Chapter 36 …
After reading the system message, I was left speechless.
This is a potion—but if it tastes so bad you could die drinking it, isn’t that a problem?
Well… I guess medicine is usually bitter anyway….
For reference, the effects of this low-grade recovery potion were as follows:
When applied to the skin, it can heal shallow wounds. It also has a slight effect on dermatitis.
When consumed, it restores a small amount of stamina.
I was already feeling a lack of stamina, so I figured I could try drinking it myself as a test.
First, I transferred the completed potion into small crystal bottles, 10 ml each. A lot of ingredients had gone into it, but the final yield didn’t even reach ten bottles.
It was another moment of enlightenment regarding alchemy. This was seriously inefficient…
Even the slightest mistake ruins the result, and then you have to throw everything away….
Alchemists were known to make a lot of money, but now I understood why so few people wanted to do it.
“Muriel… are you going to drink that?”
I hadn’t put a cork into the crystal bottle I’d set aside for myself. As I picked it up and brought it to my lips, Lysian quietly approached and asked.
Lowering the bottle slightly, I smiled awkwardly as I replied.
“Yeah… why?”
“If you’re testing whether it works, I’ll drink it instead.”
He was worrying about me again. Lysian seemed like the type who worried about me out of habit.
“Are you worried it might be dangerous? Don’t worry, I made it properly.”
“Still…”
“It’s really fine. What could possibly happen?”
At worst, it was just a low-grade potion. And the system itself had certified that it was made correctly.
Tilting my head back, I poured the potion entirely into my mouth. The instant I did, an overwhelming taste slammed into my tongue, like it was trying to numb my sense of taste.
“…!”
I staggered without realizing it, and Lysian hurried over to support me.
“Muriel!”
Cough. I let out a few small coughs and even gagged a couple of times. My head rang, and my tongue felt numb.
What on earth is this taste…?
I’ve never eaten anything like this in my life…
“Muriel, are you okay? Maybe the potion was made wrong after all—”
“N-no. The potion itself is fine. It’s just the taste…”
“Master! Water! Please drink some water!”
I gulped down the water Ninabel hurriedly handed me, then let out a sigh and continued.
“It’s disgustingly bad.”
“……”
“I’m serious… I’ve never tasted anything like this before. Want to try it too?”
Curiosity sparked—I wanted to see how Lysian would react.
Lysian gave an awkward smile and shook his head, but I didn’t give up and pressed him.
“Just try it once! Please? I’m really curious what you’ll think.”
“I appreciate the thought, but I’ll pass.”
“What kind of loyalty is that, letting only me drink it? Stuff like this should be shared!”
“……”
Lysian looked at me with solemn eyes as I spouted my ridiculous logic.
When I kept insisting that he had to drink it too, he finally gave in and took the crystal bottle.
“Haa…”
“Why the sigh? If you’re going to drink it anyway, enjoy it.”
“……”
Lysian shot me a sideways glance, then let out a small laugh. Before I could even react, he downed the potion in one go.
“…!”
I flinched and widened my eyes.
Gulp— The potion, not even a full mouthful, slid down his throat.
Lysian didn’t react right away. Watching him nervously, I asked,
“S-so? How is it?”
“……”
He carefully set the crystal bottle down on the table, then suddenly swayed.
“Lysian!”
Lysian collapsed onto the floor with a thud, his eyes closing limply.
Shocked, I quickly knelt beside him and checked his condition. He seemed to have fainted.
No way. Was it really so bad that he passed out?
F-first, let’s get him some water!
I was about to scold Ninabel, who was watching like it was someone else’s problem, when suddenly a hand grabbed my arm.
Startled, I widened my eyes. My body was yanked forward and collided with a solid chest. And then—
“Wha— hic, ugh, hahaha, wh-what is this…!”
Relentless hands attacked my sides and lower abdomen, tickling me mercilessly.
Lysian tormented me with relentless persistence. I thrashed around trying to escape, laughing so hard I was gasping for breath. My lungs hurt from laughing too much.
“P-please, hahahaha, stop…!”
“……”
“W-why are you doing this all of a sudden…?!”
Just when it seemed like Lysian might finally stop, he wrapped both arms tightly around me and whispered into my ear.
“I don’t know. Maybe I went crazy from drinking such a terrible potion.”
“So this is my fault?”
“You’re the one who made me drink it.”
“Ah, seriously… hahaha…”
I was dumbfounded, but not angry. After all, this was something I’d brought on myself.
I stayed in Lysian’s arms for quite a while, catching my breath, then finally calmed down and spoke.
“I won’t make you drink it next time. Let go of me. I still need to make more potions.”
“Take a short break. I’m worried you’ll overdo it.”
“I’m not even pushing myself that hard—”
Suddenly, he stood up and lifted me into his arms. Then he walked out of the storage room and gently seated me on the bench under the eaves.
“I’ll make some snacks, so rest here for a bit.”
“Okay…”
I watched his retreating back as he headed toward the kitchen, wearing a gentle smile.
…How should I put it? I felt a little strange.
As I unconsciously clutched the left side of my chest and curled in on myself, the tactless droplet approached and asked,
“What’s wrong, Master? Are you unwell? Gasp, don’t tell me—it’s arrhythmia again?!”
“…It’s not that.”
Letting out a deep sigh, I curled my body even more tightly and buried my face in my knees.
I had a feeling this could turn into something really serious. No—maybe it was already too late to turn back…
Two days later.
“I did ittt!!”
As usual, I’d been cooped up in the storage room all day. I threw both hands into the air and roared.
I finally filled the proficiency gauge to 100!
〈Let’s Become a Beginner Alchemist!〉 Quest Complete!
Alchemy Proficiency 100 Achieved!
As a success reward, 5,000 coins have been granted.
You have acquired a new job title!
「Beginner Alchemist」
Alchemy Skill Level has increased!
Lv. 1 → Lv. 2
Potion creation success rate increases.
You can now craft more effective potions.
Next level alchemy proficiency required: 0 / 200
One mountain after another… To raise the alchemy skill to level 3, I’d have to fill another 200 proficiency. Still, I’d succeeded in becoming a Beginner Alchemist.
And the most important thing is this!
The success reward—5,000 coins!
Remaining Coins: 8,368
You have gathered enough coins to open the ‘Hidden Shop’.
Would you like to open the Hidden Shop?
YES / NO
Of course I’ll open it!
I quickly moved my finger and tapped “YES.”
The moment I did, a brilliant light flared, and a massive door appeared in midair.
The pure white, arch-shaped door that opened from both sides was adorned with delicate golden decorations. It looked exactly like something straight out of heaven.
Wow… what is this?
As I stood there in a daze, 5,000 coins were instantly deducted, and a golden key appeared before my eyes, radiating a bright glow.
The key moved on its own, fitting perfectly into the keyhole. With a click, the door slowly opened.
The inside of the doorway was obscured by the pouring light, making it impossible to see what lay beyond.
Would you like to enter the Hidden Shop?
Obviously!
My heart pounded wildly. Filled with anticipation, I took a step forward—then froze, suddenly aware of a gaze, and turned around.
“……”
Lysian and Ninabel were staring at me with confused expressions.
I immediately understood the situation.
They can’t see this.
The door leading to the Hidden Shop was radiating an overwhelming presence, but it was visible only to me.
Facing Lysian and Ninabel, who seemed to want an explanation, I put on a composed smile and said,
“I… think I need to go somewhere for a moment.”
At that, Lysian stepped forward and grabbed my arm tightly.
“Where to?”
It was an anxious voice—one that didn’t suit his usually relaxed demeanor at all.
