Chapter 44: How Much! How Much Do You Want! (2)
Chapter 44: How Much! How Much Do You Want! (2)
Before I knew it, the typical after-school clamor had faded away.
We had arrived at the Workshop Street.
Lifting my head to look around, the scenery of a well-developed street unfolded before my eyes.
Clean pavement, dazzling signs, and items that looked incredibly impressive displayed in shop windows.
From easily recognizable equipment like swords and staves to accessories encrusted with jewels and mysterious-looking potions, everything was elegantly showcased.
Being Zone 1, it had the strong atmosphere of a luxury shopping district.
However, this wasn't my destination.
"Let's go."
"Yes. We just need to head further inside."
Following Carla’s nod, I continued walking. Deeper. Just a little bit deeper.
Starting from the glittering Zone 1, passing through the orderly Zone 2 and the reasonably clean Zone 3, the atmosphere suddenly shifted.
"Training longswords for sale! Buy two, get one free!"
"Selling a ten-pack of lowest-grade Vitality Potions! They're diluted, so the potion poisoning isn't severe! One bottle of this will give you a refreshing start to your morning!"
"Giving away prototype Shield Rings! They're free, totally free! Just use one during the next dungeon practice and leave a review! A positive one, if possible!"
We had only walked a few meters, yet the atmosphere had turned into a chaotic bazaar.
This was Zone 4.
In hindsight, it made perfect sense.
Which class made up the largest portion of the Academy? It was the lower-ranked Class C.
At the same time, it was the class with the highest percentage of commoners.
Nobles often discovered their talents early and had the environment to hone them.
Conversely, commoners, who rarely had the chance to encounter swordsmanship or magic, frequently realized their potential while working as blacksmiths or herbalists.
That was why the Production Department was particularly crowded with commoners.
As a result, Zone 4 of the Workshop Street—where the Class C students of the Production Department gathered—looked no different from an outdoor market.
"It's always so noisy here, Master."
"I suppose they're desperate in their own way."
Given the nature of the Production Department, anything they tried to do cost a fortune. They were likely trying their best to secure a good sponsor.
If their only goal was sales profit, there was always the option of supplying goods to the Academy.
However, items supplied that way didn't list the creator's name; they were simply labeled as Academy-made, meaning they couldn't build a reputation.
In other words, you couldn't find a sponsor through Academy supplies.
Incidentally, no department relied on sponsors as much as the Production Department.
Unless you created a masterpiece or a hit product, the general feeling was that you had to pour money in to improve your skills.
It was different for knights, who only needed a single sword for training, or priests, who only needed a quiet room.
Mages also required a lot of money... but most of that went toward labor costs.
Mages, who manifested magic through their own imagination and will, tended to have strong egos, and as a result, they demanded exorbitant fees to teach anyone.
Though that didn't matter in the Academy, where instruction was free.
Anyway, because of this situation, only the Production Department students were constantly struggling with financial difficulties.
Most were already poor commoners, yet every time they tried something new, they went broke.
Of course, the Academy provided the basics... but there was a limit to what you could do with ordinary materials.
No matter how much you hammered steel, it wouldn't turn into Mithril.
Even if one had the skill to create items that surpassed the limits of the materials, it was only natural that better materials yielded better results.
So, even though it was a quiet season—with the 4th years having just graduated and the freshmen still chirping like chicks—these students remained desperate.
They couldn't afford to waste a single day's chance to increase their value.
Add to that the nobles looking to recruit promising talent, or students from other departments who were equally poor and looking for cheap supplies.
With so many different people mixed together, it was bound to be noisy.
But the person I was looking for was far removed even from this place.
"I'll take the lead from here."
"Oh... yes."
Carla hesitated for a moment as if something was bothering her, but she soon nodded and took a modest stance behind me.
She was probably wondering why I was so unfazed by the sight of Zone 4, and how I planned to find someone on my own when I had needed guidance just to get this far.
I couldn't give her an answer, though.
Still, I should probably think of a decent excuse for this later.
Exhaling a light sigh inwardly, I headed toward the nearest alchemy workshop. It was the place that had been hawking Vitality Potions just a moment ago.
This place occupied a relatively decent spot within Zone 4.
"Excuse me."
"Yes! Welcome! ...A freshman?"
The senior tilted his head, looking at the small book-and-staff badge on the chest of my uniform.
"If you're a freshman, shouldn't today be your first day of classes?"
"I was looking around and ended up here."
"Is that so? You're quite diligent. Well, a customer is a customer, freshman or not. Are you looking for something specific? I have almost every potion from lowest to low grade, and I even have a few bottles of intermediate-grade Recovery and Vitality Potions."
"Could you show me the Vitality Potions? The classes were a bit intense from the very first day."
"Aha? You're in Class A, aren't you? I heard Professor Iona really works everyone to the bone from day one. Anyway, if that's what you need, come inside. I'll show you the goods."
As soon as we entered the shop, the senior rummaged through a corner and placed three small test tubes filled with yellow liquid on the table.
The color grew progressively more vivid from left to right.
"From the left, we have lowest, low, and intermediate grade. I made them according to the official recipes without any special alterations, but that means I can mass-produce them. The effects aren't lacking, either. These are samples, so feel free to taste them to check."
Wait, is he pitching himself to me?
Well... in a world without factories, the mass production of potions was a significant matter.
If I were the heir to some territory, I might have been interested.
However, I didn't have any residents to feed, and my reason for buying potions here was essentially an information fee, so I shook my head.
"Mmm. That's fine. I've already decided what to buy. Give me ten bottles of the intermediate grade."
"Uh... I only have seven."
"Then I'll take seven."
It seemed he was the type who could mass-produce low-grade potions but struggled with anything slightly higher.
He might have a trait related to that.
I only handed over the payment after confirming that the senior's attendant, who was manning the counter, had skillfully brought out the potions one by one.
The senior tucked the money into his pocket with a still-dazed expression. I put the potions into my inventory and spoke up.
"By the way, there's something I'm curious about."
"Yeah?"
"Do you happen to know where Fay Yarnshard's workshop is?"
"……."
A brief silence followed.
However, despite his reluctant expression, he nodded readily enough.
"I see now, you weren't just a customer for potions. Well, I don't know why a freshman is looking for that girl... but since you bought a lot, there's no reason I can't tell you."
After giving the senior a slight bow of thanks for the detailed directions, I stepped out of the workshop.
As soon as we were a short distance away, Carla tugged on my sleeve.
"Master, Master."
"Yes?"
"Did you already know that person?"
"Well... in a way. Though it was just me knowing about her. Haven't you heard of her, Carla? She's a student who enrolled while you were still attending, since she's a 2nd year now."
"Oh, come on. There are so many people at the Academy. How would I know the name of a student from another department, especially someone who was a freshman back then?"
That was true.
"Well... she's in Class A, so her skills are guaranteed."
"Pardon? Um... Master? The thing is... if someone from Class A has been pushed all the way back to Zone 4..."
"It means there's a problem with something other than her skill, right?"
"Yes. And since she's in such a secluded corner even within Zone 4, it's almost certain."
She wasn't wrong.
Fay was a girl with many problems, but...
"Her skills are good enough to make up for all of that. More importantly, Fay herself isn't the problem."
"Is she really that good?"
"Yeah. You'll see for yourself once we get there."
Just as Elisha would grow into an Archmage if given proper support, Fay was a "guaranteed gacha" who would eventually succeed in synthesizing the Philosopher's Stone if supported in time.
...On the flip side, she was an extreme character who would quietly commit suicide if she missed her timing.
There was still some time before Fay would take her own life... but even so, it was better to make contact as early as possible.
That was why I had decided to seek her out immediately after classes ended.
The support she needed was simple. As I mentioned, the Production Department was a money pit, so sponsorship was vital.
In H&A, the protagonist's side story with Fay involved him running around to connect her with the Alchemist Guild, growing closer in the process...
But I didn't necessarily have to follow that path. If money was the issue, I could just become her sponsor myself.
If Elisha had the Sylvan Magic Tower at her back when she offered me sponsorship...
Then I would become Fay's sponsor with my play-time knowledge at mine.
A satisfied smile spread across my face as I caught a glimpse of the balance in my inventory.
Carla tilted her head, seemingly confused as to why I was suddenly grinning to myself, as we headed toward a secluded corner of Zone 4.
"How much! How much do you want!"
"Gah!"
"How much will it take for you to become mine exclusively!"
"M-money isn't everything in this world...!"
What? Money isn't everything?
There's no way that's true!