I woke up with an abnormal throbbing pain in my head, causing me to grit my teeth and lean back against the sheets. Shinso had already awoken; he was in the corner of the apartment room, and water was boiling on the stove in the small kitchen.
He then turned to me, watching me momentarily before speaking in a low, strained voice. "Catherine told me earlier that tea would help this."
The indigo-haired boy turned back to the pot, watching the water simmer for a few moments before grabbing the handle with mitted hands and placing it on a wooden hot pad. He then looked down at the small counter, clutching a small cup.
"You can get some if you want." He said, not looking back at me.
I slowly reopened my eyes and stood up, placing my feet on the wooden floor behind me. Unfortunately, my slippers were on the other side of the room near my bed, so I couldn't reach them aside from walking on the cold floor.
Letting out a low sigh, I walked over to the counter and grabbed one of the cups, pouring myself a glass of the liquid. When I brought it to my lips, it tasted reminiscent of bitter coffee.
"What'd you put in this, dirt?" I grumbled, putting the cup down and stepping back.
"For some reason, Catherine said that's in the recipe." Shinso's lips curled into a small smile.
The apartment fell silent for a few moments. "Right..."
At that moment, Shinso stumbled back, clutching his forehead. He let out a low groan as his gaze darted down the counter. Upon seeing the lack of items, his eyes widened.
"Damn it..."
"What?" I asked, stepping closer to him, feeling a burst of worry.
"She also gave me some herb mixture to treat my headache, but I think I used it all in the tea." He muttered.
At that moment, his hands scrambled into the pockets of his trousers, taking out a small piece of worn paper. He held it up to show me.
"Catherine went here to get me my stuff. Mind strolling down there and picking up more?"
"Sure." I took the piece of paper which was slightly wrinkled, holding it up in the light. In neat black handwriting, I read the address.
212 Cornell Street, Market District.
"I'll stop by for you," I said with a small smile. "Do you need help getting back to bed?"
Shinso shook his head, his eyes half-lidded as he stumbled over to the bed, lying atop the sheets.
...
After I had put on some thicker layers, I departed from the apartment building and surveyed the streets. I had previously learned from Catherine that carriage travel was an effective means of transportation. Not that far away, I spotted a horse-drawn carriage near a lamppost, the ink-black steeds munching away at hay and corn that had been supplied for them.
Reaching into my pocket, I dug around for a few moments, feeling no coins I could use for payment. At that moment, I had realized that Carter or Catherine hadn't supplied me with anything of value. Suddenly, I got an idea.
I slowly walked over the carriage driver, an older looking man with bushy eyebrows and a sharp face. "Do you know where this place is?"
I held up the card Shinso had supplied me with. The man glanced in my direction, removing the pipe from his mouth. After blowing a thin stream of smoke into the air, he took the card and read it carefully.
"Yes, I do. You'll find it in the market. It's the biggest booth."
He handed me the note back, and I took it with a smile, stuffing it into my pocket. After a few seconds of silence, I departed from the location and headed down the streets. Either side of the road was piled with snow, so I had to walk on the road. Upon a quick look around, most people were doing the same.
Eventually, I stepped into the circular Market District, scanning the surroundings. In the distance, I heard music, accompanied by laughter and cheering. Other commoners were purchasing goods and foods, while others, who appeared more shabby, were nestled in front of the booths and begging for something to eat.
After a quick glance at the note, I caught sight of the overhead signs which were bolted to lampposts. Each of them had an address written on them. I walked forward, my gaze continuously fixated on the overhead signs, vigorously remembering the date in my mind.
Suddenly, I collided with something and was sent back a few steps. After regaining my equilibrium, I looked up at the figure. They had broad shoulders, wore a collared shirt, and had a gruff-looking stubble. His dark brown eyes were fixed on my form, and his fists clenched at his sides.
"You drunk or something?" He barked, his teeth gritting.
I felt my heart tighten in my chest, my blood running cold.
The bulky figure took a few steps towards me, grabbing me by my red cravat and suspending me in the air.
"Maybe if I rat your face in you'll learn to watch where the blimey you're going."
His fists clenched white as he raised his left hand, his lips contorting into an animalistic grin. Around me, none of the vendors had bothered to look, it was as if nobody was seeing the current predicament I found myself in.
At that moment, the bulky figure let out a grunt of pain, dropping my body and stumbling back to the ground. His eyes were wide with fear, and his lips quivered slightly as he bored into me with terror.
"Get away from me!" He shouted, bolting in the other direction. The burly-looking man shoved aside a patron or two as he darted off into the crowd of people.
The patrons around me all turned around, facing me with perplexed expressions. Murmurs quickly crept through the crowd as they seemed to analyze me. I felt a rush of anxiety, so I ended up raising the collar of my coat and heading further into the market.
The gazes of the people eventually dissipated, and I arrived at the address that Shinso had given me. I saw a stand, and sitting in a chair was an older man with yellow eyes, his left eye completely white. In his left hand was a wooden stick. It was the pig-urine guy.
I let out a low groan as I gazed at the man. "My friend sent me here to pick up something."
"Hey, it's you!" The half-blind man stood up from his seat, smiling as he approached me, his walking stick giving him a small stumble.
"Yeah...it's me again." I let out an awkward chuckle, attempting to stifle the uncertainty inside me.
"So...I believe you need a plant mixture, one to alleviate a headache?"
"Yeah...I do. But unfortunately I have no money."
At that moment, the man smiled and pointed behind his booth. I could see a large stable. Inside, I could hear the muffled sounds of horses neighing.
"Maybe if I show you the ropes, you can gimme a barrel or two, and I'll supply you with the herbal mixture you need."
Hearing this proposition, I felt my face heat up, and a strange churning in my stomach. I hadn't forgotten his occupation, and the thought of assisting him made me want to regurgitate. I remained silent for a few seconds, quickly deliberating my options.
I could either depart from the market without making a purchase, leaving Shinso in his condition for a prolonged period of time, or I could assist this man in the harvesting of horse urine so I could receive my reward without having to pay.
I took a deep breath, the words leaving my mouth on their own. "I'll assist you."
...
The man had instructed me to strip off my clothing, emphasizing how an outfit like mine would never want to end up in the stables. I had been given a messier, more ragged outfit. I had also been supplied with a dirty apron and mittens to shield my skin.
As for my head, I had a piece of moist, foul-smelling cloth wrapped around my mouth and forehead, only allowing me to breathe through my nose for the time being. I looked like I was dressed for radiation exposure rather than urine harvesting. After leaning against the wall for a brief few moments, the man stepped into the stable wearing similar attire to mine.
"You look just like me." He chortled.
He bent down, reaching into a cabinet and taking out a rusty bucket. He dropped the item onto the hay and exchanged a glance with me. "It takes five buckets to fill the barrel on average, so it'll take you ten buckets to receive your mixture."
"Ten buckets?..." I was taken aback. "How often do they have to use the bathroom?"
"Hmm..." The man with a blind eye thought for a few moments, before looking towards me. "If you feed them enough, the maximum urine output should be approximately fifteen minutes following digestion."
I suddenly caught a whiff of something in the air, and I reached up and plugged my nose. My eyes began to water. "What the hell is that smell?"
"Don't worry, the horse's shit won't be too bad to get off your boots; you're very lucky I had extras nearby."
The boots he had given me were a few sizes too big, but I considered myself grateful I had extra footwear to begin with. He had led into one of the booths, where I saw a brown-colored horse laying down in a pile of hay. When it heard the gate creek open, it let out a tiny neigh as it turned its head towards us.
Upon seeing the unfamiliar face, the animal shot up and kicked its back legs. Luckily, I wasn't in proximity to be hit, but the yellow-eyed man had raised his arms in defense. "Easy girl, nobody's gonna hurt you. Not anymore."
"Not anymore?" I was still slightly shaken from the attack, but I felt a surge of curiosity upon hearing his words.
The burly-looking man looked towards me, sighing softly. "All of the beauties here are adopted. Unfortunately very bad people wanted to use their bodies to make meals, so I broke in and let them free. They all followed me back here."
Upon visualizing the scene, I couldn't help but chuckle. "I wondered why they decided to stick with you."
"Well, people around here call me Horse Guru." The man chuckled. "But my friends call me Arnold."
I nodded my head. "Well, Mr. Arnold...I-I'll try to get you all your urine..."
The man took a step back and lowered the cloth shielding his mouth, smiling at me. "Don't worry if you don't get all the barrels, I'll still give you it if you gimme five, maybe even four."
...
By the time I was done the sun had begun to set. I left the horse stable, my face extremely pale as I poured the last of the urine into the barrel. Throughout the five hours I had been in here, I had only thrown up a few times, but I concealed my messes under the piles of hay.
After I had completed everything, I stepped out and approached Arnold, lowering the cloth over my mouth and placing it on the counter. It felt like I had an encounter with God to breathe in the cold winter air, having to smell urine, feces and vomit to fulfill Arnold's wishes.
"I-I'm done." I said with a long breath, leaning against the counter and looking at the broad man. Arnold smiled at me, before reaching under the counter and taking out a small bottle filled with a black liquid.
"Here you go, good sir." He said with a mocking accent and a playful smile.
I took the herbal mixture, holding it up and looking at it in the light. Within the thin black liquid, I saw patches of green and red flash around.
"Where'd you get this?" I asked, turning to face him.
Arnold chuckled as he leaned forward. "I took a quick alchemy class a few years back, and learned some stuff. I had also learned that horse manure has a specific bacteria that can erode illness.