Chapter 131: Alrova Shop
They left at dawn, hitching a ride on a guard’s carriage that just ’so happened’ to be on its way to town again.
Once in town, they headed straight to the mayor’s hall, where the Liners Affairs Office was located. Kala greeted them with a proud smile.
"You’ve truly proven your skill as both a healer and an herbalist, Gara," Kala praised warmly.
She had already heard all of Gara’s accomplishments as a healer and an herbalist from the Liners who had taken missions in Bota Village, especially from Sarah and Teo, who had worked side by side with him in the clinic.
With a beaming expression, Kala recorded two points for Gara.
Fian received two as well. After two weeks of supplying water, he had also stepped in to help at the clinic, which had been short on healers since Sarah and Teo finished their mission.
Because Narin refused to handle patients who weren’t suffering from poisonings, Fian’s support had been invaluable.
Madha, too, received a point as their accompanying Liner, though that one extra mark hardly meant much to him.
"Would you like to look at the next missions?" Kala asked.
"Madam Kala, could you recommend something near Bota Village?" Gara replied.
"Around Bota Village..." Kala tapped a finger against her chin. She had actually been considering proposing to the Bota’s village chief that he submit an official mission request for clinic support.
But that was easier said than done. The villagers didn’t have the money to file missions anymore. They relied entirely on town support.
"For now, there’s one mission in a village near Bota Village. They need a temporary healer, but you’d have to stay there."
Gara shook his head, and Kala understood without further explanation.
In the end, Gara and Fian didn’t take on a new mission. They decided to return later after discussing their next steps.
Leaving the mayor’s hall, they made their way to one of Falopo Town’s busiest streets. Inns, shops, and a constant stream of foot traffic filled the road.
They stopped in front of a store called Alrova Shop. Hanging above the entrance was a wooden sign carved with the symbols of a leaf, a flower, and a ginseng root.
From the outside, the shop stood out immediately. Its walls were painted bright shades of green and yellow, unlike the other stores, most of which had no paint at all, leaving bare brick or dull brown wood. Alrova clearly had no intention of blending in.
Even people who had no intention of buying herbs found themselves curious enough to peek inside. The vibrant colors caught the eye of passing nobles too—though they were few in number in this town.
Two large men stood at the entrance as guards, but they didn’t block commoners in muted clothing from entering. Even those in tattered garments were allowed through, so long as they weren’t there to beg.
Stepping into the shop, customers were greeted by rows of wooden shelves lined with various herb products. Each shelf displayed only a single item of its kind, more for show than for sale.
If someone wished to buy, they only needed to call over a clerk to handle the transaction.
The interior was spotless, with seats prepared for companions who had come merely to accompany a shopper.
On the right side, a section was set aside for sampling consumables like tea, while the left side held the cashier’s counter near the entrance.
"Welcome," the clerk greeted warmly.
None of the staff recognized Gara, but they had been trained to treat every guest with courtesy, no matter their status or race.
Gara, Madha, and Fian chose to wander the shop. Each shelf displayed both the packaged version of an item and one already opened for viewing, accompanied by a small note detailing the product’s name, purpose, and use. For customers who couldn’t read, clerks were ready to explain directly.
Heading toward the right, Gara noticed there was no line at the tea sampling corner. The staff moved quickly, efficient in every motion. A muscular man stood beside them, not to assist, but to deter those who might try to taste without any intention of buying.
In the modern world, such intimidation would scare off potential customers. But here, things were different. The gap between classes was wide, and the tea sold in this shop cost far more than ordinary blends. Commoners could never afford it.
This tea was meant for nobles and Liners, people who valued appearances above all.
From the second floor, Hilda descended through a door hidden behind one of the shelves.
Catching sight of her, Gara approached. They exchanged no words; Hilda simply returned upstairs, followed closely by Gara, Madha and Fian.
The door led to a staircase.
The second floor contained several rooms, some for staff, others reserved for VIP guests who wished to sample teas or conduct private negotiations.
They kept climbing, reaching the third floor. At the top, a locked door awaited them. Hilda produced a key and unlocked it.
"The third floor has been prepared for you, Master," Hilda explained. "There is a laboratory here, and also a space for rest."
When the door swung open, rows of iron shelves came into view, each stacked with porcelain jars of every size. Metal cabinets, wooden boxes, and glass instruments for alchemy and brewing lined the room.
In this era, glass was more expensive and much harder to obtain than porcelein. After Gara did some digging, he found out why—silica sand, the main material for glassmaking, was once abundant on the beaches.
But ever since the continent had been swallowed by mist, the seas were shrouded as well. That also made salt scarce and costly.
Even the races that once lived in the ocean had been forced to move inland, settling around lakes and using saltstone or other sources to create artificial seawater.
Now, the only supply of silica sand came from a single small mine with very limited output.
Porcelain, on the other hand, was different. Its raw materials were still mined in several places.
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