125: Choices

It wasn’t long before Liane and Jen walked through the door. I noticed immediately they had been hunting, as they were both carrying several rabbits.

Hari followed them into the dome.

“They are still travelling forward. They slowed down again once they had made some distance, but they have not stopped,” Jen informed him.

Hari just nodded before heading back outside again. Liane turned her attention to all the cooking happening at the fire, and a moment later appeared on the ground beside me, still holding the rabbits and shoving them into my lap before leaning forward to look in the pot holding the stock.

Liane looked at me, excitement in her eyes. “Did you make the stew?”

I sighed, storing the rabbits, also noticing Lily’s attention turn to me when Liane asked as well. “Yes. I made the drake stew, and there is enough for everyone when it’s ready… cat and rogue.”

Liane let out a squeak of delight, while Lily just turned back to the fire, her face aimed directly at the pot holding the stew.

Jen made her way over and passed me her rabbits, which I happily stored for her as well, before she also took a seat beside the rest of us.

Looking at the surrounding group, I said, “While everyone is here pretty much, I wanted to ask for some advice about what candies to make. I have frost cherries to make a sour one—apparently it tastes really nice—but I also considered making a Dilwater berry one, because that would be a flavour most don’t know or expect.”

Milo rubbed his chin, seemingly deep in thought.

Jen and Liane both had their eyes light up.

“Frost nettle!” Jen said, while Liane was nodding at the idea of Dilwater-flavoured candies.

Finally, Milo spoke. “I don’t know that the flavour will matter too much. The real question is how crazy you go on the buffs. If I’m to assume you’re going to get fire immunity regardless, keep the buffs strong but not too crazy—you only want them worth a gold.”

Liane deflated a little. “Only one gold?”

Milo nodded. “To start with, absolutely. Micca won’t be in any position to protect herself if she comes out with anything too strong. As much as I believe George and Darren will give their all, they’re barely level ten.”

Micca was nodding along.

“So what’s worth a gold then?” I asked, wondering how many items I’d need to include. I continued before Milo could answer, “I could use a wood, I suppose. That would add a magic buff along with the fire immunity and fruits—”

“Whoa there.” Milo waved his hands. “You’re way off base. Truthfully, Trev, even with your fire immunity and wood buffs, it would be too much for one gold, and I would encourage you strongly to maximise buff time and lower potency.”

“At most, you’d want a standard regeneration of mana or health—not both—along with the fire immunity. Nothing else. Give this maximum buff time and the lowest potency. That would still be worth more than one gold, but Micca could easily sell them without too much pressure,” Milo said.

“Will people even buy that?” I asked curiously. I didn’t really see much use for fire immunity outside of some cooking.

All three of them laughed. “Trev, I know you don’t do a lot of shopping for combat supplies, but our health potions normally cost two gold each. It’s why we couldn’t spare any in that very first village.”

I shook my head. “Sorry, I didn’t realise how valuable it is.”
I looked at the stew that was cooking. I wondered how much that alone would be worth.

Milo seemed to follow my gaze. “About ten gold a bowl, if you’re wondering how much that stew would be worth.”

I stared at him in shock; Micca likewise was looking at the pot in shock.

“You said earlier you didn’t know what would be worth a platinum coin. Now that we have some sound protections: you, Trev. Your permanent stat ability would likely get you a platinum coin a meal from the highest nobles and royalty, and that’s if there are not higher coins that I just don’t know about,” Milo said.

Liane looked at him, squinting her eyes. “What permanent stats…?”

I saw Jen roll her eyes, then face-palm, while Milo was moving his mouth but no sound was coming out.

He tried to change the subject. “Anyway, Trev, what matters is your buffs are wor—”

“No.” Liane looked at everyone in the group. “What gives permanent stats?”

“It doesn’t ma—” Jen began to say, but the glare she got stopped her.

I sighed. Even Lily had turned to look at us, likely sensing the change in tone.

“The dragon does,” I said simply.

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“Permanent stats…” She asked again, now looking at me, her gaze intense.

“Stat. It provides a single permanent Endurance,” I said.

“You can’t have any,” Milo said. Liane let out an exaggerated sigh.

Liane looked between us before her gaze landed on Lily, who was still watching us as we discussed the dragon. “Lily, can I try some dragon next time it’s cooked?” she asked.

I couldn’t help but laugh as Lily just turned back to the fire and ignored her, pretending to go back to sleep.

Liane didn’t push the topic any further as the conversation went back to the candies. It was agreed that I would make thirty-five of each: mana, health and stamina regeneration with maximised buff times. For mana I would use Frost Nettles along with powdered bark of the Mana Willow; for health I would use powdered Blood Owl beak and Blood Tears; and finally for stamina, Quickroot.

I had to be very careful with stamina, as I could see several ingredients would give sprint ability, and I needed to avoid that.

I got to work, pulling out my only remaining pot along with sugar and sugar reed juice—the non-alcoholic one I had—as well as some water from Milo. I also ended up getting a large stone barrel of water from Milo, which I stored away so I wouldn’t need to keep asking, finally.