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"What about these?" He asked the girl as he walked to the table, putting the flasks he just inspected carefully atop it
"Th-Those are… Failures." She said gloomily as she watched their contents twirl
'This visit was so sudden that I forgot to store these… How embarrassing.'
"Failures? But they look pretty okay to me…"
"Although very diluted, they show how efficient you are with using your materials, this one can... While this one can... And lastly this one..."
Dale went through the effects of each without flinching, his words making Yumi freeze in place.
"So how can they be considered a failure?"
"... Ye-yes! Thank you for the praise!..."
"But…"
'He realized what they were just by looking? And not only that but he also did a comprehensive analysis of their effects?'
'So much for knowing little about alchemy…'
'But if it's like that, he will understand me…'
She dropped her head and said:
"The side effects are too much…"
But to her surprise, Dale only said with a frown:
"Really? Is that all?" He asked with a disappointed remark
"At most these potions would give you a slight itch or skin irritation, how come these are side effects?"
"Eh?"
'How come?! These are unacceptable!'
Dale on the other hand focused as Yumi thought of a reply.
"..."
'Is this really all there is to it?'
'I know that the reason behind her not sharing the potions is because she wanted to make them perfect, but I thought she would have some decency as to how potions… Well, work.'
'Everything has a side effect, and these ones are more than bearable... No, they are already incredible for the methods and materials used to make them.'
'Even if a potion has no obvious side effect, it always has some sort of detrimental or long-lasting consequence, be it an upset stomach to something more subtle like an increase in a specific substance in your bloodstream.'
'It's not like you'll lose a year of your life by using these, they're incredible.'
"All?! These are detrimental products! And…"
She tried to argue in panic but Dale wasn't buying any of it.
Dale interrupted her again and turned his head to ask Testros and Misgurd:
"Look at it and tell me if you two agree with me." He said as he grabbed one of the bottles
"This first potion side effect is nothing but a bit of dried skin after prolonged use while this one is an upset stomach after heavy use… Does this look like a heavy side effect to you two?"
"..."
"..."
They looked at each other and shook their heads.
They started to think to themselves... Was this really the "Massive consequences" Yumi used to share with them in the past?
Had they wasted many previous materials and years without potions just because of that?
Misgurd started to feel embarrassed, he was one of the people responsible for her current understanding of the world after all...
"Miss, I don't want to sound arrogant and overstep my boundaries since I am only an outsider, but your work is already superb."
"The village needs these but you simply keep them here, depriving them of the Villages and wasting their efforts, valuable materials, and items."
"Everyone knows of your intentions, but there are boundaries..."
'And in this situation, they are called common sense...'
"B-But I can't!" She said with a rare firm tone
"I can't risk their well-being just like that…"
Dale just smiled, saying:
"Miss Yumi, there is no one out there that aces from the start…"
But Dale shook his head as he knew they wouldn't understand the term.
"I mean, there is no one out there that is capable enough to start a new career as a master, making everything perfectly from the start."
"And potion-making of all things…"
"Everyone fails at one point, those of good character learn from their mistakes and accept them, losers refuse to face them, creating excuses to hide their embarrassments."
"There is no potion out there with great effects without some sort of side effect."
"Even a simple healing potion needs a few hours between each intake else it may end with its effects reduced and an upset stomach."
"There can be no perfect potion… Just like there is no perfect person."
"By accepting the imperfections in one's work and being, that is how we pave the way for our own growth."
"What you are doing right now by trying to reduce material consumption and side effects for the well-being of the villagers is an extremely honorable action, but simply contradictory at its very core."
"Since you are already risking their same well-being by doing nothing but consuming materials every day, making them hope about something that may not even happen at all."
"When from the beginning, you could've just distributed your products, even these so-called 'failed ones' could be distributed while giving the instructions of the possible dangers of it."
"People aren't animals, neither are they fragile... In fact, you're making them weaker by not doing anything."
"Have you ever thought that you are doing more harm than actually good?" He said with a frown
'This Quest is more about the alchemist than about the materials, so all of my attention should go to her.'
'Even if I didn't have that many materials, the quest is still completable if I simply talk my way through all of it...'
'Though the materials should've been the key into arranging this meeting in the first place, I bet she might've not even listened to me were my Reputation lower or if I came alone.'
'Presentation is often more important than the quality of the product itself...'
"?!"
Her face twisted a little as she heard what Dale said.
It was something she feared, something she knew was happening, but something she kept quiet about because she didn't want to face her ugly side.
She knew that she did nothing for the village in the past decade, only consuming, but she put faith in herself that she would eventually manage to complete her work and make a line of products that are easy and cheap to make while being very effective.
But here is the hard truth that no one ever told her…
It made her antagonize Dale a little, even if she knew he was right.
Misgurd knew things were going badly, so he quickly opened his mouth to say:
"Yumi… In these past 13 years since Dudencell passed away, what did you do?" He asked as he looked at her with serene eyes
"I…"
But he did not let her continue.
"All this time, you've been practicing and trying to improve the formulas so they can work with lesser materials and tools, simplifying things so we can still enjoy potions and medicine despite our poverty."
"However, your excessive kindness and selflessness have reached a critical point… I simply can't let you continue like this."
"For you, for me, for everyone."
"Uncle I…"
"Listen to me first."
"It doesn't matter what recipes you make, it doesn't matter how much you've progressed… Just look at yourself, you look like a bag of bones!"
/Slam!/
He angrily slammed his fist on the table, but his face was twisting as he tried to contain his emotions.
Yumi bit her lips hard as she tried to hold her cries.
She herself knew how hard it was, all of these years, she tried her best to continue her family's legacy and improve the conditions of the village.
And even though she loved alchemy, she herself wanted to take a rest, a break.
But with the eyes of hope and encouragement from the people of the village, she held it in and continued.
She locked herself because she couldn't withstand the gazes of the people, and she didn't want them to see her condition that often.
And it was all crashing down now…
"Yumi! We aren't as heartless as to receive your goodwill and potions at the detriment of your own life!"
"For over a decade you have tried very hard, but not once had you ever contacted us for anything other than your craft…"
"We are here for you just as much as you are here for us, so what happened?!"
"Not once… Have you ever shared one of your creations with us?"
"And we. No, I have decided that it's enough."
Misgurd got up from the table and approached her, raising his hand as if to slap her.
"Yumi! From now…"
But he only hugged her slightly.
"Take care of yourself, and remember that we are here for you, we aren't flowers in a greenhouse, so we can take a bit of a rough potion, much less these ones with such simple side effects."
"We need them, you are needed, and we can't go on without you… So please, stop being so rough with yourself over this."
/Sniff…/
Yumi had already started to cry a bit, making Dale even more uncomfortable, he looked at Testros and the latter nodded, guiding him to another room and giving the two some time.
When they were in another room, Testros gave Dale a simple summary of their relationship, and how Misgurd raised that girl as if she was his daughter ever since her father died.
Her mother died at a very young age, not from monsters or hunger, but from a terminal disease.
Her father tried his best to cure her but without access to a large number of materials, there was no way he could cure her.
So he tried his best to prevent the same from happening to his daughter, only to ironically die to what he loved the most… Alchemy.
All it took was a failed experiment.
After inhaling a large number of poisonous gasses, his agonizing body was found a few minutes later by Misgurd himself.
But since there was no one capable enough to help him, and he himself could barely even talk… He left the world amidst pained cries.
Knowing very well of his inevitable fate and using the little strength he had, Dudencell asked Misgurd to guide his daughter and create a false testimony of how he died as he didn't want his daughter to hate alchemy.
And to this day Misgurd would blame himself for being so inept about Alchemy, if only he knew how to interpret his condition, if only he knew the difference between the beakers in their lab...
And even though Yumi already knows what happened to her father, instead of hate, she developed a neutral stance on it, fully understanding the good and bad of alchemy.
Although she seems to have inherited some misunderstandings caused by her lack of guidance and her own twisted sense of morals.
Not in a bad way of course, but still twisted enough to cause damage to those around her despite her wanting to do good.
But all of it ends today…
…
/A few minutes later…/
"I… I'm sorry everyone, for doing something so unsightly." She said with a smile as she looked at Testros, Misgurd, and Dale
She turned her attention to Dale, where she stared at him for a few moments before she said:
"I'll do it… I… I don't know if I can get rid of this habit of mine, but I will try my best to help this village and its people."
Dale smiled, he opened his inventory and dropped all of the remaining materials and several potions he had.
He even dropped some alchemy tools he had bought just for the sake of it. And luckily for him, they soon found themselves in need.
"This is… A lot." Said Misgurd as he scratched his bald head
"It's everything I have left though, so make good use of it." Dale said with a small smile as he rested his head on the couch, only to cough too due to the dust
Yumi smiled and replied:
"Yes, I had no other plans…"
But Testros interrupted:
"But first we need to fix this place, it's all dirty and simply not sanitary at all."
"And uh... Also... You need a bath… Like really, really fast." He said bluntly as his face grew dark
"?!"
Yumi's face suddenly turned ashen as she started to get conscious of herself again.
She started sniffing around and quickly understood the main problem.
Her gaze turned to Testros, she had a conflicted expression as if she was about to cry...
But he wasn't done reprimanding her yet.
"Not only that, expect some basic exercises from now on, how can you expect an alchemist from doing his job if he can barely even lift a cup?"
"Your arms are as thin as some of the dried twigs outside!"
Yumi seemed offended as she replied:
"I can lift a cup!"
"Of course, you can, but how much effort do you have to put into it?"
"N-Not much…" She said as she thought deeply
"And that is the problem, as a human being, you should use 0 effort to raise a cup." He said as he shrugged
"Ah..."
Yumi tried to think of something, but she just deflated.
"Testros, we can take it slow…"
"Let's start with night training since she can't stand being in the sun for long… Perhaps just a few walks around the village." Misgurd said lightly as he worried about her
But Yumi herself seemed down, and Dale soon understood why.
"I am unsure if this will work given your condition, but I have a rather potent healing potion with me."
"It should be enough to bring you back to a presentable state." He said bluntly
"Eh?"
'Is there such a potion?'
Dale took out a dark potion from his inventory.
[Low-Grade Body Elixir
Effects:
Full body overhaul, healing and repairing minor irregularities and aligning them to the body's optimal condition.
Permanent +4 to Constitution /Only applicable when the value is below 30, cannot raise it beyond 30/
Can cause discomfort and Nutrient deficiency due to the quick consumption of energy and nutrients in the system to repair the damage.
It is recommended to take a Nutritional Pallet to maximize the effects of the Elixir.
Each subsequent consumption reduces its total effects due to the body's natural adaptation to it. It also slowly deposited a toxic mineral in the bloodstream, so a minimum of a year between uses is advised.
After consumption, you may feel tired, sore, and weak. So caution is advised.
Description:
…
]
"Here, this should be enough, just make sure to eat a lot since you are going to put up some weight soon after drinking it."
'Her body fat, muscles, and tissues will be reorganized into a more sustainable form, but the Exlier can't make matter out of anything, she'll need to follow it with a good injection of food.'
'It may be valuable, but I have no need for it anyway.'
'I acquired it as a reward but did not sell it due to its value.'
'I also have a version for each of the other Stats, if necessary I can potentially use them on her too.'
'This opens the possibility of me being able to boost the strength and capabilities of the Villagers through potions, though that doesn't seem viable due to the potions' current market price.'
Misgurd looked at it for a while before he recognized what it was.
"Is this… An actual Elixir?"
"I've never seen one before but there were many times when such items were sold here within Resko, they are all documented and I didn't expect to see one again." He said with a smile
"I am surprised you know about it, this makes things easier, this will make everything faster."
"Indeed, I will stay behind and…"
"No, you won't." Said an elderly voice from outside the room!
/Creak!/
The door started to open…
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Notes
Cliffhanger...