The basent of the base, which hadn’t seen much use since they moved in, had beco quite boisterous.
It was a floor used for storage, but a new resident had moved into one of the vacant rooms.
’Where should I put this?’
’Over here... Ah, be careful. That’s expensive.’
’Geez, everything I pick up is supposedly expensive.’
’I’m telling you, it is all expensive!’
Louise spoke to the mbers of Anne’s party, who were moving luggage.
Everyone grumbled under their breath, having heard the sa warning several tis every ti they moved, but in the end, they followed her words and walked with careful steps.
Well, what can you do when alchemy equipnt really is all pricey?
If they accidentally tripped and broke sothing, they might have to work for free for several years.
With that thought in mind, their movents naturally beca cautious.
’Ah, move that one just a little bit to the side.’
’...Can’t you just do that much yourself?’
’I have to check the ingredients. Only I can do this part.’
Alchemists really are high-maintenance.
Seria grumbled quietly in her heart as she carefully readjusted the positions of the instrunts on the desk.
In that noisy basent, the faint sound of soone descending the stairs was heard.
Louise, who had been leisurely scanning a list, looked up and set down her pen.
’Ah, you’re here, Captain.’
The one person who could be even more high-maintenance than a picky alchemist.
The employer who funded the research.
Ian took a brief look around the interior of the lab that was currently under preparation.
’It seems all the deliveries have arrived. Any issues with the facilities?’
’None. Once we finish moving everything in, we can start as early as today.’
Though temporary, a research lab had been established at the Ian rcenary Group’s base.
The Alchemist’s Workshop, a support facility for the rcenary group.
It was a facility that produced potions at a much lower price than shops using self-sourced materials and supplied rare potions that couldn’t be found in stores through research.
’We have plenty of ingredients as well.’
Louise also looked around the lab that was gradually taking shape.
She had been reluctant to beco an exclusive alchemist because it would make it harder to conduct personal research, but after seeing the state of this warehouse, she had no choice but to accept.
’I don’t know how you got these... but there aren’t many workshops equipped with this level of supplies.’
The fact that the physical items were available was more important than the simple price point of the materials.
Ingredients that rarely appeared on the market had to be obtained by issuing direct requests, and high-quality goods were often set aside for major clients, making them hard to find in regular shops.
There were many investors who talked about supporting research funds as much as needed, but even in those cases, it was commonplace to wait a long ti to obtain materials, halting research in the anti.
Even in this Labyrinth, the places that had this many materials prepared in advance could be counted on one hand.
’I was planning to set up a shop first and then find a lab, but the order has been reversed.’
’I intend to open a shop as well. I can’t let an alchemist of your caliber, Louise, just sit idle.’
’Good. Then I’ll look forward to the shop as well.’
Looking at the rcenary group’s building, the shop surely wouldn’t be just a token gesture at a diocre level.
With that expectation, Louise gave a small smile.
Even though Ian, the investor, would take most of the profits, it would still be much more beneficial than Louise operating clumsily on her own.
Louise looked at Ian and said,
’Now, tell .’
’Tell you what?’
Ian asked back, but Louise had an expression that suggested she already knew.
’Anyone who approaches an alchemist without a shop to invest in them always has sothing personal they want to research.’
Louise smiled brightly as she said that.
Ian had even gone so far as to build the lab first without hesitation.
It was obvious he had research he wanted done imdiately.
’Seeing how you’re pushing this so urgently... it seems there’s sothing you absolutely want to make?’
Ian didn’t deny Louise’s question and nodded.
Since the lab preparations were nearly finished, he intended to start running the lab today, just as Louise said.
Ian held out a pouch he had prepared in advance.
’Please research these.’
The way to develop potion recipes is to research the ingredients.
If you succeed in researching one ingredient, you randomly discover one recipe that uses it as a component.
And as Ian proposed, if you researched the exact matching combination of materials, you were guaranteed to discover that specific recipe.
’You must already have a recipe in mind, don’t you?’
Ian nodded at Louise’s question.
Louise also wore a quite significant expression.
Knowing such an exact combination of ingredients ant there was a high probability it was a recipe leaked from sowhere else.
Of course, this was a common occurrence in the alchemy industry, and it wasn’t Louise’s business. It was the fault of the person who failed to protect the secret of the recipe.
’Wait, is this perhaps...’
Louise’s gaze was fixed on one of the materials Ian had handed over.
The rest were commonly used ingredients, but one was an extrely unusual item.
’It’s a material from the Labyrinth.’
At Ian’s answer, Louise’s eyes sparkled.
As expected, this makes the trouble of moving to the Labyrinth worthwhile.
’It was expensive to obtain, so please use it carefully.’
’Of course.’
Since he couldn’t enter the Labyrinth right away, it was an item he had truly paid a high price to acquire.
To go to the Labyrinth, you need this potion.
And to get this potion, you need materials from the Labyrinth.
In that paradox, he had no choice but to spend a lot of money to buy the first set of ingredients.
’But what is this used for? Can’t you tell in advance?’
If it even requires materials from the Labyrinth, it won’t be an ordinary item.
Louise asked Ian with that curiosity.
’It’s sothing necessary for Labyrinth exploration.’
Even if it was Ian, he couldn’t morize all the countless recipes added by the Item Expansion Mode.
However, among them, he naturally morized the recipes for potions used so frequently it could be said they were used almost always.
It was the number one reason for hiring an alchemist as a supporter.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[Erosion Purifier]
- Consumable Item
- Upon use, imdiately [Erosion -20]
- Resists erosion for a certain period after use
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
* * *
The nurous preparations he had set in motion were finishing one by one.
Most were in a state where he just had to wait for the results.
And today, Ian ca out to handle the most important task.
’Are you done writing?’
’...Not yet.’
Behind Ian, who was moving his pen, all the mbers of the rcenary group, including Rin, were watching the scene.
Since it was just a matter of submitting simple docunts, Ian had intended to go alone.
However, upon hearing the reason the Captain was going to the Guild, the mbers had all followed him out to watch.
It wasn’t even a matter of passing yet, just submitting an application; he wondered why they wanted to watch that.
With those thoughts, the pen of Ian, who had finished writing, finally stopped.
’There. If you like it that much, go and submit it yourself.’
’Really!’
Lin’s eyes sparkled as she took the docunts Ian handed her and proudly presented them at the counter.
It was the rcenary Group Promotion Application.
Lin nodded with a proud face.
’Finally, we’re C-rank too!’
’The screening hasn’t even started yet.’
’There’s no way we’d fail!’
Lin spoke confidently.
...It wasn’t exactly a wrong statent.
With Lia and Rin present, there was no way they would fail a simple C-rank promotion mission.
’We’ll contact you later with the results.’
’Alright. Everyone, let’s go.’
After being guided by the staff who checked the docunts, Ian turned around.
The Ian rcenary Group trooped out of the Guild behind him, and the staff mber who received the docunts hurried up to the second floor.
’Um... Examiner? It’s the promotion application for the Ian rcenary Group.’
’Right. I thought it was about ti.’
Camilla accepted the docunts with a face that wasn’t surprised at all.
A promotion application, huh.
Screening the qualifications of a diocre rcenary group was quite a headache, but for a place like the Ian rcenary Group, there was no need for such worries.
The Ian rcenary Group was a place Camilla already treated as a C-rank group in practice.
’The screening... let’s just pass it suitably.’
Camilla was famous for strictly vetting conditions, but that was only for groups with ambiguous qualifications.
She didn’t act difficult for no reason against a group that was clearly capable.
Should I send them sowhere they can visit with moderate ease? While thinking that, Camilla suddenly felt sothing strange about the docunts.
’Why are there so many docunts?’
’Ah, that is...’
Just as Camilla said, it wasn’t just promotion application docunts in there.
Camilla realized this too and unfolded the docunts attached behind.
’The Ian rcenary Group... has submitted an application for Labyrinth Entry Permission along with it.’
’....’
Camilla pondered over the docunts for a while, then sighed and sent them up to the Vice Guild Leader.
The staff mber holding the docunts with Camilla’s signature climbed one more flight of stairs.
’...Vice Guild Leader? There is a docunt that needs your confirmation.’
The Vice Guild Leader of the rcenary Guild, Kael, looked up and accepted the docunts Camilla had sent up.
C-rank promotion application. The target is the Ian rcenary Group.
’It was about ti.’
Kael, who had read the first part of the docunts, nodded.
He had been waiting, wondering when this rcenary group was actually planning to promote.
Kael briefly flipped the pages to look into the content Camilla had attached.
The practical screening and decision for promotion were Camilla’s responsibility.
The Vice Guild Leader just had to stamp the final approval, but one naturally gets curious about how a rcenary group of interest was handled.
’Huh?’
Kael tilted his head for a mont after seeing the content.
The location for the Ian rcenary Group’s screening was quite questionable.
’Is there a need to send the test to such a place? There might be so complaints.’
Had sothing displeased Camilla?
Kael thought so, yet felt sothing wasn’t quite right.
She wasn’t the type of person to give such an obvious disadvantage for such a simple reason.
At any rate, it wasn’t good for the Vice Guild Leader to interfere this much in sothing as minor as a C-rank group screening.
Kael left his signature without adding any more personal opinions to what Camilla had decided.
However, the staff mber who received the signature slid the docunts back toward Kael with a slightly troubled expression.
’Um... excuse , Vice Guild Leader? You need to check the back part as well.’
’Why? Can’t we just proceed like this?’
’Because there’s sothing you must see for yourself.’
In the eyes of Kael, who flipped the pages further back, words that gave him a headache appeared.
Labyrinth Entry Permission Application.
’....’
Why do all the useful talents slip away into the Labyrinth?
Kael signed the remaining docunts with the exact sa expression as Camilla.
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