Chapter 96: A Short Break – 3

Chapter 96: A Short Break – 3

After the Saintess left, I immediately went to make the potion I received as a reward yesterday… no, I couldn’t, so I headed to the shop first.

And there, I saw my half-destroyed shop, and Knight members busily restoring it.

…Lily, who was complaining next to them about the layout being different from before, was a bonus.

“…Oh! You’re here?”

“……Could you explain what’s going on?”

Of course, seeing such a sight didn’t mean I fully understood the situation.

The shop being destroyed was something I already knew, so I could overlook that…

But what were those Knight members restoring it, and what was Lily doing half-supervising them?

Even if Christie was involved… what crazy person would use ultra-high-class personnel like Knight members to restore a small shop run by a mere commoner?

There would be no such person. Even if there were, the representatives or the Emperor wouldn’t permit the Knight Order to be used in such a way.

No matter how much I was sponsored by the Ducal Family, I wasn’t a noble, so that couldn’t be it.

“I came out this morning, and the Knight Order was here.”

“…And?”

“Then the defense Commander… no, the Knight Commander came and said she ordered the restoration, then asked me various things and started the restoration.”

“……So, now we have this bizarre sight of skilled Knights, good enough to join the Imperial Knight Order, restoring an ordinary shop run by a mere commoner?”

“To be precise, it’s a shop run by someone who *was* a commoner, right?”

…And Lily’s subsequent answer was shocking in many ways.

Of course, the most shocking part was the last bit.

That statement meant, in other words, that I was no longer a commoner.

The moment I regained my composure and was about to ask for more details, a very familiar voice came from behind me.

“That’s right, Lucia. No, First Citizen Lucia-nim?”

“……This is your doing again, Christie. And what’s with that bizarre title, ‘First Citizen’?”

“The Imperial representatives and the Emperor think very highly of you for taking down an Inquisitor by yourself. But, they couldn’t give you a noble title, you see.”

“So you made up this weird title?”

“To be precise, it’s the conferment of a quasi-noble status that was stipulated in Imperial law from before, to commoners who brought benefit to the Empire or served as role models.”

“Somehow, this is the first I’m hearing of it?”

“…Actually, it was a clause that most nobles, and even some representatives, were hearing for the first time.”

Saying I was hearing it for the first time wasn’t a lie; I genuinely was hearing it for the first time.

In the original work, there was no such title to begin with.

……I’m starting to feel the power and reliability of the original setting waning.

“……Even so, having Knight members come is a bit…”

“Well, they’re my troops.”

“…Christie, it seems you’re not cut out to be a good boss, you know.”

“The Ducal Family is also providing additional compensation, so isn’t that enough? Being sponsored by the Ducal Family holds more power than you think, you know?”

“……Correction, you’re the best boss.”

Honestly, I had forgotten, but now that I thought about it, I was officially sponsored by the Ducal Family.

…Huh, maybe I’m a bigger deal than I thought.

“Oh, and speaking of sponsors, I should tell you that it would be beneficial for you to show your next achievement soon.”

“…Next achievement?”

“The Ducal Family periodically checks the achievements of those they sponsor and holds banquets to share them.

Think of it as similar to the event where you were first introduced as a Ducal Family sponsor. Simply put, you just need to show a new potion.”

“……You’re not saying this because you don’t know what I’ve been through recently, are you?”

Actually, if you think about it, I *did* make new potions.

…The problem was that one was a potion mimicking the Inquisitor Commander’s main skill, and the other was a potion mimicking the enormous buffs granted by the Saintess.

And I hadn’t even made the latter yet.

The point was, both potions were highly unsuitable for a new potion showcase.

To publicly display such potions at a new potion showcase? At that point, I’d truly have no room to complain if I were dragged off to the Holy Kingdom as a heretic.

So, I glared alternately at the shop and Christie with a hint of annoyance, and Christie gave a small cough.

“Ahem, that’s why we’re restoring the shop quickly, aren’t we?”

“…Yeah, right, as if.”

“……But seriously, you haven’t made any new potions? I’m genuinely curious.”

Of course, regardless of that, Christie seemed to think I had already made new potions.

…Somehow, I feel like she’s getting to know me too well.

“…I have one, but it’s something I’d rather not show.”

“Huh? What’s it like?”

“I really don’t want to show it, you know. It’s not even something I can sell.”

“Aw, can’t you just show it a little?”

“……I said I won’t show it, didn’t I?”

Therefore, I deliberately acted a little sulky.

…Of course, putting everything else aside, it really wasn’t a potion worth showing.

To tell the person who was just in a meeting about how to screw over the Holy Kingdom that I made a potion using the magic of the Holy Kingdom’s Inquisitors?

Unfortunately, I wasn’t a strong-willed, manly man, but a timid wimp… no, a woman.

“Your unnie even gave you a good sword as a gift, and you’re going to be like that?”

“……”

“And, if you show it, who knows? The Ducal Family might provide more necessary ingredients or money?”

……And unfortunately, I wasn’t firm enough to flat-out refuse a request from my favorite character and closest person.

Well, actually, Christie might be okay, wouldn’t she…?

*Such a flip-flop, worse than a bat. As expected of a self-proclaimed wimp.*

‘…Shut up.’

Ria briefly interjected, but I casually ignored her and looked at the shop being restored.

…Under Lily’s command, who seemed to be subtly enjoying supervising and ordering the Knight members around, the shop was regaining its former appearance.

It seemed the restoration would be complete in a few hours.

……In other words, it also meant I had nothing particular to do for a few hours.

“Haaah…… Alright. Follow me for a moment.”

“…Do we need to change locations?”

“There’s really nothing good about showing it here.”

If I used the ‘Divine Restraint Potion’ here, wouldn’t those Knight members all draw their swords and come to beat me up?

No, it wasn’t just the Knight members; the people passing by would collectively freak out and run to the defense force.

Therefore, I had no choice but to drag Christie back home.

***

“…This is.”

“See? I told you it was a potion I’d rather not show.”

“Divine… power, no. You’ve reproduced that power exactly?”

“Similar. Items with divine power were used as ingredients.”

“…So there was a reason we came home.”

That was her reaction after I showed her the ‘Divine Restraint Potion.’

Actually, it was a natural reaction.

It was obvious this would happen, which is why I came home, and even up to the attic, to use this potion.

“Now, do you understand why I didn’t treat this as a ‘new potion’?”

“Indeed, if you publicly showed this, well, it would really cause big trouble.”

Saying that, Christie briefly looked around.

To be precise, at the various potion-making tools I had placed in the center of the attic and the various ingredients piled in the corner of the attic.

“…You make potions here?”

“Uh, yeah…? Is there a problem?”

“No. It’s just… I’m newly struck by how amazing and terrifying your ability is. You don’t need any grand equipment, yet you can make such powerful potions.”

“……If you actually tried making one, you wouldn’t say that, you know? How much mana and mental strength are consumed to make just one potion?”

Come to think of it, Christie seemed to be the first person I’d let into the attic to see my potion-making setup.

The cauldron and ingredients, the greatsword I received from Christie, the scarecrow to take hits from the greatsword for my stress relief, and the preparation table for processing ingredients.

…Something strange was mixed in there, but anyway, those were the things in my attic, my potion-making room.

“Oh, and now that I see it, that greatsword wasn’t properly enchanted, was it? Because it was sent in a hurry. Should I properly enchant it now?”

“It’s okay. Well… thanks to that, I’m actually using it even better.”

“Huh? Using it better, you say?”

“I can temporarily enchant it with magic using potions, you know? So I can temporarily imbue the sword with magic of various attributes.”

“……That’s not what it’s for, but… hearing you say it, I guess you would use it that way.”

“Then it’s fine, isn’t it? Actually, I got a lot of help from that sword yesterday. If not for it… I wouldn’t be relatively unharmed like this, you know?”

…Unfortunately, my joke didn’t seem to land that way with Christie.

Her expression clearly worsened, so I felt I needed to quickly change the subject.

“Uh, anyway! The sword… thank you. And now I need to make and experiment with other potions, so you should go.”

However, at my words, Christie paused for a moment and began to think about something.

…But why did I suddenly feel an intuitive sense of unease?

“By the way… since we’re already here, can you show me how you make a potion?”

……And then, the bomb dropped.