Chapter 131 The Power Of My Juniors
The day after seeing Lukas and his friends off, 2 people came to visit me at the inn where I was staying. Those 2 were,
"Lauraaa!"
"Iris And Basilio-san too!"
My cute juniors, Iris and Basilio-san, who had been synthesizing healing potions in my place at the Flaria branch, targeted by monsters.
After it was decided that we would conduct an investigation here, Arnold had contacted the Flaria branch once. It wasn't a formal request for cooperation, but rather a casual mention that we might borrow the synthesis room in case of an emergency, and that's when I told them that I was in Flaria.
I didn't go to meet them because I didn't want to disturb their work, but――never did I expect them to come visit me.
"I've heard the rough outline of the story. Something about poison spreading through the forest soil and...."
Basilio-san's expression turned gloomy. I also furrowed my brow and muttered "That's right" in a small voice.
Suddenly, Iris took a few steps closer. And then,
"I think Basilio and I can cooperate."
She said with a serious expression, her usual smile completely gone.
I tilted my head in surprise. Then, Basilio-san, who had placed his hand on Iris's shoulder, opened his mouth with a smile.
"We came today to help Laura-san and the others."
Basilio-san looked more reliable than I remembered him.
It was already busy enough, and I couldn't possibly ask them to help us on top of that. I was about to shake my head――but then I remembered. Iris was from a family that had been fighting monsters for a long time. And Basilio-san had studied about poison in the past.
I looked up. I saw the faces of my 2 juniors. They nodded.
* * *
――A few days later, I invited Arnold and Marta to the Flaria branch in the evening. It was to share the results of our investigation, with the help of Basilio-san and Iris's powers.
"Basilio-san had studied about poisons in the past, and we borrowed his power this time."
I opened my mouth to explain to Arnold first. He seemed to understand, nodding slightly. Marta, sitting a little behind him, was nodding with her mouth open, saying "Wow!"
I turned to Basilio-san. He was tense, with a forced smile, and cleared his throat before starting his report.
"Ah, hello. I used to study poisons on my own, and during that time, I also researched antidotes."
Arnold was silent, while Marta was listening with a cheerful "Oh, you're so cool!" and other casual comments.
"I found that antidotes can neutralize any poison, but by changing the composition through synthesis, we can create even more effective antidotes. I experimented by injecting them into the soil, and the most effective one was an antidote that worked well against the poison secreted by plant-type monsters."
――That was the result of our investigation over the past few days.
We had to accurately identify the source of the poison spreading in the soil, or we wouldn't be able to find an effective solution. So, we collected the poisoned soil, synthesized an antidote, and injected it to see which one would neutralize the poison the most.
As a result, one antidote stood out as the most effective. According to Basilio-san, it was particularly effective against the poison secreted by plant-type monsters.
Marta let out a loud "Wow!" at Basilio-san's report.
"So, the one spreading poison in the forest is a plant-type monster?"
"Probably... but I can't be certain."
"Amazing!"
Marta's shining eyes made Basilio-san blush and smile wryly. Arnold's eyes were wide with surprise.
If Basilio-san weren't here, we wouldn't have been able to uncover the source of the toxin in such a short period of time. We might have been able to create an effective antidote, but tracing the toxin back to its origin through the antidote's ingredients would have been impossible.
Coughing again, Basilio-san continued.
"From here on, I'll be using Iris-san's knowledge. Plant-type monsters, unlike beast-type monsters, are weak against changes in their environment. Since Flaria's climate is relatively warm, we can rule out species that can only survive in extremely cold or hot places..."
Basilio-san glanced at Iris, who proudly placed a book on the table and opened the cover. Her slender fingers pointed to an illustration of a monster.
The page depicted various plant-type monsters, including a large carnivorous flower that could swallow a person whole and small, wildflower-like monsters.
"Monsters that fit these conditions are around here. There are several pages worth."
Iris's fingers traced multiple monsters, and Arnold's black eyes followed them.
It was Iris who narrowed down the monster species. As someone who had read many books at home before becoming a Royal Alchemist trainee, she had also read monster encyclopedias. It seemed that the people of Rustu had to learn a lot about monsters as well.
"As expected, the people of Rustu are knowledgeable about monsters."
"Hehe, we have plenty of data!"
Arnold muttered, and Iris puffed out her chest.
Although the term "Rustu's people" slipped out in front of Basilio-san, he didn't pursue the topic, perhaps sensing that it was a sensitive subject.
"Hey, are you, as a member of Rustu's people, friends with Diona?"
"Siblings!"
Heh, I nodded along with Marta, surprised despite knowing it. I kept forgetting that Iris and Diona were siblings. Maybe it's because they only shared a similar eye color.
Arnold, who had been quiet until now, took a deep breath before speaking.
"So, you're saying that it wasn't a special poison, but we're talking about a specific type of monster that's been identified as having a certain level of that poison, right?"
"That's right!"
Iris nodded vigorously in agreement with Arnold's words.
We didn't know if everything was correct, but thanks to Basilio-san's knowledge of poisons and Iris's knowledge of monsters, we were able to make rapid progress. My reliable juniors were doing a great job.
If we could identify the monster responsible, synthesizing an antidote would be a piece of cake, and we'd get a huge hint for defeating it. Arnold nodded in satisfaction.
"Then, let's create an antidote that's effective against plant-type monsters and buy some time."
Basilio-san and Iris nodded in agreement with Arnold's words.
Next to him, Marta opened her mouth.
"I'll go search for the monster responsible in the forest. It's better than just waiting around, and if we can defeat it, that's the best outcome."
I nodded in agreement with Marta's words. She then flashed a bright smile, showing her teeth.
Our plan was set: we'd slow down the poison's effects with the antidote, Marta would search for the monster, and finally, we'd wait for Lukas's return.
* * *
Days passed as we created antidotes, scattered them on the ground, and checked how much they could neutralize the toxins in the soil.
We borrowed Basilio-san's wisdom and, based on the antidote effective against plant-type monsters, made adjustments and repeated the process.
"What's the result?"
"It's decreased, albeit slightly."
The antidote had indeed decreased the toxins, although not completely. Seeing the decrease, it seemed that Basilio-san and Iris's theory about the plant-type monster being the cause was correct.
"Maybe it's better to think of the monster as a plant-type, huh?"
I muttered to myself, and Iris responded with enthusiasm, while Basilio-san nodded with a hint of uncertainty.
――And at that moment, the door to the room burst open as if with a loud bang.
"No way! This is hopeless! I can't find it anywhere!"
Marta's anguished cry shook my eardrums.
I turned around to see Marta standing there, her cheeks smeared with mud and her face exhausted.
――She had been searching the forest with the Savila Knight Order for the past few days, trying to find the monster that was scattering toxins, but so far, they had found nothing.
"Maybe it's hiding inside the barrier, just like the other side? We've searched everywhere, and it's definitely in there."
I handed Marta a glass of water to comfort her, and she gulped it down in one go.
If she couldn't find it even after searching this far, it was likely that the monster was indeed hiding inside the barrier, just as Marta said. Even the demon king wouldn't be foolish enough to think otherwise.
In that case, it would be better to focus on reducing the toxins in the soil for now, rather than wasting our manpower on searching for the monster. Our job was to buy time. Lukas and the others would use the power of the earth spirit Likerland, which they had released, to revitalize the soil.
Even if the monsters scattered toxins again later, we would have more time to spare. And with that time, we could come up with a countermeasure.
"Anyway, until Lukas and the others bring back the earth spirit, we have no choice but to keep making antidotes to prevent the Fontapuune tree from withering. If the earth spirit can completely purify the toxins, we can take our time to search the forest thoroughly. For now, our job is to buy time. Let's not think about getting to the root of the problem."
Arnold's decisive tone settled the matter.
We would continue to make antidotes, trying to slow down the spread of the toxins as much as possible. That was the only thing we could do for now. We would focus on the area around the Fontapuune tree and keep sprinkling antidotes.
After that, I'll rethink things at that time. For now, my goal is to prevent Fontapuune-sama's great tree from withering until Lukas and the others return――that's what I'm thinking, but on the other hand, one possibility refuses to leave my mind.
(If the opponent is a plant-type monster and has roots in the ground... maybe we can attack it from here by using the ground as a medium?)
It's likely possible to interfere through the ground. However, I can't think of a way to attack the monster without affecting Fontapuune-sama's great tree and the other trees in the forest.
Poison doesn't work on monsters that have poison, and considering the bad influence on the forest, I've given up on that idea. Antidotes are only meant to neutralize poison, not attack. Then I thought, "What if we create a prototype by infusing The Drinking Water of the Spirits with light energy, like we did with Elvira's demon king?"――but I'm not sure if the prototype would still be effective even after seeping into the ground. It might be worth trying, but there's only one person who can use light energy, and that's Iris.
I've never heard how strong Iris's light energy is, but considering her position in Rustu's city, it's probably not that strong. Moreover, The Drinking Water of the Spirits might not work as usual since the ground is contaminated with poison.
If we had the time to experiment with special medicines, it would be better to focus on neutralizing the poison for now. That's what I think, but sometimes I catch myself thinking about "ways to attack the monster inside the barrier."
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