“Today, I’m finally going to make Amrita.
I’ve managed to gather the materials I’ve long desired. I had requested the collection of Seave, Issahil, and Amel through the defense city, but for now, I’ll use what I received from the Elf village. Once the new materials arrive, I’ll make it again.
Last time, when I crafted Elixir, the guildmaster of the Commerce Guild observed the process. When I invited him to watch again this time, he immediately accepted and came to my home. Ekvar will also be observing this time. I think this is the first time these two have met.
I informed Ekvar that, on Belial’s advice, I had told the guildmaster about my true identity. Speaking of Belial, he’s gone off somewhere alone today.
Since that’s the case, I decided to introduce myself too. I revealed that Ekvar is part of the royal guard for the Crown Prince of Egdualum and is currently serving as my escort. The guildmaster seemed overwhelmed by the revelation, responding a bit awkwardly.
“Oh, I’m registered as a D-rank adventurer, so if there’s no conflict in my schedule, I’m available for requests. Nice to meet you!”
“D-rank…? Ah, I see. That explains it.”
The guildmaster seemed to catch on quickly after a moment’s thought.
Hiring someone from the royal guard of an entire nation at a D-rank adventurer’s rate? That’s quite the deal! After all, Ekvar isn’t even fazed by dragons.
That said, Ekvar tends to act when he’s looking for information or has another purpose in mind. I’ve learned to recognize the signs. He must have decided to use the guildmaster as an information source.
“If you receive any news about Egdualum, no matter how trivial, please let me know.”
“Ah, nothing noteworthy lately. But according to people from trading partner countries, negotiations have been slow, and deals have been harder to close. They’ve been struggling without access to Elixir.”
“I see…”
Ekvar nodded with a smile that hinted at mischief.
Could there be an investigation into corruption among the magic guild leaders in Egdualum?
Mandragora, Seave, Issahil, Amel, Hagoromo grass, and dragon’s tail. These ingredients are cleaned thoroughly, soaked in seawater until submerged, left for about ten minutes, and then brought to a boil.
“Stir the great ocean. With the light of the sun and moon, there shall be no shadow. Flowers fall, power returns, gold flows forth to bestow blessings. May the works of the gods be completed, and may this wondrous elixir come to my hands.”
The mixture is stirred and boiled for about an hour until it thickens. Dragon ingredients remain consistent.
The critical point is the poison created during the Amrita-making process due to an unexplained reaction. Failing to eliminate this poison results in failure. Once the poison seeps out, I chant the detoxification spell.
“Poison, that which corrodes and torments humanity with your wicked thorns, be purged by the powers of heaven and earth!”
“Huh? Miss Ilya, what spell is that?”
“This? I deciphered and customized an ancient, powerful detoxification spell. It works well. Want to learn it?”
“…Egdualum’s court magicians really are incredible…”
The guildmaster let out an impressed sigh.
Poison removal can also be done by adding juice from Highland’s underground stems or the leaves of Ranyou. Some people prefer the brute-force method of using magic that removes all abnormalities.
“Guildmaster, she’s exceptional after all…”
I’m just a diligent researcher!
After straining the mixture through a cloth, it’s boiled down further until it’s reduced by half, with bergamot essential oil and beeswax added to solidify it.
And that’s it!
As long as the ingredients are available, as long as you’re careful not to burn it and eliminate the poison while stirring thoroughly, it’s not hard to make. That’s Amrita ointment!
It’s customary to store it in a white container. If you want it as an oral medicine, you can process it into powder form.
The batch is done! Ten jars of Amrita ointment. Once more Seave, Issahil, and Amel arrive, I’ll make another batch. I gave two jars to the guildmaster, who looked deeply moved.
“Oh, right. I want to request some scale processing, so I’ll escort the guildmaster while I’m at it,” Ekvar suggested, bringing out the Tiamat scales I had given as a souvenir. He planned to have them processed at Timo’s dwarven workshop. Given the material, Timo should be experienced enough by now.
The guildmaster, joking about how he felt like royalty with the royal guard escorting him, left the house with Ekvar . Though Ekvar ’s casual demeanor makes him seem approachable, he moves with an air that goes beyond that of a mere adventurer—it feels reassuring to have someone so capable protecting you.
Meanwhile, I cleaned up my underground workspace and checked on the progress of the Soma. Everything is proceeding smoothly, and it’ll be ready soon.
After finishing up, I relaxed in the living room when the front door opened, and Ekvar returned with a rare, downcast expression.
“They said they couldn’t process Tiamat’s scales… too hard.”
It seemed Ekvar had been relying on the scales as part of his plans, so the rejection hit him hard.
“What about Yormungand’s scales?”
“They barely managed those. They broke some tools and cornered me, asking what on earth it was. No way I could mention it was Tiamat…”
Well, that makes sense. Otherwise, they’d demand to know where it came from.
“If the tools aren’t enough, then why not make better tools?”
Belial, who had returned earlier, made the suggestion. Ekvar , who had been looking glum, brightened immediately.
“Ah! That’s it! I’ll go consult them right away!”
“You mean Timo’s workshop? I might tag along.”
Thus, the three of us headed to Timo’s workshop. Located just outside the shopping district, the sound of hammering echoed sharply as we arrived.
“Hello~!”
“Oh, it’s that lad from earlier. And now you’ve brought these girls too.”
Taking a break from his work, the sweat-covered Timo greeted us in his soot-stained work clothes.
The workshop was filled with displayed armor, swords on racks, and even more piled in baskets. Papers were scattered across the table, and the board on the wall was covered with order forms and deadlines. As the town’s top blacksmith, recognized with a Meister certification, Timo was constantly busy with requests.
Ekvar eagerly brought up the scale issue.
“I was thinking, why not create new tools for the job? If there’s a specific ore needed, I can go find it!”
“Oh? That’s an idea. What about Hihiirokane? Know of any mines for that?”
Belial was oddly helpful today—he must have an ulterior motive.
“Ah, Hihiirokane, huh? I could use some. But the craftsman who used to mine it has had personal troubles and stopped working. The mining’s been at a standstill.”
“That’s unfortunate. Is there no one else who can locate it? You mean that red aura, right?”
I’d been shocked to learn that not everyone could naturally perceive it like I could.
“Yeah, most folks can’t distinguish it. Wait, you mean you can see it, girl? Oh, you’re a magic item craftsman, huh? Sensitive types like you must be able to spot it.”
“Thin, red-tinted stones with magical energy flowing through them, right?”
Hearing my description, Timo clapped his hands with a grin.
“Exactly! East of here, in the mountains, there’s a big mining town a little to the south. There’s a broad road for carts and plenty of signposts, so you won’t get lost. If you tell them you’re here on my behalf, they should let you into the mine.”
A mining town, huh? Sounds intriguing. I don’t often get the chance to enter an active mine. Helping people in need makes it even better!
We set out the next day. The three of us—Belial included—headed for the mine. Belial seemed eager to acquire Hihiirokane, likely for crafting new ornaments. Perhaps it’s to repay the favor from when I sold his brooch to Gao Kerena. Is he planning to make something with fire attributes this time?
Hihiirokane is a reddish ore with a fiery aura. Normally, it’s somewhat soft but becomes extremely hard when alloyed. However, this process often causes it to lose its fire properties. The simplest method is to reintroduce fire attributes, as the material has good compatibility with it.”
