Chapter 82

Master decided to stay at my house. With Master around, I took precautions, like setting up a magical barrier to ensure proper defense...

At night, when Leonis came to check on things, he deliberately broke the barrier, and I had to set it up again. He also instructed me to make it even stronger. Well, if I reinforced it so much that even Leonis couldn't enter, my MP would be drained, so I made it just strong enough.

The next day, Master gave me another lesson because the previous one was interrupted.

We completed the "Rodiaura Water Medicine." The purpose is to mix it with herbal tea to mitigate the toxic elements. Of course, the ingredients won't have any negative interactions.

However, if we compare "Alchemical Reagent" and "Rodiaura Water Medicine," the "Alchemical Reagent" is the better choice.

First, for my brother, it's more reliable to use the alchemical reagent to quickly expel the toxins from his body. He shouldn't ingest the drug's components, so he doesn't need to drink the Rodiaura Water Medicine.

So, who would need this medicine?

With the alchemical reagent, you can delay the onset of its effects to target specific areas more precisely. The Rodiaura Water Medicine, in addition to delaying the effects, temporarily enhances abilities and suppresses toxic components. While it's not perfect, it's more effective than the "Poison Herb Tea" alone.

"Master, about the price of this medicine..."

"Yeah. Rodiaura itself is a rare and expensive ingredient. Since it's also an advanced-level potion, the price has gone up significantly."

That's right. The medicine we made together is so difficult that I might fail if I tried to make it alone. The potion Master made with the master alchemist is at an intermediate level, so the difficulty is two levels lower.

Regarding the price... roughly, a month's supply of Rodiaura Water Medicine costs 70,000 to 100,000G. During summer, when the flowers are in bloom, the ingredients are easier to extract, making the price lower. In autumn and winter, when extraction is more difficult, the price is higher. It's a fluctuating price, and it's expensive enough to be mentioned loudly.

What about the alchemical reagent? It can be made for 800G for 30 uses. This is more practical as a regular medicine. However, because it contains magic stones, you need to take a suppressant once a week.

"This is my pride. I couldn't make a practical medicine... but just knowing that is enough."

Master looked at the Rodiaura Water Medicine with a somewhat relieved expression. The work we did yesterday and today was to teach me how to create new medicines, how to change ingredients to make the same medicine, and to guide me through each step very carefully. There's no substitute for Rodiaura, so the high price won't change.

This was a lesson for me, and I think Master already had the formula in mind. It wasn't created from scratch on the spot.

The bitter expression on Master's face when he first saw the tea leaves from my brother. Perhaps some old grudge was resolved. Master will investigate the registration of the recipe later and take me along if he decides to register it.

"Oh, it seems someone else is here."

"Master, please stay here. I'll go check, but don't come until I say it's okay, alright?"

It could be a regular customer, but since it's the day after yesterday and the noise is coming from the shop, there's a possibility of danger. I reinforced the request for Master to stay put and went upstairs.

When I checked the upper room, there was no one there.

On the counter in the shop was a letter.

"Your cute pet is in my care. If you want it back, come to the designated place with Pamela. —Christina"

What a fool. I know it's a trap. Does she really think someone would take the risk of bringing a national treasure like Master?

Even if we're cornered, she's calling both me and Master. I know it's a trap, but it's still too foolish. The most important thing is Master's safety. I can't let him fall into their hands. He needs to be in a safe place...

After some thought, I returned to the basement. I hid the letter. I think it's better not to tell Master, even though it might be hard on him.

"What's wrong?"

"Well... Momo ran out as soon as I opened the door."

"Oh... that's unusual. I thought that kitten was smart."

"Maybe... because I left her alone yesterday and today, she's sulking... Master, I'll go look for Momo."

Since the work is already done, it shouldn't be a problem to interrupt it here. I'll say I'm looking for Momo to ensure Master stays in a safe place.

"Is that so? ...Do you need any help?"

"......Can you check if Momo is at the Adventurer's Guild? I'll go to the church. I think she might have gone to see Marry or the priest."

"......Sure. I'll go to the Adventurer's Guild and see Leopold too."

Master sighed and headed to the Adventurer's Guild. After confirming this, I pretended to go to the church and left town.

The designated place is outside the west gate, in a sparsely populated area with dense trees, making it hard to notice.

Once I'm outside the gate, I might be visible to the other side. First, I'll use life detection and magic detection from within the town to gauge the number of people. If there are 20 or more, I'll need to request reinforcements...

But after checking, there are 7 people... and a small animal, which I assume is Momo. Assuming Christina, Master's former disciple, is here, that leaves 6 people.

They're likely strong, but with some ingenuity, I might be able to handle them. If I had my brother's sharp eyesight, I could identify them, but that's not possible.

Thinking back to when I was beaten up... the narcissistic leader is probably here. He mentioned receiving support from a noble, and there aren't many adventurers who would oppose Master, so it's unlikely that a new person was hired by the Alchemist Guild. However, the number of adventurers from other regions has increased, so it's not impossible.

The expected lineup: the narcissist, the healer, and the female mage who was with him. The healer is definitely by his side, and the other woman might be there out of rivalry... three are confirmed. If they're acting as a party, there might be a tank and a scout for balance.

I want to get revenge on the low-level guy who beat me up... but for now, I'll focus on the expected lineup. Since we're already enemies, and they're using the cat as leverage, I have to take them seriously... let's go!

Normally, I'm not allowed, but I'll go out through the back gate for carriages and circle around to the back of the west gate. If I'm seen, I won't be able to surprise them.

"Hmm?"

I approached quietly and observed. As expected, there was an old woman with heavy makeup... Christina (tentatively), the narcissist, the healer, the female mage, the tank, and the low-level guy who beat me up. So far, so good. As expected.

There's one more person I don't recognize... he wasn't there before. And... he has a dangerous aura. Our eyes met... but he's smiling. He's not showing any hostility and doesn't seem to want to alert the others. I thought about running... but my intuition kicked in. It seems that attacking now is the right choice. Wait, what kind of situation is it where attacking is safer?

"From his demeanor, he doesn't seem to be an adventurer but rather someone serving a noble."

That person is neutral. Well, he's on their side, but the fact that he's not doing anything even though he noticed me suggests he's a liaison for the earl's family and won't interfere. His purpose might be to assess me. That's why not attacking would be more dangerous...

I thought about it, but staying here won't do any good. Alright, let's go!