“It is oil extracted from the leaves, roots, or seeds of trees. This one was squeezed from lavender, and the fragrance is quite lovely. Would you like to smell it?”
Fortunately, the condition of the oils was high-grade. Ryeon nodded with sparkling eyes.
A scent that was pleasantly calming—a blend of floral and grassy notes—wafted up. Ryeon scanned the jars lined up before her. Various names flashed by quickly: Wintergreen oil, Eucalyptus oil, Menthol, Peppermint oil, Camphor, Thyme oil…
A clear but intense light sparked in Ryeon’s eyes. Her intuition told her that the opportunity to use Harmony had arrived. Her Harmony skill was currently at 7-stars.
At 1-star, things could blend without clashing. At 2-stars, balance could be achieved. Until now, Ryeon had thought of it simply as a sense of physical balance. But the moment she saw those oils, she knew. That wasn’t all there was to it.
And to make her move here, there was something she had to do. Ryeon looked up at Danmok Hyeonu.
*
First, 4 parts Wintergreen oil. Then, 3 parts of a one-to-one mixture of Peppermint oil and Menthol. 2 parts Eucalyptus oil. And finally, 1 part of a mixture containing Camphor, Lavender, and Sandalwood oil.
Using Mind’s Eye, Harmony, and Purification simultaneously, she gathered the clear oils into a single jar and stirred slowly. A cool, refreshing scent tickled the tip of her nose.
Ryeon smiled brightly as she watched her Spiritual Energy permeate the spaces between the oil particles.
She used Mind’s Eye to see through the ingredients, Harmony to match the blending ratio for the desired effect, and finally, she wrapped it all in Purification once. It was perfect.
By the time she finished one jar, Ryeon’s Spiritual Energy had dropped to ’15’. It was an achievement she had reached for the first time since waking up.
When she had just looked through the ingredients with Mind’s Eye, the quality was so poor she had thought about firing the herbalist who supplied such garbage immediately.
But the moment she carefully examined the jars of Essential Oil…
[Wintergreen Oil]
Grade: High
Status: Mid-tier
Oil made by fermenting and distilling leaves of the wintergreen tree. It has a refreshing and deep scent. It has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.Grade: Supreme
Status: High
Made by distilling peppermint leaves. It has analgesic, anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic effects. It is also effective for indigestion.
[Would you like to use Harmony?]
While she was glancing at her sleeve and scanning the items, a message suddenly popped up asking if she wanted to use Harmony.
Since this had never happened before, she was surprised and quickly used the Harmony ability.
[You can combine the recognized ingredients to create a product with better efficacy. Would you like to check the method? This function consumes Spiritual Energy.]
Of course, she would. She absolutely would!
Since it said Purification could improve the condition of the ingredients, she used Purification diligently as well. The result was this Essential Oil, which looked as clear as water.
Applied to a headache, it clears the mind. Applied when sleepy, it wakes you up. It is effective when applied to arthritis or stiff muscles—anywhere, really.
And in this era, such a thing is called a ‘panacea’.
At that moment, a clear sound rang out.
*** Purification 3-Star Achievement (1▲) ***
[You can purify energy.]
Ryeon savored the moment her Harmony achievement increased.
“Ryeon, this is…”
Ryeon poured a little of the finished Essential Oil into a bottle smaller than a child’s palm and took a deep breath.
The truly important part started now. After looking around, Ryeon grabbed Danmok Hyeonu’s hand and whispered seriously.
“You know, Uncle. Do you know what this is?”
Ryeon asked, even though she knew there was no way Danmok Hyeonu could know about something she had just made.
Danmok Hyeonu shook his head good-naturedly. His eyes, looking at his niece, were filled only with deep affection.
Ryeon held her uncle’s hand tight. Since closed-door training was usually quite harsh, his hands were extremely rough.
How could she tell him that he didn’t need to feel guilty about the years she had spent lying in bed?
“While I was sleeping. I lived above the clouds. An immortal told me about this back then.”
“What does that…?”
“They said that while I was asleep, Uncle was very sick too, and still is… But they said if you apply this, you can get better.”
“What? No, Ryeon. I…”
Danmok Hyeonu tried to quickly say that he hadn’t been sick at all, but Ryeon shook her head from side to side.
Of course, she knew well that even if his body wasn’t sick, his heart was ill, and he couldn’t shake off his headaches.
“If you put this on, the spot gets cool, your headache goes away, and it’s even good for a stiff neck. I really wanted to make this for you, Uncle.”
Ryeon held out the bottle containing the blended Essential Oil.
As if entranced, Danmok Hyeonu tilted the bottle slightly, let a few drops of the oil—which looked almost like clear water—fall onto his fingertips, and rubbed it onto his temples.
At first, it was cool enough to make his eyes sting slightly, but as he gently rubbed it in, the head that had always felt vaguely heavy began to feel lighter.
As he took a deep breath, a scent that sharpened his mind somewhat piercingly spread with clarity.
As the headache that had always plagued him since his niece fell unconscious faded, his heavy breathing, which he hadn’t even realized was labored, became much more comfortable and light.
Danmok Hyeonu looked back at Ryeon with a surprised face. Ryeon beamed at him.
She had come up with the excuse of an immortal because she remembered what the servants had been chatting about.
Seeing Ryeon’s garden, which remained green even as autumn came and leaves fell elsewhere, they had whispered that an immortal must have taken the Young Lady’s spirit for the past seven years and then returned it.
It wasn’t entirely wrong, was it?
She had returned after seeing everything at the end of the world and gained these abilities. If the end of the world was the realm of immortals, then wouldn’t the voice of her status window be the voice of an immortal?
When she asked him to keep the immortal a secret because she was afraid people would try to take her away if they knew, Danmok Hyeonu nodded hurriedly.
“Yes, you’re right… You are so brilliant, who wouldn’t covet you?”
Danmok Hyeonu muttered as if possessed, looking down at his hand where the Essential Oil remained. Ryeon quickly changed the subject.
“If you try it and like it, Uncle… can I give some to Grandfather, too?”
“Huh? Of course! Of course, absolutely. I think it would be fine to give it to him right now… Your uncle will bring a nice bottle!”
Danmok Hyeonu, who had been massaging the back of his neck where he applied Ryeon’s Essential Oil and feeling its effects, suddenly jumped up and said something to a servant.
The servant, looking startled, hurriedly brought back a small bottle carved from jade, about the size of a child’s palm.
Perhaps because it was made of jade, it felt surprisingly heavy despite its small size. Danmok Hyeonu, who had been staring at it quietly, suddenly spoke.
“ (Clear Lotus Water)… How is that?”
“Pardon?”
“It awakens the body and mind with clarity, and although it is oil, it is clear and transparent like water… Ah, I mean, the name of that Essential Oil. If it doesn’t have a special name…”
Danmok Hyeonu spoke somewhat incoherently, seemingly still surprised and a bit out of it.
Ryeon felt the affection embedded in his naming. The middle character in ‘Cheongryeonsu’ was her name. Ryeon smiled widely and quickly nodded.
“No, I like it! Cheongryeonsu… Cheongryeonsu. I love it.”
Seeing Ryeon’s expression, Danmok Hyeonu smiled broadly as well, but then his face quickly turned serious as he continued.
“And starting today, let’s study pharmacology together. No, let’s say you’ve been studying it secretly on your own…”
It was sudden, but Ryeon nodded. Seemingly finished with what he had to say, Danmok Hyeonu stood blankly for a moment before asking slowly. He seemed extremely nervous.
“By the way, Ryeon. That… about you being in the realm of immortals while you were sleeping… no, above the clouds… about that…”
While Ryeon was worrying about that, Danmok Hyeonu cleared his throat and spoke.
“That… while you were with the immortals, were you hurt anywhere?”
“Were you cold… or hot?”
Ryeon blinked and looked up at him for a long time before slowly shaking her head. Only then did the tension leave Danmok Hyeonu’s face, causing it to crumble into a gentle smile.
“Right, then that’s good. …Thank you for making this for me.”
Ryeon unwittingly avoided his gaze and lowered her head. And then she saw it.
Danmok Hyeonu’s ‘Worry’ category had been completely cleared.
“Ryeon… made this?”
“Yes, Father. Just this morning.”
Danmok Cheongi, who had heard the news that she had memorized the Thousand Character Classic today, was preparing to teach his granddaughter, but the first to barge in was his youngest son.
The face of his youngest son, who barged in clutching what his niece had made, was shining brightly.
It was the first time sunlight seemed to dwell on his face, which had been wrapped in gloomy shadows ever since the accident a few years ago.
