Yearning for the Moon

Chapter Eight

I am up bright and early the next day finally feeling properly rested after weeks of traveling, I had only one goal in mind for today, exploring the outpost and all it had to offer. Thankfully I didn't have to do it alone as after breakfast is brought to my room, I come out to find Andreas waiting for me. "I figured you'd want to do some exploring today and thought I'd make the perfect guide." I give him a wide smile, pleased to see even after finding out I could refine pills, he still treated me the same.

"Yes, sounds perfect. I hope I didn't wreak dinner last night by giving them some healing pills, I thought it was only polite." Andreas shakes his head, waving off my worries as he leads me out of the residence and to the carriage already waiting for us.

"No, no, you were fine. They were just a little overwhelmed when you gave them the pills, I promise they'll adjust and not be so adoring next time." I raise an eyebrow, uncertain of that given the response I had last night.

"Speaking of adoration, how come you don't treat me different after finding out I can refine pills?" He looks at me with confusion for a moment before clueing into what I am saying.

"Ah, well it's simple really. The fact that you can refine pills is miraculous don't get me wrong, but I already viewed you as a herbalism prodigy when we first met, and this kind of just adds to that, I find you incredibly impressive, but I know that you don't like the adoring looks and worshipping attitude, so I don't treat you like the incredible herbalist you are, I just treat you like my friend." I'm sure some people would be offended by that, but I found his viewpoint wonderful, I would have hated to lose a friend because I was a Master Herbalist.

"That is perfect, definitely keep treating me like a friend no matter how famous I get." He raises an eyebrow at me, looking impressed.

"Looking to do things even more impressive in the future than becoming the first pill refiner in thousands of years? I await eagerly to find out how exactly you plan to top that." I remained silent because I wasn't yet sure myself, but I was confident there would always be things for me to learn in order to improve my skills in herbalism. "Ah, we're here. I figured as a very known live plant lover to me, that I should take you to biggest herb store in the outpost." We get out of the carriage, and I look at the pots filled with live plants with awe, usually stores only sold pre-harvested and dried herbs because the conditions weren't right for the live plants, but obviously in the outpost it was different.

"Ah, Lord Andreas, a pleasure to see you again, come to buy some herbs before going back to the academy? Oh, who is your friend?" The shop keeper is a wonderfully cheerful middle aged man, as he easily avoids a plant with whipping tentacle like vines, I can tell he knows and appreciates the plants in the store.

"Gregory, this is my dear friend Elianna Dagonus." I dip my head in greeting to the shopkeeper, but he just looks to me then back at Andreas and then resumes staring at me in shock.

"Surely this is not the Elianna Dagonus who won the herbalism competition this year?" Andreas nods confidently and the shopkeeper lights up, looking very happy and honored to have me here. "It is an honor to have such a skilled herbalist enter my store, tell me are you looking for anything specific?" He glances around his store as if double checking what he has to offer me.

"My friend here is a very big lover of common and rare live plants, anything she can get her hands on. Much like you are with your vast collection of teas, Gregory." I was absentmindedly looking around the store to find anything I'd like, though there is a strange aura coming from the backroom, that makes me curious when I hear mention of the shopkeepers love for tea.

"You enjoy collecting teas?" He nods slowly, looking slightly embarrassed. But I simply give him a wide smile, pulling out a bag of spirit tea from my spatial tattoo. "I'd like to take a look in your backroom, and in exchange I'll give you this tea, I assure you it will be like nothing you've had before." He looks hesitant, likely because the backroom is where he keeps the much rarer plants, and other things if my senses were not wrong.