NOVEL NEXT Chapter 15.2
Chapter 15.2
「Bottles… From the fangs?」
「Yessir. And it’s possible, but not very efficient at all. ’Bout 50 bottles from the fangs of three of ’em.」
The crowd failed to react to Hiroshi’s nonchalance. Sure, Douga could take down Cerberus while humming a tune, but this sounded like Hiroshi used them recently. The crowd started to wonder when the mysterious party had hunted these down.
「When did you make those, anyway?」
「On our trip to the hot springs. They let me borrow their furnace.」
Hiroshi answered Haruna as he separated the herbs into piles.
「So how does that sound?」
「I’ll allow it. Someone bring this man’s carrier!」
The King replied instantly. Immediately, Hiroshi’s things were brought in. With his trusty carrier back in hand, he produced his accelerator, a piece of Wyvern liver, a Solmizen, and an empty bottle that exuded stunningly threatening magic.
「What is that dark-red meat?」
「A wyvern liver.」
「And that weird-looking fruit?」
「Solmizen, I used it for treatin’ Princess Elena, too. It rots real easy, so I think most folks here have never seen it.」
As he answered these questions, he boiled down and concentrated the Solmizen juice as he processed the other materials in… peculiar ways. The lot of the court magicians couldn’t help but wince at the outrageous amount of magic that burst out every time Hiroshi treated something.
「Can I help at all?」
「At this stage, Mio’s are the baseline line of stats I need. There ain’t much to make today, so don’t worry and watch.」
「Okie dokie.」
Haruna had already guessed this response, but just wanted to check. She continued to watch his potion making, quietly. She had known from the beginning that this was out of her league.
「Hoo! Hoah!」
Mixing up a few herbs with vigor, Hiroshi triggered some sort of mysterious reaction with a massive input of magic.
「Mio-chan. Can you tell what he’s doing?」
「Alchemy. Mixing two materials to convert it into something different. And better.」
Haruna and Mio’s conversation echoed through the visitation room, where there had been no other sounds except for those produced by Hiroshi’s work. The crowd was speechless at Hiroshi wrangling materials he needed into existence. By the way, he had crafted the malt required for Miso and soy sauce this way, too (Or forcibly mutated them, to be more accurate). Of course, he simply cultures them now, instead of doing things the hard way.
After converting (upgrading) several materials this way, he mixed the densely concentrated Solmizen juice and Wyvern liver, and heated them up. After boiling them for awhile, he quick-cooled it with a spell before pouring it into another container and putting that into the accelerator.
「Speaking of, what are you using the accelerator for this time?」
「Speedin’ up the magic reaction. A week’s worth of reaction in five minutes.」
Haruna response to this was to be amazed at the complexity of Advanced potion making. The accelerator, which had become an ace player in the kitchen from creating all sorts of fermented foods and spices like Miso, soy sauce, bonito flakes, mirin, ponzu, steak sauce and dipping sauces. This was only its second time used for creation a potion (after the class-4 potion last time).
「It outta be ready ‘bout now.」
Hiroshi said, and extracted the potion, which had changed to a clear, vibrant red.
「Boom. Now, to bottle ‘em.」
With that, before Haruna or Mio could even offer to help, he bottled up 50 class 3 Healing potions.
「By the way, if ya swap out the Wyvern liver for a Mana-eater core, it’ll make Mana potions instead with the same recipe.」
「What about Stamina potions?」
「Mix the Wyvern liver with the Mana-eater core, and swap out a few herbs.」
Hiroshi answered, as he handed over his work. Taking the bottles, the King glanced over at his doctors and potion makers. They answered with shaking voices:
「It is undoubtedly a Healing potion. We are certain of that, but…」
「None of us have ever seen a potion above class 4…」
「It is obvious that this is much, much more potent than the class 4 potion we received the other day. However, the question of whether or not this is a class 3 potion… Well…」
Potions of class 3 and above are practically mythical artifacts. Recipes for them had been preserved, but there was no potion maker alive who could execute them. Besides, no one knew where the majority of ingredients these recipes called for could be found (unless they were created, of course, by a method like Hiroshi’s). Even with the aptitude, a potion maker would most likely not have the opportunity to even test said recipes.
In short, they were in a predicament where it was exceedingly difficult to prove that this potion was in fact, class 3.
「Class 3. In order to confirm this…」
「We just might have to have Lord Douga or Lord Felnork severely injured.」
「OR cut off someone’s arm…」
As the conversation of the crowd moved towards the violent edge, the Japanese party could only watch with disgust.
「In any case.」
The King spoke up, to shut down the rather trigger-happy conversation.
「Whether this is truly a class 3 potion or not has no bearing on the matter at hand. We only had Hiroshi create the potion to prove that he had treated Elena. And this potion proves that, and some. Any objections?」
「…I shudder to think what he might do next if we object to this.」
「…We have no choice but to accept it, practically.」
「…This was an unnerving experience, to say the least.」
They all chimed in agreement with the King. In truth, they could all feel cold sweat running down their backs after witnessing the unimaginable event that just took place. To them, the most terrifying part was that the operator of such a performance was so nonchalant about it.
「Now, this session is finally concluded. While this should go without saying, none of what happened here leaves this room.」
「Of course.」
「For now, let’s say that he crafted a class 4 potion here. I will plan for a discrete and accurate confirmation process for the potion that won’t waste any of it.」
「I’ll leave that to you. You are all dismissed.」
And so, the presentation had finally concluded by the King, who actually kept his cool throughout the ordeal.
「I am sorry you had to do that, earlier.」
The King had skipped out on some business to come apologize to the Japanese party, who were waiting in their room in formal attire. Of course, all five members were there.
The formal attire they wore now was different from something they would wear to a ball, but something more suited for attending a private gathering with the royal family. The design resembled a suit, with clean cuts and edges. This attire was unisex, which let all the Japanese members match. Some of Farlane’s fashion was actually quite similar to that of modern-day fashion on Earth.
「Don’t worry ’bout it. I saw it comin’ from the beginnin’, to be honest. Pretty easy to handle, actually.」
「On the other hand, no one who was there will underestimate you, now.」
Tatsuya and Makoto cracked a light chuckle. Anyone who would underestimate Hiroshi after that would not be the sharpest tool in the shed, to say the least.
「So. It’s quite a ruckus out there, anythin’ goin’ on?」
「An accident while training new recruits. Apparently a sword broke during a session, and the broken blade seriously injured one of them.」
「Seems a bit excessive for that.」
Tatsuya pointed out. Hearing this, the King grinned and said:
「Can you blame them? His eye may have been gouged out, but we still used a class 3 potion, something that should be held in the treasury, on a mere recruit.」
The group fell speechless. This was much more serious than they thought. Hiroshi, naturally, was the first one to recover.
「His eye went out, and a class 3 potion healed that?」
He asked. With his experience in the past two months, an injury that serious (no matter how fresh) did not heal with a potion. If a child’s arm was torn off, and they took a class 5 or so potion (with overkill healing powers) only the wound would heal, without re-growing the limb.
「You didn’t know? Potions class 3 and above regrow body parts.」
「…I had no idea.」
「Interesting. And you’re the one who made it.」
「Didn’t exactly have the opportunity to use a potion like that on someone with a missin’ body part.」
Hiroshi groaned, and the King laughed. Finally, the rest of the group caught on to the real cause of the commotion.
「All of that’s going on because his eye healed?」
「What else could it be about?」
Haruna asked timidly, to which the King answered with growing glee. Naturally, that would cause a commotion. But the Japanese members held back their complaints like “why did you have to use it in such a public setting!?”
「By the way, they claimed the potion to be of mysterious origin, and tried it without expecting any results. We had permission from his guardian, too, so we won’t have any complaints for this.」
「You seem pretty happy that you have an opportune test subject.」
「Who me? While I feel sympathy for the boy, I’m glad we could secure the final push to get those politicians on our side. No one would dare make someone who can whip up class 3 potions on the spot an enemy of the nation, much less with some shaky conspiracy.」
The King said with nonchalance in response to Haruna’s questioning.
「He is the King, after all…」
「I guess you can’t run a country without a bit of this…」
「Why did someone like him let Elle get into that kind of trouble, anyway…?」
Hearing Tatsuya and Makoto’s exasperated (yet impressed) reaction, Mio spoke out loud her question.
「Unfortunately, the King is just a man. He can be opportunistic enough to take advantage of a sudden occurrence, but he remains a pathetic creature who can barely protect his daughter. He can barely keep the peace between his children. What a laugh.」