Is it wrong to fleece adventurers at the item shop?

It's just one small sale, but I'm still glad to drop the few bronze Crowns into the strong chest and enter it into the ledger. Urszula was able to soothe the itch that had her little girl so distraught and I feel a little more alive too now that I can take care of business again. At times it's not the few big but the many small things that really matter.

In the end I decide against going back to bed. Sure, I'll still take it easy, but I don't think I could lie back down right now and catch any more sleep. Not any restful sleep anyway. My body and my mind need some activity right now, even if it's just light activity. That's just the way it is.

First I help Elzbieta out a little, which means I help her help me. I watch after Ulryk who is, thankfully, still more sleepy than me, while Elzbieta changes the sheets on the bed. After a few feverish nights it's really necessary and yet that kind of activity is still a little beyond me. I can't exactly go and wash the sheets yet either. That would be even more exhausting.

The young mother seems to be able to guess what is going through my head. She grins as she drops the old sheets into a laundry basket.

"Don't worry. I'll help with that. Maybe after lunch? I can grab some soap from your stores, right?"

I do not protest. She is offering to help after all and I would use the very same soap anyway.

"Sure. After lunch then. Might as well take a slightly longer break today. That way I can come along and watch the boy."

With that it's settled, at least unless something unexpected happens. First I open up the shop again while Elzbieta makes her boy comfortable on the bed using the blankets she borrowed from Agnieszka. Thankfully he has reached a point where he doesn't need to feel her presence at almost all times to be at ease. Either way we are both close by anyway and Sour Cream keeps a half lidded eye on him too from her spot on the window sill.

Elzbieta leaves us for a brief trip down to the inn, to get us a nice morning meal. Today, as it turns out, we get to have some sweet buns with the last of the reheated tea.

As much as I enjoy the buns with the sweet jelly inside, I'm a little torn on the tea. Usually I'm not a fan of reheating anything, but it still looked good under the lid and I like the idea of pouring it out even less. That would be such a waste! I can't even bear the thought. Not even for a moment. And besides, even reheated it still has the refreshing effect I have come to expect of Elzbieta's brew, so all is good as far as I can tell anyway.

Ulryk sleeps through the brief absence of his mother, which is a small blessing. I check his temperature once and wipe his forehead with a cool wet cloth, not unlike his mother has done for me. Overall his fever doesn't seem too bad and he does do pretty well overall as well. It seems I don't actually need to worry for him, which of course doesn't mean that I don't worry.

Once Elzbieta is back and we have had our morning meal we both get busy, or as busy as either of us can get right now anyway. She heads out front to the shop, busying herself with some light cleaning, while I prepare the cure disease potions I made a while ago to go out on a shelf. It's not exactly hard work, but that is exactly what I need right now. Getting anything, no matter how little, done, after being out of commission for a while, feels good. I won't leave it at that though.

After dropping the appropriately tagged potions off at the counter so Elzbieta can put them on a shelf I return to the workshop. We still have enough balm for Ulryk and me. Urszula should have enough for her baby girl too. Maybe I should still make some more though just in case anyone else needs some. As our situation shows, the Scarlet Rash tends to go around after all. It certainly would be better to be prepared.

I check my ingredients and realize that I'm short on several things I'll need. I scrunch up my face. I'll need some fat. Any would do, as its not an active ingredient. I just need it to make the balm creamy. I'd really prefer something that doesn't have a strong smell though.

That isn't the only thing though. I still have some read tea, but I'm all out of virgin milk and I don't think I'll get any anytime soon. I'm left wracking my brain for an alternative. None of the usual ingredients match my requirements. I could order poppy seeds or even better oil of poppy seeds. I could try anyway, but even a renown alchemist might have to answer some questions as a result. That stuff, on its own, can be terrifyingly addictive. I'd rather not bother.

I'm already about to give up, when another idea comes to me.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Cucumber water? Could that be it?"

It's not an exact match, but it can be used to treat light burns and ease their pain, so it might just work out. I'll have to give it a try. Now, where will I get some? I could possibly ask just about any of the farmers. Any that preserve their own produce anyway or any that cook their own meals. Or, I could try my luck down at the inn?

I let out a sigh. That's what I'll do. I check on Ulryk once more, who is still sleeping peacefully. Then I join Elzbieta out front in the shop.

"I'll need to go down to the inn for a bit. I shouldn't be long."

She pauses briefly in her cleaning and nods.

"See you in a bit."

Without any further delay I'm off after grabbing a few coins from the strong chest. I don't exactly run down to the inn. I'm not that well yet. Instead I walk at a brisk pace. That is quite manageable.

I don't come in through the front door this time around. I don't know if any other elves or half elves are around after all, but I'd rather not run into any right now, as even a casual encounter could mean an unpleasant surprise for them. Instead I approach the open back door of the kitchen and knock on the frame to draw Patryk's attention.

He looks up from the cauldron he is watching. Judging by the looks of it, he is making more sweet buns.

"Oh! You are back up and about already?"

I nod.

"Thanks to Elzbieta watching over me and helping out in general. Anyway, I was wondering if you could spare me a jar of cucumbers."

"Cucumbers?"

He looks at me strangely for a moment.

I decide to elaborate for his benefit.

"I actually only need the cucumber water, but it would be a shame to let them go to waste, and since I have no idea if or when you'll next cook anything with pickled cucumbers … well, they would make for a decent dinner even without anything else. Oh! I almost forgot! I need some kind of fat too. Do you have something you could part with?"

Now he laughs out loud, which prompts Maryla to look in through the door that leads to the common room. She just flashes me a smile though, before returning to work, which mostly is pouring adventurers drinks and handing out plates with sweet buns.

Patryk fishes some more buns from the water which are done, before heading over to a cabinet. He gets me one tall, sealed jar and a second much smaller one. The former probably contains the pickled cucumbers while the latter contains some fat. It isn't quite as odorless as I'd wish, but beggars can't be choosers.

"Three bronze Crowns for you, but I'll want the jars back, if that's alright with you."

We don't shake hands today, but we exchange nods and I leave him the requested coins on a table by the door.

"I'll return them tomorrow, or the day after at the latest."

With one last wave I'm off again, to return back home. Ulryk is still sleeping peacefully as I get back, which is good. Moving about quietly I get to work. I make a quick trip down to the creek to get fresh water. I get fresh firewood as well. And once the water is heating up I start to grind the red tea leaves before creating the new mix using cucumber water instead of virgin milk.

The ingredients, oil, fat, crushed tea leaves and cucumber water mix surprisingly well, which already eases my mind a little. I can't quite relax yet though. I'll have to check the results with my appraisal kill first to make sure. Thus, after filling the resulting balm into two ointment jars of my own and sealing them, I focus my attention and activate the skill.

[Medical Balm, Quality: Uncommon, A balm that will ease itching or any other pain by numbing the parts of the body it's applied to. In addition the balm can lower any fever the patient might be running. Still good to use for another 28 days.]

I blink in surprise. That actually is better than I expected. Not only should it help with the itching rash, it will help with the fever too. I quickly get some wooden tags and label the ointment jars accordingly. Afterwards I grab my notebook to write the recipe down. I'll still have to see it's effects to make sure, but this could be a lucky find. A very lucky find indeed!

[Success! Great job creating a new alchemical concoction! The Sun Mother gifts you 1 point for the Magician Arcana as a reward.]

I bask in the divine message for a moment. Oh yes, this really bodes quite well.