Chapter 58: The Elixir

“‘E-E-E-E-Elixiiiiir!?’”

A chorus of shocked voices erupted.

“What, what are you using!?”

“Wait… an Elixir? You mean, that Elixir!?”

“Hey, hey, hey… if that’s true, this is absolutely insane!”

Anii, along with the craftsmen, surged forward, their excitement bordering on panic. Meanwhile, Shifa and Sena just stared blankly, clearly unsure of what all the commotion was about.

“Anii-chan… what’s an elixiiir?” Shifa asked innocently.

“It’s the legendary all-purpose medicine!” Anii practically shouted, eyes wide. “They say it can cure any illness, heal any injury, even reverse aging! Nothing can stand against it!”

“Woah… that’s… amazing,” Shifa murmured, her voice full of awe.

“‘Amazing’ doesn’t even begin to cover it!” I muttered, realizing that their reaction far exceeded what I had expected. Good thing I hadn’t told them beforehand…

If I had mentioned it was an Elixir first, Shifa might never have taken it so willingly.

“Geo… was it really okay to drink it?” Anii’s voice carried a hint of concern.

“Of course,” I said. “Whether it would work was a gamble, but thankfully it did.”

“…A gamble with an Elixir…”

Anii’s expression twisted into one of disbelief.

“But I’ll still pay you properly.”

“No, no! That’s not necessary. I acted on my own,” I insisted.

“That won’t do. How much does it cost?”

Uh… let’s see. Denis said something about Elixirs going for five thousand gold coins at auction…

There was no way I could accept that kind of money. That’s more than one could earn in a lifetime.

“W-Well… I’m not really sure either… but probably just a few gold coins at most… Consider it a little thank-you for always helping Sena…”

Yes, that should do. I could bluff a reasonable amount and hope no one knew the actual market price.

But then, one of the craftsmen hesitantly spoke up:

“The Elixir… it’s been auctioned before… and if I remember correctly, it went for several thousand gold coins…”

Wha—!? Seriously!? I was just trying to dodge the topic! Couldn’t you keep your mouth shut for two seconds!?

Suddenly, the atmosphere around us froze.

“Several thousand gold coins…”

“No way, ordinary people can’t even imagine that!”

“There’s no way I could ever pay that back…”

“And yet… to spend it so freely on the young lady…”

I panicked and shouted out.

“You don’t need to pay me back!”

“…Don’t worry. Even if it takes a lifetime, I’ll repay it,” Shifa said solemnly, her serious expression leaving no room for argument.

Then, somehow, Anii’s eyes widened in realization:

“…You didn’t… give it to Shifa from the start to make her indebted to you, did you? To create a big favor, and in return…”

“I-I think you’re misunderstanding! That’s not it at all!” I protested.

“To go that far for Shifa… Well then, Geo! I leave the girl in your care! Hahaha!”

“That’s not what’s happening!” I yelled, exasperated.

Sure, using an Elixir so casually might have been reckless. I couldn’t exactly blame them for thinking I had ulterior motives.

But the truth was, I hadn’t considered it to be such a monumental item in the first place.

The sacred spirit herbs, after all, could be grown endlessly. Elixirs could likely be mass-produced, at least with Merlin’s help.

“By the way… how do you even have an Elixir?” one of the craftsmen asked, and my heart skipped a beat.

Oh no. I should have only used it when no one who knew the details was around.

I regretted it immediately, though there was nothing I could do now.

“Well… that’s a trade secret, you could say…” I stammered, trying to cover my tracks.

Seeing me fumble, sharp-eyed Anii seemed to realize this must be one of my ‘gift’ matters.

“Anyway, we need to discuss what to do next. Shifa, I need to use your room,” Anii said firmly.

“Sure,” Shifa replied.

Thanks to Anii, I managed to escape further questioning. We headed to Shifa’s room.

And wow… Shifa’s room…

It was my first time stepping inside. I had imagined something cute and whimsical, but in reality, it had only the bare necessities.

Unlike some lazy girl whose room was a complete mess, Shifa’s room was neatly organized and impeccably clean. It suited her serious personality perfectly.

So she really sleeps in that bed every night…

“Ouch!?”

I had been staring at the bed, lost in thought, when Anii stepped on my foot. I could have sworn I heard her mutter something about me being a pervert.

I-I was just looking!

The room contained only the four of us: Shifa, Anii, Sena, and me. Once the door was closed, Anii leaned in with a knowing expression.

“So, you had Merlin make that Elixir, right? There’s no way you could just get it normally.”

Bingo. I nodded obediently.

“You even grew the ingredients yourself in your… ridiculous garden,” Anii added.

I had once called it my ‘ridiculous garden,’ but now I didn’t even call it a garden. I corrected her diligently.

“Being able to grow even the ingredients for an Elixir… you really never cease to amaze. Though at this point, I’m less surprised than I used to be,” Anii sighed, glancing toward Shifa.

“So, Shifa. Even though it’s an Elixir, it doesn’t cost any actual effort to make. No payment necessary—just a simple thank-you is enough,” Anii explained.

“Y-Yes, Shifa. Really, please don’t worry about it. Elixirs can be made in any amount,” I added.

I probably shouldn’t say that in front of Merlin, but I pushed the thought aside. I also ignored Anii’s twitching face as she muttered, “any amount…”

“…Alright. But I will properly thank you,” Shifa said, nodding gently.

“Hey, hey, Onii-chan!”

“Hmm? What is it?”

My younger sister, who had been silent until now, called out, her eyes sparkling like brand new platinum coins.

“Elixirs… they sell for several thousand gold coins, right!? If we sold a bunch, we could live without working our whole lives!”

…Yeah, I definitely should not have let her hear that.