WTARS 35

Chapter 35 …

Winterberg Castle, the Duke’s study.

“Have you arrived? Report.”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

Raoul gave the order indifferently, and the servant bowed deeply.

“I’ve also delivered this month’s food and daily necessities to the cabin. I’ve been checking on the Duchess’ living conditions once a week as well.”

In truth, it was all a lie.

Just like last month, all the food and supplies had been stolen, and the servant had never once gone to the cabin.

By now, that wicked woman must have starved to death, her body rotting away.

The servant planned to visit the cabin at the end of the month to deal with the remains.

All he needed to do was tell the Duke that she had fled. Or that she had been torn apart by forest beasts, leaving only her bones.

The servant was certain the Duke would be pleased with such news, but the lie made his palms sweat profusely.

“The Duchess… seems to be struggling, but she’s managing well enough.”

“Struggling, you say? I suppose so.”

Raoul let out a snort of amusement and cast a sharp glance at the servant with his piercing blue eyes.

It was a passing look, but the servant couldn’t help but shrink his shoulders instinctively.

“Good work. If there’s nothing more to report, you may leave.”

“Yes, my lord!”

After the servant left the study, Raoul took a letter from the drawer and read it again.

The sender was Balzac Leone, an apothecary hiding in a village within the Winterberg territory.

After a dungeon appeared in the territory, Raoul had hired him as Winterberg Castle’s official apothecary.

He had also confirmed the contents of this letter directly with Balzac.

A farmer couple had suddenly appeared in the village one day, selling fruits and vegetables.

People who ate the fruits and vegetables they purchased experienced remarkable effects.

Moreover, the wife’s hair was said to be a light emerald color, like Muriel’s.

Upon hearing this, Raoul felt a brief moment of suspicion but quickly dismissed it.

‘It must be a coincidence.’

There was no way it could be Muriel. The farmers were newlyweds, and she had no one with her.

‘Still… I should check it out myself sometime soon.’

But at the moment, finding the time was difficult. The sudden appearance of the dungeon had created a mountain of matters requiring his attention.

The emergence of a dungeon and a base city in his territory was a welcome development, but it was also a headache.

The base city attracted not only adventurers sent from various regions.

Notorious criminals and swindlers, drawn by the smell of money, crept in like sewer rats.

The problems they would cause in the future were not to be underestimated, so Raoul had to prepare thoroughly.

‘Reinforce the garrison for the base city… increase patrols. The detention facility for criminals must be completed within this month.’

Above all, the most important task was dungeon clearing.

Raoul had supported troops and supplies for dungeons in other territories several times before.

However, of the five lords who had received his aid, only two had contacted him first this time, requesting help.

The other three ignored him, claiming difficulties within their territories.

In noble society, those who receive help are expected to repay it in kind later.

‘It’s possible Terni is stirring trouble.’

Apparently, Duke Willard Terni was already displeased about the dungeon appearing in the Winterberg territory.

‘That greedy old man, Willard Terni, won’t be able to handle this situation.’

With a hint of sarcasm, Raoul straightened his clothes and stood.

It was 2 p.m., time to check on the knights’ training.

The three members of the Veratis Guild returned to the dungeon’s base city.

Before they left, I gave them a few instructions.

“We’ll be visiting the Veratis Guild branch soon. When we meet again, make sure to welcome us, okay?”

“Ah, of course~!”

“And… please tell the Guild Master about us as well.”

“Don’t worry, I know the Guild Master. He’ll probably agree, saying it sounds interesting.”

I wanted to visit the Veratis Guild branch in the dungeon city as soon as possible, but I had a task that took priority.

Namely…

〈Let’s Become a Beginner Apothecary!〉 Quest☆

‘You’ve completed reading Introduction to Pharmacy!

Now all that remains is practical training.

Craft potions to increase your pharmacy skill proficiency! (^^)9’

Current proficiency: 0 / 100

※Each successful potion increases proficiency by 5 points.

※A great success grants a higher number of points.

Success reward: 5,000 coins

Failure penalty: None

That’s right.

The moment I finished Introduction to Pharmacy, the system gave me a quest, and the reward was a whopping 5,000 coins.

I had been unable to save coins due to buying necessities, but now, with 5,000 coins at once, I could immediately open a hidden shop.

As soon as I received the quest, the ‘Pharmacy’ skill appeared, currently at level 1.

I assumed that proficiency had to reach 100 before the level could increase.

“All right, let’s get started.”

I opened my inventory and laid out the materials I had collected on the table.

There wasn’t a proper workspace, so I had no choice but to temporarily use the storage room.

“Muriel, is there anything I can help with?”

“Nope, nothing.”

“Master! If you need me, Nini is always ready to help!”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

As expected, Lissian and Ninabel hovered around me.

They always had to interfere with my work from start to finish, so I had long since stopped being bothered by it.

‘First, let’s make the basic healing potion.’

The system didn’t provide a potion recipe.

This meant I had to rely solely on the knowledge gained from reading Introduction to Pharmacy.

My memory wasn’t bad, so I already knew most of the recipes in the book.

And I only realized why apothecaries were so valuable after reading it.

There were thousands of medicinal and poisonous herbs in this world, and an apothecary had to remember them all and know how to use them properly.

Herbal knowledge was very complex. For example, some poisonous plants looked very similar to medicinal herbs, and a single mistake could be fatal.

Some herbs could use the leaves, stems, and roots medicinally, but the flowers were highly toxic and required caution.

It was also crucial to measure ingredients precisely. A 0.1g error could turn a medicine into poison.

‘Ingredients for a low-level healing potion… Tender Featherleaf, Blue Umbrella Mushroom, and the soul core of a D-rank or higher monster.’

Tender Featherleaf required separating the stems and leaves, and the roots needed to be crushed and juiced.

The cap of the Blue Umbrella Mushroom was chopped finely, but the stem went in whole.

And the soul core of a D-rank or higher monster…

‘Use one that is highly transparent and roughly the size of a child’s fist.’

I spotted a soul core that fit the conditions, quickly picked it up, washed it clean, and put it into the cauldron first.

One by one, I carefully added the ingredients, and before I knew it, an hour had passed.

“Ugh…”

I rubbed my aching waist with both hands and did some simple stretches.

Lissian and Ninabel sat quietly in the corner, watching me.

“Master! If your back hurts, Nini can give you a massage.”

“Hmm… No, later. Still have work to do.”

“Cheer up, Master…!”

Encouraged by the spirits, I returned to potion-making.

Next to the table was a brazier, with a cauldron of bubbling ingredients atop it.

It smelled… like traditional herbal medicine. The kind you often smell in an herbal clinic lobby… Could potions really taste like herbal medicine?

‘I’ll test it when it’s done.’

For about 40 minutes, I carefully adjusted the heat while brewing the potion.

There were other things to watch for, too. I had to add water at the right moment as the potion thickened and add the Tender Featherleaf root juice every five minutes.

‘Wow, this is draining my mental energy…’

It required intense focus, and I was exhausted.

Physical strength was being drained too. Being an apothecary required a healthy body.

‘Ha… I want to be strong and healthy quickly too…!’

Just as I silently wished for it, the potion was finally complete.

Ding!

Low-level healing potion completed! (Moderate success)

Quality: ☆☆☆

Effectiveness: ☆☆

Taste: ☆

‘Not tasty, but for a first attempt, it’s a potion with decent effectiveness!’

Pharmacy skill proficiency: 5 / 100

For a first attempt, the result was fairly good.

But the taste… only one star?

‘That bad…?’

〈Notice〉 The taste is so bad, one might die after drinking it!