"Ah, you're finally awake- is something the matter?"

  "No," Kuch managed to get out while trying very hard to not laugh at a joke only they in this world would know about. "Just tired. Didn't get much rest."

  "Speak for yourself, I got plenty!" Mordred happily mentioned and nodded gratefully at the bemused guard. "Thanks for the meal and bed. What crime do I need to commit to get another night's worth?"

  Thankfully the human man seemed to interpret that as a joke. "Preferably none. While we were able to confirm your side of the story and understand it was just self-defense, we'd still like for mercenaries to not brawl openly in the streets." He shook his head and issued the warning. "Next time, I'm tossing both of you in the same cells as those miscreants, got it? If there's an issue, run and inform the guards instead. We're paid to end the fights, not you."

  Kuch gritted their teeth but pushed on past the mislabel. "What will happen to them? The ones who tried to rob us."

  "Heavy fines, and confiscation of their equipment. I daresay it'll be put to better use for the guard."

  "Wait, really?" the doll questioned, eyebrows arching up. "You took all their gear?"

  "Ah, I forget, you're outsiders too. Fret not, it's not the norm in the empire," he mentioned. "It's something that House Cordis came up with as a form of severe punishment in Gabion. Being the defenders of the wall, we are always in need of more equipment for everybody. And well, if you're going to bare your swords at each other instead of the monsters at our gates, then you don't deserve to wield it."

  "Sounds actually pretty smart," Mordred commented, then asked curiously, "What would be the punishment anywhere else? Asking for a friend."

  "For an attempted mugging like this? I wouldn't be surprised if it would be the removal of an entire hand as penance." Both adventurers winced and the man waved his hand. "Ah, but that's entirely at the discretion by the captain of the guard. The local lord would probably have set that publicly as the harshest sentence, then entrusted the captain the right to judge the severity of the crime themselves. They haven't the time to oversee every case after all."

  "So we're lucky that we're in favor with the one here."

  "I daresay you did, saving people out there and then beating thieves does impress me," he chuckled and both adventurers belated realized now he did have a command stripe on his leather vest. "I suppose a late introduction is better than never. Hans, Captain of the Gabion City Guard."

  "It's nice to meet you," Kuch reciprocated, introducing their band of two. "Surprised to see the a guard captain out on the field though."

  "Ah, if you haven't noticed, we're a bit short on manpower lately." His casual demeanor faded and he picked at vest. Given he did look quite young and there had been an invasion in recent memory, there existed the real possibility he earned the position not by merit, but by survival. "It's why there's so many mercenaries as of late, and unruly ones at that. We can't be picky about it when we don't know when the next tide will arrive."

  The doll remained silent on the matter, knowing that explaining the truth would probably just invoke confusion and suspicion. Trust and rapport would have to be built first, so that Hans could learn to rely upon the words of these two unknown adventurers. "Is there anything we can do to help?" Kuch asked, wishing to already establishing that bond.

  He gave the armored figure a long look before shaking his head. "Unless either of you know healing magics that could help accelerate the recovery of the wounded, then no."

  "How about a potion?" Mordred asked, to which Hans laughed until he saw the dragon was quite serious.

  "You really don't know things work around here, do you? Real potions are already pretty rare in the empire, mostly something that only nobles could afford. And the only good source for them is a province in the south, where the imperial capital is." He made a cutting gesture with the flat of his hand. "So odds are, if anybody is selling potions to the populace, it's likely either fake or so watered down that it's maybe a painkiller at best."

  "Here." Kuch placed several of them on the table. "Use these."

  "Hey, I told you we don't accept...fakes…" Hans' voice trailed off when he beheld the blood-red shade of Noel's craft, visible through the transparent glass bottles they were made of. "What the- I thought Gunther was drunk when he mentioned he got some for his band!"

  "Who do you think gave it to him?" smugly told the dragon.

  Kuch was more rational. "They're the real thing. Feel free to test it if you don't believe us. Though at its current strength, they won't fix scars or restore lost body parts-"

  "I've never heard a potion that could that!" the guard captain stuttered, taking one of the bottles to study up closer. "And in a glass container at that! Do you know how much that's worth!"

  "No, because we're outsiders. And because of that, helping you out is priceless," Kuch hinted. "We're in need of some information that only a local could provide."

  "...If these things work, then I'll tell you whatever you want to know. Wait here."

  He hurried for the office door and then talked to one of the guards outside, who departed to apparently fetch somebody. They soon returned with a soldier hobbling along, limping on a crutch with one of their legs tightly wrapped up. Given the number of splints to keep the limb from flailing about, the injury was likely a broken bone. A bad one at that if it hadn't already healed since the tide.

  Hans confirmed it a moment later, holding up the potion. "Will this work on broken legs?"

  "If it's begun to heal already, yes," Kuch confirmed after doing some mental consideration. "At the very least, it should greatly ease the pain and set you on the path to recovery."

  "If it's poison or a trick-"

  "Captain, just let me try it," the wounded soldier exasperatedly told, snatching up the bottle. "I'm getting tired of this stupid walking stick. Either it works or I die, and I won't have to deal with that crutch anymore."

  The guard bravely removed the wooden cork and drank the entire thing at Kuch's advice. They blinked, then nearly dropped the valuable glass when suddenly, the pain that had haunted them all winter faded away. They gingerly tested putting weight on their leg and instead of searing agony, it was just a dull ache. "By the Ten, it...it works!" The former wounded guard began to take off the splints to be sure, and found themselves able to stand without the pain. "I feel so much better!"

  "You shouldn't do that, we don't know if it's fully healed for sure!" Hans cautioned, guiding their ecstatic subordinate to take a seat. "It might just be a temporary recovery."

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  "He's right," Kuch insisted. "I would advise care until an expert can take a look and confirm it's totally healed. You might still feel sore too- your body needs to adapt to the rapid healing. I'd also encourage slow steps to acclimatize, building up back to strenuous activity."

  "Sure you're not an expert?" Mordred teased, giving a knowing elbow jabbed. "You did put me back together with that stuff."

  "But it's just common knowledge, isn't it?" The doll paused, then frowned. "Ah, but if potions are so rare, then I suppose you wouldn't know the importance of healing aftercare."

  "W-we do have Lady Vio, but we dare not bother her so often for matters like these-" Hans stopped, then shook his head. "No matter, thank you. I'll be distributing this invaluable gift to our other wounded!"

  "Remember, there is only so much these health potions can do," Kuch stressed. "They cannot do anything for permanent injuries or the crippled. They are not miracles."

  "It may as well, as we can finally increase the strength of our guard somewhat." The captain nodded, then looked between the two adventurers. "Now then, you said your price was information? I'm not exactly going to boast, but I am the captain of the guard. I know where all the best shops are in Gabion. Ask me whatever you like."

  "Do you know if there is a temple to the Ten...Lights, somewhere?"

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  So the Duchy of Gabion wasn't very big on religion. Passing mercenaries were probably more devoted adherents to religion than most locals. Understandable, given that they probably were more concerned with their actual lives here than the divines above. But that made me wonder then if the lack of priests and priestesses following the goddess of mercy could attribute to the apparent lack of care in the city.

  It's hard to say, because this neglect spiritually meant a neglect for places of worship. Most temples and churches had become defunct in the city and thus torn down for the precious space, with only one small public shrine remaining according to Hans. A tiny one apparently dedicated to the goddess of death, which made my eyebrows raise across all bodies.

  In my time, it'd been a god. Huh.

  Well, Kuch and Mordred were going to check that out now. My curiosity about the price of bread could be saved for later, I was prioritizing the apparent godhood of the Ten Lights now. I did leave the guard captain with a hint that perhaps it would be a very long time until the next tide, but these were a people who would rather be safe than sorry. I'll have to either let some more time, or build up Hans' trust in me further. Probably both at the same time.

  The other part of the exchange also interested me, the bit about real potions being quite rare in the empire at least. So while I was glad the craft hadn't been lost to time, it appeared instead a lot of understanding regarding it had been forgotten through the ages. If there were only a few experts around with the main production being limited to the southern regions of the Kerezim Empire, apparently near the imperial capital, then I could understand why then the apparent western frontier so little of them despite the great need on duty.

  The price also nagged me greatly. Why was it something only nobles had afforded? Back in FLOW, you could literally buy a simple cure potion from a merchant as treatment for mild illness. What do you mean something like a single health potion could be a small fortune in itself? Make it make sense!

  I was so tempted sell my few remaining potions now for cheap just to make a statement, but the reactions from Gunther and Hans had warned me off that. If I were to price them so cheaply, then people would immediately assume it to be a scam and nobody would want to buy. Of course, the captain of the guard insisting they did could help offset that somewhat, but I could also foresee people buying it all up, then scaling it for premium prices until I could bring more to the city. Or, given that mercenaries could also moonlight as thugs, lead to a literal gang war over whatever few bottles were left.

  Screw that.

  I'll hand it out like candy to anybody who's actually in need. But until I could establish to the wider city that this was not a limited product and that I could literally make them in my sleep, I couldn't risk accidentally screwing over the local market. Things had to be kept down low at the moment. Hm, maybe through either Gunther or Hans, I could make contact with trustworthy merchants that could handle all that for me while Kuch adventured.

  Or maybe I should just make a doll handle all that for me.

  But I was out of kaolin clay. I actually couldn't make any more puppet-grade porcelain for the moment, and even with another high quality crystal waiting in my vault, I really just didn't want to subject another named doll of mine into a body they loathed. It had been a temporary fix when I was starting out which was fine, but as Kuch and Frie both now expressed, they couldn't ever go back to their old bodies.

  And neither could I, to be very honest. Pretty stupid, I know yes. Horribly inefficient, of course. Yet I suppose that was my principle, so to speak.

  To take my thoughts off the matter, I did a quick mental check and noted with satisfaction at how my added talismans were holding up. I hadn't expected it but they actually interfaced with [Foundation] to give me remote access to my manor's defenses, so I could actually turn them on and off with a single thought wherever I was. What a happy little surprise, it was like I could toggle whether or not I'd like for people to find me!

  Meanwhile, Frie had brought a harvest of the first spring berries. I wasn't going to make my mistake again of when I had awoken and ignored food entirely. This time, I would use everything! So the berries were turned into wine, then alcohol to replenish some of my reduced supply. Since I had a lot more too, I also decided to keep some of the wine to age in barrels within my cellar. On top of that, an additional dose of [Ferment] turned wine into vinegar, a handy preservative that could let me pickle fish.

  Ah, [Ferment] was such a useful skill. Easily one of the best quality of life skills for cook crafting.

  I just didn't know why the bakeries of Gabion didn't use it. But I suppose I'll find out in time.

  Seems like Kuch and Mordred have reached the shrine. Something's wrong though, a crowd is gathered out front and blocking the way in. More mercenaries? This didn't look good.

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