"Yay! Mommy is in the story now!" cheered my daughter with a happy face.
"Not Mommy, little sister! Don't get these two mixed up," I explained.
"Huh? Then who's Mommy in this story?" She tilted her head.
"Who knows? I ain't giving you any hints. Try to figure out who Mommy is as the story progresses. You need to pay attention," I smiled.
"Aww—alright. I will try then," she pouted a little and put on a thinking face.
"Should I continue then?" I asked.
"Yes!" She replied with a cheeky smile. Daughters seem to have an innate nature of melting a father's heart. Are we just born to be suckers for daughters? Hope I hadn't spoiled her badly because of this.
***
I peeked my head through the main door. Would there even be a receptionist at this hour? I glanced around quickly, and no one was in sight. Great, the coast is clear. Time to sneak Rose in. Even though I'm technically allowed to bring Rose into my place as a visitor, her age would raise questionable eyebrows from all the members. She looked like she's eight or something, which is not a good sign for me. I don't want to be mistaken for a certain bear, which is why I decided to sneak her in instead.
I gestured for Rose to be quiet before entering with me. Tip-toeing our way to the stairs quietly, a voice spoke and scared the bejesus outta me.
"Ah, if it isn't Zen. How rare for you to return at this hour," spoke the voice.
I instantly hid Rose behind me and moved my head slowly to see who it was. Turns out, it was Angelica. Her timing is impeccable as always, even for situations like this.
"Good evening, Miss Angelica. Fancy meeting you at this hour. I thought there wouldn't be any receptionist when it's this late. H—How can I help you?" I muttered the words.
I was panicking as I wanted to avoid people gossiping about me bringing underaged girls to my room and doing who knows what.
"You hadn't taken your new room key, so I was waiting for you. I had taken the liberty of transferring your belongings to the new room. It's on the third floor," she handed the key with a smile.
"Wow—I… thank you so much. You shouldn't have, really. Now I feel bad for making you wait, not to mention transferring all of my belongings," I scratched my head.
"Hehe—don't mention it. You can go and have fun with your companion," she chuckled as she covered her mouth.
"S—she's not my companion. She's my little sister," I clarified with her.
I really don't want people gossiping about me, especially when it's something like "this". The shame would make me cover my face every time I return to the guild.
"Y—you have a sister? Since when?!" She sounded surprised.
"Since—a while ago?" I trailed off as I scratched my cheek.
I have no idea where I'm going with this conversation. I'm literally panicking so hard right now. Rose saved me at the right time by introducing herself to Angelica with a bow.
"Nice to meet you, Miss. My name is Rose. I'm Zen's little sister," said Rose as she bowed.
"Oh, aren't you adorable! You're gonna need a bath and a change of clothes. You shouldn't be wearing rags when you head out. Oh, wait just a moment. I might have something that fits you," she went off to look for something, leaving me puzzled.
Not a moment later, she came back with a rather small white dress.
"Here you go, it's a little plain-looking but it's better than what you're wearing right now," she smiled as she handed the dress to Rose.
"T— thank you so much!" Rose took the dress but stopped herself as she glanced at me. Is she asking for my permission?
"If Miss Angelica said you can have it, then go ahead. Just promise her that you'll take care of it," I explained to Rose.
"I promise! Thanks once again, Miss Angelica," Rose replied with a cheeky smile. She is adorable, I'll give her that.
"Thanks, Miss Angelica. Surprised you had such a small dress with you in the first place," I asked.
"It belonged to my younger sister who had outgrown it. I'm glad that I can pass it on to someone else," she smiled. I brought my mouth closer to her ear to whisper.
"I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about Rose. I want to avoid any gossip if possible," I whispered and she chuckled in response.
"You don't have to worry, Zen. You've always been kind-hearted and I'm sure no one is gonna judge you. And besides, she is your little sister, isn't she? She's in good hands," she smiled.
Miss Angelica is certainly beautiful. But unfortunately, a certain female elf had stolen my heart as of now.
"Oh right, if you hadn't eaten yet, there's still some food in the kitchen. You can bring it up to your room," she pointed.
"I will. Thanks once again. Good night, Miss Angelica," I bowed to her.
"Good night, Onee-san," spoke Rose as she bowed again before proceeding to follow me up the stairs.
"Good night, both of you. And here I was thinking we can have that wine together," she trailed off.
I peeked my head out from the corner of the stairs.
"Did you say something?" I asked her.
"Oh, nothing—nothing. Good night," she smiled and waved.
***
I found my room on the third floor after following the number written on the key. The door alone is much fancier than what I had during my Fighter days. A moment of truth now. I held my breath as I turned the key and opened the door, revealing a large room beyond what I was expecting.
"Wow," I couldn't hide my amazement.
It's literally the size of a small apartment. There's a living room and a kitchen in sight from the front door. Although when I said living room, there's only a fireplace, a wooden couch with cushions, and a small circular table on top of a rug. Damn, no television. Wait, what's a—television? Huh?
I shook my head and focused on the more important stuff. No bed or bathtub in sight? Oh, there's a corridor, let's see where it leads to. The first room on the left revealed a small room with a bed and cabinet. This is probably the guest room. What's next? An empty room with no furniture? Perhaps I can turn this into a storeroom of some sort.
Where's the bathroom or even the master room? Ah, there you are, the room on the right. A king-sized bed, a large table along with a wardrobe and cabinets. A couple of windows too. All in all, I love this master room.
I checked on the last door, which was located on the left, hoping that it was a bathroom. I opened the door and gave a sigh of relief. Thankfully, there's a bathtub—and a washroom? Huh?! I rubbed my eyes and rushed in to check. There's—a toilet here. They actually made a waste outlet for each of these rooms? Wow, talk about a major upgrade from the Fighter's room that I had. Rose can definitely live here with me. She can even have her own privacy in the guest room.
Rose was also exploring the rooms as she walked around casually. I gestured for her to come over and showed her the guest room. I informed her that from now on, this is gonna be her room. She stared at me, surprised with mouth agape. "A room of my own? F— for real?!" she asked loudly. I nodded and told her to make herself at home. Although, I do expect her to help with the chores occasionally when she's living here. Share the burden of doing the chores together.
I shooed her to take a bath as I handed her a towel while I collected food from the kitchen. Fairly certain both of us hadn't eaten dinner yet, despite it being this late. Hunger knows no boundaries. When you gotta eat, you gotta eat.
I waited for Rose as I sat at the dining table. So many things occurred today that it felt so surreal when I think about it. I got promoted, found a legendary gauntlet, adopted a little sister, and now, a new spacious room. Things are moving waytoo fast for me. But I guess this is one of those days where you just follow the flow rather than fighting it.
Rose came out wearing the dress that Miss Angelica had given her. She looked like a little white angel running towards me. I instinctively smiled when I saw her looking so happy. Her hair was still unkempt, but at least she looked much cleaner now. There's gonna be a lot of shopping to be done tomorrow for Rose.
Despite being hungry and literally drooling at the sight of her food, she just stared at it and kept glancing at me as though for permission. I really can't imagine the life she had been through until now, but I'm glad she can genuinely smile now. She's gonna have a much better life now going forward; this was the promise I made to myself when I agreed to take her in.
After dinner and a bath, I could finally rest on my comfy bed. A long, hard, fruitful day deserves a good rest. The comfort of this bed is beyond anything I had slept on. My body melts into the soft bed with the pillow. So soft~
It took some time, but I eventually realised that there was a hidden chest inside my room after I rolled around on my bed. Guess I should keep my gauntlets locked until I can actually wear them. But even hitting the basic requirements is rather pointless since it doesn't provide me with any stat boost despite being a legendary item. I need to hit the requirements of those three hidden spells for it to be truly worthy.
Honestly speaking, thinking back on my past adventures, I've not heard of anyone finding any item that provides you with additional spells. Everyone that I know uses their own spells from their own respective guild. These gauntlets are truly unique on their own.
"Onii-chan?" A soft voice entered my ears.
I quickly sat up and saw Rose standing outside my door, hugging her pillow. I could only see her eyes as the pillow was hiding the rest of her face.
"What's wrong? Can't sleep after a change of bed?" I asked, and she nodded.
I gave her the suggestion of sleeping at my side as I scooted over to give her space, but she hesitated. I assured her that I wouldn't lay a finger on her, but she remained outside my room. I was certain that I wouldn't do anything to her, as I didn't have ill intentions aside from brotherly love. All I wanted was to protect her and keep her safe. I noticed that she was shaking. Is she afraid that I will do something to her?
I got up from my bed after noticing that she was shaking. Is she—afraid that I'll do something to her? I walked slowly and crouched in front of her, giving her a warm smile.
"Rose, you're my little sister. I promise that I won't do anything to you. You can trust me on that. It's entirely your choice if you want to sleep on my bed or your own. Anything that makes you comfortable," I assured her with a smile.
She hugged me with her pillow in between. I petted her head to calm her, and she proceeded to jump on my bed. It was her first day out of that horrible house that she had been living in for God knows how long; of course, she was scared. And this dumbass 14-year-old decided to buy her on a whim. Her mind must be blown by now from the series of events.
She rested herself at my side. Hope she's comfortable enough to sleep now.
"Let's go shopping tomorrow. I'll buy you clothes and perhaps a visit to a barber to get your hair cut," I told her, and she replied with a simple "Emm".
Her hair was really long and unkempt, not something any normal female in the right circumstances would ever ignore. Hair is literally one of their main attractions.
"I'll blow the candle now. Good night, Rose," I informed her before puffing out the candle.
Everything was quiet as I struggled to sleep. Is it because I'm not used to such a soft bed? I might need to adjust myself to find the right position.
"Onii-chan—thank you. I'll repay you one day," muttered Rose. Was she sleep-talking or is she still awake? I glanced at her, but her back was facing me. At least she's not shaking anymore.
"You don't need to repay me, Rose. I'll do my best to make you happy and keep you safe. That is what a brother should do," I whispered to her.
***
"Glad you didn't give up, huh, boy," spoke Kirin. How long has it been since I last talked to him?
"Give up on what? Are you referring to the gauntlets?" I asked.
"Indeed, how do you think you even noticed it in the first place?" he puffed up his chest.
"Are you saying you were the one who showed me that sparkle? You can do that?" I asked him curiously. If he can show me hints, what else can he see through my eyes?
"Why, of course! There was a strong frequency emanating from that chest that made me curious. It felt like there was something inside that would be compatible with my powers," he explained. None of what he said entered my mind, as I had more pressing concerns about what he had just told me.
"Oh gosh, I can never have my own privacy any longer. There goes my private life," I muttered to myself while feeling down.
"You think I'm interested in your private life, boy?! I only take interest in things that pique my own interest. I'm not interested in your everyday life, boy. My spirit is capable of wandering around this world even though you're carrying my physical self," he answered with a smug face.
"Phew. At least there's some assurance there. I'm still young and there's a whole life that awaits me," I told him.
"Do what you wish, boy. Just remember that I'm your primary weapon and you will use no other," he warned me. Is he jealous that I'm using my elven dagger?
"I don't see what's wrong with a side weapon. It prevents you from getting dull from being overused, isn't it?" I asked him.
"You think I can be withered down by simple wear and tear? You're wielding a legendary weapon, boy. It would take another Celestial Being to even hurt me. Have no fear and use me more often," he responded with a hmph face. This Kirin is such a Tsundere.
"Alright then, you have my word that I'll use Inazuma more often," I bowed to him.
"Until next time, boy," the world began to fade after we were done with our conversation.
***
I opened my eyes. The first thing that came to my senses was the smell of food even from inside my room. I quickly sat up and noticed that Rose was gone. I immediately rushed out of my room, thinking that she had run away or something, but to my surprise, she was cooking. Phew, I had been worried sick. Wait a minute, I was fairly certain I didn't have any ingredients or even a single cooking utensil; where did she get those from? I approached her to see what she was cooking.
"Good morning, Onii-chan. You can freshen up while I finish cooking," she smiled.
"Good morning, Rose. May I ask as to where you found these ingredients and utensils from?" I asked.
"I went downstairs and borrowed them from the chef. He was willing to lend me a few of these and ingredients to make breakfast," she answered cheerfully.
Hold up a minute. Did she say downstairs?
"Um— when you were downstairs, did anyone see you aside from the chef?" I asked her.
"Hmm— there were a couple of people who were having breakfast, and I greeted them," she recalled from her memory.
Ah well, sooner or later, Rose is gonna be found out by the other members anyway. I'll just deal with them when I head downstairs later.
I headed into the washroom to freshen up but skipped bathing as I'm not a morning person. Bathing in the morning without sword training would only stimulate my sinuses, which is gonna make my morning extra miserable.
I sat at the dining table and Rose placed my plate in front of me. Oh my, looks like a Western meal. Hang on, is that— what I think it is? Woah, did the chef really...
"Rose, is that what I think it is? Did you use a golden egg to cook this?" I asked her curiously.
"The chef said I can use it for breakfast. Is it not to your liking?" she asked curiously.
"Well—I'm not gonna say it's not to my liking, but—these eggs aren't cheap. They cost about a silver coin each as they come from an extremely rare Jikenettes breed," I informed her.
These eggs are expensive due to their exquisite taste. Chefs around the city only use these eggs when they're preparing a lavish meal. And he just gave Rose two of them without knowing whether she can actually repay them? Blimey, I better repay the chef later. That's two silver coins for this breakfast.
She stared at me with a confused look, wondering whether she had done something wrong, but I wiped away the thought and gestured for her to eat. We dug into our meal, unaware of the taste that'd befall us. Immediately, the taste of the egg struck us, and we were left in cloud nine. The eggs were soft and fluffy, despite the fact that they were cooked as simple fried eggs. Imagine your chicken egg but topped with truffle and caviar. That combination would barely scratch the surface of how insanely delicious these eggs were. Such was the destructive nature of these rare Jikenettes breed that it destroyed the taste of other eggs.
We were left crying as we slowly chewed on it; every second, every minute, we savoured its taste to the end. This egg alone completely outshone all the other sausages, bacon, and ham that were on our plate combined.
Rose was sobbing as massive tears flowed down her eyes. This might have been the most delicious thing that she had ever eaten in her life. After we had finished eating, we hugged each other as though we had reached Nirvana. It took us about a minute before we snapped out of that heavenly taste. Is it too delicious for its own good? None can say, but the desire to savour it again will always linger in my mind.
Rose collected the dishes and proceeded to wash them without a hitch. Who says she can't do anything properly? She just proved herself worthy of handling the chores all by herself. That greedy lady ain't gonna love what's coming for her.
After Rose was done, I asked her to ready herself before we headed out. There were a couple of things to be done before we exited the building. First off, pay the chef, then seek out Miss Angelica.
I prepared myself for the inevitable as I headed downstairs. As soon as I placed my foot on the ground floor, cheers and laughter erupted, and it was directed at me. Sigh, so many members already knew about Rose, and all of them were cheering for me. Gossips sure move fast. What were they really expecting? Geez.
"Yo Zen, finally got yourself a girl, eh? Always thought you preferred mature ones, but who knew you fancied younger and unkempt ones, huh?" A guild member poked his elbow at me.
"Congratulations, Zen, seems like you're finally matured. Hahaha!!" shouted another member.
I sighed and rubbed my forehead as I thought of what I wanted to say. Did these guys really think that I would lay my hands on such a young girl? I'm not some "noble" that prefers underage girls. Geez.
"Guys— guys, this is my little sister," I spoke calmly to all of them.
A whole lot of them spilled or spat their drinks after hearing what I said.
"W— what?! You have a little sister?? Since when?!" asked one of the guild members.
"We never heard you having a little sister before," asked another.
"Well, now you do. And I would appreciate it if none of you are thinking about laying your hands on her unless you wish to have a taste of my wrath," I gave them all a deathly stare. All of them shivered at the thought and started minding their own business immediately.
"Your little sister will be a real beaut when she's older, Zen," spoke someone behind me. It was Rick.
"Hey brother, been a while since the ceremony, how you been? This is Rose, by the way," I introduced him to Rose.
"Nice to meet you, Rose. I assume that both of you aren't blood-related seeing that there's absolutely zero resemblance between you two. I'm fine, by the way, thanks for asking. Being a Dark Knight meant that I have more downtime but crazier quests," he laughed.
"Good to hear. I'll catch up with you later when I have the chance. Got a couple of errands to go through today," I told him.
"Ah, no worries, go on ahead. You know where to find me anyway," he waved as he walked off.
***
I headed into the kitchen to pay the chef for the ingredients and returned the utensils. I will have to buy my own, seeing that Rose has an interest in cooking. The chef refused, but I insisted on passing him the coins. Despite him looking like a colonel, that egg is not something that I should be eating for free. I ain't taking no for an answer.
After pushing the chef to accept my coins, I sought out Miss Angelica, who was stationed at the quest counter today. I spoke with her regarding Rose's horrible experience with the orphanage home and wondered whether there was something I could do to help with the remaining orphans there. She told me not to worry as all she needed was the location of where I rescued Rose from. The Dark Lord himself will be lodging the complaint directly to the administration, and they'll be taking things extra seriously when it involves a guildmaster. An investigation will be performed by the administration if all the things Rose told us are true; then the lady will be looking at doing community service for the rest of her life. Under her contract to be a caretaker and owning an orphanage, she swore to protect and tend to the needs of those children assigned to her with utmost priority. Breaking the contract will have severe consequences under the administration.
I made sure to thank her properly and told her that a free meal awaits her as appreciation. She rejected the offer and commended me for taking in Rose and caring for her. What she's doing is the least she can do to help out those poor orphans. She added that should I need any help caring for her, she wouldn't mind helping out every once in a while. After all, a man would never understand a woman's body when they eventually undergo puberty.
Before I left, I sought advice from Miss Angelica on where to purchase clothes for Rose. I'm aware of where to get clothing for young adults but for children, those stores just get filtered out of my sight.
She said she recalled seeing clothing for children near the library area, which was perfect. Glad I don't need to detour much after all. Let me update my quest log for the day then.
Main Objective Updated: Head to the library to study on the Four Great Powers. Search for ways to increase my skill stats.
Side Objective Unlocked: Purchase clothes for Rose and get her a haircut. Get some cooking utensils and ingredients along the way.
Sounds about right, let's get this show on the road. I decided to finish my side objectives first before heading to the library. As luck would have it, there happened to be a store that was selling kitchen utensils along the way. I peeked my head in and realised that I had next to zero knowledge of what utensils were needed for cooking since my cooking skills were pretty much non-existent at this point. I gave Rose full responsibility in choosing what she needed while I negotiated the payment. She's dependable and happened to be quite knowledgeable as well. I'm beginning to wonder whether she's even eight. Hadn't had the chance to ask her actual age.
With the amount of utensils that we bought, the shopkeeper was willing to deliver all of them to the guild with no additional charge, which I gladly accepted. It was a blessing that we didn't have to double back as it was rather impossible to continue with our errands from all the utensils that I had to chug around.
We continued our journey to the library, and yes indeed, there were clothing stores for children and a barbershop too. The library was a large building, capable of housing thousands of people. And yet my dumbass first thought when I saw the building was "How many books are inside the library?". Many, you dumbass.
You must be thinking that the people of this world don't fancy reading, but books are the main source of getting information in this world. Just imagine cooking something midway and forgetting the recipe that you thought you remembered from the library. Imagine no Google; wait, what's "Google"?
I brought Rose into the barbershop for a haircut before buying clothes for her. I was sure with a proper hairstyle, we could determine clothing that suits her more. The barber recommended Rose to have her hair trimmed to shoulder length as her hair was curly in nature. I shrugged and told him that since he's the barber, he should know his trade best. Following the barber's recommendation, he proceeded to do what he does best, and not long after, the barber nodded to himself when he was satisfied with the result. Rose hopped off the chair and glanced at me as though she wanted my feedback. Oh Lord, she really looked like a doll after the haircut. Rick was right, she's gonna be a beauty in the future. Her future husband better treat her properly, or I will hunt him down with my particular set of skills.
Alright, hair's cut. Next stop is clothes. Once again, I left it to the shopkeeper to recommend clothes for Rose. There were a couple of nice dresses or two-piece clothing that suited Rose, and... I just bought them all. Rose only had one dress from Miss Angelica, so it doesn't hurt to get her more. Obviously, I asked her to throw her rags away. She's a girl after all; she should be allowed to dress up nicely.
Yosh, now that all the side quests are done, onwards to the library.
I asked Rose whether she wanted to head home instead of following me, but she said she wanted to tag along as she wanted to visit the library to check out any books that interest her. She knows how to read? Is there anything that she can't do? She's really smart for her age, possibly even smarter than me.
As we entered the library, a librarian greeted us with a nod instead of welcoming us out loud. Well, it is a library after all. I enquired of her for a book about the Four Great Powers and a dummies' guide to increase skill stats. She looked up her entry book and pointed me to the shelf number. Rose also asked for some particular book that I didn't hear since I quickly rushed to find those two books I came for before someone took them.
Let's see—ah, there it is. Book about the Four Great Powers. Literally the title of the book itself. Now, what about—Oh, found it. Skill stats for dummies. Guess I should start off with the book about the Four Great Powers first.
Sitting down on one of the chairs provided, I began to go through the book in question. Let's see, it says here that the Four Great Powers are not self-declared titles but something bestowed by many and agreed upon by cities and communities. It involves numerous interactions and fame between the two continents that gave birth to the idea to bestow these individuals with the title. Even if an individual killed one of the great powers, without fame or interaction with the cities, that title does not automatically belong to that individual.
The first and perhaps the strongest of the members is an elven woman, who goes by the name of Ivy Moonshine. Moonshine? Isn't that Lily's last name? Please don't tell me this is her mother or grandmother.
Ivy Moonshine was an elf that had accomplished many impossible feats. Mainly in raising the foundation of many cities and fighting against impossible odds. She is estimated to be around 15,000 years old and remains undefeated by any who have challenged her.
Elves can live that long? Do they even start looking old at that age? I wonder if I can actually meet her one day. Definitely one of the few individuals that I can test my full strength against.
Next up is Sladar Slitherman. The second in rank of the great powers. He's known for his impressive regenerative abilities that rival Dragon Kings. Capable of even growing dismembered limbs, he's a lizardman who joined the Dragon guild, making him extremely skilled in using long weapons.
The third member is—a human. Is he my target? Wait, this person doesn't seem to be an assassin. Peter Borage is known for leading a peaceful life. He is the founder of the City of Heliotrope Ixia and has led the people on a calm and peaceful life. But his strength is not something to be trifled with. Known for his unarmed combat, he's capable of defeating any opponent with his fist alone. Underestimating his powers will be your demise. He remained undefeated for over 30 years.
Last on the list, my target: Tom Snapdragon. A notorious human that is infamous for silent killing. Capable of killing his targets from a distance without leaving any evidence. The target would be riddled with circular holes, but upon closer inspection, no weaponry known to man is capable of leaving such wounds. Doctors suspect that he might be using some form of firing weapon such as a musket or a flintlock, but since there were no pellets or iron balls left in the wound, the doctors were unable to conclude the cause of death. Many reputable and important figures were assassinated by him, which caused cities to bestow him the title not as a recognition but as retribution. How does granting him this title constitute retribution? Ah, they had declared the fourth to be killed on sight all around the world. Painting him as a target with infamy.
So... Tom is his name. An assassin that kills his target with an unknown weapon. Not to mention his silent killing and movements can even evade elven ears. This is gonna be hard. As I am right now, I highly doubt I'll be able to kill him. I'll need to at least achieve the rank of Dark Knight before even thinking of killing him.
I had always wondered why he didn't find me. He "should" be able to recognise me, John or Lily, despite our older age. The Elementalist informed me that there were no reports about Tom being spotted in the city for a couple of years now. How strange.
I wiped the thought out of my mind and proceeded with the other book. Let's see, how do I increase my skill stats? This book is really old and felt like it didn't belong here. I turned the cover and the first thing I saw was 'Property of City of Heliotrope Ixia. If found, return it. It is ILLEGAL to remove from the city'. I immediately closed the book. Did I just commit a crime?! What I'm holding is an illegal item! How did it even get here in the first place??
I sighed. Now's not the time for righteousness, I need to find a way to increase my skill stats even if it meant breaking the law. I will just pretend that I didn't see anything on the first page. I began reading further ahead to find what I'm looking for. It says here that you don't level up in this world. All your stats are dependent on your actions in your daily life. In order to increase your skill stats, you need to do things that require you to be skilful. Some examples are fishing, cooking, or baking.
I slammed my head on the table upon reading that. People around the library shushed me for being loud. Rose, who sat beside me, was startled by my sudden action. I'm so sorry, but what the actual fuck? Not only did I spend an entire year digging these bloody gauntlets, now I have to learn how to fish, cook, or bake? Lord help me. Please let there be other things that can improve my skill stats. I read further and found out that mining or digging was one of the ways to increase skill, but the rate was extremely slow since it focused more on strength. Things that use your brain are the best way to increase your skill.
Hmm—oh, here's something. Doing medicine can increase your skill stats drastically as it would require you to experiment on different herbs, materials, and such. Perhaps I should give medicine a try. Who knows, if I'm lucky, I might be the first person to make a breakthrough in medicine and discover healing potions.
All that is good and all, but where do I even begin? Should I look for a medicinal shop and start banging on some mortar and pestle? I wonder if the librarian would know of any medicinal shops that are accepting apprentices.
I glanced at Rose, who was reading a book quietly at my side. She seemed to be rather immersed in whatever she was reading. Noticing I was staring at her, she turned and asked a question that made my jaw drop.
"Onii-chan, can I join a guild?" she whispered. I turned the cover of the book that she was reading. 'Which guild is the best for you' was the title. Oh dear.