Chapter 46
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: The Madman's Blood Herb
-----------------------------------------------------------------
It was a summons from Captain Tarone.
“Demian, Dianal, Kyle.”
Tarone, who had summoned them, called out their names while staring blankly at the documents on his desk.
‘Don't tell me…’
I'd sensed something unusual was in the air lately, but this soon?
Demian watched Tarone without a word.
After a moment of deep thought, Tarone finally looked up at the three of them and spoke.
“First, I want to make it clear that what I'm about to say is not an order. It is not mandatory.”
“Yes, sir.”
Demian answered on behalf of the group, and Tarone continued.
“They’re currently recruiting new troops near the kingdom's northern border. Ah, not for the border guard. I hear they're establishing a new unit to operate there.”
“A new unit?”
“Yes. The details aren't clear yet, but it seems to be a decision made in response to the recent unsettling movements of other kingdoms.”
Demian’s eyes narrowed at Tarone's words.
It was true; recent developments in the kingdom had been changing so rapidly that 'drastic' was the only word for it.
‘Things have been accelerating ever since the Spenian Kingdom surrendered.’
Normally, the Empire would enter a brief lull after the Spenian Kingdom's surrender.
Afterward, they were supposed to continue provoking the smaller neighboring kingdoms, but…
‘Are they saying they don't need to catch their breath?’
I didn't know the reason, but the timeline I'd anticipated seemed to be moving up.
At this rate.
‘Three more years? No… it might be even sooner.’
A war between the Empire and the kingdoms of the continent was inevitable anyway.
I'd been keeping tabs on the Empire's situation through Diel, and as time passed, more and more evidence confirmed my suspicions.
“So, our unit intends to recommend the three of you. A directive came down asking for recommendations of outstanding soldiers from each unit.”
“Thank you for thinking so highly of us.”
“But what kind of missions will we be doing there?”
Dianal asked.
Tarone shook his head.
“Nothing has been decided yet. Of course, you can always return if you wish, so don't feel pressured to make a decision.”
“Yes, sir. We understand.”
Soon after, Demian, Dianal, and Kyle left Tarone's office.
Unlike Dianal, who seemed to have a lot on his mind, Kyle was direct.
“Hey, what are you going to do?”
“Why? Planning to follow my lead?”
“I followed you all the way here. Isn't that a given? Hehehe.”
Kyle chuckled lowly as he looked at Demian.
Demian turned his gaze to Dianal.
A complicated expression.
He seemed to be conflicted.
‘Well, from Dianal's perspective, it makes sense.’
Unlike Demian and Kyle, Dianal had been assigned to the Neokalitz Unit, not as punishment.
He couldn't just transfer elsewhere on his own whim.
But a move to the northern region.
It must feel both unfamiliar and like a new opportunity.
Dianal asked Demian.
“What’s your take on it?”
“Is there anything to think about? We should go.”
“…Why?”
Dianal asked.
Demian had only been with the Neokalitz Unit for a year.
And he was ready to leave without a second thought?
But Demian's answer was firm.
“It's gotten too peaceful here. We can't train in the Bronserian Forest anymore.”
“Training…?”
This guy…
I knew he wasn't ordinary from the moment I met him.
‘Is he really crazy…?’
Then his reason for leaving was…
“You mean you think the northern unit will be more dangerous?”
“Yes. The new unit is likely being formed and moved north because scouts from other kingdoms are snooping around the border.”
“What do you mean?”
“I heard from Diel. The atmosphere in the Empire has been unsettling ever since the war with the Spenian Kingdom ended. It's possible… they might use this opportunity to start another war.”
War is an addiction.
Once you taste the pleasure of taking from others, it’s not easy to give it up.
‘No matter how much you already possess.’
That's the nature of desire.
“Hmm…”
Dianal's expression turned serious.
But Kyle was simple.
“Okay, then I’m in.”
“Hehehe, you could die following me around.”
“But it’ll be fun, right? Hehehe.”
Kyle burst out laughing along with him.
This guy wasn't normal either.
At that, Dianal spoke.
“…I'll go too.”
“Are you sure? Your rank might change if you go there.”
“Well, doesn't that just mean I could have more people under me?”
“Hehehehehe, that's one way to look at it.”
If they moved to a new unit, there was no telling who would be in command. But it was highly likely that everyone would start on equal footing.
‘That's how most new units are formed.’
Demian turned his head and looked toward the Bronserian Forest.
Everything was happening faster than planned.
I thought I'd be able to monopolize its operations for a year, but other nobles started interfering in the Bronserian Forest after just six months.
Baron Wilkis seemed to be trying his best to keep his promise, but it wouldn't be easy.
“So, once it's decided, when do we leave?”
“It'll still take some time. They've only sent out the official notice; they won't be fully prepared yet.”
But at most, everything would be set in motion within three or four months.
I had to prepare to wrap up my life here within that time.
“I have to go somewhere for a bit.”
“The Hamel Merchant Guild?”
“Yes.”
Demian nodded.
I needed to discuss this with Diel.
And…
“It seems I'll be leaving Erkal soon.”
At Demian's words, Diel nodded as if she had been expecting it.
***
A warm cup of tea.
Demian smiled as he drank the steaming tea.
“The aroma is wonderful.”
“Isn't it? I found this in the Bronserian Forest, too. I'm trying to develop it into one of Erkal's specialty products.”
Demian looked at Diel.
He had merely provided her with the opportunity that was the Bronserian Forest.
But Diel was achieving incredible results that far exceeded his expectations.
‘Is this the caliber of Wirkeu of the Hamel Merchant Guild, who once held sway over the continent?’
I don't know why Diel's father, the real Wirkeu, died.
But after she became the guild master, hadn't the Hamel Merchant Guild's progress been nothing short of extraordinary?
I don't know how things will turn out now, but.
‘Choosing Diel turned out to be a stroke of genius.’
It's crucial to support her as much as possible.
“…Is there something on my face?”
“No, I was just thinking how amazing you are. To think of developing a tea like this into a specialty product. It couldn't have been easy.”
“It’s thanks to the help of others. It wasn't my idea alone.”
She took a sip of her tea with a faint smile. And then.
“If you're leaving, when do you plan to go?”
“Probably in about three months?”
“You'll be busy, then.”
Diel let out a laugh.
She knew without having to see.
Knowing Demian's personality, he would try to get everything he possibly could done here before he left.
Demian scratched his head at Diel's words.
“About that… the last time we spoke…”
“Here it is.”
As if she had been waiting, Diel placed a box on the table.
Demian's eyes sparkled.
“Is this all… it?”
“Yes. It was quite a bit of trouble.”
Diel said with a sly smile.
It seemed she had started to resemble him a little after working together for so long.
Demian opened the box Diel handed him.
“…Wow.”
Inside were fifteen pills.
Demian marveled at the elixirs, each slightly smaller than a walnut.
But Diel spoke with a hint of dissatisfaction.
“So many ingredients went into them, yet we only managed to make fifteen. And that's after collecting for six months.”
“I admit my request was a bit excessive.”
Demian knew it too.
He knew how difficult this task was.
But Diel's expression quickly turned serious as she spoke.
“I don't know what you plan to use these for, but you must be careful. If you just ingest one… you will die. 100%.”
He knew.
The key ingredient Demian had emphasized for making this elixir was none other than.
‘Madman's Blood Herb.’
It was named the Madman's Blood Herb because its blood-red leaves shook very frequently.
A bizarre plant that hunted by shaking its leaves vigorously to release a fragrant scent, luring insects and animals to eat them.
Its method of survival was to insert its stem into the bodies of dead insects and animals and suck their blood.
It was a grotesque mutation, completely different from ordinary plants, so herbalists would uproot and crush the Madman's Blood Herb on sight.
That's why it could never become widely known.
To most herbalists, the Madman's Blood Herb was an object of contempt.
Demian asked.
“You've set aside the ones for sale, right?”
“Yes. Sir Demian, your elixirs contain only about 10% of the Madman's Blood Herb.”
But even that 10% was enough to draw out its maximum potency.
Diel said.
“It's fascinating. To think such a medicine could be made from a poisonous herb… Where on earth did you acquire this knowledge?”
“My late father was a hunter, so he taught me a lot about the herbs that grow in the mountains.”
Sorry, Dad.
But it was the perfect excuse.
Diel nodded.
“He must have been a remarkable man. The herbalists in Erkal seem to be busy just throwing it away.”
“For now, please keep the Madman's Blood Herb a secret from the public. There are no eternal secrets, but it's best to monopolize it for as long as we can.”
“Don't worry. The production has been entrusted to just one person, someone I can trust.”
That was enough.
Demian picked up the box Diel had given him.
Diel spoke again.
“I'll say it again, you must be careful. That can't be called an elixir; it's closer to a deadly poison.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Demian returned to the barracks with the fifteen elixirs made from the Madman's Blood Herb.
This was the final piece of the puzzle he had to solve in Erkal.
‘…I can do this.’
As Diel said, if he simply consumed this elixir, he would die without a doubt.
The toxicity of the Madman's Blood Herb was incredibly potent.
But the human body is like steel; the more you hammer and torment it, the stronger it becomes in response.
However, it was crucial to create an environment where it could endure until it grew stronger.
‘Thanks to the demonic energy, my Delft Mana Cultivation Method has reached the fourth star.’
The minimum requirement for this was the third star. But now that I've reached the fourth…
“Hoo…”
Demian went to the place where he always trained his mana cultivation method.
He closed his eyes and recalled everything that had happened in Erkal.
The fourth-star mana he'd gained from destroying the crystal tainted with demonic energy.
His fortuitous encounter with Bard.
Through that, his body had been reconstructed, and all the impurities within him had been completely expelled.
These two events alone were enough to say he had used up a lifetime's worth of luck.
But.
‘Now, for the final step…’
If he consumed the elixir made from the Madman's Blood Herb, the poison would spread throughout his body, causing it to stiffen.
But if he could neutralize the poison with mana and allow his body to digest it…
‘I can take one step… no, more than two steps forward.’
Demian opened the box and took out the elixir—if one could call it that.
And then…
*Gulp.*