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Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Let's See How Long You Can Hold Out
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Cold water soaked my fingers.
I lifted the hefty wooden bucket with a grunt and shuffled down the hallway. The only sound accompanying me was the creak of the wooden floorboards.
"Cold..."
In the early dawn, before the darkness had fully retreated, it was still pitch black outside the window, impossible to see even a foot ahead.
I steadied my trembling body and gripped the cold rag tightly. Kneeling down, I scrubbed the floor line by line.
Footprints left by the children, piles of dust, freshly spun spiderwebs. I meticulously cleaned everything in sight.
Even when my arms ached, I didn't stop. Even when my shoulders throbbed, I kept pushing the rag along. I had to finish cleaning before the sun reached its zenith if I wanted to head into town.
I worked without a moment's rest until the floor was spotless. Then I wiped down the area around the windows before carefully mopping up the remaining water with a dry cloth.
As the cleaning neared its end, faint birdsong echoed from afar. Dim sunlight began filtering through the inky blackness.
"Has it really been a month already? You're quite tenacious."
A chilling, sardonic voice came from behind me.
"I've finished cleaning."
"Working hard, aren't you? You could make a fine maid someday."
She sauntered over to my side and kicked the bucket of water with her toe.
Water splashed everywhere, but the Director walked calmly on her way.
"Just clean this up too. Do a good job tonight as well."
In the spot she left behind, I silently picked up the dry rag and wiped up the spilled water.
It had been a full month since I'd taken over all the hallway cleaning.
Every day, I woke at the crack of dawn, tidied the halls until morning, then went down to the village to sell herbs.
And as dusk fell, I silently cleaned the halls again before finally collapsing into bed.
Surprisingly, the Director said nothing, just watched me. As if she were waiting to see how long I could endure.
"Time to go."
I dragged my wobbly legs out of the orphanage.
The one silver lining was that selling the herbs didn't take long anymore.
Over the past month, word of my herbs had spread among the villagers, building quite a reputation. What used to take two hours now sold out in just ten minutes.
I wanted to increase the quantity, but sadly, my Divine Power had its limits.
I could only produce one flower from my hand per day.
And I could purify at most three flowers with my saliva.
From those three, I could make about ten to fifteen herbs.
Coincidentally, that amount matched exactly what I'd normally sell in the village. It felt like someone had drawn a line, warning me not to get greedy.
But it was enough.
Saving just fifty lunes a day meant I'd have no trouble gathering the academy tuition in seven years.
The only worry was whether my body could hold out that long, just as the Director intended.
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"Here."
"Yes, here you go."
On a street bathed in warm sunlight.
I handed a bundle of herbs to the lady holding a market basket after she paid me.
She sniffed the bundle's aroma and nodded with satisfaction.
"Hee-hee, thank you, Bella. Your herbs are so much better than the apothecary's."
"Thank you. Still, make sure to take proper medicine if you're feeling unwell."
The woman smiled and slowly turned away.
The neat bundles I'd laid out on the cloth had dwindled in no time.
After handing the last bundles to the final two customers, I stretched my arms high to loosen my stiff body.
"Hey, Bella."
I snapped my head up at the familiar voice. Uncle Hans was looking at me with eyes full of concern.
"You look terrible. Are you getting enough sleep?"
I didn't want to worry him unnecessarily. If my fatigue was visible to others, it must have been pretty bad.
"I'm fine. Thank you for worrying."
"Those herbs of yours—they're amazingly effective. Why don't you try them yourself?"
I had tried them.
But...
"They don't work much on me."
I only had about four hours a day for sleep. The rest of the time, my body was in constant motion.
My face looking haggard was a natural result.
I'd even tested them despite the risk of lower sales, but for some reason, they had no effect on me.
"I'm okay. I'm young, so my stamina's holding up fine."
I flexed my arm in a show of muscle, but all that showed was my skinny arm, bones practically sticking out.
"...You sure you're okay?"
"Of course. Don't worry too much."
Uncle Hans stared at me silently. For a long while, he said nothing, lost in thought.
To ease his worries, I squared my shoulders and flashed the most confident smile I could muster.
"I'm really fine. I just had a bad dream, that's all."
"...Alright."
Such small comforts meant so much. Uncle Hans always gave me a sense of reassurance.
"Well, I'll be off then. See you tomorrow, Uncle."
"Yeah, take care."
I packed up my things, etched his wistful smile into my heart, and stood.
No time to dawdle. After dinner, I had to clean the halls until night if I wanted to sell more tomorrow.
As I turned to leave, dragging my weary legs...
"Wait a moment!"
A urgent voice called from behind. Uncle Hans instinctively stepped in front of me, glaring sharply at the stranger.
The man caught his breath after a long pant, then raised a hand and smiled gently.
"Ah, I'm not some weirdo. No need to be so on guard."
At a glance, he stood out from the villagers.
His clothes exuded refined elegance, rare to see in Binhel.
Even his bushy beard somehow looked neat and tidy.
"Are you the one selling these herbs?"
"...Yes?"
"Ah, forgive my rudeness. Allow me to introduce myself first."
He introduced himself as a merchant—not some wandering peddler, but one with considerable skill and savvy.
While traveling the continent, he'd heard rumors of my herbs by chance. Curiosity led him to try them, and he was deeply impressed by their effects.
Without hesitation, he'd rushed here from the nearest village.
"These herbs are the real deal. The effects are astounding. I even tried making them myself, but they tasted awful and had no potency. Ha ha!"
He wiped sweat from his palm, caught his breath, and stepped closer.
"I want to buy them exclusively."
"Pardon?"
"In other words, sell all of them to me."
He proposed that I hand over all future herbs to him. In exchange, he'd pay a fair, steady price.
It was so sudden and bewildering.
I'd never imagined a merchant venturing to this poor village. Let alone taking an interest in my herbs.
"...I'm sorry. I already sell them without any trouble."
I refused politely but firmly.
I could sell plenty without him, and considering the bonds I'd built with the villagers, exclusive dealing didn't appeal.
But then, one sentence from the merchant changed everything.
"Fifty lunes each. What do you say?"
I froze on the spot.
Even Uncle Hans, watching silently beside me, gaped in disbelief.
"F-Fifty lunes?!"
"It's a product worth that much."
The amount far exceeded my expectations, leaving my mind blank.
Fifty lunes each meant five hundred a day. How much would that be in a year?
With that income, I'd cover the academy tuition with plenty to spare.
Maybe even enjoy a life of ease I'd never known.
But above all, I might finally escape that wretched orphanage.
"Bella, I think you should take this deal. They were already too good for five lunes each."
Uncle Hans persuaded me with a serious gaze.
My head agreed—it was a golden opportunity from the heavens. One I couldn't let slip, perhaps my last chance.
Yet the bonds with the villagers held my ankles tight.
"Mr. Merchant, what if...?"
"Go ahead."
He listened intently. No wonder he was a merchant; his eyes treated me not as a child, but an equal.
"What if we lower it to forty lunes each, but I supply five per day?"
Greed was dangerous, especially for a commoner like me.
And this was the village I'd lived in all my life.
No matter how good the money, I couldn't abandon the people who cherished my herbs.
I only needed enough for academy tuition anyway. Five sold would leave me plenty.
"Hmm... How about fifty bundles of ten every week instead? Same price, fifty each."
The merchant countered, but I shook my head.
"They're best used fresh the same day. They might spoil."
"Don't worry about that. I'll lend you a temperature-control magic tool."
"A m-magic tool?"
Magic tools. Devices powered by mana as a catalyst.
Usually crafted by enchanters or alchemists, using processed mana crystals.
I'd seen them countless times in the game—displayed in shops, frequent quest rewards.
Rumors said the Director's office hid one, but I'd never seen a real one with my own eyes.
Not because they're rare. To nobles in the imperial capital, they're everyday items.
Just the price.
Magic tools cost more than anyone in Binhel could dream of.
"Consider it a service with our contract. A token of respect for your diligence at such a young age."
With a temperature-regulating magic tool, the herbs' potency would hold for weeks.
"Shall we make the deal?"
He extended his hand.
No reason to hesitate.
Except for one nagging concern.
As I took his hand, I cautiously spoke up.
"Um... could I ask one favor?"