HP: Sacred Gear Chat Group (2) - Chapter 25 (Patreon)

Chapter 25 - Some real Premium Tea leaves

The Greenhouse at the back of our House always contained a myriad of different rare Plants. A Greenhouse is one of the core aspects of running a successful Apothecary.

While common Plants could be easily supplied by a mass supplier, there were simply too many magical Plants with very specific growing conditions, or such a short shelf life, that they couldn’t just be kept normally inside a Store.

Not to mention the fact that sometimes customers, especially Potion Masters, were looking for rare and exotic magical Plants that a normal supply Greenhouse simply couldn’t reasonably provide.

These Plants are what make the difference between a common Apothecary and a top-grade one.

However, what Dad and I were doing recently was even rarer. That happened at most once every few decades, and never to such a diverse extent.

Growing and cultivating entirely new strains of Plants is simply a rarity. How often does anybody discover a new Plant these days? Even in the Magical World, there aren’t that many unexplored places.

Commonly, it’s just a new magical mutation that someone discovers.

Truly undiscovered Plants are even rarer. My best guess would be that they might still exist in extreme places, like the unexplored depths of the Ocean. Maybe in some Pocket Dimensions or different Realms.

Those are rare, but not impossible. Especially now that I know the Supernatural World is a thing.

Olympus, Asgard, the Underworld, and similar places are some examples.

Or, in my case, a completely different World, with me being thoughtful enough to bring back a wide collection of unknown Plants.

“It’s good that you noted down the conditions in which those grew. The different Plant Lexica you brought with you also helped a lot,” Father said approvingly as we examined how nicely the new Plants were growing.

“I can imagine it would be hard to grow them without that knowledge.”

“Not impossible, but like you said, hard. We probably would have lost a few Plants before we figured out how to grow them. Some of those you brought have very specific requirements. It was smart of you to use a Stasis Charm,” Dad replied while repotting one of the Plants.

“That’s good to hear. Do you already have an idea how you are going to sell them?”

“Of course! Who do you think you are talking to, son?” Dad laughed while wiping a bit of sweat from his face, careful not to smudge it with dirt. “It’s not the first time I’ve handled completely unknown Plants. Most of the early batches are already sold out! New Plants usually mean new Potion Recipes, and any qualified Potion Master will go mad trying to buy them. None of these will go on public sale. They’ll all go to my loyal core customer base.”

Giving Dad a nod, I looked towards a darkened area of the Greenhouse. “And the Sokasu Grass? Is it growing too?”

“Heh, trying to impress your Girlfriend and her little Sister? You truly are my son!” The old man said while wiping away an imaginary tear from his face. “I’m so proud of you! Don’t worry, they’re growing nicely. We already have more than enough to start testing it, and even enough to use for the healing should the tests be successful!”

“Not my Girlfriend…” I replied, then pointed at his face with vindication. “You smudged your cheek with your antics.”

“Damn!”

———

A few days later, I came home from my tutoring lessons, only to be greeted by excited chatter.

The moment I stepped out of the fireplace in our living Room, a pair of arms wrapped around me. Astoria had immediately pulled me into a hug.

“Hey, you! Did you miss me that much? We just saw each other this morning!” I laughed while patting her head.

Unlike usual, the words rapidly spilled out of her Mouth, making it impossible for me to understand her.

“Astoria, calm down!” Daphne and Tracey laughed behind her. Daphne’s usual cold face was far brighter than usual.

“Okay, what’s going on?”

“Mom came home earlier today with the early results from St. Mungo’s!” Tracey explained with a grin. “And so far, your idea seems to be working. All of the test Subjects survived the process without any damage to their Magical Cores. Apparently, it works even better than you assumed earlier.”

“How so?”

“Turns out, the Magic our Magical Cores produce gets pumped into our Bodies during the purging process before being purged again and again, basically cleaning out the pathways our Magic uses to flow through our Bodies and even improving them in the process. That’s how Mom explained it, at least. It could improve the flow of Magic itself, besides being just a method to remove Curses.” Tracey grinned.

That would make the grass even more valuable…

We have to try to monopolize it and only sell it in its dried state, without any seeds so it cannot be cultivated!

That’s a literal goldmine right there.

While there are a few methods that can make a Wizard more powerful, most of them are only temporary. They are mostly Potions, like Focus Potion, which makes one cast faster; Edurus Potion, which increases defense; or Maxima Potion, which increases the Power of one’s Spells.

Those only last for minutes.

Permanent methods to enhance someone require either very rare ingredients, most of which are already extinct, or are outright kept secret by old Families.

Or they aren’t Potion-based at all and instead branch into far more dangerous fields of Magic, like Rituals. Permanent increases in Power are mostly achieved through dark sacrificial Rituals.

At least as far as I am aware.

A Grass whose tea could permanently improve the flow of Magic through the Body and, through that, the Power of Spells would be insanely valuable.

I now regret that we went to St. Mungo’s in the first place.

Luckily, we have the Lestrange and Greengrass names behind us.

Suddenly, someone grabbed my face, and I felt a warm pair of wet lips press against my own. A tongue briefly slipped into my mouth as the taste of fresh strawberries spread through my senses.

As quickly as it happened, it was already over.

A pair of stunning blue eyes stared into mine, belonging to a beautiful, blushing face framed by platinum-blonde hair. Her sexy developed body was pressed against mine, and I had to admit that the sudden closeness felt really nice.

“Don’t misunderstand. That is just a thank-you for now. If it truly works out… then…” She didn’t even finish the sentence before Daphne, her face bright red, was already out of the Room.

That was interesting.

She had become a lot more daring since she came back from Hogwarts and met Ghislaine.

“Not fair, Daphne! I wanted to do that!” Astoria cried out before pressing her lips against my cheek. “For my Hero!” she giggled.

“Hah, my Brother turned into a Playboy. Should I worry about my Chastity?” Tracey sighed as she held her body protectively.

“Stop teasing me!” I shook my head, finally coming out of my stunned daze. “You are my little Sister. There is nothing for you to fear! And you are too young, Astoria!”

“So Daphne should be careful?” Astoria asked with false innocence.

“I didn’t say that!” was my annoyed reply. “You shouldn’t throw yourselves at me like that just because I am helping you. I would have done that either way! You and Daphne are as much my Sisters as Tracey! And we don’t even know if it works on Curses!”

Astoria turned towards Tracey. “He really is a bit daft, isn’t he?”

“Sure, but that makes him so cute.” My Sister giggled.

“I am not…”

“You know what? Mom and Dad ended their stay in France early! After hearing about what you discovered, they wrapped up their Business quickly and are already on their way back,” Astoria updated me.

So Lord and Lady Greengrass are already on their way back. All because of a simple, random idea of mine. An Idea we don't even know if it works. No pressure.

“Do they know about…?”

“No, we just told them that you discovered a herb that can purge Magic from the Body and may be able to purge Curses,” Astoria immediately denied. “We kept your secrets, don’t worry!”

“That’s fine. It’s not that I don’t trust them. But the more people know, the more likely it is that…”

“We get it! Don’t worry. Nobody will learn about it from us!” Tracey reassured me.

“Yeah, also, Mom and Dad secured spots at the Quidditch World Cup for all of us!” Astoria chirped in. “In the Ministry Box, no less! Your Parents are invited too.”

I completely forgot about the Quidditch World Cup.

Should I interfere with that?

Nah. Just because I have a ton of potential to become powerful doesn’t mean I am already powerful.

Voldemort, his Death Eaters, and even Dumbledore may be weak compared to Ultimate-Class Devils and above. But to me, they are still a serious threat.

Just because I got a set of Evil Pieces doesn’t mean that I am a High-Class Devil in terms of power. Rias informed me last week that they are legally recognized since apparently Ajuka Beelzebub was aware of them, and I am officially a High-Class Devil.

But my actual strength is still below that.

I have a few tricks, but I am definitely weaker than Voldemort or Dumbledore for now, as well as anyone on the level of a Hogwarts Professor. I may be around the level of a Skilled Adult Wizard, like some Aurors.

Better to remain careful and not stand out for now. At least as much as I can.

Staying in the Ministry Box also means I will officially debut as Heir Lestrange. I will have to make a good impression, even if I dislike a ton of People there.

“That sounds amazing.” I nodded.

———

I’ve got over a Month before the Quidditch World Cup…

While I have a Cooldown on the Mode that allows me to travel to a Chatgroup Member’s Universe, it is separate from the one that sends me to a random Universe.

I would just have to stay in that Universe for a Month before I could return.

My jump to Mushoku Tensei may have been a bit sudden and unprepared, but it was an amazing and rewarding Journey. Not only did I gain firsthand practical experience in Magic and Combat and learn a completely new form of Magic from a different World, but I also earned some nice money and collected Plants to expand our Family Apothecary.

Another Jump could be just as rewarding.

Sure, this time there is the risk of me not knowing where I would end up. But I have more than a week to prepare before I have to make the Jump, and I wouldn’t be doing it alone either.

Ghislaine, my first Peerage Member and Knight, would go with me. Even if I didn’t want her to, I wouldn’t be able to convince her to stay behind.

She pretty much considers me her Lord, just like she did with House Boreas Greyrat in Mushoku Tensei, where she dedicated her loyalty to them after being saved from starving.

Her loyalty is so deep that she literally joined a fight against the Heir to the Throne and some of the strongest Warriors in the World to avenge the Boreas Greyrat Family.

Not only that, she takes the word Knight in her Evil Piece extremely seriously and considers herself exactly that, rather than just seeing it as a role based on her Stat increase.

So it may be riskier, but at the same time, I’ve got some time to prepare.

Sure, there is my tutoring, but only my Etiquette and Political Lessons can be considered challenging. Thanks to the Bloodline Gift of my Family, I am already beyond what I need to know for my fifth year, having reached the level of Sixth and Seventh Years in several areas, while also using them to pursue Magical Knowledge beyond Hogwarts.

Things you would normally only study while pursuing a Mastery or training for a Job.

Overall, I don’t really need them right now. They are just a welcome bonus that allows me to deepen my understanding of Magic.

The true Challenge would be convincing my Parents.

Or at least, that’s what I thought.

“As long as your Mother agrees, I have no Problem with you going on another Adventure. But only if you are back before the World Cup. Lord and Lady Greengrass expect you to attend!” Dad declared.

Meanwhile, my Mother shocked me even more.

“Alright, I can take some Holidays,” she said with a nod after I explained the Situation to her.

“Holidays for what?”

“To come with you, of course. Don’t pretend you can’t take people with you. You brought Ghislaine here. And don’t pretend you would just leave her behind. She is so attached to you that there is no way she wouldn’t follow you!”

“But… I said it can be quite dangerous. Something could happen to you!” I countered, which, in hindsight, was a rather stupid argument since the same could happen to me.

“I understood that when you explained it the first time. That’s why I am coming with you. I will be able to keep an eye on you and protect you! You also need to convince your Grandfather. He will have something to say about you skipping the Tutoring he organized for you. With me there, he will be easier to convince, since I can just keep the Tutoring going.”

Mom threw even more reasonable arguments in my face.

“I hate how reasonable your Arguments are…”

And what I expected even less was what happened afterwards!

As soon as it was decided, the Door to the Kitchen flew open, with Tracey, Daphne, and Astoria rushing into the Room.

“We are coming too.”

“No, you don’t!” I immediately said.

“Yes, we are.”

“It will be dangerous. There could be anything. We could literally end up in an Apocalypse, or in some kind of ‘evil God invading a World’ situation. Mom is an Adult Witch, Ghislaine is an experienced Warrior, but you three are just Students!”

“So are you,” Mom added from the side, looking highly amused.

Is that a joke to her?

While I don’t believe my Sacred Gear would throw me into an extremely dangerous Situation, it won’t exactly be safe either.

“See? If you can go, so can we. We have been learning Magic for longer than you! All three of us are among the Top Students of our Year. Only that stupid know-it-all Granger takes a higher spot thanks to all her Theoretical Knowledge. Tori is the top of her own year,” Daphne countered.

“No, just think about it. You will need to be fit. Maybe you and Tracey could keep up, but Tori is still not healed!”

“We can bring Brooms. I can Transfigure a Carriage for us. There are a ton of solutions to solve that Problem,” Mom added, once again stabbing me in the back.

Here I am, outnumbered and being forced to take more people with me than I wanted in the first place.

Tomorrow, we will be leaving after packing our things. Everyone will be carrying a Bag with an Expansion Charm, our own Brooms, enough Provisions for the Entire Month, Healing Potions, some protective gear, and our Magical Tent. Mom even procured one of those fancy House Trunks for us.

Well, I am half convinced she made it herself without a permit from the Ministry.

But I am not dumb enough to ask.

We should be sleeping to be ready and well-rested for tomorrow.

So why is Ghislaine standing in front of my Door with a flushed, wild look in her eyes?

“It’s mating Season…”

Right. After the rainy Season in her World comes the Mating Season. By her biological clock, the rainy Season should have just ended.

Fuck me, was the thought running through my mind when she pounced on me.

[-- End of Chapter --]