----
The old individual drew up a small chair while Kieran silently watched their actions. A smile appeared on their face after they looked at Kieran. From what he saw, this individual was an old lady who should be nearing the end of her life. Her skin was wrinkly and liver-spotted, not to mention she seemed malnutrition by her scraggly fingers and protruding cheekbones.
Despite her state, she still presented a smile. "It's been so long since I've had a visitor. It is nice to have some company, young man. Tell me, did you come here to purchase anything? If so, it hurts my heart to tell you that nothing here is of use anymore."
Small tears pooled in her clouded, aged eyes. However, Kieran shook his head slightly. "I didn't come here to buy anything. I simply came to provide a service. It's not much, but I hope it'll help you remain comfortable."
"A service? No, no, there is no need, young man. Don't let this old lady here trouble you. You should instead go out and aspire to be a strong adventurer. Your pure heart will carry you a long way."
'Pure?' Kieran thought to himself silently. After everything he experienced, there were zero chances of him being pure. Kieran just understood this was an opportunity to capitalize on while also providing comfort to an elder. In fact, it was hard for Kieran to confirm whether or not he would appear here if he didn't possess information about it.
"I'll do that soon enough. For now, I only wish to help you," Kieran said. Afterward, he exhaled and stood up before walking around the shack. All of its dimensions and configuration appeared in his mind as he noticed cleaning tools off the side.
'This should definitely be the way to claim that item,' Kieran thought to himself. He then grabbed all of the cleaning tools and got to work by reorganizing and cleaning the shack's interior. Although he wasn't in combat, Kieran's stamina drained steadily due to his extensive cleaning.
Within 15 minutes, the shack's interior changed drastically; all of the shelves were aligned and dusted. Within 30 minutes, Kieran rearranged the contents and seating arrangement within the shack. After an hour, nearly all signs of the previous dust vanished. While the appearance was far from stunning, it was a major improvement from its initial condition.
As a result, the old lady appeared extremely grateful for Kieran's actions.
"Would you like to sit and have a cup of tea? I don't wish to waste any more of your time, but I wish to have your company for a while longer. Maybe even a story while we drink? You remind me of my grandson while he was still alive."
Suddenly, a notification appeared before Kieran's eyes.
〈System: Your relationship with NPC, Grandma Agatha, has become «Hospitable».〉
It wasn't so easy to raise favorability with an NPC and generate a relationship with them. The situation with Grandma Agatha was just unique. Because she hadn't received company in a long time, all she sought was some brief company. One benevolent act would be enough to generate a hospitable relationship with her.
However, being hospitable wasn't enough to receive what Kieran wanted. Nevertheless, since Altair had yet to contact him regarding the Forest of Beast's Normal Difficulty clearance, Kieran still had time before he had to leave.
Thus, Kieran joined Grandma Agatha for some tea.
"Follow me, young man," Grandma Agatha instructed. She parted the makeshift curtain of beads and bamboo, revealing the other side. Compared to the dusty interior of the shack, this part of her shack was pristine! Kieran could even smell hints of herbs and spices that were lost upon him despite having knowledge up to Awakened characters.
'There's no way that she's fiddled with ancient materials, right? While I wouldn't daresay my knowledge of minerals, ores, herbs, and materials is perfect, I should be more or less familiar with regular ones. What is this pleasant scent?' Kieran wondered.
"Is this place and fragrance to your liking? If not, I'm sure I can find one that is more agreeable to you, young man," Grandma Agatha said while standing over two small pots with boiling liquids. She sprinkled in a pouch of sparkling blue dust that made Kieran's nose flare.
Although he wasn't familiar with the scent, the potency of its smell was a testament to how amazing these herbs were. Thus, Kieran began questioning whether this old lady was as simple as she seemed on the surface. After all, this part of the interaction with Grandma Agatha wasn't described in the forum from his past.
"No, no; it's fine. Please don't change anything for my convenience. I'm just here to accompany you," Kieran said in a respectful tone. Unbeknownst to Kieran, Grandma Agatha revealed a joyful smile with her back turned to him. Evidently, she appreciated his actions.
She turned around while holding two small teacups in her hands a moment later. Grandma Agatha gave one to Kieran while setting the other on the table. "They're both for you, but remember to sip them slowly. Allow your body to enjoy its pleasant aroma."
When Grandma Agatha took a seat across from Kieran, another teacup magically appeared in her hands. Kieran was unsure if this was done by magic, meaning this old lady before him was a Mage or if she moved faster than he could perceive. Either way, Kieran understood why Grandma Agatha could distribute the item he sought.
As directed, Kieran sipped the tea. At the same time, he listened to Grandma Agatha talk. However, approximately twenty seconds into her story, it was almost as if she spoke another language because Kieran couldn't understand a word coming from her mouth!
'Is... Grandma babbling right now?' Kieran wondered. However, after this thought, Kieran seemed to fall into a trance, sipping slowly and repeatedly like a malfunctioning doll stuck in one setting. But, he did this as per Grandma Agatha's instructions.
〈System: You have consumed «Enriched Mystic Tea».〉
〈System: You're experiencing the embrace of an unknown mystical chant.〉
〈System: Your Perception has increased by 1 point.〉
〈System: Your Perception has increased by 1 point.〉
…
Eventually, Kieran awoke from his trance to a smiling Grandma Agatha. It was unknown when it happened, but he had consumed both cups of the mystical tea. Truth be told, this wasn't the item he had come for, but Kieran was pleasantly surprised and content by its effects.
After all, his Perception had undergone an unusual change. On top of it increasing to 50 points, it felt as if the tea sharpened his senses. It was comparable to using more of his gifted instincts, but this seemed to originate from his character and not his mind.
'Could the coefficient of my Perception have changed already? If so… this Enriched Mystic Tea can't be lower than a unique-grade elixir,' Kieran thought to himself.
But, during his trance, Kieran noticed that Altair had sent two messages to which he had yet to respond.
"Grandma Agatha, I hate to leave so abruptly, but I have other things I must attend to. This is for you. I hope you live well," Kieran said.
The odds of him returning to Gena Village after promoting his class were slim. So, he felt he should at least leave Grandma Agatha with a parting gift. Kieran retrieved five pieces of Silver from his inventory, leaving him with just over one Silver Coin in his possession. He placed them in Grandma Agatha's palm and closed them tightly.
"This is for you."
"There's no need, young boy."
"I insist; I won't take it back," Kieran said while shaking his head.
Thus, Grandma Agatha finally accepted it with a heartwarming smile. However, she couldn't just take this for no reason. She waved her hand softly. "I'm saddened that everything has lost function, but there is one thing left in my possession that should help you flourish as a young adventurer. I hope you'll be kind enough to accept it."
〈System: Your relationship with Grandma Agatha has increased to «Indebted».〉
Grandma Agatha placed an item in Kieran's palm and patted his shoulder. "Now go. If fate wills it, we will meet again once before I am to leave this enchanting world."
"It'd be my pleasure," Kieran answered before leaving the old shack and rushing towards the Forest of Beast dungeon.
Meanwhile, Grandma Agatha looked at the two cups. "Although I used basic ingredients sprinkled with hints of my dust, he was incredibly receptive to the mystic scripture. His soul is strong."
She then continued after a moment, "What a pleasant young boy. He may hold vengeance in his heart, but that doesn't stop him from displaying kindness. Regrettably, that young boy shall face his fair share of troubles in the future. At least it is like she said, there is a human with an excellent soul that has appeared," Grandma Agatha muttered.
Once Kieran left, her image, while still somewhat aged, was noticeably younger, appearing to be no older than their late thirties or early forties. The stranger part was that Grandma Agatha's identity now appeared differently.
「NPC Lv. ??? Agatha, ??? (???)
Class: Mystic [Redacted]
Health: ???
Affiliations: ??? 」
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