24 Winding Down (1/2)

As promised, Charles came with his crew as soon as the sun started peeking out in early morning, casting warm summer rays over the rolling fields outside Riviera. Li himself usually came out to work at this time, plucking weeds from the herb garden first as it had the most sensitive plants to tend.

Zagan lay farther out in the wheat field. He had a fondness for that particular spot. He was sprawled out in sleep or perhaps communicating with the Myrmeke that rumbled below, sharing tales about their master.

Old Thane worked alongside Li, kneeling in the dirt as his hands sifted through the earth to feel for weeds.

Charles and his crew tied their horses down to a stake on the main road, right beside the cottage, and came up to Li, belts full of tools clad around their waists. The horses had dragged many carts of wood, bricks, nails, and other building materials behind them.

”Morning, sir!” called out Charles. ”As promised, I'm here to get started.”

Li patted Old Thane's shoulder. ”Builder's here. Mind giving me a second?”

”Certainly, lad,” nodded Old Thane. ”It feels a little unreal, it does, seeing us so close to having this farm back to its former glory.”

”Trust me, old man, I'm not going to settle for just former glory.”

____________

Li nodded as Charles sketched out his idea of the stall upon a piece of paper flattened out against a wooden block that acted like a clipboard.

The stall would be big enough to catch the eye of all travelers taking the main road. It was around half the size of the cottage and could even act as its own living space.

Apparently, industry standards had improved significantly since Aine had practiced, and now herbalist stalls were no longer glorified display shelves while the herbalist dirtied his or her own home with elixir brewing. They were bigger and better than ever before, streamlining the brewing and selling process into one building.

The stall wasn't just some cute little stand to put flowers on to sell, it was a veritable lab. It had enough space for a fire to put a mixing cauldron upon and a ventilation system through multiple smaller chimneys that acted as fume hoods to vent out toxic herb gases.

Plenty of shelves existed for storing guiding tomes, seeds, and potted herbs. There would also be one large working table where Li would dust off Aine's brewing tools, her beakers, flasks, pipettes, distillation kit, and so on to put to use after years of being ignored.

Part of the reason why Li had been able to learn so much of the craft in so short a time was not only his memorization skills, but also because he was, in his past life, a man of science. He was used to working in a lab, and he realized that an herbalist was very much similar in regard to what he used to do slaving away at his bio-engineering lab.

However, function wasn't the only thing the stall cared about. There was also an open display for completed elixirs as well as a hanging signboard that detailed prices. If travelers were curious, they could look into the stall and see the person within working, adding a little performing flair to the whole process.

”This is perfect,” said Li. ”But it's pretty complicated. How long do you think this will take?”

Charles nodded several times, looking at the cottage and back at the plans. He was much calmer now, his constant shaking alleviated. He still had a little twitch when he got nervous, but it was more like a tick instead of something that completely dominated strangers' impressions of him.

”Well, sir, I have very fine men, yes I do. Tried and tested handymen, part-time smiths, and accomplished runeworkers the whole lot of them.” Charles gave a thumbs up behind him, where his crew of ten builders smiled eagerly.

Some of them looked curiously at Li considering he was a foreigner, but Charles had obviously trained them not to be prying or ask questions as they were workers who needed to maintain professionalism. They were men of various heights and builds, but all of them had the same worn and worked builder's hands that Charles had.

”And it isn't the first time we've made something like this. We actually had a commission from the Black Vine, heard of it, haven't you?”

Li shook his head.

”Well that's a right surprise, considering you as a herbalist and all, but to explain, it's the biggest pharmacy in Riviera. They wanted to put up another stall near the fishing docks. Anyways, it just means we've got what it takes, so let's see.” Charles took his inked quill and tapped it on the wooden board a few times. ”Two weeks, I reckon, working nonstop. And don't you worry that we'll starve. We've enough funds to last us through a whole winter, I reckon.”

”Excellent.” Li gave Charles an encouraging slap on the back and said, ”Well then, I'm off to work. I'll leave this to the experts.”

Before Li turned, Charles whispered out, ”Sir? About last night, I'm truly sorry, sir, I understand my wrongs.”

Li stopped him. ”It's not my role to forgive you for where you went wrong. You must ask forgiveness from your children and Rosso. But know that I hold no ill-will against you so long as you have learned from the past.”

Charles let his eyes fall before he shook his head and looked up to meet Li's gaze. ”You're right, sir. But since you're the one that opened my eyes, I'd like to let you know that we'll all be doing our very best.”

Li gave Charles an understanding nod before turning. ”The very best is what I expect, so get on it.”

”Ah, sir, one more thing.”

”Hm?”

”For your stall's sign, the one that'll enter the official registries and pop up in the signposts, do you have any ideas for a name?”

Li smiled. ”Arboretum.”