The disaster above my head made me do it. Grace was spent, and only the great teacher could judge whether my decision was right or wrong. A greater man than I would say, the die was cast, and the world's survival depended on me. We had maybe a year before the world was doomed, so I unshackled my physical limits. If I survived long enough, I could physically grow as strong as anything. All I needed was health potions or, more precisely, health regeneration potions.
Not only did I know they existed, but the best girl, Lirael, claimed that even a level 1 alchemist could make health regeneration potions.
Her incredibly valuable advice had tipped the scales, and I could begin the second step of my save-the-world plan.
The walls shuddered as Siegfried slammed the door behind himself.
We were all gathered near a fire as gales of wind tore leaves off trees, and the weather took a sharp turn. We were in the middle of summer, but with the sun half-devoured, the temperature dropped suddenly. I couldn't imagine how bitterly cold it must be on the other side of the world.
"I know this is a little rude to ask, but bear with me. Do any of you have an alchemy job?"
Siegfried shrugged. I had three combat roles and a leadership position. Alchemy wouldn't mesh well with my other jobs, so I'm not taking it. I won't be much help."
You do have a new space, and our party needs a supply of potions, poisons for weapons, and ways to cure sicknesses.
His voice rang out through his helmet. Siegfried was a good man. He knew better than to leave his head unguarded and open himself up to an assassination. "Craftsman jobs aren't for me. I'm sorry; I was hoping to get a combat job that involves magic or maybe a teaching job to help others learn my hell knight skills." I clapped him on the back of his armor.
Jean blushed. "It's rude to ask, but we must trust each other with our builds. I'm sorry, but "ritualist' and "chef' are my only two craft jobs.
"That's okay, but I hope you can treat us to a meal sometime soon if we ever find some good ingredients." The ordinarily shy girl smiled at that.
I glanced at Lirael, who was shaking like a leaf. Either she had the job or was too affected by the sudden turn in the weather.
"Princess, do you happen to have a secret fascination with alchemy?"
Her thick accent became more noticeable. "The empire decided I shouldn't have a job that could harm them."
I glanced at Jinxara, who drooled as she snored in the corner.
"I won't ask." I turned my attention finally to Lirael. "So, you know alchemy? That's exciting."
"Why should I use it for you?" Did I touch a nerve?
She looked cute when she was upset. I tried to smile and go against my natural inclination to be introverted. I apologize if discussions about jobs make you feel uncomfortable. You're our only hope. We need ways to get back up after we're injured. We've had it easy so far, but that trend won't last. Sooner rather than later, we're going to get injured. Healing potions on hand will keep us going."
"No, I never wanted the job; my family made me take it. It's so low that all I could make was anything but health regeneration potions."
I grabbed her shoulders. "Make them!"
"No," I shook her.
"Lirael, we need them," I said.
Her hair whipped back and forth. "Why?"
"Healing potions are the lifeblood of adventuring parties. Without them, we're no better than mercenaries." I said.
Lirael looked at Siegfried and then went back to me. "Aren't they the same thing?"
"Listen, you have the most valuable job in the whole party. You're our healer, except you can make healing spells in a bottle." I said.
All that time, I hadn't stopped shaking her.
Jinxara snapped awake. "Boss, maybe you should stop shaking her."
"If you gather the herbs for me, then I can make a potion or two."
"Jinxara, I need you and Jean to do a ritual to prevent our refugees from leaving this village. Can you use ink to tattoo ritual markers in their skin?"
"Are you suggesting we place penal marks on those poor people?" Lirael asked.
"How else are we going to ensure they don't escape but give them the freedom to forage? It won't be permanent just until we leave. We'll make it something small and hardly noticeable." I asked.
"How are you going to get them to work?" Siegfried said.
"We've already confiscated the food. They can trade bags of ingredients for tokens that can be exchanged for meals and regeneration potions. They are only gathering herbs; it's not like it's a difficult job. People are also happier when they have something to do. I bet that mob wouldn't have tried anything if they were satisfied from a hard day's labor. Protestors yearn for the mines like elves yearn to make toys." I said.
"What elves are you talking about?" She pointed at me. "I said only a few potions," Lirael said.
I nodded. Even cute elves can be wrong about their life's calling. I planned to give her the iron dagger treatment. "Don't worry, you can do them in batches. I saw some cauldrons that the locals use for communal soup. Be sure to consider what job you want alchemy to rank up into."
Lirael stared in horror as I patted her on the head. She was going to make me very strong. My timetables could be moved up. With enough health regen potions, fighting the demon lord was utterly possible.
…
Lirael felt sweat pour off her body as she worked for the human she summoned. Her wrist hurt from stirring the large pot filled with less-than-ideal ingredients, a task that utilized her T1 alchemy job, a profession she hoped would never level again. Herbs collected by the forced laborers lay in piles as she concocted basic health regeneration potions.
Siegfried had objected to leaving the refugees behind but hadn't protested turning them into penal workers. He was as much to blame for her predicament as the others.
She adjusted the rag over her nose to ensure the green fumes pouring out of the pot didn't get into her lungs. Her sweat fell on the black pot, sizzling as birds chirped before going silent. Then, all her powerful elf ears could hear was chewing and the popping of hollow bones. This was their second day in the town, and she hated that this was all she could contribute.
Lirael shook her head. What was she thinking? She didn't yearn to work for John, of all people.
She watched the ritual circle drag the smoke from her fire and many others to it before they could alert the demon lord's forces.
That, at least, was something she could be proud of. It was a ritual she had created, and it
Potions that healed slowly were simple; she only needed local ingredients and the livers of small animals. With that need met, she was put to work. In one pot, she created health regeneration potions, and in the other, she prepared a meat preservative using the same ingredients but with slight variations in mana density and the amounts of each ingredient. The worst part was that she gained a second level.
Crafting jobs were supposed to level slowly.
Alchemy 3/10
It wasn't fair. What if she evolved the job into another alchemy job? A T2 job was much harder to remove than a T1 and even more expensive. Evolving it would make this entire venture pointless.
She wanted to switch to a combat role to capitalize on the demon incursion. Who would have thought that having only crafting jobs would become a detriment? Few with the warrior job leveled far unless conscripted for a war.
Crafting jobs only increased attributes that affected the mind, which was great for increasing her mana capacity. Her body was frail compared to even a low-level combat job user.
Knights like Siegfried put down levies, fought monsters, and earned every level in their combat jobs. With the invasion, those jobs could level much faster. It was frustrating, and if that wasn't enough, the human she summoned refused to claim a job.
She didn't believe he was an archdemon, even if he had ever been a demon. He was the reason she gained levels in her alchemy job. He had cursed her with a responsibility to the party.
Every level gained in alchemy would only make it more difficult for her.
The door slammed open, and John walked in, his limbs bound by chains with rocks attached. It would be comical if it weren't giving results.
"Good morning, my beautiful elf. Could I trouble you for a cup of potion?"
She wanted to scream but refused to give him the satisfaction. Why was he so concerned about her race? She had met people who called her knife ears and preferred the animosity over his degeneracy.
She kept her tone clipped to tell the bastard she meant business. "Take what you want. The potions over there are finished."
"Oh, thanks. You know these are incredible. Without them, I wouldn't have been able to grow as strong as I am. Without you, this little training break couldn't happen."
John drained the potion, and before her eyes, his body became more refined. His shirt pulled tight against his chest. In two days, he had transformed from a complete crafter to someone with a T1 combat job. He only lacked the skills the jobs naturally imbued their users with.
Her teeth ground together, and he couldn't help but rub salt in her wounds. Did he have to be so positive? Oh, it was great that he found a way to grow stronger outside the world's system. It wasn't as if she was working herself to the bone to fuel his ascent.
"That's great for you, but crafter classes take much longer to level than others."
"You look tired, so why don't you cool the potion down and take a break?"
That would be ideal, but if she did so, then the others would see she wasn't contributing.
"I can go for a bit longer."
"If you're sure."
"What does your elf mind think about Siegfried's proposal to take the refugees with us?"
She didn't have to think about it.
"Your human mind should tell you it's the right thing to do. We can't leave people in the hands of the demons."
"One or more are spies. The only reason the demons haven't sent a force is because we have them all locked up."
He was too cynical. Just because someone can do something doesn't mean they will. Demons weren't all-powerful, or they would have already conquered the world.
I'm unsure of what to tell you. Everyone deserves a chance to live."
He nodded as if she had said something profound. Was he so lost by his time in hell that such simple words had an impact?
John listed the views of the others. "The princess says we should give them to the goblins and leave. That will ensure they live and won't be able to get the word out easily. Jean thinks the goblins are spies and we should kill them for their experience points. Siegfried wants to take the refuges with us so the demons can't use them to make more Imps, but Jinxara says we should kill them all for obvious reasons."
Lirael was stunned.
How could someone who wants to save the world be such a bloodthirsty man? She had seen him easily kill demons and lead them out of danger. He wasn't a coward or scared of the demons, but he was averse to giving his fellow men a chance to stab him in the back. The people who confronted him were still in chains when they weren't foraging.
"What do you want to do?"
"I think it will be hard, but Siegfried is right. We should lead them across the border when we're ready."
Lirael felt stunned that she was wrong about him. He acted like a proper leader, listened to everyone's opinions, and made the hard, honorable choice. She felt a firm hand grip her ass.
"It's like they say, sometimes you have to stop and smell the elf's pussy." Just because she didn't feel uncomfortable enough from his forwardness, he slipped his hands deeper to molest her further. "Damn, that elf ass is something else. Keep up the good work. It's making you toned."
She gained another level.
Alchemy lvl4/10
Lirael slapped him.
She backed away, expecting him to be furious. He smiled genuinely instead. "I talked with Jean and Princess Charlotte. They have different opinions on why you've been grumpy. It isn't fair I'm having you work on something you don't enjoy for no gain. Jean said you wanted to remove your alchemy job and focus on combat. I can respect that. Have you considered using your combat rituals to rank the job as a combat one? John asked.
"You think I haven't thought about it. The battle rituals are sealed away in the libraries of house Questor."
"If you can pull and compress poison gas, you can control the gas flow. Directing airflow gives you many options, and so does your alchemy job. Create a poison gas that affects demons and use the air to eliminate whoever the demon lord sends.
She didn't want to hear it, and he wouldn't convince her to focus on alchemy.
He pulled a sack off his belt and pulled a sprig covered in violet leaves. Jinxara says these are poisonous to demons and contain small amounts of Archon power. Make a potion with them, and then we'll release the prisoners and set a trap.
"Siegfried wouldn't agree that this poison is dishonorable."
"Nah, demons don't get honor in this war, so all tactics are permitted. Besides, honor only matters to knights."
If this worked, she could combine her alchemy and ritual jobs and free up a space. She wanted a free slot like Seigfried to add a combat job and gain physical attributes.
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