Chapter 5: Black Cat’s Alchemy Pot│Read translated stories and daily updates at: Awebstories.com
Lysette leaves the Adventurer’s Guild for the Alchemist’s Shop, 【Black Cat Alchemy Pot】. She checks the map she got from the receptionist.
She has earned a decent amount of money by delivering the requested goods—not quite 50 million gold, but enough to set aside for dungeoneering.
“…”
Lysette raises an eyebrow as she walks down the main street, which is lined with adventure stores.
—I’m being followed…
She feels a strange presence behind her.
She can feel the presence of others, no matter how many people pass by. When she comes to a halt, they come to a halt as well, and when she turns a corner, they walk faster.
—Does it have anything to do with rumors about me? Is this a church official?
—In any case, it appears impossible to find a place to stay and eat and sleep carelessly.
As she walks around thinking about it, she comes across a small building with the sign【Black Cat’s Alchemy Pot】
Lysette enters the building after knocking on the heavy chocolate-colored door. The front door is unlocked.
The dimly lit shop is quiet and deserted. On the contrary, neither the owner nor any of the employees were present.
It was a small establishment. There were shelves, but only a few items that appeared to be products were displayed.
“Um, excuse me, is there anyone here?”
She calls out to the back of the store, but no one answers.
—Maybe they went out and left the door unlocked. If that’s the case, they’re far too careless.
—But what is that odor?
A sweet and spicy aroma wafts from the back of the store.
Boom!
Then, in the back of the store, there was a small explosion.
“F-Fire?!”
As a whitish cloud of smoke wafted in, Lysette immediately opened the door. If there was a fire, she needed to get out quickly to prevent the smoke from filling the room.
However, the smoke quickly dissipated, leaving only a burning odor.
“Wahaha, failed, failed, failed.”
A nervous laugh escapes the store, and a dark-haired elf emerges from the back. She wipes the soot from her face with a towel.
“We’ve had a visitor? Ah! It’s Lysette! It’s great to see you!”
A bright, tanned smile shines in the dimly lit shop.
Lanial Mador, the alchemist, leans forward on the chair behind the counter, her knees on the seat. Her green eyes glisten.
“Um, it appears that something just exploded…”
“As always, as always! So how was the dungeon? “
“As always, huh… Ah yes, the dungeon was a fantastic experience.
“I see… I see—Will you please close the door?”
Lysette obeys, closing the door behind her and returning to the counter.
“Whoa!”
The moment her green eyes meet the alchemist’s, the alchemist’s eyes widen and she falls out of her chair.
“Um, are you okay…?”
“Hey, hey, hey… How did you get so strong?!”
“Eh?”
“It’s unusual for a beginner to dive solo once and return safely!”
She recognizes Lysette’s status for some reason.
The alchemist sat down on the floor in front of Lysette, who was confused, and clapped her hands.
“Ah, I see. The 【Noble-Bloodline】 skill. That’s how you get your skill points to triple. This Lanial Mador’s eyes are sharp, you know.”
“Eh?! Does this skill have such an effect? No, more importantly, how did you…”
“I can appraise both people and items. If there is anything else I can help you with, I will do an appraisal for a fee~”
—Appraisal skill? I believe it was on the list of available skills… Should I get it right away? No, I can get an appraisal here, so I’ll put it on hold for the time being. But… it appears to be extremely useful!
While Lysette is pondering, the alchemist sits back in her chair and rests her elbows on the counter.
“So you are a nobleman after all—why would a nobleman be in the Dungeon?”
“The Goddess’s Church sent me to the Dungeon.”
“As one would expect.”
“Yes, life is full of unexpected twists and turns.”
“The people who sent you to the dungeon probably didn’t think you’d honestly dive into the dungeon—They probably wanted you to work with adventurers.”
Of course, Lysette had anticipated this. That’s why she ran as fast as she could away from the church officials before they offered her a job she didn’t want.
However, it appears that they were one step ahead. There are now slanderous rumors going around.
—If I don’t do something about it, it will be difficult to move from now on.
Nonetheless, she finds it frustrating that she has no control over the situation.
“For the time being, Lanial-san, I’d like to pay for the items.”
“No, no, it’s all right. It’s a service.”
“But…”
“Well, can you sell me the magic stone that appears when you defeat the bosses in the levels? They are very valuable, and I asked the Adventurer’s Guild for them, but they didn’t come.
“Are you referring to these magical stones?”
She brings out the amber stone dropped by a giant flying sea urchin monster from the item bag and places it on the counter.
The alchemist falls back into her chair again.
“Um, are you okay?”
She peered behind the counter and noticed the alchemist laughing as she collapsed on the floor.
“Wahaha, you’re so awesome! You have a talent for conquering dungeons! “
“Thank you very much—entering a dungeon has been my dream since I was a child.”
“No, no, it’s not a place for young ladies, is it?!”
“When I was younger, my grandmother was an adventurer. I, too, had hoped to visit the dungeon someday. I’ve been training in the forest with my grandmother since I was a child.”
Her heart is filled with nostalgia. Those were the happiest days of her life. Perhaps it was because of those days that she was able to act fearlessly in Dungeon.
“But training and fighting are not the same thing. I knew common sense didn’t apply in the dungeon, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad.”
—However, this is also an advantage.
“I have a question for Lanial-san: is there any medicine that can help you recover your magical power?”
“Yes, an Aether potion that restores the body’s magical power.”
“Then please give me as much as this will allow me to buy.”
She handed out all the gold she got for the quests.
“No, no, no! It’s way out of balance!”
The alchemist exclaims, holding her head.
“However, how long do you intend to stay in the dungeon? It’s customary to keep recovery potion, aether potion if you’re a magic user, anti-poison grass, return-gate, heart-substitution, and food in the item bag! Aside from that, sleeping bags are required!”
“Ah, I see. Along with the ether potion, I’ll need a knife, a frying pan, dishes, salt, and spices. Do you have a sleeping bag?”
“Are you camping inside?! No way! Were you paying attention to others?!”
“Yes, but I don’t want to go back to the ground as much as possible because of a minor problem, so I decided to stay in the dungeon for a while.”
Strange rumors are circulating on the ground. On top of that, she had been followed earlier.
For Lysette, the outside world is now more dangerous than the inside of the dungeon. She intended to remain in the dungeon until things calmed down.
“Ha~a… I understand. Then this cookware set is for you. It’s simple to pack because everything is in one place.”
The alchemist brought knives and cooking utensils in a deep frying pan with a lid.
Other items include aether potions, salt, sugar, and spices, as well as a fluffy sleeping bag.
With the alchemist’s recommended equipment, Lysette headed back to the dungeon, regardless of whether she was being followed.