The Immortal's Alchemical Elixir (2)
I decided to grab the most important thing first—the Elixir. With that thought in mind, Veronica and I headed back to the house in Sargadis.
—Fwoosh!
Our method of travel was, of course, Space Movement.
The moment we arrived home, Theresa the cat padded over to my feet.
“Sup, fuckcat?”
“Meow. (Hello.)”
Even after leaving the house empty for so long, our damn cat hadn’t lost any weight. If anything, the little shit had gotten even chubbier. Does this bastard send his underlings to rob a fishmonger or something?
“Anything happen while I was gone?”
“Meow-meow-meow~. (Nothing~.)”
I first checked the cat CCTV. No abnormalities. While I was at it, I hid the real camera we’d picked up in the Ulster village near the outer wall. Goddamn it, I left it unattended for a few days and vines had already grown all over it. What a pain in the ass.
Of course, at first I’d wondered if I could use the camera to record evidence. Call it I Want to Know That: Another World Edition. But if the other party just claimed it was fabricated, it would turn into a power struggle anyway. Even in the 21st century, courts operated on the principle of “no punishment if you have connections.” Unless the evidence was ironclad and impossible to deny, video footage that didn’t even exist in this world would be useless.
“My dear, I have brought them.”
“Thanks.”
Veronica returned from the basement storage carrying a box with two bottles of Elixir. We currently possessed three bottles in total. When we first obtained them in the Underground Tower there had been four. We gave half a bottle to the team Dana had hired, and used the remaining half to treat the wound that bitch Yerna had inflicted.
So now we have three.
Still, considering we might suffer injuries during our work that Dana’s healing couldn’t fix, I wanted to keep at least one bottle in reserve. And since these were difficult to sell except at an auction like this one, even if we handled the transaction as efficiently as possible, we should assume only two bottles were actually available for sale. That had been our original sales plan.
I don’t know how things will actually play out, but two bottles should be enough.
The rumor that Elixir was appearing had probably leaked from the Hermation Guild. Maybe from the mouths of the escorts who had explored with us back then.
Well, expectations have risen, so it’s not exactly a loss.
After securing the Elixir, we returned to Renapolis before anyone could notice. Our next destination was the mansion of the Hermation Guild Master. We just needed to present the letter of introduction Selena had given us.
Since showing up as a large group would draw attention, we hid the Elixir inside a bag so it wouldn’t be obvious and decided only Dana and I would go.
“Senior~! Why does it have to be Dana unnie~? Honestly, shouldn’t I—who suffered through bug hell with you—be the more suitable choice?”
“The lord of Lucregens has also arrived in Renapolis. What are you going to do if rumors spread that you’re here?”
“Tsk.”
Larilura grumbled with clear disappointment, but this time there was no helping it. I kept the rest to myself because saying it out loud would have been too harsh on her, but after my conversation with Alexandra, I realized it probably wasn’t wise to go around loudly advertising that I had multiple wives. Even in another world.
Being confident and being shameless are two different things.
The CEO of a company selling adult products could proudly take satisfaction in his work and that might even be considered a virtue. But bragging about your products in places where it wasn’t necessary? That crossed a line. I wasn’t ashamed of having four wives, but I also wasn’t trying to show off our family affairs. It seemed better to exercise some restraint.
“Bullshit. You call keeping four wives ‘restraint’? One on each limb, huh?”
“What the fuck? I never even imagined that. Are you hinting that you want a 5P?”
“Do it in moderation, you degenerate. No matter how good the restaurant is, waiting in line pisses people off. You expect them to sit in seiza on the bed and wait their turn?”
“If I slurp it down quickly and rotate the table every three minutes? Make it the perfect size for each customer’s mouth and toss it nicely, and I could clear the line without even multitasking.”
They say a first-class sushi master calculates the size of each customer’s mouth. It’s common knowledge that custom-tailored suits are the best. Maybe refusing too much out of embarrassment wasn’t good either?
“You insane yellow bastard, your thought process is on another level. Planning a speed-eating contest with your wives? You fucking animal.”
“Kingchi-man… But sister’s pussy is literally three-minute cup ramen…”
“Wow, this motherfucker is for real! Fight Franc without using gender! Let’s see how many minutes you last with just your bare-handed technique!”
“Wait, you’re using a proxy now? Our sister got scared, didn’t she? You don’t have the confidence to win yourself, right? If you fought directly it’d be obvious—you’d pour boiling water, stir a few times, and she’d be done in seconds going ‘heuung~’?”
“………………”
“Why aren’t you denying it? Pulling the right to remain silent is hilarious. You just imagined yourself becoming cup ramen, didn’t you?”
“Shi… bal…. You fucking bastard……”
Anyway, after exchanging the kind of affectionate banter that was only proper when Dana and I were alone, we arrived at the Hermation family mansion in high spirits.
It was no exaggeration to call it a flourishing merchant guild. Honestly, the place looked bigger than the Henesis young lady’s residence. I wondered how many bottles of Elixir it would take to build a mansion like this.
〈What business brings you here?〉
Were there really that many direct visitors? There was even a dedicated reception window at the main gate for guests.
I handed over the invitation and spoke.
〈I received an invitation from Miss Selena Hermation. Could you please inform her that Nord of the Audumla Guild has arrived?〉
〈Sir Nord, is it? Understood.〉
I’d grown used to intruding into other people’s homes like a salesman on a business call. We were given a free pass straight to the reception room, probably because the message had been delivered properly.
“I heard the benefactor of my life has come to visit!”
The waiting time was less than ten minutes. The young lady who appeared, shouting fluently in Britannia, looked exactly as I remembered except for the neat dress she wore. Dana and I stood up together and offered a handshake.
“It’s been a while, Miss Selena. I apologize for visiting like this when you didn’t personally invite us to the mansion.”
“No, no! You are always welcome, anytime!”
Selena even removed her glove to accept my handshake. From the perspective of a 21st-century Earthling like me, the courtesy embedded in such small gestures somehow created tension. It felt like visiting a luxurious department store and suddenly becoming self-conscious about every detail of my appearance.
“I was actually disappointed you didn’t come a little sooner! We held a grand year-end party just a few days ago. It would have been wonderful if you had attended and graced us with your presence!”
“Hahaha. What a shame indeed.”
Sorry, but I’m not sorry at all.
I flipped my social-mode switch to ON. After exchanging the appropriate amount of empty flattery, we were finally able to sit comfortably.
I already want to go home, fuck.
“The fact that you came all the way to the mansion… I assume this is about selling the Elixir?”
“That’s right. The rumor’s already spreading through the streets. I can’t exactly not sell it now, can I?”
I’d intended to respond casually, but Selena bowed her head apologetically.
“Aah… I’m sorry. This is my fault. The information about the item leaked ahead of time…”
“Ah, no. Actually, it’s fortunate that expectations have risen. Thanks to that rumor, I was also able to learn that a shortage of Elixir is occurring. It turned out to be a good opportunity.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
Even while simply speaking, Selena somehow conveyed sincere regret. In a way, it was a very merchant-like skill. She continued her explanation.
“Fortunately for both you, Mr. Nord, and our guild, the quality of Elixir currently supplied throughout Romania has generally declined. It isn’t a coincidence—several factors have overlapped.”
“What factors?”
“First, the Elixir artisan who secretly passed down the formula died from a chronic illness. He did leave a successor, but the apprentice’s career is still somewhat short, so he cannot match the skill of the previous generation.”
Selena raised her long index finger.
“Then… Ah.”
Dana reflexively started to speak but closed her mouth. I gestured that it was fine. Outdated machismo like “men are talking, women should stay quiet” went against my principles. Besides, it wasn’t a breach of etiquette in this situation.
After reading the room for a moment, Dana cleared her throat and asked, “Then has the overall supply volume decreased as well?”
“Yes, exactly. With potions, one bottle of perfect quality is more valuable than two bottles of inferior quality. Adjusting quality is as simple as diluting it.”
In other words, a recovery item that could heal 1000 HP had been nerfed so it now only restored 700. The more volume you created, the greater the loss rate. It was roughly a 2:3 ratio compared to the original quality. Similar to how snack companies increase the nitrogen inside the bag.
“And on top of that bad news, it appears someone is purchasing large quantities of high-quality Elixir from somewhere. Dismuke?”
“Yes, my lady.”
The butler, who had been standing as still as a stone statue, handed over some documents. Selena passed them to us.
“As you can see, Elixir has always had low trading volume. Not because it’s expensive, but because the ingredients are extremely rare. However, the fact that it has virtually disappeared from the market suggests two possibilities.”
“Hoarding, or consumption,” I said.
Selena opened her mouth, then closed it again. For some reason she looked satisfied. Anyone who had watched hoarders mess with limited cash-shop items in K-RPGs would understand this much.
“Yes, exactly. If it’s hoarding, it’s annoying but not a major problem. However—”
“…If it’s consumption, then the identity of the person currently sweeping the auction market will be revealed.”
She had thrown out the bait as if waiting for a response, so I played along.
“A hoarder wouldn’t block the circulation of just two bottles while suffering massive losses. But ‘someone who needs high quality’ will definitely secure these. If they’re causing a shortage, it’s obvious that no matter how much they use, it will never be enough.”
I tapped the box containing the Elixir as I spoke. Selena’s eyes sparkled and she clapped her hands.
“Yes! Exactly! We really are on the same wavelength!”
“I’ll take that as a compliment and accept it gratefully.”
I answered casually and fell into thought.
This is going to get annoying.
The reason Catherine had wanted me to contact the Hermation Guild was because this auction would significantly influence the city’s power structure. Naturally, the lord’s family of Renapolis would appear here as well. My job was to find out what item that real power—Diabolo or whatever his name was—showed interest in. After that, it would likely become the phantom thief sisters’ turn.
Attending the auction using the Elixir and the invitation as an excuse is perfectly feasible.
Until then, I needed to lie low. Especially since I was currently in the middle of gathering information through Catherine.
“…Understood. In that case, I would appreciate some guidance on how to exhibit at this auction—”
—Knock, knock.
Just as I was about to continue, someone knocked on the door of the reception room. When I stopped speaking, Selena’s eyebrows shot up into a sharp V.
〈…What is the matter? I am conversing with honored guests right now?〉
〈I-I’m sorry, my lady. But this is a guest we cannot keep waiting on our own discretion…〉
Even though her voice carried clear irritation, the butler did not retreat. That meant the visitor was at least of noble rank.
“…I apologize. My father is currently absent.”
“No, I understand.”
“Yes. I’m truly sorry.”
Selena glanced at us once, then asked toward the door.
〈I wasn’t expecting any visitors today. Did you ask for their name?〉
〈They said they are an envoy from a Senate family…〉
〈…The Senate.〉
Selena let out a tiny groan. Even the master of the Hermation Guild could not ignore the name of a current Senate family. As his daughter, she should immediately go out to greet them. However, leaving behind the people she considered lifesavers clearly went against her principles.
It was somewhat pitiful to watch her agonize without even daring to make eye contact with us, so I shrugged.
“It’s fine if you need to step out.”
“But still…”
“It’ll probably be all right. If my guess is correct, once you tell them ‘the Elixir seller is here,’ that person from the family may come here instead.”
“The Elixir seller…? Ah!”
Selena quickly caught on and her expression brightened.
“I’ll be right back! If I’m late, I sincerely apologize!”
“Please go ahead.”
After seeing Selena off, Dana and I poured ourselves more tea and waited. There was no need to wonder who the visitor was.
Primor had cut off her own finger to remove the ring cursed by the black mage.
And high-quality Elixir is a potion capable of regenerating lost body parts.
It was basically solving backwards from the answer, so my prediction proved correct. A few minutes later, the person who entered the reception room was indeed someone I recognized.
〈This is Sir Nord, the seller of the Elixir.〉
〈…Greetings, Sir Nord.〉
The envoy from the Senate family bowed with impeccable politeness.
〈I am Lias Kirne, a knight of the Armaals family.〉
She was someone who looked far more natural in light formal attire than in assault spears or heavy armor.