Chapter 173 Part 1
Chapter 173 Part 1
Translator: “Hakou” Editor: “Weasalopes”
The summer sun has just appeared on the eastern horizon under the clear blue sky.
The sunlight is still not too hot at this time, as expected.
A refreshing breeze blows through the central square of the royal capital. This place, where many people come and go, is also sparsely populated in the early morning.
(I wonder how it went)
A woman walks across the square, casting a long shadow to the west.
She is Explosive onee-san, wearing a navy blue sleeveless dress and a straw hat.
The little birds poking the cobblestones take off one after another as people approach.
She keeps walking until she arrives at her destination, the Royal Academy of Magic, to the east of the royal castle.
(I hope it worked out this time)
She greeted the guards and headed to her private laboratory.
There, she opened the window curtains to brighten the room, then she rushed to the large glass device in the corner of the room.
It has a shape that resembles a cold brew coffee device that is taller than a person.
Explosive onee-san nervously opened the small wooden door at the bottom part of the device.
(It’s done!)
A glass container about the size of eye drops contains a faint white light-emitting liquid.
(This color… It has to be the Elixir. I’m sure of it)
She took out the container with her trembling hands and went to the appraisal table nearby.
Responding to the magical power poured by Explosive onee-san, the magic circle woven with silver thread shines.
The light wrapped around the container in the center of the magic circle and disappeared after a while.
(Cure injury C rank, cure disease C rank, cure status abnormality C rank. It’s a success…)
Explosive onee-san covered her mouth with both hands and collapsed on the floor. Large tears were spilling from her eyes to the floor.
She got a fruit from Tauro that seems to be Ambrosia. She used it little by little and worked hard to make an elixir.
(I won’t let even one piece go to waste)
She did it with such determination, but she kept failing. And there was only a little material left.
She had run out of materials and was already on her last legs.
By the way, she had planted several seeds, but none of them have started budding.
(I did it… I finally did it!)
Explosive onee-san keeps crying. It was until some time before she started to calm down.
She finally recovers and sits in her chair in front of the potion that emits white light.
And she started thinking about the future.
(What should I tell the professor?)
A thin man with a bent mouth. That nervous face of his comes to her mind.
Her experiments on making an elixir using Ambrosia as the material. She hasn’t told anyone about it at all.
Actually, she immediately went and arrived right in front of her professor’s office right after she obtained the fruit.
(Wait a second)
But there, a certain thought arose in her so she turned her heels right away.
(This is something that I obtained with my own effort. So I want to try and see how much I can do on my own)
She was unable to control that feeling.
Her destination was the private laboratory that she got in exchange for a high usage fee.
Without wasting any more time, she started getting into preparation to make an elixir.
(I thoughtI was done for)
Repeated trial and error. She sighed as she recalled it.
If she had failed this time, she wouldn’t have forgiven herself.
If this really is Ambrosia, it will have a big impact on the world of magic.
『I want to test my own strength』
This is not something you can waste for such personal ambition. Her professors would’ve said so.
Although she’s just a student, what she’s studying involves magic. She knew how valuable it was.
(I’m really glad it worked out)
Although the amount wasn’t much, she manages to create an elixir. Explosive onee-san’s efforts would surely be rewarded.
(I have no choice but to tell the truth to some extent)
She made up her mind and waited for the professor to come to his office.
Until that time comes, Explosive onee-san was happily looking at the elixir while tasting the tea she brewed.
***
Royal Academy of Magic.
Many trees are planted around the chalk-white building. The twigs are swaying with birds taking off to the air.
Beyond the twigs is a large, vertical window.
And behind that window is the back of a thin middle-aged man sitting on a chair.
「So, what is it again? A customer at the brothel where you work. You got a fruit from him and it turns out to be Ambrosia, was it?」
A man with a crooked mouth tilts his head to the point his mouth becomes horizontal, and speaks with a tone as if to not believe what she said.
In front of this man, who is a professor of the Royal Academy of Magic, stood Explosive onee-san.
「And using that, it became the triple C potion. Thus you claimed that you succeeded in making an elixir– no, lesser elixir, yes?」
Explosive onee-san replied affirmatively.
The professor looks down at her eyes and looks at the glass bottle on his desk.
The liquid contained in a vial about the size of an eye drops gave off a pale white light.
After looking at it for a while, he looked up at the explosive bottomed sister with a stern gaze.
「Ambrosia is a fruit that its only existence is a description in literature. It’s not even clear if it really exists. You are aware of that, right?」
「Yes」
Explosive onee-san nods with a tense look.
A professor who bends his mouth more and more.
His name is Termano.
A renowned pharmacist in the kingdom, with his ability, he can even produce C-rank cure injury potions.
「How much time and effort I spent to make a single C rank potion. You should know about that too, right?」
He sighed heavily and continued his words.
「Despite knowing that, here you are, claiming that this is a C rank potion. Not only that, you insisted that this is also a combination of cure injury, cure disease, and cure abnormality status, or a lesser elixir, as you claimed」
A storm of various expressions could be seen through those eyes and tones.
His cheek was tightening, in fact.
Explosive onee-san was able to return with a nod under the pressure of those expressions.
「….Fine」
Deep wrinkles appeared between the Termano eyebrows.
(I thought she was an excellent student which I have rarely seen in recent years)
It seems I overestimated her.
With such thoughts in his mind, he shook his head from side to side.
(No, this is probably just something like a path that youngsters go through once in their life)
Termano was already in the middle of his forties. He has spent most of his life going back and forth between the magic academy and the workshop outside the academy.
Between those times, he thinks about his seniors, friends from the same year and juniors that shared the same table with him.
From those people, there was always one of them who came to him saying that they made a breakthrough of the century.
(Perpetual motion machine, akashic magic, and elixir. Those who are hooked up by such things are easily deceived, clouded by their beliefs)
And at a later date, embarrass themselves to the point they can’t go outside anymore.
(She too, must have been fed with lies by that man. I don’t know how far she has been deceived but, it was truly a pity)
Termano stood up from his chair, and headed to the hallway as he rolled up his lab coat.
「Follow me. Let’s appraise it in my laboratory」
Reality isn’t that kind.
It will ruthlessly shove the cruel results to your face like it was natural.
It is my duty as a professor to wake them up and guide them. He tells himself so.
(I did say that we’ll do the appraisal in my lab, but…)
He shrugs his shoulders.
Her field of vision must be extremely narrow right now. She might not want to believe the result.
(People only see what they want to believe)
His bitter experience distorts the edge of his mouth.
He looks back halfway to see Explosive onee-san’s figure walking by his side.
She holds the vial in her chest as if to cherish it.
(She might won’t show up in the academy for a few days)
He unintentionally leaked a small sigh.
She is an excellent student. It would be a waste if her heart broke just like that.
『Termano Laboratory』
He opened the door under the name plate without knocking.
There were three students in the room. They were fighting a bunch of documents, probably to compile the experiment report the other day.
「Good morning, professor」
He waved his hands to the students who stopped whatever they’re doing to greet him and walked to the back of the room.
There was an expensive-looking appraisal tool that made you feel the history and its accuracy.
「Alright, put it there」
The urged Explosive onee-san carefully places the small glass bottle in the center of the magic circle.
Seeing her stepped back, Termano put his hand on the appraisal tool and poured his magical power into it.
(Now then, let’s see what this thing really is)
The magic circle inlaid on the tool shines many times while changing colors. Thermano was staring at it while stroking his thin chin.
When the light subsided, the appraisal result was drawn in the air like a neon sign.
「Cure injury C rank, cure disease C rank, cure status abnormality C rank…….」
No emotion could be felt from Termano’s tone who read it out loud.
Looking back with his expressionless face, he called out to Explosive onee-san.
「I’m sorry, but let me put it with my own hands and re-appraise it again」
Without waiting for the reply from the Explosive onee-san, he confronts the appraisal table.
He re-installed the bottle many times, and restarted the process after checking the device. The light of the magic circle illuminates Termano’s face from below.
And the appraisal result displayed again.
What it says isn’t any different from before.
「Oi….」
The students around him realize the situation and make a fuss.
Termano turned a strict eye on them and ordered them.
「D, E, F, any rank is fine. Bring me the commercial potions right now!」
The students rush to the cupboard and come back with some potions.
Termano picked it up and began to put it on the appraisal table one by one.
「Cure disease D, cure injury E, cure status abnormality F」
Faced with those results, he let out a groan like a demon beast.
A label that has been verified by the Merchant Guild on the potion bottle. Everything was the same as displayed.
「There’s no problem with the appraisal tool」
Termano sits down on a chair and covers his face with both hands.
He didn’t say a single word afterwards.
The students and Explosion onee-san. The people around couldn’t move, and they kept standing.