Chapter 27
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: New Face
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The new workshop was quiet. The thick mana unique to gates mingled with the fresh scent of newly installed machinery, subtly soothing the mind and body.
Thud. Thud.
As I lounged half-buried in the sofa, scrolling through a VTuber stream on my tablet, feeble footsteps approached.
It was Yuna, utterly exhausted.
"You look comfy now... I feel like I'm dying..."
She let out a sigh the moment she saw me. Lately, she'd been run off her feet. With the potion business exploding in scale, the old small guild admin setup just couldn't handle it anymore.
In the end, we'd made a decision. Establish a proper company under the name Rabbitfoot and hire a professional manager to sort out all this chaos.
"...G-Good work."
"Whatever. About that CEO job posting we put up—tons of monster resumes flooded in."
Yuna snatched my tablet, ruthlessly shutting off the VTuber stream I'd been watching.
"Ah... I-I was watching that..."
"Cut the crap. Here."
She shoved the tablet back into my hands, now displaying a file.
"These are the final candidates I screened overnight from the resumes. You're making the last call."
"T-That's such a hassle... J-Just handle it yourself..."
"It's your company. Show some effort. At least skim them."
Her firm tone left me no choice but to sit up. The screen was packed with dazzling resumes. Top execs from major corps, ops chiefs from big guilds. All with sparkling careers.
"P-People like this... why...?"
"Why? They smell money. Your potions are the hottest thing right now."
Yuna shrugged wearily.
"Oh, candidate 3. She's solid. Good personality, understands our business well."
Despite her recommendation, my eyes locked elsewhere. My scrolling finger halted on one profile.
[Seo Ihyeon]
It dwarfed all the others.
"Th-This person... insane resume. Youngest strategy director at Hoyeon Guild...?"
Yuna's expression subtly hardened at my words.
"Yeah, her... I included her in the finals, but she's iffy."
"Why? Sh-She looks the best..."
"Her skills are legit."
She sighed and began explaining.
"Hoyeon crashed and burned, but she was key to its rise. Rumor has it she was half the reason they got that far. But..."
"B-But?"
"Too upright. Prioritized hunter safety over guild profits. Openly opposed reckless gate raids... got branded a whistleblower when the guild tanked and booted."
"......"
"Whistleblower label? In this industry, that's traitor stamp."
Yuna's voice lowered.
"Rabbitfoot's a rising star. Hiring a blacklisted CEO first thing? Big guilds and the Association won't look kindly. No point stirring trouble. Shame, her talent's wasted... but external risks."
Her logic was sound.
But I saw it differently.
Risks matter that much?
No substitute for my potions exists. Would hunters risking death ditch them over gossip? No way.
Plus.
My gaze lingered on a corner of the resume.
[Family: Daughter (4 years old, suffering from Congenital Mana Maladaptation Syndrome (CMMS))]
I minimized the file and opened a search.
[Congenital Mana Maladaptation Syndrome]
[...A rare disease post-gate emergence. Body rejects Earth's mana as toxin, causing full-body rejection (fever, pain, shock) on exposure...]
Daughter's incurable illness.
If I could cure it. Or even just ease symptoms.
Wouldn't she work hard for me?
I pulled up the Alchemy Gallery.
"Kim Talky? You listening? Like I said, external risks..."
"N-No. Just... checking something."
She started to say more but shut her mouth, seeing my serious face.
Title: How to cure mana allergy-like disease?
Author: Rabbit King
Rare disease called Congenital Mana Maladaptation Syndrome.
Body treats mana as toxin, rejection on exposure.
Any fixes?
Mana allergy? 😂
↳ For real? Allergic to breathing mana? 💀
↳ I'm serious;;
Like acute exposure to high-mana?
↳ Like mana poisoning?
↳ Nah, post says body sees it as toxin—different case.
Body rejecting mana is the issue,
↳ Make body get used to mana at root level?
↳ Sounds familiar...
↳ Immunity therapy?
Immunity therapy. Yeah, that's it.
↳ Package mana as harmless and inject gradually?
↳ Train body not to see it as toxin.
↳ Slowly acclimate?
↳ Mix slime cores and vitality stones maybe.
↳ Go for it. Tuning vitality stones to mana might be annoying tho.
Just like she said, the key was tuning.
Slime cores to neutralize mana, vitality stones body-friendly. Fuse mana slowly, safely via them.
Easy.
Simpler than expected. I closed the gallery and looked up at Yuna, who'd been watching.
"Y-Yuna."
"Yeah?"
"Th-This one. Seo Ihyeon. Let's go with her."
"You heard me, right?"
"Y-Yeah... I did. But please, her."
I wouldn't budge, so Yuna sighed in resignation.
"...Fine. I'll contact her. Final interview needed anyway."
She rubbed her temple like her head might explode and turned away.
Yuna left the gate, and I stood at the workbench. One sample vial was enough—no need for the full chamber.
Pudding-soft slime cores, vitality stones with faint warm energy, Moonlight Herb juice as stabilizer.
Dissolved Moonlight Herb juice and slime cores in a beaker, boiled. Merged into soft blue liquid.
Sprinkled in finely ground vitality stone powder.
"Hoo."
Short breath.
Gripped the rod, stirred slowly. Threaded my mana finely, precisely.
Shhh...
Mana seeped into slime cores softly; powder clung like magnet.
Mana as core, materials as shell.
Injected mana precisely to stabilize the unstable bond perfectly.
Soon, beaker held shimmering silver liquid.
...Done?
Too easy.
Daily mana handling made it routine? Just understand materials, time right—simple.
Bottled the potion, capped it.
"Yawwwn..."
Time flew despite ease. Way past bedtime.
Fatigue hit. Placed vial on bench, crashed on sofa.
Quiet workshop. Only mana reactor's low hum filled the space.
Then.
Cage door in corner clattered open.
- Squeak.
Snowy furball waddled out.
Chun-sik sniffed around familiarly, hopped onto workbench with familiar scent.
Tiny nose twitched.
Silver potion on bench.
Moonlight Herb masked most smells, but vitality stone's sweet, warm aroma lingered. Irresistible to living creatures.
Sniff sniff.
Chun-sik approached vial slowly.
Poked with paw.
Tilted—loose cap popped off.
Pour.
Silver potion spilled.
Chun-sik dipped head without hesitation.
Lap lap.
Snowy bunny licked every drop.
"...Nngh."
How long slept?
Woke to strange sensation, unlike usual.
Something in my arms.
...What?
Not fluffy pillow or blanket. Warmer, softer.
And.
Col-Col...
Faint, steady breathing by my ear.
Person?
Chill down spine.
Not Yuna—or I'd suffocate now.
Bad feeling; heart raced. Forced heavy lids open.
And.
Froze at the sight in my arms.
"...Huh?"
Snow-white hair.
A stranger girl, utterly naked, slept soundly in my embrace.