Potion Merchant Bordeaux (2)
Potion Merchant Bordeaux (2)
After the Burning Hell patch.
When most of the users had left.
The few remaining players got together to discuss the topic.
"What do you think is the strongest skill an NPC has?
There were a variety of comments under the question.
-Isn't it Shadow of Henry Baskervan?
-The Dragon Mythology of the Dragon Knight is awesome.
-In terms of destructive power, isn't Manuel's Veronica's Colossal Spear the best?
They talked about the skills they consider to be the best, and after a long discussion, they came up with a ranking order for these skills.
The Mirage Series.
A name for skills you can see but can't have, like a mirage. At number seven on the list was Henry Baskervan's Power of Shadows.
This power was granted to the Baskervans by the God of the Sea, who lives in the Shadow Islands.
Since it's a power that users can't acquire, there wasn't much information regarding it.
[The power of shadows stirs]
He waited for a while to see if anything would happen, but the message quickly disappeared.
There hadn't been any changes.
"Is this some kind of sign?"
It wasn't a question he could answer on his own, and it would be quicker to ask Seria for details.
Instead, he focused on the task at hand.
Walking over, he approached Sophia lying on the ground. Tapping her lightly on the shoulder, he called out her name.
"Ms. Sophia?"
"Uh... mmm..."
"Would you please open your eyes?"
Her eyes remained firmly closed, but her breathing had changed. He could see her subtly moving her hands.
It was like she was checking to see if her magic was working.
"I know you're awake."
"......."
"Huu...."
Rising from the ground, he stepped out of the mansion for a moment. Removing the control stones that Godric had tampered with.
Returning to the mansion, he saw that the magic circles had been reactivated. Sophia was waiting for him with a fire spell at the ready.
A fireball formed around her.
A fireball of searing heat came to a halt in front of him.
"Go back."
"I want to talk to you."
"I don't want to talk about anything right now."
Sophia was pale blue and shaking. She was struggling to stand. Magic was being forcefully used.
For once, it was time to take a step back.
"I see."
He carried Godric's body in a subspace pouch out of the mansion.
Through the closed door.
Redin could hear Sophia crying.
It hadn't even been that long since she'd lost her husband, and now someone had come and tried to kidnap her.
Leaning against the wall, I stared at the sky.
The clouds had parted, and the moon was illuminating the mansion.
The ones who came with Godric have already been eliminated.
Bordeaux borrowed a lot of money before he died.
There's no telling who might come and try to take advantage of her, and with Sophia's mental state, it's hard for her to use magic properly.
"Looks like I'm working overtime.""
Pulling an alarm magic scroll from his subspace pouch, he set the conditions and closed his eyes in silence.
'You can call it overtime.
'It's more like training for me.'
[Dreaming of the sword].
* * *
A week has passed.
Redin spent most of his time at the Bordeaux mansion, only venturing into town for a quick sandwich at mealtimes.
Having the [Watcher's Eye] on hand meant that if anyone came around, he'd know immediately and be able to deal with it.
"Two ham and egg sandwiches today. Drinks are the same as always."
"Here you go."
He grabbed the food and returned to the mansion.
One went into the delivery box at the mansion's front door, as usual. If he put the food inside, it would be automatically delivered to the mansion.
He took a bite of the sandwich in his hand and then sipped his coffee.
"Delicious."
As he ate, his mind wandered toward his sword skills.
Two types of sword, except for the Whirlwind Slash.
Gale Slash and Storm Slash.
Time passed more quickly than he realized as he pondered why the Sword Saint had created such techniques and how he might have developed them.
"The Gale Slash can cut through multiple enemies...."
.
.
.
Growl!!
His train of thought was interrupted by a signal from his stomach.
When he raised his gaze, the sun was already setting.
Organizing his thoughts one last time to make sure he didn't forget, he pushed himself to stand up.
"Time for something different for dinner."
He was about to leave, feeling his stomach growl with hunger, when he noticed Sophia standing in the doorway.
Glancing in the direction of the front door.
Bam!
The door swung open and a disheveled-looking Sophia stuck her head out.
"Come in."
The long wait was worth it.
"If you'll excuse me, then."
He followed her into the mansion. The interior was clean and tidy.
"Thank you for your help the other day. I should have said this sooner, but I was in shock and needed some time alone to collect my thoughts."
"I understand."
"Thanks for the sandwich, too. I wasn't able to finish it, but it was a big help."
"I'm glad to hear it helped."
They went down the hall to the dining room.
There was some food steaming on the table.
"You must be hungry, please eat."
"Thanks for the food."
He sat down and ate the soup first.
Redin ate the prepared dishes one by one and drank the tea that Sophia had brought.
"I had a child."
The story began as a monologue.
"But he got an incurable disease that even a priest couldn't cure, and the only way to cure him was to meet a saint, and those are few and far between. Desperate to save our child, my husband and I dabbled in something that was forbidden by the Magic Tower."
"....."
"The magic of life and death. It's the domain of the gods, and mages shouldn't dabble in it."
It's what necromancers dabble in.
To become immortal.
"We made some progress in our research. We were trying to develop a cure in the form of a potion, not black magic, but when the Magic Tower found out about it, we were excommunicated."
Sophia gave a self-deprecating laugh.
"We deserved to be excommunicated, for dabbling in something forbidden."
"....."
"The child went to heaven, but my husband never gave up on his dream of developing this cure to help other people who are suffering..."
He took out the handkerchief he was carrying and handed it to Sophia. Wiping away her tears, Sophia continued.
"But... My husband left with him too. I didn't want to do any more research because I thought it was all because magic was forbidden."
Sophia stopped crying and fixed her gaze on him.
"I assume you came to me for the same reason as the people who died the other day?"
"Yes."
She rose from her seat and took a small box, setting it down in front of him.
"These are the research materials and samples, please take them."
"You're just giving them to me?"
"Yes. I don't need them anymore."
"Do you mind if I ask why you turned down the offer that came before?"
"I just needed time to organize my thoughts. If they had given me time like you did, I would have given it to them."
'The situation is roughly clarified.'
'But there's still something left to resolve.'
'Sophia.'
She was the one who completed the potions in the game and created the various potions. They needed her to complete the potions quickly.
"Do you intend to continue your research?"
"I'd love to, but... I can't go any further."
"For what reason?"
"I have debts to pay before I can see the light of day, and it would cost me a fortune to get the materials and equipment to conduct the research."
'If it's a problem like that.'
"Well, let me take care of that for you."
"What? It's not just a couple hundred gold."
"It doesn't matter."
Sophia gave him a conflicted expression.
A part of her wanted to forget about the research, but another part of her wanted to finish it herself.
Her husband's legacy.
"You said your husband didn't want there to be another such victim, and if you can complete the potion, then you can fulfill that wish."
"What are you implying?"
"I will create and run a charitable organization to help those in need."
He drove a point in her heart.
"Really?"
"I'll even give you the rights to run it yourself."
"That's a great offer, thank you... but it's going to cost you a lot of money, can you afford it?"
If she could make potions, then he could make an astronomical amount of money.
Until then.
There's a way around that.
"Yes. I'll take care of it."
* * *
A gathering of the nobility from the western part of the Crane Kingdom.
Viscount Bothaman walked around the banquet hall, exchanging greetings.
"It's been a long time, Viscount Quilt."
"Indeed, it has been a long time. How are you?"
"I've been busy, almost overwhelmed with work."
"Hahahaha, still, I have a feeling we'll be hearing some good news soon, so congratulations in advance."
Viscount Quilt whispered quietly and left. Viscount Bothaman maintained his smile and sipped his wine.
Although it's a tedious task.
Cultivating connections was part of being a nobleman.
"A pleasure, Viscount Bothaman."
"Was it Baron Chris of the West?"
"The honor is mine."
After exchanging greetings with the nobles who came and went, he quickly moved to stand in front of a large nobleman.
"The Honorable Count Horden is here."
"Ben, I enjoyed the drink you sent me last time."
"I have something better for you this time, I'll have someone bring it to your carriage."
"Hehe. Great. You're good enough to rule the West after me. I like you immensely."
"No, it's all thanks to the Count's good graces."
"Hahaha."
Viscount Bothaman smiled.
This time, Count Horden had earned the title of duke on merit. It would be him who would succeed him.
If he kept the relationship intact.
Perhaps he could follow Count Horden all the way to the position of Duke.
He spent hours fantasizing about it.
"Viscount Bothaman, you have a guest."
"Guests?"
Viscount Bothaman stepped out of the ballroom with a servant. They made their way to the gathering of carriages and then to the black horse.
There was Godric, the man he had sent on a secret mission, waiting for him.
"Godric?"
"My lord, I stopped by to report something to you personally."
"What is it?"
"I found out that the Intelligence Guild Hyde is selling information about the Oberg Imperial Laboratory."
Viscount Bothaman clenched his fists.
"Did you manage to buy the information?"
"The price is high, so I came to ask your permission."
"How much."
"Five thousand gold."
"What a bunch of bastards..."
Viscount Bothaman was outraged, but he had no choice but to buy the information nonetheless. He needed information about the Imperial Laboratory in order to obtain the Grimoire.
"I will give you the location and password to the secret vault, and no matter the cost, I want you to buy the information."
" Alright, I did as you instructed, and I secured the potion maker, who I managed to persuade to resume researching the potion."
"Why didn't you do exactly what you were told?"
Obtaining the research materials and samples.
That was the specific task Viscount Bothaman had given Godric.
"I thought it would take much less time if she did the research herself."
"I suppose it doesn't matter, since it's not that urgent."
"But she needs special ingredients..."
"Support her with everything."
"Understood, then I'll go and purchase them right away."
Godric bowed and slipped out of sight.
Viscount Bothaman stifled the laughter that rose in his throat. He was going to be losing quite a bit of money, but that didn't matter.
He'd make more than that when he became a Count.
"Just a little longer... Avienna. It won't be long now."