The Buff Effect
We returned to the tent carrying the new mattress and box. Jeong Yu-na had lifted the mattress with her magic, so we made it back without any effort at all.
"Wow."
Pang!Pang! When I patted the mattress with my palms, its signature bounce pushed back against my hands. So soft and plush—no matter how hard I hit it, it never hurt.
Amazing. It felt almost rude to compare it to that cardboard box. After staring at it for a good while, I picked up the fridge box nearby. I planned to give it to Sophia, who'd complained about the uncomfortable bedding.
"Um... do you want this box...? It's pretty big and nice..."
"You silly thing."
Thwack! Sophia tapped my head with her cane. The light impact made my shoulders hunch instinctively.
"Ah, I-I was just asking since you wanted a box earlier... You use the mattress..."
Yeah, whatever. It made sense to yield the mattress to someone whose body ached. Still bummed, I poked at it a few more times when Sophia suddenly flopped down onto it.
"There. The bed's big enough for two, right?"
"Two...?"
"Aye. You're both so tiny."
True enough. There'd still be plenty of space left over. Even so, I couldn't nod easily—the idea of sharing a bed with a stranger felt too weird.
"You shouldn't sleep with strangers..."
"Well learned, but we're acquaintances now, aren't we?"
"R-Really?"
We'd only met yesterday? Was that enough to call us acquaintances? Frowning in thought, I was interrupted when Jeong Yu-na suddenly wedged herself between us.
"Couldn't we snag another mattress?"
"Impossible. Something like this only turns up once every ten years, if that."
"R-Really? There's a recycling center near my place. I should check it out."
Heh heh. Jeong Yu-na flashed an oddly awkward smile. Watching her, I picked up a nearby pot.
"Um, want some tea?"
"Tea?"
"Yeah. Dandelion flower tea is delicious."
She'd tagged along reluctantly, but she'd still helped me out. A bare minimum of gratitude was the least I could offer. It wasn't much, but the tea would have to do.
I held up the jar of perfectly processed dandelion flowers.
"Sure. Just one cup, then?"
"Y-Yeah..."
The dandelion flowers were running low, I noted as I brewed the tea on the portable stove. Beautiful flowers floated atop the steaming liquid.
"Tea with flowers in it."
"Pretty."
"R-Right...?"
I made three cups—for Sophia, Jeong Yu-na, and myself—and the jar was scraped clean. I wanted to make more petals, but were there dandelions nearby? Sipping my tea, I peered out through a hole in the tent.
"This is actually... huh...?"
"Mm...?"
Sophia and Jeong Yu-na both stared at their palms as if on cue, after taking a sip. They were breathing deeply, which looked odd.
"What's wrong? Not tasty?"
"N-No, it's delicious, but why is the mana...?"
"Mana?"
Why bring up mana mid-sip? Tilting my head at her weird comment, Jeong Yu-na took another gulp.
"Oh my?"
Her eyes went wide—whites visible all around her irises. No mistaking it: my tea was the cause.
"W-Why?"
"This dandelion tea... it's boosting my mana...?"
"Hm... The same here."
"Huh...?"
Mana increase from one cup? I'd never felt that when I drank it. Poking at the floating flowers in bewilderment, I saw they were just ordinary dandelions—pretty, but nothing special.
"The more I drink, the more my mana surges."
"Isn't that something to see a doctor about...?"
"It's fine. Positive effect."
Whoosh. As Sophia exhaled, blue smoke puffed from her mouth. It looked kinda cool, like a dragon's breath.
"Seems you have a buff-type ability."
"Buff?"
"Aye. One of the rarest. In my world, those with it were treated like nobility."
"Wow..."
Nobility treatment? My spirits lifted at the flattering words, only for reality to crash in—Earth wasn't a class society. There were differences between worlds. No point getting my hopes up; expectations only bred disappointment. Life had taught me that the hard way.
...Still, how does this buff thing work? Through food, maybe? Puzzled, I took another sip—just as Jeong Yu-na muttered excitedly to herself.
"With this much mana, maybe I could...?"
What was she scheming now? Knowing her tomboyish side, I instinctively backed away.
"I've got something I wanna try real quick—mind if I step out?"
"S-Sure..."
No need to come back. I swallowed the thought. Speaking carelessly could shorten your lifespan.
The Yeomyeong Guild HQ had a lab for guild mages. Jeong Yu-na headed there, checking her condition along the way.
Incredible. Just one cup of tea, and her mana had jumped by about thirty percent. Even more astonishing: the child's buff stacked with other buff potions, defying the rule that buffs didn't overlap.
With this mana, she might craft a magic tool she'd only theorized about before.
I wonder if she has other things besides tea? So much to test. Hurrying to the lab, she spotted familiar faces at the end of the hall: Guild Master Kang Jin-ho, his guildmate Han Yeoreum, and the wolf beastkin En Sia and lizard beastkin Argo who'd been guarding the child.
"Master?"
Kang Jin-ho was walking the corridor with uncharacteristic excitement. So shocking, Jeong Yu-na froze in place.
"Yu-na!"
Han Yeoreum spotted her and trotted over. Her destructive skills belied her cute appearance—or so Jeong Yu-na thought privately.
"Yeoreum, what's going on?"
"Oh, because of Winter."
"Winter?"
"Yeah. We allied with the Korean Peninsula beastkin in exchange for taking good care of her. It wrapped up really positively."
"Oh my."
An alliance with beastkin who hid in the forests and ignored even government summons. A first for Korea—at least officially. Maybe the world, unofficially.
"They're even providing tech support. Amazing, right?"
"Th-That really is huge..."
The reason forest-dwelling beastkin were treated like VIPs in modern society: their unique technologies.
"Winter really is a lucky charm."
"Yeah... And all I've done is be mean to her."
"Ah, well... You've got time ahead."
"Yeah. I'll take it slow."
Jeong Yu-na let out a long sigh. The buff effect, the beastkin alliance—she'd meant to help, but only received. Closing her eyes, she reaffirmed her resolve: use the boosted mana to craft a magic tool for the child.
Heh heh. So squishy. With nothing to do, I sprawled on the mattress. I should work, but its plushness made me not want to move. Maybe years without this softness made me lazier.
"Hey, lazybones. When do you plan on training?"
"J-Just a bit longer, please."
I buried my face in it like a whining kid. Sophia grabbed my arm and yanked. I resisted, but her strength outmatched my expectations—I couldn't hold on.
"Up you get."
"Y-Yeah..."
I wanted more softness. Licking my lips in regret, I rose. Thirsty, apparently, Sophia poured water from the pitcher into a cup.
"By the way, where do you get this water? No good spots nearby."
Gulp. She chugged it down in one go, parched as she was. Sharks need saltwater, right? I snickered inwardly at the random thought.
"Fr-From the pond."
"Pfft!"
Did I say something weird? Sophia spat the water into the air. Tears welled as she coughed.
Huh? It was a pond purified by expensive cleansing items—clean enough for fish, potable straight away. Not dirty water, so maybe it went down wrong? No clue, but I patted her back anyway. Choking sucks.