TN: Please read my translations only on my website nyx-translation.com since I never give my permission to any site to host my translations. And if you like my translations, please support this site on Ko-fi, and join our Patreon to read up to 12 chapters ahead for this novel!
Sponsored chapter by Patreon. Enjoy~
TL: ALT
Chapter 30 – Alchemist’s Street・Mage Alley Part 2
Making a potion is a complex process. First, you must dry the herbs, separate them into parts, grind them in a mill, extract the components, mix them with other medicinal ingredients, and imbue them with magical power.
“Hey… I didn’t know. I thought you could make them from herbs alone.”
“Well, it’s necessary to enhance the medicinal effect. Especially in severe cases, ordinary potions often aren’t enough. For example, if you get run over by a carriage or a horse, the worst-case scenario is that your body gets mangled, right? In times like that, an ordinary potion alone wouldn’t be able to keep up with the healing.”
This applies to car accidents, disasters like earthquakes and fires, and magical warfare.
When severe bodily damage occurs from any cause, ordinary acute potions might not suffice.
In such cases, a high potion seems to be required.
Also known as “elixirs” or “secret potions,” these dramatically enhance a potion’s healing power. Not every alchemist can handle them.
Only those descended from ancient elves or from certain races skilled in potion making can create them.
“So Stella can make one?”
“Yes, because I was constantly on the front lines, necessity forced me to learn how.”
“That must have been tough. You went through a lot. You can take it easy here with me.”
“Master, thank you. Yes. I am yours now, after all.”
Seeing the light fade from Stella’s eyes, Wataru pulled her close instinctively.
It might not be the right place for this, but Wataru’s gut told him that leaving her like this wasn’t right.
He couldn’t imagine the torment she had endured.
But he knew her heart was scarred.
Stella needed people’s warmth.
After confirming that her differently colored eyes were sparkling brightly again and her energy was restored, he slowly pulled away.
Was it just his imagination, or did she look a little disappointed?
“Hey, Master. I’m trying my best to protect you, you know. Could you stop getting all lovey-dovey right in front of me?”
“S-sorry about that.”
“And me too, you know?”
“Sorry, Cloche. Also, Mariel, could you stop staring silently? Come on. Let’s get the equipment ready.”
He’s not flirting or anything.
But saying that probably wouldn’t convince them.
Stella seemed to have quite a few landmines buried inside her.
He’d have to be careful about what topics he brought up.
Maybe she needs something to help erase painful memories from the past.
The alchemy tools were surprisingly expensive, given how small each one was.
At the specialty shop, they bought items for ingredient analysis and magic power measurement. At another store, they bought rods just for mixing. They needed several types of sieves based on mesh fineness, even for a single sieve.
They paid for these individual, small items in cash.
He ended up buying sets of specialized pots and other items in bulk at a particularly large alchemy supply store.
The store manager, a large man about three meters tall known as a half-giant, confirmed the purchase with Wataru.
“Customer, are you buying all this at once?”
“Yeah, thanks for taking care of it.”
“Understood. I don’t mind as long as the money comes in. Are you starting a new workshop or something?”
“Yeah, exactly. This girl here is an excellent alchemist.”
“Huh, an elf. That’s good. All right, then. The total comes to two hundred and eighty gold coins, but I’ll round down the change.”
When Wataru heard the total, he was momentarily speechless.
That’s two hundred and eighty million yen.
It’s more than enough to invest in factory equipment; for a large factory, it’s in a different league altogether.
However, since Wataru was running it personally, it was an outrageous expense.
Aire’s eyes widened in shock.
Stella also seemed to have lost her words.
As Wataru’s personal assistant, Aire had a rough idea of his current funds.
Her face filled with concern as she spoke in a hushed voice.
“Master, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Maybe I should have asked about the budget beforehand. Still, Stella didn’t seem to know much either…”
Since Stella’s alchemy tools were owned by the elves or Etgar, she didn’t need to worry about expenses.
That’s probably why she hadn’t thought deeply about how much it would cost to gather all the necessary equipment.
It’s like when a store manager who was hired finally goes independent and is shocked by the equipment costs.
In this case, however, it wasn’t Stella who was shocked; it was Wataru.
Ohoho…
“…Could you rewrite the promissory note?”
“Of course.”
Paying for this with cash wasn’t practical.
Gold coins are heavy and bulky.
That’s where the promissory note issued by the Welcome Trading Company comes in.
Welcome Trading Company has long used promissory notes for bulk sugar payments.
The larger the transaction amount, the more notes are used.
Gathering large quantities of gold coins is difficult, and their weight and size make them hard to transport.
The bills are backed by the Southern Ship Commercial Guild, so they are credible.
After the notes are rewritten, the payment is complete.
“I’ll pick up the goods later. Could you bundle them together for me?”
“Understood.”
“Do you know much about shops for mages, Shopkeeper-san?”
“Well, I know of their reputation, at least.”
“Could you tell me which shop has the best quality items?”
“Alfheim is probably the top choice. It’s a large shop right at the entrance of Mage Alley. Its selection and quality are quite famous.”
“I see. Thank you. It’s getting late, so I should hurry over.”
They ended up spending too much time choosing items.
This world doesn’t keep shops open late into the night.
To find good staff for Stella, they should hurry.
After hearing the name, Wataru led Mariel and the others through the crowd, moving briskly.
“That shop… well, the products are good, but you should be careful. Oh, they’re already gone. Well, they had someone with them who looked like an elf, so they should be fine.”
They left without hearing the half-giant shopkeeper’s trailing voice.
If you like my translations, please support me on Ko-Fi and subscribe my Patreon to read up to 12 chapters ahead for this novel!
Thanks for the treat. 🖖
LikeLike