I Need Money to Level Up

Chapter 13: Family problems

"I will help the other healers and see which one of them can afford some seedlings and samples for the time being," Raiden nodded to himself.

After finishing his business there, Raiden went to follow his morning routine. Come to think of it, he also adjusted it to make sure that he would pass the test at his current level in one month. He also had to make sure that Javier and Ruth won't fall behind.

During the next few weeks, things got really busy. After finishing reading the vases, Raiden only needed the herbs. Still, he was only going to get them after a while. So, he focused on working and running around the walls with Javier and Ruth. They didn't climb the walls, even though they found some stairs while they were doing that.

After two weeks, Raiden had become acquaintances with all the healers of the village. He also was promised that he could buy the most basic type of one of them with five silver coins each.

The herb was lance-shaped and arranged alternately along the stem. It had a rough texture and was hairy. The leaves may vary in color, ranging from dark green to grayish-green.

The most distinctive feature of the herb was its flowers. The flower heads are composite flowers consisting of numerous individual flowers grouped together in a central cone-shaped structure. Surrounding the cone are ray florets, which are usually a vibrant pink, purple, or white color. The ray florets are long and drooping, giving the flower a daisy-like appearance.

In any case, they were common and could make leaves that could be turned into powder to heal and close wounds quite fast. While they sting a bit, their quality and effectiveness are high.

After working for three weeks, Raiden had enough to buy seven of them, but the healer decided to give him a discount for buying in bulk, and he got ten of them. He smiled and bowed in satisfaction.

The plants were supposed to give three leaves every month, so Raiden was bound to have forty of them in three months. He already learned how to get them and still make them give more and how to replant them as well; now he just needed to learn how to make the powder.

"Those are in high demand, so I will get other samples later," Raiden thought after he returned home and then put the herbs on the vases. "In the end, I need to get stronger faster."

"WHY?"

"Because I don't know what will happen in the future, and all this training isn't showing that much result," Raiden replied. "Anyway? Why are you shouting?"

No one was talking with Raiden; the one who shouted was Iri, and she was following her father to the house. Raiden didn't realize, but it was already past sunset... he probably would have to go and help with dinner to be cooked in time.

Regardless, it seemed that those two disagreed over something, but Harth was ignoring his daughter's questions. Technically, Raiden was his son and her brother, but he didn't feel like he had the right to get involved in their matter.

When Raiden headed to the kitchen, he heard the sound of Iri's room closing with a massive noise. She was a teenager, so he didn't expect anything less from her... she was in her rebellious phase, after all. Still, Raiden could also tell that Harth did something to enrage her. Instead of asking, he just helped with the cooking in silence.

"Do you want to know what is going on?" Harth asked.

"Me knowing will help the situation in any shape or form?" Raiden asked.

"Don't answer questions with questions... and no, it won't change anything, but you have the right to know," Harth explained. "I am leaving on a mission soon, and since I am taking some kids around her age with me to gain experience, she is mad that she was chosen."

Raiden disagreed with that first statement, but he didn't voice that... Anyway, it all made sense now.

Dinner tasted as usual, but everyone was eating in silence as if they weren't enjoying their meal. At least Iri ate her bowl and then left after putting her bow on the sink... she made to door close with another bang, though.

"I am not sure... is she mad at you or something?" Lenore asked. "I can't tell."

"Very funny," Harth said and then sighed. "You gave me that job knowing that this would happen."

"Indeed, I take it that you choose kids her age to accompany you. Is she inferior to them in any regard?" Lenore asked.

"Not inferior, but not superior either," Harth replied.

"I am pretty sure that you said once before that she was the best of her age when it comes to magic," Lenore said while scratching her chin.

"She is, but her short temperament balances that out and makes her an asset of the same level as the others," Harth explained, already imagining that his wife was cornering him.

"You didn't give her any job until now because you felt that you needed to watch over her during the first mission, and now this is happening?" Lenore asked, and Harth rolled his eyes.

Raiden sped up his eating speed since he didn't like to be in that kind of situation. He wanted to ask for seconds, but he decided to give up on that.

"She isn't ready yet; that is final," Harth said and then resumed his eating.

"Fine by me, you can go and leave for a few months knowing that you left Iri angry during the whole time without giving her a sound explanation," Lenore shrugged.

While she was the boss of the villagers, Lenore wasn't a dictator; she wouldn't force everyone to do what she wanted. The atmosphere got worse, but in the end, Raiden agreed with Harth even though it didn't make much sense. For his own selfish reasons, it was better to leave Iri behind. Otherwise, Raiden would feel like a test subject being studied by Lenore.

In any case, it was a typical case of a father being overprotective of his daughter. At the same time, the mother wasn't that worried and believed that she had been raised well.

Raiden finished his meal and then hurried to his room. His day starts earlier from now on since he couldn't let insects target his herbs.

The next day, Raiden began to work on the herbs, and soon enough, he noticed Harth leaving the house and approaching him. He looked like someone who had to stay awake during the entire night because his wife was nagging at him.

Raiden tried to stay away from that kind of family business. Still, he was adopted by a group of people who were also a bunch of chatterboxes.

"Do you think that I am wrong?" Harth asked.

"I think that things are pretty bad if you need advice from a guy about my age," Raiden replied. "I can't tell if you are right or wrong, though. Even if you are right, how is this going to convince the others that you are? If you are right, it is better to make Iri realize that during the mission."

"Still, what if she is ready?" Harth asked. "Then I won't have any more excuses to keep her here."

"So, this was your goal all along... there is no case here, then," Raiden said and then resumed his work.

Raiden kept an eye on the herbs while he was exercising there as well. He borrowed some books from the school to study herbology and then put them in his rucksack. Now he has to do handstands while keeping a tower of books as big as him from falling off. That really helped him improve faster.

"All right... I will let her come," Harth said after a long sigh. "Look after the house while I am away. I should pay you as well for making Lenore's meals..."

"That won't be necessary since I will be eating as well," Raiden shook his head.

"You are really stubborn," Harth said. "Anyway, this is one of the first times in my life I will have to back down... how the hell am I going to do this and keep my dignity?"

Harth left while questioning himself about that... In the end, Raiden didn't even know what the mission was about, but it shouldn't be dangerous since Harth made his choice now.

While trying to make himself look as important as possible, Harth declared that he had changed his mind while they were having breakfast. Iri had a hard time hiding her smirk, but she knew why her father believed that she wasn't ready yet, so she contained herself.