Strongest Swordman’s Re:START

As soon as Astard departed, Merc grabbed a basket and began scurrying around the house. She returned after about a half-hour.

“Welcome back Miss Merc. What are you carrying?” Kena inquired, puzzled, as soon as she saw Merc enter the house.

Merc simply responded with a shake of her head and the words, “Nothing much. I see you’ve come back from shopping. Where’s Tetem?”

“Tem1 is right here.”

Merc looked behind Kena’s back and saw a small girl who appeared to be hiding. Despite the fact that they hadn’t spent much time together, they appeared to have developed a close relationship. On the other hand, Tetem appeared to be on the fence about Merc.

“I guess I’m not her type.”

“Tem. This kind person here is Miss Merc.”

“……”

Kena said, attempting to defuse the situation, but Tetem’s expression remained unchanged. She kept her grasp on Kena’s sleeve, unwilling to be friendly.

“Oh well, nothing we can do. I’m sorry to ask, but since she’s grown fond of you, would you mind looking after her, Kena?”

“Of course not.”

“Astard is probably at the Guild right now. I’ll be using his room, so don’t be alarmed if you hear noises.”

“Okay.”

Merc walked resolutely towards Astard’s room with the basket after exchanging greetings with Kena. Astard had told her to use it to her heart’s content, and Merc had every intention of doing just that.

“What should I make…”

Merc strewed the items she’d acquired on the desk after taking a look around.

Grass, tree trunks, branches, and leaves made up the bulk of her findings. Mostly things that children loved to play with. However, in Merc’s eyes, they were valuable materials. She intended to use these materials to make drugs.

Despite the fact that Astard’s room was not as well-equipped as Rosemary’s, there was still some research equipment in it. Merc had all of the equipment required to produce practically any drug.

The question was which drug to make.

Hmph… Let’s start with Analgesic Blood-Stopping Medicine, a Mana Recovery Drug, and an Antipyretic.

Merc also intended to stock up on some drugs, but the main goal of this concocting session was to repay Kena.

This was Merc’s way of saying thank you for the clothes. Kena was still young, so she might have loved jewelry and fashionable clothing, but she also desired to be Astard’s disciple. If she was to be his disciple, drugs like the Blood-Stopping Medicine would undoubtedly come in handy.

Merc got right to work and finished what she had planned in no time. She expected it to be difficult because she hadn’t done it in a while, but to her delight, muscle memory pulled through admirably.

“Phew. That didn’t take long. Oh yeah. I should make that. They might not need it, but you never know.”

Merc began making a new drug after sifting through the leftover materials. The name of that drug was Stamina Recovery Drug. It was frequently used to restore a patient’s stamina in circumstances of severe blood loss or fatigue. It also helped with fevers, colds, and other indicators of fatigue.

It was, however, widely utilized for a different purpose that had nothing to do with its intended one. Namely, bedroom rodeo.

Astard isn’t young anymore. If they decide to do something and that doesn’t perform as it should, Kena will surely be disappointed.

Merc began producing the Stamina Recovery Drug after persuading herself.

Even though it was clearly too early for it to be used, Merc still decided to make it should the worst come. Given Astard’s dullness, it would seem natural for Merc to deliver the drug to him directly, but she opted not to go that far.

She would surely be overstepping her boundaries.

“This place is a mess!”

Astard returned from the Guild just as Merc finished her laborious tasks. His eyes widened in surprise as he entered the room, and his brow furrowed.

“I’m sorry. I just finished. I’ll clean up right away.”

“It’s fine. Regardless, Alchemy is extremely intriguing. I’d like to learn how to make drugs from twigs and weeds one day as well.”

Astard said as he examined some of the materials while Merc was cleaning up the room. Despite his status as the Great Sage and his vast knowledge, he appeared to be a novice when it came to Alchemy.

“In that case, I’ll teach you when I have the chance.”

“I’ll pass. Learning from you would be mortifying.” Astard said proudly.

“Have it your way then.” Merc said, her face distraught.

“That aside, there are some matters that we need to discuss. As you know I went to the Guild to contact Duke Lezau and…”

“You went to contact the Duke? Is the Duke at the Guild?”

Merc asked, cutting Astard off.

She knew that he’d gone out to visit the Guild, however, she didn’t know he’d done it to contact the Duke. Astard calmly shook his head in response to Merc’s question.

“If only we were that lucky. The Guild has a Magic Stone that can contact the Duke. I used that.”

“They sure have some useful things. Wait… I feel like I’ve heard that somewhere.”

When Merc rummaged through her memories, she remembered Totoara’s party, the Keepers of the Wind, discussing the same topic earlier that day. Unfortunately, Merc had been preoccupied at the time, so she hadn’t heard much.

“I learnt from our discussion that the Duke has also employed adventurers for a reconnaissance mission. We’ll be able to apprehend Count Fonan using their information as well as the documents you brought.”

“That’s perfect! So the Count will be apprehended soon.”

Merc exclaimed happily. Astard, on the other hand, crossed his arms and his expression darkened.

“Unfortunately, the Duke’s soldiers will have to question Count Fonan in person for the sake of appearances. As a result, it’s possible that the Duke’s men will take two, three, or even four or five days to arrive.”

“What? By that time, the Count will have realized that his documents have been stolen!”

“That’s right.”

It’s also likely that Count Fonan was already aware that his papers had been stolen.

“However, until then, there will certainly be men keeping an eye on the Count. I’m hoping the Count doesn’t try anything stupid when he discovers he’s in a dangerous situation.”

“……”

Sadly, Merc felt that Astard’s wish would never come to pass.