Another world, Celeste

Chapter Three, pt 3

That evening after cleaning up the broken branches at the training ground, dinner is held in Maya's garden. Once again Maya is behaving as though this is another normal occurrence for her. Three sages are now sitting in her garden with Bane, the Great Wolf. Chief is unfazed by Bane's presence. Stefan arrives moments later with the dismantled meat from the monsters Chief defeated on his way over. The elves' hunting party stumble across him in the forest and he tosses the monsters' remains to the elves to bring back to the village for a feast. While Maya prepares the soup and bread, I volunteer to prepare the meat. Cut the meat into bite-size pieces then rub them with Maya's homemade oil and pour the sauce I previously made from herbs in the garden. Leaving the meat to marinade would take too long, so I use magic to speed up the process. Then poke the meat through the wooden sticks I readily prepare.

In the garden, the three sages are talking by themselves. Lord Sol lit the fire on the stone fire pit I initially made to warm up Bane during the cold nights. Maya and I also sometimes use the fire pit to warm ourselves while lying on the ground and stargaze at the evening sky.

"Would you like some help with that, young miss?" Chief asks when I put down the tray with a mountain stack of skewered meat by the fire pit.

"Please, call me Iris," I correct him.

"Iris."

Auntie El looks amused at Chief helping me with cooking the skewered meat.

"I have never seen you eager to lend a hand apart from smithing," Lord Sol comments on Chief's willingness to help with the cooking.

While Chief is grilling the meat in good spirit, I go back inside to help Maya in the kitchen with the salad. When all the food's ready, Stefan arrives at the right time carrying a long table to the garden and setting up the chairs. Not long after, Kinai arrives with barrels of drinks. I gasp at the amount.

At my shocked expression, Kinai lower his voice for my ear only. "There is always a drinking feast whenever Chief comes to visit."

Ah, Lord Sol and Chief are drinking buddies.

The foods are ready and drinks are poured except for my glass. I'm not a drinker. Before I realise it, Stefan disappears without a word before dinner begins. The three sages, Kinai, Maya and I enjoy each other's company throughout the night. The next day, everyone else except for me and the sages suffers from a hangover. Even the normally composed Maya looks dead tired.

During my routine morning run with Lorelai, I spot some humans and dwarves setting up stalls along the public square. Is there an event going on that I don't know about?

"The atmosphere in the village is livelier than usual today," I note when Lorelai and I stop for a break.

"In a few days, there will be a festival to celebrate the village's foundation. Elves used to live separately in the forest as nomads. At the time, there was chaos and never-ending battles. Monsters were violently roaming in the forest and our ancestors were suffering. Our founder gathered every elf and proposed we build a village to live together instead of being apart. He was the strongest of us all and was the one who built the barrier surrounding us. The village steadily grew bigger and bigger into a town. As you can see, it is no longer a small village. There was a suggestion to rename it to Kirashira City, but every elf refused because the name 'Kirashira Village' is our keepsake."

Lorelai cast her sight around the village with gratification.

I keep silent while watching her earnest expression. The village's founder made a home to save his people. How very noble.

"Iris, there will be more people coming to the village for the festival, more than half of the visitors will be humans. Adventurers know not to cause trouble but there are always people who purposefully stir trouble for their selfish benefit. I want you to be careful of those kinds of people and avoid them if necessary."

"What do you take me for, Lorelai? It's not like I ever cause problems for the villagers."

Lorelai stares at me unconvincingly.

Perhaps, maybe the countless explosions caused by my magic might've troubled the guards and rangers and by extension, indirectly become a nuisance for the villagers.

"At least, not intentionally," I reasoned.

While on our break, Stefan comes up to Lorelai with a report of an emergency and they both leave to inspect. I run back alone before stopping by the marketplace.

"Maya, here's what you asked for."

I bring out a large number of ingredients from the dimensional space. The name's too long. I'll just call it storage from now on.

"Thank you, Iris."

Maya carries a basket full of herbs from her garden.

"What do you need all these for?"

"Healing potions. I receive a tremendous order for them."

I follow Maya to her workspace. A large cauldron is set up next to the table and there are crates of empty bottles filling up the room. The bottles are specifically made to contain liquids infused with magic to prevent them from losing their magical effect. Hence, healing potions.

"I'll help after I clean up," I inform her.

Maya has already started grinding herbs into the pestle. Her hands are moving quickly and precisely. I quickly run upstairs to my room and take off the tracksuit and running shoes. They are one of the many presents from Selene. Instead of taking a bath, I use water magic 'Drizzle' for a quick shower and then change into a blue tunic over brown linen pants. When I return downstairs, I bundle my hair into a messy bun. Maya already filled up half a crate of bottles. By late afternoon, we're done. An elf comes over to pick up the potions. We slump our tired bodies into the sofa.

"Maya, why are there more crates here?"

"That wasn't all of it," Maya tiredly replies.

I groan inwardly. For the next two days, Maya and I continuously brew potions until there is no more soul left in our bodies. As soon as we're done completing the orders, Lorelai comes over with food from the stalls. Her tired expression says it all. Visitors who are specially invited to stay are coming into the village day after day after the illusion magic is temporarily disabled for the festival. The rangers are being extra vigilant; making sure no monsters are within the vicinity of the barrier while looking out for trespassers until the end of the festival. We gulp down the remaining low-grade potions and regain some strength back.

"Delicious."

We complement the food around the dining table. The three of us talk in a casual manner and not as an apprentice and her two mentors and through this, it is shockingly revealed to me that Maya is Lorelai's maternal aunt. I stare at their faces back and forth. Curse the elves' vitality. Maya doesn't look any older than Lorelai. She must be much older than I initially thought. Maybe a few hundred years more. When I push them for a number on their ages, they shut me down quick.

I change the topic. "There are plenty of healers in the village. When I first came here, every elf I met said how fortunate I am to train under you and they refer to you as 'the' healer. Tell me the truth, Maya. You're not just living here because there are plenty of ingredients growing around, right?"

Maya shrugs off her shoulder in response.

Lorelai answers for her instead. "Maya is a well-respected healer throughout the continent. The quality of her potions is excellent. She is one of few healers who persist in making low-grade potions. Most healers focus on making medium to high-grade potions once they gain prestige. When she resided in a human city, people continuously ask for her apprenticeship, but she rejected most of them."

"There were few apprentices who were strong-willed with genuine ability. Most have passed and one has established a ranking in the human land. That was ages ago," Maya briefly discloses her past.

The two elves resume their conversation over drinks while I head out to the garden, sitting beside Bane and running my hands through his soft fur. The tiredness takes over me and I fell asleep right there.