Chapter 151: There’s Something I’m Curious About

Chapter 151

There’s Something I’m Curious About

"W-What are you saying? It’s true that becoming a Silver Coin Hunter again is a good thing, but...saying that you got a potion from Ellie and suddenly recovered completely is a bit too much. Even though Ellie is a magic user, she’s only been studying for a year. If she could become an apothecary who not only makes regular potions like any healer but also creates miraculous ones in just one year...that’s a bit too much."

"That’s right. Have you checked thoroughly to make sure you haven’t taken any strange potions? There are some potions that temporarily boost physical strength but are illegal because their inevitable side effect is death."

"Jay-ar, it’s not wrong to admire Ellie, but you should do so within reasonable bounds. Talking about such fantastical things is really a bit too much."

"Saying that Ellie got a miraculous potion from the institute would be more believable. Claiming that it was made by Ellie herself is just too incredible. If that were the case...all the students from the institute would be rich apothecaries already. There’d be no need to risk going to the Tower of Eternity."

"Exactly. If it were that easy to get rich just by making potions, everyone would be doing it already. I’ve only heard of a few families that are actually good at making potions. Not everyone can do it. It’s true that Ellie’s ability to make potions is special, but it doesn’t mean she can make excellent potions in her first year."

Once one person spoke up, others began to feel brave enough to speak as well. None of them believed that Ellie could do what Jay-ar claimed. If she truly had that capability, there wouldn’t be any need for her to attend her second year of studies. She could simply stay at home and concoct 10 cauldrons of potions and become a millionaire.

Jay-ar looked at the people who refused to believe what he said and felt an urge to laugh. Why was it that when someone talked badly about Ellie, everyone readily believed them, but when he told the truth based on his own experience, these people told him to change his mind?

"I don’t mind if everyone believes whatever they want. But don’t say that Ellie can’t do it. While everyone else is clueless about whether Ellie can or cannot, just listening to others, I am the one who has experienced firsthand that Ellie really helped me."

Jay-ar shrugged. He no longer wanted to pay attention to these people. Besides, the wild boar he had hunted should be given to Ellie before it became unappetizing. When it came to eating meat, even the wealthy said that fresh meat was better. The taste of freshly killed meat was sweeter compared to meat that had been dead for a while.

This time, wanting to give Ellie a thank-you gift, it had to be the best gift possible. The quality of the meat shouldn’t be compromised because of delays caused by others.

“Well, I’ll be off then, in case Ellie wants to make lunch for herself.” Jay-ar waved to everyone. He lifted the wild boar with one hand, showcasing his remarkable strength.

Of course, everyone still wanted to talk with him more, to hear more about his story and the girl. Even though their initial reaction was disbelief, wasn’t it worth discussing further? Why just respond with a couple of sentences and then walk away?

Jay-ar didn’t pay attention to them anymore. He walked towards Ellie’s front entrance, which meant he circled from the back of the house to the front, quite a distance.

“Ellie, it’s Uncle Jay-ar. May I come into the house?” He asked politely, even though Ellie had already seen him.

The small girl saw the man who had once been bedridden and emaciated come to her with a wild boar and understood why he was here. It seemed that what she had told Lana had made Uncle Jay-ar feel it was inappropriate not to give a token of gratitude. Otherwise, why would he have hurried down from the mountain with such a large boar?

Ellie walked down from the second floor. Her new house, which the Setter family had brought nearly a hundred people to rush and complete while she attended the village feast, was very sturdy. It was well-designed, almost like an inn. If it weren’t for Ellie wanting to preserve the surrounding farmland, the Setter family might have built an even larger house, possibly resembling a mansion.

However, Ellie didn’t want that. She mentioned she would only be staying at this house during her breaks from school, so there was no need for grandeur. Consequently, the Setter family’s craftsmen designed a house that could be built quickly and felt more like a vacation home than a permanent residence. Nevertheless, it was perfectly livable, making it a rather smart idea.

This two-story house had the upper floor designated for resting, with private bedrooms, a private bathroom, and a bathtub. The lower floor was divided into several sections, with the back being a small kitchen similar to the previous one but improved to be more organized and presentable. Since there were no longer any beds or bathrooms on the first floor, it left a lot of open space, which the Setter family’s people arranged with a dining table and a reception area for guests.

Additionally, the front area of the house extended into a spacious courtyard for welcoming guests without necessarily inviting them inside. It could also be used as a training ground or anything else. They surrounded it with small trees that formed another layer of fence, giving a more relaxed feel than a large fence that resembled the imposing iron barrier.

There was also a separate storage room equipped with magical devices that the Setter family had specially purchased. Only Ellie could open this room, as it had an identification system similar to the rooms at the institute. Any attempt to break in would trigger defensive magic that would make the intruder fainted.

Seeing Ellie come out to greet him in the front courtyard, Jay-ar felt a bit embarrassed. It seemed that instead of coming to repay her, he was causing her trouble.

Originally, he had intended to just bring the boar to the kitchen so Ellie could come down and cook it whenever she wanted. Who would have thought she come down herself to welcome him?

"Uh, Ellie...this is a wild boar that I hunted today. I’m giving it to you." Jay-ar scratched his cheek. Ellie examined the man, now fully recovered, and felt relieved.

Although she knew that Jay-ar must receive excellent treatment to return to his normal life, she hadn’t expected the potions to make him so strong overnight. It was certainly a good thing for his small family of 5.

"Sell the meat. I don’t need wild boar meat, and there’s no need to bring me anything else. I know what you’re trying to do, Uncle Jay-ar. So, please, just follow the request I made to Aunt Lana."

"I understand that. Taking care of the house is not a problem at all. Once I’m stronger, I can also make traps for you. There’s no need to spend money on those."

"It’s okay. Besides, I already paid for those traps."

"Ah...I see. Well, that’s good then. With good traps, you might be able to keep big animals from causing trouble. The traps I can make are only for small animals." Jay-ar scratched his head.

"You can go back now, Uncle. Let Aunt Lana handle the wild boar properly so you can sell it at a high price."

"No, no. The traps and house care are one thing, but I really want you to have this meat, Ellie. Last night, you ate less than everyone else because you had to make the potions for me, right? When I found the wild boar, I thought of you first," Jay-ar explained. Ellie felt a bit touched, but she still led him into the kitchen from the back.

She didn’t want to completely crush his confidence, but if she accepted the meat, it wouldn’t just be like stealing money from Aunt Lana’s household; it would also be wasting the meat by letting it rot.

After eating the meat provided by the Setter family, Ellie realized her taste had changed. The flavor of regular wild meat was vastly different from that of beast meat. The expensive food at the institute was all made from beast meat, which was why it was so pricey but also of high quality.

Last night, she had the chance to eat grilled meat. Even though it was venison, which should have been delicious, one bite made her lose her appetite. Ellie didn’t want to eat regular wild meat anymore. If she really wanted to eat wild boar, wouldn’t it be better to eat the one she hunted herself? The difference in taste could be described as "heaven and hell."

So, accepting the meat only to let it go to waste was indeed the truth!

"Is this Ellie’s kitchen? It’s as big as a noble’s kitchen." Jay-ar had sold meat to low-ranking nobles before, so it wasn’t surprising that he had seen such grand kitchens.

A noble’s kitchen was different from a commoner’s, which relied on open flames. Commoners would light a fire, surround it with stones, and place a pot on top. In contrast, noble’s kitchens used magical devices to start a fire easily. They had a framework where logs or firewood was placed, and when it was time to cook, they only needed to give it a couple of turns to ensure the firewood fed into the stove sufficiently.

The stove was built high, allowing for standing while cooking, unlike commoners who had to sit and stand repeatedly. However, this meant that more firewood was needed since there was quite a distance between the pot and the fire. Nevertheless, the food tasted different.

For the ordinary villager’s food, it wasn’t unusual to find bits of ash, wood, or charcoal in their foods because they set the fire on the ground and placed the pot on the ground. Nobles, on the other hand, would never allow such things to happen.

Seeing such a luxurious kitchen, Jay-ar felt his legs stiffen. He didn’t dare go inside for fear of damaging something. However, Ellie simply motioned for him to enter. Jay-ar looked around before placing the wild boar on the ground, he wouldn’t let any blood dripped on Ellie’s kitchen floor.

"Um..." Jay-ar was about to ask why she brought him to the kitchen, but his question was immediately forgotten when he saw something in a barrel inside the kitchen.

The barrel was filled with pink and red meat, likely enough to store the meat of 1 or 2 beasts. With such a large quantity of meat, not only was it top-notch quality, but it also came from very large beasts. Compared to this, the wild boar meat he had brought was just scraps.

"The reason I don’t need that wild boar is because there’s already plenty of meat in this kitchen. For a month’s time, this amount of meat might even be too much. So, I must decline your wild boar, Uncle Jay-ar."

When Ellie said that, Jay-ar nodded in embarrassment. He had thought that the wild boar meat was the best gift he could offer. Even though it couldn’t compare to the potion Ellie had made for him, he believed that an entire wild boar would at least make her happy. Who would have thought that the meat he considered valuable was actually insignificant to Ellie?

"I understand." Seeing Jay-ar’s sad expression, Ellie sighed. She knew what he was thinking and how well-intentioned he was.

"Take the meat and sell it. You’ll get a better price if you sell it on the same day it was hunted. And on your way back...could you please buy me 2 steamed buns? Just two, no more. I want them for dinner tonight, and I’ll make something else for breakfast tomorrow."

Hearing Ellie’s request, Jay-ar’s eyes lit up slightly. Although he knew she was making this request for his sake, the fact that she accepted his token of appreciation was significant to him.

"Alright, I’ll sell the meat quickly and come back with the meat-filled steamed buns," Jay-ar said before rushing out, as if worried he wouldn’t have enough time to sell the meat and buy the steamed buns for Ellie.

While Jay-ar and Ellie were talking, a group of huntsmen who had noticed many strange occurrences gathered in the village square. They summoned the village chief and Nara to listen to the matter together.

Nara was slightly surprised by the villagers’ call. She had planned to spend the entire morning and afternoon resting. Who would have thought she would be summoned like this?

Of course, her displeasure was one thing, but she still had to maintain her beautiful appearance. Nara walked out of her house with her father, heading towards the group of people who were already waiting.

"What happened? Why have you gathered like this?" the village chief asked first. The huntsmen looked at each other, unsure of which important matter to start with.

"Village chief, um...the reason we came here is because of something related to Ellie. We want you to investigate a bit." Hearing “Ellie’s” name so early in the morning made Nara genuinely irritated.

She had hoped today would be wonderful for her, so why did she have to be woken up because of that foolish woman!?