Chapter 57: The Secrets Behind the Greg Faction
Regarding the disputes between the Knight Order and the Adventurer Group, let's observe a little longer.
After leaving the Adventurer Guild and tidying up equipment and spoils obtained from the labyrinth, I was relaxing at home when a visitor arrived.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Viola. Is this Theodore Gardener's residence?"
A bright smile greeted me from a female dwarf. She was about my height and appeared to be a capable adult.
"Yes. I am Theodore."
"Well then, I've come as Alfred-sama's messenger. I would like you to visit the workshop sometime."
"Oh, already finished with the workshop?"
"It's still under renovation, but the potion distillation equipment is ready."
"Well, I guess I'll go take a look."
I had planned to gather the necessary materials and purchase equipment for mixing potions on days when I didn't explore the labyrinth. However, Alfred had offered to prepare the workshop for me.
"That being said, I'm going out. What about everyone else?"
I asked the people inside the house.
"I have to prepare dinner, so… Will you be back by then?"
Grace tilted her head slightly as she inquired. Her cooking was delicious, so I wouldn't miss the opportunity.
"Yes, I'll definitely be back."
"Alright."
Grace smiled happily at my response.
"And Ashley?"
"Rosetta-sensei is here, so we promised to train in the garden until then."
"Even after exploring the labyrinth, you're still working hard..."
"Thanks to you, Theodore-sama, I'm feeling good."
Perhaps due to the effects of cyclic mana circulation or leveling up in the labyrinth, Ashley was in good health. She could also use healing magic to recover her own stamina, which made her quite energetic in her studies and training.
Her training involved sparring sessions in a combat format. While wearing armor, they used lightly-padded wooden sticks wrapped in cloth to simulate strikes. Her opponents were Rosetta and Sheela, making the training quite intense.
Grace, on the other hand, couldn't participate due to the difficulty of controlling her strength, which was a bit disappointing for her.
"Lately, it's been quite interesting and I can't let my guard down. I've started anticipating opponents' moves and adjusting my attacks accordingly."
Seated by a bucket with ice pillars to cool off, Sheela, who had been listening to Ilmhillt playing her lute, spoke up. If she could keep up with Sheela's movements to a certain extent, it was quite impressive.
In that case, Sheela would be busy with her training with Ashley, and after spending some time at home, she would likely return to Ilmhillt and the Western District.
If that's the case, maybe I should head there. I should also inform Alfred about the matters concerning the Knight Order and the adventurers.
"I apologize for the wait."
We loaded the necessary items onto the carriage and headed to Alfred's workshop with Viola.
"Viola, are you going to do something at the workshop?"
"Me? I'll be doing various things. Like blacksmithing and sewing. Just as I was trying to stand on my own after leaving my master's place, Alfred offered me a job at the magic craftsman workshop."
Viola rolled up her sleeves to show her arms.
I see. She's the resident blacksmith for the magic craftsman workshop. And if she can work with both metal and leather, she'll be able to handle quite a variety of tasks. Prince Albert seems to have been making steady preparations.
"In that case, are you like colleagues?"
"Yes! Nice to meet you, from now on!"
In my case, it's somewhat like being a test pilot involved in adjustments.
Alfred's workshop is in the Eastern District, not far from both the academy and my house.
It's a pretty large house on a considerably spacious plot of land. However, it still seemed to be under renovation, as there were materials piled up in the yard.
Alfred was in the garden with a young girl, explaining things to her enthusiastically. When he noticed us getting out of the carriage, he changed his demeanor.
"Hey, I've been waiting. Welcome to Brightwellt Workshop."
"Thank you."
"This woman here is my friend, Phyla."
"Nice to meet you."
Alfred greeted us warmly and introduced the girl next to him. The girl named Phyla greeted us while holding the hem of her skirt... Well, to cut to the chase, she was Ophelia in disguise. She was wearing a disguise ring similar to Alfred's.
And so, the Brightwellt family name makes its appearance here.
"Well, my personal life has been a bit hectic too. I've been quite busy lately, so I couldn't progress with the workshop's preparations. However, things are finally on track. Some of the facilities are still under renovation, but I've prepared the forge and equipment for potion distillation. Would you mind trying them out and letting me know your thoughts?"
The royal palace must have been busy excavating and translating ancient texts, and Alfred must have had his own share of stress from being stuck in one place. Guided by Alfred, we entered one of the rooms in the mansion.
Scales, mortars, glass bottles, glass tubes, a large pot on a stove, a display shelf... It seemed they had gathered most of the necessary equipment.
"In that case, I'll start using them right away. Will you observe the process?"
"Is that alright? Isn't this kind of thing supposed to be kept secret?"
"No worries. Even if you know the process, you still need to stabilize the supply of materials, and some steps in the process are a bit complicated to replicate by just watching."
The magical processing of potions was done using magic circles, so there was no worry of incantations being copied. As for material acquisition, I could gather potion ingredients on my own while exploring the labyrinth, and the sales route was straightforward - just take them to the Adventurer Guild. If they don't sell well, I can always use them myself. It's quite hassle-free.
Well, speaking of potions... There are various types, including healing potions that heal wounds, magic potions that restore magical power, physical potions that restore stamina, and resist-type potions that produce effects similar to other magic.
Some types require more effort in processing, and improving their quality can be quite challenging. However, the biggest issue lies in the recipes for concoction and the gathering of necessary ingredients.
In this regard, I already have a fair amount of knowledge about potion recipes and can create several types of potions using the herbs collected from the Twilight Forest. While I'm not a professional producer, being able to concoct them myself and locally source materials is quite useful with a bit of memorization and some basic skills.
Now then. From the many potions available, the most intriguing one to create would likely be the magic potion.
Although I had done some prior research, it's not commonly found on the market. This could be due to the limited number of individuals who can perform the concoction process, rather than just the recipe itself.
Harvested herbs and purchased ingredients are thrown into a mortar according to predetermined ratios and then crushed. During this process, it's necessary to incorporate a sufficient amount of magical energy into the materials using alchemical symbols. If this step isn't executed properly, it might require a considerable amount of low-grade magical stones to be crushed together, which would increase the cost of ingredients and decrease the profit margin.
As a result, despite the demand and price for magic potions, they aren't particularly lucrative for the potion maker.
"At such a young age, you can use magic circles...?"
"Yeah, he's the rumored demon slayer, that guy."
"What?!?"
Viola widened her eyes in surprise.
While we were discussing this, the preparations were complete. Now, all that's left is to put this mixture into clean water, simmer it over the stove, and its appearance will change, indicating completion.
Since today is more of a trial run, I don't need a large pot. I place a small pot over the fire and wait. During this time, I have nothing specific to do except make some conversation with Alfred about the Knights' Order.
"I see. It seems there's friction."
Alfred scratched his head in a troubled manner.
"There were also issues with the adventurers who caused trouble. Thanks to the Greg faction, there was an underlying lack of favorability. Lord Mercedes suggested trying to prevent future occurrences, but if the Greg faction continues to operate freely, I believe there might be more problems. She didn't seem capable of addressing that aspect."
Greg is, after all, the deputy commander. Lady Mercedes is probably positioned lower within the order.
"That might be true. Can adventurers be restrained?"
"If the Adventurer's Guild issues some sort of notice, I believe they'll exercise some self-control. Setting aside feelings towards the Knights' Order, there probably aren't many who want to actively cause trouble with them."
Upon listening to the conversation, Mercedes seemed to be quite sensible. Bringing the matter to the Adventurer's Guild after returning from the labyrinth would likely lead to a calmer resolution, given that it's more visible and less tumultuous compared to causing trouble within the labyrinth.
Jasper's troublesome aspect was that he exploited the adventurers' resentment, attempting to disregard his own mistakes in favor of pushing forward by taking advantage of the situation. So, making a big fuss about appearances and then retreating when the wind shifted against him – I was watching it all.
"Greg is in a hurry because Lord Chester has left."
"Was Lord Chester really that important? Even if he's skilled, he's just a knight, isn't he?"
"In this case, it was Lord Chester's relationships that were crucial. He was favored by Princess Rosemary."
"Umm, the second princess?"
"Yes, Princess Rosemary. She was trying to gain favor through Lord Chester, but he went into the labyrinth. It seems Princess Rosemary doesn't have much use for Greg alone. Lately, it's as if he's being shunned. Well, hangers-on nobles are basically weather vanes."
Well, that's a tough situation. Pushing me towards Chester due to vested interests, but if Chester himself has defected and the foundation is shaking...
"So, they want to achieve success in the labyrinth, to establish their presence?"
"Well, yes. He lacks charisma himself, so he's probably trying to groom another young knight to be a hero."
Alfred says this with a smile, but suddenly his smile disappears, and he speaks seriously.
"Hmm, I want to apologize to you while I can."
"What for?"
"I'll also inform Prince Albert to some extent. There's a bit of an incompatibility between Princess Rosemary, Greg, and Prince Albert."
"Oh."
In other words, the relationship between Princess Rosemary and Prince Albert isn't good.
Prince Albert himself doesn't wield much influence in the palace. He isn't personally experiencing any backlash, and he isn't even directly associated with me, like those close to Prince Albert. So, engaging in direct confrontation would likely be tough for him.
"I've only shared information this time. But just by shifting the Guild's attention towards the adventurers, don't you think the situation could change considerably?"
While talking, it seems like a good time. I move the pot away from the heat, and the resulting potion emits a pale purple glow. After cooling it down and dividing it into small vials, it should be comparable to commercially available magic potions.
"That seems promising. I'm thinking of producing more of these and stockpiling or selling them along with healing potions."
Healing potions have both high supply and demand, so joining the market later doesn't necessarily guarantee profits. However, if you accumulate them... they'll come in handy when the need arises.