Chapter 107: The Hydra Hunt – Part 4
Loin, who had been closest to the Hydra, collapsed, overcome by its poisonous breath.
“Loin! Damn it… the anti-poison potion—!”
Matt, a member of the party, fumbled in panic as he reached for the vial, desperate to rush to Loin’s side. But Baluze stopped him firmly.
“Wait! This poison… it’s extremely potent! I need to take it myself first—ugh…?”
Baluze staggered, his voice trailing off. The poison’s breath had already spread across the surrounding area, and even a small inhalation was enough to make a seasoned adventurer sway unsteadily.
Everyone hurriedly downed their anti-poison potions. They had clearly prepared meticulously for the Hydra’s venom. But even so…
“…Impossible… even with the anti-poison potion, it’s…!”
“My… consciousness…”
“Ragna!? Gah… me too…”
It seemed that even these potions could not neutralize the Hydra’s venom. Agonized groans filled the air as one by one, the adventurers fell to their knees.
“If this continues…!? Why are you all… fine!?”
Chris’s surprise was obvious. Only Shifa’s party remained completely unfazed.
“…I feel fine.
“Yeah, we’re okay.”
“Why is that…?”
“Probably because of this.”
Shifa raised a vial of anti-poison potion for everyone to see. Her party had also taken the potion to protect themselves from the Hydra’s breath, but unlike ordinary versions…
“It’s made by Merlin.”
“I see… so its effects are on a whole different level from normal anti-poison potions…”
It was made using the shikusa herbs harvested from my garden, carefully refined by Merlin herself. As expected, it was far superior to standard anti-poison potions. It had even completely neutralized the venom of Stuparides before.
Of course, I, being protected by the barrier, was safe as well.
“Heh-hyoh! (Let’s go!)”
“—!?”
Sena charged at the black serpent, keeping the potion vial clenched in her teeth. Startled by the fearlessness of her attack, the black serpent faltered for just a moment.
Bshuuu!
Blood spurted from the serpent’s wound as Sena’s sword sliced through it, splattering across her face.
“! That blood… it might contain poison even stronger than its breath! Sena, be careful not to get doused!”
“Ro-ai! (Got it!)”
Sena jumped back, putting distance between herself and the creature, then swung her sword wildly in every direction. Despite the chaotic movements, each strike left deep cuts across the black serpent’s body.
Her sword, crafted by Miranda, had a unique ability: its slashes projected forward, striking the enemy even from a distance.
“Sena! Dodge!”
“—!”
“Lightning!”
Sarassa’s bolt of lightning scorched the serpent’s head. Finally, it succumbed, collapsing onto the ground.
“Phew… we managed to take it down.”
“Yeah. And everyone’s safe too.”
While Sena and the others fought, Shifa collected the fallen adventurers and had them drink Merlin’s anti-poison potion to recover.
“Ugh… wh-where…? Huh, the Hydra—!?”
Loin awoke, panic-stricken, scanning the surroundings.
“It’s been defeated.”
“R-really…?”
Once everyone had recovered from the poison, Shifa explained the situation.
“It seems that thanks to you and that alchemist, we managed to survive….”
“If you hadn’t joined in on a whim, I shudder to think what could’ve happened.”
“Thank you.”
Amidst the chorus of gratitude, Sena, facing off in a completely different direction, spoke.
“The biggest thanks goes to Onii-chan!”
…Wait, I’m not over there, though?
Afterward, we returned to the city and reported to the magistrate who had requested the mission, confirming that the Hydra had been successfully defeated. With the magistrate overjoyed, we left the city and headed to Randale.
“Everyone, well done.”
At the Adventurers’ Guild, Loin offered words of praise.
“This was a far more dangerous monster than expected. You will likely receive a special reward. I will personally request that the guild give Shifa’s party some extra recognition for their outstanding efforts.”
Shifa’s reputation had clearly skyrocketed from this incident. I hadn’t fought directly, but if I had contributed even a little, I couldn’t help feeling pleased.
The Hydra’s corpse would later be retrieved by a team dispatched from the guild. Any profits gained from selling its materials would be divided evenly among the participating parties.
“Also… may I know the cost of those anti-poison potions? I’d like to repay you.”
Loin insisted on paying for the potions they had used, as a matter of principle.
“However, given their potency, they are likely quite expensive… so you might have to wait a little for payment…”
“The price is the same as a normal anti-poison potion.”
“Eh? That… that can’t be…”
Loin’s eyes widened at Shifa’s words, but it was true. In fact, Shifa’s party had likely received them at an even cheaper price than normal.
“Incredible… they’re that effective… wait, could it be that these potions were brewed by Merlin?”
“Yes. Merlin’s potions.”
“Of course! She’s become well-known even here among adventurers and alchemists. She’s created numerous potions that other alchemists cannot replicate, greatly aiding dungeon expeditions in Arcel. Some alchemists even relocated to Arcel to apprentice under her.”
…It seemed Merlin’s fame had spread beyond just Arcel.