106: They say misunderstandings are hard to spot when you're the one causing them.

— The Saintess’s tears.

As Maina’s tears fell upon the sigil and splashed, methods of use and alchemical techniques flooded my mind like raw material.

“C-can this be…?”

Maina looked up at me, puzzled.

Tears still clinging to her cheeks, not quite dried.

I fumbled and pulled out an empty test-tube vial, scooping up Maina’s… Saintess’s tears.

“…huh?”

“Yeah, I startled you. I’m startled too.”

“…what?”

Probably some question about why I was collecting her tears.

Totally reasonable reaction.

Anyone’d freak out if you suddenly grabbed their tears with a glass tube.

“Um… how should I explain this…”

I tried to keep it simple. Clear.

After a moment, I said it like this.

"Maina. You're a saint."

Yeah. Clear enough!

Self-praise, huh?

"...Huh?...Wah!?!"

She turned bright red and started jerking her head around like a spooked bird, despite how simply I’d explained it.

Wait. Isn’t this supposed to be the part where she goes, “Yay! I’m a saint!”? Well, I didn’t expect her to actually cheer, but still—

"Huh! Huh!"

Flailing her hands, face burning crimson, she glanced left, then right, then back at me—then blushed even harder.

...Wait. Did she not get it?

"Listen, Maina. I’ll say this again so there’s no confusion. From now on, whenever you cry, I’ll be the one wiping your tears. After all, you’re my saint!"

Ah. Not *my* saint. *Our* saint.

Anyway, just a small slip.

The point is—she gets it. She’s a saint. And her tears have something special. That’s all that matters.

Probably, there’s a “Saint” emblem somewhere.

Same as the alchemist’s sigil at dusk—definitely a rare upper-tier mark. Maina’s the one suited to it, no doubt.

And Saint’s tears? Incredibly valuable as alchemical material.

Can make an elixir of life, even without dragon parts.

Might even brew rarer potions, but Maina’s tears have stopped. A waste. Could’ve used a bit more.

No, no!

Getting Maina back on her feet is way more important!

Self-reminder.

Still… why’s Maina keep switching faces like that all of a sudden?

Then she ends up smirking, starts poking me with those fingers—tap tap tap.

Hurt? Not at all.

“Uuu… Craft… older brother… idiot.”

“O-oh. I know I’m an idiot.”

Suddenly got roasted. Am I really that unreliable, huh?

A little deflated, but I shake it off and start thinking hard about breaking the deadlock.

The Saintess’s tears are top-tier material.

Especially this time—there’s a chance to transmute something that could be a trump card against the Hydra.

Right now, I haven’t figured out exactly how to use it yet, but I can’t wait around—things could shift at any moment.

So I’m just gonna transmute that trump card right now.

“Maina, I’m gonna work on something.”

“…Huh.”

All traces of her earlier worry vanished. She’s been grinning like an idiot the whole time, finally stopping her poking.

Saints must be the kind who blush but still get happy about it.

I pull the alchemical furnace from my spatial storage and set it down.

Unusual for me to bring this one along.

Maina watches my work with genuine interest.

Good. She’s back to her usual self.

I pull out more precious intermediates and raw materials.

"…Alright. Materials are plenty."

First up: the intermediate potion using Saintess Tears.

I toss in precious ingredients without a second thought, then add the Saintess Tears I just gathered.

I hover my hand over the alchemical crucible, weave the spell matrix. Pour in magic. Activate the alchemical spell.

"Alchemy: Sacred Number 999 Elixir."

The sigil flares, wrapping the crucible in light. Magic surges in all at once.

Puff. Smoke rises. Done.

An intermediate elixir laced with sacred power unlike anything ordinary.

This elixir, combined with other intermediates and materials through further alchemy, can create countless other elixirs.

I scoop out a small portion of the Sacred 999 elixir, immediately tossing in more rare materials and intermediates. Another parade of precious ingredients.

The cost can be covered from Goldendown’s budget later—still, the real issue is how hard it is to get some of these materials, even if you’ve got the gold.

But I don’t hold back. No thinking ahead. Just shove it all in.

When facing a true enemy, the ones who worry about money end up dead.

I finish prepping, then start forging my trump card.

The cauldron glows again, wrapped in a magic circle.

Inside, amber liquid fills the vessel—about the size of a barrel.

I carefully transfer the trump card into the barrel.

With the leftover Sacred 999 intermediate, I can make one more elixir. Might as well forge it now.

Universal Healing Elixir—it can heal any wound or illness, as long as you’re still alive. Even cures moderate curses. True miracle drug.

You don’t hear much about it being edible, even though it’s a salve.

As I’m bottling the elixir, Maina keeps tugging at my cloak.

“What?”

“…What’s this?”

She’s pointing at the barrel holding the trump card.

I smirk and answer.

“That’s the ‘Divine Wine.’”

Not the common offering known as *omiki*. This is the real thing—infused with sacred power.

◆

Reassessing the Divine Wine.

This amber-colored liquor is meant for sacred rituals.

How it’s used, and for which ritual, even the high priests or church elders wouldn’t know—unless they bore the priest’s sigil.

Even so, it’s incredibly valuable—but still just an offering.

But this Divine Wine has another, far more powerful effect.

It’s got the effect—some booze-loving monsters can’t resist the urge to drink. And if a monster drinks this Divine Wine, it gets absolutely plastered!

That eight-headed hydra’s definitely a wine lover. It won’t stand a chance against the temptation of this sacred brew.

No matter how powerful a monster is, once it’s drunk, it’s harmless.

I’ll take care of it with my usual laid-back ease—quick and clean!

I felt lighter, confident in victory, but now I can’t stop thinking about one more thing revealed during the鉴定.

Turns out this Divine Wine is said to be—insanely good.

Honestly, I’ve been catching that rich, intoxicating aroma from the barrel this whole time.

Swallowed hard.

“M-Maybe just a taste…?”

Just one scoop with the ladle.

There’s a whole barrel, so one sip won’t hurt. I’m telling myself that, anyway, as I take a sip.

Whaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Rich aroma pierces the nose, gently scorches the throat, burns the belly with joy!

So smooth on the tongue, yet cuts clean—no lingering aftertaste!

Aaaahhh!

Happiness vanishes from my mouth!

M-more! Just one more sip!

Sip the wine again—happiness returns.

"Aaaah... this... this is divine wine..."

I’ve already given up trying to describe how good it is.

Whatever. Delicious.

And then... slowly... the flavor fades.

"J-just a little more...!"

I-I’m fine!

There’s still plenty left!

Lost in the moment, fumbling with the ladle, I’m yanked sharply by Maina’s cloak—jolted back to sense.

I snapped back to myself after finishing the fifth cup.

"This is... tasting, testing, I don’t know what... just..."

I cut myself off, bowing deeply.

Sorry! I got lost in the drink! I’m sorry! I’ll reflect on this!!

I glanced up at Maina, just for a second, and she was looking down at me with half-lidded eyes.

She’s totally unimpressed!

I bowed and bowed, head bobbing like a rice beetle.

Ugh… I’ve been doing nothing but disappointing Maina since a while ago…

I sent a mental signal to Raidock, still feeling crushed.

Three more days! Three more days until the first volume of Comicarize is released!

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