Chapter 19

Well, now I've got the last of the quest targets, the third one, Shushusa.

It seems to be much larger than the usual ones, but is this also due to Noem's skill effect?

However, there's still a problem.

"How are we supposed to transport this?"

Shushusa apparently decomposes upon contact with air. Even now, after pulling it out of the mercury slime's body, if you listen closely, you can hear a faint fizzing sound.

It's not changing that rapidly, but if left alone, this red stone will surely dissolve in the air and disappear.

That wouldn't be so bad, but if the decomposed Shushusa components react and turn back into mercury, creating new Mercury Slimes, it could cause significant damage.

What should we do?

"Then, leave it to me, Master."

There, the demon spirit Abinion appears.

"If you let me take this stone into my body, it should be fine. My spirit form is isolated from the outside world, so it won't come into contact with the air, you see?"

"Wow, what a convenient ghost."

"Hehehe, it's about time I got to be of use. I would have been a failure as your familiar if I just stood around watching, you know."

That's not true, right?

The lady ghost in the dress flipped her long skirt and covered the large red stone, swallowing it with a gulp.

"…Can you really take it out later?"

"? Of course, it would be meaningless if I couldn't, right?"

Beside her, the dungeon guide was pale and sweating.

"Your level, skills, and rank are unbelievable…!!"

◆

After completing everything we needed to do, we returned to the Adventurer's Guild.

"I've brought the items you ordered."

The dragon root of Sususuki.

The sword horn of Shishika.

Shushusa (extra large).

We lined them all up in front of Rondait.

"…You guys always exceed my expectations."

Rondait's cheeks twitched. Even such a gesture looks good on a tall, beautiful woman.

"You didn't need to rush so much, did you? I didn't say you had to find everything in one exploration. It's fine to take your time and find one type at a time…!?"

Well, since we've already brought them, please just accept them and complete the quest.

"Ah, that's a problem. To be honest, we weren't prepared for this. We weren't ready to receive them."

"Receive them?"

"Let me introduce you to this person."

The person introduced was a middle-aged man with a rich mustache, looking like he was in his prime. Despite his mustache, his hair was neatly styled, and he didn't look unkempt.

"This is Master Senjui of the Craft Guild."

"Craft Guild?"

It sounds familiar, but I can't quite place it.

The newly introduced Senjui was captivated by the items we had lined up.

"Really… to gather such rare items…! It's said that it takes A-rank adventurers years to gather these three materials. And all of these are high-rank rare drops…!?"

"Whenever I leave it to them, they always exceed my expectations."

Rondait seemed resigned to it. Anyway, we need to put Shushusa back in Abinion to prevent it from dissolving in the air.

"Um, I'm not following the story here…?"

"Ryuya and the others did a great job. This quest was definitely an A-rank, and to complete it in such a short time is really impressive."

She put her hand on my shoulder.

"But, in fact, this quest isn't over yet. From here on, we need to hand it over to the Craft Guild…"

She glanced at the mustachioed gentleman.

Craft Guild.

I just remembered, it's the guild where production jobs gather, like alchemists, blacksmiths, and carpenters. Why is the guild master here?

"Are you going to make something with the materials we collected?"

Noem, who always stays by my side, said.

"I had a hunch while we were collecting them. The root of Sususuki soothes pain and suffering, the horn of Shishika is a restorative, and Shushusa is a key ingredient for the Philosopher's Stone, which is said to cure all diseases and grant immortality."

"Good job, Noem. You're right on all counts."

"The three main ingredients are… an Ex-Potion, right?"

Ex… Potion…

"What is that?"

"You know what a potion is, right? Think of it as the super version. It's said to heal all wounds, regrow severed limbs, and even replenish lost blood. Well, it's not something you'd need, of course."

That's not true at all.

"Actually, the quest was commissioned by the royal palace. It's a joint request from our Adventurer's Guild and the Craft Guild."

"The Adventurer's Guild collects the materials, and the Craft Guild uses them to create Ex-Potions. The royal palace has ordered us to deliver at least ten bottles of Ex-Potions."

The master of the Craft Guild said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"The battle with the demons in the northeast is not going well. There are many injured, and the doctors and healers can't keep up, so they're trying to supplement with medicine."

"An Ex-Potion can completely heal ten severely injured people. However, this time, the royal palace's request is too much. I intend to respectfully decline."

What? Why?

We've gathered all the ingredients for the Ex-Potion.

"It's not as simple as just having the materials. An Ex-Potion is a 'spiritual medicine' second only to the Elixir. Its production requires advanced techniques. If even a little is missing, valuable materials will be wasted. Moreover…"

What?

"An alchemist is required to produce an Ex-Potion. A potion maker can make up to a High Potion, but an Ex-Potion requires an alchemy process, so an alchemist is absolutely necessary. However, there are no alchemists in our Craft Guild…!"

Noem's body trembled slightly.

"There can't be none at all, right!?"

"Alchemists are that rare. It's a blessing to have even one in the country. That's why everyone goes crazy when someone is granted an alchemy-related skill during a blessing ceremony."

Is it okay to say that here?

Where Noem can hear it…

"Without the necessary hands, I can't make a promise. I'm sorry for your efforts, but…"

"Wait."

Noem said.

"I will make the Ex-Potion."

"Huh? Who are you? What are you saying…!?"

"I have the 'Alchemical King' skill. The recipe for the Ex-Potion is in my head."

"Huh!?"

"I collected the materials for the quest with Ryuya. The quality is better than usual, so I think we can produce more than ten bottles! Please, let me handle it! I beg you!"

She left the room, holding the horn and root she had collected from the dungeon.

"Hey, wait a minute, that's…!"

"It's fine. If you don't intend to make the Ex-Potion, those materials are useless. We should be able to use them as we see fit."

"Maybe…!"

The master of the Craft Guild, unsure of what to do, turned to Rondait in confusion.

"Hey, Adventurer's Guild Master! What's going on!? Is she really skilled in alchemy!? Why didn't you tell us!? We've been desperate for an alchemist…!"

"I'm sorry, it was her own wish."

That's right.

Noem, who had suddenly acquired the 'Alchemical King' skill, had been avoiding using her own skill, as it had completely changed her life.

"And this time, she decided to use her skill on her own. What kind of change in her mindset is this? Maybe she realized she needed to face her power because of a man who was close to her."

"Huh?"

And so, Noem, fully utilizing her skill, immersed herself in making the Ex-Potions…

◆

"I'm done! Three hundred bottles of Ex-Potions!!"

"That's a lot!!"

We only ordered ten bottles, right!?

Why did you make so many beyond the limit!?!