← Previous Chapter | Chapter Index |Next Chapter →

The Forgotten Person

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

*****

I thought everything was finally sorted out and peaceful days were ahead, but...

When the knights went out of their way to bring back the spent Arrow of Banishing they'd recovered, I suddenly remembered the one person I absolutely shouldn't have left hanging.

「Ah. I forgot to show it to Obaba-sama.」

Considering the King himself had bowed his head and provided both the data and the materials for the Arrow of Banishing, I really should have given her a heads-up.

Knowing her personality, the longer I dragged this out, the bigger of a pain it was going to be.

So, I scrambled to buy three whole boxes of strawberry daifuku and rushed over to show her the Arrow of Banishing, only to get—

「Kaaah! What good does it do to bring me a piece of Magic Equipment that's already lost its power?!」

Just as expected, I got an earful from Obaba-sama, who was already stuffing her face with the strawberry daifuku I'd brought.

Even if I had been in a rush, this was completely on me, so I couldn't argue back. I found myself totally shrinking under her gaze.

「I'm sorry. Things were just so crazy that reporting it totally slipped my mind.」

「Forgetting things at your age already? It seems your brain has room for absolutely nothing but alchemy.」

「Ahaha... I honestly think so too.」

I mean, between pissing off Master Segrus the very first time we met, acting rude to the King, and completely losing my noble refinement, I was pretty much falling apart in every area outside of alchemy.

Right when I was thinking I really needed to get my act together, I went and forgot all about Obaba-sama.

「But hey, I successfully made the Arrow of Banishing and destroyed the magic circle, so it all worked out! Let's just say all's well that ends well.」

「Hmph. A low-tier piece of Magic Equipment like this can only break a low-rank magic circle. If you don't raise your Enchantment level, you're going to learn a painful lesson sooner or later.」

...Wait. Did Obaba-sama just say something weird?

「A 'low-rank' magic circle?」

「Exactly. Spawning tiny monsters with miasma is kid stuff. Normally, it would churn out way bigger monsters or cause them to multiply like crazy in no time.」

As I wondered what in the world Obaba-sama was talking about, the King's words about the forgotten history flashed through my mind.

(It is said to have blanketed the world in miasma and monsters, creating an era of chaos where ferocious beasts ruled the land.)

The only reason the previous monster outbreak caused so much damage was because a student from the Magic Academy was mixed up in it.

Looking at how minimal the damage actually was this time around, I had a feeling Obaba-sama was right on the money.

「Please don't say such terrifying things.」

「I'm just stating facts. Like I told you before, alchemy holds the power over life and death. In more ways than one. Ee-hee-hee-hee!」

Hearing that after witnessing the raw power of the Arrow of Banishing, her words carried a completely different weight.

Now that I could craft Magic Equipment, I could probably make devastating weapons, or even more incredible potions.

Depending entirely on the creator's skill, alchemy could bring about pure bliss or total misery. And with Sacred Alchemy, that reality was laid bare.

「Um... Sacred Alchemy and Ancient Alchemy are completely separate things, right?」

「Of course they are. Don't go lumping them together. Unlike Ancient Alchemy, which leads straight to ruin, Sacred Alchemy is meant to forge a path to the future.」

「So, was Sacred Alchemy created as a countermeasure against Ancient Alchemy?」

「Nope, it's the other way around. Ancient Alchemy was born specifically to tear everything down. Out of pure hatred.」

Hatred deep enough to make someone want to destroy everything, huh? (That sounds like the kind of backstory I both really want to know and really don't.)

「Good grief, who cares about those dusty old stories anyway?」

「In other words, you have no intention of telling me any more.」

「My, what a noisy brat. That impatient streak of yours shows right through the Enchantment on this Arrow of Banishing, you know. You need to focus on being more meticulous. Look right here, you totally slacked off...」

Forcefully changing the subject, Obaba-sama began tearing my workmanship on the Arrow of Banishing to shreds.

She was pointing out incredibly minute details, but she could only do that because she could see the mana pathways way more clearly than I ever could.

Every time I learned more about alchemy, it hit me all over again just how far above me Obaba-sama truly was.

This was the same Obaba-sama who had taken countless lives in war and was feared as the "Demon Alchemist." Yet, it was equally true that she had protected the kingdom and saved an immense number of people.

The things created through alchemy might get used for evil. But if they ended up helping even more people than they harmed, then the purpose of practicing alchemy—

「Hey! Are you even listening to me?!」

「Huh? Oh, sorry. I'm a bit tired, so I zoned out for a second.」

「Kaaah! First you're going senile, and now you're going deaf?!」

「Ahaha... I guess I used way too much mana on that Sacred Alchemy. Maybe I should have a little something sweet.」

「Hold your horses! Don't you dare go digging into my strawberry daifuku on your own!」

「I mean, yeah, I gave them to you, but I'm the one who bought them. Surely I can have just one? Oh, and don't worry about pouring me any tea or anything, I'm totally fine!」

「Don't go demanding tea too, good grief! What a spoiled brat.」

Despite her grumbling, Obaba-sama got up to brew some tea anyway.

I had a feeling this was going to turn into a long visit, but I figured I'd stick around and keep her company to make up for forgetting to report the Arrow of Banishing.

「Oh, by the way, I also managed to complete that Necklace of Warding I was wearing a little while ago.」

「Oh? Let's see it then.」

「Ah, sorry. I already returned it to its original creator.」

「Kaaah! Are you mocking me, brat?!」

「No way, of course not! I just got the order of my updates a little mixed up...」

(Mental note: the next time I make something, I'm bringing it straight to Obaba-sama first.)

*****

Thank you for reading. If you want to help my hobby please download and install LDP9 with my link down below. Just Click the small yellow LDPlayer Banner.