11 Got a Little Herb? (2/2)
”Elixirs make or break wars. Spiking an army's soup is enough to render them more powerful twice or thricefold. Poisoning it can put them to sleep for a right rout. During peacetime, nobody cares that some folk choose to spend their idle time blasting their minds to the heavens, gods know the nobles have a fondness for it despite all their flowery appearances, but if I was the Duchess and at war, or preparing for it, I would take every single seed and herb to make sure all of it goes to the soldiers and not into the mouths of lowly addicts.”
Li nodded with minor interest. It was nice to know the politics revolving around this world, but it was like reading about game lore or trivia. It didn't feel too consequential to him. Perhaps because he was so powerful, he didn't know, but he was more interested in why Modeste was the best place to get herb seeds.
”Then why Modeste for herbs? What's a village out in the woods got over the Rivieran marketplace that probably has the crown's support for gathering seeds?”
Old Thane began lugging the wagon back up the hill again. His jaw was set, and his brows were furrowed. Li wondered if he had said something wrong.
”The law is looser there,” said Old Thane quietly. ”Forgive me, Li, I was not too forthright: not only do I have little coin, but no official pharmacy will sell a simple farmer like me anything. Perhaps my wife as a proper herbalist, but not me. In Modeste, I know a man from my adventuring days, a right scoundrel he is, I daresay, but he is willing to weave around the Duchess's good law to sell the seeds we need.”
They walked a few paces in silence.
”I've been thinking about it,” said Li. ”But going out into the boonies to meet a questionable guy ti get some illegal plants? Really sounds like a drug deal.”
Old Thane shrugged as much as his shoulders would allow while tugging the wagon along. ”Such is life, Li. We make do with what it grants us, and sometimes, many times, really, it is not generous.”
Li knew that Old Thane wasn't proud of this. He knew that the old man had thought the bandits and their ilk as lowlives, but he had to resort to more of the same to get what he needed. To Li, it didn't matter much where the seeds came from so long as they got them, and they didn't draw too much unneeded attention.
There was also a part of him that thought agonizing over laws drawn up by such lesser beings was ridiculous to invest much thought about, but he shook that part of him off. He wanted to farm without using his powers as much as possible, after all.
”That's true,” said Li nonchalantly. He knew Old Thane would appreciate that his voice had not even the slightest shred of judgement in it. He eyed Old Thane's wagon. ”And we're going to be paying for this drug deal with…berries?”
Old Thane smiled. ”What? You think I have some illegal coin stashed away anywhere? Hah, no such thing, Li - I'm just a farmer, after all. Coin holds little merit to those who sell in the shadows. If any authority finds that your coin came to be through questionable means, then at best, you will be penniless, at worst, you will find yourself at the gallows. But food? Everybody needs food, especially now when times are as hard as they are with the rise of the Republic straining Soleil.”
Old Thane pointed upwards. ”We're here! I can feel the land has leveled and the grasses worn away. This is the familiar earth right in front of Modeste's gates. Tell me, Li, how does it look?”
Li took a look and said the first word that came to his mind.
”Strange.”