Chapter 164

C164: A New Medicine (1)

After the incident, Duke Heibaek also left because he had to say hello to other people.

The strong barrier disappeared, but no one approached him. Maybe it was because he had an argument with Caiden Lumos. They wouldn't approach him, just in case they annoyed the Lumos family.

If he knew this would happen, he would have done it earlier.

'But what was that chill just now?'

He felt like he's taken on some heavy responsibility without even realizing it.

'I'm going to kill some time and get out of here.'

He looked up at the sky from a corner of the banquet hall. Just in time, a group of birds was flying across.

'What?'

Something in the sky flew toward him.

'Bugs?'

Feeling something strange, he stared still at the flying bug flying toward him. As the distance shortened, the figure was clearly visible. It looked like a white scarab, and all kinds of letters were filling it like a pattern.

As far as he knew, there was only one person who used this kind of magic.

'Is it Sedina?'

One of Sedina Rosen's specialties was origami magic. Rather than using a crystal ball for direct communication, it was a secret magic that she often used.

The paper bug that came down on his palm soon returned to a small note and he carefully examined the contents of the note so that it would not be noticed by others.

'Hmm. This....'

The note had quite a long sentence, but this was the shortest summary of the content.

[Currently, other orders are showing suspicious movements, centering on Second Order Joanna.]

Joanna Lovett, Second Order and a survivor of the Great Fire of Roteng and a member of the Black Dawn Society.

'Joanna Lovett is moving? Has Esmeralda given any orders to her men?'

Thinking about it, he immediately concluded that she didn't.

'When I met Esmeralda that day, she wasn't expecting to bump into Crollo Fabius there.'

It was Joanna Lovett's job to run into Crollo Fabius in the alley that day.

'It is impossible to meet by chance. Probably Joanna Lovett acted on her own.'

The Black Dawn is a place where hierarchies are strong but a Second Order doesn't listen to a First Order?

'There is a possibility. Joanna Lovett is a survivor of the Roteng Great Fire.'

A picture began to be drawn in his head. First Order Esmeralda moves alone for revenge only but Second Order Joanna, moves on her own even though the First Order has not given her any instructions.

'Did the two fall apart?'

He covered my mouth with one hand and agonized. In the scene seen that day, Esmeralda did not blame or criticize Joanna. It's not that they're on bad terms. Maybe it's the other way around.

'The bond that those who survived the disaster that day can have.'

Joanna Lovett is probably worried about Esmeralda, so she's going to do it herself. In other words Joanna is acting on her own.

'If I do well, I'll have something to dig into.'

Even during the <Almighty Stone> incident, he vaguely felt that the Black Dawn Society was not a perfect organization. There are factions here, too, and there are even some who drag others down to climb high.

There is a mixture of people who do things at will or those who do not follow the orders of their superiors. It's probably because there are a lot of people that were brought in purely based on their abilities. Looking closely at the iron fortress, which looks solid from a distance, it is cracked and full of flaws.

The Black Dawn Society also had its weaknesses.

'I have to be prepared. I think I'll use up a lot of mana, so I'll make more medicine.'

* * *

Day 4 of the festival.

Rudger visited the drug room in the lab. Normally, it was a place where entry would have been strictly prohibited, but because of the festival many people visited it and were enjoying hands-on activities.

Pharmacy is a study that allows ordinary people to make simple drugs if they follow the instructions of experts. The very low entry barrier played a part because only the combination and ratio of the materials were well controlled.

Rudger visited the opposite place, not the beginner's section where the experience activities are taking place. It was a high-level drug room where only those allowed could enter.

'As I became a teacher of Theon, I can come to these places as I want and it's comfortable.'

He can make magic recovery pills on his own, but considering what's coming, he had to use something more effective than that. To do so, better materials and more detailed tools were needed and Theon drug room had it all.

'That's a lot.'

Rudger exclaimed inside as he looked at the material storage boxes that filled one wall of a large laboratory. This place was so full of all kinds of ingredients, to the extent that there was nothing missing.

"Metos leaves? It's hard to find them in the market because they're precious, but there are so many here?'

In terms of rarity alone, it was full of valuable materials. Seeing that there were ingredients that would eat up not only money but also time to get personally, he thought it was Theon after all.

'I can't believe I can use as much as I want as a teacher's privilege. I should have come a little earlier.'

Of course, it is essential to write down how many materials were used while manufacturing a certain drug. This is to prevent the possibility of stealing some materials.

'There is no need to steal anyway.'

He can use them freely, so why would he do that? After putting his name on his list, Rudger started to gather the necessary tools for making his medicine. Scale, beaker, dryer, tablet and all kinds of reaction reagents were prepared.

'If Belaruna saw this, her eyes would have turned upside down.'

For an elf who likes to manufacture drugs, this place must have looked like heaven. Rudger had such wild thoughts and arranged things in order so that they would be easy to use. Then he heard a tongue kick.

When he looked up, there was a familiar face on the experimental table opposite him.

"Rudger Chelici, what's your business here?"

Chris Benimore looked sharply at Rudger as he didn't expect to see him here and it was the same for Rudger.

"Then what is Mr. Chris doing here?"

"Don't you know when you see it? Of course, I'm here to make medicine."

"It's the same for me."

"Ha. Medicine?"

Chris Benimore snorted when he heard that Rudger was making medicine.

Pharmaceutical studies are easy to learn. However, it is based on the premise that there is a formula but Rudger didn't have a recipe right now.

Even Rudger, who is in charge of overall education in the specialized field, came to make medicine, so he just laughed.

"If you want to make medicine, isn't it better to be taught by the assistants in the beginner's section?"

It was a blatant sarcasm that his skills would not be enough, but Rudger didn't budge an eye. Rather, he threw a question in reverse.

"Then why is Mr. Chris here?"

"What does it mean?"

"You must have been interested in pharmacology."

At Rudger's words, Chris twisted his face.

"My main job is pharmaceutical science!"

"Did you have a job?"

"Don't you know what the Benimore family is like?"

The Benimore family has long been the greatest contributor to pharmaceutical science. In the past, they were unrivaled in manufacturing potions, so they did not miss the best position in the industry.

"I don't know."

However, Rudger did not know that because he had no reason to pay attention to the Benimore family.

Chris was speechless at his brazen answer.

"How dare you now, our Benimore family......."

"Then why didn't you teach pharmacology?"

Chris was at a loss for words at Rudger's question.

Why is he, the next head of the Benimore family, not teaching pharmacology in Theon?

"Well, that's...."

Chris hesitated to answer because Rudger's words pierced his sore spot.

The Benimore family used to be famous for their pharmacology, but now the trend has changed considerably.

This is because most of the medicines they make were mainly potions and now most of the drugs on the market are pills because they are easy to store, weigh less, and have no significant difference from potions.

Of course, there is still a demand for potions. However, compared to the time when it maintained its overwhelming market share in the past, it was minuscule.

Even the Benimores have basically been working on making medicine by hand. Now, with advances in science, it is now possible to manufacture drugs in much greater quantities and faster than ever before.

It was natural that the Benimore family, who had not adapted to the times, was slowly pushed out. That's why Chris Benimore teaches manifestation.

Pharmacology learned from families who have not adapted to change is not helpful in Theon now. On the other hand, manifestation is a field that represented magic the most over the years, that's why he chose it.

"......You don't need to know."

Chris had no choice but to answer like that.

Rudger's question was pure curiosity without any malice but Chris didn't think so.

'This guy. I'm sure he said this to mock me on purpose.'

Regardless of Chris's intentions, Rudger nodded as if he understood and organized the ingredients.

'That guy.'

Chris stared at Rudger and was surprised because his way of handling pharmaceutical tools was very natural.

'Does he have any knowledge of pharmacology?'

It can't be. Chris shook his head and got rid of his uneasy thoughts. However, even if he didn't want to be interested, his curiosity never disappeared.

Rudger is the man who invented the unique magic source code and the coordinate designation spell. He also heard that he recently improved the magic circle and even conducted a unique class called the magic square.

As a wizard, it was undeniable that he was a curious being, if not respectful and such a Rudger was making medicine now. Chris couldn't even figure out what drugs he was trying to make.

Maybe that's why he couldn't concentrate, so he had no choice but to pay attention to Rudger's work.

'What the hell are you trying to make?'

Rudger was naturally taking the materials that filled one wall, one by one. There was no thought or hesitation in his actions.

Chris narrowed his eyes to the boldness of not knowing the efficacy of each material.

'Is that ruble root? The efficacy is only 4th grade, but it is a grade 2 material because it is difficult to handle.'

All the ingredients he took one by one were unusual.

'From Petrasia leaves to cocoon buds. It's highly toxic, so you have to dilute it several times to use it. Did you choose that one? Are you trying to make poison to kill someone?'

All of them were reagent materials that were inherently dangerous, even if they weren't completely atrocious. Of course, assuming that the right drug is manufactured, the efficacy of the drug will be very high as the risk is high.

'All of them are for the purpose of exploding, raking, or amplifying mana.'

Using strong ingredients at once was bound to have far greater side effects than proper efficacy.

"I, there."

Perhaps Chris wasn't the only one feeling the anxiety, so the assistant in charge of the pharmacy came directly to Rudger and spoke carefully.

"What's going on?"

"Well, the ingredients you just took......Are you going to use them all?"

"Yes."

"They are both difficult to handle and have severe side effects. If used incorrectly, it will just blow up ingredients."

"It doesn't matter. I know how to handle them."

You know how to handle them? The instructor was dumbfounded by his remark.

'Huh. Are you trying to bluff?'

But looking at Rudger's serious expression, he seemed to believe him.

'I'll just let it go. If he fails, that's it.'

Still, it was a bit of a shame to let him just use those materials, but it was not the first time some teachers used materials on their own.

As an assistant, it was best to avoid unnecessary clashes. Still, he was going to keep an eye on Rudger just in case.

Rudger ignored the assistant's gaze and brought the ingredients to the experiment table and started manufacturing the medicine.

The assistant, who was watching the process carefully, opened his eyes without realizing it.

'What?'

It was the same for Chris Benimore, and the others who were peeping.