Chapter 129 Smooth Travels (2/2)
”Advancement in the Society is based on skill, not power,” Snowcloud explained ”Just having a wealthy farow strong But skill relies on your oork and talent — and those are the things that allow h, she added, ”Of course, having proper trainers still helps”
Although Arran hi to reach his current strength, he had to admit that what she saidPills, Natural Treasures, and Essence Crystals, even the least talented , but without effort and talent, all that strength would go to waste
He did not kno his talent compared to others, but he decided that if he was to fail, he could make sure it wouldn't be for lack of effort The work he put in was soive it his all
After that, he increased his training, working even harder than before Where Snowcloud previously had to scold him to keep up the work, now, he scolded himself when he slacked off — the idea that he lacked the skill tohe simply could not tolerate
Yet despite Arran's newfound fervor, training was not all they did as they traveled
Three of the ingredients Snowcloud still required would rely on luck to find, and she had given him extensive descriptions of what these looked like — even if the chance of Arran stu upon even one of the to pass up
Unfortunately, although Arran's talent for ic was still in question, his talent for herbalism certainly wasn't — it was entirely clear that he had none of that whatsoever
Several times each day, he would spot soredients they needed, and each time, Snowcloud would briefly inspect it, then spend a quarter hour explaining the ht
Arran meekly endured her explanations, but they had little effect Inevitably, within a few days, he would ain, and receive yet another lecture on the same herbs
While the lectures had little effect, Arran didn't ic, even listening to Snowcloud expound the differences between redleaf flower and orange blossomleaf was a welcoes
At first, Arran had expected that Snowcloud would want to avoid villages, but it soon turned out that he couldn't have been further fro the road, Snowcloud made it a point to stop and visit the local herbalists and healers, asking whether they had any knowledge of the ingredients she sought, and what herbs could be found in the area
The conversations often lasted for hours, and after having suffered through several of them, Arran decided that from then on, he would wait in the local inn or tavern instead
Even if being a Body Refiner s of ale had little effect on hi to discussions on the intricacies of herbalism
On the whole, their journey proved uneventful, even if Snowcloud's search for herbs and Arran's training meant they moved considerably slower than they had planned
Only rarely did they run into bandits, and when they did, a quick display of h to scare off their would-be assailants Those few bandits eren't as quick on the uptake, e
Nearly three weeks passed like this, with Arran and Snowcloud slowly advancing toward their destination, and Arran i day
But then, onethe road, Arran noticed s in the distance At once, he knew that the days of quiet travel and training were over — there would be trouble ahead