What troubled me most at the moment was how to process the horn. An artisan with poor skills wouldn’t be able to work with it; that much was plain as day. I caressed the surface of the horn while making a mental list of the first-rate artisans and alchemists I knew.
“I really cannot think of anyone more fitting than Gaien, the Divine Artisan,” I said.
“Would entrusting him with this matter truly be wise? He’s a member of the empire’s Merchants’ Guild Council, after all,” Mireille replied as she placed a cup of hot water in front of me. It was almost time for bed, so I had chosen that over coffee or tea.
“It shouldn’t be an issue,” I replied. “Besides, Yuu is also a member.”
“That’s a fair point.”
Both Yuu and Gaien belonged to the empire’s Merchants’ Guild Council—the same organization that included Lotton Flywok, who’d behaved suspiciously on the day of the terror attack. However, I doubted Yuu and Gaien were linked to him. The council was far from a monolith.
“At the end of the day, the council is just an institution in charge of regulating the empire’s economy, nothing more. Its members are the best in their respective fields, but they do not necessarily share one mind. Each of them has different goals and ideals.”
I put the horn back in its mana-suppressing case and added three layers of magic seals on top before storing it away inside my Grimoire of Mammon. This item was just as precious as it was dangerous. I had to make sure it was secure enough to handle any unforeseen incidents.
“The biggest challenge will be getting him to accept my request,” I said. “I suppose I’ll have to negotiate.”
“He’s rumored to have a difficult personality,” Mireille told me.
“Artisans are often like that. Most don’t base their decisions on quantifiable, objective factors but rather on their gut feelings. In other words, it will largely depend on whether he likes me or not.”
“How will you proceed?”
“There’s only so much I can do... I imagine I’ll start by sending him a gift.”
I gave up on thinking about the matter for the time being and bade Mireille good night. Once she retired to her own room, I turned off the magic lamp and climbed into bed.
A few days later, I found myself walking through a back alley with Lunoa in tow. We were heading to a shop. Ever since I’d decided to have the horn manufactured into a rapier, I’d started making preparations for the process. This was one such step.
“Hello,” Lunoa said as we entered the familiar shop. She hadn’t spoken very loudly, but her voice echoed in the silent store.
The building’s interior was clean and tidy, with dried plants and little vials filled with monster materials arranged neatly on shelves. The characteristic smell of medicinal herbs wafted through the air, but it was far from unpleasant.
“Yuu, are you here?” I asked.
“Coming! Give me a minute!”
We heard light steps coming from the back of the store, and a petite young woman with black hair appeared. She was Yuuka Kusunoki, the owner of Ptarmigan’s Perch and one of my good friends. Yuu was not only a powerful adventurer but also the best doctor in the entire empire.
“Good morning, Miss Ellie. I’ve been expecting you.”
“Is what we talked about ready?” I asked.
“It is! The batch I started brewing six months ago is looking good now. There’s quite a bit of it, though. Are you sure you want to buy it all?”
“Yes. I’ll buy as much of it as you can sell.”
“All right, then. Please wait a few moments.”
Yuu went to the back room and quickly returned with a large wooden crate full of bottles. Her disciple, Lily, was right behind her, carrying another box.
“There are two more,” Yuu said.
The pair made another trip to get the remaining two boxes. Each contained twelve bottles filled with medicinal herbs suspended in clear liquid. This was medicinal brew, the same type of alcohol that Yuu had used to lure Tida into joining our party back when we’d entered a dungeon together.
“Is this medicinal brew?” Lunoa asked, looking curiously at the herbs swirling in the alcohol.
“It is,” I said. “I drank it once and it was delicious.”
“Would you like some?” Yuu asked. “I opened one bottle earlier to sample the batch.”
“Oh my, I’d love to take you up on that,” I replied.
Yuu winked at Lily, and the young girl immediately fetched the bottle and a few glasses from the back. A strong smell of alcohol and medicinal herbs permeated the air as she poured the beverage.
I picked up two of the glasses and handed the less full one to Lunoa. Then, I brought my glass to my lips and slowly took a sip.
“It’s just as good as last time,” I told Yuu. “The taste is strong and quite unique, but it still goes down easy.”
Lunoa had been a little hesitant to drink, but after hearing my impressions of the flavor, she made up her mind and took a sip. She grimaced when the alcohol touched her lips, but then her expression quickly relaxed.
“Oh, you’re right!” she said. “The smell is a little much, but the taste is smooth. How strange! I can tell the alcohol content is high, but it’s still so light on my tongue.”
“Thank you, Yuu. It’s perfect. Here’s what I owe you.”
Yuu had told me how much it’d cost beforehand, so I’d prepared a leather pouch with the correct amount inside. Yuu quickly counted the coins. Once she was done, I stored the crates inside my grimoire.
“I’d also like to buy three high-grade potions, ten low-grade potions, and five detoxifying potions, please,” I said.
“Sure thing. Are you going somewhere?” Yuu asked as she pulled the potions off the shelves.
“Yes. I have a little something to take care of in the Hephaest Marquessate.”
“In Hephaest? That’s where the city of the dwarves is, right? There are a lot of volcanoes in that region, so monsters that use fire are rampant. I suggest you bring a few burn-healing potions.”
“Then I’ll take five of those as well, please.”
“Thanks for your patronage!”
When I returned to my residence, Barl and Misha were outside, carrying toolboxes. They seemed to have just finished doing some carriage maintenance.
“We’re back,” I said.
“Miss Ellie and Miss Lunoa! Welcome back,” Misha greeted us.
“How are the preparations progressing?” I asked.
“The cargo is ready. We’ll be able to depart the day after tomorrow, as planned.”
“The carriage is good to go too,” Barl said. “A couple parts were damaged, but I changed what needed changing.”
“Thank you both,” I said. “Is Alice in her room?”
“She should be,” Misha replied. “She’s usually studying with Miss Mireille at this time.”
“I shouldn’t bother them, then. Oh, I bought sweets for everyone when I passed by Grimoire, so have some when you take a break.”
“Nice,” Barl said.