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Chapter 24: Planning Ahead

"You are as stubborn as ever, but I am even more stubborn," Iri proudly declared. "We won\'t leave until you promise us to make the weapons that we want."

"... It looks like you are part of the bunch that came from the last rescue mission," The old blacksmith said after he turned after a long sigh. "I heard that Harth adopted a son recently; it must be you, huh."

"Recently? It has been over six months!" Iri said, then facepalmed. You need to leave this place and breathe some fresh air, old timer."

"Humph, weapons for kids, I suppose anything will do since you won\'t use it well anyway," Loto said after he snorted. "This one uses a spear, and this one is crazy enough to think that he is skilled to use two swords. You should decide what you want already. When I was half of your age, I was already forging weapons."

The man was the real deal; he could tell what those three used as main weapons just by looking at their postures and muscle development. Still, he was a pain in the ass to deal with.

"Don\'t just go around telling the inverse of what I just said," Iri said. "Anyway, they have time since they didn\'t learn the secret techniques yet. Just make a hasta for my little brother, two short swords that are large and a spear that can be turned into two. We will be back in one week."

Raiden heard of that, but he didn\'t think that the old man could do that. A spear that can transform into two short spears was often referred to as a "double-ended spear" or a "spear staff." It is a weapon that consists of a long shaft with a pointed blade on either end. The unique feature of this weapon is its ability to separate into two shorter spears, each with its own handle.

The transformation allows the wielder to adapt their fighting style and tactics during combat. They can choose to use the spear in its full-length form for longer reach and increased leverage, providing advantages in thrusting and sweeping attacks. When the situation calls for close-quarters combat or dual-wielding, the spear can be separated into two shorter spears, enabling the wielder to engage in quick and agile strikes with both hands.

The versatility of a spear that can become two short spears makes it a valuable weapon in various scenarios. It combines the advantages of both long-range and close-range weapons, offering flexibility and adaptability in different combat situations. Ruth seemed surprised but not at all against the idea. She was actually thinking if she had enough money to pay for it, even if she had to pay in one week.

"I work at my own pace so that I won\'t promise anything," Loto said. "Now leave and let me work in peace."

The group left the shop while watching the old man looking for other ingots. While he said that, it seemed that he was going to start working pretty soon.

"Now we just wait," Iri declared. "He shouldn\'t ask for more than twenty silver coins for each weapon. While it is a bit pricey for kids of your age, his weapons are worth the price. They basically never get any rust, and they are hard to damage as well."

"The idea of the double-ended spear was pretty good, but you should have informed that earlier or asked Ruth about her opinion," Raiden said while furrowing his eyebrows.

"It is fine, really," Ruth said while smiling. "I have a good feeling about that, and since I am quite indecisive, I needed that kind of push."

Putting that aside, it seems that being a blacksmith was quite profitable as well... if Loto could make three weapons like that per week and then obtain at least half of them as payment for services... it was more time-consuming than making medicine and looking after herbs. Still, Raiden wondered if it was worth trying.

While the group waited for the week to pass, Raiden made some more money and decided to use it on his skills to see the difference. He already knew their descriptions, but he also wanted to see them in action.

Raiden used around twenty silver coins to make his Alchemy reach level seven, and thanks to it, he noticed that he could make the medicine faster than before. Three seconds faster per level wasn\'t half bad. He usually would need ten minutes to smash the herbs and seal them in a bottle or other containers.

Thanks to that, he could save around one hour of work whenever he was making the medicine. That didn\'t seem much of a difference, but he knew that time is money, and he could use that extra hour to train or even expand his business.

Raiden tried to teach Javier and Ruth how to make medicine as well, but it would take a while for them to pull that off with enough efficiency and speed.

"I am already producing enough of that medicine at the same pace as the other healers," Raiden thought. "I suppose I should make other types as well... I should ask them what they recommend."

Much to his surprise, Raiden heard the same answer from all the healers. He should try to cultivate and produce healing potions. They taste bitter like hell, but they apparently can make one recover lost blood and accelerate the healing process. The downsides of creating them were many, though.

A solid understanding of plants, their medicinal properties, and potential side effects is essential. This knowledge involves identifying and selecting the right herbs, flowers, roots, or other botanical ingredients with healing properties. Understanding their chemical composition, active compounds, and appropriate preparation methods is crucial for creating effective healing potions.

For the healing potions that everyone told him, they gladly would share their formula with Raiden. The materials involved would only be some plants and herbs, too. It wasn\'t that difficult, and he could study them for a month while he cultivated them, but there were other issues as well.

Having the right tools and equipment is essential for creating healing potions. This may include a mortar and pestle for grinding herbs, distillation apparatus for extracting essential oils, filtration equipment for removing impurities, and scales for accurate measurement. Additionally, access to a well-equipped laboratory can facilitate quality control, stability testing, and analysis of the potion\'s composition.

"I will need to make quite the investment to create a laboratory...." Raiden thought. "Training Javier and Ruth might come in handy in that regard, but they might look for other means to work, and then I will have to train others..."

Quality control measures must be in place to ensure the potency and consistency of healing potions. This includes testing for contaminants, verifying the concentration of active ingredients, and assessing the overall quality of the final product. Tools such as analytical instruments...

"I am starting to think that they want to make me bo bankrupt..." Raiden thought and then laughed. "Perhaps I was too naive imagining that they were my friends."

Raiden had to continuous learning, staying updated with scientific research, and collaborating with experts in related fields can further expand knowledge and improve the efficacy of healing potions. Experimentation, documentation, and feedback from users can also contribute to refining and developing effective formulations.

Despite all that, Raiden felt quite excited about the idea of doing that. He had no idea how much he would be able to produce, but he would have some for himself whenever he needed.