Elixir Absorption

Have you all made your choices?

Veil, who had been chatting with the ancestor near the warehouse entrance, watched the exploration team return one by one with their prizes. Every last one of them wore a deeply satisfied expression, so it seemed they'd found some genuinely good items inside. The sight brought a pleased smile to Edenberg's face.

He had always felt it was a shame to keep them stored away without ever putting them to use. Now that they would find their way into the hands of people who truly needed them, he felt satisfied. Veil, calculating the future benefit of having stronger warriors return to the territory, was equally pleased. As everyone basked in this ideal, harmonious atmosphere, the arena was filled with warm contentment.

I had just tucked my own selection into my inventory with a satisfied grin when I spotted Adela approaching from the side and nearly jumped out of my skin.

"What are you eating?"

"Mmph? Mmmph mmph?"

"Never mind. Finish your meal."

The sight of Adela with her cheeks stuffed full, wearing an expression of pure bliss, left me speechless. From the bits poking out, it looked like... bone? I wasn't entirely sure, but it definitely wasn't something left out for snacking.

"Munch munch."

War Ant Queens can freely manipulate the genes they acquire. Since Adela was a princess strain, she could probably do the same, and it seemed she was diligently preparing for the future.

Gulp.

"Yeah. Tastes good."

"You didn't eat several at once, did you?"

"Promises are important. Is Argo a bad person who breaks his promises?"

"Of course not. I only took ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one, too."

To prove my innocence to the skeptical girl, I pulled out the item I'd stored in my inventory and showed it to her. Inside a glass bottle sealed with preservation magic was a milky-white, glowing fruit.

Adela tilted her head after inspecting the tightly sealed container.

"The fruit is shining. Is it dangerous?"

"It's an elixir. Eating it increases your mana capacity."

These weren't easy to come by, so I'd snatched it up the moment I saw it. The North was packed with people who could handle mana, which meant elixirs rarely made it to market. Most were consumed by the owners themselves or given to warriors in their family who took on dangerous work.

Having obtained such a precious elixir for the first time, I couldn't stop smiling.

"This will let me gain several years' worth of mana in one go."

"Is that a lot?"

"An insane amount. It'll let me use the Lesser Dragon's breath one extra time."

"......!"

Adela's eyes went wide at my explanation. Having witnessed firsthand how devastating the breath attack was, she was shocked by the idea of being able to use it one more time. I always grumbled about the ridiculous mana cost every time I used it, so her surprise was only natural.

I was still grinning ear to ear at the thought of consuming the elixir somewhere safe once we returned to the city when Neon suddenly wedged himself between us. It looked like he wanted to brag about his find but didn't have any close friends in the exploration team, so he'd come to us.

"Looks like everyone got something satisfying."

"You seem pretty pleased with your own pick too."

"Ah, you mean this?"

With a sly grin, he showed us the cover of the book he'd been cradling protectively. The title read 3~4 Circle Magic Compendium: Written When I Was Bored.

Since I wasn't a mage, I just stared at it blankly. Neon eagerly explained.

"If I had to describe ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it, this is a grimoire personally written by Sion, the great mage called the genius of the century during the Dawn of Creation!"

"Sion? You mean the Mage of the Azure Sky?"

"Obviously! And this book was never released to the world! If it were made public, mages would come running in droves, drooling all over themselves!"

Clearly revering Sion as a fellow mage, Neon launched into stories about her. How she brought rain to drought-stricken lands. How she breathed life back into ground scorched by wildfire. How she struck down monsters attacking a city with bolts of thunder. The Mage of the Azure Sky had been a hero who operated across both the North and Central regions, so her name was well-known even in the Central area. I'd known there were plenty of mages in the Central region who admired her, but I hadn't realized Neon was one of them.

"But aren't you a black mage?"

"Just because you're a black mage doesn't mean you can only learn black magic."

Black mages could use regular magic, and regular mages could use black magic. The problem was that it was inefficient, and black mages couldn't hide their unique dark mana. From a mage's perspective, there was no reason to learn black magic that drew unwanted attention, especially when it came with so many side effects. Mess up and you could end up spending quality time with muscular gentlemen in the church basement.

Yet here was Neon, the black mage, happily clutching the tome. Of course, he hadn't chosen it recklessly without considering the consequences.

"The demon I contracted with is actually reasonable. If I offer the right price, it'll solve the efficiency issue for me."

"Contracts with demons usually don't end well."

"That's because those greedy fools never honor the terms."

He snorted. The endings of black mages in fairy tales and legends were always grim, but he was confident. Confident enough to kneel without the slightest hesitation.

"Those guys were too stiff-backed and refused to bend their knees."

There was no race more strict about contracts than demons. They hadn't even offered proper compensation. It was basically subcontracting power, yet they got greedy about conquering the world or whatever and ended up signing unfair terms.

"So you're saying you're different?"

"Obviously. I'm the kind of guy with the lightest knees in the world. If I have to, I'll grab the demon lady's leg and beg."

"Wow."

His completely shameless, confident attitude left me at a loss for words. Even the heretical inquisitor uncle behind us stared at him like he'd never seen anything like it.

"I'm actually pretty close with the demon lady. Well, from her perspective I'm probably just a cute dog doing tricks, but we're close enough that she'll grant simple requests."

This guy would survive even if you threw him into hell. The way he could be so pathetic yet so brazen at the same time was beyond surprising. It was practically awe-inspiring.

Even Adela seemed to find Neon strange, looking at him with the expression one might give a bizarre creature.

"He's weird."

"Yeah, he's a weird one, so stay away from him."

"Okay."

If she spent too much time around him her personality might get contaminated, and that would cause problems. For the sake of everyone's emotional stability, I decided we needed to keep our distance and moved away. Neon, of course, paid us no mind and poured all his attention into the grimoire.

As soon as the exploration team returned to the city, rumors spread like wildfire. The secrecy period had ended, but more importantly, Veil had told them to spread the word.

"Wait, what? If you overcome the trial, you can take something from the first Edenberg's warehouse?"

"Wait, what? There's a trial that lets you break through your limits?"

"Wait, what? You can meet Lord Edenberg himself?"

The city, still buzzing with festival excitement, shook with new energy. Even though it was only a thought-form, it was a chance to meet the ancestor! How could any Northerner pass that up? Adventurers, ordinary citizens, guards, scholars, merchants, everyone headed for the ruins.

It didn't matter if the warehouse had run out of items and they couldn't get a reward. Meeting a great hero who had actually lived during the Dawn of Creation was reward enough, and if they managed to break through their own limits in the process, they'd have a story to brag about in the taverns for years to come.

However, Edenberg's ruins weren't famous for nothing. You couldn't take the fact that the entire exploration team had surpassed their limits as a sign that it would be easy. They had been veterans who had crossed countless life-or-death situations and understood their own boundaries. Ordinary mental strength would never be enough to overcome it, and even if you did, you still had to defeat the golem.

That was why the Edenberg ruins had produced countless failures. Yet the people ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠were thrilled.

"Even better!"

"Yeah! That's what makes breaking a trial worthwhile!"

"Hey Charles! Go tell the guild master I'm taking a break for a while!"

"Shut up, you idiot! I'm right here, so don't tell my youngest to do it. Tell me yourself!"

They revered strength and respected warriors. To Northerners who sang of honor, a half-hearted trial wasn't even worth mentioning. The difficult challenge ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was exactly what the Edenberg ruins deserved, and they welcomed it with open arms. People prepared themselves thoroughly and worked hard to overcome the ruins' trials.

Thanks to that, the city grew quiet, but Veil would handle any problems caused by the crowds heading to the ruins. I was busy with my own preparations to absorb the elixir.

"The elixir absorption room is ready."

"Thanks."

"It's nothing. You obtained a precious elixir, so you should absorb every last drop."

Anel, who had prepared the guild's elixir absorption room, looked at me with envious eyes. It made sense. Elixirs were incredibly rare. Since every Northerner could handle mana, no matter how rich you were, obtaining one was extremely difficult. They almost never appeared on the market, and even when they did, people showed up with sacks of money and bought them instantly. With demand vastly outstripping supply, the price of elixirs in the North was several times higher than elsewhere. It was to the point where people in other regions said that if you were going to sell an elixir, you might as well sell it in the North.

"I never thought I'd get to use a place like this."

"The Adventurers' Guild created an absorption room that combines the best technology to ensure precious elixirs aren't wasted. If you've obtained one, it's only natural to use it."

I had paid a hefty usage fee, but I didn't regret it. If I could fully absorb the elixir, any amount was worth it.

"Then I wish you good results."

"Don't worry. I'll absorb it completely."

Adela gazed at the elixir in my hand with reverent eyes before slowly closing the door. I understood her feelings completely and stepped onto the magic circle with the same solemn mindset. From here on, it was a battle against myself.

Confirming that the magic circle was beginning to activate, I opened the lid of the glass bottle. Setting aside my admiration for the astonishing skill that kept the magic intact after a thousand years, the elixir absorption came first.

"I'm more nervous than when I fought the golem in the ruins."

I steadied my trembling heart and smelled the fruit. I had no idea what kind it was, but a sweet fragrance filled the entire room. It was so aromatic that I almost wanted to just keep smelling it, but I quickly popped it into my mouth before the mana could dissipate. The moment it touched my tongue, it melted and was absorbed into my body.

I immediately closed my eyes and turned my gaze inward, focusing on absorbing the elixir with the help of the magic circle.