Chapter 8

"Through alchemy, a gem called a dowsing teardrop can be created."

"Oh, I remember. Dowsing is something that can find water veins and mineral veins, right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

It seems Reifan knew about it. It's no wonder he was chosen as a manager from the production guild. The knowledge comes from the alchemist's emblem, so it's not entirely certain, but based on experience, the emblem never lies, so it should be fine.

"This dowsing teardrop, when hung on a string and walked around while imagining the mineral or water vein you want to find, will light up when it detects the location where it is buried."

"I see. Craft isn't always around, after all."

"Right, to ensure we can easily get water even when Craft isn't around."

"Considering we often go out for shopping or to gather materials, having a well would be good."

"True, that would be better."

"If we can find the location of the water vein, we won't have to dig in several places at random."

"But there is one problem."

"Problem?"

"Yeah, one material is missing for making the teardrop."

"What is it?"

"A magic stone."

"Ah..."

A magic stone. It's a stone that contains magic power, obtained from creatures known as monsters or beasts. It's a versatile material used not only in alchemy but also in magical weapons, tools, and magical devices.

The magic stone we need now is of a quality that is fairly common, but a goblin-level monster is a bit insufficient.

"We'd probably need to hunt orcs."

"Orc-level magic stones, huh."

"In that case, let's send Alphard and Persia to hunt."

"No, I can't allow them to go solo, even though they are skilled."

"Then, the two of them together..."

"Even worse. Who will protect Kyle and the village? There are no more guard adventurers left."

"But Craft is here..."

"Of course, I'll do my best to protect them in an emergency, but that's a job for dedicated personnel."

Alphard, who was listening from a distance, nodded in agreement.

"Should we buy it from the town? An orc-level magic stone should be within our budget."

Generally, orc-level magic stones are the standard quality available for purchase. Goblin-level magic stones have a very low buyback price but are not popular due to their low selling price. Higher-quality magic stones are much more valuable and expensive.

"I think buying it would be the fastest, but we'll need magic stones regularly in the future."

"That's true..."

"Do we really need that much?"

"Essential for alchemy."

"I see..."

As the three of them were discussing, the hunters came rolling back from deep in the forest.

"Hey! It's bad! There's an orc village deep in the forest!"

"It's bad! There were over twenty orcs! A large village!"

"What!?"

The people working in the village let out a scream.

To the average person, orcs are demons that bring death.

Still, the timing seems almost too perfect. The adjacent forest was described as more dangerous than it looked, and this is indeed troublesome.

"Orcs..."

"Twenty is a lot. I might be a bit over my head alone."

"Huh? Can Reifan fight?"

"Gathering materials is a basic part of production jobs, right?"

"Even non-adventurers fight orcs, huh."

"Magic stones are always in short supply."

"Yeah, that makes sense."

The most stable income for adventurers comes from selling magic stones. The buyback prices are strictly set by grade, and there's no room for deception. I've benefited from this many times.

"Hmm... I'll go check it out first."

"What? Alone?"

"I was an adventurer until recently. I can handle reconnaissance."

"But you said it was unacceptable to send Alphard or Persia alone."

"Please don't lump professional soldiers and adventurers together. I'm a specialist in monsters."

"But you were a mage, right?"

"Since my magic wasn't useful, I did everything I could."

Cleaning, laundry, cooking, reconnaissance. Dagger and staff techniques, identifying herbs... I did a lot of odd jobs. Sigh.

"You've been through a lot."

"Craft..."

"Don't say it."

Fortunately, with spatial storage, there's no need for special preparation.

"I'll be back."

"Please don't overdo it. It would be better to take Alphard or Persia with you."

"The scale of the enemy is still uncertain. Those two are absolutely necessary for protecting the village. It's not just about Kyle."

"That... you're right. I understand. Be careful!"

"Don't worry. Leave it to me."

He asked the hunters for the location and headed deep into the forest. As expected, the forest called the "Forest of Evil" has poor visibility. First, we need to clear the forest near the village. Thinking about this, he cautiously approached the area.

"Twenty... no, thirty or more."

Even the adventurer parties I used to belong to, like Marboro's or Raidock's, would struggle with this number. Attacking head-on is out of the question.

"Well, let's give it a try."

There was a reason he took on this dangerous reconnaissance mission alone. It has to do with the alchemist's emblem.

When I had the mage's emblem, I used all my power to suppress the flow of magic, leaving me with only a fraction of my magic to use outside. Fortunately, the alchemist's emblem tells me that the spells I learned as a mage are still usable. Moreover, it whispers that I can use even high-level spells.

If I can really use high-level attack spells, I want to test them thoroughly. It wouldn't do to find out I can't use them when I really need to.

"Well, if it doesn't work, I'll run."

The orc village, constructed in a primitive manner. Despite being a somewhat intelligent species, orcs have a habit of attacking humans and demi-humans with a mad frenzy, making them clear enemies of humanity.

"Since we're in the forest, fire spells are out."

The fire spells I used to know might not cause a fire, but they wouldn't be able to take down even one orc. According to the knowledge from the emblem, even the same basic spell has significantly increased in power, but I need to test the details.

Earth attack spells have many quirks, so I'll rule them out for this first test. The remaining options are wind or water. Since we were just talking about water, I'll try a water attack spell.

I'll cast the spell from the edge of the visible range of the orc village, while confirming my escape route. During my adventurer days, I trained in sneaking to make the most of my weak attack spells.

At that moment, the power of the basic spells I used to cast flashed through my mind. Water bullets that only delayed the enemy, and fireballs that were only as effective as flint.

So, the spell I chose was...

"Abyssal Ice Prison of the Nether!"

It was the strongest water spell I could currently use. Also known as Cocytus. Even A-rank water mages can hardly use this spell. If I can use it properly, I would be scouted as a court mage.

Can I really use such a spell?

Despite my doubts, the emblem clearly taught me the magical formula and whispered that I could use it. So, I decided to use it as an experiment.

If it really works, it could wipe out all thirty orcs in one shot. I cast the spell with that in mind.

So.

"What... is this...?"

Before me was a scene of white.

The area, many times larger than the orc village, instantly froze, and all living things were encased in ice. The sudden drop in temperature caused the moisture in the air to freeze, creating a white mist.

"It's cold!"

A cold wind suddenly blew from the front, instantly chilling my body.

"Let me... 'Cold Resistance'!"

I immediately cast a spell to resist the cold on myself.

"Wow, this is..."

Until now, I had to strain my entire body to produce a water bullet the size of a thumb, but now the magic power flows smoothly through the magical formula, transforming into phenomena.

"Ah... this is real magic...!"

Until now, my magical abilities, which were a burden due to my inability to use high-level magic, have bloomed thanks to the alchemist's emblem. What irony.

But!

Magic should be like this!

"Alright, I can't stay here forever."

I gleefully smashed the orcs and extracted the magic stones, giving up on the other materials. Upon appraisal, the quality was sufficient to create the dowsing teardrop.

They are cheap to sell but expensive to buy.

I collected over thirty of them and returned home with a satisfied smile.

We're back to the top of the daily rankings (´ω`)

Thanks to everyone!

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