Chapter 210
Chapter 210
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 210
Chapter Title: Newspaper Villain
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“…Hassan, what should I do? I think the Alchemists’ Guild has gotten the wrong idea about me….”
Luna stumbled out of the Red Potion Shop, her mind a whirlwind of anxiety, unable to think straight.
I lightly pressed the shenmen acupoint on her wrist, and along with the text stating that the mild panic had been relieved.
“How’s that? Feeling calmer now?”
“No! The Alchemists’ Guild has gotten the wrong idea about me! Now that my head’s clear, I can see it! This is a real disaster!”
It was definitely supposed to relieve the mild panic. Yet Luna’s anxiety only grew worse. Maybe she hadn’t been as tense before because the panic had clouded her judgment.
Now that her mind was sharp, she could assess the situation clearly, which only amplified her worries.
Releasing a status effect at random isn’t always the answer.
It felt like I finally understood why people drink to forget their exhaustion. Sometimes, they want to blur their reason to escape reality.
“Hassan, the Alchemists’ Guild—they’re the big-shot manufacturers, right? I have no idea why they’d come after me!”
“Anything come to mind? Like fighting with some alchemists or something?”
“Not at all!”
Luna didn’t seem to have any clues.
But in my view, there’s no way this happened out of nowhere.
Problems like this usually boil down to material concerns.
Money, that is.
I know better than anyone how effective Luna’s potions are. No one in this world has probably chugged more of them than me.
Sure, if they nitpicked the “tasteless!” angle, that might fly—but dismissing them as ineffective? That screams slander from someone.
I may not know much about this world, but I know how the world of people works.
To prove her innocence, they want her to go to the Alchemists’ Guild and reveal her ingredients and manufacturing process?
That looks like nothing less than an attempt to steal Luna’s recipe.
“If I fall out of favor with the alchemists, I’m done selling potions in the city. That’s why I wanted to stay on good terms with Vinas….”
All Luna could do was mutter regretfully.
If I compare this to my situation, it’d be like Hassan, a rising adventurer, suddenly getting blacklisted by Gold-tier adventurers Actaeon and Hippolyte, threatening my very footing?
Yeah, thinking of it that way, it does feel hopeless.
As I racked my brain for ways to help, Luna, who had been mumbling to herself for a while, spoke up as if she’d made a decision.
“I need to go see Vinas. She might have a solution!”
“Vinas? You mean that rich alchemist?”
“Yeah! She’ll help me out! She even said I feel like a little sister to her!”
Vinas—
She was around our age, a successful alchemist with her own personal workshop, from what I recalled.
She’d bought the most of Luna’s potions and said Luna reminded her of her little sister back home.
I’d never met her, but knowing there was someone trustworthy amid this corporate giant’s bullying made my chest feel a bit more secure.
This is why you need connections in all directions.
“Do you know where she lives?”
“I’ve delivered potions there a few times with Paranoya! Not sure if it’s okay to just show up unannounced, but let’s go anyway!”
We set off with the relief of spotting a lifeline while drifting downriver.
Our destination was a back alley near the bustling market district by Sodomora’s south gate.
Bubbling sounds.
Sizzling—
White smoke rose from chimneys everywhere, accompanied by boiling noises.
“Hey, this won’t work either!”
Splash—
The stone-paved streets glistened wet, thanks to ruffians sporadically hurling unidentified liquids out windows.
Shattered beakers and empty potion bottles littered the ground. This was the alchemists’ district in Sodomora, a zone boasting considerable influence—a cluster of potion workshops.
That smoke from the chimneys was probably from heating and boiling all sorts of ingredients, giving the streets a humid, musty air that clung clammily to the skin.
It reminded me of my health tonic days—nostalgic yet somehow unsettling.
“Over there—building in Alley 5, Blue Bird.”
The streets all looked the same to me, but Luna navigated them without hesitation. Following her led us to a stop in front of a small shack nestled between larger buildings.
Pointed roof painted in bright colors, with cloud motifs decorating the windows and entrance—it was straight out of a fairy tale wizard’s cottage.
I’d imagined an alchemist’s private workshop as a sinister basement lab with someone in a gas mask heating fluorescent goo.
Seeing this, I realized I had some preconceptions about alchemists.
“This the place?”
“Yeah.”
“Then knock.”
“But we didn’t make an appointment. What if she gets mad? What if she says it’s rude and won’t help?”
Luna was full of worries. With her business on the line, she couldn’t keep calm and fretted excessively. We couldn’t just stand there forever, though.
Just as I was about to knock for her—
“No, this won’t work either—.”
The brown wooden door swung open, and a pale hand flung a yellowish liquid right at me.
Splash—
“Gah, hot! Ugh—!”
It was hotter than I’d ever imagined, leaving me no choice but to yelp in panic. What the hell—a sudden hot splash? I was seriously startled.
“Ugh, what’s that smell! It’s brutal!”
“Hassan, Hassan, you okay!? I’ll—I’ll blow on it! Hoo! Hoo!”
As I frantically cooled off, the door we’d been facing flew wide open, revealing someone.
It was a petite woman.
Her body, hidden under a colorful robe, had modest chest and hips, making her look almost childlike.
Not a real child, just underdeveloped, I figured.
Her navy bob haircut and glasses gave her the vibe of that petty girl from elementary school days.
“Sis!”
Luna’s reaction suggested this was the alchemist Vinas.
* * *
“Oh dear, I’m so sorry—what should I do?”
The alchemist’s workshop had everything from heating equipment to a personal shower.
If Luna’s shack was a cheap inn, this felt like a budget hotel on the outskirts.
Thanks to it, I could wash off the foul liquid and my clothes.
It wasn’t spotless—piles of unidentified books and ingredients, shards of broken glass everywhere showed she wasn’t big on tidying.
She had that in common with Luna. Is messiness a trait of potion-makers?
“I didn’t think anyone would be standing there. That’s why I put up a sign saying not to stand in front of the door.”
Vinas adjusted her glasses apologetically. I hadn’t noticed the sign amid the chaos, but at least it wasn’t intentional.
Still, I was curious what she’d doused me with.
“The smell was vicious. What was that?”
“A prototype I’m working on. Just something to repel monsters. Adventurers have been getting hit by goblins lately, so there’s demand.”
Makes sense for a monster-repellent potion.
Even I thought it reeked like week-old socks—any monster with a sensitive nose would bolt.
“Anyway, what brings you here?”
“Sis, big trouble! The Alchemists’ Guild—! The alchemists—!”
“Alchemists?”
Seated on the parlor sofa, Luna chattered on about why we’d come.
She stuttered from excitement midway, but this alchemist seemed sharp—she grasped it quickly.
“So, someone’s slandered your potions, Luna?”
“Yeah! How could this happen? You know how effective my potions are, sis!”
“Of course. The taste is iffy, but the effects blow standard vitality potions out of the water.”
“Right?!”
Luna’s face lit up with relief at the support. Vinas added,
“But it happens in this industry. Alchemists have to boost sales with their products, so badmouthing rivals is common.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Guild members can prove innocence internally via ingredient analysis without revealing recipes. But you’re not in the guild, Luna.”
“What do I do? Can I join the Alchemists’ Guild?”
“Probably not. You need five years at the city’s pharmacology academy or five years’ apprenticeship under a licensed pharmacist.”
“Ugh, then what should I do?”
Luna’s face crumpled like it was the end of the world. A brief silence fell, then Vinas chimed in casually.
“It’s not impossible. Become my apprentice, Luna. We’ll rebrand your potions as mine.”
“W-what do you mean?”
“Just swap the labels. You keep making them—which is great for you. I get to help you—which is great for me. All profits go to you. Then in five years, you open your own workshop as a full alchemist.”
Something about this felt off.
Is that really the only way?
A bad feeling crept in.
Like a grad student whose thesis gets stolen by their professor.
Or grudgingly adding the prof’s kids or name as co-authors.
Maybe it was my imagination, but it seemed like she was slyly trying to claim credit for Luna’s potions.
I’d always believed there’s no such thing as selfless kindness.
She was offering help and backing Luna for her own gain.
Whether Luna saw through it, she hesitated, mumbling without answering—probably sensing something fishy too.
For a moment,
An irreverent thought crossed my mind.
Breaking the silence, I spoke.
“Envy and slander come with success. They’re jealous of your effective potions, so they run smear pieces. The first one, by this ‘Potion Master’ guy, must be some pathetic loser.”
“Potion Master?”
Intrigued, Vinas leaned back on the sofa and adjusted her glasses. Seizing the chance, I slid the prepped article across the table.
“I checked papers. This guy broke the story. Potion Master. Looked up his other pieces—all trash-talking rivals’ potions.”
I recalled a memorable old YouTube video.
People sometimes envy the successful.
Their existence proves your own failure, so you want to drag them down or badmouth them out of sight.
“This guy’s definitely an alchemist. A crappy one. Bashing others boosts his ego—validates he’s not the problem. First step: track him down and make him apologize.”
I wrapped it up there. Heart pounding slightly, brow furrowed just a touch, wondering what’d happen next.
Vinas’s glasses glinted as she replied.
“Really? I subscribe to Red Potion Daily, so I’ve read Potion Master. Doesn’t seem that bad. His stuff has expertise, sells well too—”
Vinas defended him at length. Luna eyed her curiously.
Having lurked online forums under nicks and anonymity for years, I felt like I’d unmasked the face behind the column.
Gotcha, you bitch—!