Chapter 87

"Welcome."

As I stepped through the doorway, the shopkeeper greeted me with those words.

...The strange, pungent odor that still lingered in the store was as it always was. The source of the smell remained unknown.

The shopkeeper was also as usual. She greeted me with a languid expression, propping her cheek on the counter.

Beatrix the alchemist. I met her through the Adventurer's Guild when I first came to Termwillis. She had created a familiar for me, Caduceus, for my previous request.

"I would like to hear about the progress of my previous request."

"Oh—yes, that one."

Beatrix brought out a small glass bottle and a thick book. I could see a light pink powder inside the bottle.

It was the drug that Catherine had intended to slip to my father.

Clearly, I couldn't make any headway without the help of an expert. I had commissioned her to identify the drug, and there was no one else I could turn to.

Since everyone had their own business today, and my schedule was free, I came to check on the progress with Beatrix.

"It's not a regular drug, but a magic potion. I had to dig through my storage and research, which led me to some very old documents."

...So, it's a drug that even a skilled alchemist has to research to identify.

"Thank you for your trouble."

"It's not a bother; it's also a learning experience."

Beatrix said this with a somewhat bright expression—perhaps the results were promising?

"From the smell and color, I usually narrow it down to a few candidates... but it was hard to find anything similar. I had to search through the secret books passed down from my master's master to finally find it."

The thick book smelled quite musty... it was from two generations ago. It must be a very valuable book.

"...Will there be an additional fee?"

Given that the information came from an alchemist's secret book, it seemed the original price might not be enough.

"Hmm? It's only fair to charge the amount we agreed upon, right? I was the one who underestimated the cost, so I need to improve my skills. This time, I gained a lot of new knowledge."

She pushed the book forward.

...Indeed. Given that she was introduced through the Adventurer's Guild, Beatrix seems to be not only skilled but also trustworthy in terms of professional ethics.

Or perhaps... the fact that she underestimated the cost is a matter of pride as an alchemist.

"Then, I will gratefully review it."

Opening the page with a bookmark, I found a description of a magic potion called "Alraune's Kiss."

The name suggests that it is made primarily from the roots of Alraune... but reading it, I found many parts that were hard to understand. As expected of an alchemist's secret book, it seems to be filled with metaphors, hidden meanings, and codes.

Beatrix, who seemed to understand, started by explaining the effects of the drug, which I was most curious about.

"It's a magic potion that can control the person who takes it, making them follow the commands of the first person who calls their name. The controlled person has no memory of the time they were under the influence."

Hearing this, I couldn't help but frown. Indeed, it seemed more suitable for Catherine to use in that situation than a poison or a sleeping drug.

"Alraune's Kiss. It's not a drug that is used for proper purposes, is it?"

Beatrix said this, and I agreed. I had told her that I found it in a treasure chest in the dungeon as insurance, but...

The effects seem to be temporary, but given its nature, it would be possible to keep the person under control as long as the drug is available and administered within the effective time.

I had heard that in the real world, there is something called zombie powder in voodoo, which can turn people into zombies. This drug might be similar.

For Catherine, this drug would be perfect for dealing with a crisis. She could control my father to solve problems or cast a subservience spell while he was under the influence of the drug.

"It's a very rare drug. In fact, it might be something that shouldn't be passed down to future generations. It's only natural that it's kept secret."

"...Yes, I agree."

"The ingredients are also quite rare, and the manufacturing process is time-consuming and labor-intensive."

The method of making it is also written, but this part is also coded. Of course, the method is a secret.

"This part means that the Alraune roots should be dried, powdered, and exposed to the light of the full moon multiple times."

Just this one step alone could take several months... and if the full moon is cloudy or rainy, it won't go as planned, so it might take years.

The ingredients were also provided, but excluding Alraune, they are supposedly obtainable in the dungeon. However, to gather them, one would need a considerable level of skill, at least mid-level in BFO terms.

Continuously controlling someone with this drug would be quite costly and difficult to sustain. It would only be useful in critical situations.

"Alraune requires the roots of a mandrake that has been fed human blood. That's why it's said to grow in execution grounds."

Is it a variant of the mandrake?

In any case, it's clear that it's not something that can be easily obtained. It's unlikely that Catherine would have been using it regularly.

If that's the case, where did Catherine get this drug? Was it a last resort she prepared in case her position became precarious due to her actions being discovered?

To begin with, it's strange that Catherine, who is not well-versed in magic, would know about such a secret drug.

Considering her connections, it would likely be the Broderick family.

Whether the marquis is involved in the staff's affairs or not, Byron's influence would increase if he became the head of the family.

If Catherine felt threatened by my situation, it wouldn't be unreasonable to think that the marquis would prepare this for her.

Catherine could have sent a letter and had the drug ready for when she visited Termwillis.

If we investigate the pharmacists and alchemists employed by or associated with the Broderick family or noble families close to them, we might be able to narrow down the source of the drug.

In that case, we should use Sheila's connections. The information network of the Thieves' Guild would be useful for the investigation.

"Was I of any help?"

"Yes, it was very helpful."

I paid the success fee. Beatrix, upon receiving it, raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"...It seems like quite a lot."

"If you do a good job, it's only fair to pay more as a customer."

"I see. If that's the case, I'll gratefully accept it. I hope you continue to favor me in the future."

Beatrix smiled. Well, it's also a kind of hush money, I suppose.

I had been saving the money I was given when I left the earldom, intending to return it if necessary.

If I were to be interfered with by someone like Catherine, I expected that they would try to use the money to gain favor.

However, the situation has changed. If I return the money, my father might be disappointed, so it feels like the money is just floating in limbo.

Leaving Beatrix's shop, I walked through the town, lost in thought.

Not only about the source of the drug, but there was something else that had been bothering me for the past few days.

Namely, who provided Byron with information about my family. Would the servants, who didn't even give information to Catherine, provide it to him?

If he had followed my father immediately after he left the house, he would have confronted my father who was waiting in the carriage. In that case, Byron must have learned about my family's location after that.

It's unlikely that the Broderick family provided the information. If they had, they would have first informed me of my title and advised caution.

Some time has passed since then, but it seems that the commotion in the Broderick family has been contained and hasn't become a rumor. If it had, it would have reached me through Alfred.

Who did this, and for what purpose?

It doesn't seem like the goal was to cause a commotion using Byron.

To immediately act rashly upon hearing the information and confront my family seems a bit too hasty to be part of a plan.

Hmm. Was it an attempt to create a connection with Byron?

If that's the case, it failed because he acted rashly. It's a rather foolish story, given that they acted on the assumption that I had a title.

Who did this and with what intention... it's still not clear. If I follow the interests, I might be able to narrow it down eventually.

If it was done for a purpose other than the Broderick family, they will take action at some point.

For now, my family has calmed down, but I need to repay the favor for the trouble they caused.