Carrying the goat's body, Tialfi and Rowe walked back through the dense undergrowth of Landveti Forest.
"Do you do this every day?" Rowe asked, glancing at the heavy carcass slung across Tialfi's shoulders.
"Yeah, this is my job," Tialfi replied with a faint smile.
Rowe remained silent. The reality of catching sheep in Landveti Forest had turned out to be far from the casual adventure he'd envisioned. Tialfi's skill and endurance as a professional hunter only made it more apparent how difficult and unglamorous the task was.
Wandering around in the thick woods for hours just to find one fat sheep seemed like an inefficient use of time to Rowe.
After all, he didn't rely on sheep hunting for his livelihood. He merely wanted to catch a four-horned goat and move on to Nornheim.
After some thought, Rowe said, "I've moved to Landveti Town. From now on, I'll have lunch at the tavern every day. After dinner, I'll join you in the forest, but only for a short while."
"Good," Tialfi nodded.
As they continued walking, they were unexpectedly confronted by a gray wolf.
This wolf was massive—larger even than a Liger on Midgard—with long, gleaming fangs and a sinewy build.
It lay a short distance away, growling low in its throat as it eyed Rowe and Tialfi warily. "Rrrr…"
Tialfi gripped the knife at his waist tightly and began to steer their path away from the beast. "Usually, the wolves in Landveti Forest won't attack humans unprovoked. Fighting with people rarely benefits them—and it wouldn't be good for us either. These wolves are terrifyingly strong. Some unlucky folk have died."
"Let's stay cautious and move around it."
They kept their distance, moving slowly and carefully. The wolf snarled but didn't charge. It backed away gradually, its luminous eyes still locked on them. Only when the two had placed sufficient distance between themselves and the beast did the wolf turn and vanish into the shadows of the forest.
Back at the Brave Hunter Tavern, Tialfi handed the fat sheep to one of the attendants, receiving a pouch of gold coins in exchange. Then, without lingering, he returned to the forest.
...
A few days slipped by.
Rowe's new home was finally complete—a modest two-story building with a wooden plaque hung near the entrance reading "Azeroth Herbal Shop."
The craftsmen were putting the finishing touches on the exterior, including the fence enclosing the medicine garden. Because of the proximity to the wilds, a strong barrier was necessary to keep out wandering beasts, venomous creatures, and serpents.
Rowe worked alongside one of the craftsmen, hauling furniture—tables, chairs, beds—into the house one by one.
Of course, the most essential items were the pharmaceutical tools. In order to stock the basics, Rowe had spent hundreds of runes.
These were only the standard tools, sufficient for preparing common potions and remedies. Advanced medicine required complex and costly instruments, which Rowe couldn't afford yet.
After a long day of effort, everything was finally in place. The fences stood firm, and the utensils were properly arranged.
Although much of the construction cost had been subsidized by the Asgardian royal family, Rowe still chose to thank the craftsmen properly. He took them to the Brave Hunter Tavern for a feast, ordering a roast whole lamb to show his appreciation.
That evening, lying in his new bed, Rowe felt a rare sense of contentment.
I finally have my own place...
After resting for a bit, Rowe noticed the empty bookshelf in the corner. A thought crossed his mind, and he got up, stepping outside once again. He traveled to Ada Town and found a quaint bookstore nestled among the stone buildings.
"What are you looking for?" asked the owner, an elderly man with a gray beard.
"Do you have Greenhilde's Pharmacopoeia?" Rowe asked.
The old man pointed toward a bookshelf near the back. "Over there. Have a look."
Rowe made his way to the shelf. Thick volumes lined the wood—pharmacopoeias, medical tomes, historical documents.
He selected several books, including Greenhilde's Pharmacopoeia, and picked out a few more that caught his eye.
Just as he was about to pay and leave, something unusual caught his attention.
At the bottom of a dusty shelf were a few silver-and-white tomes. The word "Summary" was engraved in bold runes along the spines.
Summary?
Rowe's curiosity piqued. As a language spoken across the entire universe, Summary had always fascinated him, though he'd never had the chance to learn it.
He pulled one of the volumes free. To his surprise, it was remarkably heavy—he needed both hands to hold it steadily.
The bookstore owner chuckled.
Rowe turned to him. "How much for all this?"
"The Summary is 100 runes. The rest I'll throw in for free," said the owner.
Rowe nearly choked. "One hundred runes?!"
The old man didn't flinch. "Summary Language is a book of both audio and text. The material costs alone are over ten runes. Do you think mastering a universal language comes cheap?"
Rowe calmed himself. "Can I learn Summary language just with this book?"
"Like all skills," said the man, "learning Summary requires talent and persistence. There are no shortcuts. And this is the only book for learning it—at least in Asgard. If you don't use this, you'll have to find a tutor fluent in the language."
Rowe hesitated, frowning. "A hundred runes… that's too much."
"I swear by the beard of Kurzhe, you won't find it cheaper anywhere else," the old man said calmly. "Go check any other bookstore if you don't believe me. If you find it for less, I'll refund the difference."
Rowe stood there for a moment, torn. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, I'll take it."
"You've made the right choice!" the owner said with a wide grin. "No one of importance in the galaxy is illiterate in Summary."
With a reluctant smile, Rowe pulled out a hundred runes and handed them over, his heart aching.
Still poor...
He returned home, placed the books on his bookshelf, and immediately picked up Summary to read.
The first tenth of the book was relatively simple. It was written in Asgardian, explaining the history, function, and basics of Summary language in a straightforward way.
But the remaining ninety percent? Complicated and overwhelming. It delved deep into various galactic languages, even referencing obscure tongues like Groot.
What amazed Rowe was the strange property of the book. Most of the symbols and words were unfamiliar, yet he instinctively knew their pronunciation.
The text seemed to fuse sight and sound, as though it was embedded with auditory essence. Perhaps this was what the owner had meant by a book of sound and text.
Still, the learning curve was steep. Even with this magical aid, mastering Summary would take Rowe years—perhaps ten or more.
After reading for a while, Rowe put the book aside and went out to inspect his medicine garden.
The garden was fairly large—around 200 square meters—encircled by sturdy hardwood fencing.
He had spent the past few days tilling the soil, which was now soft and ready.
Rowe reached for his waist pouch and pulled out a small bag of seeds from his Sanctuary space.
These were seeds for Green Chip Grass, an uncommon medicinal herb. After much searching, he had finally managed to obtain them.
If the cultivation succeeded, he'd have a stable supply of Green Chip Grass to create his hair restoration formula. With hair loss being a universal problem, the potential for profit was enormous.
He might even run out of bald customers in Asgard and need to export to other realms...
Cultivating herbs wasn't easy—especially ones as delicate as Green Chip Grass. Rowe referenced a pharmacopoeia as he planted them, working with care and precision.
After two full days of diligent labor, he successfully planted Green Chip Grass across one-tenth of the garden.