Chapter 32
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I'll purchase divine power with money.
Chapter 32
"...."
"...."
"...."
I clamped my mouth shut.
Wolfgang and Genric, who had been bickering as if their mouths were motorized, did the same.
Crack, crackle.
Was I the only one who heard the sound of the floor splitting like a desperate cry for help?
"...Uh."
Genric and Wolfgang stared down at their feet with ashen faces.
The marble beneath them was shattered to within mere centimeters of their toes.
Had they been careless, their feet would have met the same fate as the marble.
Even I felt a chill run down my spine, my body trembling involuntarily.
"How dare you...."
Then came a voice so sinister I couldn't believe it belonged to Lana.
"Who gave you permission to use such crude language in this sacred Temple of the Sun God...?"
Lana lifted her head, which she had been bowing.
Between her cascading silver hair, her vivid emerald eyes gleamed with an unsettling luminescence....
This is genuinely terrifying....
"You raise your voices and quarrel in the Temple of the Sun God, which must remain serene and pure...?"
Who was the person who called Lana timid?
She exuded such overwhelming pressure that she silenced two formidable men in an instant.
"Shouldn't I teach you that discussion means working together with your heads bowed in harmony, not simply raising your voices while insisting on your own superiority?"
"...."
"...."
"Aren't you both adults? I could bring the young acolytes who work in the Cathedral to teach them, and they'd understand far better than you two."
"...Ugh."
"Geniuses? What geniuses can't even reach a consensus? I'm worried our acolytes will think genius is the most insufferable thing in the world after seeing you two."
...Wow, she's fierce.
Though it was words that would wound the pride of two people who had lived as geniuses, they couldn't say anything in return.
Well, looking at the utterly destroyed marble floor, their complaints would certainly shrivel up....
"As expected of you, Lana. I was getting worried things might explode soon, so I brought the Holy Maiden here, and it was the right call."
That's when Monica whispered to me.
What is she talking about now?
"Oh, you didn't know? Lana is one of our Cathedral's discipline officers."
A discipline officer? That timid person is a what, discipline officer?
"Well, the Temple of the Sun God only has gentle people, so it's not obvious. But she shows no mercy to outsiders."
So according to Monica's explanation, it's like this.
Lana uses divine power with remarkable efficiency, so she demonstrates exceptional talent not only in healing but also in physical enhancement.
For example, before I became a Holy Maiden, an outsider tried to swindle the Temple of the Sun God, but Lana caught them red-handed and beat them senseless on a rainy day.
"If Lana hadn't shown more interest in potion-making research, the Holy Knight Commander would have surely scouted her as a Holy Knight by now, wouldn't he?"
"...."
She possessed that much spirit and courage?
How terrifying.
So this was why Airic Dert trusted Lana so implicitly.
I stared blankly at Lana, who had one yaksha clinging to her back.
"Now then, what should you two say?"
Lana pressed the two of them like a kindergarten teacher.
Genric and Wolfgang, who had been clasping their hands together and staring silently at the floor, timidly opened their mouths.
"...We were wrong."
"We apologize."
The kindergarten teacher, satisfied with their perfectly appropriate response, smiled brightly.
"It's wonderful to see you acknowledge your mistakes! Now you truly seem like proper adults!"
I could no longer contain myself.
"Pfft...."
"Oh, w-wait, Holy Maiden!"
The moment I burst into laughter, the three of them finally noticed my presence and turned to look at me.
Lana's face flushed crimson.
"I-I'm so sorry. You see, about the floor.... I-I'll compensate you!"
"No need. The Temple funds should naturally cover the repairs."
Compensation, indeed.
Thanks to this, Lana had brought the two eccentric alchemists under control, which was actually a gain for us.
Besides, the 3,000 gold that Lute had given as a contract fee remained untouched.
I hadn't donated it.
I needed to pursue the potion business, and above all, I intended to renovate the Temple of the Sun God comprehensively.
"I came because I was curious about how the work was progressing...."
I examined Lana, Genric, and Wolfgang carefully.
"Yes, you don't need to worry."
Now that I knew Lana's combat prowess, they would surely behave themselves.
Genric and Wolfgang, understanding my meaning, wore sorrowful expressions.
If only they'd done well from the start, they wouldn't have suffered such hardship. It was entirely of their own making.
As expected, after that day, loud noises from the Potion Creation Workshop became less frequent.
Though they still bickered occasionally, it was merely the natural clash of opinions that arose from working together.
Thanks to this, two weeks after Lana's destructive power was revealed to the team.
A new potion sample combining divine power and alchemy finally emerged.
"Oh, it came out quickly."
I examined the sample that the potion creation team brought forward with tense faces.
Clear orange liquid sloshed inside the bottle.
"Hehehehe. Didn't I tell you I'm a genius by universal acclaim? We worked hard on this."
Genric's face, dark circles hanging down to his chin, broke into a grin.
"...Did you stay up all night? Why do you look like that?"
After two weeks of becoming comfortable with them, I asked, and Genric thrust his thumb upward, exclaiming energetically.
"You're offering overtime pay, so there's no reason to refuse—I worked hard!"
That wasn't what I meant by working overtime for extra money....
What was absurd was that Wolfgang looked exactly the same.
"...Wolfgang, you too?"
"The longer I work, the faster the samples are produced. Is there any reason to decline?"
It was a textbook answer, but seeing Genric smirk slightly beside him, it seemed money was his priority as well.
I turned to look at Lana, who was in relatively better condition. She, still unable to meet my eyes, hung her head low.
"At least Priestess Lana seems to have slept well."
"...That is, actually, I also, stayed up all night with them, I did."
Really? For someone who did that, her complexion didn't look bad at all?
"Th, thanks to divine power...."
So she had worked through the night while casting self-healing on herself.
Is everyone desperate for money? I didn't ask them to work this hard....
"...Health is important, so get some sleep while you work. And don't skip meals."
"We ate on time anyway since meals are free!"
He said it proudly.
At Genric's exclamation, I shook my head.
After the brief greeting, Wolfgang explained about the potion.
"Based on our research, the compatibility between divine power and alchemy is actually much better than expected."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Since this is something we've never attempted before, there were no related research materials, so we worked through trial and error step by step. It was quite enjoyable."
Wolfgang smiled with satisfaction, and Genric nodded in agreement.
"Every time we corrected errors through research, it was so thrilling."
And while saying that, he grinned darkly—he genuinely seemed to be enjoying himself.
They say all alchemists are research fanatics, and it's true.... Even if their personalities are polar opposites, they're equally obsessed with research.
"However, the current level isn't quite satisfactory yet, so it would be difficult to sell immediately. It won't even cover material costs."
"It's only capable of treating minor cuts from a blade."
At that level, no one would buy it.
"Still, I brought this to show you that there is potential. I'm confident that with more effort, we can create results far superior to alchemical potions."
"Good. All three of you have worked hard."
In fact, achieving results this quickly on a first attempt was truly remarkable.
"Phew, thank you!"
Yet for some reason, rather than being pleased by my sincere praise, all three seemed relieved.
It was clear from their faces that they had worried I might scold them for making useless garbage with no effect.
The two alchemists must have heard of my reputation as well....
Since I doubted they'd believe me if I said I wasn't that kind of person, I just let it be.
"I'll have the Kitchen prepare a special meal. Today, everyone eat something delicious and rest well. You've worked hard, and I look forward to your continued efforts."
"Yes, yes!"
Lana bowed deeply and staggered out of the Reception Room.
Genric patted her back cheerfully with both hands, while Wolfgang pinched his side, telling him not to be so rude.
After nearly twenty days of sharing hardships together, they had grown quite close.
Well, if the sample is ready, I should go ahead and execute the plan.
I took the potion and entered the Bathroom to avoid the eyes of Victoria and Monica.
Standing before the sink, I pulled out a paper knife—I really did look like a madman.
But there was something I absolutely had to do, so I cut the tip of my finger with the knife. Blood trickled out slowly.
I examined the wound and took a sip of the potion.
"The taste isn't bad. Is this Genric's idea?"
I'd heard that some potions tasted absolutely dreadful, but our universally acknowledged genius in applied alchemy, Genric, seemed to have paid attention to this detail as well.
"Oh, it really works."
Before long, the wound began to close.
However, despite being a shallow cut, the healing speed was slow and it didn't heal completely.
Now then, shall I conduct the real experiment?
After checking the blade's condition, I made a deep gash across my forearm.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org