Chapter 42: The Elusive Herb

Rare herbs are always found deep in the mountains.

The staff led me off the beaten path. Leaving the pig-bird and Bernell behind was a wise choice.

Clutching the herbalist’s almanac from the herbalist’s son, I followed the staff silently.

The almanac detailed every herb in these mountains, ranked by rarity, to ensure the staff didn’t offer me anything mediocre.

True to its generations of use, the staff was adept, uncovering herbs buried under leaves or hidden in tree roots.

“Hmm, this one’s found once a month… Look, I serve drinks to gods. Will this satisfy their palates?”

The staff drooped, then moved to find another.

“Step it up. I can only take one thing from this dimension—the best herb here.”

“…”

After scouring the mountain all day, we’d found half the almanac’s herbs.

The best was a decade-rare herb, but it didn’t excite me.

My insistence on something greater frustrated the staff, which shook angrily, as if demanding what I wanted.

Flipping through the almanac, I stopped at a page and showed it to the staff.

“Look. This kind—found maybe once in a lifetime. Even you and your father never found it, but your grandfather did. Find this.”

“…”

It felt like giving a hunting dog a scent to track, which was amusing.

“What? Can’t do it? Is that all you’re worth?”

“…”

“Three generations, you said. If your kid and father didn’t find it, your grandfather did. You’ve done it before, so do it again.”

“…”

“Fine, forget it. I heard you were amazing, but you’re not. Maybe I should pray the almanac comes alive—it’d do better.”

My taunts enraged the staff, which thrashed and stormed off, determined to prove itself.

Finally, it found something.

A plant with sky-blue leaves, a tiny white flower at its center, nestled shyly between massive rocks in a remote spot, easy to miss.

“Is that… frost?”

Oddly, frost coated the rocks, and the area felt colder than the spring-like warmth elsewhere, despite the midday sun. The frost’s persistence was uncanny.

“Strange. It’s not in the almanac.”

No similar plant was listed, leaving me clueless about its value or rarity.

Unlike most green-leaved plants, its blue hue felt mystical, and the frost suggested it was extraordinary.

“Did you really find the right thing?”

The staff stood proud, its wriggling practically begging for praise, like a wagging dog.

“Should I ask about it?”

I approached with a borrowed hoe.

Hiss…

A chilling sound stopped me as a pure-white snake slithered from the rocks.

I barely stifled a scream. “A snake? A white one!”

The snake raised its head, hissing threateningly, coiling around the herb as if guarding it.

Having seen no animals all day, this white snake—rare and mythical—startled me.

“You found something beyond rare…”

“…”

The staff preened smugly.

This was no mere herb—a mountain treasure.

But treasures have guardians. The snake’s yellow eyes glared, daring me to touch the herb.

I stepped back, pondering.

If Bernell were here, he might suggest killing the snake. But I lacked the skill, and I didn’t want needless bloodshed.

“Besides… killing a snake brings bad luck…”

The snake’s hostility intensified, as if it understood.

“No choice. I’ll give up.”

This unknown herb could yield a recipe to summon great gods, like the extinct silver vine that called Thunderbird, Catsy, and Yama.

But with the snake’s resolve, I needed another approach.

“Remember this spot. We might return.”

I ordered the staff, then carefully descended. The snake, focused on guarding, didn’t pursue.

At the base, I inquired about the white snake.

“Know anything about a white snake in the mountains?”

“A white snake? I thought no animals lived there…” one resident said.

“What’s a white snake?” another asked.

No one knew anything. How hidden was it that even locals were clueless?

The herb’s image haunted me, even with eyes closed. I imagined a café garden plot for it, whispering it was meant for me, promising recipes to summon grand gods.

“No choice. I’ll ask the dimension’s master.”

I headed to Wishstone’s statue, bustling with residents and fresh tributes.

My sudden approach drew puzzled looks, but I ignored them, standing close to the statue, closing my eyes, and praying.

Wishstone, I know you’re listening. I found an ingredient perfect for my café—a mountain herb. But a white snake guards it. Can you help?

I prayed fervently.

As a god born from prayers, surely he’d hear mine. Solving the thefts earned me some favor, right?

After a while…

“Manager, over here.”

A faint voice called. I opened my eyes, searching, but saw no one.

“Here, here.”

The voice came from below. Focusing, I found a tiny statue beside Wishstone’s, mimicking it.

“Is that…?”

“Yes, it’s me, Wishstone.”

I bit back asking why he looked like that, picking up the palm-sized statue.

“I thought this form might help. Seeing items move like me inspired me to try it. It’s nice.”

“Won’t residents notice?”

“My voice is for you alone, and the statue doesn’t move.”

Fair enough—as long as they didn’t know their god was tangible.

“You found an ingredient?” Wishstone asked.

His voice was private, but to others, I’d look like I was talking to a statue. I tucked it into my shirt pocket and moved away.

“Yes, a plant even veteran herbalists haven’t seen. I don’t know much, but it could make great medicinal tea.”

“That’s intriguing, especially with a white snake guarding it. Can you take me there?”

“Of course. You’re my only hope now.”

With Wishstone’s statue and the herb-finding staff, I returned to the herb’s location.

“It’s amazing—items really move. I became a god from a stone, but seeing this is new.”

“What about the items? They’ll keep increasing…”

“I’ll accept them as residents. My dimension’s uniqueness allows this. Denying them would deny myself, so I’ll welcome them.”

Items as residents in an artisan dimension…

If the god approves, who am I to argue? The residents, relieved the “thief” was their items escaping, left them be. I couldn’t grasp their relief, though.

“Even so, why aren’t they disturbed by moving items?”

“Because they revere me,” Wishstone said warmly. “Some think my power animates them.”

This was the most innocent dimension I’d visited.

After a trek, we reached the herb.