NOVEL WEB chapter 23 - Discrepancy
Screech—!
'Please, let this succeed on the first try...!'
As the fluctuating current died down, the light of the magic tool faded. My heart raced as I cautiously opened the lid of the tool to check the result. A small, green orb, about the size of my thumbnail, gleamed brilliantly.
"...It worked!"
"Oh, it’s finished?"
"Yeah."
Kiana looked at the tonic I held in my hand with a mix of curiosity.
"...This tonic is a bit unusual, isn’t it? It’s smaller than I expected… and I’ve never seen a green tonic before."
"Yeah, it only has grass as an ingredient. It’s a little different from other tonics."
"Hmm~ So? What’s the effect of this tonic?"
"...It’s a secret?"
"Eh? So, you’re saying... you want me to drink it to see if it works?"
...Please, don’t do that.
I barely managed to hold onto the tonic, making sure she didn’t grab it, and checked the condition of the tonic.
'The quality isn’t bad. I changed a few of the ingredients, and for this, it turned out decently well.'
However, just drinking this one tonic wouldn’t have a major effect.
Originally, this recipe required two tonics to be made. Only after consuming both would one fully experience the benefits.
'But I can’t make the other one because I’m missing the key ingredient.'
The Three-Colored Fruit of the World Tree.
These were three fruits that bloomed on a giant tree rooted in the territory managed by the elves. The key ingredient for the other tonic, it was essential for its creation. Naturally, the fruit wasn’t easy to obtain—not only for the Empire’s people but also even for the elves.
'Unless I’m planning to completely sever ties with the elves, stealing it is out of the question…'
As a student of the academy, there was no way I could go into the elves' domain.
So, this tonic might seem useless, but fortunately, there was one way to get the other tonic without making it.
'...They must have enrolled too, right?'
Though they weren’t playable characters, individuals like Kiana Edenvice, who often appeared as major characters in the game, would have enrolled this year as well.
Among them, two representatives of the beastkin and elves must have been admitted.
And those two were people I had met in the past.
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than .net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
They were among the few people I had parted on good terms with in my memories. At least if I asked them for something, they’d likely agree.
'It’s been a while since I’ve seen them, though, and I’m a little nervous about their reaction.'
I had promised to visit often, but I never did. …Is this too risky?
***
After the alchemy class ended, our last class for the day, "Basic Aura Manipulation," began.
I had made the tonic just in time to have a chance to use it.
"…"
—Clack!
I quickly tossed the green tonic into my mouth and chewed it. The bitter taste of the herbs spread across my mouth.
Sitting cross-legged, I closed my eyes and focused my mind.
Then, a strong reaction came from the core at the lower abdomen.
"...Ugh!"
The pain was stronger than I expected, and I bit my lips.
Due to the tonic’s effect, the aura inside the core started to stir. It felt like a strong force was pushing hard from the inside of my stomach.
...
The pain, like my organs twisting, continued for a few minutes. Finally, as the core calmed down, I tested using the aura again.
'...Hmm, the passage seems wider now.'
The aura now flowed more easily through my body. The passage for the aura had definitely expanded compared to before. While the tonic’s effect was clearly evident, it was still not enough.
Though the base had been laid, the amount of aura needed to reach the intermediate expert level was still far too lacking.
'This damn body...'
Creating the circle and the core was easy due to the experience I already had. But because of my body’s inability to properly accept magic and aura, the efficiency of training them was much lower than it would have been with an ordinary body.
If I had a regular body, I’d have already reached an expert-level easily.
I sighed, trying to shake off the frustration, and clenched my fist to gather the aura.
'But still, I can feel the improvement.'
From the amount of aura gathered in my fist, it seemed like my output had increased significantly. If I absorbed the effects of this tonic well, and then consumed the remaining one, reaching the intermediate expert level wouldn’t be a distant dream.
A sense of achievement made me smile involuntarily.
"...Hmm?"
When I finished my meditation, I heard some murmurs nearby.
I opened my eyes and turned to the source of the noise.
—Wow, crazy.
—Did they really reach the intermediate expert level? At our age?
—What’s their name? Which family are they from?
It seemed like something strange had happened.
Most of the students, except for those given free time, were gathered near the professor.
I focused and peered through the crowd, and a familiar face came into view.
'Riley?'
The girl with neat blue hair stood there. She was receiving guidance from the professor, and the attention of the students was focused on her.
"…Hoo."
"Riley, congratulations! It’s really rare to reach the intermediate expert level at your age!"
"Thank you, Professor."
The professor clapped his hands, clearly happy as if it were his own achievement.
Coincidentally, she had broken through a barrier since the first class.
'She’s already at the intermediate expert level.'
The memory of our meeting at the entrance ceremony came to mind, and I felt a bit unsettled. While I was happy for her progress, part of me felt conflicted about congratulating her.
The more she advanced as a swordswoman, the closer she would be to death.
In this world, there exists something called a "Heart Demon."
It was one of the many deaths that haunted her in the game. It was a disease that occurred when one excessively overexerted their body during the process of accumulating aura and magic. Her obsession with becoming stronger always led her to fall into the Heart Demon.
'The arch-enemy is a problem, but this is an even bigger headache.'
The Heart Demon was an inevitable fate for her. So, when she falls into it, I need to be there to care for her so she doesn’t die.
What if she were training alone in a secluded place and the Heart Demon erupted?
'…This is so dizzying, really.'
It felt like my list of things to do was growing longer. I needed to prepare for the first episode next week. I also had to take care of Seria and Aria, whose overload symptoms were accelerating. On top of that, Ren’s side effects were worsening, so I had to keep an eye on him…
In the game, it was hard enough to save just one character I controlled.
In reality, I was trying to do too many things that were beyond my means.
I couldn’t hide my growing anxiety as I watched Riley, surrounded by congratulating students, smiling happily.
***
After finishing my day at the academy, most students began heading back to their dormitories or taking some personal time at the living facilities.
But for me, such leisure was a luxury I couldn't afford.
I had someone I needed to find to obtain the rest of the tonic.
'Where the hell is Ciel?'
I had searched all the places she, a high elf, would likely go, but I couldn't find any trace of her. Since she wasn't a playable character, it was hard to pinpoint her whereabouts after classes ended.
Wiping the sweat from my chin, I moved toward the last place where I might find her.
Creak—
As I opened the door and entered, a wide, open space greeted me. It was the training facility provided for students at the academy. Given that Ciel was an elf skilled with a bow, I remembered occasionally seeing her shoot here.
I walked around the facility, looking around in the hopes of finding her. But contrary to my hopes, I couldn't even sense the presence of another person, so I sighed in frustration.
And then, at that moment...
"Hello."
I was startled by a sudden voice from behind me and quickly turned around. And standing there was someone I hadn’t expected at all.
"Are you here to train too?"
"‥‥"
"‥‥?"
When I remained silent, she tilted her head slightly, showing a look of curiosity. Her ash-colored hair fluttered, catching my attention.
"...Ren."
Ren Aizel. She was the person I had just sparred with a little while ago, and here she was. Just a short time ago, she had glared at me as if she wanted to kill me, but now she was staring at me with a neutral expression, as if she had no emotion at all. It felt like she was meeting me for the first time.
"Do you know me?"
"...Yeah."
"…Hmm, sorry, but I don’t know who you are."
"‥‥."
It felt like my blood had gone cold.
One of the side effects of being a hero—memory loss was certainly one of them.
'...This is bad. This can’t be happening.'
An unexpected variable had appeared with Ren, just like with the saint. I had anticipated something like this would happen eventually, but I didn't think it would happen so quickly, just a few days later...
My mind was in a whirl from the sudden turn of events.
"Want to spar with me?"
"...With me? Suddenly?"
"You came here to train, right? You’re the only one around here who can spar with me."
Her words were sincere. It wasn’t like she was asking me to fight to kill me—she was simply looking for a training partner, someone to spar with. Since she didn’t remember me, that was all she could say.
...This is really bad.