I Realized It Was An Academy Game After 10 Years – Chapter 123

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Hmm.”

70% saltpeter, 16% sulfur, 14% charcoal.

Failure.

I marked a large X on the newly attempted formula.

This was the 13th failure.

Tsk. When will I be able to make decent quality gunpowder?

Even if it wasn’t high-explosive gunpowder, I wanted to make something that could be used in old-fashioned firearms. Preferably in a concealed weapon format.

I had been experimenting with different ratios in the pre-built testing area, but the results were unsatisfactory.

The ingredients seemed right, but at this rate, I wouldn’t be able to finish the gunpowder tests in time for the scheduled dungeon exploration.

Should I just buy it?

But the price of gunpowder was outrageous.

It was better to make it myself, as it would also allow me to utilize my skill more effectively.

High-quality gunpowder was strictly controlled by the state, making it difficult to purchase in large quantities. Therefore, I had no choice but to experiment and try to make it myself.

Once I found the optimal formula, I could use my Crafting skill to instantly produce gunpowder.

This was the greatest advantage of my skill, if I could make something myself, I could skip the manufacturing process using my skill.

It was a skill that allowed me to create things in seconds, just like in a game.

Therefore, developing something like this was a crucial factor in enhancing my combat capabilities.

If I could successfully create high-quality gunpowder, it would not only broaden my tactical options but also significantly increase my firepower, which was fundamentally lacking.

I would also like to create tools like grenades, but that was still beyond my capabilities. I didn’t fully understand the principles behind grenades.

I vaguely remembered seeing something about metal fragments exploding on Xtube a long time ago, but replicating it seemed difficult.

Tsk.

“…It would be convenient if I could at least replicate modern firearms.”

It was definitely not an easy task. It would be more realistic to utilize magical materials in a fantasy-like manner… Hmm?

Come to think of it, didn’t the vial Viola threw explode?

Wouldn’t it be more efficient to focus on that approach? The explosive power seemed weaker than gunpowder, but it might not be bad-

“Johann! You have a visitor!”

Milia’s sudden voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I left the lab and looked towards the workshop door.

Milia saw me emerge and shouted again.

“Vis!i!tor!”

“I heard you, so be quiet. You’re giving me a headache.”

Ugh, my eyes hurt.

My condition wasn’t great after spending so much time in the lab. But I still had to greet the visitor.

Since Milia referred to them as a visitor, they must not be from Yeomyeong-gwan. Therefore, it wouldn’t be polite to turn them away.

I wiped my soot-covered face with a nearby towel and looked at the figure standing at the door.

They were missing an arm.

“Viola. What brings you here?”

“I heard from Lewis that you’re going to a dungeon. I was wondering if you could take me with you.”

“Is your body fully recovered?”

“Almost. But can I come in?”

Come to think of it, entering someone else’s workshop without permission was considered rude, right?

No one around me seemed to care about such things, so Viola’s request felt strangely unfamiliar.

“You can come in.”

Viola entered the workshop at my permission.

She glanced around and gave a brief comment.

“You have a lot of interesting things here.”

“Making things is my hobby.”

“That’s right, that’s right! He made Patrasche, the exploding powder, the wrist-mounted crossbow, and…”

Milia rattled off a list of my creations as if she was a salesperson trying to make a sale. I was afraid she would reveal all my secrets, so I quietly covered her mouth and pulled a chair over for Viola.

I couldn’t let her stand there with her injury.

“A dungeon… Can you go in that condition?”

“Are you looking down on me because I’m missing an arm? My main job is alchemy, so missing an arm isn’t a big deal.”

Viola pretended to flex her arm to prove her point. It was meaningless, though.

I conveyed my thoughts in a cold voice.

“The dungeons we’re going to are unexplored. I can’t take someone who might not be able to pull their weight.”

I rejected Viola’s request and stared into her eyes. They were filled with anger and frustration.

I could sense her inferiority complex, as if she felt looked down upon, and her desperation to receive help.

What happened to her in the past few days?

Did she go through something terrible and become jaded?

I sympathized with her, having experienced something similar on the deserted island, but that was a separate issue from taking her to the dungeon.

To be blunt, if I took a student who couldn’t even pull their weight and they died, it would not only burden me with guilt but also hinder future plans.

Therefore, it was better to refuse from the start.

“I can pull my weight. I was one of the main attackers in my party, you know.”

“That was when you had both arms.”

I coldly pointed out the problem.

However, Viola, unlike a few days ago, seemed desperate as she vented her frustration.

“One-armed, one-armed… I’m sick of hearing it. People who used to talk to me are now whispering behind my back, my research is being hindered, and I need to go to dungeons for experiments, but they won’t even let me join low-level dungeon parties. Ugh, life is such a bitch.”

Did her situation worsen after losing her arm?

I watched Viola curse in frustration and quietly signaled to Milia, who was observing the situation from behind. Milia quickly understood and quietly left the workshop.

“So that’s why you came to me?”

“I told you, I’ll help you.”

“Even so, taking you to a dungeon is a different matter. It’s too dangerous.”

“I told you I’m confident I can pull my weight.”

“Is there a reason you absolutely need to enter a dungeon?”

“…I only received half my scholarship, so I have to pay for next semester’s tuition, and I need to test my prototypes in a dungeon.”

“Do you have to do it in a dungeon?”

“It’s the most reliable method. I can’t get approval to sell explosive reagents used in dungeons unless they’re tested in actual dungeons. Even if I hire someone to do it, it costs money, and I don’t have that kind of money. My research funds are already stretched thin.”

That was news to me.

I had no intention of selling my creations, so I didn’t know about such regulations.

Should I sell some of my creations?

Something like a wheelchair could be profitable.

Of course, due to material constraints, it wouldn’t be as lightweight as the one I made for Karina, but I could use sturdy wood. It could be quite popular if I used durable materials.

“Testing, huh. Wouldn’t it be better if I took the reagents and tested them for you?”

“I need to see and judge for myself. All the data I gathered during the final exams was lost…”

“That’s quite unfortunate.”

Her situation was pitiful, but I couldn’t accept an unverified member.

To be honest, even I couldn’t guarantee that we would return alive from an unexplored dungeon. I knew some of the dungeons, but there were also ones I didn’t recognize.

“So please let me join. I won’t be a burden-”

Desperation.

Thick desperation oozed from her every word and action. To think that the girl who had been so confident in our previous conversation was now so desperate.

I looked down at the floor, lost in thought.

To receive a scholarship from Kalon Academy meant she was a highly capable student.

I wasn’t sure about combat, but she could probably handle support roles. Even that would be limited due to her missing arm.

Tsk. I can’t be too soft.

I looked directly into her desperate eyes and spoke.

“You could die. Are you okay with that?”

“If I get kicked out of here, I’m doomed anyway.”

She had nowhere to fall back on… was that it?

“Alright. Then let’s draw up a contract.”

I pulled out a sheet of paper I had purchased earlier, placed it on the table, and started writing the contract terms.

The contract stated that she would not hold me responsible for her death and that she would cooperate with my research.

Viola read through the contract and looked at me as if I was a strange creature.

“…This is a surprisingly generous contract.”

Really?

To be honest, this was my first time writing a contract, so I just wrote down whatever came to mind.

Viola modified the terms with her pen and handed it back to me.

“…Honestly, you’re the one doing me a favor, so I don’t think it’s too generous.”

“Is that so?”

I was planning to exploit her labor with a ruthless ratio. I glanced at the terms she had added.

8:2?

It wasn’t bad for me, but it was even more extreme than what I had proposed. This was practically a slave contract.

“What’s the usual ratio for a contract between an alchemist and a merchant guild?”

“7:3? Usually, the guild provides the materials, so-”

“I feel like I’ve become an evil merchant.”

“Did you even care about that? You look like the type who wouldn’t hesitate to exploit someone for free labor-”

“And you still came to me for help?”

This was a new level of judging someone by their appearance.

I chuckled and extended my hand.

“Let’s work well together.”

I had acquired a somewhat useful graduate student, or rather, an assistant.

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