While playing this I had an idea for a set of mechanics for an RPG with no monsters; sadly E_NOTIME to try to implement it :(

* You go through the wilderness areas to collect ingredients: there are no monsters, but limited time/turns you can spend either walking or collecting before you need to return home (or to a inn) to rest; if you are still outdoors and get out of time you “die”, i.e. fall asleep where you are and lose everything you're carrying.
* When home (or at a school) you can use ingredients to study, which makes you more effective at finding ingredients and makes you go up through levels.
* You have a limited inventory you can carry with you, everything else needs to be used or stored at your home.
* In town areas you can talk to witches, and if you are of a high enough level and pass other conditions (pay with some specific ingredients, do something story-based) they can teach you spells.
* Most spells will make you more effective at traveling, enabling you to reach areas further out from your home, meeting more witches who can teach you different spells and so on.
* Of course, in town there are also people, and you can talk with them to further the plot (what plot? :D).