The gates of Dolgo were firmly shut.
Of course, this was expected since it was night.
I told everyone to wait for a moment, then used flying magic to easily leap over the wall. I could hear the children’s cheers of admiration.
“Sorry to bother you at night, but are you the security personnel for this town?”
Inside the gate, there was a guard post, and when I peered through the window, two men were chatting while holding drinks. Their helmets were carelessly placed on the table.
“…Is something wrong?”
One of the men put down his glass and stood up.
“Actually, we were captured by thieves and escaped with the children. They are outside the gate, and I would like to request that you open it for us…”
“Captured by thieves!? And the children… what does this mean!?”
The other man hurriedly stood up and came toward us.
“Anyway, let’s open the gate. Hey, wake him up!”
They woke up a man who seemed to have been napping in the back, and the three of them unlocked the bolts, slowly opening the door. When they saw the children anxiously waiting outside, they happily invited them in.
One of them immediately ran to contact the city’s defense headquarters, and the children were gathered inside the guard post for now. They had probably been frightened, and when asked if they were okay, they quietly nodded.
“By the way… who are you? You were captured too, weren’t you?”
That was a painful question.
“Well… this is embarrassing, but… he is the demon I contracted with, so he helped me.”
It seemed that Belial didn’t like children very much, as he hadn’t spoken a word since then. He was staring at us disinterestedly with his red eyes.
“I see… so you’re a summoner. Thank you for your efforts! Please tell us the location of the base, we will send a dispatch team right away.”
“The location? Well…”
I checked the map that the young soldier handed me, relying on the light. There was a town, a forest… and a small path in the forest…?
The map didn’t have small paths marked, so I couldn’t tell where we had passed through.
“…Here.”
Belial pointed to a spot on the map from a distance, and suddenly a small fire flared up on the map, burning a hole about five millimeters in diameter before disappearing.
The man nearly dropped the map in a panic, but after confirming the spot of the hole, he seemed to calm down a little.
“Wow… oh, is this it? Thank you!”
Soon, reinforcements arrived, and the commotion of people coming and going began. Townspeople, noticing the noise, gathered to watch the scene at the guard post.
News of the rescued children spread quickly throughout the town, and some children were tearfully reunited with their parents.
However, there were also children who had been abducted from other towns, so not all of them were found. Some had already been moved to other places, and there were families who were disappointed. It seemed there would be a lot of investigations to come.
We were asked to give a statement tomorrow. I couldn’t refuse, but how should I explain all the destruction I caused? I hope that once we’re saved, everything will be forgiven…
They arranged for us to stay at a very nice inn, with the costs covered by them! They even personally guided us there and told the innkeeper to treat us as benefactors.
Although it was late at night when we arrived, we were led to a spacious room, and a delicious meal had been prepared for us. The room was, of course, a single, with a soft bed, a cute table with cat feet and flowers on it, and a soft lace curtain on the window. There was even a nightgown prepared for us. We slept soundly in the warm blankets, and in the morning, we had a porridge-based breakfast.
As I was absentmindedly thinking about what to do today, the young soldier who had guided us yesterday came to visit.
“Good morning. You must be tired, but is it alright?”
“Good morning. I’m fine. What’s the matter?”
“Sorry to bother you early, but before the questioning, I’ve been told to take you to the Adventurers’ Guild. Could you prepare yourself?”
I thought the questioning would start early, but it seemed not. I had never been to the Adventurers’ Guild, even in Renant.
“…But I’m not an adventurer…”
“That’s no problem. There was a request for the children’s search, so you’ll be receiving a success reward. Afterward, we’ll proceed with the questioning… by the way, what about that demon…?”
“He said, ‘It no longer concerns me, I’m asleep.'”
The soldier seemed to look relieved. It wasn’t that they would be troubled if he were absent, but rather that they were frightened by his presence.
So, the soldier guided me to the Adventurers’ Guild alone.
At the guild, I was taken to a room at the back, passing by adventurers waiting at the reception. The guild master personally handed me the reward and even thanked me. By the way, the guild master was disappointed that he didn’t get to see the demon.
“Wow, you really have a strong demon under your control, huh? You’re young, but impressive.”
“…I don’t control him, I made a contract with him. I consider myself more of a magical item craftsman than a summoner.”
“My apologies… by the way, magical items, huh?”
The guild master apologized, clearly embarrassed. It seemed I might have been a bit too harsh in my tone. The soldier waiting behind me smiled awkwardly. Many people think that summoning contracts are like making minions, but I don’t like that view. I believe contracts should be equal, and when summoning, one should show respect.
“Could it be, in the Elf Forest?”
“Yes, the goal is to gather medicinal herbs. I want to make potions quickly, but…”
“I see. Then I’ll offer you a place. There’s a magic workshop in town called Radislav’s Workshop; my friend runs it. I’ll negotiate with him to let you use it this afternoon. The report should be done by midday, right?”
“Eh, I wouldn’t know about that…”
I was taken aback by the unexpected offer, and the soldier was too, but the guild leader proceeded with the conversation on his own.
“No problem! Go get the report quickly. I’ll go speak to him at the workshop. Act fast, come on!”
He seemed like a rather forceful person, but for me, this was exactly what I had hoped for.
I was soon escorted to the defense headquarters, where the details were relayed. They started the hearing right after someone said that they too had been troubled by the situation.
The hearing ended after noon. The expedition team was apparently shocked by the destruction of their base, but they were not held accountable for the destruction. After lunch, I was going to be guided to the workshop.
(The viewpoint changes here)
“Boss! The advanced potions, 20 of them, are ready! I’ll deliver them right away!”
“Alright! Don’t trip!”
“Here’s a new request, 50 Mana potions. Do you want to take it?”
“Hmm… that’s a bit much. Tell them it’ll be a month from now because of all the reservations!”
The workshop was bustling with activity. Orders were coming in from nearby areas, sometimes to the point of needing to turn them away. Since I could make some advanced potions, it wasn’t a big issue, but the high potions were something only I could make, and even then, the success rate wasn’t high. For those, I didn’t take reservations.
During this busy time, my troublesome friend, the guild leader, came to me with a request: “The woman who freed the kidnapped people from the thieves wants to make potions, but she can’t leave yet. Can you let her use your workshop?”
I understood that it was a big deal. But I had no idea what kind of potion she intended to make, and asking to use my sacred workshop like it was nothing was frustrating. If her skills were bad, no matter how much my friend asked, I’d kick her out.
As the workshop owner, I, Radislav, had many people asking to apprentice, but I wouldn’t teach anyone careless or unskilled.
I was getting irritated by the busy workload and my friend’s unreasonable request, when the person finally arrived.
“Boss, I heard you’ll let me use the workshop… Is that really okay?”
The one who spoke was a young soldier from the city, seemingly the one who had guided them.
Following him was a young woman, probably in her early twenties, with purple eyes and strikingly beautiful features, accompanied by a man with red hair, who appeared to be her bodyguard. The man was dressed well for a guard.
“Pardon me. I am Iriya . It’s a pleasure to meet you. I deeply appreciate your kindness in letting me use your workshop, and I will be very careful not to cause any trouble. I humbly ask for your continued support.”
She bowed deeply, her light purple hair cascading over her shoulder.
“U-uh, well… same here.”
Her over-the-top politeness completely disarmed me.
“Here, use this.”
I pointed to the large cauldron I used in the workshop. The smaller cauldrons used by others in the town probably wouldn’t work for what she was trying to do. I wanted to finish quickly, so I’d have to give her the instructions.
She responded with surprising joy.
“Wow! A cauldron this big… I haven’t used one in ages! Thank you for providing it!”
“Huh? You’ve used a cauldron this big before?”
“Yes, um… I’ve used one in a research lab.”
“Hmm…”
She seemed like she knew what she was doing, but I soon noticed that she filled the cauldron almost all the way with water. That’s too much! It’s heavy enough without the water; she wouldn’t expect me to carry it, would she?
“Oh, Master Belial! My apologies.”
“No worries, just focus and get to work.”
Ignoring my concerns, the man casually lifted the heavy cauldron full of water and carried it to the stove with ease.
He didn’t look that strong, but it was impressive. I could use someone like him.
“Oh, vile thing, depart. Under the vast grace of all. Water that descends from the sky, to return to the sky again. Endless, the eternal cycle of Ouroboros. Within you lies the great sky, and with unseen hands, you shall be embraced. Water, divide from water.”
The woman started chanting a spell while adding a pinch of salt. She was purifying the water before she could begin making the potion. The surface of the water shimmered and reflected a silver glow.
“…Her magical ability is impressive. Is she good at magic?”
She continued carefully adding prepared medicinal herbs, measured by scale, into the water.
“This material… is it for a high potion?!”
“You’re correct.”
The man answered, raising his hand slowly. With a snap of his fingers, the stove lit up.
The woman stirred the mixture with a wooden stick, slowly and steadily.
“By the way, the purification spell you used was different partway through?”
“That’s a spell specialized for purifying water. Didn’t you know?”
“I’ve never heard of it!”
The man looked down at me, sneering arrogantly.
Making a high potion requires careful attention: First, you mix the ingredients over low heat for about an hour, stirring steadily. Then, you stop the heat and add the next set of ingredients, which are very difficult to obtain.
The woman, to my surprise, held the magical core in both hands, a solid lump of it. She chanted another unfamiliar incantation, and the core crumbled into powder.
Once the magic core turned to powder and mixed into the water, the solution began to dissolve and return to its original color. The woman carefully stirred it, and we had to continue the process for hours.
After six hours of steady effort, the high potion was successfully completed.
It was amazing. Normally, I’d prepare for several days before making such a potion, meditating in the Elf Forest to recharge my magic. Even then, I failed sometimes. Yet this woman, Iriya , managed to do it in a single day, with no preparation at all.
“As a thank you for letting me use the workshop, please accept this.”
She handed me a bottle of the high potion she made.
“Uh, I can’t just take this…”
“No, please, you helped me so much. I’ve heard of your reputation even in Renant. Just working here is something I can be proud of.”
“Well, in that case, I’ll take it… Is that okay?”
“Of course.”
With a smile, Iriya agreed, and I told her she could come back to work the next afternoon. She happily accepted.
“Could it be, in the Elf Forest?”
“Yes, the goal is to gather medicinal herbs. I want to make potions quickly, but…”
“I see. Then I’ll offer you a place. There’s a magic workshop in town called Radislav’s Workshop; my friend runs it. I’ll negotiate with him to let you use it this afternoon. The report should be done by midday, right?”
“Eh, I wouldn’t know about that…”
I was taken aback by the unexpected offer, and the soldier was too, but the guild leader proceeded with the conversation on his own.
“No problem! Go get the report quickly. I’ll go speak to him at the workshop. Act fast, come on!”
He seemed like a rather forceful person, but for me, this was exactly what I had hoped for.
I was soon escorted to the defense headquarters, where the details were relayed. They started the hearing right after someone said that they too had been troubled by the situation.
The hearing ended after noon. The expedition team was apparently shocked by the destruction of their base, but they were not held accountable for the destruction. After lunch, I was going to be guided to the workshop.
(The viewpoint changes here)
“Boss! The advanced potions, 20 of them, are ready! I’ll deliver them right away!”
“Alright! Don’t trip!”
“Here’s a new request, 50 Mana potions. Do you want to take it?”
“Hmm… that’s a bit much. Tell them it’ll be a month from now because of all the reservations!”
The workshop was bustling with activity. Orders were coming in from nearby areas, sometimes to the point of needing to turn them away. Since I could make some advanced potions, it wasn’t a big issue, but the high potions were something only I could make, and even then, the success rate wasn’t high. For those, I didn’t take reservations.
During this busy time, my troublesome friend, the guild leader, came to me with a request: “The woman who freed the kidnapped people from the thieves wants to make potions, but she can’t leave yet. Can you let her use your workshop?”
I understood that it was a big deal. But I had no idea what kind of potion she intended to make, and asking to use my sacred workshop like it was nothing was frustrating. If her skills were bad, no matter how much my friend asked, I’d kick her out.
As the workshop owner, I, Radislav, had many people asking to apprentice, but I wouldn’t teach anyone careless or unskilled.
I was getting irritated by the busy workload and my friend’s unreasonable request, when the person finally arrived.
“Boss, I heard you’ll let me use the workshop… Is that really okay?”
The one who spoke was a young soldier from the city, seemingly the one who had guided them.
Following him was a young woman, probably in her early twenties, with purple eyes and strikingly beautiful features, accompanied by a man with red hair, who appeared to be her bodyguard. The man was dressed well for a guard.
“Pardon me. I am Iriya . It’s a pleasure to meet you. I deeply appreciate your kindness in letting me use your workshop, and I will be very careful not to cause any trouble. I humbly ask for your continued support.”
She bowed deeply, her light purple hair cascading over her shoulder.
“U-uh, well… same here.”
Her over-the-top politeness completely disarmed me.
“Here, use this.”
I pointed to the large cauldron I used in the workshop. The smaller cauldrons used by others in the town probably wouldn’t work for what she was trying to do. I wanted to finish quickly, so I’d have to give her the instructions.
She responded with surprising joy.
“Wow! A cauldron this big… I haven’t used one in ages! Thank you for providing it!”
“Huh? You’ve used a cauldron this big before?”
“Yes, um… I’ve used one in a research lab.”
“Hmm…”
She seemed like she knew what she was doing, but I soon noticed that she filled the cauldron almost all the way with water. That’s too much! It’s heavy enough without the water; she wouldn’t expect me to carry it, would she?
“Oh, Master Belial! My apologies.”
“No worries, just focus and get to work.”
Ignoring my concerns, the man casually lifted the heavy cauldron full of water and carried it to the stove with ease.
He didn’t look that strong, but it was impressive. I could use someone like him.
“Oh, vile thing, depart. Under the vast grace of all. Water that descends from the sky, to return to the sky again. Endless, the eternal cycle of Ouroboros. Within you lies the great sky, and with unseen hands, you shall be embraced. Water, divide from water.”
The woman started chanting a spell while adding a pinch of salt. She was purifying the water before she could begin making the potion. The surface of the water shimmered and reflected a silver glow.
“…Her magical ability is impressive. Is she good at magic?”
She continued carefully adding prepared medicinal herbs, measured by scale, into the water.
“This material… is it for a high potion?!”
“You’re correct.”
The man answered, raising his hand slowly. With a snap of his fingers, the stove lit up.
The woman stirred the mixture with a wooden stick, slowly and steadily.
“By the way, the purification spell you used was different partway through?”
“That’s a spell specialized for purifying water. Didn’t you know?”
“I’ve never heard of it!”
The man looked down at me, sneering arrogantly.
Making a high potion requires careful attention: First, you mix the ingredients over low heat for about an hour, stirring steadily. Then, you stop the heat and add the next set of ingredients, which are very difficult to obtain.
The woman, to my surprise, held the magical core in both hands, a solid lump of it. She chanted another unfamiliar incantation, and the core crumbled into powder.
Once the magic core turned to powder and mixed into the water, the solution began to dissolve and return to its original color. The woman carefully stirred it, and we had to continue the process for hours.
After six hours of steady effort, the high potion was successfully completed.
It was amazing. Normally, I’d prepare for several days before making such a potion, meditating in the Elf Forest to recharge my magic. Even then, I failed sometimes. Yet this woman, Iriya , managed to do it in a single day, with no preparation at all.
“As a thank you for letting me use the workshop, please accept this.”
She handed me a bottle of the high potion she made.
“Uh, I can’t just take this…”
“No, please, you helped me so much. I’ve heard of your reputation even in Renant. Just working here is something I can be proud of.”
“Well, in that case, I’ll take it… Is that okay?”
“Of course.”
With a smile, Iriya agreed, and I told her she could come back to work the next afternoon. She happily accepted.
