Chapter 59: CH. 59 | The Apothecary by the Sea

They agreed to go, bought some supplies for the trip, then walked together toward the city’s south gate.

Out of all of them, Lily seemed the most excited.

Even though both of her parents had passed away, she still had her grandmother there.

She even asked Theo for permission to bring Riley along, and Theo didn’t mind.

Thalia walked up to one of the cart drivers, who was lounging around.

The moment she approached, he jumped to his feet in surprise. His eyes locked on her, then he smiled and greeted them.

"What can I do for you?"

"We want to go to Archan Village," Thalia said, "How much would it cost?"

"Archan Village? Fifty copper per person."

"That’s way too expensive. How about forty? We’ve got a lot of people," Thalia said firmly.

The man turned and saw there were five of them, quite a big group. With five people riding in his cart, he’d clearly be making two silver.

"Forty five, and that’s my final offer."

Thalia went quiet for a moment, then turned to Theo. He didn’t mind at all.

He handed the money over to Thalia, then climbed into the cart, and they rolled out of Aluric City.

Lily and Riley were the happiest of the bunch. They said they hadn’t visited the village in a long time, and that made them miss their grandmother and want to see her again.

"What exactly are you looking for there?" Thalia asked.

"Miya," Theo said, turning to look at the girl beside him, "I’m looking for a woman named Miya. According to Michelle’s letter, she should be in that village."

Theo turned back and looked straight at Lily, "Do you know anything about her, Lily?"

"Yeah."

"She’s a high priestess who lives in the village. I copied her style because I admire her so much," Lily said.

He felt relieved, since it clearly proved Miya really was there and Theo could actually meet her.

Even so, he had no idea what he’d say to her.

He’d only just learned that he was Aslan and Hana’s son. Maybe it would be better to ask her about them instead of asking about something unrelated.

"What’s she like?" Theo asked.

Lily smiled, seeming to have no trouble describing the priestess named Miya. Theo listened, and so did the others.

In Lily’s description, there was no mention of any connection between Miya and Aslan or Hana.

But seeing the look of admiration on Lily’s face, Theo could guess that Miya was respected and looked up to, they just didn’t know about her ties to Aslan and Hana.

From what Lily said, there wasn’t the slightest sign that Miya was a bad person.

All I can do is put a lot of trust in her. Maybe she knows what I don’t.

They spent the time talking about other things, like skills and the guild. Theo looked at Riley, whose condition was much better than before.

His face looked healthier, his body wasn’t so thin anymore, and a big smile was always on his face.

Theo was glad to see that the treatment he’d given Riley had worked.

The long trip took up a lot of time, and Theo and the others ended up falling asleep in the cart.

They slept for six hours, until a voice woke them.

The rocky road and the wooden seat of the cart felt like torture. Theo opened his eyes and looked ahead.

The cart door swung open, and the driver appeared from outside.

"Sorry to bother you, sir. But we’ve arrived," the man said.

Theo opened his eyes and looked ahead. He woke the others and stepped out of the cart.

A fresh, salty smell filled the air around them. Theo turned and looked straight ahead.

"Archan Village is on the coast?" Theo asked, surprised.

Lily walked up to Theo, "I guess I forgot to tell you. Archan Village is famous for its sea fish."

"Wow!" Thalia said, "I’ve always wanted to visit the beach."

"The cool sea air smells so nice. It’s really calming."

They could see the orange evening sky, a simple sign that the sun would be setting soon.

Thalia suggested they head to the shore right away to watch the sunset while enjoying the crashing waves and the cool ocean breeze.

"You all go ahead. I need to see Miya as soon as I can," Theo said.

He glanced over and called out to Lily, asking where Miya’s house was. Lily nodded and pointed ahead, giving him directions that led to the priestess’s home.

Thalia insisted on getting Theo to come along, but he turned her down. He said there were still questions stuck in his mind, hard to answer, and the answers had to come straight from a certain person.

Michelle was at the Eastern Front with Yasa, and Aslan and Hana were either dead or missing, Theo couldn’t say for sure which.

But Priestess Miya was still here, Lily had said so herself. Michelle’s letter had her name in it and told Theo to go find her.

That clearly pointed to some special connection between her and Hana. Could she really have been a member of Hana’s old party?

"All right," Thalia said. "Once we’re done at the beach, we’ll catch up with you at the priestess’s house."

Theo nodded and asked them to be careful. Thalia nodded, understanding.

The two groups split up, and Theo walked in another direction down the village road, where the shops along the row sold things like sea themed accessories and authentic coastal furnishings.

Turn at the first intersection, then turn left again. There’s a small pharmacy there called Myra.

He kept walking, ignoring the few people who stared at him. He turned at the last corner and spotted a wooden sign reading Myra Apothecary.

His steps stopped in front of the pharmacy’s wooden fence. The front area was spacious and filled with herb plants, not yet in bloom or ready to harvest.

A sign hung on the door, reading open. Theo worked up his nerve and stepped inside after opening the door.

A bell rang as it swung open, and a woman about his age came out to greet him.

"Welcome to Myra Apothecary," she said warmly, "How can I help you?"

"Uh... I’d like to see Priestess Miya."

"You’re here for a checkup, right?" the woman asked, "It’s 20 copper for one checkup."

Theo went along with what she said. He handed over 20 copper, which she accepted right away.

The woman smiled and led Theo to another area, a separate room. She explained that it was the examination room.

"Mother, someone’s here for a checkup."

"Let him in, Myra," a voice called from inside.

So she’s Myra? Priestess Miya’s daughter?

The young man opened the door to the examination room and saw a woman in a modest, long dress that covered her well, standing there holding a water sprayer.

It looked like she’d just been misting the plants by the window.

"I haven’t seen you before. You must be new around here, right?" Miya asked, smiling warmly, her hair a grayish white.

Myra was still in the same room, standing beside her mother’s desk to help Miya out. Theo stood stiffly, since this was the first time he’d met Miya, the person who might know about his parents.

"Please, have a seat. Let me check your condition."

"I didn’t come to be examined," Theo said, "I’m perfectly healthy."

Miya and Myra looked at each other, then Miya turned her attention back to Theo with a puzzled expression, "Then what is it?"

"I want to know the truth about my parents."

Miya gave a small smile, "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"It’s about my mother, Hana."

"I’m Theo. I’m Aslan and Hana’s son!"