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< Episode 5: The Alchemist of Florin (1) >
“……”
The final distillation produced a yellowish liquid that dripped down.
Rotham waited patiently until it collected to about half a cup, then without hesitation lifted the cup and poured the contents straight into his mouth.
Since he hadn’t added a single ingredient for taste or aroma, he immediately gagged and grimaced hard.
The dark spirit that had been observing the entire process from the side cautiously approached, baring its white teeth in a faint smile.
[How is it?]
“……Honestly, I don’t know.”
Rotham said, setting the cup down with a nauseated expression.
“I followed the formula exactly, but this ‘Insight Potion’ is supposed to sharpen your senses so you can identify an opponent’s weaknesses.
I’m not an adventurer who hunts monsters or a soldier who fights battles—how am I supposed to even feel its effect?”
[Hmm, but healing potions and stamina potions showed effects pretty quickly.]
“Those depend more on the quality of ingredients than the alchemist’s skill. As long as the materials are good, there’s no need for special processing.
The effects are also easy to feel immediately.
But the problem is these enhancement-type potions……”
Even if I wanted to test their effectiveness, I can’t exactly go around picking fights with random people.”
[…….]
A week.
It had been a week since Rotham signed the workshop contract and spent the remaining money buying all kinds of materials, throwing himself into relentless alchemical experiments.
During that week, he slept only two to three hours a day, and aside from meals and his mushroom delivery “work,” every remaining moment was spent in front of his alchemy tools.
It was a process meant to prove everything he had learned from alchemy books, recipes, and what he had picked up while working in Florin Village.
Even the dark spirit—who needed neither rest nor sleep—found it quite harsh, and repeatedly urged him to rest and eat properly so he wouldn’t collapse.
[That bidding thing you mentioned… can’t you just use healing potions for it?]
At the spirit’s question, Rotham slowly shook his head.
“As I said before, healing potions depend more on ingredient quality than the alchemist’s skill.
That means they’re not good for showing off my specialty, and they lack clear distinction for evaluation.
That’s why enhancement potions are important.
They depend not only on ingredients but also heavily on the alchemist’s skill and know-how, and the quality varies drastically.
That’s where I need to be competitive if I want to win the bidding.”
[So in the end, to verify the quality of these potions, you’d have to fight someone directly?]
“Exactly.”
Still troubled by the unpleasant aftertaste, Rotham kept clicking his tongue repeatedly.
Afraid even water might dilute the potion’s effect on his body, he avoided drinking anything unnecessarily.
Watching him, the dark spirit’s smile deepened.
[What about asking someone else to test it? Like a hunter nearby.]
“Who would willingly drink a potion made by some unknown slave nobody knows?”
Even if someone did, and something went wrong, and word got out that I made it… that could end everything before it even starts.”
[Still, more test subjects would be better, right? Even if it works on you, you don’t know how it affects other races.]
“……”
A sharp point.
Most established alchemical formulas are verified to produce broadly universal effects, even if it means slightly reducing potency.
Especially for sensitive potions like these, ingredient condition, quantity, and subtle environmental changes can heavily influence the outcome.
That’s why they must undergo wide testing before being accepted as standard recipes.
“Anyway, we have to verify at least the basic effects before Master Tulkas arrives the day after tomorrow. Safety testing can come second.”
[You’re making more?]
The dark spirit shook its head in exhaustion, glancing at the empty bottles scattered beneath the alchemy table.
Over the past week, Rotham had barely consumed any water at all.
He had replaced hydration entirely with the potions he was producing, pushing himself through relentless experimentation and practice.
“Of course. I’ll need more mushrooms. Let’s go. I’ll do some ‘work’ in the cave tonight.”
[……Alright, fine.]
Rotham grabbed his herb bag and axe and left the workshop.
The fresh forest air revived his senses, which had been saturated with medicinal smells and potion fumes.
His physical fatigue had already been erased by repeated healing potions, so his steps down the village path were light.
From within the shadows,
a pair of eyes watched him carefully, waiting for the moment he would move—unnoticed.
“Hey, aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?”
“……”
[Dawn herbs, flame-scale flowers… what was this one again? Laughing mushroom?]
“……”
[If you do this much ‘work’ at once, I’ll be the one who collapses first.]
“……”
The constantly chattering dark spirit floated beside him, but Rotham gave no reply whatsoever.
He simply continued identifying herbs and mushrooms and placing them into his bag.
Normally, he would have chatted casually with the spirit and gathered only what was needed before heading to the cave.
But today, he behaved as if the spirit didn’t exist at all.
Soon, the spirit realized why.
[Ah… is it because of that guy secretly following us?]
“……”
[The one who keeps picking fights with you. What was his name… Ju… Ju…]
“Juno.”
Rotham answered in a barely audible whisper, lips barely moving so only the spirit could hear.
The spirit’s smile widened as it turned its gaze toward the dense forest shadows.
The woods were so thick that it was hard to see anything beyond silhouettes of trees and waist-high grass.
And within them—an unmistakable gaze belonging to a Shai.
[Is he trying to steal the herb colony you found? That’s almost cute, how obvious it is.]
“I’m just going to keep collecting herbs until he gives up. Even if it’s annoying, just bear with it.”
On the surface, the giant youth looked like nothing more than a diligent laborer gathering herbs and mushrooms.
The dark spirit grinned and turned back toward Rotham.
[Still, you noticed him pretty well. That Shai is trying to hide his presence.]
“Probably because of those potions I made earlier. My senses feel sharper.”
[Really? I can’t tell.]
“That’s because I’m using those sharpened senses to find herbs instead of swinging an axe.”
Rotham let out a short sigh.
But the spirit did not give up.
[Either way, that means your potion is working, right?]
“It’s hard to verify properly just by picking herbs and mushrooms……”
Rotham’s hand paused mid-motion as he brushed dirt off a mushroom.
His attention and senses were focused deep within the forest ahead.
The dark spirit also turned its glowing red eyes in the same direction.
[Hmm… looks like he gave up.]
“Of course. He’s been following us through rough terrain for hours.”
Once Rotham detected the tailing girl, he deliberately chose the harshest mountain paths.
For a giant like him, used to physical labor, it was manageable.
But for a Shai girl trying to keep up, it must have been torture.
[So, back to the cave?]
“Yeah. Today’s going to be a lot of ‘work’ whether I like it or not.”
[……You’re really going to process all of that?]
“It’d be a waste to leave it. Better to practice with high-grade material.”
[……]
Ignoring the spirit’s drooping expression, Rotham descended the slope with light steps.
“Ugh, of all times, it starts raining.”
After sprinting down the mountain to avoid a sudden downpour, Rotham arrived at the cave entrance already breathless.
“Still… we got here faster than I expected.”
[……Honestly, your potions seem insanely effective.]
“Forget that, let’s just get to work and head back. We wasted too much time shaking her off. Sunset’s coming soon.”
The cave was filled with damp, ominous energy.
Rotham knew very well what appeared here at night, so his movements toward the “work” rocks were hurried.
“Start processing these. I’ll go gather truffles inside.”
[Hey, wait—are you seriously making me do all this?!]
Ignoring the spirit’s despairing protest, Rotham stepped confidently into the depths of the cave.
Having explored Kapras Cave multiple times already, he could now move fairly comfortably even without light.
Although the cave was almost forbidden in Florin Village, even before meeting the dark spirit, Rotham never understood why it was considered so dangerous.
Yes, he had once faced danger against an adventurer who had been taken over by something—but in his mind, that just meant avoiding nighttime should be enough.
But he was mistaken.
First, what he had fought was not a night monster, but an adventurer who had already been “consumed.”
Second, the villagers weren’t warning about adventurers appearing here—they were warning about the thing that consumed them.
In other words, Rotham was underestimating two things.
One: for unknown reasons, he alone had unusually strong resistance to the cave’s ominous influence—while ordinary people would suffer both physical and mental strain just by approaching it.
Two: the “consumed ones” were not absent—they were always here, hidden within the cave.
“KYAA—!”
A sharp scream echoed through the cave walls.
It was so clear and loud that Rotham, without even realizing it, dropped his mushrooms and bag and sprinted toward the entrance of the cave where the sound came from.
