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Chapter : 10 Beginner Alchemist’s Healing Potion (1)
“Disqualified. Next.”
“Rodrigo Tilles of Epheria Port. 10 boxes.”
“Quality?”
“Upper-mid grade.”
“Disqualified. Next.”
“Gnius Workshop of Olvia Village. 30 boxes.”
“Quality?”
“Mid grade.”
“Disqualified.”
The man writing on his pen slowly raised his head and looked at his superior.
“Officer, aren’t you being too strict? It’s just healing potions.”
At his words, the middle-aged woman who had been examining potion samples on the table turned her sharp, narrow eyes toward him.
“Clerk Belez. Are you saying you don’t trust my judgment?”
Realizing how his words were taken, the man panicked.
“N-no! That’s not what I meant! I just meant your evaluations seem harsher than usual. At this rate, we might not reach the supply target—”
“It can’t be helped. The Eastern Expeditionary Force’s Lieutenant Dantress visited two days ago. He made a special request.”
“…The expeditionary force? For healing potions?”
“If you understand, then keep writing.”
The woman wore an elegant red silk dress, but with no excessive decoration—simple and restrained.
Her hair was tied up, with several strands already turning gray, making her look older than she probably was.
She was Vaila Carrion, the Imperial Delivery inspector of Calpheon.
Her sharp gaze returned to the potion samples, and Clerk Belez sighed quietly before continuing his report.
“Calpheon’s Otan Givre. 20 boxes. Upper grade.”
“Upper grade? This? Haa… those inspectors have lost their minds. Disqualified.”
“Dozuts Workshop of Trent Village. 30 boxes. Mid grade.”
“Disqualified.”
“Rotem of Florin Village. 150 boxes. Top… grade…?”
Belez double-checked the document in confusion, bringing it closer to his face.
Vaila’s brows also slightly furrowed.
“Wait. Top grade? 150 boxes? Are you sure?”
“Yes, the initial report from the inspectors says so—”
“Give it to me.”
Vaila snatched the report from him and read it herself.
After a long silence, she returned the paper and walked toward the table where the sample labeled “Rotem” was placed.
“….”
She extended her hand and gently released mana into the glass bottle.
The crimson liquid inside reacted, glowing faintly.
Vaila nodded slightly, then pulled something from her coat.
A dagger.
“W-what?! O-officer?!”
Belez screamed in shock.
Without hesitation, Vaila raised the dagger and struck her own left hand.
The blade nearly pierced through her hand, and dark red blood flowed out.
But she made no sound.
Calmly, she picked up the potion and poured half of the glowing crimson liquid over the wound.
“….”
Then Belez witnessed something unbelievable.
The bleeding stopped.
The wound slowly closed as if stitched by invisible thread.
In seconds, a process that should take weeks of healing was compressed into moments.
“Clerk.”
“Y-yes?!”
“Has Florin Village ever submitted a bid for Imperial Delivery before?”
“As far as I know… no.”
“The name Rotem?”
“This is his first participation.”
“Florin is a village of Shai, correct? Did he come personally?”
“No. According to records, submission and samples were delivered through a representative.”
“Hm.”
While speaking with the clerk, Vaila’s eyes never left her healing hand.
The pain was already gone.
“Clerk Belez.”
“Yes, officer.”
“Arrange a meeting with that representative. And investigate this Rotem of Florin in detail.”
“Hey! Rotem!”
“I’m coming out.”
Whenever something happened while Rotem was working in the cave, Juno would come to call him.
It had become a familiar routine.
Rotem walked out of the cave with tired steps.
Under the village chief Valentain’s permission, Rotem and Juno had recruited villagers to help produce healing potions.
Thanks to their cooperation, they barely managed to meet the required supply in time.
However, Rotem had no money to pay the villagers.
So he had no choice but to rely on Juno for that part.
This was exactly the mistake he feared—the trap of failing Imperial Delivery and falling into debt.
To avoid that risk, Rotem had also been continuously “washing” herbs and mushrooms in the cave even after finishing production, trying to earn extra funds.
“What is it?”
“The people from Calpheon are here. They said they want to ask you about Imperial Delivery.”
“Calpheon? Who?”
“I don’t know. The chief is talking to them, but it doesn’t look friendly. Go quickly.”
“…Alright.”
Rotem looked back at the cave entrance for a moment, as if reluctant to leave.
Juno urged him impatiently, but in truth, he was looking at something only he could see—the Black Spirit.
He signaled silently.
The Black Spirit nodded with a wide grin and followed behind him.
“Are you Rotem?”
“….”
Rotem was surprised for two reasons.
First, the person who was supposedly talking with the village chief was already inside his workshop.
Second, although the woman looked noble and well-dressed, her tone was extremely cold and interrogative.
“…Yes. I am Rotem. Who are you?”
A middle-aged woman stood up and walked toward him.
Even with the difference in size between a giant and a human, Rotem felt strangely pressured.
“I am Vaila Carrion, Imperial Delivery officer of Calpheon.”
“Ah… yes. Hello.”
He shook her hand with his left hand as she extended hers.
He briefly noticed a small scar on the back of her hand but did not think much of it.
“Sorry, but I would like to speak with you alone.”
Vaila’s voice was directed toward Juno, who tried to follow behind him.
“Wait, what?”
“Did you not hear me? I said I want to speak with him alone.”
Juno glared at her, not because she was excluded, but because of Vaila’s cold and arrogant tone.
Sensing this, Rotem gently covered Juno’s face with his large hand to calm her down and nodded to Vaila.
Juno muttered angrily but left the workshop.
“Now then. What brings you here?”
Rotem tried, as usual, to offer tea—but decided not to, as a small form of silent protest.
“I came to ask about your healing potion.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“What process did you use to make it?”
“I followed the standard procedure distributed by the Cyan Merchant Guild.”
“Ingredients?”
“Dawn herb, purified water, birch sap, and sky mushrooms.”
“Where were the ingredients collected?”
“I cannot tell you that.”
Vaila slowly looked up from her notes.
Her expression was calm, but her gaze carried heavy pressure.
“Why not?”
“Trade secret.”
“Hm, trade secret.”
She closed her notebook and touched the faint scar on her hand.
“Rotem. There are almost no records of you before you came to Florin.”
“Yes. I was in an orphanage before coming here.”
“An orphanage… a convenient explanation for an empty past.”
Rotem sighed, clearly annoyed.
“Can you tell me why you are really here now? If you’re just testing me—”
“I came here because your healing potion may have a major impact on national security.”
“…Pardon?”
Rotem froze.
National security?
A healing potion?
“That is to say…”
Vaila lowered her head and opened her notebook again.
“Depending on your explanation, you may be accused of espionage.”
