「I think I'll make a potion.」
Leyce made a loud declaration with a serious face. Laffy and Sylvia who heard this declaration formed question marks.
It was now the morning of the day after Leyce met Laffy.
It was a declaration being made at the table after finishing breakfast.
「What's up all of the sudden?」
「Well, yesterday you stopped me from selling my elixirs. That's why I thought I should make some potions with a slightly lower effect.」
「Ah, I see.」
With elixir mass production, it was plain to see that there would be quite a few troublesome aspects to deal with in order to sell them. As Laffy thought that doing such should be avoided, she was very relieved to hear Leyce's idea.
There were no problems with selling ordinary potions. They had already shown four elixirs, so by this point, it was too late to care.
「For the time being, I'd like to make potions in this house but… is that okay?」
「Ah, don't worry about something on that level.」
「Oh, thank you.」
Making potions out on the street would be depressing, so it was a relief to get permission.
「How long do they take to make?」
Sylvia casually questioned.
Potion production time differs from person to person, but in general, it's said to take more than an hour to make one bottle.
Based on her previous information, Laffy had a bad premonition as she waited for Leyce's response.
「Let's see, something about the level of an intermediate potion would probably take a couple seconds or so to make I think?」
「Sylvia, don't misunderstand. Leyce is just a weird guy. Normally it takes no less than an hour.」
In contrast to Laffy's cramped facial expression, Sylvia's smiled pleasantly with rounded eyes.
「Fufu, hearing it from elder sister, you really are unique.」
「I don't really feel that way about myself.」
With a bitter smile, Leyce opened his satchel, and from inside pulled out ingredients and tools, setting them up for potion production.
Was it an unusual sight for Laffy and Sylvia? They watched Leyce's skills with great interest.
「If you don't mind, is it okay for us to watch?」
「Un, no problem.」
Leyce's practiced hands set up various tools in front of the pair of sisters who watched on in silence. Feeling a little embarrassed, Leyce commenced his potion making.
「『Extraction』『Purification』『Composition Fixing』『Sublimation』」
「…………」
A series of alchemical invocations.
Laffy and Sylvia watched the sight before their eyes unable to utter a single word.
The medicinal herbs turned to liquid, the impurities removed, and then the liquid was wrapped in a faint light before turning red.
It was certainly a momentary event. The sister's first time seeing the works of alchemy was undoubtedly complete.
However, to the one doing it held no special feelings about it. For Leyce alchemy was just a part of everyday life, like a custom.
That's why he didn't know it's value.
「Yosh」
The final product was poured into a small bottle. Leyce looked at it with satisfaction before,
「『Analyse』」
Another invocation of alchemy. This one was mostly used for examining the composition of ores and herbs, but could also be used to see the quality of a potion.
「It's an advanced grade potion or so.」
The efficiency was successfully suppressed. After that, if kept making potions to that tune, he would not have to worry about money for some time.
Leyce let out a sigh of relief, finally waking the two sisters from watching his alchemy.
「I think I understand a bit now about what sister was saying.」
Sylvia made a bitter smile, seeing with her own eyes the abnormality of Leyce. Even though she had little knowledge regarding alchemy.
Laffy who had given up caring by this point looked at Leyce with a forced laugh.
「Ha ha ha……」
Seeing the two's reactions, an awkward smile formed on Leyce's face. However, his hands didn't stop creating potions one after another.
「Ah, Laffy-san!」
Calling out to Laffy was the guild receptionist Amelia. Standing next to Laffy with his small swollen satchel was Leyce.
They had come to the adventures guild to sell off the finished potions.
「Sorry for leaving so suddenly yesterday.」
「That's fine, but……」
Amelia gave a quick glance at Leyce. Nine times out of 10, she would be thinking about the elixir she was shown the day before.
「Sorry for surprising you like that yesterday, today we're selling something else.」
「Something else?」
Leyce pulled out some advanced potions and started lining them up on the reception desk. It was 15 in total.
「Advanced potions it seems…」
Amelia gave them a look of suspicion. It seemed she was in fact still thinking about the previous day. Four elixirs were brought out right in front of her eyes so it wouldn't be unreasonable.
「Um, so… will you buy them?」
Leyce asked timidly. If he couldn't sell the potions he would remain indefinitely broke. At the very least that was something he absolutely had to avoid, as he couldn't have Laffy take care of him forever.
「Eh, it's fine. However, I would just like to ask you a few things about yesterday.」
Amelia's noble eyes distorted into a glare directed at Leyce's eyes.
「A ha ha….」
He tried to laugh it off, but it seemed that Amelia wouldn't be deceived by just that much. Anyhow, he had run out the day before without saying anything.
「W, well, let's just leave that for sometime in the future.」
At Laffy's words and unconcealed bitter smile, Amelia decided to drop the question and started calculating the purchase price of the goods.
「At a rate of two silver coins per potion, the total would come to three gold coins. Are you fine with that?」
「That's surprisingly high isn't it?」
Hearing the price, Leyce was surprised at how high it was. One gold coin was worth ten silver coins, and one silver coin was enough to live off of for a week. The potions were worth three of them.
That said, it's necessary to deduct the cost of the materials used to make the potions from that so the actual revenue would be less than that. But that still was an amount sufficient to cover a lone individual's living expenses.
「Lately, due to the incessant appearance of monsters adventurers have been buying up all the potions, leading to a shortage. It's a bit imprudent, but the timing is pretty good.」
「Hmm, is that right.」
What good luck. There's no problem with getting more money.
Besides, it was a good omen for the future. As long as he could procure alchemical materials at regularly he would be able to live a stable life.
「This seems pretty self-sustainable…」
It was pretty relieving for this pride as a man to be able to avoid a life under the care of young girls.
「Here you go.」
「Thank you very much.」
Leyce received the three gold coins from Amelia. At this Leyce had accomplished his goal for the day.
「Alright, now I'm fine for funds, I should find a room to rent for today.」
「It somehow or other turned out well. Now, after all this time I should accept a request.」
Saying so, Laffy went in front of the bulletin board on which requests were affixed. Following behind her, Leyce also looked at the requests on the board.
「Herb collection, monster subjugation, helping with various jobs around town…… there's quite a variety of requests huh.」
「Hmm? Ah, though they're called adventurers, it's not like all the requests are for fighting. Some of them are for potion manufacturing, and if you become famous you can get a nomination request.」
After saying that much, Laffy took a peek at Leyce's face.
「Hm……」
His eyes grew with interest, and a smile floated to his face. Seeing that face, 「Perhaps it would have been better had I not said that」she regretted.
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