Chapter 25: Lady Lucia…? – 1

Chapter 25: Lady Lucia…? – 1

*…I told you it could be dangerous if you tried to get too much quality.*

“No, I didn’t think it would turn out like this…”

The huge explosion that just happened.

The beginning was really nothing.

As with most things in the world, the law of high risk, high return applies to making potions.

If you do it wrong, the quality of the potion will decrease or the side effects will worsen… but if you succeed, the quality will increase dramatically.

I didn’t know at first, but I automatically found out because the quality of the potions always deteriorated and potions were thrown away every time I made them.

Anyway, today I was trying to make a good quality potion at once, so I put in a little too much mana while making the potion…

Suddenly, the cauldron I was making the potion in exploded.

I was blown away and hit the tree in front of the house with my back, and the house collapsed because it couldn’t withstand the explosion.

…Fortunately, the silver coins in that house are in my favorite cloak, and I’m wearing that cloak now, so there was no huge loss.

“…But where am I going to sleep?”

*Well. Since you have that cloak, you won’t freeze to death no matter where you sleep, right?*

“No, before that, what am I going to make potions with…?”

I can buy the basic ingredients again from the system.

When I saw it earlier, it wasn’t that expensive.

The problem is… the pot and ignition devices that were originally in the house.

How do I get those devices that I’ve never seen before in the first place?

*Well, you have to buy them all again. I’ll just use all the assets you have now, combined with the ‘resurrection cost’ you have to pay this time.*

“What, what?”

*It’s an accidental accident, so it’s a huge discount? If you put a proper price on it, it’ll be over 5 gold coins?*

I wanted to protest… but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything there.

…I just felt like this is what it feels like to lose your home overnight.

“No… Why can’t I be happy…”

*A homeless slice-of-life isn’t bad either. A cute homeless girl who barely sells potions to make a living… It’ll be popular with people with certain tastes.*

“If I sleep on the street without a home, the raiders who want to catch me will love it, right?”

As the system said, I won’t die or get sick if I sleep outside now.

It may be uncomfortable, but that’s it.

But… what about the attack that comes while I’m sleeping, completely incapacitated?

Unfortunately, I don’t sleep lightly enough to wake up immediately when someone comes next to me while I’m sleeping.

“…Really, the main characters are the problem!”

*But you’re going to keep getting involved in the future, right?*

“That’s even more annoying! If I abandon Christie like this, I’ll only lose money!

I’m going to have a hard time getting attacked in the future, but I can’t get anything from Christie and run away? That’s absolutely not going to happen! I have nowhere to live or go now!”

As I shouted with annoyance, I suddenly remembered that I actually had a place to go.

…Christie’s office.

Usually, even the head of the defense force would leave work at this late hour…

But the Defense Bureau is probably on emergency alert because of what happened this afternoon.

Even though it’s on the outskirts of the capital, there was such a planned attack?

Since you don’t know what else might happen, everyone was working all night today.

…Of course, that included Christie, the head of the defense force.

*Where are you going?*

“…To Christie.”

*You’re saying the main characters are the problem until just now. Well… good luck. It’s time for me to leave work.*

“…At this point, you’re doing this on purpose.”

*To some extent? Actually, I could have left work a long time ago, but I thought you were going to cause an accident, so I stayed.

I also wanted to see you cause an accident and help you clean up. Then, see you tomorrow?*

With those words, I felt like something was disconnected.

I was a little embarrassed because I had never felt this way before, but I soon realized that it was because the system had ‘left work’.

…It seems that I can feel these things because I can use mana.

“…Is that guy evil or not?”

It’s evil in that he knew I would cause this accident while handling the Flame Stone and wanted to see me get into an accident…

But if the system wasn’t here now, I would have been more embarrassed and wouldn’t have known what to do, so it doesn’t seem like it…

Of course, either way… I’ll say something to him as soon as he comes back tomorrow.

“It’s dark, so I have to go quickly, right?”

Saying that, I focused my strength on my legs.

I wanted to break through this dark road a little faster than usual.

I have to go a little faster… so I can get out of the range of those arrows that are aiming at me faster.

The enhanced senses and body were truly a great blessing.

***

“…Illusion? Or teleportation?”

“It was probably an illusion. Judging from how quickly she disappeared.”

“Tsk. How did she know to run away when we were going to inspect everyone in this area?”

“If I had entered the house rashly, I might have been crushed to death. The guy who lives in that house is not ordinary.”

Night when even the moon was covered by clouds and a deep darkness came.

The two men exchanged their opinions.

They were dispatched after hearing the news that the robbers they had requested earlier were caught by the Defense Force instead of reporting success.

They were moving to kidnap the weakness of the only daughter of the duke’s family and the head of the defense force.

Therefore, they were searching all areas where the ‘target’ was presumed to be.

…Until they saw an alchemist blow up her own house with a ridiculous mistake.

Of course, they had no way of knowing that the explosion was a mistake.

“Let’s withdraw for now. We’ve looked around roughly.”

“Was there anyone confirmed as a ‘target’?”

“…There was no one except for that guy who disguised the house itself as a trap. I don’t even know if that guy is the ‘target’ we’re looking for.

In the first place, the ‘target’ was said not to be a mage, so it’s more likely that she’s not.”

“Damn it. I have to prepare to be scolded from above.”

“It’s still fortunate that there’s something to report.”

Saying that, the men only looked at the already destroyed house.

…They didn’t even guess that the house was the house of the ‘target’ they were looking for, and that the explosion was not a trap, but all a mistake.

***

The run from home to the capital.

The speed was faster than the beginning, but it took less effort than the beginning.

People’s bodies get stronger if they keep using them and pushing them, and it seems like that was true for this body too.

I’ve been hunting monsters recently, and I fought with people this morning, so I felt like I was getting a little more used to it and stronger.

Of course, it wasn’t good news for me, who wanted to make potions comfortably and sell them in a small way without that happening.

…I couldn’t help but be out of breath from running this distance.

“I’ve already arrived.”

As expected, Christie’s office had weak but clear lights on.

In fact, it’s called an office, but it was actually a place like the Defense Force’s office.

It wasn’t the main building where training was actually done, criminals were caught and interrogated, but it was a place where various administrative procedures were exchanged and other reports were received.

Of course, it wasn’t just Christie who used it, but it was a space where the Defense Force’s few administrators and secretaries were together.

Therefore, I hesitated for a moment, but since I came all the way here, I opened the door with the thought of just going for it and saying I would stay overnight.

Then, instead of the secretary who would usually calmly ask what was going on, I saw the administrators busily moving with documents in their hands.

Christie was also preparing something while going back and forth between their desks.

“What about the contents to be submitted to the top? Is everything ready?”

“Yes, yes! Everything is ready!”

Christie’s clear and urgent voice echoed.

The administrators were also in a hurry, so they were answering without taking their eyes off the documents.

“What about the 2nd District Police Department’s statement? And the Defense Force’s official statement?”

“The Police Department’s statement is, not yet…”

“Process it quickly!! We have to report to the Imperial Palace tomorrow!

It’s a case where someone was attacked in the capital in a planned way! Tell the key personnel of the 2nd District Police Department to write it quickly!”

“That’s… another incident is happening in the 2nd District…”

“Again?! I’m going crazy… Send Defense Force support quickly! The moment a noble is involved in the attack, and the moment the Defense Force doesn’t even detect it, we’re all dead!”

…It seemed like things were going savagely, so I just gave up and quietly went out.

No, I was going to go out.

“…Lucia? Wait, what’s with that look?”

The surroundings suddenly became quiet.

I then checked my appearance reflected on the floor.

The debris and dust that I was covered in due to the aftermath of the explosion, and the soot.

In addition, I ignored the pain because it was too trivial to me, but my skin was quite badly peeled off on the outside.

In addition, my breathing was not properly calmed down because I was running, and my hair was disheveled.

It was the appearance of a cute, injured girl who had barely run away.

…And that girl is in the Defense Force’s office, receiving a case?

It was more unnatural not to misunderstand.

“Ch, Christie. Just…”

“…Everyone, order them to sweep through the 2nd District. Those bastards… kill them all.”

Before I could finish speaking, Christie’s eyes turned and she gave an order in a cold voice, and the administrators who froze were a bonus.

…It seemed that Christie liked me more than I thought.

‘…I was just going to sleep for one night…’

Somehow, I seem to be getting more deeply involved with these main characters.