Chapter 15.2: Alkimas Workshop (2)

She ended her explanation after she finished detailing the usage and precautions.

Ending the conversation, I asked Scarlett.

“How long does it take to make?”

“It will take at least a month. By the way…”

Scarlett seemed to hesitate, she said.

“To be honest, I have a bottle of Scarlet already finished.”

I tilted my head.

Didn’t they say that high-quality potions were made in advance?

She calmly explained the situation.

“I received a custom order from the mayor of Dartmad City just a while ago, but the deal fell through shortly.”

“Why?”

“They were deprived of their position and the monarchy confiscated all their property because of corruption. Of course, the advance payment that had been received during the transaction was recovered during the investigation of the funds. The potions were just added to our inventory, so it was difficult.”

Oh.

“So I can give you the finished potion right away, but if you don’t want to receive it in advance, I’ll make a new one.”

“Do potions lose potency over time?”

“I can guarantee that there will be no degradation in efficacy unless you had not used it for several years. I swear on my honor, as well as my workshop.”

I nodded.

“Then I’ll take it.”

It obviously surprised Scarlett when I accepted so easily.

“Thank you, but are you really sure?”

“Didn’t you ask me to buy it while bringing up a story that didn’t have to be brought up?”

If they really wanted to deal with their inventory somehow, she wouldn’t have bothered to say this. Which meant that she only wanted to sell the potion.

So we made a deal right on the spot.

After a while, Scarlett brought the potion. The potion was bottled and sealed in a luxurious wooden box.

After paying three platinum coins and taking the potion, I left the workshop, and we said our goodbyes.

“By the way, didn’t you say that you would let me know where you came from once you get the goods?”

Oh, right.

I stared at Scarlett and said.

“I’ll see you soon, so let’s put it off.”

At my words, Scarlett’s expression became incomprehensible, but she still nodded.

I left the store and walked down the main street, taking the potion out of the box and examining it.

A reddish liquid flowing in a glass bottle.

Anyway, since I didn’t need potions anymore, it was something I had no use for.

But because of my curiosity, I still paid an exorbitant amount of money to buy this. After all, I now had a lot of money.

Even if it wasn’t for me, this potion might be something Asher could use later on, so I bought it as an emergency medicine.

I’d like to see the effect myself, but…

While I was walking with that thought in mind, I suddenly heard an urgent scream from somewhere.

“Help me! Someone please!”

I looked in the direction from which the sound had come and saw two boys.

The one being supported had blood dripping from his stomach as if he had been stabbed.

However, passers-by looked at them and either ignored them or clicked their tongues.

“What kind of fuss is that again? Noisy!”

“Looks like they’re having fun since morning. Back alley parasite bastards.”

…Ah, was this the case?

I could roughly grasp the situation by listening to what people were saying nonchalantly.

The one supporting was also not in good condition, so the two both fell to the ground as if he had lost his strength.

He squeezed out his voice with all his remaining strength and called for help.

“He’s my brother! If anyone has a potion, please give it to me! If you help me, I won’t forget the grace for the rest of my life, so please…!”

Someone laughed.

“Is that bastard crazy? He’s going to die, anyway. What kind of idiot would give him their precious potion?”

No one offered a helping hand to the earnest cry.

While looking at the scene, Asher’s expression suddenly caught my eye.

Rarely, the expressionless expression was broken. She was looking at the two children with pity.

Come to think of it, Asher also had a younger brother.

During the invasion of Santea, one of the Five Stars killed her younger brother right in front of her eyes. I remembered it being set up like that.

So, for her, it must have been a more unfortunate sight.

Asher glanced at the potion in my hand. Then she met my eyes and winced.

She seemed to have something to say, but in the end, she just bit her lip saying nothing.

How frustrating.

I clicked my tongue and walked towards the boys.

Regardless of Asher, I was thinking of helping them anyway. No matter how precious this potion was, was it more precious than human life?

As I approached, the little guy who had been screaming in a hoarse voice looked at me.

“Put it down here. I’ll treat you.”

I opened the stopper and drizzled the potion over the injured area.

The older brother watched the scene in a daze. Suddenly, the surroundings were quiet.

Soon, the flesh seemed to heal in an instant. The bleeding stopped and the cut that looked deep disappeared without a trace.

I didn’t think I used even a tenth of the amount in the bottle, but as Scarlett explained, its effect was great indeed.

“Uh, uhm…”

The younger brother, who was unconscious, blinked and opened his eyes.

The boy who urgently checked his brother’s condition finally cried out.

“Thank you! Sir! Thank you very much…!”

Leaving behind the boy who cried out in gratitude, I got up and turned around.

I said as Asher and I went back on our way.

“Asher.”

“Yes.”

“Did you think I would regret using this potion? Or did you think that saving their lives wasn’t worth it?”

“…”

“From now on, if there’s anything you want to say, say it. Tell me what you think. What I want isn’t a doll that only obeys orders.”

Asher made a strange expression I had never seen before.

“…Yes, I will.”

After a moment of silence, she spoke again.

“Thank you, my lord. For helping them.”

It was an awkward way of showing her gratitude.

As if she knew it herself, Asher cleared her throat slightly after she said it.

I chuckled.

I don’t know if it’s an illusion, but it felt like the distance between us was gradually narrowed.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om