Chapter 30: Brewing Poison

Joan returned earlier than usual today. When she walked into the edge of town, the sky had not yet fully darkened. The scents of baked bread and stewed vegetables wafted from the open doors and windows lining the street, teasing her rumbling stomach and prompting her to quicken her steps toward the clinic.

Doctor Kelandir had just seen off the last patient of the day and was about to lock up when he spotted Joan, inviting her inside with a casual inquiry about her day’s harvest.

Joan opened her backpack, first taking out a wooden box used to store leeches. Normally, she would bring back at least a thousand lively leeches, but today the box contained barely two hundred, scattered sparsely.

Doctor Kelandir wondered at the unusually small haul, but Joan soon pulled two large bundles of plants from her backpack, their roots wrapped in moist soil, and lastly produced a slender glass bottle filled with a translucent liquid.

The half-elf’s initial confusion quickly gave way to surprise. He couldn’t help but ask, “So many bloodroot herbs—where did you gather them?”

“From deep within the Lizard Marsh,” Joan replied.

“The depths of the marsh?” Doctor Kelandir was even more astonished. “You really shouldn’t venture to such dangerous places. It’s not worth risking your life for a few medicinal herbs.”

“A friend helped me collect the bloodroot. He lives in the marsh and knows the environment well.”

Doctor Kelandir opened his mouth, but ultimately suppressed his curiosity and instead picked up the glass bottle. Carefully, he twisted open the cork, freed his left hand, and waved it gently above the bottle, directing the faint scent toward his nose. Instantly, he caught a subtle metallic tang.

“This seems to be some sort of glandular secretion,” Kelandir surmised, relying on his pharmacological expertise.

Joan nodded in admiration. “It’s venom secreted by a black water snake.”

Kelandir took out a slender dropper, drew a single drop from the bottle, and spread it onto a pale gray test paper. Holding it up to the candlelight, he pondered aloud, “It should be venom from a wire snake. This is highly effective for treating joint and muscle swelling. Each ounce is worth hundreds of gold ducas.”

Joan glanced at the small bottle she had collected, estimating it to contain about half an ounce—worth no less than fifty gold ducas, equivalent to five thousand leeches!

“Are you planning to sell all of these?” Doctor Kelandir asked, pointing to the bloodroot and snake venom on the table, his gaze keen with interest.

Joan could tell that Kelandir was fascinated by these rare materials. After a brief consideration, she decided to be honest.

“Doctor, I’d like to keep some of the herbs for myself, to practice making potions.”

Kelandir paused, then caught the implication in Joan’s words. “Twenty portions of bloodroot extract, paired with a dose of refined snake venom?”

Joan nodded, somewhat embarrassed.

“That venom is very dangerous, you…” Kelandir hesitated.

“Please rest assured, I would never use venom to harm anyone!” Joan vowed solemnly, silently adding, “Unless provoked.”

Kelandir hesitated for quite some time before reluctantly nodding, repeatedly reminding Joan to strictly uphold the ethical standards of medicinal practice: never profit by selling poison to those of questionable character, nor use living people as test subjects in venom experiments. To violate these tenets would invite disgrace, or even imprisonment.

Joan listened attentively to Doctor Kelandir’s admonitions, committing every word to memory.

“The refining of bloodroot and venom isn’t as simple as the books suggest. You lack both experience and equipment. If you rush into it, you’re bound to run into trouble. Wasting precious materials is the least of it—a laboratory accident could be truly dangerous,” Kelandir sighed. “Go home and eat first. Come to my laboratory at eight o’clock tonight. I’ll teach you the techniques for refining medicinal ingredients.”

“Thank you so much!” Joan exclaimed, bowing deeply to Doctor Kelandir.

Returning home with forty gold coins earned from selling leeches and some medicinal herbs, Joan wrote down the day’s events on a sheet of paper and handed it to Conti, who was waiting at the table for dinner, noting that she would attend Kelandir’s lesson that evening.

“You’ve certainly had a busy day,” Conti remarked with a smile as she put down the note, ladling a generous bowl of creamy soup for Joan. “Eat more—you’ll need your strength for studying.”

The potatoes and green peas were stewed to perfection, blended with plenty of cream and bits of ham, seasoned with salt, pepper, and rosemary. The result was rich, silky, and fragrant—a flavor so exquisite that Joan felt tears prick her eyes, forced to admit that Conti’s culinary skills far surpassed her own.

After a bowl of soup and two thick slices of toasted bread, Joan set her spoon down with satisfaction, thinking that even the king’s supper could hardly compare.

“Conti, do we have any more food left at home?”

“There is, but not much. I’ll go shopping at Aunt Barbara’s store tomorrow.”

Joan nodded, took out her purse, and counted out ten gold coins to hand to Conti.

“We earned quite a bit today. Take these for groceries—they’re for this month’s household expenses.”

Conti accepted the coins, hesitating for a long moment before finally speaking her mind. “Joan, my injury is nearly healed. I’ll probably go home before the end of the month.”

Joan was taken aback, suddenly remembering that Conti was not family, only a temporary guest in the town who would eventually leave. She had her own home and relatives.

“When will you go?”

“I’m not sure yet—when my parents come to fetch me.”

“I understand. I hope your family is reunited soon.”

“Will you be sad when I leave? Even if it’s just a little?”

“Perhaps I will,” Joan replied, unable to meet the girl’s clear gaze and evading with a vague answer before hastily rising. “It’s a bit early for that. I should get going.”

On the street, Joan’s thoughts gradually settled in the chill of the night wind. The words Conti had just spoken weighed heavily on her heart.

Conti had only been in Delyn Town for a month, but in Joan’s subconscious, this cheerful and lively Asa girl had already become an inseparable part of her household. She didn’t constantly long for her presence, yet the idea of her absence left an emptiness. But Joan had to face reality—Conti had entered her life by chance, but belonged to another world. Like two roads briefly crossing, they would soon return to their separate paths.

Joan was not particularly sentimental. After walking along the street for a while, her mood gradually calmed, no longer entangled by Conti’s impending departure. Her thoughts turned once more to tonight’s lesson in potion-making.