Chapter 5: The Curse

The elixir and powerful holy magic user the knight mentioned… that means the Great Saint Teo talked about, right?

He said he’s searching for them, but there’s nothing about how to make an elixir in the alchemy books in the workshop.

Maybe it comes from dungeon treasure chests?

I’ve heard from customers that while there are several saints, there isn’t any Great Saint.

“Sir Elliott, what kind of monster inflicted that curse on you?”

A stampede means monsters overflow from a dungeon… so that means the monster that cast the curse is in a dungeon.

“It was a monster I had never seen before. It was a large humanoid creature, completely black, with wings like a bat. We managed to defeat it, but no one knew what it was.”

“A completely black, winged monster… and humanoid at that. I’ve never heard of it either. Hmm…”

After the defeated monster was taken to the kingdom’s research institute and examined, it was said that documents from the Empire in the north of the continent mentioned a very similar monster living in the deeper layers of dungeons.

“Teo, since it hasn’t been officially confirmed, the monster’s name was not made public.”

“I see…”

Teo groaned, wondering if such a monster really existed in the deeper layers of dungeons.

If it has wings, does that mean it can fly?

A large, pitch-black monster walking on two legs… it sounds creepy.

“Your potion that completely removes the pain is truly a blessing, Teo. There are times when I cannot come to buy it, so I would like to purchase your potions in bulk.”

The knight is the vice-captain of the First Knight Order, and although he now mainly does desk work due to his worsening pain, he sometimes accompanies monster subjugation expeditions and leaves the royal capital.

“That’s fine, but due to material limitations, I don’t make large quantities.”

“I thought so! You must be using special ingredients, Teo!”

No, that’s not it.

We only make homemade potions using the herbs Teo brings back.

Buying herbs from the Merchant Guild is expensive, after all.

Teo awkwardly replied, “Well, um… it’s a secret.”

“Sir Knight, the potion is still working, right?”

“Yes, it is. And please, call me Elliott.”

“Yes… Sir Elliott. My name is Alice. If the potion’s effect lasts four days, then two per week should be enough, right? And you still have the one you bought before, don’t you?”

A week has six days: Fire Day, Water Day, Earth Day, Wind Day, Dark Day, and Light Day.

As long as he keeps an unused potion as a spare, two per week should be plenty.

Five weeks in a month times two potions makes ten potions per month.

Wow, that would be a really good income.

“Yes, that’s true.”

Sir Elliott smiled gently.

“In that case… on the shop’s closing day, Light Day, I’ll deliver them to your residence. Delivering two every week should be fine, right?”

“That would help, but is that alright with you, Alice?”

On my day off, I go to the market anyway, so I can just deliver them to his residence while I’m out.

“Yes. It would be better to deliver them regularly than to have you come and buy up all the potions at the shop… ah!”

I feel like I shouldn’t have said that.

“Ugh, Sir Elliott, I’m sorry…”

“Hahaha! So it would be troublesome if I bought them all, huh? Then I’ll have you deliver them to my residence. Hehe, Alice, I’ll be counting on you.”

I’m glad he didn’t get angry, but… hmm.

So that’s what his smile looks like.

It’s dazzling… if he walked around town with that face, wouldn’t all the ladies gather around him?

“Yes, I’ll bring them to your residence on the next Light Day. Teo-sensei! Please make sure to prepare the potions… or rather, the herbs. Hehe.”

When I smiled sweetly at Teo,

“Oh! Alice is so cute! Got it!”

Teo replied happily, but don’t call me “cute” in front of customers.

It’s embarrassing…

After Sir Elliott left, I served Teo his meal in the kitchen.

“Teo, thanks for handling Sir Elliott!”

“Yeah! I was reliable, right?”

“Yeah! You were a big help. Teo, you must be hungry, right?”

I served alcohol along with his meal.

“Oh! Drinking from noon, huh! You really get me, Alice. You can always count on me!”

“Hehe. Thanks, Teo!”

Once I brought out the alcohol, Teo was in a great mood.

After finishing his meal, he said he was going to sleep again and went upstairs.

He’s going back to sleep…

I was curious about Sir Elliott’s curse, so I reread the herb and alchemy books in the workshop.

The alchemy books here are for beginners to intermediate users, and there isn’t even a mention of “elixir” in them.

If I went to a large library, maybe there would be advanced books with the method written in them?

Or maybe it’s a medicine that only appears in storybooks…

That curse seemed like the kind that spreads and eventually takes a person’s life.

Would it spread throughout the whole body?

Or would it be when it reaches the heart?

That’s what it felt like.

A curse that even a saint couldn’t cure…

My holy magic probably wouldn’t have any effect either.