The Alchemist... But not?

For those interested, I have posted the late images on the past chapters and also on my Discord Server.

If you're interested, I'll drop the link later, for now, enjoy the chapter.

See you later!

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/THUD!/

In the blink of an eye, several boxes fell onto the table out of thin air.

Testros and Misgurd were immediately surprised by this sudden event, but Testros understood it soon after.

/Creak!/

Misgurd, on the other hand, true to his personality, immediately opened one of the boxes, noticing a series of materials he had never seen before, only heard of.

There were only so many materials that could be found in the forest surrounding Resko, and at the end of the day, he was just the leader of a countryside Mercenary Guild.

Most of what he knew about the field came from the many papers and documents left behind from a more prosperous time.

Due to the lack of things he could do in his spare time, over the years, he felt as if he went over them a few times over...

"This! What is all of this?…" Misgurd asked with a confused expression as he opened another box, seeing several red potions neatly laying inside it

[Lowest healing potion

Effects: Regenerates health overtime/heals minor injuries when applied

There is a consumption time of 10 minutes, consuming another one before the time goes off may result in an upset stomach.

Description...

]

Of course, Misgurd couldn't read the potion description, but his many years of experience told him what those were, this famed red color was impossible to not recognize.

"This is the solution." Dale replied with a confident expression after giving them some time to process things and open a few more boxes

"... Boy…"

But before he could continue, Testros just patted Misgurd's shoulder, saying:

"Leave the kid alone…"

His words said a lot to Misgurd who was quick to shake his head as he remembered his own words.

He wouldn't ask about Dale's past.

"As for you Dale… Thank you once again." Testros added as he closed the boxes

"I won't ask if you are sure about this or anything of the sort. Your decisions are yours to make, and your past is yours to share."

Dale nodded, but he also said:

"This isn't the end though, it's only a temporary solution, no matter how many materials I brought with me on my travels, they won't last very long."

'Hopefully, with these, I'll jump the requirement of gathering materials.'

'We only need to convince the Alchemist into working properly.'

"We should go talk with this alchemist and see what he is on about."

'I need to take the lead from time to time, the Quests won't come to me all the time, I need to seek them!'

'Besides, many of these materials have expiration dates, and I need them processed, else, it will be money thrown out of the window…'

'The only reason I bought them was that I foresaw the need for materials coming soon after the meeting with the Elders following my descent into the Catacombs.'

'This includes ores too, but I didn't expect for it to come so soon.'

'I really hate this concept… Expiration dates in an MMO… Fucking hell. Even if they last for several weeks… Man… It was a slight gamble, but it paid off.'

'Though... Hopefully, this is enough to clear the Quest, if it's not enough and I have to gather more materials... My only source is through the Trade Market, and even then, how would I explain the fact I had more materials on me?'

"... You two…"

"It seems there are some things I missed… Sigh, you're right Testros, thank you young Dale." Misgurd said with a rare full smile

His face soon grew serious.

"But these materials are useless if they remain in these boxes… Looks like it's time to visit that kid and see how he is doing."

"You're right… Still, knowing how he acts, even if we deliver so many materials at once, he won't change just like that." Testros replied as he thought about the past

"But this is something we needed to fix anyway, right?" Misgurd asked as he crossed his arms

The two looked at each other with understanding smiles, before they looked at Dale.

"I'm sure 'he' will want to meet with you, so what do you think of going there with us?" Testros asked as he tapped the boxes

"I...!"

[DING]

[Quest activated, Herb Chain part 1]

[The village of Resko is located close to one of the richest areas of the continent in terms of herb diversity, quality, and quantity.

But the same can be said for the dangers of collecting such materials…

Poisonous, venomous, and worse Fauna and Flora inhabit these lands.

Without materials, not only does potion-making becomes impossible but the process of gathering said materials is also cut off.

Thus creating an unending cycle that after several decades of mismanagement has almost completely stopped the flow of herbs into the village.

Without potions to stabilize simple wounds and combat infections, previously simple activities such as gathering firewood and hunting small game have been turned into matters of life and death.

Convince the kind and pessimistic alchemist so the production of potions and similar alchemical products may resume, allowing the Villagers of Resko to once again step into the forest without fear!]

[Requirements

Convince the alchemist that his potions are worth sharing 0/?

Gather enough materials to quickstart the operation /Unlimited/

(You have offered 2 boxes of Green grass, 1 box of…)

*Your rewards shall vary depending on the quantity and quality of herbs offered + the mental and physical state of the alchemist after your interactions.

]

"..."

Dale was cut off by the system notifications, but after letting out a fake cough, he continued from where he left off:

"... Of course, I will go, I was the one that is pushing this forward."

Dale didn't hesitate nor did he read the Quest before he replied, he knew that he had to see this to the end, regardless of what the Quest said.

But as he made his way to the alchemist's house, he read through it, smiling.

He had hit the bullseye!

…

/2 minutes later…/

"Is this it?" Dale asked as he looked at a pretty old house

It was clearly from the time when Resko was a better place.

The house was made purely out of polished stone with an outer layer that looked like concrete, the only reason he was sure the house was built of blocks was due to the outer layer peeling off in some areas.

To prove that it was also from the past, the house also had some wooden decorations and details on its exterior, something none of the more recent houses had as the Villagers had no time to make things fancy.

"Yes, this is Dudencell's old house… Or better put, shop." Testros said as he shook his head in grief

"Dudencell was the only son of one of Resko's apothecaries."

"While many left, Dudencell's father stayed behind since Resko was where everything he had built was located... And also because he was extremely stubborn."

"His wife and child stayed behind, and even if the city lost its gleam as it was slowly abandoned, they lived rather good lives, though not long ones as they left the world not long after, leaving old Dudencell alone."

/Chuckles.../

"Dudencell was a kind person, but also a rather reserved one, even to this day we area unsure of how he got himself a child..." Misgurd said as he closed his eyes

"Just like him, his wife was a kind girl, and even though Dudencell was twice her age, things just kind of worked out..."

Testros nodded.

"This is the very shop where they worked at before their death, now only a husk of its former self…"

"Many tools are usually left from generation to generation, but since alchemy is a pretty dangerous work, the previous vast quantity of tools during Dudancell's father's days has now been reduced to a pathetic amount since we can't replenish them."

"From his grandfather to father, the number of tools reduced drastically together with Resko's fall from grace, and now I can only imagine how little 'he' has left."

"We tried making some, but the last glass maker in the Village left this world long ago... Stubborn fool, he didn't even leave behind a descendant..."

"All due to a promise... Sigh..."

/Clap!/

Misgurd clapped his hands and said:

"Enough talk, the past is long behind us, it's time for some action."

/Knock knock knock!/

Misgurd lightly tapped on the doors, politely waiting for a reply together with Testros and Dale.

"..."

'I feel odd, something about this scene doesn't look right...' Dale thought as he waited

...

/Silence…/

But after a minute of awkward silence…

/Clonk!/

As if a heavy chain had been dropped onto the ground, the door was unlocked as it opened slowly…

"M-My Apologies… It takes quite a while to get down from the stairs…" Someone said with a sickly and tired voice from behind the door

But it sounded oddly feminine...

/Creaak.../

As it opened, Dale kept his eyes open to take a glimpse of this mysterious alchemist.

How did he look like, how was his demeanor, how was his current physical condition… Things that would be relevant to his Quest completion rate.

"??!!"

But Dale was left rather surprised!

With rather simple clothes and a thin body, this person clearly looked malnourished.

'A… Girl? Didn't they say, Son? Or am I missing something here?'

Her eyes had clear dark circles and the tip of her fingers were dirty from messing around with something, but still, there was some beauty in there that couldn't be hidden by her condition.

Her skin was overly white displaying that it might've been a while since she stepped into the sunlight…

If she wasn't in such a bad physical state…

'Perhaps… It's a trap!'

Diving deep into his useless thoughts, Dale remained still, making both Testros and Misgurd smile.

"So what is it, kid? Lost for words? Isn't she pretty?" Misgurd asked with a smile

"I thought it was a guy!" Dale said as he turned his head to face Misgurd

"Heh, your face is priceless..."

But this only made the girl a bit embarrassed as she asked:

"H-How can I help you three? Uncle Misgurd and Mr. Testros… And the kind outsider?"

Before Dale could reply, Misgurd said:

"Little Yumi… It's time."

This had the girl confused.

"Yumi, you can't continue going on like this…" Testros added as he patted her shoulders

But she interrupted him.

"Thank you for caring, but we had this conversation many times before… This is my choice and…"

"We won't listen to you this time…"

"Even if you want to help us, then you first need to understand your condition." Misgurd said with a frown as he pushed her back lightly into the house, interrupting her

With this gesture, Testros entered the house while Dale awkwardly followed…

…

"Cough cough!..."

"This place is in dire need of cleaning..." Misgurd pointed out as he passed his hand across a nearby shelf, it was full of dust

The 4 sat around a very dusty table, Misgurd passed his fingers through it before he said worriedly and bluntly:

"Look at this place Yumi, this isn't a place for someone to live in… We are very thankful for your efforts, but you need to face reality now."

Despite it all, Misgurd didn't really like talking with her like this.

He saw her grow up and he doted on her very much, but it was because of this that he had to act like this.

He couldn't pamper her anymore, he couldn't let her continue destroying herself…

So he took it onto himself to be the bad cop and show her reality…

"... So everyone… How can I help you all?" She said as she ignored Misgurd

"..."

Misgurd stayed in silence while Testros said:

"We have found the answer… The answer to your and our problems… Even if it is a short-term one."

This caught her attention.

"Shouldn't this be discussed with Edimund? I don't know how I can be of any help…"

"No, this is something that has to be discussed with you." He said with a serious tone

He turned his attention to Dale, making him a bit awkward.

"Well… It's a bit late but… Dale Houston, a traveler from far away."

She smiled at him to the best of her ability and said:

"Yukamia Dudencell, nice to make you… COUGH!... Acquainted." She said as she coughed lightly

"..."

'She is truly in a pitiful state. She can be related to the classic shut-in, but in her case, she is actually doing a lot every day to the best of her ability.'

(Not saying that a shut-in doesn't do that already)

"I heard about you… From Grandma Tina this morning… I thank you for what you did, really. From the bottom of my heart." She said in a low tone as she gave him a light bow

"Things have always been hard, for as long as I can remember."

"It can be considered sacrilege… But to be honest, a religious tool does little to help us, though every bit counts."

"Mental health is also something we need to keep high all the time, no?..." She said with a half smile

"So thank you for risking yourself in that dangerous place to recover something like that." She said as she looked at him with her violet eyes

"Hah? How much do you know?"

"A bit more than you think." She said as she chuckled

Dale felt a bit awkward, but he eventually replied with a smile.

"I had to do something for the hospitality I got… But I am not stopping just there."

'Guess this is my cue...'

Dale moved his hands and dropped many boxes full of materials on the table, greatly surprising the young girl.

"This is my solution to your problem." Dale proclaimed as he opened one of the boxes, revealing its contents

"Hm?... !!"

'These… Are these all materials?!'

"W-Where did you get thes… COUGH COUGH!..."

She started to have a cough attack, prompting Dale to take out a bottle of clear water from his inventory.

"Th-COUGH... You..." Yumi said amidst her coughs as she drank the water

"You really have everything in there." Testros joked as he watched Yumi

After letting her calm down, Dale said:

"As I said, I came from very far away, and I would prefer to keep some things for myself…"

"These materials and potions are part of the few objects I brought with me on my journey, I expected them to rot away without being used, but an opportunity appeared for me to give them purpose."

"It just so happened that you are here."

"And since I am not a very good alchemist, I thought it would be better to give them to someone else."

'This isn't all that I have, but I'll first see her reaction before showing all of my cards.'

'I'll think of an excuse later.'

"This…"

/Gulp!/

She took one last sip of the water before getting into deep thought.

"Is this perhaps not enough for you? If so I can perhaps…"

"No no! These are… Much more than enough… I should be able to at the very least do one single good potion…"

"Only one?" He asked suspiciously

"Ah… Yes… It's very hard to make a good potion and…"

But Dale interrupted her again by getting up.

He walked to a shelf nearby and grabbed a few flasks.

[Heavily diluted infection treatment potion

Effects:

+5% healing efficacy.

Heals minor infections.

The time of healing depends on the condition of the injury.

Causes the skin to dry up upon heavy usage.

Description:

A potion created to combat simple infections, heavily diluted but somehow, most of its effects remain as strong as the original.

A modification of the original recipe made with the maximum efficiency of the materials in mind.

Apply it on the skin to help combat infections on open injuries. Excess use can make the skin dry up and look older than it should, but moderate use can negate these effects.

]

[Heavily diluted ointment

Effects:

+8% healing efficacy.

Heals minor burns, helps moisturize the skin, and promotes cell growth.

Can also be used to treat simple wounds.

…

]

[Weak antidote

Effects:

+12% efficacy

Simple antidote for a variety of poisons.

…

]

…

It was a shelf full of potions of many kinds, some were clearly older than others, but they were all similar.

They showed the efforts and the desperation of an alchemist trying to improve her abilities to the point where she can draw every single bit of medicinal effect out of every single material at her disposal.

While keeping the process as simple as possible with the minimal tools she has.

A miracle in itself, that such alchemy can be done in such a remote and rundown place as Resko.

And it was at this point Dale realized the gravity of this Quest and how important it truly was.

It was a Quest about potential, a Quest that could very well impact the entirety of what remained of Resko.

It was about waking someone and directing them toward where they should be.

So after making his choice and thinking about his next few moves, he turned around and opened his mouth to ask:

"What about these?"

…

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Notes

There won't be any images on Yumi for now, since she'll... Well, the next chapter will cover that.

Also, for the old readers, I forgot, but which hair color did we use for her?

Was it green, purple, white... Blue?

I forgot...

Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed the chapter, peace!