184: New item, huh? Gonna be fun, right?

We left gathering materials from the surrounding area to the lizardfolk.

For anything we can't find here, we're having Leifan village send it over. Akindo Trading Company’s been real eager about it.

And since it's urgent, we also asked for help from Golden Dune.

"Collecting these ingredients, we can make a poison that’ll kill monsters, right?"

"Should be. We’ll need to make and test it first."

"Got it. Leave that to me. …There are some tricky monster parts involved, so I’ll need a bit more time."

"Of course."

The lizardfolk warriors, leaving only the bare minimum to guard their settlement, scattered through the forest and marshland, gathering herbs, minerals, and monster components.

Meanwhile, defending the vulnerable marshland settlement while they’re out, Raidock and the others took on the job.

I rented an empty house in the village and set up a temporary alchemy lab.

Bringing Ryuuko was a total win. Pulling out the alchemy crucible and materials from spatial storage, he laid them out in seconds—right where they belonged, just like always.

No tools for fine work—things like lamp chisels or alcohol burners—but I’ll figure something out.

"Alright, let’s do this."

Using knowledge from my sigil, I started testing makeshift alchemy, trying to adapt recipes to use local materials as much as possible.

Of course, I’d also have to tweak it so it wasn’t just limited to the Twilight Alchemist’s sigil. Up until now, I’d mostly left this to Professor Javir, but it’s time I learned to do it myself.

"Recipes and methods a Black Sigil Alchemist could handle… and that don’t spike magic use beyond common sense."

No more smooth sailing with heraldic whispers and magic force-feeding. The real struggle begins now.

Searched for a substitute for intermediate drug A—mixed and discarded alchemical reagents A, B, C, D, E, tried another mix, failed, nearly gave up, then got pushed forward again by the others, tried once more.

...and it went on like that for about three days.

Feels like a bunch of memories from the past few years, y'know?

Don’t read minds, Jitarou.

Anyway, after all that effort, the monster poison was finally complete—made using a recipe any alchemist with the mark could follow.

Took my sweet time, huh, everyone!

Of course, it was Leifan who arrived in a carriage, as if timing it perfectly.

I’ve been waiting!

You brought the supplies they asked for by message, but what’re you planning this time, Craft?

Same old alchemy, huh?

So, you're gonna pull another stupid stunt... huh.

Leifan lets out a sigh. Hmph. Don’t get it.

“Say that after you’ve seen it! For now, I need two test tanks—(…).”

I handed him a sheet of paper detailing the specs of the large barrels… tanks.

“Uh, one’s just a big barrel with metal for material…”

Leifan’s gaze flicked up from the specs.

“What’s the second one? Fully airtight, corrosion-resistant, high-pressure resistant… what’s that?”

Smiling. But not really.

You don’t get it. I don’t either.

“Ah… I’m aiming to make it harmless to humans, just in case… right?”

“Craft! What are you making?! Tell me now! Everything!”

I found myself automatically kneeling, carefully explaining what I was about to alchemize.

◆

The next day, two metal tanks stood side by side.

No surprise. After all, he’s the Marquis of the Frontier, heir to the forge-king Andvar’s sigil.

...Yeah. I built it sturdy on purpose, so if anything goes wrong, it’ll be fine.

You don’t trust me at all, do you?

Zero trust in Craft when he’s full of himself, right?

Hmph.

I’ve rigged it so all valves can shut in an instant if needed. Let’s run the test.

Yes. Thank you.

Weird. I checked it myself, got it confirmed it’s harmless to humans. So why all this caution?

Meh. Whatever. Let’s start the experiment. Jitarou. You dig that big hole like I asked?

Of course. Solidified rock all the way through.

Saved me the trouble.

A hole dug so far out even the frontier village can’t see it. Big enough to fit a two-story house, if that helps you picture it.

And it’s lined with hardened rock. Looks like a giant bathtub now.

Two thick pipes extend from there, connecting to a small watchtower.

"Good. Set both tanks on top of the tower and hook them up to the pipes."

"Uh-huh. Got it."

Leifan efficiently placed the tanks into position.

…Even after all this time, seeing Leifan—small as a child—lifting tanks twice his height and walking with them is still just a pile of wrongness.

"Craft. You not thinking something rude, are you?"

"Absolutely not! It's all Leifan's imagination! Mum!"

What even is that?

I swear I’m gonna spend my whole life riding on Leifan’s back.

Anyway, the tanks are now elevated slightly off the ground. Preparation complete.

"Alright, now first, we’ll release the poison gas—called gas, like fog—into the hole, fill it up completely."

It shouldn’t affect the body, but just in case, we warn everyone not to breathe it in.

“This hole’s for storing gas… we’re calling it a pool, so call it a pool.”

We gave it a name, like a giant bath, to avoid confusion every time we say it differently.

“Alright, Leifan. Open the valve.”

“Uh-huh. Here we go.”

The valve connecting the tank and the pipes clicks open. From the pipe at the pool’s edge, a faint purple mist—gas—pours out in thick waves.

Evah tilts her head, frowning.

“…That was a liquid, right?”

“Yeah. Turns into gas when it hits air. There’s a mechanism on the valve, but if you’re curious, ask Leifan.”

“No, I’m just interested in the poison itself—not the machine part.”

“Ah. So it’s easier to carry large amounts when it’s liquid.”

“Means fewer supply runs, right?”

“Yeah.”

If this experiment works, we plan to set up several of these facilities around the swamp. Cutting down on supply runs is crucial.

"Normally, this poison gas would be odorless and colorless. We added the color and smell on purpose."

"You mean this unpleasant stink was intentional?"

"Should be harmless. Just to be safe. And I wanted you to see how the gas moves with your own eyes."

"Moves?"

"Yeah. This gas is heavier than air. That’s why…"

I point at the pool. A faint purple smoke drifts down slowly, pooling at the bottom like thick liquid.

"I always thought smoke rises up…"

"Me too. Until I started studying alchemy and sat through Professor Jabir’s lectures."

Shrugging, I answer.

The pool’s full of monster poison gas now. I tell Leifan to close the valve.

"Alright then, next one. Once I open the other tank, everyone hide."

Leifan opened the valve beside him, and just as planned, everyone retreated into the makeshift shelter we’d built nearby.

"This gas… it’s the kind that draws monsters, right?"

"Yeah. The scent’s strong enough to make most monsters around here think it’s delicious. Should be here any second…"

Before he even finished speaking, a pack of armored bears arrived.

Later, I heard Raidock, Solar, Jitarou, and Camille had noticed them coming from nearby.

The monsters descended toward the pool, drawn in like moths, shrouded in a faint purple mist.

"Well, let’s see what happens…"

"Knowing Craft, he’s probably gone way too far with this."

Don’t you dare set off some weird flag!