Chapter 137: Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote
◆ King ◆
I am Rodolphin Karnel Dol Tion, King of the Kingdom of Tion.
I was very troubled.
The reason being, unusual problems have been occurring one after another recently.
Dragon attacks, the roaming of many dangerous monsters starting with the Evil Boar.
Furthermore, a coup d’état by a part of the Knight Order… no, should I say this was prevented beforehand, or rather, they turned themselves in for some reason.
And the secret maneuvering of legendary Demons…
Each is a major event that happens once in decades, yet they are occurring one after another in just a few months.
It can only be called abnormal.
“No, really, isn’t this country cursed?”
“Your Majesty, please do not say careless things.”
The Prime Minister, who has sharp ears and heard my monologue, offers advice.
Eei, let me at least grumble.
“I know. I won’t say it where others are present.”
Currently, the only ones in the office are me, the master of the room, and the Prime Minister who came to report.
“And next is that, huh…”
“Yes, it is that. It seems to be much earlier than anticipated.”
Originally, there should have been a grace period of several decades, but… already?
“I wished it would stay quiet at least during my reign…”
Of all things, for even that to start moving, it is utterly detestable.
“Damn Devils…”
◆
“There are many monster subjugation requests, aren’t there?”
“Right, and many of them are poisonous monsters too.”
Having finished our request, we were looking at the request board while waiting for the assessment of the monster materials we hunted on the way.
According to Liliera, checking the request board to gather information is an essential skill for adventurers, even if we don’t plan to take any requests.
In fact, despite everyone scrambling for requests in the morning, the request board with only leftovers has many subjugation requests for poisonous monsters posted.
“Poisonous monsters are troublesome because antidotes are needed. Besides, every request lists monsters with multiple poisons. No, rather, only such troublesome requests remained.”
“Remained?”
“Yes, since the type of antidote to prepare changes depending on the type of poison, parties without a priest who can use antidote magic that can deal with any poison don’t want to accept them.”
“Huh? Then why not just use the All-Purpose Antidote Potion?”
“Buying such expensive potions wouldn’t pay off. Look, most of the clients are villages, right? The reward is mediocre, so it’s a guaranteed deficit.”
“Eh? But if it’s just the poison of monsters written on the request list, I think the Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote can deal with it sufficiently? In that case, even this reward would yield enough profit. If I recall, the ingredients for the Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote are…”
“Wa-Wait a minute, Rex! Don’t say any more!”
Suddenly, Liliera covers my mouth.
“Mugu?”
“Don’t try to say something amazing casually. This is inside the Guild.”
Eh? What’s the problem with being inside the Guild?
“Umm, I don’t know if Rex really knows how to make that… Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote? But if you casually mention a medicine recipe that isn’t on the market, everyone will imitate it in no time.”
When Liliera says so and looks around, the adventurers around us turn their faces away all at once.
Ah, even the Guild staff.
Does that mean everyone was listening to our conversation?
“Rex is an S-rank adventurer, one of the few on the continent, so information coming from your mouth could become priceless information to those around you, even if it’s obvious to you.”
No no, I don’t think a mere Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote has that much value.
Then Liliera lowers her voice and says.
“Listen, Rex. We don’t know about Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote. I don’t know where you got that knowledge, but we don’t know it.”
Everyone doesn’t know about Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote? That’s impossible!?
In the life before my previous one, it was such common knowledge that not only church priests but even downtown children made it themselves and delivered it to shops to earn living expenses!
“Besides, with monsters of this level, the villages aren’t in immediate danger. If they endure for a while, patrol knights coming to inspect the villages in the territory will come, and if they report to them, the Knight Order will move. That’s what taxes are for.”
Heh, so when village people are troubled by monsters, they can rely on the Knight Order like that.
My village exterminates monsters by ourselves, so we’ve never been attacked by monsters serious enough to rely on the Knight Order.
My village was lucky.
“It’s not a monster that even the Knight Order can’t touch like that one that attacked our village. Just having hope that something can be done makes these people better off…”
Liliera mutters while narrowing her eyes.
That’s right, Liliera‘s village was attacked by a Venom Rex with deadly poison and had a terrible time.
“…But in that case, shouldn’t we teach the village people how to make the Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote even more?”
“Eh?”
“True, the monsters posted on the request board might not be as threatening as the Venom Rex. But making a request means everyone is troubled after all. Then, to help those who are troubled even a little, the preparation method for Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote should be spread to the world.”
I don’t know if the preparation method for Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote has really disappeared from the world.
Maybe it’s just that around the Demon Beast Forest where Liliera has been active for many years, various medicinal herbs can be collected, so there was no need for Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote and nobody knew the preparation method.
But if there are people troubled by monster poison like Liliera and the others in the past, I don’t think it’s wrong to want to help them.
Besides, it’s just a Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote preparation recipe after all!
“Rex… you are really a soft-hearted person.”
Liliera sighed as if amazed, but her face was filled with obvious relief.
As expected, Liliera was also worried about the clients.
Even if something can be done if they wait, they are still worried during that time.
“Hmm, but how shall we go spread the medicine preparation recipe to the villages making requests? If we go all the way to the villages, it’s better to accept the requests in bulk, right?”
“Right…”
“In that case! Please leave it to us, the Adventurer’s Guild!”
“Uwah!?”
Suddenly speaking to us was the receptionist who ran from the reception desk out of breath.
“I heard your conversation. If that’s the case, by all means, please let us distribute the medicine through the Adventurer’s Guild!”
“Through the Guild!?”
“Yes! If it’s us, the Adventurer’s Guild, we have branches in various places, so when clients come to ask for work, we can immediately sell the Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote Rex mentioned!”
“Umm, I thought of making the medicine preparation recipe public though…”
“Yes, I understand what you say. But even if there is a medicine preparation recipe, the ingredients are not necessarily available. There might be lands without only some ingredients, or lands where medicinal herbs were devoured by monsters! Furthermore, there might be villages where dangerous monsters are in the forest preventing gathering, or where there are no personnel capable of preparation in the first place!”
I see, that might certainly be true.
“That’s where we, the Adventurer’s Guild, come in. If it’s us, we can constantly issue gathering requests to adventurers, so we can constantly secure medicine ingredients, and we can also make it a new source of income for rookie adventurers!”
Ooh, there is such a way of thinking.
Rookies can earn rewards and the Guild can always secure medicine ingredients; indeed, it’s nothing but good things.
“Wait a minute, that way only the Guild benefits, and there’s no profit for Rex.”
Then Liliera interrupts the conversation.
“Yes, of course, I understand that. Therefore, as the Guild, we intend to pay a part of the medicine sales to Rex.”
“In exchange for keeping the recipe secret, you pay a usage fee, is it?”
“Exactly. The profit per antidote will be minimal, but if it works on any poison, many adventurers will buy it just in case. If that accumulates, it will be a considerable amount. Don’t you think the passive income obtained that way will be a big source of income after Rex retires from being an adventurer!”
“Re-Retirement?”
Suddenly being talked to about retirement, I am taken aback.
“Yes, adventurer work is dangerous, you see. The risk of suddenly getting seriously injured one day and being unable to continue the adventurer business is high. In such a time, don’t you think life would be much easier if there was money obtained from the contract with us?”
I see, indeed, in the Great Swordsman Liegard’s adventures, there was a story about a skilled adventurer who was forced to retire young due to injury and became desperate.
The skilled adventurer who became an alcoholic taught his specialty technique used during his active days to Liegard only after being begged repeatedly.
And because Liegard achieved a difficult request thanks to the technique he taught, he came to be employed by the Guild as an instructor for rookies.
The receptionist is negotiating to ensure I won’t have trouble living even if I retire in the future like that skilled adventurer.
“Well, if that’s what you mean, I can understand.”
Liliera also seems convinced by the receptionist’s explanation.
“Understood. If that’s the case, I will teach you the recipe for the Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote I know. However, since it’s strictly a low-grade antidote, it has no effect on strong poisons, okay?”
“Yes, I understand that! I will properly explain that when selling!”
“Ah, but what happens to normal antidotes? If the Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote spreads, sales of those will drop and won’t you buy resentment from various places?”
Eh? That’s scary!?
Buying resentment due to interests was enough in the life before my previous one!
“We will segregate them by making a price difference, so please do not worry. It will be fine if we make it more expensive than specific poison medicines.”
The receptionist easily solved Liliera‘s concern.
Hmm, dealing with roughnecks daily, her problem-solving ability is high.
As expected of a receptionist of the Royal Capital’s Adventurer’s Guild.
Thus, by entrusting the sale of the Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote to the Adventurer’s Guild, I became able to continue receiving a part of the medicine sales.
“Man, recently we were troubled because many monsters flowing from the Rotten Earth were coming! With this, dealing with requests will become a little easier!”
“Rotten Earth?”
Huh? I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere?
