Chapter 50
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: 9. My Potions Sell Too Well
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“Th-then we’ll send someone to the Adventurer Academy.”
One of the elders said this, but the Guild Master shook his head.
“No. It would be better if one of the elders went in person.”
“One of us?”
The elders of the Alchemist Guild.
This term referred to the eight members of the guild’s supreme council, including the Guild Master himself.
All of them were alchemists of the highest caliber on the continent, geniuses who had personally developed at least three of the numerous potion recipes currently in widespread use.
They held such esteemed positions as elders precisely because of their extraordinary talents.
Barring national-level tasks or incidents, it was safe to assume they almost never moved in person.
They carried that much weight.
Yet they were talking about going themselves.
This meant they were treating the matter with the gravity of a national incident.
‘It’s certainly worth that kind of response.’
‘Yeah, a senior alchemist went and got their memory wiped. We need at least an elder-level response.’
As for using memory erasure magic on a senior alchemist, the other side had plenty of ways to brush it off.
The Alchemist Guild had sent them in like spies first, so they’d been keeping quiet about it for now.
But what if an Alchemist Guild elder made a formal visit request?
They’d have no grounds to refuse, no excuses to dodge.
“I’ll go myself and sort this out.”
One elder shot to his feet.
His name was Mardan Russo.
He was the very same elder who had previously sent Lucen to the academy.
It had been his responsibility from the start.
Now, driven by a sense of duty to see it through to the end, he stepped up.
“Then we’re counting on you, Elder Mardan.”
“Yes, I’ll bring back good news.”
And so, Mardan formally requested a visit to the Adventurer Academy.
He wanted to meet Edin and have a talk.
“...Hoo.”
Director Mureos Avantredin let out a deep sigh upon receiving the request.
There were no grounds for the academy to reject a formal, gentlemanly request like this.
Edin’s potions had already hit the market, stirring up all sorts of problems.
And now the Alchemist Guild claimed they had business with the potion’s creator, Edin.
They couldn’t ignore that.
After all, Alchemist Guild alchemists were continuously trading with the Adventurer Guild.
Of course, Director Mureos wasn’t thrilled about the Alchemist Guild reaching out to Edin.
They might try to poach him.
‘I don’t think Edin is the type to jump ship without a word, loyalty-wise...’
Honestly, the Alchemist Guild offered a far better environment for an alchemist.
And sending one of their heavyweight elders showed they were dead serious.
‘Time for a direct counter.’
Of course, Director Mureos wasn’t one to sit idly by.
When Elder Mardan Russo arrived, she had Rinen fetch Edin.
Before Edin went to meet him, Director Mureos pulled him aside for a private word.
“Edin. The Alchemist Guild has clearly recognized your talent. So... they might try to scout you.”
She laid it out straight.
Steer his emotions toward them first.
No matter what conditions they offered, she’d match them.
Or offer more.
That’s what she was about to say when—
“Don’t worry. I have no plans to leave here.”
Edin knew exactly what she was fretting over.
The Alchemist Guild would obviously want to scout a talented alchemist like him.
It seemed like a big deal to send an elder over it, but whatever.
‘It’s more than just a job now.’
He hadn’t been employed long.
Not even a month—less than two weeks for this newbie.
But in that time, he’d gained plenty of colleagues he enjoyed spending time with.
Lunarin, who showed up every day for magic lessons somehow.
Saella, who was starting to feel familiar after being around constantly.
Suiven Rosu, who always greeted him brightly when he returned to the shop.
The kind Director Mureos Avantredin, who took care of all his needs.
And now he had friends among the students like Riley, Kyumel, Shnero, and Rin.
Jeyra was transferring in soon too.
The time spent together was short, but this place had already become more than just a workplace for Edin.
...A heartwarming space.
If that was what a home was, then yes... this was gradually becoming ‘home’ for him.
Claude, Mary, Sophia.
He’d never imagined such a thing while traveling with them.
A place where he belonged.
A place where he wanted to be.
No matter how good the offers from the other side, Edin had no intention of leaving.
“...Heh, I worried for nothing. Sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll go have that talk.”
After his conversation with Director Mureos, Edin steeled himself.
Scouting offer? He’d turn it down.
The issue was the potions causing a stir among adventurers.
Adventurers secretly reselling them, the academy’s response, their complaints, and the Alchemist Guild’s potential to raise hell over it.
Potions with outstanding performance... How to explain them?
It felt a bit nerve-wracking.
“Pardon? What did you just say...”
Edin was utterly flustered by Elder Mardan Russo’s words.
The reason was...
“In other words, the Alchemist Guild wishes to establish a friendly relationship with you, Edin, and engage in various academic exchanges.”
An Alchemist Guild elder had brought up something completely unexpected.
Edin had figured he’d come to interrogate how they’d resolved the Adventurer Guild’s black-market potion incident, or maybe suggest casually joining the Alchemist Guild to make potions there since problems had arisen.
Instead, out of nowhere, he proposed, ‘Let’s build a friendly relationship and exchange knowledge.’
Academic exchanges, huh.
Alchemists did have a strong researcher vibe, so sharing accumulated knowledge or recipes wasn’t uncommon.
The Alchemist Guild existed to encourage such exchanges and mutual advancement among alchemists, after all.
“B-but I’m just a beginner who learned the basics from books...”
To be precise, Edin was a total novice when it came to research.
He’d memorized textbook knowledge and executed it theoretically perfect, yielding flawless results.
But he hadn’t experimented much on his own.
Academic exchanges, though?
He had nothing to offer them...
“That’s fine. You could simply provide us with samples of your original potions. That alone would be invaluable research material for us.”
“...?”
Edin tilted his head at the elder’s words.
‘My potions have that much research value?’
He’d just followed the textbook recipes.
They only had higher purity and precision ratios than others.
“Oh, of course, we’re not asking for them for free. If there’s anything you need, we can provide materials you want... or sell you potions at a discount. We’d be grateful for that much...”
“...Huh? No, that’s not what I meant.”
“...??”
The conversation felt oddly off-kilter.
At that moment, a thought flashed through Mardan Russo’s mind.
‘Selling insanely pure potions so casually, acting like it’s no big deal.’
Was it possible this guy didn’t know the true value of his own potions?
Elders could discern ingredients and processes with a quick glance.
But Edin’s potions revealed nothing.
No special ingredients, no unique processes.
Just straight out of the textbook.
The bare basics.
Simply executed so perfectly that it reached a theoretical realm impossible in practice.
Judging by the concentration, Edin’s stock solution was A-rank.
It shattered the known B-rank limit for basic processes.
A miracle potion that broke limits through flawless execution.
No wonder the elders shook their heads in disbelief.
The talk of an ‘alchemy god descended upon the mortal world’ wasn’t exaggeration.
Yet the creator had this passive attitude?
Maybe he truly didn’t grasp his own worth?
It happened often with alchemists working in isolation.
They misjudged their own value.
Undervaluing or overvaluing themselves.
Edin might simply not realize how exceptional he was.
On a hunch, Mardan decided to test him.
“...That stock solution circulating on the market appears to be A-rank. Is that correct?”
“Ah, yes. Got lucky, I guess. I heard it broke the limit.”
That nonchalant tone.
One of two possibilities.
Either he thought his talent was just ‘that good’ and no big deal.
Or he had no clue how impressive it was.
To pinpoint it, Mardan asked another question.
“...If you were to sell the stock solution as-is, how much would you price it at?”
If he was casually modest about his talent, he understood its value.
He’d demand a high price.
If he was clueless, he’d price it like a standard market A-rank.
Edin’s answer was...
“Hmm. I hear regular A-rank Healing Potions go for about 50 gold... So if selling on the market, maybe 60-70 gold? Since the performance is a bit better.”
“......”
Mardan was speechless.
Because...
‘Is he insane? I was thinking 250 gold at the deepest discount...’
He had no idea of his own value.
Edin knew he was different from other alchemists, but not how different.
Not how extraordinary he truly was.