was woken up by Aldith. I groaned a little as I got up, and out of force of habit, I muttered, "Vice time." A voice next to me from my glasses stated plainly, "It is January 6th, 2042. The time is 7:00 a.m., Dr. Aizawa. You have no appointments set for today." Aldith looked at me questioningly, "Why are you muttering to yourself? What was that voice? Is it magic communication?" I sighed, "No, like I said, it's not magic; it's science. It'd be too hard to explain, but think of that voice as just a helper. It's not a real person, just a voice I use to help me." Aldith still looked confused, but shrugged it off. "The elders sent word for me already. They want proof of your capabilities by the end of the day."
I straightened my slightly worn-out lab coat and nodded. "Very well, you will be my lab assistant today." Aldith frowned, "I was told to guard you to make sure you don't run away. I was never told to help." I yawned, "Jeez, what are you to them anyways? You seem to hold some kind of position." Aldith nodded, "I am the chief guard here in Sanguine Village. Not a title I take lightly. I protect the village from threats and have my own warriors that follow me. I am not some assistant to be used by an outsider."
I guess I picked my words improperly and seemed to dash her pride a little. I offered, "That came out wrong. How about a better title? Lab partner. How does that sound?" Aldith sighed, "Call me whatever you want; I won't do your bidding, mage." I smirked, "Okay, fine, I won't ask you for help then. However, as my guard, you should at least observe my work up close." I was hoping to maybe get her interest in science up, if only a little. There was something so sad about her never knowing any science. She isn't by any means a dumb woman; in fact, she is quite curious from what I know of her so far. That stoic warrior persona is just that—nothing more than something she has defensively put up over time. I see the true curious mind underneath.
I think a curious person like her could have easily ended up in a lab if she had been born on Earth. I asked her, "Do attacks like what happened in the cave happen a lot?" Aldith shook her head. "Those were merely scouts; we won't be bothered as much as you might think. We still don't have a lot of time, but we should have at least a few days or a week until they attack with a bigger force." I nodded, "Alright, let's start with food then. We can put our defense on hold for now. I want the people here to get a taste for science first. Aldith, the lights will also have to wait until after we have fended off the next wave of Kilvarians. Our priority will be food first, water second, and then defense."
Aldith questioned, "Why put defense so low on the order of priorities?" I smirked, "Glad you asked, partner. For now, we need manpower. Weapons don't produce themselves. I need the people of this village to first understand the value of science." Aldith questioned, "What's the first step then?" I pointed to the meat from yesterday. "Let me first ask how you get your food." Aldith answered, "We send men from my guard squad out of the cave to kill animals and bring their meat back."
I nodded thoughtfully. "Answer me two questions then. How do you preserve your meat? Do you incorporate farming?" Aldith stared blankly at me. "Preserve our meat? Well, we don't. As for farming, we used to farm in the outside world, but we can't really do that in this cave." I smirked, "This is worse than I thought. Even basic food preservation isn't used in this world? Alright, first things first. Let's talk farming. The meat situation will come later. You stated that farming is impossible here, but that was wrong."
Aldith looked surprised. "How can I be wrong? This environment isn't suitable for farming; there isn't any soil." I asked, "Are there mushrooms here?" Aldith scratched her head. "Mushrooms? There you go with the weird words again."
I chuckled at her confusion, realizing how foreign the concept must be to her. "Mushrooms are a type of fungus that grows in dark, damp places, like caves. They don't need sunlight like regular plants do, which makes them perfect for this environment."
Aldith raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "You want us to eat fungus?" I offered an explanation. "Mushrooms are not only edible but also nutritious. Some varieties are even considered delicacies where I come from. More importantly, they can be cultivated here, providing a steady source of food."
Aldith crossed her arms, still not convinced. "And how exactly do we 'cultivate' these mushrooms?" I smiled, my eyes practically glowing. "I'm glad you asked. The process will take cooperation from the villagers, so I will explain my plan for cultivating mushrooms later. For now, I would like to go mushroom hunting with you. Once we have enough, I will show you their value. Perhaps we can even get the villagers involved if they taste them."
Aldith rolled her eyes. "Mushroom hunting, really?" I clapped my hands together. "Once you get a taste of mushrooms, I think you'll be more enthusiastic. When done right, they are honestly amazing." Aldith sighed, her skepticism still evident but softened by a hint of curiosity. "Fine, I'll humor you. But if these mushrooms turn out to be as disgusting as they sound, don't expect me to be polite about it."
I chuckled. "Fair enough. You will be my guide. If you could lead me to a place inside the cave where it is the most damp. A damp, moist cave is sure to house some mushrooms." Aldith nodded, her guard still up as she motioned for me to follow. "Stay close, mage. I won't have you getting lost in these tunnels." We walked out of her house and towards the tunnels. Aldith looked at the man guarding the front entrance, a short blonde-haired boy even younger than me. She gave him a small smile. "Tell the Elders I am stepping out for a bit. Keep up the good work." The guard bowed pleasantly and let us through.
As we walked, I couldn't help but notice the rough, rocky walls of the cave, illuminated only by the faint glow of bioluminescent fungi already growing in patches. These fungi were likely a distant relative of the mushrooms I was hoping to cultivate.
"See those glowing patches?" I pointed out as we moved along. "Those are already a form of fungus. While they aren't the kind we want to eat, they indicate that this environment is ideal for growing other varieties."
Aldith glanced at the glowing fungi, her interest piqued despite herself. "And these are related to the mushrooms you speak of?"
"In a way, yes," I replied. "Fungi are a vast and varied kingdom of life. Some are poisonous, some are medicinal, and some are delicious. It's all about knowing which ones to pick."
Aldith asked, "Won't the mushrooms from this world be different from the ones on your planet?" I paused for a moment, considering Aldith's question. It was a valid point, one I hadn't fully addressed yet. "You're right," I began, "there's a good chance that the mushrooms here might be different from the ones on my planet. But the principles of biology are often universal. Fungi, whether on Earth or here, should have similar basic characteristics."
"Alright," I said, stopping and scanning the area. "Let's start looking. The mushrooms we're after will have a soft, spongy cap, usually a light brown or white color. They'll be growing on decaying wood or near the base of the rocks."
Aldith watched me with a mix of suspicion and intrigue as I crouched down to inspect a patch of growth near a cluster of rocks. My eyes caught sight of a cluster of mushrooms nestled against the base of a large rock. They stood out immediately, their caps a striking shade of red, almost unnaturally vibrant in the muted colors of the cave.
As I reached out, I hesitated, noticing the small white warts dotting the surface of the caps. They were raised, almost like tiny pimples, and the red of the cap seemed to darken towards the center. I felt a chill crawl up my spine, a sense of unease settling in. These weren't the harmless, edible mushrooms I was hoping to find. No, these had danger written all over them. I showed them to Aldith. "This is what I mean by common characteristics. The red, vibrant color and the warts all over the top. This mushroom is dangerous. I am not sure of the effects, but this mushroom is poisonous."
I carefully pushed one aside with a stick, revealing the underside of the cap. White gills stared back at me, almost too pristine, too pure in their color. I noticed the thin ring of tissue circling the stalk just below the cap—a telltale sign of something sinister. I knew this structure well; it was the remnants of a veil that once covered the gills, a feature common in some of the deadliest mushrooms back home.
I knelt closer, brushing away the loose soil around the base. My suspicions were confirmed when I saw the bulbous, swollen base hidden just beneath the surface. The mushroom's stalk seemed to widen at the bottom, forming a sac-like structure—a volva. This was no ordinary mushroom.
My heart pounded a little faster as I recognized the danger in front of me. These mushrooms, with their vivid colors and ominous features, were more than likely poisonous. I could almost feel the toxicity emanating from them, a silent warning to anyone who might dare to touch or consume them. I smiled. "We will have to come back and get these another time. These mushrooms, if I am not mistaken, can kill with just a touch."
Aldith looked surprised. "A tiny little thing like this can kill with just a touch? No way." I laughed. "Yes way. These are rare. I think these mushrooms could make deadly weapons if we gather enough of them. Devil's Eye seems it could be a fitting name for these mushrooms. Let's move on; we aren't here for weapons today, although I will note that these are here." With that, we set off once again in search of the edible mushrooms that could lead to prosperity for the village.