Chapter 16

Alkimas Workshop (2)

Potion Shop.

Looking at the various potions sealed in flasks with cork stoppers, I felt a strangely laboratory-like atmosphere.

After a while, the clerk who had hurriedly rushed out returned with two figures.

A woman with dry, lusterless hair and a dull robe, and a man who seemed to be her guard.

I immediately knew who the woman was.

'Scarlet.'

I hadn’t planned to meet her, but somehow it turned out this way.

Since the customer was willing to buy an item worth 3 platinum coins, it was only natural for the owner to come out herself.

【Lv.41】

And the man... he must be her brother, right?

I knew Scarlet had a brother.

I remembered that he, unlike Scarlet, had chosen the path of swordsmanship to contribute to the workshop’s defense. At this level, he was quite a formidable fighter.

Scarlet, upon spotting me, approached briskly and greeted me.

"I’m Scarlet, the owner of the workshop."

Her eyes were weary, and her voice was filled with fatigue.

I wasn’t surprised, as I remembered her character in the game was set to be half-crazed with alchemy research.

"Have you heard the story? Do you really intend to buy Scarlet?"

The name of the potion sounded strange for some reason.

I nodded.

"Is the payment in advance?"

"No, just half the price in advance. Actually, I came to explain the effects of the potion..."

She looked at me with a peculiar expression, perhaps finding my willingness to buy without asking questions unusual.

"May I ask where you’re from, if it’s not too much trouble?"

"Do I have to say?"

"Not necessarily, but it’s more comfortable to know the identity of the buyer. After all, this is a product containing my vision."

That makes sense.

I thought she might be concerned about connections with dangerous organizations or other workshops.

A customer willing to pay 3 platinum coins upfront couldn’t be just anyone.

After a moment’s thought, I replied.

"I’ll tell you when we find the item."

"Understood. I’ll serve you some tea; please have a seat for a moment."

She smoothly changed the topic and led me to the workshop’s main building.

I had only intended to look around, but it turned out this way.

While drinking tea, I listened to Scarlet’s explanation of the potion.

"Firstly, it’s a healing potion with an extremely high regeneration effect. It can even reattach severed parts if not too much time has passed. It can also repair internal injuries to a certain extent when consumed. Of course, it’s much more effective when applied directly."

"Is it impossible to regenerate a completely severed part?"

At my question, Scarlet looked at me with a slightly bewildered expression.

"Something like that would probably require an elixir."

An elixir is a term used to describe the most potent remedies in the continent. In other words, it was a way of saying, "Don’t be ridiculous."

"How long does it take to fully recover a broken bone?"

I asked this to compare the effects of my instant regeneration and the top-tier potion.

Scarlet answered.

"It varies depending on the part and severity, but a finger fracture usually heals within a minute. Arms and legs take a few minutes. Of course, it must be used after the bone is properly aligned."

Indeed, my instant regeneration was far superior.

"Other secondary effects include..."

While listening to her explanation, I was momentarily lost in thought.

Scarlet is an outstanding alchemist.

I don’t know her exact current level, but in the game’s story, she created a remedy that, while not an elixir, was comparable to one.

Even if she doesn’t reach that level immediately, she has the potential to do so in the future. It wouldn’t hurt to maintain a connection with her.

In the game, Scarlet’s first appearance was alongside the declining Alkimas Workshop.

This was due to the Valia Trading Company’s various dirty tricks, driven by their desire for the workshop’s potion-making abilities and Scarlet’s vision.

'They say the northern trade routes of Enrock are almost monopolized.'

I learned more detailed circumstances from Ploto, the butler.

No matter how prestigious the Alkimas Workshop was in the capital, it couldn’t compete with the Valia Trading Company in terms of capital and connections.

If the future unfolds as I know it, Alkimas will be half-absorbed by the company and completely tied down.

And according to the story, the workshop would regain its identity thanks to the player’s efforts...

'Now, I can just solve it myself.'

This was a simple matter with my current power.

After hearing the detailed usage and precautions, the explanation of the potion was complete.

As we wrapped up the conversation, I asked Scarlet.

"How long does it take to produce?"

"At least a month. But..."

Scarlet hesitated before continuing.

"To be honest, I already have a completed bottle of Scarlet."

I tilted my head.

Didn’t she say the potion wasn’t made in advance?

She explained calmly.

"I received a custom order from the mayor of Dartmud City recently, but the deal fell through just before the transaction."

"Why?"

"He was caught in a corruption scandal, stripped of his position, and had his assets seized by the royal court. The advance payment was also recovered during the financial investigation, leaving me with the inventory and a dilemma."

I see.

"So, I can give you the completed potion right away, but if you don’t want a pre-made one, I can make a new one."

"Does the potion’s effectiveness decrease over time?"

"Unless it’s been years, I can guarantee that there will be no decrease in effectiveness. I stake my and my workshop’s reputation on it."

I nodded.

"Then I’ll take that one."

Surprised by my quick acceptance, Scarlet looked taken aback.

"I’m grateful, but are you sure it’s okay?"

"There’s no reason not to trust you, considering you brought up the issue of the pre-made potion and asked for my opinion."

If she really wanted to get rid of the inventory, she wouldn’t have mentioned it.

Who would know if she had passed off a newly made one as a month-old product?

The transaction was immediately completed.

A short while later, Scarlet brought the potion. It was sealed in a luxurious wooden box.

I paid 3 platinum coins, took the potion, and left the workshop with her farewell.

"By the way, you said you’d tell me where you’re from after receiving the item."

Ah, that’s right.

I looked at Scarlet and said.

"I’ll see you again soon, so let’s leave it for later."

Scarlet looked puzzled but nodded.

As I walked down the street, I took the potion out of the box and examined it.

The red liquid swirled in the glass bottle.

Since I no longer needed potions, I had no use for it.

I bought it out of curiosity, as I had more than enough money.

Even if I didn’t need it, it could serve as an emergency medicine for Ashel in the future.

'I’d like to see its effects firsthand...'

As I thought this, a sudden, desperate cry reached my ears.

"Help! Please, someone!"

Looking in the direction of the voice, I saw two dirty boys.

One was supporting the other, who was bleeding from the stomach, and shouting.

However, the passersby ignored them or tutted.

"What’s all the noise? They must have been fighting in the back alleys this morning."

...Ah, that’s it.

From the indifferent comments, I understood the situation.

The supporting boy, also injured, soon collapsed from exhaustion.

He continued to plead for help with the last of his strength.

"It’s my brother! If anyone has a potion, please help! I’ll never forget your kindness, please..."

Someone sneered.

"Is the kid crazy? Who would waste a precious potion on a dying brat?"

No one offered help despite his desperate cries.

As I watched, I noticed Ashel’s expression.

Her usually emotionless face was showing a rare sign of empathy as she looked at the boys.

'Remember, Ashel also had a brother.'

Her brother died right before her eyes during the invasion of Sainthea, one of the Five Stars, the Creator of the Sword. That was the setting I remembered.

So, this scene must be particularly distressing for her.

Azel glanced at the potion in my hand. Our eyes met, and she flinched.

She seemed to want to say something but ended up biting her lip without a word.

'This is frustrating.'

I clicked my tongue and approached the boys.

Regardless of Ashel, I had already decided to help. How could a potion, no matter how precious, be more valuable than a human life?

As I got closer, the boy who was shouting looked at me.

"Put him down. I’ll treat him."

I opened the stopper and slowly poured the potion onto the wound.

The brother, who had been unconscious, opened his eyes, blinking.

The boy, who had been frantically checking his brother’s condition, finally sobbed.

"Thank you! Sir! Thank you so much..."

I stood up and turned to leave, leaving the grateful boy behind.

As I walked with Ashel, I said.

"Ashel."

"Yes."

"Did you think I would begrudge this potion? Or that I didn’t think their lives were worth saving?"

"..."

"I want you to speak your mind. I don’t want you to be a puppet that only follows orders."

"..."

"Understood."

A moment of silence followed, then she spoke again.

"Thank you for helping them."

Her tone was awkward.

She cleared her throat after speaking, as if aware of her awkwardness.

I chuckled inwardly.

I felt that the distance between us had slightly narrowed, though I wasn’t sure if it was just my imagination.

***

"Who could it have been, sister?"

At Tain’s question, Scarlet shrugged.

"I don’t know either."

"To be honest, I’m a bit worried. He paid such a huge sum right away..."

"Well, from what he said, he seems to be coming back soon. We’ll find out then."

Scarlet was also curious about his identity.

His attitude, treating 3 platinum coins like pocket change without even a contract, was unusual.

Even a wealthy noble or a high-ranking aristocrat would find it hard to do that.

Some people tried to show off their wealth before making business proposals, but no one would do so with platinum coins. At that level, it wasn’t even considered showing off.

'Black hair, golden eyes, human male...'

Who could this person be?

He might be from a different faction, not Caldric.

Tain mused.

"By the way, there’s a rumor that one of the Seven Lords who arrived in the city yesterday is a black-haired human male..."

They looked at each other and fell silent.

Scarlet chuckled.

"Let’s not jump to conclusions."

"Ha ha, of course. I was just thinking out loud."

A lord visiting a workshop directly seemed far-fetched.

It would be more realistic if it were a royal from a neutral country.

Her thoughts naturally turned to the Seven Lords.

A shadow crossed Scarlet’s face.

Regardless of who the new Seven Lord was, the problem with the Valia Trading Company was more pressing.

She knew that the company hadn’t been able to act due to the thorough regency of the acting lord.

But now, with the new Seven Lord’s ascension, that was over.

It was clear that the company would soon start targeting the workshop again.

'The royal court’s mediation can’t be expected.'

The possibility of the lord showing any interest in a dispute between a workshop and a trading company was zero.

If the lord was indifferent, the high officials would naturally side with the company, which could offer them more benefits.

Scarlet sighed, remembering the troubles with the company a few years ago.

As the head of the workshop and the Artima family, her responsibilities were heavy and significant.

"How nice it would be to focus solely on alchemy research without worrying about anything else."

Tain looked at her with a serious expression.

"Don’t worry too much, sister. The company will be busy gauging the situation and won’t act immediately..."

At that moment.

Knock knock.

"Come in."

A retainer entered with a dark expression.

"What is it?"

"The head of the Valia Trading Company has come to the workshop with Bark."

"..."

"He wants to have a formal discussion to adjust our positions."

Scarlet burst out in a hollow laugh.

"Coming unannounced and demanding a formal discussion..."

"What should we do, head of the family?"

"Call all the elders. We need to hear what they have to say, no matter how absurd."

It was essentially a threat, and she couldn’t ignore it.

Though she spoke calmly, her face was filled with deeper worry.

The company was acting much faster than she had anticipated.