Monday, May 9, 2016
The previous days passed normally.
Well, relatively speaking.
The only noteworthy thing was that I bought some Lavos squid blood. Though, now that I think about it, it was probably a waste.
By the time I prepare the potion, it will need to be fresh.
So I'll have to get it again.
The purified water, on the other hand, isn't a problem. I can easily get it when the time comes.
The mint leaves aren't a problem either. I've already obtained several, including some with that strange golden color mentioned in the knowledge I received.
Today, I had normal classes.
As always, I remained quietly in my corner.
Although I wasn't alone.
There are several students who do exactly the same thing.
Loners are a small species, but one with a strong conviction to remain that way.
Mmm...
Admirable.
Nothing else happened.
Classes ended, I responded to the occasional greetings from that orange-haired classmate and Sakuma, then returned home.
After that, I continued researching how to obtain hemlock.
A poisonous plant.
Extremely dangerous.
Naturally, it's not something I can simply find at a pharmacy or an ordinary store.
I'm just a kid in the eyes of society.
There is no way I'm going into some shady black market to get it.
Besides being weak and unable to fight, I don't have any money.
Only the allowance our parents give us.
Speaking of them...
Our parents returned a few days ago.
We even spent an evening having dinner at a resort here in Chiba.
I suppose they're trying to make up for their absence.
They took two weeks off to stay with us.
Apparently, that incident really scared them.
I think they saw a little too much in Tokyo...
Or wherever they had been.
As for that Night Vanilla Liquid...
I have no idea how to obtain it.
According to the knowledge I received, it's the liquid extracted from a herb that grows beneath the red moon, absorbing its radiation.
Conveniently enough, that phenomenon happened recently.
Tsk.
...
Thursday, May 12, 2016
My efforts paid off.
Several herbs and plants of unknown origin were discovered near Izumi Nature Park.
Perfect.
I can go there with my sister on Saturday.
I might be able to collect some of those herbs.
I don't think anyone will stop me for that.
Although, if they do...
I'll just have to make sure they don't see me.
But how will I know if they're actually the ones I'm looking for?
No idea.
But when I see them, I'll know.
I have a feeling.
Ha!
The great Hachiman, a diviner.
Ahem...
As for the remaining ingredients, I don't have the slightest idea where they might be found in this country.
I can only keep looking.
For now, I need to prepare.
In today's class, I ended up being paired with that midget.
Ahem...
I mean, my classmate, Gokou Ruri.
She looked at me with a rather peculiar expression.
As if she were observing an inferior being.
Lady, what did I ever do to you?
Poor Hachiman has no idea.
Apparently, being paired with her will be a class activity that continues until the end of the week.
According to what I was told, it was our homeroom teacher's idea.
Hiratsuka-sensei is persistent.
Far too persistent.
...
Friday, May 13, 2016
After school yesterday and today, I realized something.
Gokou is just as much of a fanatic as Zaimokuza.
The difference is that she's extremely shy and reserved.
During the periods between classes, and especially during physical education, which was changed at the last minute because of an issue with the teacher, she gradually started to loosen up.
Does she consider me someone she can trust?
Or does she simply not care because I'm just as much of a loner and she knows nobody will pay attention to us?
Either way...
During those intervals, she started saying things like:
"I'm the Queen of Nightmares."
Or that she would use her high-level magic to pulverize my very existence.
Seriously, lady...
Forgive this humble servant for having to put up with you.
Although I have to admit, it's kind of adorable when she says those things with such a tiny frame.
The funny thing is that she keeps becoming more relaxed around me.
And I'm barely doing anything.
Everything that happens between us takes place in low voices, without letting anyone else hear.
She doesn't want to embarrass herself.
Personally, I don't care.
Although I could always feel a pair of eyes boring into my back.
It was Zaimokuza.
He watched me with an expression filled with suspicion and intrigue.
I didn't pay much attention to it.
When I left school, I breathed in the cool afternoon air.
The voices weren't as annoying as before.
As if someone had given them a good talking-to.
However...
Now I could see things that weren't quite normal.
Not clearly.
Sometimes the colors seemed distorted.
Or I would see a small section of the road as if it had simply disappeared.
But when I blinked, it was gone.
And for a brief moment, I would lose my sense of direction.
Like intending to go right but somehow ending up going left.
Other times, they were figures.
Shadows that shouldn't have been there.
And occasionally...
The feeling of being watched.
Eyes.
From everywhere.
I couldn't tell where they were coming from.
I wasn't even sure they were really there.
But it was happening more and more frequently.
And it was getting worse.
That gave me an increasingly stronger urge to obtain the ingredients as soon as possible.
Glug.
Glug.
I finished my iced coffee and tossed the cup into the trash.
It feels like the calm before the storm.
Tsk.
How annoying.
Seer this, Seer that.
I hope you turn out to be useful.
...
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Our parents took us to Izumi Nature Park.
The idea was mine.
Komachi liked it so much that she ended up begging them until they couldn't say no.
We left home before ten in the morning.
The weather was nice. Sunny, but cool.
Our parents had a used car they barely ever drove, so we went there comfortably in it.
While we were on the way, I kept checking the trends online.
It was the same as the previous days.
New species appearing.
People discovering unknown plants.
Some had even tried consuming them.
According to their accounts, some seemed to have hallucinogenic effects. They claimed to see things that weren't there or even feel as if they had gained extraordinary strength.
Naturally, it didn't last very long.
After some time, some people fell into comas.
Others died on the spot.
I still haven't forgotten that video of the tree.
Just remembering it gives me chills.
There's no doubt about it. Some people are crazy and have absolutely no fear of danger.
It's not like this is Latin America.
I sighed.
I felt a strange sense of unease.
As if I were wasting time.
"Onii-chan, we're here."
"Ah... yeah. Let's go."
I'd gotten lost in my thoughts again.
We had already arrived at the park.
We spent the morning peacefully.
We walked along some trails, looked at the plants, and crossed small bridges over the streams.
Around noon, we left to have lunch at a restaurant in the area.
Afterward, we continued our family walk.
Meanwhile, I kept searching.
I'd come here for a much more specific reason than simply spending the day with my family.
At some point, I found an opportunity and separated from the group.
There didn't seem to be much security.
Still, better safe than sorry.
I didn't want anyone to see me pulling plants out of a public park.
I walked for quite a while until I reached a quieter, slightly elevated area.
From there, I could make out a few tourists in the distance.
But my attention was focused on what was in front of me.
Plants with strange shapes.
Some were dark, with reddish hues.
Others had a much deeper color.
I stopped.
Something clicked inside my head.
It wasn't a thought.
It wasn't a deduction, either.
I simply knew.
These were them.
The herbs I'd been looking for.
I looked both ways.
No one seemed to be paying attention to me.
I crouched down.
I'd brought some rubber gloves specifically for this.
Carefully, I removed a reasonable amount of the plants from the soil, making sure not to damage them more than necessary.
I placed them meticulously inside a bag.
Then I put the bag into my backpack.
Done.
One less ingredient.
I stood up and calmly returned to where my family was.
"Where were you, Onii-chan?"
"I went to the bathroom."
"That far away?"
"It was a pretty big bathroom."
Komachi looked at me suspiciously.
She didn't ask anything else.
We continued our family walk without any major problems.
For now, everything was going well.
...
The following days weren't bad.
If anything, they were quite fruitful.
Since I was still searching for information about the ingredients, I ended up joining several Internet forums. I wanted to make sure I wasn't overlooking anything. After all, they could exist in other countries and simply be known by different names.
That's when I came across a strange guy who was actually pretty nice.
He was Chinese, although he spoke Japanese perfectly. He told me he was a university student and that he'd always been fascinated by Pokémon cards. He had quite a large collection.
The reason I started talking to him was precisely the same reason I'd joined those forums.
Ingredients.
The guy told me he knew about everything I was looking for. According to him, there was an area with steep slopes and abundant vegetation where several of those plants could be found.
Dragon Blood Grass, for example, actually existed.
He said it was called that because of its reddish color and the shape of its leaves, which resembled a claw.
Hemlock wasn't a problem either.
There was an area where it grew in large quantities.
I wasn't going to ask why he knew where to find something like that.
I only cared about how to obtain it.
And that's where the Pokémon cards came in.
Some cards could reach ridiculous prices on the collector's market, especially special editions or cards that were difficult to obtain.
The guy was looking for one particular card.
It was a collectible card and already had some value under normal circumstances.
But if it was sent to PSA for grading, its price could increase considerably.
I happened to have exactly that card.
After discussing it for a while, he told me he could send me everything I needed.
He had no problem covering the expenses.
All he cared about was getting the card.
I had to ask my parents for help with the shipment.
With their support, everything was settled pretty quickly.
I feel like I lost a little on the trade.
But it doesn't matter.
He's already getting practically everything I need.
Once the package arrives, I'll buy whatever is missing and see what happens.
Oh, right.
I also mentioned the Star Crystal.
He said he'd look into it. According to some rumors he'd heard, something with those same characteristics might exist near a mountainous area.
Seriously, I don't understand how he manages to get information about all this stuff.
Could he be one of those Chinese young masters with a peculiar taste for Pokémon cards?
What luck.
It seems fate brought us together.
What a great guy.
All I had to do was send him one card, and he'll be doing practically all the work for me.
The package should arrive in two days.
I'd better get ready.
...
Sunday, May 22, 2016
The day before, I bought the remaining materials that were easy to obtain.
This morning, a fairly large package arrived.
Inside was a note.
Thanks, brother. Thanks to you, I was finally able to complete my collection.
I got everything you asked for. I even included some extras in case anything gets damaged during the trip.
I recommend being extremely careful with the hemlock. It's highly poisonous. I packed it securely, so just handle it carefully.
By the way, it was fun talking to you. I'll send you my contact information through the forum so we can talk more easily.
From, Xiao Yan ;)
What an interesting guy.
Maybe he'll become one of those close acquaintances I keep in touch with through messages.
Of course, brother. Let's keep in touch.
I might need your help again in the future.
I sighed.
My sister had gone out with her classmates to a shopping mall.
I hope she's having a good time.
After organizing everything, I prepared my protective equipment.
A mask.
Gloves.
Safety goggles.
Always be prepared.
And finally, a leather apron for an extra layer of protection.
Who knows what might happen.
I measured out each ingredient exactly according to the list.
The Dragon Blood Grass had to be toasted before I ground it into powder.
I was even more careful with the hemlock. I followed the instructions that came to mind and separated the necessary portion, keeping it isolated from the rest of the ingredients.
Of course, I did all of that outside.
It's poisonous. I'm not taking any chances with it inside the house.
Sweat.
And now...
What am I supposed to do?
Which one goes in first?
Is there even an order?
I have no idea.
I'm doing all of this outside. We have an old grill with a few old pots that we hardly ever use, so that wasn't a problem.
Well.
I suppose every potion needs a liquid base, right?
At least, that seems logical.
I poured the purified water into the pot first and started heating it.
Then I added the Lavos squid blood and stirred slowly.
Ha.
If anyone saw me right now, they'd probably think I'd lost my mind.
From their perspective, there would simply be a high school student cooking something strange while wearing a mask, gloves, safety goggles, and a leather apron.
I added the herbs afterward.
Waited.
Stirred.
And a few minutes later, I added the remaining liquids.
Does this count as pouring poison directly into a pot?
And I'm supposed to drink this?
How is this not going to kill me?
Finally, I added the Star Crystal and the remaining ingredients.
I waited.
One...
Two...
And then it happened.
I was left speechless.
The contents of the pot began to transform.
The liquid took on a dark blue color and gradually became thicker until it turned into something resembling gelatin.
Bubbles appeared on its surface.
But they weren't ordinary bubbles.
Inside them seemed to be tiny flashes of light, as if they reflected a night sky filled with stars.
No.
It was more like looking into a dark void that was somehow glowing.
It was...
Magic.
I couldn't find any other word to describe it.
Then a certainty appeared in my mind.
If I left it in the pot for too long, it would spoil.
I didn't know how I knew.
I simply did.
My body reacted before I could think too much about it.
I quickly grabbed the small metal container I'd prepared and poured the contents into it.
All of the liquid fit inside.
All of it.
It didn't even seem possible that such an amount could fit into such a small container.
I stared at it in silence.
Dark blue.
Thick.
With tiny flashes of light appearing and disappearing within it.
I swallowed.
Is this what I wanted... right?