Nethershade Grass

Early the next morning, Ranav went to Usha's house to learn more details about their mission. Usha and Rita had been planning this herb-collecting expedition as an opportunity to explore the Golden Highlands in search of a rare flower called Sunblossom. This flower only blooms after the coldest winter at the peak of the Golden Highlands, and even then, finding one is a matter of luck, only one or two flowers appear each year.

Sunblossom is the primary ingredient in Rejuvenation Pills, which can extend a person's lifespan by approximately ten years. Because of this, the flower has an exorbitantly high market price, making it highly sought after by alchemists and nobles alike.

Their plan was to set up camp on the mountains at night and explore during the daytime. The Golden Highlands was relatively safe from wild beasts; over the years, constant human activity had nearly driven the local wildlife to extinction. Apart from some snakes, insects, and a few stray beasts, there wasn't much to be wary of.

However, since finding Sunblossom relied mostly on luck, Usha and Rita decided that if Ranav joined them, they would abandon their search for it and focus solely on the mission and collect other valuable herbs along the way.

"It will take about an hour by regular horse from the city to the base of the mountain," Usha explained. "From there, we'll need to climb for another one to two hours to reach our target area, depending on the terrain. If we start early in the morning, we should be able to return before sundown after collecting the herbs."

Ranav was delighted to hear about the journey.

"I just have one problem," he said after a moment of thought. "I need to get permission from the Countess before I can join your expedition. My master and sisters will be leaving today, and I'll be staying at the Count's estate for the time being. Whether I can go with you or not, I'll send someone to inform you before evening."

Usha nodded. "Alright. I'll be waiting for your answer."

Ranav hesitated before asking, "Can I visit your home's library? I haven't had much to read these days. If you have any books related to herbs that you could lend me, that would be great."

Usha smiled. "No problem. We don't have a separate library; all the books are kept in Grandpa's study. Come with me."

She led him to a room on the ground floor, where a faint but distinct medicinal fragrance filled the air. The room had several shelves filled with books, scrolls, and neatly organized jars of herbs and ingredients.

"There are many rare herbs stored here," Usha said as they entered. "Grandpa collects various unknown herbs from travelers and has some rare medicinal ingredients as well. He keeps all his possessions in this room. You can look through all the shelves except for this one."

She pointed at a shelf near the table that contained hand-bound notebooks and scrolls. "These are business-related documents."

"Understood," Ranav said as he walked toward a nearby bookshelf containing books on herbal medicine and alchemy.

After doing this several times before, Jessica and Ranav's copying ability had become seamless. Jessica took over, brushing her fingers lightly over the books to copy their contents instantly.

"We'll copy all the books first," Jessica said. "There aren't that many here, so it won't take long. After that, we should take a look at the herbs and ingredients."

From the side, Usha watched Ranav running his fingers over the book spines, one by one. She assumed he was simply reading the titles.

Once all the books had been copied, Jessica shifted her attention to the shelves containing herbs and medicinal ingredients. She decided to memorize their appearances and properties in case they ever needed any in the future.

But suddenly, Jessica froze.

Among the neatly arranged jars, a glass tube contained a patch of grass with three thin, dark-blue blades. The grass seemed to absorb the surrounding light, making it stand out from the rest.

Jessica's voice rang in Ranav's mind. "This… this is Nethershade Grass. If I'm not wrong, it can help evolve a Voidcharger horse."

Ranav's eyes narrowed slightly. "Now that you mention it, I remember reading about something like this in one of the books we copied from the old chief's study."

Jessica nodded. "Let's finish scanning everything first. Then, you should ask Usha if she's willing to sell it."

Once they were done, Ranav picked up a herbology book with illustrations to borrow. Usha readily agreed to lend it to him.

Then, he pointed at the glass tube containing the Nethershade Grass.

"I find this patch of grass… interesting," he said, keeping his tone casual. "Would you be willing to sell it?"

Usha was surprised. "You want this? Hm… I don't know what it is, but since it's Grandpa's possession, I'll have to ask him first."

She carefully picked up the glass tube. "Come with me."

Usha led Ranav to her grandfather's bedroom, where the old man sat in a wooden chair, reading a book. When she explained Ranav's request, her grandfather's eyebrows raised in surprise.

He took the glass tube from Usha and examined the dark-blue grass inside.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked Ranav.

Ranav decided to feign ignorance. "No, I don't. But I felt… drawn to it. It almost feels like it's pulling me in." He described the general sensation that anyone would feel from the mysterious grass.

The old man nodded. "I see… I bought this from a herb collector who had just returned from the mountains. It looked unique, so I decided to buy it. I later visited some of the renowned herb specialists and alchemists in the city, but none of them could identify it. Back then, this patch had four blades. An alchemist experimented on one of them, but nothing came of it."

The old man sighed. "If you have no real use for it, I suggest you leave it be. But if you think you can use it… well, I'd rather give it to you as a gift. After all, you've helped my granddaughter in the past."

Ranav shook his head politely. "Please, don't misunderstand. I just feel that this grass is connected to the darkness element. My master might know more about it. That's why I'd like to buy it from you."

The old man hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed to sell it at his original buying price… five gold coins.

Ranav promptly paid and bid farewell to Usha, realizing that he had spent much more time than intended at her house.

When he returned to the rented house, he found Nanima, Camilla, and Vivita already packed and ready for their journey. Their carriage was waiting outside, its driver standing nearby.

Before leaving, they all stopped by a nearby restaurant for breakfast, even inviting the carriage driver to join them. After a hearty meal, they finally set off toward Dhela.

On the way, Ranav got off near the Count's estate, bidding farewell to his master and sisters as the carriage continued on without him.

As soon as he entered the estate, he ran into Paramita, who was just about to leave.

"Ranav! I was heading to the ranch. You should come along. Midnight has been missing you a lot."

Ranav smiled. "Alright. But first, I need to drop off my backpack. Where should I leave it?"

Paramita gestured to a nearby maid. "Take care of his things," she instructed. Then, turning back to Ranav, she said, "Come on, let's go."

When they reached the ranch, Ranav spotted Midnight and Lucky grazing nearby.

Midnight was the first to sense his presence through their bond. Lifting his head, he let out a cheerful neigh before trotting toward Ranav.

Ranav grinned and reached out, embracing Midnight's extended head. Through their connection, he could feel the horse's longing and silent complaints about his long absence.

"Good boy," Ranav murmured. "I'm here now. Don't worry… I'll never abandon you."