Chapter 33
Light novel: Episode 33
Manhwa: Chapter 14
“To think I’d ever end up doing something like this in my life.”
I really didn’t want to do this either.
But it’s not like I can go around cutting other people just to test a potion’s effect.
If I do, that would obviously spark rumors again, something about the Saintess going on another rampage or whatnot.
More than anything, there was another reason I had to do this alone.
【Activating skill ‘Blessing’.】
I imbued the potion with a blessing.
A faint reddish hue tinged the once-bright orange liquid.
This was what I’d been curious about from the beginning.
If a divine relic imbued with a blessing could ease Lute’s pain, then shouldn’t it be possible to apply that effect to a potion, too?
Without hesitation, I drank the potion.
For some reason, it seemed to go down more smoothly than before.
Naturally, the effect was different too.
“Wow, it’s getting better.”
The wound on my left forearm, which had been bleeding profusely, began to heal rapidly. It healed so quickly that it was clearly visible to the naked eye.
It took only a little over a minute for the cut to close, to the point where only a faint reddish mark remained.
It was nowhere near the speed of the potion Idella made in the original story, but considering this came from a blessing of a Saintess with 10% divine power, it was an impressive result.
If a better potion was used as the base, the effect would likely double.
“Guess I’ll just have to bless all the potions before they’re distributed in the future.”
The only issue was, I couldn’t let Airek find out I was using blessings so I’d have to do it in secret.
But how?
I stared down at the potion, racking my brain.
Ha, I don’t know why I have to lie so much in my second life.
* * *
“This isn’t right either.”
Inside the potion laboratory.
After the first batch of samples passed Saintess Ordell’s inspection, the potion team threw themselves even harder into improving the formula.
Ordell had said they could take their time, but the alchemists, completely obsessed with their research, had been glued to the potions day and night.
No matter how much they experimented, they couldn’t produce anything better than the potions currently sold by practicing alchemists.
“It contains the divine power of the Sun God, so it should absolutely be better than normal alchemy potions.”
Zenrick tore at his hair in frustration.
The result was evident, yet the path to that result remained elusive, and it was driving him crazy.
“If I can just find the right ratio between these two ingredients, I can make it perfect—!”
“You still haven’t given up on combining those two conflicting ingredients?”
Wolfgang, whose face was just as dark and exhausted as Zenrick’s, clicked his tongue.
“Even ordinary people know that mixing amine flowers and lindal grass creates poison. Isn’t it time to give up your stubbornness?”
Amine flowers, known for its stabilizing effect, and lindal grass, which has hemostatic properties, were both ingredients often used in potion making.
However, shockingly, when mixed together, they become a deadly poison.
So many had died after unknowingly using the two together that it became common knowledge, even among non-alchemists.
That’s why Wolfgang was so frustrated that Zenrick still hadn’t abandoned the idea.
“This isn’t stubbornness. And it’s not baseless either.”
Zenrick ruffled his already-messy hair roughly,
“I was so curious about why those two plants were incompatible that I spent about two years researching it…”
Wolfgang didn’t mock him for wasting two years on a seemingly fruitless pursuit.
It was common for alchemists, who couldn’t stand not knowing something, to dive deep into mysteries.
“In terms of raw components, there’s no real conflict between them. In fact, they go very well together.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. But the problem is, if even one side is slightly too strong, the effect becomes dangerously potent.”
Just because a medicine is strong doesn’t mean it’s always good.
Sometimes, too much of a good thing can actually cause more harm than good.
“So if we just get the mix exactly right, everything will fall into place.”
He was talking about a formula so precise it would likely require decimal-point refinement far below the hundredths place.
Honestly, it was painstaking grunt work but Zenrick was determined to see it through.
How could he call himself an alchemist if he couldn’t even solve a question like this?
As Zenrick clenched both fists in burning resolve, Wolfgang let out a weary sigh.
“…And what if you fail, and the Saintess kicks you out? For now, just focus on fixing the potion’s effectiveness.”
“Hey! Don’t jinx it!”
Zenrick’s voice rose slightly at Wolfgang’s discouraging comment.
“…Y-you’re not fighting, are you?”
Lana, who had been buried in her books in one corner of the lab, asked quietly.
Ever since the incident where she split the marble floor, Zenrick and Wolfgang had become extremely attuned to her voice. They immediately denied it with vigor.
“Fighting? No way. I’m just a little hurt by what he said!”
“I was only worried the Saintess might really kick him out!”
As they worked hard to emphasize that this wasn’t a fight, Lana smiled in relief.
“That’s good to hear…!”
The two men were glad too. That they managed to calm things down before Lana raised her fist again.
Zenrick and Wolfgang secretly let out sighs of relief.
“Also… I don’t think the Saintess would kick us out just because we haven’t delivered results yet.”
At that moment, Lana spoke in a tone firmer than usual.
For someone who typically feared the Saintess, it was a surprising statement.
“…It’s just… the current Saintess doesn’t seem like the kind who would.”
Zenrick and Wolfgang both widened their eyes, and Lana blushed and lowered her head deeply.
Now that they thought about it, people had been saying the current Ordell had turned over a new leaf.
They’d heard several warnings around the temple that her true personality was terrifying, so it was best to tread carefully.
They said she was scarier than Lana, so how terrifying could she be?
The two of them simultaneously looked at the shattered marble floor Lana had once destroyed.
Repairs still hadn’t been fully completed, and the memory of that day came back to them vividly.
‘If Priestess Lana is like this, then with the Saintess’s far greater divine power… forget the floor—could she break the pillars? Or even the whole building itself?’
Just imagining it gave them chills.
They silently swore to themselves.Never mess with either Lana or Ordell.
* * *
“Oh, Saintess.”
I was having tea with Monica and Victoria in the garden when I turned my head.
Zenrick, looking like death warmed over, was staggering toward us.
“…Didn’t I tell you that sleep isn’t something you postpone until death?”
“I just… couldn’t sleep, not when the research was going nowhere…”
Seeing his bitter smile, I sighed and patted the seat next to me.
“Come have a cup of tea and take a break.”
Zenrick didn’t refuse. He slowly trudged over and plopped down with a thud. He looked almost like a zombie.
“You know, sometimes the best ideas come not when you’re squeezing your brain dry, but when you’re resting.”
I offered him some comfort. Honestly, I was in the same boat.
I still hadn’t figured out what excuse to use for the blessing I’d cast on the potion, so I ended up just hanging around outside idly like this, not actively thinking about it.
Still, I wasn’t particularly anxious.
In my previous life, when I was tracking down murderers, I often found that the answers didn’t come while I was slumped over a desk pulling my hair out. They usually came when I stepped away to clear my head.
And that was while I was taking a shower.
If my junior hadn’t stopped me, I would’ve run out naked. Oh, what a fond, heroic memory.
“So you too. Take a breather with a cup of tea.”
“Yes, thank you. I’ll drink it gratefully.”
Zenrick took a sip of the tea Monica had brewed for him.
Perhaps thanks to the warmth seeping in from the drink, some color returned to his face.
“Come to think of it, I can’t remember the last time I took a proper break like this.”
“Not like this place gets a lot of visitors to begin with. If a corpse pops up too, we’re really screwed. So take it easy before you drop dead.”
At my warning, Zenrick burst into laughter.
He’s laughing? I’m not joking. I meant that seriously.
“You’re right. I really should take it easier. Resting feels… unexpectedly nice.”
Zenrick spoke lightheartedly, still convinced I was joking.
“By the way, what kind of tea is this? I’ve never had it before, but it clings to the tongue perfectly. It’s strangely comforting, too.”
“It’s tea made from dried Hyas petals. It’s a flower that only grows in the grand temple of the Sun God.”
The Hyas flower was the only thing that had survived in the temple, where nearly all other plants had withered away.
This is because it could sustain itself with nothing but sunlight and the divine power of the Sun God.
As long as the sun continues to shine, this flower will never vanish from this place.
“Since it’s a flower that contains divine power, it helps calm the body and mind. Just the thing for someone like you whose head is about to explode, right?”
“Yes, that’s ri— wait, what? You mean this flower has divine power?”
“Yup. I’m sure there must be some kind of flower or plant imbued with Great Sea God’s divine power that only grows in their grand temple too.”
“That’s right. I’ve heard they have a tree over there. A guardian tree, or something like that?“
Monica nodded in agreement.
“A flower infused with divine power…”
Zenrick murmured blankly.
And then, in his fatigue-drenched orange eyes, a terrifying gleam of madness suddenly burst forth.
Whoa, scary.
SoundlessWind21’s Notes:
If there are any errors, whether it be grammatical, spelling, translation, or website-related issues, feel free to let me know. (´◡`) Anyway, thank you for reading!