Chapter 60 — The Passerby Potion
Chapter 60 — The Passerby Potion
Translation: Godtl
It seemed to be a notification message guiding quest progress.
"......"
After thinking for a moment, Lelia came up with a good idea.
Lelia turned her gaze and brought up the recipe list, then scrolled through it.
'There it is!'
The item Lelia thought of was 'Object Shrinking Potion.'
It was a special item that could freely adjust the size of a single specific object.
Fortunately, she had just enough materials to make one. It was a somewhat precious item since special ingredients went into it.
'Should I give this or not?'
If she gave this, Kalix's worry would be solved immediately.
'What if he gets suspicious?'
But Kalix might become suspicious of her.
'...Somehow Kalix is simple, so I don't think he'll be suspicious.'
Lelia hesitated, then gathered courage and spoke.
"I have a potion that can adjust the size of an object you want. If you need it...."
"Really? Give it to me! Me!"
Before she even finished speaking, Kalix reacted. As expected, Kalix was very simple.
Lelia proceeded with the crafting button with her eyes, then took out the completed potion from her inventory. She handed the potion to Kalix, pretending to take it out from her bag.
"...This is also a potion that the people who raised me obtained together...."
"Let's try it, let's try it!"
Kalix didn't even listen to Lelia's excuse. His expression held not even a speck of suspicion.
Rather, he cast doubt in another direction.
"The sword won't break, will it?"
"That won't happen."
At her answer, Kalix sprayed the potion directly onto the sword.
Then amazingly, the giant greatsword shrank to the size of a dagger. Kalix exclaimed in admiration and watched the sight with sparkling eyes.
"...But how do I make it big again?"
"You just need to give a command inwardly."
He must have done it right away, as the sword that had shrunk to dagger size returned to its original size.
Kalix looked at the sword with a somehow moved expression, then turned his gaze to Lelia.
"I originally thought well of alchemy."
"......"
"I don't know who that alchemist is, but introduce me too. They'd be very useful."
"I don't know who it is either...."
Lelia gave a vague answer.
Kalix repeatedly shrank and restored the sword, apparently fascinated by it.
Just then, a rectangular speech bubble appeared.
[Quest complete! ✧*.◟(ˊᗨˋ)◞.*✧ Collecting rewards!]
∙ Affinity Check Ticket 1 sheet
∙ Special Recipe Puzzle Piece 1 piece
∙ Lv. 1 Random Gift Box[?] 1 piece
∙ Alchemy Lottery 1 sheet
And then the quest window appeared once more.
[Raise Special Affinity Target's affinity by <10> more!]
※ Quest Story Progress: 10%
Lelia accepted immediately and moved to the item list.
'Since I need to raise affinity more anyway, I'll use the affinity check ticket a bit later.'
First, she pressed the Lv. 1 Random Gift Box.
She opened the box with anticipation, but only a few useless ingredients came out.
'I knew this would happen.'
Lelia, disappointed, pressed the 'Alchemy Lottery 1 sheet' item she received as a reward. Then a small notification window popped up.
[Alchemy lottery can only be used when the Special Shop is open! The Special Shop opens when sub-quests are completed. ٩(｡•ㅅ•｡)]
What's a sub-quest....
The situation was already complicated, and trying to manage the game too made her head feel like it was cramping.
Just then, a knocking sound was heard at Lelia's door.
Checking outside through the small hole, it was Romeo.
When she opened the door, Romeo asked as he entered.
"Failed, right?"
"......"
Lelia nodded with a sullen expression.
Seeing that expression, Romeo paused for a moment, then clicked his tongue as if he knew it.
"So what now?"
"...I suppose we'll have to use the method Lord Romeo suggested...."
"Wait."
"Yes?"
Romeo, who flopped down across from Kalix, glared alternately at her and Kalix.
"Something's strange."
Romeo muttered.
"What is?"
Kalix replied curtly, polishing the shrunken dagger.
Seeing that, Romeo looked at Lelia again.
"Didn't you call Kalix 'Brother'?"
"......"
"Why am I 'Lord Romeo '? I'm the only one feeling the distance here, you know?"
Lelia clenched her fist. Are you seriously saying you want to hear that title too?
When she asked with her eyes, Romeo spoke.
"Instead, just call me by name without the 'Lord.' Why are you only discriminating against me? Why are you ostracizing me?"
"What? I like being called 'Brother.' Why are you picking a fight? I always wanted a younger sibling like Leo!"
When Kalix flared up, Romeo sneered.
"Then make her call you 'big brother'?"
Kalix frowned as if telling him to stop talking nonsense.
"Well, not bad. But she's a girl."
Lelia, who couldn't stand it anymore, stepped in.
"We don't have time to discuss such useless things right now. How do I enter the imperial city as Lord Romeo's distant relative sister?"
At those words, Romeo answered nonchalantly.
"That method is rejected. On my way here, there was a commotion, so I looked into it, and apparently the emperor is looking for some woman. A woman with green eyes."
"......!"
Lelia sighed with a sense of defeat.
She had worn the robe's hood deep enough that only her eyes were visible.
'I thought he was so drunk he'd think it was a dream....'
She understood why Romeo was certain of failure as soon as he came in.
"In this situation, there's only one way to enter the imperial city without being suspected."
"...What is it?"
Lelia looked at Romeo without much expectation. The corner of his mouth lifted slyly.
"You just have to go in dressed as a man."
"......!"
Lelia was so surprised she opened her mouth wide. Kalix laughed with a deflating sound.
"Dressed as a man? Her? No matter what she does, she'll look like a woman."
No, that's not it.
Lelia blinked.
If the emperor is looking for a 'woman with green eyes,' there couldn't be a more certain method than this.
Thanks to the cross-dressing talk, she suddenly remembered that among the 'Alchemy Lottery' recipes, there was definitely such a potion.
'A potion that makes people mistake me for a man.'
That recipe had existed in the game since her past life, and it was an item for an NPC named 'Phantom Thief Lupin,' one of the customers at the 'Alchemy Lottery' shop.
It was a potion specially requested by Lupin, who deceived gender, age, name, everything to commit thefts.
When you open the medicine bottle, invisible smoke flows out.
That smoke causes the opponent to see illusions and make misconceptions. It could be seen as a kind of hypnosis.
It was a recipe she used conveniently since it gave a lot of experience points and money.
There were sister products like a potion to make people mistake you for a woman, a potion to make people mistake you for a child, a potion to make people mistake you for an elderly person, a potion to make people mistake you for a turtle, and many other similar series of potions.
However, the duration was very short. At most, about 10 minutes.
Because of that, she couldn't maintain the cross-dressing with this method, but if she were openly suspected to her face, it could be used to resolve that moment.
'Then I'll have to use methods like wearing a wig normally....'
Lelia pondered whether there were more items for disguise in the 'Alchemy Lottery.'
She would need to change hair color or eye color.... There were so many recipes that she'd have to look more.
"That's a good method."
"You're really going to do it?"
At Lelia's determined voice, Romeo asked as if it was unexpected.
He had said it as a joke, but seeing her accept it sincerely, his flustered demeanor showed.
"I'll use alchemy potion to change my hair color and make it short. Eye color too, the same way. For reference, that potion is one the people who raised me obtained together...."
"Do whatever."
"......"
Before Lelia could finish speaking, Romeo waved his hand and answered. As if he didn't want to hear detailed explanations.
'It's a good thing Griffith isn't here. If that guy was here, you would have been suspected right away, saying"Are you perhaps an alchemist?"....'
Lelia sighed in relief inwardly, looking at the two people who were incredibly simple.
"This is my distant cousin, but we're as close as real siblings—Raymond Levester."
Romeo naturally introduced Lelia to the Count, who was the Head Chamberlain of the Auraria Imperial Palace.
"Oh, it is an honor to meet you, Sir Raymond. I hope you enjoy a peaceful stay in Auraria."
"Pleased to meet you."
The Levester family was actually the name of a noble house in the Roseberry Empire.
Fortunately, there were no nobles from the Roseberry Empire currently staying in the Auraria Imperial Palace. Only Romeo, a member of the imperial family.
That was why Romeo could use the name of an actual distant relative with peace of mind. But Lelia seemed uncomfortable, smiling awkwardly.
"Could you at least smile?"
"...."
As they were guided to the room by a servant, Romeo said with a frown.
Lelia glanced at him slightly and followed behind the Count.
This morning, Lelia had finished her preparations perfectly. Then, together with Romeo who came to fetch her, she arrived at the imperial palace by carriage.
Kindly, the Head Chamberlain personally came out to guide her to her quarters.
Since Romeo was a prince from another country, it seemed they wanted to treat Lelia with no less courtesy for the sake of diplomatic relations.
"If there is anything uncomfortable or anything you need, you may give orders to the servants and attendants."
"By the way, the atmosphere in the imperial palace seems a bit unsettled. Has something happened?"
Romeo asked calmly with a face that knew nothing. The Count seemed a bit flustered.
However, he soon furrowed his brows, placed his palm on his chest, and spoke.
"It is nothing serious. A small disturbance occurred yesterday. As you know, yesterday was the last day of the banquet.... I apologize for causing you concern, Your Highness."
Romeo nodded, saying it was fine.
When the Count left and only the two of them remained in the room, Lelia breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's right next to my room."
"That's fortunate."
Romeo plopped down on the sofa in the reception room. Before long, Kalix also came to this room.
Lelia sat on a single sofa next to the two men, drinking the tea a maid had brought.
"I think I can go out tonight pretending to take a walk. I'll go alone today."
Since such an incident occurred yesterday, security might have become stricter. The Emperor might be there again.
Of course, from what she heard, only the castle gate area seemed to have strengthened security, but anything could happen.
In that case, it would be better to move alone and carefully.
If something happened, she would have to use the alchemical potion, but if she used it openly in front of Kalix or Romeo, they might suspect she was an alchemist.
"Will you be alright?"
"Yes."
When Lelia answered more firmly than ever, Romeo nodded in acceptance.
"By the way... what do you plan to do after finding that object?"
Romeo asked as he elegantly lifted his teacup.
"...There's something else I need to find personally. Why do you ask?"
"I'm bored, so I thought I'd tag along."
Romeo said quite boldly. Kalix, across from him, also nodded.
Lelia suddenly recalled her childhood.
Romeo's appearance, coming to her room time and again, following her around.
"I don't even need to return to my home country."
"That goes for both you and me."
The two chuckled as they looked at each other. Lelia felt a subtle emotion.
Being able to laugh and chat with friends again like in the old days felt like a dream, but at the same time, it was frustrating.
'I could get things done faster without them here...'
In her plan to find materials and steal the holy relic, these two were openly being a hindrance.
"By the way, it's amazing that you can change your hair color. Your voice seems a bit lower too."
Romeo said while looking at Lelia's hair.