decreasing each year…" Kotori said.
"But we have festival each time the king—…."
"Honoka!" Umi cuts in.
"Ohhh! Right! I'm sorry…Kotori-chan…." Honoka said.
"It's fine, I still have hope for that…" Kotori said.
"Hehe… Kotori-chan is the hope, right? I've heard from Tsubasa-chan!" Honoka said.
"Tsubasa….chan? Are you close with The Minister?" Kotori asked.
"Yup, Tsubasa-chan often asked for extra potatoes and giving me some tips too whenever I added more potatoes on her meal… then she eventually asked me to call her Tsubasa-chan…" Honoka said.
"That's nice, Honoka, what she call you with though?" Umi asked.
"Just Honoka…" Honoka replied with a big smile.
"I see…. Hmm… so Tsubasa-san like potatoes…" Kotori said.
"Not all potatoes, she loves it when it's warm, partially mashed, and added with mayonnaise, then served in hot plate…" Honoka said.
"Then, maybe next time I want to ask something to her, I should bring some hot potato mayonnaise…" Kotori said.
"Ah— she also said she prefer me to bring that to her. She is strange like that!" Honoka said.
"T…that's… a little scandalous…." Umi said.
"Oh she also loves steak… with mushrooms sauce… then… uh… beans…carrots…" Honoka started to list Tsubasa's favorite food.
"Maybe I'll just bring Honoka with me later when I want to ask for something from the Minister…" Kotori whispered.
"I suppose that's the fastest way…." Umi sighed.
Kotori sighed too.
"Ahh! Anyway! It's almost dusk! I should go back to prepare dinner!" Honoka said.
"Oh?" Kotori responded…
"It's supposed to be Kotori who say something like that…" Umi sighed again.
"Yeah, right… say it Kotori-chan!" Honoka said.
"Uh..okay…Uhm… Aahhh! It's almost dusk! I should go back to prepare dinner!" Kotori said.
"That's not what you're supposed to do…. You need to go back to workshop, remember?" Umi said.
"Uh…true… then…uhm… Ahhh! It's almost dusk! I should go back to workshop!" Kotori said.
"You don't need to repeat that again…" Umi sighed,
Honoka and Kotori giggled awkwardly.
"Either way, let's just go back now…."
They returned to workshop with their unfinished task,
It seems that Nozomi didn't approve that well, though she forgive them this time since it's still their first time working on things like this.
"Hnn… Kotori-chan… you're not doing well with your task… the quality of items too aren't impressive…" Nozomi said.
"I'm sorry…." Kotori said sadly.
"Please forgive her, Toujou-san. This is my fault for not knowing a single thing about this…" Umi said as she bowed.
"Huh? Why are you apologizing for her, your job is just to escort her…" Nozomi said surprisedly.
"Eh? Yeah, you don't need to do that, Umi-chan…" Kotori said.
"I will study about materials and help her further, Toujou-san, please keep teaching her…" Umi said again.
Nozomi giggled.
"There, you're being like someone I know…but anyway…." Nozomi taking out three pieces of papers, it looks like a token of something. Kotori, Honoka, and Umi stare into it confusedly.
"Here. This is your score for your work today… since you're doing a terrible job, you only get three…" Nozomi said.
"Okay… but, what is this for?" Kotori asked.
"Hmm… I know you will ask that…." Nozomi said before she turned around,
"Elichika, can you get the paper I just wrote?" Nozomi asked.
"Chika!" an answer before Elichika ran to approach her with a long roll of paper. She gave it to Kotori and the trio started to check it out.
Apparently, Nozomi will give Kotori tokens each time she finished her task. Each task will also have its own difficulty so the harder it is, the more token she gets. She also can take extra task to get more tokens, but the extra tasks also have deadline. If Kotori didn't manage to finish the extra task that she took before deadline, she will lose some token, then if she got minus amount of token, she will get a penalty.
"Penalty?" Umi asked.
"Yup, penalty…" Nozomi said.
"What's the penalty?" Kotori asked.
"An ultimate breast rubs that you will never forget…" Nozomi said.
"Ultimate…. breast rubs? What is that?" Honoka asked.
Everyone remained quiet for a while.
"Are you sure you want to know what that is?" Nozomi asked.
"Yeah, why not?" Honoka replied.
And before Honoka can do anything…..
Night time,
Kotori returned to the castle and chat with her mother after their dinner as usual. She explained about the token system that she learned from Nozomi. Apparently though, Nozomi was also talking about the same system to be applied in the education system that Kotori always had in castle. Though her mother hasn't approved it because she wants Kotori to decide first if she like it or not.
"Ah… so, you just got three tokens today because you can't find the materials that you need…" the queen said.
"Yep… Umi-chan said it should be around the mine, but she also said the mine isn't accessible at the moment…" Kotori said.
"Hmm… clearing up the mine is one of our projects, but we still haven't found any solution to it. Maybe your teacher can help out? I believe she will want to be involved there too…"
"Ah, maybe she can… should I ask?" Kotori asked.
"No, it's alright… I'll send her official request…" her mother replied.
"Okay!"
"But, just a question, Kotori, what are you planning to get from the list of the prize?" her mother asked.
"Uhh… about that, I haven't really checked it out since… I was more focused to not getting any penalty…" Kotori said.
"What's the penalty?" her mother asked.
"Honoka-chan just asked for a demonstration today and…. It was terrible…. So I don't want to get penalty because I couldn't do the task she gives…" Kotori said.
"Is that so? Hmm…. Maybe I should ask how she makes you be fears her this much— it's somewhat effective…"
"No…mother, you don't want to ask…." Kotori said.
"Don't worry, I'll bring Yazawa-sensei to ask for the demonstration, I believe she will want to know too!"
The queen said in enthusiasm.
Is…is that so…? Well…. Poor Niko-sensei…..
Kotori said in her mind as she sighed.
Night time,
As Kotori walks to her bedroom through the hall— she noticed the library is still up. It's rare to see anyone inside the Library at this time of a night, so she thought, perhaps it's good for her to check out who is staying in library until this late.
She carefully walks into the door of the library, opened the door very carefully and she noticed someone still sitting and reading books in there. Perhaps she can walk closer?
Who's there?
Kotori thought as she sneaks in. She noticed a woman, long haired and seems to be familiar, sitting near the dim candle light. She decided to try approaching her before she suddenly got thrown by a sharp arrow head— luckily it wasn't hard to dodge it, but that throw doesn't looks like it was actually thrown to her. Maybe it just an intimidating moves?
The woman that Kotori saw turned around slowly and that's the time when she noticed that…
"Umi-chan?" Kotori called her name.
"Eh? Princess? I mean… Kotori? Why are you sneaking in here?" Umi asked.
"Uhh… I was just curious since it's rare to see anyone in the library at this time of the night…" Kotori replied as she walks closer.
"I see…." Umi replied as she turned back to her book and keep reading. There is a hint of blush on her cheek. She knows that it was strange for her to be in library at this time of the night too. But there never be any restriction to how long she wanted to stay in the library or when she want to be in the library, it always been empty too anyway, only the King that often be here and that too only when he returned to the castle.
Though she knows that is not the case which made her heart beating so fast right now. Umi knows that it was the presence of the sweet princess— not the strange behavior. It wasn't her first time to be seen as strange woman, because of her hobby to make and read poem in the garden. She could care nothing about it.
Umi remained in silence as she tried to keep her focus to the book, though it can't be helped when the princess ask.
"What are you reading, Umi-chan?"
"W-wh-wh-well! Uhh…. I'm… I…I'm reading about materials and its area!" Umi said nervously.
"Oh?"
"A..Ap…apparently! The materials we were seeking before are all existed around the town's outskirt; we don't even have to go far to the mine to get the copper ores and the others. It was actually an easy task to do…" Umi continued.
"I see…." Kotori replied. They remained quiet for a while before they sighed together,
"If only we read this book before…." Umi said.
"I know…." Kotori said.
"Do you have any idea about what you will do tomorrow? Because… I'm reading some other materials, but apparently, that was all we can get around the town's outskirt. There are some more materials further, but, I doubt you will be allowed to go that far. It may take a lot of time too to go there…" Umi said.
"Sadly, no, I don't know…." Kotori replied.
"Hmm..I see… but anyway, have you checks on the prize to be exchanged with the token…?" Umi asked.
"No...not yet…" Kotori replied.
"hmm.. then, maybe we should check. There might be something you can use?"
"Ah, true. It might be as useful as the staff…"
"Yup. The staff was epic, I just didn't expect it to be able to electrocute the enemy…"
They giggled,
"Well… then let's see what we have here…" Kotori took out the roll of paper that she brought.
Apparently, most of early prize exchange are just some materials, then there's a point where they can get a Boots of travel which apparently, explained as it can help them to travel around quickly, then there's also a point where they will get a warp gate, its explained as they can use it to travel to places in instant, but all those things aren't as attractive as the grand prize…
"H…Homunculus for a hundred thousand tokens….?" Kotori said in surprise.
"Homunculus…. Isn't that what Elichika is…?" Umi said.
"Y..yes!" Kotori said eagerly.
Umi remained quiet as she imagined herself to have something like Elichika all for herself…
"Umi-chan?" Kotori confusedly stare at Umi.
"So….fluffy…" Umi muttered.
"Uhhh! Umi-chan! The Homunculus would be for me, you know!" Kotori said.
"Ah… right… it would be for you…" Umi said sadly…
"If you want it, then you should ask to get task from her!" Kotori said again.
"Eh? You think that's possible?" Umi asked.
"I think so!" Kotori said.
"T-then! You will take me to the workshop tomorrow, right?" Umi asked.
"Yup! I will…" Kotori said.
"Great!"
The next day,
Kotori just finished with her lesson with Niko. She excitedly prepared herself to go to the workshop,
"Bye-bye! Niko-sensei!" Kotori said as she ran out from the study room.
"W-wait! I haven't gives you a homework!" Niko said.
"Can you just give that to the guard in front of my room? I'm in hurry!" Kotori said.
"What?"
Kotori didn't give more respond and left her.
"Sheesh, what just that Toujou Nozomi did to make her all excited like that? She never being that excited for my lesson…" Niko muttered.
In front of the workshop,
Kotori once again brought her two friends to the workshop. She was then knocking the door politely,
"Nozomi-chan! Kotori is here!" Kotori said.
The door opened just a few second after, Nozomi appeared with Elichika laying on her head.
"Ah, I didn't expect you to still taking your escorts here…" Nozomi said.
"Eh? What do you mean?" Kotori asked.
"You are going to learn how to do some simple synthesis today… you don't need your escorts…" Nozomi replied.
"Oh…is that so…." Kotori said with a wry smile towards her two friends.
"E-Excuse me! Toujou-san!" Umi said.
"Hmm?"
"I…I want to get some task for tokens too!" Umi said.
"Eh? Why would you want that?" Nozomi asked.
"I…it because…" Umi flustered, she make a shy glance at Elichika.
"Chika?" Elichika noticed that. Umi blushed madly.
"Because…..?" Nozomi waited her,
"Umi-chan wants a Homunculus too!" Kotori said.
"W-W-whaa! Not so bold!" Umi said in panic.
"Eh? You can get Homunculus from doing task?" Honoka asked.
"It was on the token prize exchange… you can exchange a hundred thousand tokens for a homunculus." Kotori said.
"Then, I also want to do task for tokens too!" Honoka said cheerfully.
"Hnn… are you all serious? Did you notice the stars there?" Nozomi asked.
"What stars?" Kotori asked.
"It just next to the Homunculus words..." Nozomi said.
"Ah, right, I remember, what's that mean?" Umi asked.
"It means there's also special requirement to get that one… it's not going to be easy, you know…" Nozomi said.
"Special requirement? Like what?" Honoka asked.
"Hmm… I can't tell you now, but anyway, legend hunting is involved in the requirement… so you can't get it easily..." Nozomi said.
"That's expected. A great prize will come with a great consequence! I'm in!" Umi said with full of spirit.
"I'm in too!" Honoka said with full of spirit too.
"Uuhh… you two, why aren't you worried about the number of tokens we need to collect?" Kotori asked.
"It just going to take about a thousand days or less if we do tasks daily… " Umi said.
"A thousand days or less? But… I only got three yesterday…" Kotori said.
"Huh? Have you read further? I tried to read your paper further last night, then I realized we can get about a hundred or more tokens daily, you just need to do your main task with at least average score and do all the extra task…" Umi said.
"Yup, that's not yet with the bonus if you can get a perfect score in your main-task. I will add extra twenty tokens in…" Nozomi said.
"E-Extra twenty!? Then… I think I can get a homunculus faster…." Umi said.
"G…Give me the tasks, Nozomi-chan!" Honoka said.
"Yes, please, Toujou-san… let me start with the task!" Umi said.
Nozomi giggled at them.
"There, Umi-chan, you can call me Nozomi, but anyway, I'm going to ask again, are you two very-very serious about asking for tasks from me? I'll not tolerate surrender, you know. If you give up on just one of the task, I'll not give you any task again and you will lose all of your tokens as well…." Nozomi said.
"We're serious!" Umi and Honoka said.
Nozomi giggled,
"Let me arrange some tasks according to your specialty… please come in and wait…"
They went into the workshop,
After they waited for a while, Nozomi finally gave Honoka and Umi a new task paper that she made special for them. Umi's task was mostly about hunting for some parasite monsters and help recovering some natural element using the potions that Nozomi provide, then Honoka's task was mostly about foods and ingredients. Kotori's task was still a unclear, when she tried to read her paper further, she just found out that her extra tasks are still generalized and her main-tasks aren't written in the paper unlike the two who only have one main task that they need to do repeatedly.
"So our main tasks are just to escort Kotori-chan when she is going outside? That's easy…" Honoka said.
"But, it also means that we can't get that done every day… just like today, Kotori need to go out if we want to get our tokens…" Umi said.
"Oh … true…" Honoka said.
"Yup, because that is what you need to do, I don't want you two to abandon your duty to get your own thing…" Nozomi said.
"We won't… but by the way, Can I start my tasks now?" Umi asked.
"That's eager of you…" Nozomi said before she turned to the cute little creature who's been drawing in a paper with charcoal as her ears flapping.
"Elichika!" Nozomi called her. Elichika's ears sprung up along with her tails.
"Chika-chika!" Elichika replied as she took something and ran approaching Umi with a small bag filled with potions. She handed it to Umi which she accepts as she stare into Elichika's cute hands that handing it. She is so tiny but strong….
Umi bit her lips, trying her best to not hug this little creature.. but then she remember, if she works hard, she will be able to get a homunculus of her own— so…..
"I'm going now Toujou…I mean…. Nozomi!" Umi stood up before she marched out.
"Me too! See you later!" Honoka said as she marched out too.
There only left Kotori, Nozomi, and Elichika in the room.
Nozomi sighed along with Elichika.
"They're so eager… I wonder if they will be alright…" Nozomi said.
"Chiikaaaa…." Elichika looks concerned.
"I'm surprised you're not as eager as them though… I thought you'll be the most eager one…" Nozomi said.
"Well, I want too… but… I don't know anything about this synthesis thing…" Kotori said.
"Hmm… that's where you're wrong… you shouldn't be losing your spirit just because you don't know what you need to do, you should keep your spirit up to learn something new…" Nozomi said as she sat next to Kotori.
"Hmm… true… but… will I do any good? My teacher always told me the only thing I'm good at is tailoring… that too seem so useless for the Kingdom. I'm never do any good in her study…" Kotori said.
Nozomi giggled at her,
"Maybe she said that because she wants you to show her that you can do better than what she thought. I know someone who used to do that to me, she was so arrogant because she is really good at almost everything… or actually, she is always be perfect…no one want to befriend her because of that although her work always appreciated by my village, but she never look like she care about that too." Nozomi said before Elichika jumped up to her lap.
"I was too, not very good with people around me, so I thought perhaps if I can be at least like her, I can be acknowledged more by others. So I tried to reach her standard and… turns out, she started to acknowledge me as a rival…" Nozomi strokes Elichika's head calmly as Elichika yawned.
"I don't remember what make us feel like it, but we started to be a friend of each other. We also keep trying to make ourselves better than each other, improving drastically and …. Hmm… I don't know anymore… we're just…. falling in love with each other too…." Nozomi continued as her face started to blush.
"Ah— anyway, that's not what I want to say. What I want to say is, don't be discouraged just because people tell you that you can't do it. be afraid if you cannot do it because you do nothing to it. Let's say, Umi-chan and Honoka-chan have skills of their own that you admire, make them be your rival. You don't have to do the same like them, just improve your own skill, or perhaps, learn something new that they cannot learn. Just like alchemy…"
"I see…. Hmm… am I really going to be fine with this?" Kotori asked.
"You have a target, you have a thing that you want to happen and only Alchemy can make it happen… so try to do this slowly, ok? Just follow me and you will make it…"
"Ok!"
A few hours later,
Nozomi taught her how to do a synthesis in Alchemy. She started from teaching her how to hold her staff until how to stir in the cauldron. Everything in the alchemy requires a heart to feel every move— even putting the ingredients too. It also requires patience because apparently, synthesis in Alchemy will always takes a lot of time to work on.
It was good that Kotori managed to understand everything very quickly, or perhaps it was just because Nozomi is a good teacher. She can explain everything properly and even if Kotori is stuck in a few things, Nozomi used tailoring as a parable which Kotori quickly catch.
"Yes, that's the way, Kotori-chan. Don't change your move from there, imagine it like you're in a part where you have to pull your needle. Keep your hand pace steady…" Nozomi said as she watches Kotori stirs the colorless mixture from the sofa.
Kotori remained quiet as she focused on her first synthesis. She currently taught about how to make a simple supplement which can be made from anything.
"It's not only ingredients that will affect the result, it will also about how you put your heart in it… let everything flows in you, love what you do… imagine how good the item is when it finally done. Just like how you imagine beautiful the dress you can get when you finish with your work." Nozomi continued.
Kotori keep on going with her synthesis, it wasn't hard for her to grasp the knowledge and the feeling, because after all, she is very good on giving her feeling into her work…
The mixture started to change to lime colored, bubbles started to pop from it as well, it surprise Kotori as it happened.
"Chika! Chika-Chika!" Elichika who has been watching her warned Nozomi about it.
"Ah, then go turn off the fire, Elichika…" Nozomi said. Elichika quickly ran to get the water and turned off the fire with it. Nozomi stood up from the sofa and approach it to check.
"Well done, now take out your staff, don't forget to dry your staff first before fully releasing it from the cauldron…"
"Like this?" Kotori wipe the mixture from the staff on the mouth of the cauldron.
"Yup, good work…" Nozomi said.
"Harasho Chika!" Elichika said excitedly.
"Harasho…?" Kotori asked.
"Ah, she means Good!" Nozomi said.
"So cute… I didn't expect her to be able to spell that…" Kotori said.
"Hmm… well, she is the clever and cute Elichika. She can spell every word correctly…" Nozomi said.
"Then how come she only talks with Chika-chika?" Kotori asked.
Elichika pouts,
"Chika-chika-chika-chika!" she said. Nozomi giggled,
"She is upset that you can't understand her…" Nozomi said.
"Eh…? But… can you understand her?" Kotori asked.
"Of course, I'm still her mother after all…" Nozomi said.
"Ehhh? I thought you made it with Alchemy?" Kotori asked.
"Yes she is made with Alchemy…" Nozomi said.
"Then… are you just telling me that you treat your creation as your child?" Kotori asked.
"Nope, Elichika is made from me and her… just like how you made from your father and mother…" Nozomi said. Kotori stare into Elichika in awe.
"Also a few other ingredients, but I'm not going to tell you about it until you're old enough for it…" Nozomi said.
"Alchemy is surely amazing….." Kotori said.
"Yup, also… you know what? I can modify how she looks in the first time creating her…" Nozomi said.
"W-waaah! Really? Then… when I get my homunculus, are you going to be able to make it just like how I want it looks like?" Kotori asked.
"Yup, I can…" Nozomi nodded.
"So…So cool! Alchemy is so cool! I want to learn more!" Kotori said excitedly.
"But it's not an easy synthesis you know, they require special treatment too and it will also takes a lot of days to make one. There's also a risk of failing as well… but worry not, once you're able to finish the requirement that I asked you to do, it will be all on me to make your homunculus…" Nozomi explained.
"I understand!" Kotori said excitedly again.
"Now… let's continue with your very first synthesis. Take the jar that Elichika prepared for you, then use the filter when you're pouring it inside. You should be getting about three jars from this…" Nozomi said. Kotori nodded and started to take the mixture with the special ladle that Nozomi gave her.
She carefully pours it in through the filter that Elichika hold for her. Kotori managed to do it nicely until the last Jar she can fill.
"I did it!" Kotori said cheerfully.
"Harasho-chika!" Elichika appreciate her.
"Thank you, Elichika!" Kotori said.
Nozomi giggled,
"I think Elichika will want to give you your score today…" Nozomi said. Elichika nodded,
"Really? Okay! Give me a lot of tokens, ok?" Kotori said.
"Chika-chika!" Elichika nodded again before she began to examine Kotori's supplement on the table. She sharpen her eyes as she watch on every details.
After she roamed the jars for a moment, Elichika ran to Nozomi and climbed her up before she whispered to her.
"Is that so? Alright, then go on give it to her…" Nozomi said.
"Chika!" Elichika climbed down to Nozomi's pocket and took a few tokens with her then she goes back to the table then,
"Chika-chika…." Elichika put on a serious face, Kotori eagerly await her to give the result as she stare into her intensely.
"Chikaaaaaa…" Elichika started, Kotori focused her eyes.
"Chika!" Elichika give her two tokens….
"Eh….? Two…?" Kotori stare at it confusedly. She thought she was doing a good job…
"Chika….chika-chika-chika-chika….." Elichika explained something that Kotori doesn't understand.
Nozomi laughed,
"Elichika is a perfectionist… I'm not surprised if she only gives you that much…" Nozomi said.
Kotori laughed awkwardly,
"I…I didn't know…." she said. Nozomi laughed again,
"She said, you're still far from perfect. There's so much thing is wrong in your mixture although you managed to make it…." Nozomi said.
"Chika..chika-chika-chika…" Elichika said with a smile.
"She said, don't give up yet. There's still a lot more things to go…" Nozomi said.
"Ah, you're right… Thank you..." Kotori smiled softly.
"Chika-chika-chika….chika-chika!" Elichika said excitedly before she handed five tokens to her.
"She said, she appreciates your sportive attitude, so she wants to give you more of it today…" Nozomi said.
"Is that so? Uuh! Thank you, Elichika!" Kotori said excitedly.
Just right after that, someone knocked the door politely. Elichika gets the door quickly and….
"Excuse me, I'm just finished with my task…" Umi said as she stands politely on the doorway. She is carrying a dead rabbit with her.
"Ah, come in then…" Nozomi beckoned.
Umi walks in with the dead rabbit on her hand, something is strange with the dead rabbit. Kotori watched Umi taking it in. Elichika quickly prepared a leather cloth and placed it on the floor for Umi to place the dead rabbit.
"So, what can you tell me about your task?" Nozomi asked.
"It's… It's hard to believe that our people are that sad… I'm glad to do this task, Nozomi. I have to thank you a lot for caring about such things too. I wouldn't mind if I got no tokens for this…" Umi said.
"No way, a hard work needs to be appreciated. So I'll still give you tokens… but put that aside, please report to me about what you get…" Nozomi said.
"Well, first, it was about the forest you asked me to go to, I already poured all potions into the close to dying trees and… it recovered a lot faster now, though might still going to take a lot of months to let it fully grown back to its healthy state. I… I just didn't know how poor the condition in that forest is. If only the farmer didn't try to burn it down…." Umi sighed.
"The farmer trying to burn it down? Why?" Kotori asked.
"Probably because they were looking for a fertile land to work on…" Nozomi said.
"It was sad that they burnt the forest down for that and abandon it after they didn't manage to grow a single vegetable on it… I wish they're more responsible…" Umi said.
"It should be in one of your castle project, Kotori-chan. Maybe it was something like… find a fertile land to work on? Maybe you can ask your mother to take that one down. I have a better plan for it…" Nozomi said.
"I see…. I will try to ask for it…" Kotori said.
"Then, second, it was about the river you asked me to examine… I'm surprised that… I found a lot of stuck tattered cloths and garbage on a few spots. Looks like our citizens care nothing about their lost item and clothes…" Umi said.
"It's more like, we need some security to keep an eye on those specific spots. Didn't we lost a few citizens as well? I believe you know what cause it…" Nozomi said.
"You don't mean… the monster you asked me to kill was the cause? But they're only close to one spot…?" Umi asked.
"They're roaming around and you only killed a few of them. We don't need to banish them all since they're still part of the ecosystem, but to tell you the truth, that monster won't approach anyone that looks stronger than it is…" Nozomi said.
"Ah, is that why we lost a few children every year?" Kotori asked.
"Probably…" Nozomi replied.
"People keep blaming the Northen Witch about that… I won't be surprised if the Northen witch upset at our people one day…." Umi said bitterly. Nozomi giggled,
"There… the Northen witch is just a legend… perhaps she never existed before too…" Nozomi said.
"Then… about my father… is it possible that it wasn't her fault too?" Kotori asked.
Nozomi giggled again,
"Maybe? I don't really know about what happen to your father…"Nozomi said as she turned her eyes away.
"Perhaps this will give you a hint, Kotori…" Umi crouched and she began to open the wound that she makes on the rabbit. Kotori cringed as she saw her doing it, but she tried to see what Umi wanted to show her.
The internal organ of the rabbit turned into stone.
"It…it started from the internal organ…?" Kotori asked.
"I assume it related to the wellspring that I was asked to investigate as well, it looks like it was contaminated by a strange substance. I already used Nozomi's potion on it but looks like it will take a lot of days to be fully purified…" Umi said.
"Then, is this rabbit drink the water from there?" Kotori asked.
"Probably… I was just tasked to hunt one creature around that area—dead or alive. It was surprisingly hard to find one that wanders around there... but perhaps the mystery is… how long that wellspring contaminated...and how fast is this petrification process? If it wasn't instant, then we probably will find some statues around that forest in a few more days or months… and if it was instant, then…. How come they found your father statue in front of our gate? It's like someone is trying to mock us with it…." Umi said.
"Now-now, you two, let's not discuss something like that for now. Can you focus on other thing?" Nozomi asked.
"Ah... true… I'm sorry…" Umi said.
"What's the other thing I tasked you to do?" Nozomi asked.
"About the mine… I examined on the area, I can see that it still have a big risk to have another landslide in rainy days… or at least that is what I think when I see how fragile the hill is… I wonder if you can do anything about it?" Umi asked.
"I'm sure can, but I will need a lot of days to work on the plan… that, only if I can get the permission from the castle… I can't work without their support…" Nozomi said as she turned to Kotori.
"Then I should ask that to my mother too…" Kotori said.
"Nice… then that is all that I can report for my task today. Nozomi… I'm looking further for the next task…" Umi said.
"Good job, I think I will give you perfect score for them…" Nozomi said before she turned to Elichika.
"What do you think, Elichika?" Nozomi asked.
"Harasho-chika!" Elichika replied cheerfully. Umi stare into her with a bright smile and sparkling eyes.
"T…Then… can I…ask for my tokens?" Umi asked very shyly. Nozomi giggled,
"Here…" Nozomi handed her a bundle of tokens. Kotori look into it with wide eyes,
"W…waaah…. S…So many tokens…" Kotori said.
"R…really? You give me all perfect scores?" Umi asked.
"Yup, for being observant and caring from your heart…" Nozomi said.
"Yeah! Thank you so much!" Umi cheered.
"I…I'm jealous…." Kotori said.
"Ah, how many do you get today, Kotori?" Umi asked.
"Just…seven…." Kotori said sadly.
"Oh…. hmm… can I share my tokens?" Umi asked.
"Chikaa….chika-chika-chika-chika…." Elichika said, sounded like she won't allow that.
"Elichika said, she is not going to allow that. Everyone has to work on their own… so be patient and do your best, ok?" Nozomi said.
"Oh…. uhm… well….that's too bad…" Umi said. Kotori smiled,
"It's ok, if Umi gets to do the special requirement first, then I might have an easier time to do mine later…" Kotori said.
"True, I'll help you out too…" Umi replied with a smile.
They had stared into each other eyes and exchanged a sweet smile with each other for a while. They started to blush as they realize how long they're staring into each other. It didn't go unnoticed by Nozomi, though she decides to remain quiet and pretend that she saw nothing.
The awkward moment was broken as they heard a loud knock on the door, Elichika quickly open the door.
"Nozomi-chan! I made your meat pie!" Honoka shouted.
"Ah! Here comes my dinner!" Nozomi said as she approached Honoka and accept the meat pie.
"I used all the ingredients you asked me to use, some are just really strange so I mashes them all into the seasoning, I didn't try it out but I just believe it's going to be a good one since I cooked it with all of my heart!" Honoka said.
"Really? Then it must be delicious…" Nozomi said.
"So… can I get my tokens?" Honoka asked.
"Come on in, let me try this first…." Nozomi said.
Honoka walked in excitedly as Nozomi sit back on the sofa. Elichika closed the door and ran to Nozomi,
"Chika-chika-chika?" Elichika asked.
"Ah, good idea… please do…" Nozomi said.
"Chika!" Elichika quickly ran and grab a plate, a knife, and a fork for Nozomi. Then she ran back again to hand it to her.
Honoka approached Kotori and Umi. They exchanged a smile with each other as a greeting before they look back to see Nozomi trying on what Honoka made for her.
Nozomi carefully make a cut on the meat pie, then placed it on the plate that Elichika hold for her. Then she placed away the bigger plate and started to eat the piece that she just cut.
The trio stares at her intensely, waiting for the result.
"Honoka-chan…." Nozomi said.
"Yes?" Honoka responded.
"You lied to me, didn't you?" Nozomi said.
"EHh?!" Honoka looks surprised.
"I know you didn't use all of the ingredients I asked you to use, you're trying to trick the taste with another seasoning too…." Nozomi said.
"H…how did you know?" Honoka smirked.
"Honoka-chan…how could you...?" Kotori sighed.
"I'm more surprised with how sharp she is for that kind of detail…" Umi said.
"Well…Honoka-chan…. I can give you some tokens for the hard work… but… I'm not going to let you off with the tricking attempt….." Nozomi give Elichika her plate. Elichika sighed at Honoka too.
"N…Nozomi-chan?" Honoka smirked in fear as Nozomi walk very slowly to approach her.
"Now….you have to face your penalty!"
And since that, Honoka and the others learned that she can't be tricked — and not supposed to be tricked if they don't want to face the painful and terrible penalty.
Night time,
As usual, Kotori having some chat with her mother after their dinner, she explained about everything in the workshop today. She also tells her mother about what Nozomi requested her to ask.
"I see…..I didn't expect her to know that far about our lands…. Being a traveler must be one of her benefit…" her mother said.
"Yup… so what do you think about it, mother?" Kotori asked.
"Hmm… I think I'm going to need to discuss this with her and the ministers… I can't decide it blindly…" her mother replied.
"I thought so… but I hope I can be involved in this too. I want to help out with improving our lands too…" Kotori said.
"Well, Kotori, I would like to have you in too, but I should ask some advice first… I don't want you to be burdened by too much responsibility… you're still too young for it." her mother said.
Kotori giggled,
"There, Mother, just so you remember, I'm not a little kid anymore. I'm fine with a little hard work…"
Her mother giggled,
"I think Yazawa-sensei will be very surprised to hear it from you…"
"Ah! Don't tell her! I don't want her to give me more homework!" Kotori said in panic.
Her mother giggled again.
"Sure… but you're still in her care, ok? Don't abandon her…"
"Yup! I won't!"
"Now-now, tell me more about your first synthesis… "
"Well…"
Kotori started to tell story to her mother about her first day in the workshop.
It gives the queen a relief that she enjoyed her task and being close with her escorts as friends. She began to wonder how long this will last in her daughter's day.
A/N : Yup. there you go.
I wonder if I should make this have alternate ending as well? I just believe this should be a lot shorter than The Fool's journey (if you read that one too)..