Like Shaping on a Potter's Wheel

Ramiza-san began speaking, her hands moving as if turning a potter's wheel.

"What I just handed to the Viscount is essentially an antidote potion."

"An antidote potion, you say. The color does resemble those I'm familiar with. But the commercially available ones are wholly insufficient against that labyrinth's poison. My soldiers have proven as much."

His face practically said, "If it were that simple, we wouldn't be struggling."

The viscount's expression was written with worry and frustration.

"Of course, Your Lordship. I'm sure you've endured great difficulties over this. Likely your ancestors before you as well, generation after generation."

"Indeed. You could call it our family's longstanding wish. The last time it activated, we hired high-ranking adventurers, but the labyrinth took so long to clear that the treasury nearly collapsed. It was nothing like the smooth operation your party managed. That is precisely why I need to know how. Don't think you can fob me off with a common antidote potion."

There was no fooling him that easily.

Talking our way around it wasn't going to work.

All I could do was trust Ramiza-san to handle it.

She'd told me she'd make sure it worked out, but…

"This antidote potion differs from the commercially available kind. Standard ones extract compounds from plants with antitoxin properties, such as dokudami, henzu, and kikarasuuri, then combine them with a base potion to enhance the effect. They're inexpensive and broadly effective, but the trade-off is that they can't handle potent toxins."

Even I used them for basic disinfection.

They worked well enough for mild poisons, so I kept a stock in my bag.

"The monsters that appear in the poison labyrinth are primarily reptiles and amphibians. A Chimera lurks at the deepest level, but curiously, the toxin it uses is identical to the reptilian variety. In other words, if you calibrate the antidote specifically for those two types, you can produce a potion that sacrifices versatility for extremely high efficacy. Add a sedative compound to that, and you can guard against the mental disorientation caused by the dark-attribute effects."

"Hmm… I see. You can tailor it to the specific monsters. But what about the poisonous air permeating the labyrinth itself? That's what drives the difficulty up so much, in my estimation."

"That's less of a toxin and more of a miasma, so a priest's purification should be able to mitigate its effects. The concentration does increase the deeper you go, but if the goal is periodic culling rather than a full clear, the lower floors should suffice."

"Rather than mounting a full assault every time it activates, use regular culling to keep it dormant?"

The more common approach to dealing with labyrinths was culling, actually.

Labyrinths that were popular with adventurers for their materials stayed constantly culled and never activated at all, I'd heard.

An active labyrinth yielded better rewards but was far more dangerous, with larger monster populations.

If regular culling was feasible, it minimized casualties.

So the labyrinth's smoke had been miasma all along.

That was why it had dissipated when Elza-san put up her barrier.

Had Ramiza-san figured it out after seeing that, I wonder?

A master alchemist's skill was no joke.

"With this antidote potion and priestly purification, my own garrison could handle the culling without hiring adventurers?"

"Yes. It won't be a fundamental solution, but as a stopgap measure, it should be more than sufficient."

"What goes into it?"

"I don't mind sharing, but reproducing it without me would be quite difficult…"

"An alchemist's proprietary recipe, is what you're saying."

The viscount set the potion on the table, covered his mouth with his right hand, and sank into thought.

He was running the numbers in his head.

"The fact that you've shared this much tells me… you'd be willing to supply this potion when needed?"

"Certainly. I have a shop in the city of Kassad, so you're welcome to purchase it there. Alternatively, you can go through Yohane… through the political officer's trade company. Consider that sample a gift."

"I see, I see. Very well. That's more than sufficient. We'll test it, and if there are no issues, I'll take you up on that."

It seemed the viscount was reasonably satisfied with the arrangement.

Hiring us for a quest was, if I was being honest, quite expensive.

That was just a reflection of how much our adventurer rank had risen.

If the viscount's own forces could handle it, even after factoring in the cost of potions, it would be a better deal.

"Oh, but here I've gotten so absorbed in the conversation. I've prepared lunch as thanks. The commission fee will go through Yohane the political officer, so you all just enjoy the food."

The viscount clapped his hands, and dishes were brought out.

Meat pie, river fish pasta, lamb steak, all served with bread.

Dessert was a fruit platter.

"It may be modest compared to the royal palace, but everything is made from local ingredients. Good stuff."

"Thank you for the meal."

I picked up my knife and fork and ate.

I'd studied my table manners thoroughly.

I was a bit stiffer than the others, but I thought I managed to be presentable.

The food was on the salty side, but after sweating so much, it was just right.

I ate while nodding along and smiling politely at the viscount's stories.

If it had been bragging, I would have been put off, but he talked about the region's history and the uses of lumber, genuinely interesting stuff that kept me engaged.

"By the way, I heard one of my soldiers caused you trouble. I appreciate you handling it quietly."

"It wasn't anything serious."

"From my perspective, I'd like to maintain good relations with you and Yohane the political officer. Since joining the royalist faction, things have been looking up thanks to the Royal Capital's reconstruction. It's all thanks to Queen Tianis."

Queen Tianis seemed to be doing well.

She was close to my age, yet she was moving an entire nation. Incredible.

I couldn't begin to imagine doing the same.

"… Yohane-kun has been looking into the Finance Minister, hasn't he?"

"Yes, more or less."

"Then you might want to meet the father of the soldier who pestered you. He used to be with the Adventurer Insurance Association."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Various things happened and he's focused on forestry now, but given that his son caused you trouble, he'd at least be willing to talk."

An unexpected connection had emerged.