Chapter 63

A few days have passed since we discovered the spirit's drinking water. Before we knew it, more than half of our training period had already passed.

Since then, the three of us, excluding Lucius, have been diligently working on concocting the spirit's drinking water—well, we tried.

"Laura, I tried a few new methods of concoction...," Chelsea said, sighing softly as she handed me the notebook she was holding. I lowered my gaze to the notebook she offered and waited for her to continue.

"No matter which herbs I combined, I couldn't see any effects other than the recovery power. Not even the enhancement of effects, the curing of status abnormalities, or the promotion of circulation... I tried all sorts of herbs, but none of them worked."

Chelsea's weak smile, tinged with resignation, made me respond with a wry smile.

—Yes, over the past few days, we've been holed up in the concoction room, trying various methods, but we haven't made any progress. No matter which herbs we combined, the results were the same. Their effects didn't manifest at all, and everything was overwritten by the "overwhelming recovery power" of the spirit's drinking water.

"Maybe the spirit's drinking water is too powerful and cancels out other effects..."

Lina-sempai murmured, peering over my notebook.

"Perhaps it's best not to tamper with it and use it as is?"

"That might be the case. We don't know how this spring water was born, but I suspect the power of the spirits had a significant influence. It might be that we, mere humans, shouldn't interfere with the mysteries created by nature."

Lina-sempai's words made sense.

The origin of the spirit's drinking water is not revealed in "Last Brave." In fact, it's highly likely that there isn't even a setting to reveal it. After all, the spirit's drinking water is just an "all-purpose recovery item."

I don't remember it being selectable as a material in the game's [Concoction] system, and it seems to be recognized in this world as a completed, unalterable item.

"Anyway, I've already informed Casper and the others. We might end our training earlier than planned and return to the capital."

We sent a report to the capital on the day we discovered the spirit's drinking water. I expect a response to arrive today or tomorrow. The time we spend concocting now is essentially a way to pass the time while waiting for instructions from the capital.

There's a possibility that the spirit's drinking water could cure Elvira's self-destruction disease if used as is. For now, I want to prescribe it without altering it.

Even though we haven't found anything, it's not a reason to be completely discouraged. Right now, we're waiting for permission to end our expedition training early.

"I think it's best to return to the capital. While the Flaria branch has decent facilities, they can't compare to the capital. Besides, we can consult with more people in the capital."

Lina-sempai spoke in a low voice, her brows furrowed.

She's right. The Flaria branch has all the necessary facilities, materials, and herbs. With these, we probably wouldn't have any issues with regular work. However, compared to the capital, it still falls short. Not to mention, we haven't been welcomed by the Flaria branch's alchemists.

No matter how many of us brainstorm, we eventually hit a wall. We want to hear new opinions or advice from outside, but the alchemists in this town turn and leave as soon as they see us. In short, they dislike us.

Chelsea nodded hesitantly in response to Lina-sempai's words.

"The people at the Flaria branch clearly dislike us. They glare at us every time we pass in the hallway... I know it's our fault for coming during a busy period, but it's hard to know what to do when they show such open hostility."

"The branch manager is a royal alchemist, but the other alchemists are not. They are the town's alchemists. So, they might have some reservations."

Lina-sempai's words reminded me of the looks the two alchemists gave us on our first day in Flaria.

—In this country, Ostralia, alchemists are broadly divided into two categories: royal alchemists and others.

Royal alchemists, as the name suggests, are alchemists who belong to the king and the country. In my previous life, they would be like national civil servants. It's a position given only to those who pass the annual exams held in the capital.

The other alchemists are those who learn concoction methods through self-study and work in villages and towns. They are indispensable, even though they haven't passed the national exams. Especially in small villages where royal alchemists can't cover everything.

Some alchemists travel from town to town, providing treatment wherever they go, while others have a fixed base in one town. In larger towns, it's common for dedicated alchemists to be employed and given a workspace.

The Flaria branch is a "branch" prepared by the capital to dispatch royal alchemists. It's common for non-royal alchemists to be employed there. In fact, it's typical for the branch manager to be a royal alchemist, while the others are regular alchemists.

Originally, the term "royal alchemist" refers to alchemists who work in the royal castle. However, some are dispatched from the capital to branches—

Chelsea blinked several times and tilted her head slightly.

"By the way, I've been wondering, is a royal alchemist always assigned to each branch? Royal alchemists are supposed to work in the royal castle, right?"

"Yes, basically. But the country needs to keep track of and manage town alchemists to some extent, so branches are established in larger towns, and at least one royal alchemist is assigned to each. Sometimes more. From their perspective, it might feel like they're being monitored, which they might not like."

"But it's a job that deals with people's lives... I think some supervision is necessary."

I smiled wryly at my words.

Since alchemists deal with people's lives, the country can't just leave non-royal alchemists to their own devices. Therefore, branches are established in various regions, and royal alchemists are dispatched to supervise—though "monitor" might be a more accurate term from their perspective.

The branch manager of the Flaria branch is a royal alchemist, but the other alchemists are not. Their relationship is unknown, but it's no wonder they're unhappy with royal alchemists suddenly coming in and doing as they please in their territory.

"Then, will we be transferred to another branch next year? I heard our senior from the year above is at a branch?"

Chelsea's words made me flinch, but Lina-sempai immediately shook her head.

"Young alchemists are only transferred if they request it. She strongly wished to work in her hometown, and fortunately, the branch was short-staffed. Generally, it's the mid-level alchemists who are dispatched to branches, like the branch manager here."

Chelsea let out a large sigh of relief at that moment. Suddenly, the bell signaling lunchtime rang.

We all looked up. The timing was so perfect that we exchanged smiles.

Without a word, we started tidying up our desks to take a break. Time flies when you're concocting and brainstorming—though a bit of chitchat was included.

From recent experiences, I've realized that adequate rest is essential. I thought about going out to eat something delicious with everyone—then the face of my childhood friend came to mind.

Since the discovery of the spirit's drinking water, he has been practicing with the Schvaria Knights to avoid getting in our way. We've only been able to meet in the mornings and evenings for the past few days, and I thought it would be nice to have a leisurely lunch with him for the first time in a while.

"It's lunchtime, so I'll go check on Lucius. Please go ahead and eat without me."

***

On the way to the Schvaria Knights' Flaria garrison, I spotted Lucius and Olivier walking towards me. Lucius seemed to have noticed me too and waved his hand widely.

"Laura!"

I hurried over, relieved that we didn't miss each other.

"Lucius, what's up?"

"I was practicing with Olivier."

"Hello, Laura."

Olivier greeted me with his usual prince-like smile. It seemed they had built a good relationship, as he was personally training Lucius.

"Are you going to lunch? Would you like to join us?"

"Um..."

I hesitated for a moment, thinking there might be things I wanted to discuss with Lucius alone, but seeing him looking so happy, I couldn't say no and nodded.

We were led to a tavern. Despite being a tavern, it felt more like a restaurant during lunchtime, with many families present. It was a very wholesome place.

The staff led us to a booth as soon as they saw Olivier. It wasn't a private room, but it had a partition and was some distance from other customers. They must have been considerate.

We sat down and ordered the lunch set. After taking a sip of the water to calm down, Olivier spoke.

"How's the concoction going?"

"It's not going well. No matter which herbs I combine, they don't have any effect... I'm starting to think we should just prescribe it as is."

"It seems like every time you overcome one obstacle, another one appears, doesn't it?"

I nodded in agreement with Olivier's accurate description.

I knew the path to curing the self-destruction disease wouldn't be easy, but the constant emergence of problems still made me anxious. The only reason I can maintain some composure now is because there's still hope that the spirit's drinking water might work. If it doesn't have any effect when prescribed to Elvira, my heart will feel like it's being gripped tightly.

That's why I'm trying to find a way forward with the spirit's drinking water while I still have some leeway. The more possibilities and paths I can explore, the better.

"Basically, the spirit's drinking water is shrouded in mystery. It definitely has a strong recovery power, but what is its source... Even if we knew, it might not help our current situation."

Honestly, I wish I knew more about the spirit's drinking water. I understand it's an all-purpose item, but that knowledge alone is too vague to try various methods.

I recalled the scene of the spring water and the particles of light that approached the surface. Then, I remembered that my childhood friend could communicate with the spirit. From there, I arrived at a possibility.

—Could Lucius ask the spirit directly about the spring water?

"...Lucius, I have a favor to ask."

Lucius's eyes lit up as I spoke. I had a feeling he wouldn't mind being relied on.

"I want to talk to the spirit directly."

"Right now?"

He answered immediately, almost interrupting my words.

I sighed in relief, and Olivier spoke up.

"I'll come with you. I'm also interested in the spirit's drinking water."

He smiled, but his tone was more serious than usual. I tilted my head slightly, then realized he knew about Elvira's illness.

Why hadn't I noticed this before? As Arnold's master, Mercedes's twin brother, he was present when Elvira and I first met. They definitely have a connection. His willingness to help me so readily might be because he knows the whole situation.

This led to another possibility. Olivier is an elf, a race said to have the blood of the spirits who live in the sacred forest. He might be curious about the spirits, his ancestral beings.

For whatever reason, having Olivier come along is a huge help. We decided to visit the forest again after lunch, ready to act on our impulse.