Arriving at the entrance of the village, I noticed two things. The villagers were on edge, more so with my arrival. The reason for that was the second thing I noticed, the arrival of other players.
You can tell players from NPCS in most games, while capsule players differ from the usual random jumpers and those who run into walls and objects for no apparent reason, gamers. As capsule players get sensory feedback, they usually avoid things like that, as you wouldn't do that in real life and that's how capsule gamers tend to play. But the thing both types of players share is behaviour. The sense that just because this wasn't real, they could do whatever they wanted.
Judging by the number of villagers ushering their young family members inside their homes, some players must have begun to make an arse out of themselves. And I wanted to quickly distance myself from any of that situations.
Ignoring the players I saw, which were only a few. I made my way to the apothecary, as I didn't have much time before my fellow adventures would make the villagers more guarded and mess up my chances of getting all the hidden gems.
Pushing open the familiar door to the familiar shop to see the same man sitting in the same place with a stack of parchment still in his hand.
'Business must be slow. That or people can't stand his personality.' I mused as I walked over to the counter.
This time, I didn't have to wait for him to finish reading, as he seemed to smell the herbs that I put on the counter.
"Ah, you're back. And with the herbs." He spoke, with his eyes fixed on the plants instead of me.
"Hmm, the petals seem to be intact, and the stems have been cleanly cut. A passing grade." He said, after scrutinising each stem in turn.
"Here, take it. Maybe next time you can bring me higher quality herbs." Taking the herbs, he placed a decent-sized book on the counter.
[Quest complete]
You have passed the test, the apothecary Stein, has given. And received a gift in return.
[Reward: Basic herbalism manual]
Reaching for the tan-coloured, leather-bound book, I wasn't surprised by the reward, but I was surprised by the fact that this was a test and that my favourability with him increased. Simply because it shouldn't be so simple to increase favourability. Just doing quests wasn't enough, it was like becoming friends with your boss simply because you work for them. That doesn't happen, not unless something dodgy was going on.
It was impossible to raise your favourability with every NPC in 'Realms'. But you definitely should try to raise it for certain ones, as you'll get discounts and even access to hidden quests.
"I wasn't expecting to receive the manual for free, but thanks." I briefly thanked him as I knew Stein didn't care about manners unless you were a complete arse that is.
[Basic herbalism manual]
Contains information about most basic plants and their properties, how to gather them and how to make very basic tinctures from them.
Placing 20 coppers on the counter, I looked at the man whose eyebrows had risen in both confusion and amusement.
"I take it that you have some old harvesting gear that you're willing to part with?" I asked, knowing that he indeed does have old harvesting gear that he could normally be persuaded to part with for free. But the money on the counter wasn't only for the gear.
"Ha ha ha. That I do. I like the cut of your jib, adventurer!" Stein laughed at my boldness. He knew that I knew that the amount of copper was a rip-off to me. So, he knew that I had something to ask him. And the best way to convince Stein was with money.
"Also, I was wondering if you could answer me one question?" I removed my hand from the money on the counter, letting him know that I was serious about this transaction.
"Then ask your question. Though, I cannot guarantee that I can answer." He replied as he rifled through something under the counter.
"I heard that some potions need a special type of magic to make, and some materials require a magic touch to harvest. Is that true?" I asked a specific question, hoping to trigger the hidden interaction.
"…" Stein froze when he heard my question. He slowly lifted his head up to look at me. I could see his brain running a mile a minute in his eyes.
"…Who told you that?" He finally asked. There was not any hostility in his counter-question, but I could sense how guarded he became.
"On my travels here, around two nights back. I shared a camp with an elderly gentleman, by the name of Drisk, at least that is what he told me it was…" I pretended to not notice how guarded he was and answered his question innocently. Of course, it was a lie.
"…He told me about that kind of magic after he learnt that my mother was an herbalist before she passed when I was a young boy. Apparently, he liked to exchange stories with people he met. I did think it was a little strange at first, but it helped pass the time." I finished with my lie. Luckily for me, I've always been a skilled liar.
"…" An awkward moment passed, as I scanned his face for any signs that he's seen through it.
But soon, he breathed a heavy sigh. A kind of sigh that you make when a child makes minor mischief.
"That does sound like him." I wasn't too surprised that he knew who Drisk was. After all, he was a high ranker in the magic tower.
"Oh? You know him?" I feigned ignorance.
"Not personally, but I have heard of his… exploits," Stein said as he scratched his head.
"Look, most of us apothecaries don't like to show off. But yes, you're right, some potions and materials require a certain type of magic." He said, looking like he didn't really want to explain anything.
"I can see that you have some talent in herbalism. And not to mention you're much more tolerable than most of these bumpkins, no offence." He continued. And I simply waved his backhanded compliment away and let him finish.
Retrieving his hands from out under the counter. He placed a rough-looking leather belt pouch and a small knife that would only be useful for cutting roots and plants and placed them down. Also, he placed two small leather-bound journals on top of the harvesting gear.
"As Drisk told you about it, he must have seen the same thing I did. These two manuals hold the very basic arcanist spells needed for most potions and materials. Also, it should get you started if you choose to follow a path of magic."
"But tell no one of this. If you do, our relationship is over." He spoke with a sternness in his voice and a hardness to his eyes.
"You don't have to worry about that. I have an interest in pursuing alchemy, like my mother did." I didn't completely lie, but I knew he would like this answer better as arcanists outside of the mage tower cared only about their profession over magic.
He smiled at my answer, "I knew I wasn't wrong about you," he pushed the items over and took the coin.
"Now, unless you want to buy anything else. Leave me to my research." He didn't need to tell me twice.
Picking up the items, I thanked him again and left the shop.