The pain from Nash and White Asparalance’s final stubborn resistance had mostly subsided, though a slight discomfort still remained.
Still, walking was no longer a problem.
After we finished harvesting the vegetables and were told we could take them with us, we gratefully accepted. Then it was time for Mizera’s long-awaited fun.
「Milord, milord! Look, look! It’s amazing! I’ve never seen medicinal body grass this big and full of life before!」
「Ohh. It really is impressive.」
「I wonder if it’s because the soil is different from normal vegetables? But it’s not just that, is it? The person managing it must be incredible too!」
Mizera’s excitement was so visible it was as if she had come to an amusement park for the first time. Seeing her so happy made me smile without thinking.
Still, I could understand why Mizera was so delighted. The medicinal herb field was truly magnificent.
Just as Mizera said, the leaves were glossy, fresh, and overflowing with vitality. They were thick and large. These medicinal body grass plants looked like they would have high success rates and strong effects.
Above all, the best part was that the medicinal herbs did not rampage!
If even the herbs here acted like that, I might have ended up hating leaves just like Shiro!
I do not know exactly what the difference is, but I do not need to know. As long as I can harvest them safely and without trouble, that is more than enough……!
「You two, next is over here. There are probably some rare medicinal herbs here that you cannot find outside.」
「Really? milord! Let’s go see!」
「Hmm. Yeah, got it. I’ll come right away.」
By the way, the medicinal herb gathering was guided by Cyan-san, with Mizera and me as the main participants. The others were looking at flowers and grasses that could be used for herbal tea or as spices in cooking.
I also wanted to take a look later, but I decided to first enjoy the medicinal herbs slowly with Mizera.
「This one is called 『Blood Knot』 vine. If you wrap it around your arm, it can stop bleeding at just the right strength. Ah, and this is probably 『Branden Apricot』. When you eat the fruit, it tastes like alcohol. It has medicinal effects too, but it’s more of a delicious fruit. Here, have some.」
「Hmm…… Ohh, hooo……. This is strong……」
A rich, mellow flavor like well-aged brandy spread across my tongue, followed by the sweetness of an apricot, and finally ending with the sharp punch characteristic of high-proof alcohol.
This is dangerous…… It has a proper fruit taste while still letting you enjoy the flavor of liquor from the fruit itself. That is quite interesting.
I could see myself nibbling on them little by little while doing hobby alchemy. However, they are also easy to eat, so they probably get you drunk quite quickly.
「Milord. If it’s strong alcohol, I probably can’t eat even one……」
「You don’t have to force yourself. If there are leftovers, I’ll eat them.」
「Yes. Thank you. Then…… amu…… nn! It has a strong alcohol taste, but it’s sweet and easy to eat.」
「Yeah. It’s delicious, isn’t it? I like it too. Ah, but if you get drunk from it, chewing on the leaf of the Branden Apricot should help. It’s extremely bitter, so it sobers you up.」
Hou. Extremely bitter, huh.
That could actually be useful in its own way.
Since it is growing in the medicinal herb field, it probably has medicinal effects as well. I was wondering how to deal with the taste of 『Thick Concentrated Reduced Tatanakunaaru The・End』, and bitterness might actually work……
Or perhaps preparing several different flavors would be good too.
As a small act of mercy, having some that taste good might also be nice.
「Next…… Ah, this one might be interesting too. Whistle Grass. Just blowing on it gives a relaxing effect.」
「Ohh. It actually makes sound.」
The leaf is curled up like a straw. It seems that just holding it in your mouth and sucking or blowing produces a sound.
I thought the relaxing effect came from the sound, but it appears the effect also works just from touching the part held in the mouth. I do feel my mind calming down a little.
「You can also roll and harden them into pills. The effect is stronger when you blow on it, but after harvesting it deteriorates quickly, so the pill form keeps longer.」
「Ohh…… Relaxing pills, huh. That sounds perfect for fatigue from work.」
If I could drink one of those, put a warm cloth over my eyes as an eye mask, and then zone out in a reclining chair, that would be the best.
I want to let every muscle in my body go limp and drift off into a dreamy world……
「By the way, Cyan-san is a guardian, yet you’re also very knowledgeable about medicinal herbs.」
「Yes. Maybe because my mother is a pharmacist. She taught me a lot.」
Mother…… That would be Ielo-san’s wife, the slender mother-type elf whose name was Mazetta, I think.
So that person is a pharmacist…… Hm?
「Pharmacist…… Alchemists can also make medicine, but they are treated differently?」
「That’s right. Both can make medicine, but alchemists combine various medicinal herbs and other materials to create compounds with complex effects. Pharmacists focus on enhancing the effect of a single material.」
「Ohh…… I see.」
For example, the upper limit of the effect of a potion made from medicinal body grass is fixed. To create a higher-effect potion, alchemists mix in medicinal great body grass or other types of herbs to boost the power.
However, pharmacists can enhance the effect of the medicinal body grass itself to the level of medicinal great body grass or even beyond.
「Hey, milord. If you can make medicine from a single material, does that mean pharmacists are more amazing?」
「Hmm…… I think it depends on the situation. If you want a single strong effect, pharmacists might be superior, but if you need multiple effects, alchemists are no less capable.」
Besides, alchemists do not only make medicine.
Mizera is still in the middle of learning, but she can also create accessories and magic tools, so when it comes to possibilities alone, alchemists have far more things they can try.
「Yes. Also, pharmacists usually make their medicine in pill form. The advantage is long shelf life and ease of carrying, I suppose? Another feature is that, unlike alchemist medicines, theirs do not carry magical power. But since most pharmacist medicines have only a single effect, I do not think one is clearly better than the other.」
「I see…… Pharmacists sound interesting too.」
「Oh. Are you getting interested?」
「Yes. I am curious what would happen if I used pharmacist-made pills as materials for alchemy.」
「Ohh. That is true.」
What would happen if I made a potion using pills that raised the effect of medicinal body grass to the level of medicinal great body grass?
Even if it is not just for potions, the range of possibilities would become enormous.
「Fufu. Then I will ask Mother to prepare some pills as souvenirs.」
「That would be a great help. May I ask her as well?」
「Yes. I will ask for you. Also, I will teach you how to harvest the herbs, so feel free to take as many as you like. This is one of Mother’s medicinal herb fields, so you do not have to worry about taking too much.」
Ohh. So Mazetta-san is a pharmacist and also grows medicinal herbs.
It might be worth trying to grow some rare herbs in my own garden as well.
Mizera seems interested in pharmacists too, so has the time finally come for my Farming skill to shine?
I acquired it thinking it might be useful someday, but it has never had a chance to be used……
Considering Wendy’s gardening space and the training area, I will not be able to make it very large, but it is still worth trying.
「Ah, right. There is an interesting tree, so let me show you.」
「An interesting tree? In the medicinal herb field?」
「Yes. I think you two alchemists will find something fun with it.」
A tree that brings fun things for alchemists……?
Mizera and I exchanged glances, but only question marks floated above our heads, so we quietly followed Cyan-san.
We were led to a spot where a rather peculiar tree was growing.
The tree had an abnormally thick trunk, wide enough for about four people to stand side by side, yet it was surprisingly short. A single short branch grew at about chest height in an unnatural way.
Moreover, near the bottom on the front side there was a large square hole that looked like a hollow. It felt out of place in a medicinal herb field.
「What kind of tree is this?」
The leaves growing from it seemed to be medicinal herbs, but their shapes were not uniform, so I could not tell what kind they were.
In fact, it looked as if various medicinal herbs and flowering plants had all been gathered onto this single tree.
「This is called the 『Gacha Tree』. It’s a fun tree that gives you the medicinal herbs you need.」
「Gacha……」
Eh, gacha…… meaning like a gacha machine?
Then does that short branch at that awkward height work as the lever?
And the square hollow is where the herbs come out?
It is an incredibly whimsical tree, but then again, this is another world…… Still, it feels almost too bizarre even for another world.
「By ‘needed’, does it mean herbs that match the person’s current health condition?」
「Not necessarily limited to health. Sometimes it’s for other reasons. It might be something you need right now or something you will need later. But the tree definitely gives you herbs you need.」
「Hmm? What kind of standard does it use……?」
「Well, it sounds interesting. Mizera, why don’t you try it?」
「Yes. Go ahead. If you pull this branch down, something will come out.」
「Then, since we’re here……」
Mizera placed her hand on the branch of the Gacha Tree and pulled it downward.
As expected, there was a loud ‘gacha’ sound…… Why does it even make that sound? Anyway, I was about to check what came out, but……
「Wawawa!」
Eh, it’s not just one!?
One after another, the same medicinal herbs keep pouring out like it is in fever mode. It feels more like a slot machine than a gacha.
Finally, it seemed to stop, but…… there are so many herbs here that we no longer need to harvest any from the field……
「This is, um…… a lot of medicinal body grass? And medicinal demon grass and…… Blue Rimple?」
「Hmm? But there is one medicinal great body grass mixed in.」
「What could this mean? What kind of situation would require this many……?」
「Hmm…… Isn’t it that? If you use this many medicinal body grass, your level will rise and you’ll be able to use medicinal great body grass? In a way, that means these are also necessary, right?」
「Yes. That could be it. When a pharmacist spun it, the same thing happened and a huge amount came out. After turning all of them into pills, her level went up.」
So, this must be the amount of medicinal body grass Mizera needs until her next level up.
……She really has been making potions every single day without rest.
「Is that so? Then…… I have to work hard.」
Mizera clenched her fists with renewed motivation.
She looked a little happy knowing the next level-up was not that far away.
Normally you never know exactly when your level will rise, so being able to see it clearly is probably great motivation.
Seeing a disciple grow really makes me happy.
I wonder if Reinrich felt this way too?
「Then it’s milord’s turn next.」
「Yeah. I’m looking forward to what comes out…… Huh? The number of leaves has decreased?」
Just a moment ago the tree was covered in a thick mass of various leaves, but now quite a few seem to be gone……?
「Yes. Every time you spin it, the leaves decrease. If there are no leaves left, no herbs will come out. Over time it absorbs nutrients from the soil and the leaves grow back. There should be enough for one more spin, so Master-sama can try it too.」
Oh, of course you cannot spin it endlessly or it would be too convenient.
Well, since we are here, I might as well give it a try.
I wonder what will come out for me?
With my chest swelling slightly with anticipation, I pull down the lever.
Just like with Mizera, there is a loud ‘gachan’ sound from the tree, and several medicinal herbs and what look like fruits spill out from the hollow……
Since I did not recognize any of them, I used Appraisal to check their names.
『Great Galio』
『Perfect Macca』
『Royal Wooster Scorpio』
『Suppo Garana』
All of these are things I have never handled before.
Some of them sound vaguely familiar, though. For example, Galio is garlic, right?
Hmm…… I wonder what kind of effects they have.
「Cyan-san. I’ve never seen these herbs before. What kind of effects do they have?」
「Eh!? Ah, th-these…… They are all rare medicinal herbs that only grow in the elf forest!」
「Is that so? Then, what are their effects?」
「Um, the effects are…… for men…… um, a man’s that…… becomes really, really strong…… I think?」
Cyan-san’s face turned bright red, or rather, gradually grew redder, as she told me in a voice that grew smaller and smaller.
I see……
Great Galio. Galio is garlic. “Great” means it is extremely potent garlic.
Then Macca…… is probably maca? “Perfect” so it is perfect maca.
Royal Wooster Scorpio.
Royal is royal jelly? Wooster is oyster? Scorpio is…… surely not scorpion?
And Suppo Garana…… could that be soft-shelled turtle and guarana?
Since they are all plants, they probably do not literally contain those things, but their effects are similar.
……Eh, these are the herbs I need?
Garlic, maca, royal jelly, oyster, scorpion, and soft-shelled turtle with guarana? Or rather, I will need them in the future?
What kind of situation would require that……?
Um…… Mizera? Could you stop turning your face away?
I don’t need them right now, okay?
It just means there is a possibility I might need them in the future.
The future could be ten years from now for all I know!
Wait, wait, don’t go report this to Wendy and the others.
Look! It’s not that I’m going to use them. Maybe, just like Mizera, if I use these for alchemy I might, though it’s unclear, raise my alchemy level to 10!?
Even Reinrich hasn’t reached level 10, so it’s probably impossible anyway!
No, I must not jump to conclusions.
There might be some other use that Cyan-san doesn’t know about, right?
We are alchemists. We can create medicines with all kinds of complex effects!
So I am sure we can make medicines that do not have that kind of effect either. Could you please not create such an awkward atmosphere!?
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