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Chapter : 11 Beginner Alchemist’s Healing Potion (3)
Even after a long silence to understand the situation, Rotem still could not reach a logical conclusion.
In the end, he sat down on the chair beside the bed, rubbed his chin a couple of times, and finally spoke.
“Sorry, but I don’t really understand. What does the healing potion I made have to do with national security and spies?”
“To put it simply, it’s because the healing potion you made has properties that cannot be seen in the Western Continent.”
“Properties…?”
As expected, it was an unexpected answer.
Noticing Rotem’s confusion, Vaila let out a short sigh.
“You should know what Black Crystal is, since you’re from an alchemist village.”
“Yes… well, roughly. Isn’t it like coal?”
Did Rotem’s answer offend her as an expert?
Vaila’s thick eyebrows twitched briefly, but she quickly regained her calm and continued.
“Unlike the East, such as Mediah or Valencia, in the Western Continent it is extremely rare to find high-quality, high-purity Black Crystal.
In fact, around Calpheon, Black Crystal doesn’t exist at all.”
“Yes, that’s why wars were fought to take it.”
So he did have some knowledge of history.
Vaila nodded and continued.
“Correct. It was a unification war to secure all Black Crystal in the Western Continent.
But the importance of Black Crystal was truly realized earlier, during a war with the desert nation of Valencia in the far east.”
Vaila let out a short sigh, easing her frustration about those times.
“Officially, it is said that King Imur Nesser Valencia fought fiercely and that devastating losses caused by sandstorms led to the expedition’s failure.
But in reality, the main reason they could not defeat them even after 30 years of attacks was the ‘quality of basic supplies.’”
“Supply… quality?”
Rotem looked completely confused, as if he could not understand the explanation.
“Do you know the recommended usage interval of the Calpheon Central Army’s standard healing potion?”
“About four hours?”
“That’s correct.”
Vaila’s eyes sharpened even more at Rotem’s accurate answer.
“However, the healing potion used by the Valencia army had a usage interval of just one hour. And its healing effect was even better than ours.”
“…Pardon?”
The usage interval of a healing potion is as important as its healing power itself.
It determines not only how it heals wounds or poisons, but also how it affects the human body.
The problem was that you cannot simply dilute a mid-grade potion with a three-day usage cycle by 30% and turn it into a light healing potion with a one-day cycle.
Especially in military situations where supply changes depending on battles and operations, healing potions become a major strategic factor.
They must be divided into field-use, hospital-use, and further categorized depending on injury severity and mission requirements.
Thus, standard military healing potions are emergency supplies.
Even if their healing power is weaker than others, they are designed to be taken frequently so soldiers can continue fighting or moving.
What Vaila was saying was that there was a fourfold difference in usage cycle.
And the shocking part was that the other side had better effects.
“After the war ended, royal alchemists analyzed the reason. And the result was quite absurd.
The potion makers of Valencia had been using Black Crystal as fuel during the heating process.”
“….”
“Not as an ingredient, not as powder, not anything like that.
They simply used Black Crystal as firewood to boil the potion.
And even that alone created such a massive difference.
At the time, Valencia also didn’t fully understand the value of Black Crystal.”
And finally, at the end of this long explanation, Rotem was able to guess why she had come here in person.
“Don’t tell me… my healing potion…?”
“That’s right. It shows the same magical reaction as potions used in the Eastern Continent.
This means that somehow, the energy of Black Crystal has been absorbed during the process.
And tests show your potion has a usage cycle of just 40 minutes.”
“….”
“From this, we can conclude two possibilities.
Either you possess high-purity Black Crystal from Valencia, or you have smuggled materials imbued with Black Crystal energy through illegal means.
Or, you are directly connected to the Valencia military.”
The officer stepped closer to Rotem, her gaze pressing down on him.
“Do you now understand why I mentioned national security and spies?”
“…”
Rotem did not speak, but nodded instead.
“Good. So, your answer?”
There was no need to even ask what kind of answer she meant.
At the same time, Rotem knew this was not something that could be answered with a simple yes or no.
Then there was only one thing he could do.
“I think it would be better to show you directly.”
“Hm.”
Vaila nodded with interest as she slowly looked around the entrance of the cave.
Two soldiers tried to follow her, but she stopped them.
“I’m fine, so don’t come closer.”
“But, officer—”
“This place is filled with a kind of mana that can drive people insane. I can withstand it to some degree, but you two have no resistance. You shouldn’t enter.
Unless you want to see me burn your corpses myself.”
“…Yes, understood.”
With that strong warning, Vaila dismissed the escort and entered the cave entrance with Rotem as darkness began to fall.
But unlike her composed expression from before, her face soon began to twist.
Before long, she was sweating coldly.
Rotem spoke in a worried tone.
“Are you okay?”
“No. Not at all. It seems what you said was true.”
She stopped walking and began to slowly step back.
Her eyes then caught Rotem’s calm expression, as if nothing affected him.
“I can’t believe it. Giants aren’t usually this resistant to mana.”
“Well, the kind of energy here isn’t exactly normal mana.”
“That’s true. The real issue is how a place like this exists in Calpheon, where no Black Crystal is found at all.”
Vaila tried to step forward again, but immediately shuddered and frowned.
“…At this rate, proper investigation will be difficult.”
“So, do you believe me now?”
“Based on the surrounding investigation, you don’t seem like a spy, so I won’t worry about that for now.”
“Then—”
“Let’s go outside and talk. I can’t stay here any longer.”
Vaila quickly walked out of the cave entrance.
Unlike her, Rotem followed calmly without any change in expression.
“No matter how it works, I assume that if you soak materials here after bringing them in, they become infused with Black Crystal energy over time?”
“Yes.”
Vaila’s face regained color once they returned to sunlight.
After thinking for a moment, she motioned for the soldiers to move away again.
“Who else knows about this cave and your materials?”
“Only me and two business partners.”
“Is there any chance they would leak this information?”
“…Hmm. Well, probably not?”
“Good. Then I will make you a personal proposal.”
Before continuing, Vaila carefully checked her surroundings.
Rotem also unknowingly became alert.
“First, give up imperial delivery.”
At this unexpected proposal, Rotem’s face twisted.
“…Pardon?”
“Instead, you will be granted the right to directly supply healing potions to the Eastern Garrison. This will be far more profitable than imperial delivery.”
“….”
“What do you think?”
Rotem did not answer immediately.
He was thinking, but the depth of his thoughts was shallow—he had already reached a conclusion.
He was simply refining it further.
“To summarize, you want my healing potions to be supplied only where they are truly needed, instead of being spread everywhere through imperial delivery, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“Then I will accept the trade rights you offered.”
“Good. Then—”
“However, I would like you to take a commission fee and also guarantee imperial delivery for the ‘normal quality’ potions my partners and I produce.”
“…What?”
Confusion and faint displeasure appeared on Vaila’s face.
After briefly erasing her expression, she asked again.
“Why?”
“Of course, money matters. But this imperial delivery attempt is also a way for me to make a name for myself.
If my healing potion is monopolized by the Calpheon military, then I have no way to build a reputation outside.”
“I see.”
“Oh, and of course, even the imperial delivery potions will maintain a basic quality even without this cave process. So there won’t be any issue.”
“….”
“Unless there is another reason why my healing potions infused with Black Crystal energy should not be known to the outside world?”
Rotem’s final words were a gamble—and a provocation.
And as if his gamble had succeeded, Vaila’s gaze sharpened with suspicion once again.
“…Fine. We will proceed as you said. Contract details will be sent later.”
“Understood.”
“Then I will take my leave.”
Without hesitation, Vaila turned and signaled the soldiers to follow her.
Only long after their shadows disappeared did Rotem return to his workshop.
And there, Juno—who had been waiting—immediately bombarded him with questions.
“So? What happened? What happened?!”
Rotem gave her a simple answer that summarized everything neatly.
“For now, we’re going to be very busy packing.”
