The Scorned Noble Lady Picks Up The Path of Alchemy in Her Second Life
The Stairway to Despair (Zeel's Side 5)
Translated by: S3
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*****
Having left the Alchemists Guild, Zeel walked quickly, hunched over as if he were being hunted.
The streets were filled only with bad rumors about him, and he had enemies everywhere. The only good rumors he finally heard were those praising Mia, the very person he had cast aside.
This made him feel hopelessly miserable, and his irritation intensified. However, in his current state, there was nothing he could do.
The only way to break through the situation was to create potions with the medicinal herbs he had bought. That was the only way to get back at them.
With that thought, he returned to his shop, where the sight of three knights entered his vision, forcing Zeel to hide in the shadows.
「Lord Zeel Voitos! Is he not in the shop?!」
The large-scale contract with the Knights’ Order was also overdue, which was why three knights had specifically come to demand the delivery.
「What in the world is going on? We just signed the contract for the potions, yet he hasn’t delivered even though the deadline has passed.」
「Even if some problem occurred, a normal person would explain the situation and deliver at least half. This guy seems dangerous.」
「There are rumors that his fiancée dumped him too. Maybe he was actually an incompetent man who couldn't do his job? This shop looks like it’s gone bankrupt.」
What the knights saw through the glass was the interior, empty like a vacant house with no products lined up at all. This scene most accurately reflected Zeel's current situation.
「I don’t think he’s stupid enough to flee in the night... Should we check with the Alchemists Guild once?」
After the knights left, Zeel secretly entered the shop through the back door. Normally, potions nearing their delivery date would be placed there, but now it was desolate and empty.
The employees he had hired had quickly abandoned him, and the shop was utterly silent.
Unable to endure the tragic situation, Zeel involuntarily slammed his fist against the wall.
「Damn it! You lowlife, third-rate knights, running your mouths however you please! How could a genius like me be incompetent?!」
For the proud Zeel, being looked down upon by mere foot soldiers was unbearable.
「I can’t afford to have any more potion contracts canceled. If I can somehow break through this slump, I can still start over. It's fine, I'm a genius.」
He calmed himself and was cleaning the messy workshop when he suddenly heard a noise from the back door.
He cautiously checked who had arrived, and there stood Catarina, clutching a large bundle of medicinal herbs.
As long as he had herbs, he could try making potions again and again. With the money he had earned until now, he should be able to buy mountains of herbs... or so he thought.
「Lord Zeel... This is all, apparently, the last of it.」
「Huh? What are you saying?」
「This is all the medicinal herbs available for sale, apparently... Sniff...」
Seeing Catarina half-sobbing, Zeel realized she wasn't lying.
「What's wrong? It's not the rainy season, and there are several herb gardens in the royal capital. There shouldn't be a shortage of herbs at this time.」
「But... it seems various shops have put us on a watch list, so we can't buy any more, or rather, the herbs aren't even on the shelves...」
He couldn't understand what was happening. A little while ago, when he went shopping with Catarina, they could buy from new shops without any problem.
Why would something like this suddenly happen...?
「There were even places that chased us away just by seeing our faces! Sob... They kept saying, 'It’s your fault!' Why do I have to be yelled at?!」
Our fault...? Along with that word, Zeel nervously looked back at the sobbing Catarina.
Behind him, there were large amounts of the debris from the herbs he had just finished cleaning up.
—Could it be that the royal capital is facing an herb shortage because of my excessive buying? No, that, that can’t be. Could the massive consumption by just one alchemist really lead to such a serious situation...?
However, Catarina's heavy sobbing was confronting him with reality.
「Sniff... I had to say we needed to deliver potions to the Knights’ Order, sniff... that's the only way I could forcibly buy these...」
The desire to calm down and the urge to flee reality overlapped, and Zeel could no longer stay composed.
If Catarina had gone so far as to bring up the contract with the Knights’ Order to forcibly buy these precious herbs, there was no turning back now.
If he couldn't make a potion with this, he would have no place left in the capital. Worse, he might face criminal charges.
Under that pressure and impatience, Zeel's hands were trembling involuntarily.
「Lord Zeel, you really are fine, right? You can make potions, right?」
「O-of course I can. I'm a genius alchemist... after all.」
「Right, you are. Lord Zeel, you're a genius...」
Now, the word "genius" felt hollow. Even if he affirmed it with his mouth, his heart no longer followed.
*****
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