Kays Translations

Chapter 9: A Goddess’s Secret Elixir? No, Just an Antidote

　The wounded from this monster subjugation numbered around thirty. Of those, apparently about ten required treatment.

　Ooh — that’s about the same number as the recovery potions I brought. A perfect match! It’s practically begging to be experimented on.

　Incidentally, those ten had all refused treatment over and over, insisting, “It’ll heal on its own, we don’t need treating.” But their wounds were so severe that they’d ended up ordered to accept treatment by the Commander.

　As a result, the next room was apparently like a wake just now. Dead quiet.

“Lord Julius! I hear you’re here again!”

　Lionel, the Knight Commander, came clattering in. His normally immaculate hair was in complete disarray, so he must have rushed over at quite a speed.

“Ah, Lionel. I thought I’d have you assist with an experiment of mine today.”

“An experiment… you say?”

　Lionel raised one eyebrow, looking dubious. The medic seated opposite me had his eyebrows sloping down in worry as well. Was I being taken for a lord’s child turning up to make some outrageous demand? Well, that’s what anyone would assume, normally.

“I’d like you to look at these.”

　I took the magic potions out of the bag. The moment they saw them, both of them froze.

“What are these?”

“The green ones are basic recovery potions, and the yellow one is an antidote.”

　The pair picked them up and examined them, as if to say it couldn’t possibly be true. In the end the medic fetched an appraisal magic tool. Then, unhurriedly, he ran an appraisal. Well, a natural enough reaction. These only superficially resemble the magic potions they’ve seen before. Checking whether they’re genuine is reasonable enough.

　The appraisal magic tool displayed nothing but the name of the magic potion. Beyond that, not one thing. It didn’t even show what effects the magic potion had.

　What on earth is it appraising, and how? I’m extremely curious. In the game I just accepted it as “one of those things.”

“…These really are a basic recovery potion and an antidote.”

“That can’t be…”

　Lionel was struck dumb. It was written all over his face that he’d never seen magic potions like these. I’d better tread carefully here. A reaction like this could easily turn into an uproar.

“This experiment of mine stays a secret between us. Don’t let a word of it out to anyone.”

“Not even to His Lordship?”

“That’s right.”

“Did you make these yourself, Lord Julius?”

“That’s right. I made them.”

“How?”

“That’s a secret.”

　Lionel fell into a heavy silence. As a man in my father’s service, he presumably couldn’t condone this. But the magic potions in front of him must look like a star of hope for his comrades. He must understand perfectly well that these aren’t the usual magic potions. One more push, perhaps?

“Why don’t you both try smelling the basic recovery potion.”

　I thought I caught the sound of someone swallowing hard. Gingerly, the two of them opened the lid of a basic recovery potion and sniffed.

“There’s no smell…”

“That can’t be…”

“Just that much should make it easier to drink, I’d think.”

　Of course, it isn’t only easy to drink — it’s highly effective too. It was made by me, after all! Ahem. Good, good. I’m really hitting my stride now.

“Well? If you can’t promise me that, I’ll simply take the lot home again.”

“Understood. I’ll impose a gag order on the entire knight order, myself included.”

“That’s a promise, mind. Right then — let’s see to treating the wounded.”

　And so we headed off to the defendants awaiting their verdict.

“…and that’s the situation. You’re to say nothing to anyone about anything that happens here from now on. Only those who can promise that will receive the magic potions Lord Julius made.”

“I promise.”

　Every man present answered instantly. They hadn’t yet seen the actual effects, hadn’t tasted a drop — and yet the smell alone had filled every one of their eyes with hope.

“Right, we’ll begin with treating Evans, who took a Killer Spider’s poison.”

　Evans nodded rapidly. His body had already been left paralysed down one side by the venom. The situation seemed to be deteriorating steadily. With the antidotes available until now, a Killer Spider’s poison couldn’t be removed completely — saving the man’s life was the most anyone could manage.

　The medic administered the antidote into Evans’s mouth. The change came at once. His hands and feet, which hadn’t so much as twitched a moment earlier, began to flex and wiggle. And more to the point—

“It’s sweeeet! Is a sweet magic potion even allowed to exist?!”

　Evans, his energy abruptly restored, let out a shout. The wounds on his body were gradually closing over, too. The medic noticed it.

“Aren’t Evans’s injuries healing?”

“I-It’s true! What on earth—?!”

“The antidote contains medicinal herbs, after all. It has some wound-healing effect as well, slight though it is.”

“You call this slight?! Isn’t this magic potion a goddess’s secret elixir?!”

“It isn’t. It’s just a High-quality antidote.”

“A High-quality antidote?”

　Oops — did I say too much? Still, the gag order is in place, so perhaps it’s all right to talk. If I don’t build up at least a little trust now, it might get in the way of future human experiments… no, of future confirmation of effects.

“The truth is, I can tell the quality of magic potions.”

“I see. So that’s why you asked to be shown the magic potions that time.”

　Lionel nodded as though something had fallen into place. Hearing it, the medic asked, as if unable to contain himself:

“And what was the result back then?”

“…All of them, Lowest quality.”

“Jesus!”

　Every man there apart from me shouted it and looked up to the heavens. When I first saw it, I wanted to look up to the heavens in exactly the same way. And to turn my eyes away from reality.

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