187: Growth doesn’t happen in a single day, they say

As for the alchemical toxin in the marshlands, the oversight fell to just me and Professor Javir.

Because it’s still in trial use, and I’m often away from Goldendown.

I’m part of the Production Guild, after all. Without Professor Javir, who’s dedicated to Kyle, things would get messy.

“Phew. Done with that section.”

I finally finished drafting all the paperwork on the alchemical toxin.

“Good work, Craft!”

“Mmm. If it’s done, hand over the documents.”

Of course, the ones working with me on the paperwork were Leifan and Professor Javir.

For security reasons, we’d been working in a room inside the castle.

Leifan was compiling tank designs and operational manuals, while Professor Javir was drafting the paperwork for joint management with me, the developer.

It’s been ages since the three of us have spent an entire day together like this.

I hand the paperwork to Professor Javir, then refill everyone’s tea.

“Thanks, Craft.”

I lean back, stretching, and sip my tea.

“Van said it too—shortage of alchemists is a death sentence.”

“Can’t mages do it instead?”

“Not a chance. There are alchemically viable substances marked with mage sigils, but they’re all useless for this recipe.”

“Huh. I figured we could still gather a decent number of mage sigil bearers.”

“Even if we could, the process is too complex. And inefficient. Not worth it.”

Using alchemists for attack magic is like burning through mana fast and weakening the spell—same thing.

Then Professor Javir looks up from the papers, shrugs.

"Truth or lie, there’s a rumor out there—find the alchemist’s village, and we might just make up for the shortfall."

"An alchemist’s village?"

"Hmph. Old tale, that. If such a place really existed, some kingdom would’ve merged with it long ago. Life’d be a damn sight better by now."

The professor waves a hand lazily.

"Counting on some nonexistent village? Pointless. We do what we can, step by step. That’s alchemy—piling it up, one layer at a time."

Deep.

All this time, I’ve been forcing it with heraldry knowledge. Now I feel it—this grinding, steady build matters too. Did I just complete a new alchemical method on my own? That’s part of the pile, isn’t it?

"What’s the ultimate goal of alchemy, anyway?"

"The root, the primal substance. First matter... also known as Prima Materia."

"...Straight to the point."

"Umm. One is all, all is one. That root—our alchemists' ultimate goal. To find... or understand the substance that is the one whole, the Prima Materia. That is the point."

"Can't reach that, can I?"

"..."

Jabir raises his hand to shoulder height, feigning surrender with a smirk, but his expression stays sharp. Doesn’t take the bait.

"Teacher?"

"Hm? Ah, nothing. Anyway, if we're talking about a reachable goal, it's gotta be the elixir of resurrection."

"Resurrection?"

"Umm. Still not found, but said to have existed in the age of the great magical civilizations. To reach the Prima Materia, we’ll have to touch that one day."

I nodded, understanding. But for some reason, the mark on my skin prickled.

I poured a little magic into the mark, hoping it might help, testing if I could pull knowledge from it.

Nothing came rushing out right away, but I felt something—odd, familiar. Like that old feeling. The one where I know my own knowledge isn’t enough.

There’s gotta be some key piece I’m missing. If I had it, I might figure out how to brew a potion to bring the dead back. But I’m not sure. Maybe I should ask the teacher. Still, better to wait until I’m certain.

I was thinking about how I’d grow, how I’d one day be worthy of the mark, how I’d finally make something real—when the door knocked.

“Raidock. Jabir’s supposed to be in here. Can I come in?”

Leifan and I glanced at each other. We nodded.

The three who stepped in were Raidock, Solar, and Eva.

"Hey. You're not here for us, are you? You're here for Professor Javir, right?"

"Yeah. The job I was asked to do ages ago is finally done."

Raidock and the others sat down in the chairs, their eyes turning to the professor.

"I figured it’d be fine for just the two of us to report, but should we move somewhere else?"

"No need. This room’s safer. You’re talking about that thing, aren’t you?"

"Yeah. Sorry it took so long."

"Doesn’t matter. I was the one who asked you to look during spare time, after all."

"Thanks for saying that."

Looks like they’d been sent to find something. And since it was something they could bring in front of me and Leifan, it had to be tied to the frontier’s expansion.

Not that Professor Javir was looking for a personal match. If he was, then I’d have to test whoever it was—see if they’d do for him.

"...Craft, you not thinkin’ up somethin’ weird again?"

"Thinkin’ 'bout important stuff, I am."

The whole room cracked up at that. No idea why.

"Whatever. I reckon this is somethin’ we all should know."

Raidock said that, then pulled out a chest—covered in cursed, swirling magic arrays.

"What's that? A cursed chest from a dungeon... found a treasure box or somethin’?"

The kind of chest always tucked deep inside dungeons with bosses. No one knows why, but artificial dungeons usually hold valuables—most of 'em locked in chests like this.

...Never seen one like that back when I was an adventurer.

Still, compared to the chests I’ve seen from adventurers or guilds, this one’s way too cursed-looking.

"Reverse it. It's not cursed. It's been sealed with every defensive measure we could think of."

Didn't get it at first. Raidock filled in the blanks.

"This chest? We brought it back from a dungeon. You know how dungeon-forged chests are tough and valuable by default."

...Shut up, I don’t know that stuff.

I was just a bottom-rung adventurer, okay?

"Craft, your face says it all. Didn’t mean to be rude."

"Hmph. I’ll tag along with you two someday, just to pass the time by clearing dungeons."

"Wouldn’t that be nice, Craft-kun?"

Leifan, don’t say stuff like that.

Anyway, we’re way off track.

"Anyway, Jabir added all sorts of defenses to this sturdy chest."

You don’t need to ask why. He made me bring something dangerous. That’s all there is to it.

So the real question is:

“What did you… bring back?”

Raidock reached for the chest. Eva cast a defensive spell on everyone. Solar went on full alert.

What in the hell did you bring back, huh?

In the thick tension, peering inside the open chest, there it was.

“A black… plant?”

There, tucked away inside, was the mysterious plant—seen every time the Stampede broke out.