Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 192: United as One
Today, at long last, I would teach the Royal Magic Pharmacists' Corps how to make the Panacea. Everyone was brimming with determination, and the gazes directed at me were even more intense than usual.
"Then I'll begin teaching you how to make the Panacea."
"We look forward to your instruction."
Of the necessary ingredients, only enough World Tree leaves and dragon's blood remained for three batches.
Or perhaps I should say we still had enough for three whole batches.
The quality of both ingredients was extremely poor. No, "the worst" would be more accurate. Still, even a rotten sea bream was a sea bream. If the ingredients had been any worse, they would already have been thrown away.
"The ingredients are poor quality, but if everyone works together, you should be able to complete the potion without trouble."
"We're all going to make it together?"
"Yes. The Panacea requires three days of uninterrupted work."
Every person in the room fell speechless. My statement had clearly surprised them, and some looked confused.
I should probably confirm something.
"How did you make the Panacea during your previous attempts? I believe the recipe said, 'Heat for three days while applying pressure with magic.'"
"Well… when our mana ran out, we stopped for the day. The next morning, we heated it again and resumed applying pressure."
"I see."
It was astonishing that they'd completed any potion using that method. No wonder they'd produced so many failures. If all heat and pressure vanished, the solution would separate partway through the process. Once that happened, it would never blend again.
Naturally, the result would be a failure.
"With that method, failure was inevitable. This time, everyone will combine their strength to create a single Panacea. Work together with that thought in mind. Don't worry. I'm certain all of you can do it."
When I smiled, the tension eased from their expressions.
The servant who normally recorded everything in his notebook wasn't in the room. We were making the Panacea, the greatest of state secrets, so all outsiders had been barred from entering.
The Panacea could remove any poison, which made it extraordinarily valuable. It was one of the kingdom's trump cards. A war might even begin over possession of its recipe.
For that reason, it had to be handled with extreme caution. That was precisely why I'd entrusted the method to the state. Naturally, only a very small number of people knew I was involved.
"I'll divide you into three teams. Each team will make one batch, so cooperate and take turns managing the process."
I announced the teams, balancing the skill of their members as evenly as possible. If any team still struggled to maintain stability, I would help.
First, they should greet their teammates. I hoped there weren't any personal feuds that raw ability alone couldn't reveal.
Once they'd exchanged greetings, the work began. By noon, I wanted every batch to reach the stage where only heat and pressure had to be maintained. We also prepared Advanced Healing Potions and Strong Antidotes in advance. Both were poor quality, but they could still be used as ingredients without issue.
Once the Corps could reliably make the Panacea, improving its quality would be the next step. That would require better ingredients for both the Advanced Healing Potion and the Strong Antidote.
We poured the Advanced Healing Potion into special pots designed to withstand pressure. After heating it, the pharmacists began mixing in the Strong Antidote little by little.
This was the first obstacle. Adding too much at once would create lumps, which would then have to be forcibly dissolved over a fiercely boiling flame. That process produced an appalling amount of bitterness and astringency.
I hated even imagining it.
"Don't rush. Add it slowly. Change places before your arms become tired. Plan to spend around two hours on this step."
"Two hours?!"
"Yes. While that's happening, dry the World Tree leaves. Imagine all their nutrients being squeezed into a concentrated form."
Not everyone possessed the Drying skill, but several did, so I assigned the task to them. They would take leaves that were already dry and make them even drier.
Two hours after the work began, all three teams had passed the first obstacle without trouble. Their experience had clearly borne fruit.
Teacher was proud.
"Everything looks good so far. Now grind the World Tree leaves thoroughly in a mortar until they're a fine powder. Meanwhile, extinguish the fire and add the dragon's blood. Pour it in while continuing to stir."
As soon as the dragon's blood entered the pots, an unpleasant odour flooded out. The quality was awful, so it couldn't be helped. For now, we should think only about completing the Panacea and turn a blind eye to everything else.
Once the mixtures were thoroughly blended, we added the powdered World Tree leaves. A concentrated forest fragrance rose into the air. Combined with the other stench, it made the compounding room smell atrocious.
But we had to endure it.
"Once everything is thoroughly mixed, relight the fire. Keep the temperature just below boiling. At the same time, use magic to increase the pressure gradually. Maintain it so the solution inside the pot displays seven colours. Then you only have to preserve that state for three days and three nights. When the solution begins to shine, the Panacea is complete."
I moved from pot to pot, checking their progress. I corrected teams applying too little pressure and those using too much heat. Each time I offered detailed guidance, one team member wrote it carefully in a notebook.
"We really had to add the Strong Antidote in portions this small? No wonder so many little lumps formed last time."
"I didn't know the leaves could become this dry. The ones we used before weren't dry enough at all."
They had already identified several improvements. Apparently, written phrases such as "add slowly to prevent lumps" and "dry completely, then grind to powder" weren't remotely detailed enough.
When recording a magic-potion recipe, it seemed necessary to write every instruction in almost absurd detail.