Kays Translations

Chapter 63: Panacea

First, I made an advanced healing potion.

Its ingredients were medicinal herb, Careless Grass, forest elk antler, and purple slime powder. The Careless Grass had withered badly. Perhaps it was far more difficult to obtain than I had realised.

I used Laboratory to process each ingredient into powder, then measured the quantities with extreme care. Even a slight error would drastically reduce the potion’s quality. That precision was what made advanced healing potions so difficult to compound.

The balances used in this world might not be accurate enough for such delicate work. Properly calibrated weights could solve the problem, but producing them was beyond me for the moment.

I added the measured powders to prepared distilled water and stirred while gently heating the mixture. It gradually turned purple.

Once the colour was uniform, I stopped heating and removed the impurities. The advanced healing potion was complete. I divided the clear purple liquid between potion bottles.

Advanced Healing Potion: Normal quality. Heals wounds. Effect: large.

Normal quality. The deterioration of the ingredients had clearly affected the result. I should probably be grateful that I had managed even this much.

I immediately began the strong antidote.

Its ingredients were poison-dispelling herb, Careless Grass, a shed crane-fly shell, and Marc berries. Other than the poison-dispelling herb, none of them were in good condition, but they were all I had.

I placed them inside Laboratory and ground them into powder as before.

This time, I mixed the powder into Tabernol and shook the solution thoroughly until it became yellow-green.

After filtering out the impurities, I poured the liquid into a bottle and forced air through it to accelerate evaporation. Tabernol was highly volatile, so it soon vanished, leaving only a small quantity of thick, dark yellow-green concentrate.

I diluted that concentrate with distilled water. The result was a transparent yellow-green liquid.

Strong Antidote: Normal quality. Neutralises poison. Effect: large.

“Only normal quality. I suppose it can’t be helped, but it makes me feel inadequate. No—this is no time to lose confidence. I still have to make the Panacea.”

Had everything gone well so far? The quality worried me, but I would call it a success.

The true challenge began now. I possessed ingredients for only one attempt. There could be no mistake.

“I can do this. I was a top-ranked magic pharmacist. I can do it. I can do it. I absolutely can.”

I removed the World Tree leaf and dragon’s blood from their protective containers. Both were of the lowest quality. At least they existed; I was afraid to calculate how badly their condition reduced the probability of success.

I placed the advanced healing potion, strong antidote, World Tree leaf, and dragon’s blood inside Laboratory. While applying pressure, I heated them little by little.

Ordinarily, the mixture would have to remain in that state for three days. Laboratory allowed me to compress the time inside it and finish the process in three minutes.

My mana was being consumed at a terrifying rate. My head began to spin, but I endured while drinking elementary mana-recovery potions one after another.

At last, a seven-coloured potion appeared.

Panacea: Low quality. Neutralises all poisons. Concentrated forest flavour. Unpleasant aroma.

The low quality almost made my knees buckle. I had worked so hard…

Still, the potion had been completed safely. That was what mattered.

I returned the remaining materials to the chest, locked it exactly as I had found it, and staggered from the room.

Lionel was waiting outside.

“Lord Julius! Please, steady yourself!”

“I’m fine, Lionel. The Panacea is finished.”

I showed him the bottle containing the seven-coloured liquid. Lionel shook his head.

“I’m not worried about whether the Panacea was completed. I’m worried about you.”

“I only used too much mana. A night’s sleep will restore me. More importantly, take this.”

Lionel refused the bottle I offered.

“You should keep it, Lord Julius. That responsibility is too great for me.”

“I understand. Are we ready to depart?”

“It’ll take a little longer. We’ll probably leave tomorrow morning.”

Lionel was lying.

This was an emergency for House Heine. The preparations must already have been completed; that was why he had been waiting outside the room. But even if I confronted him, he wouldn’t allow us to leave that day.

The delay was undoubtedly because of my condition.

We departed for the royal capital early the following morning. Lionel accompanied us, of course.

Routine administration of the Heine Margraviate should continue, but if an unexpected decision was required, the remaining servants lacked the authority to make it. Perhaps Father ought to appoint a deputy empowered to act in his absence.

Ordinarily, Grandfather would have filled that role, but the ever-anxious man had accompanied Grandmother to the royal capital. No one could have imagined what would happen there.

The fastest journey to the royal capital required at least four days. Because Rosalia was travelling with us, Lionel had planned a more comfortable five- or six-day route.

“With this itinerary, we won’t have to camp outdoors.”

“Correct. We can’t ask Lady Rosalia, who’s still very young, to sleep in the open.”

Lionel spoke while examining the travel plan. Despite the urgency, he had secured lodging for every night. As expected of him.

“I wouldn’t mind camping,” Rosalia said.

“Do you know what sleeping outdoors is like? There are insects everywhere—ones with many legs, and others that hang above you…”

“Eek!”

Apparently, she wasn’t quite prepared. Even though the temperature had begun to fall, the creatures of this world were hardy. Many insects remained active until snow covered the land, and some continued moving even then.

That was why insect-repelling incense and anti-itch ointment sold even in winter.

“Can’t you do something about them with your powers, Big brother?”

“Hmm. It would be difficult… although perhaps not impossible.”

If I made a barrier magic tool that excluded insects as well as monsters…

“Big brother!”

“No, no. Even I can’t do everything. Impossible.”

Rosalia narrowed her eyes as I laughed awkwardly.

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