For a while, the hermit didn’t say anything at all. Jax even believed that he might not have heard him and had just gone back to his work at the other window.
However, the child-like voice replied to his simple, perhaps even childish, question.
"Do you wish to learn how to make the wines that I make?" he asked.
Jax was surprised. He hadn’t expected the man to reply in any way at all.
"If possible, yes," Jax said hurriedly. He was not going to miss this chance after all. Surely something as simple as making wines wouldn’t take him too long, would it?
The hermit giggled slightly. "It’s been a while since someone has asked me to give them my recipe. This will be interesting," he said. "Let me handle my customers first, and I’ll deal with you."
Jax couldn’t say anything in reply at all. His random request, out of nothing but random curiosity, seemed to have somehow gotten him what he had wanted.
He had some doubts, and especially worried that the hermit might end up asking for a lot of stones too. He likely couldn’t pay for it himself at all.
However, on the very low chance that he could somehow afford to learn what he would be taught, he wanted to do it. He also wanted to earn 80 stones with just a single jar of wine.
The sun set, and night lay its veil over the world. Jax waited around for nearly half an hour before there were no more customers in front of the shop.
Everyone had been dealt with.
Jax saw the screen next to him move, a tiny hand poking out from inside before it pulled back in.
He couldn’t help but be a little surprised. Were the hermits really just children? He had simply assumed their voices to be child-like for some strange reason, but if they were truly children, that would be quite surprising.
"You’re still here," the hermit spoke again. "You must really want to learn what I have."
"I do," Jax said.
"I will ask you first, why is it that you want to learn how to make my wine?" the hermit asked.
Jax wondered for a split second if he should come up with some lie to make himself sound better than he was, but he thought that wasn’t him.
"I want to make money," Jax answered. "I’m in a bit of debt, so if I’m able to earn a lot of money easily, that would be of great help to me."
The hermit didn’t speak, but he did let out a small giggle. "Alright, since you’re so honest with me, I will be honest with you too," he said. "I won’t be teaching you how to make my wine myself, but I will give you my recipe, which will hold all the necessary information."
"Really?" Jax asked, surprised.
"Of course," the hermit said. "But, you have to do one thing for me."
Jax nodded. He had expected that much. "What do you want me to do?" he asked. He hoped it wasn’t something horribly difficult to do.
"Within the forest lies a small lake that sometimes appears. Within the lake is a monkey that guards a blue flower with white spots at the center. Get me that flower, and I will give you the recipe to my wine."
Jax took a short moment to understand the request. ’A monkey in a lake,’ he thought. That was the Lakeborn Monkey, wasn’t it? One of the three wild-bosses around the forest.
If what he had read and heard about bosses was correct, then each one of them would be at the 1-Star Emerald stage. Such a stage would require a party with multiple 1-Star Emerald stage members to clear it.
Jax was certain he couldn’t do it by himself, especially not when he was so weak. Maybe when he improved to the 5-Star Opal stage he would have a better chance.
Still, he would accept this job. As far as he could see, there was no time limit to this job, so he could always get it later on.
Jax was about to speak, when Gemma suddenly spoke in his ears.
"Do not answer anything!" she shouted instantly.
Jax’s mouth was half-open when he heard her. He shut his jaw, confused and worried. Had he been about to make a wrong decision?
Gemma zipped out in front of him, her form trailing light behind her as she stopped a few inches away from his eyes.
"Since this is your first time receiving an official quest, I am obligated to warn you of the consequences of accepting these quests," Gemma said.
"Official quests?" Jax asked.
"These are quests, missions, or requests presented to a passenger of the Celestial Express by being created directly by the Navigator. Their sole purpose is to help you grow through missions and quests."
"These quests are great at improving or gaining new skills, but they are also detrimental if you accept them without knowing all of the consequences."
Jax felt a sense of anxiety. "What consequences?" he asked.
"If you accept any quest, it acts as another Requirement for you to fulfill. So, until the day you fulfill the quest, you will never be allowed to register for the next trial, regardless of whether or not you have reached the 1-Star Emerald stage and have a party of five ready to register."
Jax’s eyes widened.
That was a horrible consequence of accepting the mission, if he could never complete it.
But Jax knew he could complete it. He couldn’t do it now, but he would surely do it in the forest.
If he couldn’t even defeat a 1-Star Emerald beast before he left for the trial, then was he even worthy of taking the trial?
"Is accepting bad?" he asked. "I don’t see any issue. What is my issue?"
"I cannot tell you whether the quest is good or bad for you. I cannot even tell you whether you are receiving an official quest or not any further," Gemma said.
"Everything is for you to decide."