The Enchanted Salt and Elena's Stirrings
"This is unusual."
"Did you figure something out?"
Dorea dropped a reagent onto the residue stuck to the flask and watched the reaction. The reagent hitting the charred white potion expanded like mercury on aluminum, forming a unique structure inside the flask. Made of pure white crystals, it resembled coral.
Dorea's eyes sharpened. He thrust tongs into the flask and broke off a piece of the white substance. Then he licked it with his tongue.
"Salty."
"Me too."
He broke off another small piece and rolled it in my palm. I picked up a tiny fragment and licked the tip of my tongue—it was salty, just as Dorea said.
"Is it salt?"
"No, it's a mana-infused material. Looks like they didn't use anything special—just soaked salt in mana and dissolved it in water."
"That's all?"
"No idea who made it, but it's crude as hell. They just crammed in mana to forcibly amplify the effect."
Dorea clicked his tongue, criticizing the potion-maker's skill.
"Such a waste. The mana in here could easily make three thousand low-grade potions. Just to be sure, this isn't some prank by the chief mage of the Blue Tower, is it?"
"Does it take a chief mage from the Magic Tower to make something like this?"
"They'd need that level of mana infusion skill. Trapping this much mana in plain salt isn't easy. It probably took hundreds of times more mana just to contain it. But if the goal was to show off mana control, you couldn't ask for better."
His words mixed curse and praise. Dorea's expression softened as he shook the flask, crumbling the salt formation. It turned to powder, with chunks breaking smaller as they collided.
"Still, it's not some suspicious drug. Probably a test batch from a mage that got repurposed. Too bad to toss, but tricky to use."
"I see. In that case..."
I pointed at the salt powder in the flask.
"Can you use the residual mana in this salt to track its source?"
Dorea's hand froze. He narrowed his eyes and glared at me.
"I could."
"Then..."
"But I don't want to."
Dorea waved me off.
"It's obviously from a powerful mage. I don't have long left to live anyway, but I don't wanna go picking fights."
He clicked his tongue again. He relit the furnace and heated the cauldron.
"Don't dump that kinda risk on an old man."
His wariness was palpable.
"I wasn't clear enough."
I tossed a tiny salt crystal from between my thumb and forefinger into my mouth.
"I'm asking because I need a material compatible with mana. I already know who the mana belongs to."
"Earlier you..."
"I said I didn't know the effect, not who made it."
"Hmph..."
Dorea crossed his arms, still reluctant. He groaned, unable to tell if I was telling the truth or just bullshitting to trick him.
"...It's safe, right?"
"I guarantee it. Finish this, and you'll get some top-quality mana grass."
Dorea's eyes changed.
"Done right away?"
"Hold on. I'll prep it now. Lately, thanks to you, I feel like I'm back in my youth!"
Stoking someone's greed was always the best way to persuade them. Dorea's hands moved deftly over the workbench. He poured the salt powder into a mortar, ground it with a pestle, and mixed it with black powder. He added reagents from the cabinet, kneaded it into dough, tossed it into the furnace to burn, ground the crisped result again, and filled a small pouch.
The process looked simple, but the ratios, pressure, and timing were perfect. He dangled the pouch by its long string, showing both ends.
"This is mana-tracking incense."
A pouch to track mana.
"It's infused with a scent tuned to mana. If a compatible material is nearby, it'll glow and guide you."
Dorea handed me the incense pouch.
"I'll use it well."
"Just be careful."
Dorea added sternly.
"The scent won't spread far, but if monsters catch it, they'll target you first. No sneaking around."
"Got it."
I tucked the pouch into my necklace and left the shop.
The next morning, Elena and her party members gathered in the guild's training yard outside the walls. The early morning air was still quite chilly, making the party members shiver.
Before departure, they checked their gear. Elena, now used to inspecting her equipment, suddenly zoned out, lost in thought.
Yesterday, she'd smelled an unfamiliar woman's scent on Uncle. She'd chalked it up to the strong herbal smell from Dorea's shop, but there'd been a long strand of pink hair on his collar. Very long pink hair.
Had a woman with hair like that been near Uncle?
Does Uncle have someone he's seeing?
Her mood soured. She kicked at the dirt with her toes, tormenting an innocent pebble.
She had no right to question who Uncle dated or slept with. He'd just chosen her to look after. What right did she have, after only taking his help?
Her head understood that clearly, but her chest felt tight and stuffy. That vibrant pink hair kept flashing in her mind. Unexplained irritation surged up.
"Elena, why the long face this morning? Something happen?"
Mira, checking her bowstring, sidled over and asked.
Elena hesitated before cautiously speaking.
"If you smell a woman on a guy you know... like, if there's a woman's hair on his clothes... what does that mean?"
She knew the answer but tried to ignore it, seeking confirmation.
Mira's eyes widened.
"Oh? Has our bold party leader finally caught spring fever?"
She was intrigued by the love advice from the youngest in their group. It was that age.
At Elena's age, having a boyfriend or two wouldn't be weird.
It was odd for a girl her age to be a virgin unless she was in a convent. The first man for a woman who'd kept her purity this long. Mira's lips twitched.
"It's about a guy you like, right?"
"Not like. Just someone I know."
"Come on, don't play coy."
Mira's curiosity piqued; she stepped closer.
"Who is it?"
"Um..."
Mira pressed with sparkling eyes. Elena fidgeted, then pouted.
"...Uncle."
Mira's face twisted for a split second.
Eck. The infamous A-rank adventurer. Everyone in Leator's guild knew rumors about him. Womanizer, brawler, thief. Rumors said he slept with any woman he saw.
And Elena had feelings for him.
"Ah, uh, Eck, huh. Well... usually that means... the obvious."
Mira broke into a cold sweat. To shake Eck from the girl's heart, honesty was best. His name carried too much filth. Elena was in his grasp but seemed blind to his true nature. Mira and the others had begged to join him for strength, but Elena didn't know.
"Wh-what's a hair on clothes? Proof they're close enough to rub bodies. They spent the night together."
"Th-the night."
"A guy like Eck probably has two or three women on his arm."
"Two or three women."
Elena's shoulders slumped.
Of all people, Eck.
As an adventurer, he was respectable, but as a person... not so much. And the age gap with Elena. In a few years, she'd be nursing an old man. She couldn't let this pretty virgin fall to an old wolf—not as a fellow woman or party member.
But I can't say it outright.
They were Eck's party thanks to him. Without his intro, they'd still be scraping bottom. He'd even trained them sometimes. Couldn't confront him directly. Worst human, best adventurer.
Tell her the truth, let her decide. Mira's best option.
But watching Elena closely, Mira frowned. Her hunter's instincts caught something off.
Elena looked bitter.
"You think there's no hope, huh?"
"Huh? For what?"
"No, your reaction seemed like you didn't think I could ever be his woman."
"Huh? I'm just the sucker backing him up. Whether he has women or not is none of my business. If he'd seen me as a woman, he'd have made a move already."
Before Mira could speak, Elena continued.
"Just... weird feeling. If he's marrying someone, I'd have to keep watching. Thinking that feels awkward... strange."
"No jealousy?"
"Jealousy?"
Elena reflected on her feelings. Jealousy.
"Not sure. Is this what jealousy feels like?"
"If you're not sure, it's not jealousy."
At least not romantic jealousy. Mira realized the truth of Elena's emotions. Her past from the forest, family woes, resolve to adventure with Eck's help. True jealousy wouldn't come with "not sure."
"Elena, maybe it's..."
Mira hesitated.
...you see him as a dad figure?
The words wouldn't come. She watched Elena sigh bitterly and stayed quiet.
Then someone approached from the gate.
"Good, you're here before departure."
The low voice echoed in the yard. Eck.
Elena's head snapped up. Her slumped shoulders tensed, and she ran to greet him.
Eck handed her a pouch.
"Take this."
"What's this?"
"It'll help find mana grass. Especially grab any herbs that react to this one. And..."
He briefly explained the mana tool pouch's use and precautions.
Mira watched. Knowing Elena's gaze now, it looked different. Awkward.
"Mira, what's wrong?"
"Problem?"
Hans and Duke approached.
"You know what's the world's biggest headache?"
"Suddenly?"
"Debt?"
Mira sighed deeply.
"When you start hoping to become family with someone you want as family."
"What?"
"Beats me."
Hans and Duke tilted their heads.
"Uncle, we'll bring back lots!"
"Watch for ambushes."
"Yes!"
Meanwhile, Elena answered energetically like a kid on an errand. Mira watched, swallowing her plan. How do you break blind stubbornness for family? No words could fix that.
Elena and Eck together.
...Huh?
Thinking back, Eck's thuggery had dropped since meeting Elena. Almost gone.
Maybe they should get together?
Mira pondered seriously.