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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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[Achievement Unlocked: Pharmacy Master]
“Ugh…”
I looked down at the groaning figures. Just a few days ago, they had been perfectly fine. Now, they were half-dead, the result of my tests.
Poisons, schizophrenics, tranquilizers, recovery potions, buffs, and debuffs. They had been subjected to them all.
I had only ever done this kind of work on the Demon King’s subordinates and his sympathizers,
or on bandits and thieves,
or on volunteers from the Alchemist’s Guild. I had thought it would take a long time.
But I had managed to complete this achievement much faster than I had expected. I was pleased.
This brought me one step closer to returning home.
“Um… Sage.”
“Hmm?”
“The tests you’re conducting… they don’t seem to be related to the plague.”
Rotelo, who had come to my personal lab to assist me, asked with a sour expression. I nodded. If he didn’t know anything about alchemy or pharmacy, I could have lied, but he knew enough.
And I had no intention of hiding it.
I had already gotten the achievement.
“That’s right. This was a test for a schizophrenia cure.”
“Why?”
“Is there a problem?”
“No… shouldn’t you be focusing on the plague cure?”
“If I only focused on the plague cure, it would be too stressful for me. I just needed a little refresher.”
“You’re experimenting on elves?”
“So what? They’re not dead, and they haven’t gone mad from the side effects.”
Of course, the process had been quite painful, and they would need to rest for at least a few months.
But surely, the elves could understand that?
“Hmm… this could cause problems later on.”
“They’re going to attack me over this? Nah~ they wouldn’t. Not if they have any conscience.”
Of course, it wouldn’t matter if they did.
I would just fight them.
Even as I was developing the cure, the plague continued to spread through the Elven Forest.
The elves’ power and influence were waning, and with the Elven Forest under quarantine, the other races were growing stronger.
And even if the plague was completely cured, it would be a long time before the elves could exert their former influence over the continent.
They would be too busy recovering from the after-effects, from what they had lost.
And by the time they were done, I would have completed all my achievements, or at least be in the final stages.
I hadn’t done this without thinking.
My carefully cultivated relationships would keep the elves in check until then.
“Hmm…”
“Alright, this should be enough to treat the elves with holy power.”
I handed him the formula I had been working on. Rotelo took it, read it, and left. A moment later, Veronica entered and looked at the test subjects.
“Sage, I’ve caught some more elves who were trying to attack you.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. This time, they were inciting the elves in the quarantine zone. Traditionalists.”
I had created a cure, administered it to the elves, and they had recovered.
Most of the plague-stricken elves had welcomed it, but the traditionalists had refused the medicine made by an alchemist, especially one who was a human, and who had worked with other elves and even a dwarf.
Of course, I didn’t need their consent, so I had administered it by force, which they must have found quite irritating.
As a result, the number of people who slandered me and the other researchers grew by the day.
Of course, that made it much easier to find “involuntary volunteers.”
I was truly grateful.
“Ungrateful wretches.”
Veronica clicked her tongue and muttered.
She looked down at one of the middle-aged elves who had cursed me to my face a few days ago.
He had been a great help in developing a cure for multiple personality disorder, anxiety, and a paralysis agent. He was now in a state of post-antidote recovery, still unconscious.
Veronica narrowed her eyes and reached for the mace at her waist. I gently stopped her as she was about to smash his head in.
It would be a shame if he died now, after all the trouble I had gone to to keep him alive during the experiments.
“I’m fine.”
“But.”
“Really, I’m fine.”
I was done with what I needed from them.
All that remained was to mass-produce the cure and administer it to the elves.
In other words, I had no more business in the Elven Forest.
“You’re… too soft.”
“That’s my charm, isn’t it?”
I winked. Veronica stared at me blankly, then chuckled.
“The other races are getting restless. They all want to take advantage of this opportunity. They’re only holding back because of you… but if this continues, they might explode.”
“Really?”
“I heard the beastmen and dwarves fought with some elves who were trying to escape yesterday, and they were both injured.”
Veronica said, adding that it had given the priests something to do. We left the personal lab.
The area outside was already crowded with patients.
Elves receiving the plague cure.
Priests treating the injured.
And the other races, growling at each other.
I smiled, watching the various races gathered together, each minding their own business.
“Once the plague is over, the inter-racial conflicts will resolve themselves. Whether they go to war, or the elves back down. I think they’ll back down…”
“But?”
“Even if they fight, it has nothing to do with me.”
“…Strange. I thought you would try to save the elves, no matter what.”
“Me? Why?”
I looked at Veronica. She smiled faintly.
“Because you’re a good person.”
Well, she was wrong about that.
I wasn’t that good of a person.
“Hyun-woo!”
As Veronica and I were staring at each other, Claire’s voice called out. She ran towards me, panting, and said,
“Seong-ya is awake!”
“Ah, is she? Then I should go and see her. Veronica, I’ll leave the rest to you.”
I patted Veronica on the shoulder and turned around.
Seong-ya was awake. Then the plague treatment was in its final stages.
As I entered the infirmary, a familiar face greeted me. Rudhi, who had been acting as my assistant along with Rotelo since she had recovered from the plague.
And standing in front of her was… huh? Evangeline? What was she doing here?
The two elves, who looked remarkably similar, were staring at each other silently, oblivious to my presence.
But the atmosphere was heavy.
Rudhi, looking strangely confident, and Evangeline, her shoulders slumped, as if defeated.
I tapped the wall lightly. The two of them, startled, looked at me.
“Mr. Sage.”
“…Hyun-woo.”
“What are you doing? Rudhi, I heard Seong-ya is awake. Aren’t you going to prepare?”
“Ah, I’ll be right there.”
Rudhi finally moved. As she hurried down the corridor, I turned to Evangeline. She couldn’t even look at me. She fidgeted, then took a small step forward.
“…Um, Hyun, Hyun-woo.”
“What?”
“…The elves… why did you save them? You must hate elves… because of me… And saving Rudhi…”
“You seem to be misunderstanding something. This has nothing to do with you.”
“…Huh?”
“It was something that needed to be done, and I was the one who had to do it.”
“Ah… you… you really haven’t changed…”
A shadow fell over Evangeline’s gaunt face. Was she not satisfied with my answer? I didn’t know.
And I didn’t really care.
“You don’t look so good. Why don’t you go and get some nutritional supplements? I just came up with a new recipe. It’s good. Tell Rotelo, and he’ll give you some.”
“…Okay.”
Evangeline nodded slightly, but she didn’t move.
She just stood there, staring at me.
I walked past her, then turned around. Evangeline, who had been standing there like a statue, flinched when she met my gaze.
“Just as I did what I had to do, shouldn’t you do what you have to do?”
“My… duty…?”
“Yes.”
“What… should I do?”
Evangeline asked, her voice weak. I told her the truth.
“That’s for you to figure out.”
I left the frozen Evangeline and went inside.
Inside, Rotelo and a few other alchemists were examining Seong-ya.
“Ah, Mr. Sage, you’re here.”
“Seong-ya’s condition is a bit…”
“A bit what?”
“Her holy power has weakened considerably. And her stamina as well. Although the influence of the plague has diminished.”
Her resistance had weakened due to the continuous use of the medicine. Well, that couldn’t be helped. Rudhi, who had just entered, handed me a new medicine. I administered it and checked her condition.
“Saintess, how are you feeling?”
“Hmm… I can feel the aura of death within me slowly dissipating.”
The aura of death, the source of the plague, was disappearing. That meant the plague was being cured.
“Do you think your holy power will recover?”
“Just a moment…”
Seong-ya held a Divine Mark in her hand and began to pray. A faint holy power, weak for a saintess, enveloped her. After a while, she opened her eyes and nodded.
“But it will take a long time.”
She had lost a considerable amount of her holy power due to the mutated strain of the plague. And the level of her skills had also decreased.
But Seong-ya didn’t seem to mind. To have hope, even after her holy power had been reduced to that of a normal priest…
I liked that.
To not give up.
And to not cling.
“And to ask for more, after all you’ve done… would be shameless.”
She smiled faintly. I smiled back. She was a very un-elf-like woman.
“With this much holy power, you won’t be able to remain a saintess.”
“I know. But… it’s fine.”
“Is that so? That’s a relief.”
She wasn’t shocked by the loss of her holy power. Many of the other priests had despaired.
When they had complained about their lost holy power after I had saved them, I had been tempted to punch them.
Of course, I had beaten them until they passed out and sent them to my personal lab.
“I’m worried that Chieftain Su-hwi will be angry when she sees this.”
Rudhi, who had come up beside me, muttered. She glanced at me, then continued in a low voice.
“I’m an elf too, but… many elves are the type to ask for your belongings after you’ve saved them from drowning.”
Rudhi paused and stared at me.
What was she looking at?
“…Like someone we know.”
Surely, she wasn’t referring to someone I knew? Could this be the reason for the tense atmosphere between her and Evangeline earlier?
As I met her gaze, Seong-ya sighed heavily.
“My mother is not like that.”
“I hope not.”
If she had any sense, she wouldn’t do something like that.
Anyway, the fact that the achievement hadn’t triggered even after I had cured Seong-ya meant I had to cure all the remaining infected.
I let Seong-ya rest and went outside.
I was done here, so I would leave after the plague was cured. How much longer would it take?
“Rudhi, how many patients are left?”
“Well… about fifty or so? That’s the number of plague patients… The rest are…”
The rest were what?
Just then, I heard a loud shout from outside.
“Aaaargh! My arm!”
“Aaaargh! You damn elves!!”
“Gah!! You arrogant dwarf! Aaaargh!”
There were those who had been injured in inter-racial conflicts and had been brought here.
Rudhi glanced at them and sighed softly.
“They’re just casualties from the inter-racial conflicts.”
“Hmm…”
They would handle this on their own.
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