Isekai Nonbiri Sozai Saishu Seikatsu - Chapter 173

Gail, the village chief, let Lumia and me stay at his house, and we decided to return early the next morning.

Most of the dark elves had apparently partied too hard last night and were still in bed.

Those who came to see us off included Gail, his daughter Leilushka, and a few other dark elves.

Since a grand send-off would have been a bit embarrassing, a small group like this felt more comfortable.

“So, you’re leaving already?”

Leilushka looked at us wistfully as we boarded the carriage.

Even though we had only spent a single day together, we had formed a bond that felt much deeper due to our intense experiences—gathering materials and fighting for our lives together.

While part of me wanted to learn more about her and the dark elves, unfortunately, we couldn’t stay any longer.

“I would have liked to stay a bit longer, but unfortunately, I have an impatient client waiting for me…”

“You mean Klaus, right?”

Lumia laughs, but her guardian is also included.

That aloof alchemist becomes incredibly overprotective when it comes to her apprentice.

Considering she even provided her with an item imbued with her own magic, like the electric orb, her level of concern was easy to gauge.

“That’s right. You two are adventurers in the middle of a mission. In that case, it wouldn’t be good to hold you back. Lumia, Shuu, thank you very much for everything.”

“No, no, we should be thanking you, Leilushka. You really helped us out. We just did our part.”

“If we get another chance, please let us visit again. Next time, we’ll take our time gathering materials.”

“Of course, you two are always welcome. I’m truly looking forward to that day.”

After exchanging farewells with Leilushka, I slowly started the carriage.

Leilushka and the other dark elves waved us off until we were out of sight.

“Alright, let’s head back to Grantel.”

“Yes!”

♦ ♦ ♦

We traveled north from Leilushka’s village for a week.

And we finally to return to Grantel.

Passing through the castle gates, we saw familiar houses and cobblestone streets.

We had been away for just over two weeks, but it felt nostalgic.

Feeling relieved to be back meant that this place had truly become home for me.

After returning the rented carriage, I decided to take Lumia to the shop first.

Delivering to Klaus could wait. For now, making sure she got back safely was the priority.

As we walked west from the square, we saw Saffy’s shop.

Looking inside through the window, we saw Saffy sitting at the reception desk, looking bored.

She was tapping her fingers on the table, seeming a bit restless.

She probably guessed we’d be back around this time and was eagerly waiting for us.

“Seeing Saffy at the reception desk just feels strange.”

“It really does.”

Lumia usually handles the shop and customer service while Saffy is either mixing concoctions in the workshop or sleeping upstairs.

With a chuckle, I opened the door, and Saffy stood up.

“Oh, Lumia. Finally back. Now I can be free from all these bothersome chores.”

“Really, Master? Is that the first thing you say when I come back?”

As usual, Saffy’s words were curt, but there was a noticeable relief in her expression.

She looked much more relaxed than when I had peeked in earlier.

“Master, what’s with this chaotic display!?”

Just when I thought Lumia would relax after coming back to the shop, she exclaimed in shock at the sight.

“Hmm? Is it that bad?”

“You’re supposed to organize them by type! Don’t just place them all randomly!”

When I looked closer, I saw that the items on the display shelves were indeed a mess.

A recovery potion was placed right next to a strength potion, with another recovery potion beside it—everything was mixed up.

While the different colors of the liquids made it unlikely for anyone to confuse them, it was still possible for someone to grab the wrong one, and it was incredibly hard to find anything.

“…I see. I didn’t know that.”

“Master, as the head of the workshop, you should be aware of these things. And placing potions so high up—what if a customer accidentally knocks one down?”

“In that case, I’d charge the customer for the potion and cleaning fees for the damages.”

“That’s a terrible business practice! Master, honestly…”

For the past two weeks, it seemed Saffy had been running the shop alone, and things had gotten out of hand in Lumia’s absence.

Master-level alchemists apparently struggle with shop management.

I’m a bit worried about how this shop will function if Lumia ever leaves for good.

“Shuu, how was the gathering in the wetlands?”

To avoid further scolding, Saffy deliberately changed the subject.

“Thanks to the items you and Lumia made, it was much easier to get around.”

The black slime gloves, case, slime boots, and raincoat were incredibly useful in the marshlands.

Without them, gathering there would have been much more time-consuming.

“That’s good to hear. I’m glad they were helpful.”

“Thank you as always, Saffy-san.”

“No, no, Shuu, you take care of Lumia, so this kind of support is the least I can do.”

Saffy is a master-class alchemist.

Being able to embark on adventures with support from such a skilled alchemist makes me undeniably fortunate.

“How was Lumia in the wetlands? She didn’t hold you back, did she, Shuu?”

“Not at all. She was incredibly helpful with appropriate first aid and item support.”

As I recounted Lumia’s contributions in the wetlands, she looked bashful while Saffy nodded in reassurance.

“That’s good to hear. By the way, Lumia, were you able to collect the toxic materials safely?”

“Yes, Shuu, please.”

At Lumia’s request, I took out the various toxic materials from my magic bag.

There were poison sacs from swamp toads, Dokudoku mushrooms, Tarantos poison thorns, Caicedor’s poison needles, Eos’ venomous fangs, poison cactus mushrooms, and more.

“Oh, this is more than I expected. With this quantity, I can gain a lot of knowledge about toxins. Hmm, aside from toxic materials, there are various other materials—what!?”

As Saffy was examining the materials spread out on the table, she suddenly exclaimed.

“Shuu! Could this be material from a Geinos!?”

“Ah, yes. We were attacked while investigating the marsh, so we defeated it.”

“Encountering a creature that’s practically a legend… you’re either very lucky or very unlucky…”

“Definitely unlucky.”

All I want is to peacefully gather materials.

Yet I keep running into dangerous monsters—why does this keep happening?

Maybe I have some kind of bad luck skill I’m not aware of.

“Even so, this is incredible. The Geinos is so rare that it’s difficult to even find, let alone defeat. Its materials are said to appear on the market once in a century. Can I really have this?”

“Yes, Lumia also helped in the battle.”

Since I didn’t defeat it alone, Lumia certainly has the right to a share.

We already discussed the distribution of materials on our way back, so there’s no issue with that.

“Yippee! I did it!”

“Master, I understand you’re excited, but Shuu is here, so please…”

Lumia tried to calm Saffy, who was so excited she was almost incoherent.

When we first obtained the materials, Lumia was just as thrilled, but she had calmed down considerably since then.

Both of them get extremely excited about alchemy materials; they really are alike in that way.

“So, this is another material from Geinos… Saffy, would you want this as well?”

“Want.”

When I placed the case containing the Geinorth’s eyeball on the table, Saffy immediately responded.

“Shuu, you understand how valuable this material is, right? The Geinos’s eyeball can be used as a catalyst for all kinds of potions and can create top-tier, highly specialized potions. I really want this.”

Saffy leaned in closer, speaking with great enthusiasm.

“Right. But it seems this is also an excellent catalyst for medicines, and my client, Klaus, will likely want it too.”

“Did Klaus specifically request Geinos materials?”

“No, he didn’t specify it formally. However, he did mention that if we found any good toxic materials, he would like to buy them.”

Even Klaus wouldn’t be so unreasonable as to ask for materials from such a dangerous creature.

“…Hmm, in that case, there’s room for negotiation. Alright, let’s go to Klaus’s place right now.”

“What? Right now!?”

“Of course. Let’s go quickly!”