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Bookbound Bunny: Chapter 45
🕑 Added 2025-02-13 06:15:00 +0000 UTCChapter 45 - Resolve
[So, are you going to drink it?]
Lily made an exaggerated dry heaving noise and then vigorously shook her head, her big bunny ears flopping wildly.
"No way! That's totally gross!" Lily outright rejected the idea. "I don't know why you and Rose keep bringing it up. I'd almost feel like this was a prank set up by you two to tease me, but I know you can't speak to her…"
[It's definitely no prank on my part. But you must admit it's a valuable resource that would help nurture your Mana Core?]
"Even so, I don't want to!" Lily refused. "Normal people don't go drinking other people's blood."
[Blood has long since had a tradition in rituals and the mystic arts. Even in this unknown world, you know that glyph magic is predominantly performed using blood.]
"I don't care… I'll imbue my ink without blood. It's creepy!" Lily declared.
[Even if it could make the difference between you getting into Regarth or not?]
Lily paused. "I'll work double hard if I need to!" She said with rebounded vigor.
[Very well… I merely lament the waste of such a potent Mana source. Your Mana Core gives you unique opportunities that others in this world cannot utilize.]
"I know… But I just don't want to drink it. It's super gross, even if I know it comes from Rose, and it will help me," Lily sighed. "Is there not something else I can do with it? Can't I just absorb the Mana from it like when a monster dies?"
[The localized surges of ambient Mana when a monster dies are rather unique in this situation. With potions and concoctions, ingestion is usually the only method. However, there might be another possibility.]
Lily's ears perked up, and she excitedly nodded. "Yes, what's the other way?"
[How much do you recall of our preparations for the ritual?]
"First, we created a stone platform…" Lily began recounting, using her fingers to keep a tally. "Then I know we created a Mana gathering array to imbue and protect the stone… Then, we filled in the sub-rituals before the final ritual.
[Correct. We could try creating a small Mana gathering array for both of us.]
"I thought we had to use raw Mana to fill the ritual?" Lily asked.
[Yes. However, I'm talking about you absorbing the Mana from the blood and not using it as part of a ritual. There will undoubtedly be a substantial conversion loss, but it's better than losing it all. Likewise, you could spend evenings meditating inside the array formation and hopefully receive a slight boost.]
"I like that idea!" Lily replied with newfound desire. "But how would we go about it? I can't exactly create another big stone disc out of nowhere; I don't think you have the Mana to draw inscriptions for it?"
[Correct, I do not have the Mana to pull off such a maneuver again. Not to mention, if we used stone, we could not move it or bring it with us.]
"Even if it was made out of paper, I don't think I could move something that big!" Lily exclaimed.
[No… It wouldn't need to be as big as the one we used previously. That size was only to accommodate fitting in all of the sub-rituals. Something big enough for you to sit on and inside would be enough.]
"Like a really big cushion?" Lily suggested.
[That… Could work, although I fear embroidering an entire array formation is a bit beyond our current means. What I had in mind was a piece of wood, ideally two planks on hinges for storage and transportation.]
"Wood…" Lily mumbled. "That doesn't sound very comfortable."
[With the correct meditation posture, you can sit comfortably for hours, even on a bed of nails. Wood is light and durable, and we already know plant life can contain Mana. Undoubtedly, there is a particular wood used for magical crafts.]
"I… Don't know, I'd need to ask someone…" Lily admitted. "Although that magical ladle comes to mind, it had a special handle on it. So you're probably right. But I can't exactly cut down trees?"
[I was optimistic we could find and commission someone to do it. That way, we could get it to our specifications. Perhaps Camilla would know of someone?]
"I'll ask her… But knowing her, she won't make it free," Lily sighed. "Well, I guess she will just have me brew more potions, which is more Mana practice for me."
[Silver lining. I understand your desire to use all your Mana now to practice the starlight spell, but if you wish to learn imbuing at a decent rate, the brewing work is the best available opportunity.]
"Okay… I'll ask. Thanks, Arakil," Lily said as she gently touched the book.
***
"You want a woodworker?" Camilla asked, sounding utterly baffled.
"Yes… Preferably one that has wood similar to this," Lily answered as she pointed to the wooden portions of the ladle's handle.
"I see… First, you're interested in glyphs, then potions, and now artificing?" Camilla questioned, tapping her fingers against the desk.
"Artificing?" Lily asked.
"It's what they call making magical tools," Camilla answered with a frown. "If you didn't know that, I assume you want it for something else?"
"I want two thin pieces of wood like this, that fold," Lily answered, making a book-opening motion with her hands.
"Like a chessboard?" Camilla asked.
"Yes!" Lily said excitedly, as a foldable chess board perfectly described what she wanted. "Except big enough to sit on."
"Girl… What are you plotting now?" Camilla asked.
"Nothing bad… I just want something to meditate on," Lily answered half-truthfully.
Camilla cackled with laughter. "Now, that is a truly old superstition. First glyph ink and now this… That book of yours must be absurdly old."
"Uh… What do you mean?" Lily asked, feeling a bit worried.
"Well, I know this because I had to dig through some of my old history books when looking up glyph ink for you, but they genuinely believed some absurd things back in the day before it was officially disproved.
"One such thing was that one could grow their magical prowess by surrounding themselves in a Mana-rich environment. People would sleep on beds woven from Mana thread, eat Mana-rich foods, and even meditate around Mana-filled objects."
Lily frowned slightly. While it wasn't exactly what she was doing, she didn't want to outright tell the truth. If Camilla had misunderstood her intentions, then maybe that was for the best.
"Even if it's a superstition, it's something I want…" Lily answered.
"Knowing you, you'd somehow prove me wrong," Camilla admitted teasingly. "You're somehow a Lagia with Mana, so I want to say anything is possible at this stage. Regardless, it's your time and money to waste, so who am I to judge?"
"So, do you know someone?" Lily asked.
"Yes. If it's literally just two planks on hinges you want, it's not even a big ask," Camilla answered. "I thought you were contemplating hiring an artificer or enchanter, and then you'd be experiencing daylight robbery! That ladle, while amazing, cost a literal fortune!"
"So you've said…" Lily mumbled but shook her head. "I mean, thank you, Miss Camilla! I just want two pieces of wood with good Mana conductivity."
"Sure, sure…" Camilla shrugged it off. "Just be aware that even if you're literally just getting thin slabs of wood, you won't be able to afford the best of the best."
"That should be fine. Thank you!" Lily said with a beaming smile.
"We can go after work today; I'll be expecting some extra potions brewed for my troubles!" Camilla replied before cackling to herself again.
Lily nodded, only somewhat begrudgingly. Camilla still thought she was sucking Lily dry of every drop of Mana, but thanks to her efforts with Rose and a slight improvement in her regeneration, she would end her sessions with some Mana in reserve.
I'll just keep pretending to give it my all.
***
After work, Camilla was true to her word and took Lily to a woodworker she knew. Unlike Camilla's shop, his shop was in a section of the city's trade district that saw much more foot traffic.
The storefront was immaculately carved and looked warm and inviting. Lily couldn't help but think Camilla was doing her shop a disservice by not sprucing it up, but she recalled that Camilla was known as the best in town despite all of that.
I guess she doesn't need to put any effort into the presentation if she's known as one of the best…
Before entering the store, Camilla whispered to Lily. "Make sure you let me do most of the talking, or Jeff will talk circles around you, and you'll be broke and in debt!"
Lily nodded, although she doubted the man could measure up to even half of Camilla's haggling potential.
When they entered the store, they were greeted by an extremely friendly-looking man. At first, Lily thought he might have been a human, but then she saw very small traces of feathers protruding from his hair. He must have been some form of Aviania but with a very weak heritage.
"Camilla! It's good to see you're still alive and kicking, you old bat," the man said with a grin.
"Jeff, you featherhead, I see you still holding onto this overpriced store location," Camilla said with a fiendish grin.
"It's atrocious, but I can't deny a boom in customers!" Jeff said with a joyful laugh. "So, what brings you out of your old shack?"
"My little apprentice here wants to commission something from you," Camilla answered and gestured towards Lily.
"You actually found someone who can put up with your… Prickly personality?" Jeff seemed dumbfounded, and he looked even more shocked when he got a closer look at Lily. "And one so cute, too? I hope you didn't steal her from her parents or blackmail them?"
"Bah!" Camilla snorted. "Lily here practically begged me to teach her; good thing she's a hard worker, or I might not have let her."
Lily wanted to object but kept her mouth firmly shut.
"Well, nice to meet you, Lily," Jeff said with a friendly wave. "Maybe you can rub off some of your polite cuteness on this old woman and save the rest of us."
"Nice to meet you…" Lily said softly and politely.
"So, what can I do for you? Toys? Brewing tools? Jewelry boxes?" Jeff asked.
Camilla gave Lily a tiny shove, and she explained what she wanted. She was very grateful that Camilla had thought of calling it a chessboard earlier, as it made her explanation much easier to understand.
"So, you want a foldable wooden board to sit on?" Jeff said as he scratched the back of his neck. "You're absolutely tiny, so that's not very hard."
"Umm… I'm going to grow, so I'd like it to be a little bigger with that in mind," Lily added.
Camilla gave Lily an almost sympathetic look while Jeff just nodded. Lily, however, caught the look and couldn't help but give a small pout.
I will grow! My Mana Core is cleansing me!
"Sure, that can be arranged," Jeff said, interrupting her thoughts. "Any other requirements?"
"I want it to be out of a Mana wood," Lily explained.
"Artificing or enchanting is really pricey…" Jeff said with a grin as he looked at Camilla.
"Did she mention any enchantment work or artificing?" Camilla snapped back with a smirk. "Just clean and solid wood on hinges will be enough."
Jeff clicked his tongue and nodded. "Well, we have some very nice selections of Queen Mahogany…"
Camilla burst out into a cackling laughter. "Queen Mahogany? Do you think we're some fancy-pants nobles? Lily here is from the orphanage."
"I… See… I'm sorry," Jeff said, looking slightly taken aback. He nervously scratched the back of his neck again. "With price in mind, what about some Dewberry? It's not as visually appealing, but it's sturdy."
Camilla hummed and hawed, seemingly feigning disinterest. It sounded perfect to Lily, but she kept her mouth shut, as Camilla had previously ordered.
What proceeded next was what Lily could only describe as cutthroat penny-pinching as the two began to haggle. What should have been a simple price soon went into discussions about remedies and pointing out Jeff's wife's high tendency to catch the flu during winter.
The entire conversation went over Lily's head, but in the end, Camilla looked confidently smug while Jeff looked like he'd lost weight through nervous sweating alone.
"You drive a hard bargain… As always… But it can be done," Jeff said with a weary sigh.
"Excellent. Be sure to thank Jeff for his work, Lily," Camilla replied slyly.
"Thank you, Mister Jeff!" Lily said happily. "I can't wait to see it!"
Jeff smiled. "No problem, Lily… Your smile almost makes it worth it."
Camilla snorted before handing him the money, then started escorting Lily out of the building.
"It'll be ready in two days; you can fetch it then," Jeff informed Lily.
That was shockingly easy…
"Good; tomorrow, you can brew a bunch of potions for my haggling expertise. Also, that is coming out of your wages," Camilla said, gesturing back to the store with her thumb.
Lily gulped.
I'm sorry, Mister Jeff… I don't think anyone can fix her…
Comments
Pete
Sorry, Camilla, your penny pinching is... terminal
Engineer4God
Tank oo fur da chap!
HeartHawk
If you asked before syl chap 239 I'd think "absolutely not," but I don't know anymore!
phillip page
Good for you lily stick to your guns, there's no need for icky blood magic when you can use your cuteness to cultivate like a xianxia protagonist
BeepBoop
Will she get a reality check that sometimes you just can't work hard enough and miss out of the school due to not drinking the blood?
phantom
'"I'll work double hard if I need to!" She said with rebounded vigor.' I do not think that is even possible at this point.
CringeWorthyStudios
Kind of stupid and a waste that she won’t just drink the blood, but I’d guess that was one of the conditions that the fae put on Arakil’s book. After all, having him being bound to someone who’s squeamish about even the most basic ritual reagents would definitely give him a hard time. Thanks for the chapter!
Metal(Liz)ard
It's an interesting thing that her squimishness is more powerful than her desire for magic improvement. Wonder if she'll manage to keep this side of herself or will she eventually cave to using the more efficient methods when her goals are to far out of reach in get prefered time frame
mbncd
Thank you for the chapter!
CataFlan
TFTC!
Gopard
Thanks for the chapter! NGL its kinda frustrating to see her to refuse drinking that blood... I hoped that the unfortunate reality of the goreish battles and her determination for magic would kind of overcome the understandable squeemish side of her..
denver boyer
Cuteness is the ultimate haggling tool.
Ambrose
Thanks for the chapter!
Shai182
TFTC! Camilla should teach Lily how to be a Cute Merchant and Abuse the Cuteness for Haggling!
Wensber
Thanks for the chapter!
