New Weapon – 2

“You’ll get the ingredients? You?”

“That’s right.”

Fortunately, it seemed her goal of making the elixir remained unchanged. The orange-haired woman didn’t deny my words and stared intently at me. Her orange pupils scanned me up and down.

Looking at her like this, she was quite tall, though not as tall as Minerva and I.

“……Well, seeing as you even know I’m making medicine, it seems you came prepared. Come in for now. It’s awkward to keep talking standing here.”

The woman, who had been leaning diagonally against the threshold, turned and gestured for me to follow her inside.

I also signaled Minerva to come in. Minerva, though still looking displeased, quietly followed me.

The inside of the house was quite neat. Overall, it felt very much like a space for someone living in the forest.

The orange-haired woman gestured for us to sit in the chairs around the table, then, as soon as she looked at Minerva next to me, she openly made a displeased face and clicked her tongue, as if to make sure we both heard it.

“There’s no chair for you. Oh dear, what should I do about being so sorry?”

She said that, but her face didn’t look sorry at all, and most importantly, there was clearly a chair placed right next to where I was sitting. Her intention was obvious.

I barely managed to calm Minerva, who was also making a displeased face. If I wasn’t careful, a fight might break out before we even got the weapon.

The woman, who had initiated the provocation, rested her chin in her hand with an indifferent expression and opened her mouth.

“So, where did you hear the rumor that I make weapons? It’s been quite a while since I quit blacksmithing. At least ten years. You’re too young to have heard my old rumors.”

“Well, I had a suitable source of information.”

I vaguely glossed over it.

In the game, if you complete a side quest given by an old NPC, that old man tells you to go here, but I just came straight here now.

For reference, if you don’t clear the quest given by the old man, the path here is blocked, preventing entry.

‘Wait, then how old is this person, exactly?’

The NPC in the original work was someone who had been a blacksmith for over 20 years, and she said herself that it had been over 10 years since she quit. So, if the setting is still the same, even if she started working at 10, she would be well over 40 now.

However, the woman in front of me looked so young that you’d believe she was in her teens, not her forties. There wasn’t a single blemish, let alone a wrinkle, on her face, and the skin on her arms, revealed beneath her short sleeves, was incredibly firm.

Could it be that women in this world maintain such an appearance without aging until just before they die of old age?

“Ugh. Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? That damn old geezer. I told him not to tell anyone my location, but he still did…”

The orange-haired woman grumbled softly.

“Alright, what’s done is done, so there’s nothing for it. What’s the point of blaming that old geezer now? Since things have come to this, let’s at least introduce ourselves. My name is Ceres. My profession, you probably already know since you came looking for me, so I’ll skip that. The rest is as you see it, and you?”

“I am Delta. And this person behind me is-“

“I am Minerva Scientia. The Eternal Mage, or the owner of the Great Library of Minerva, or if not that, the owner of Minerva’s Magic Tower. Call me as you wish.”

Before I could even introduce her, Minerva abruptly cut in. And she rattled off a string of epithets that hadn’t even been asked for. It seemed she had been eagerly awaiting this very moment to introduce herself.

“Minerva, the Eternal Mage? Are you really the Scientia I know?”

The orange-haired woman, who had introduced herself as Ceres, looked slightly surprised upon hearing that.

“Do you think there’s another Minerva in this world besides me?”

As Ceres acted as if she knew her, Minerva’s expression became slightly smug. To be so triumphant over something like that, it made me think she had truly thrown away all the dignity of a great mage who had lived for 400 years.

“You were called a figure from a really long time ago even when I was a child. How old are you, exactly?”

Of course, it was immediately shattered.

My eye twitched. I gave Minerva, who was subtly gripping her staff, another look begging her to calm down, then looked at Ceres.

“I wanted to ask you this earlier, but I would appreciate it if you could refrain from such words and actions as much as possible, Ceres-ssi.”

“Well, I grew up pretty rough since I was a kid, you see. I’m a woman who’s lived like this, so I can’t help it. And you’re the one who came looking for a weapon, aren’t you? You’re the one who’ll be disappointed, not me. If you really don’t like it, you can leave.”

Ceres shrugged her shoulders. Her attitude was truly as if she didn’t care whether we walked out the door and left. I also chuckled and retorted.

“Ceres-ssi, you’d be just as disappointed, wouldn’t you?”

“Me? Why me?”

“You certainly can’t acquire those elixir ingredients on your own, can you? That’s why you haven’t even been able to attempt making it for several years. In this situation, someone who can procure them for you has suddenly appeared. There’s no way you wouldn’t be disappointed.”

“……”

At my words, Ceres groaned and twisted a strand of her hair. The reason I could push her this confidently was because it was the same in the original work.

Because of that NPC’s personality, she initially acts as if she’s not disappointed at all, but if the player actually chooses the option to just leave, she quietly backs down.

Of course, her pride is incredibly strong, so the moment you choose the ‘leave’ option one more time, she’ll kick the player out, telling them she doesn’t need them and to just get lost.

Considering the words and actions this woman had shown so far, it seemed her personality hadn’t changed much, so I took a calculated risk. And my gamble hit its mark precisely.

“……I can’t deny it. If you really came to get those elixir ingredients for me, it would be a waste to let you leave like this. Alright. I’ll try my best not to pick a fight.”

Ceres quietly backed down. Minerva, seeing that the other party had conceded first, also relaxed the grip on her staff.

“Then let’s get to the main point. Since you even know I’m trying to make an elixir, there’s no need for lengthy explanations. The terms of the deal are simple. You get me the ingredients to make the elixir, and I’ll give you the weapon you want. Right?”

“Exactly.”

Hearing my answer, Ceres rested her chin on one hand and tapped the table with the index finger of her other hand, muttering.

“I don’t know where you got your information to be so confident, but… since you even brought Minerva, I guess I can trust you. It’s not like I have anything to lose anyway.”

Ceres, having finished her thoughts, straightened her posture. She hadn’t deliberated for long. It was a decisive resolution, typical of her personality.

“Good. Deal’s on. Then I’ll tell you the ingredients you need to get first. It’s okay to start right away, isn’t it?”

I nodded and focused intently. The fact that this woman was trying to make a specific medicine was the same as in the game, but its purpose would definitely be different. I was 100% certain.

If so, I also needed to know if the ingredients had changed. If the ingredients had also changed, then finding them would entirely depend on Minerva.

“First, Cardareias’s-“

Thump. Before Ceres could even finish her sentence, Minerva tapped the floor with her staff. Something well-compacted was summoned onto the table where we were sitting.

Both of us looked at Minerva with bewildered expressions.

“Why those expressions? Weren’t you about to mention Cardareias’s biological tissue?”

“Th-that’s right, but. How did you… before I even finished speaking…”

“A single mage in our Magic Tower handles more potions in a week than an ordinary person does in their entire life. Who do you think made all of them? Know that selecting potion ingredients is basic knowledge for mages.”

“B-but, to procure them this quickly-“

“Most potion ingredients are all stocked in the Magic Tower, and I, the Tower Master, can use them as I please. So I brought them for you, but why? Do you have a complaint?”

“……”

“……”

There was no way I could have a complaint.

The fact that the Magic Tower had elixir ingredients stocked was a blind spot I hadn’t considered at all. Minerva smiled slightly, looking at me.

“You have a very surprised look in your eyes, child.”

“Of course I’m surprised. I never imagined Minerva-nim would provide items from the Magic Tower.”

“It’s because I want to find the Crystal Scroll as quickly as possible. And, weren’t you calculating all of this from the start and brought me along?”

“Not at all. It’s troublesome if you overestimate me too much.”

How could I, by any common sense, have predicted a situation like this? Even if it’s me, I’m completely ignorant about knowledge outside of what came from the game.

I had simply intended to listen to the ingredient list, and if it matched the game, I already knew where they were, so I planned to teleport back and forth. If they were different, I would have borrowed Minerva’s power.

“Put your worries aside, child. If we return with the Crystal Scroll, all the mages in the Empire will revere you.”

That would be quite troublesome for me.

‘My worries aren’t folding, they’re about to unfurl completely.’

Minerva, whether she knew my inner thoughts or not, gave me her usual antique and mysterious smile, then turned her head towards Ceres.

“Continue.”

“Uh… uhm… then…”

After that, Minerva teleported each elixir ingredient onto the table as soon as Ceres mentioned it. I also listened to Ceres’s voice with one ear, comparing it to the list in my head.

‘……It’s all the same.’

All six ingredients were perfectly identical to those that appeared in the game.

This only raised a bigger question. If even the ingredients matched the game, what kind of medicine was she trying to make?

‘First of all, it definitely won’t be the same kind as in the game.’

I glanced sideways at the flowing orange hair behind her neck. The evidence that what was about to be made couldn’t possibly be the same medicine as in the game was right there, in plain sight.

“Finally… Holy Water imbued with Light.”

As soon as Minerva heard the words ‘Holy Water imbued with Light,’ she frowned slightly.

Indeed, even the last ingredient was identical.

And that item, called ‘Holy Water imbued with Light,’ was the culprit that made Ceres’s quest known as the most goddamn annoying quest in BraDk 4.

“That alone, I wouldn’t be able to give you. There’s an extremely small amount in the Magic Tower, but it’s literally an extremely small amount. It’s so rare that it’s difficult to even take it outside the Holy Nation. Bringing that…”

“Even I have some shame. How precious is that item? Do you think I’d ignorantly demand it? I’d never do such a thing. Well, that’s partly why I’m like this, too. Even if I could get everything else, where would a guy like me get Holy Water imbued with Light?”

“Ah, I can procure that.”

“Really, child?”

“Really?!”

Minerva and Ceres both looked startled at the same time. Ceres, in particular, was so surprised her eyes almost popped out.

I nodded and fiddled with the brooch in my pocket. With just this brooch, which proves I’m a guest of the Pope, I could get Holy Water imbued with Light by the barrel.

Though I don’t know if the unit ‘barrel’ is used here.

The real problem was how to bring it here, but since Minerva said it was entirely possible, the method of transport wasn’t an issue either.

“Th-then now…”

Ceres’s face brightened. Thinking she could finally make the elixir she had longed for, her heart seemed to be pounding.

“Ah, just a moment before that, Ceres-ssi.”

“Why?”

“That elixir, what is its purpose?”

I asked very seriously. Originally, I had intended to just let it go, but seeing that every single ingredient was identical to those in the game, I simply couldn’t gloss over it.

No matter how I thought about it, it didn’t seem like Ceres needed the same medicine as the NPC she was based on in the game.

Because, in the game, she was trying to make hair growth tonic with this.

But the woman in front of me, by all appearances, was far from someone who needed hair growth tonic. Unless that flowing orange hair was all a wig, of course.

“……Do I really have to say it?”

Ceres made a reluctant expression.

“It’s a personal curiosity. If you don’t want to say it-“

“No, no. It’s not like that. Haaahhh…”

I was about to say, ‘You don’t have to say it,’ but.

Ceres seemed to think I might use this to blackmail her, so she sighed and her lips twitched. I quietly closed my mouth. There was no need to correct a misunderstanding she had on her own.

Ceres, who had been tapping the table with a face full of anguish, twirled her hair around and around with her finger, then opened her mouth.

“……It’s a Pungyu-hwan.”

“Huh?”

The moment I asked again, wondering if I had misheard, Ceres yelled.

“It’s a boob-enlarging medicine! Got it, you motherfucker!”

As soon as I heard those words, I inadvertently, truly inadvertently, lowered my gaze slightly from Ceres’s face.

Her chest was flatness itself, as if she had bulletproof plates inserted inside. No, even if she had bulletproof plates inside, it would feel like there would be more curves than that. Her chest was so flat it made me wonder what it even was.

A wall? No. If it were a wooden wall, it would have far more curves than that. The same would be true for a stone wall. At best, only marble might be comparable to that.

Surely, the reason she acted so irritably towards Minerva was also-

“Hey…”

Startled. I snapped back to reality at the voice that came through her clenched teeth. Ceres was staring at me with the expression of a yaksha crawled out of hell.

“Where are you looking?”

“Ah.”

This was indeed my fault.