"I never thought I'd end up doing something like this."
I really don't want to do this either.
But I can't very well wound someone just to test the potion's effects.
If I did that, rumors would definitely start spreading that the Saintess is acting out again.
More importantly, there's another reason I have to do this alone.
[Activating skill 'Blessing'.]
I imbued the potion with a blessing.
A reddish hue tinged the previously bright orange liquid.
This was what I had been curious about from the beginning.
If a blessed relic could ease Lute's pain, shouldn't a potion also be affected by a blessing?
Without hesitation, I drank the potion.
For some reason, it went down smoother than before.
Naturally, the effect was different as well.
"Wow, this is better."
The wound on my left forearm, which had been dripping blood, began to heal rapidly—so fast it was visible to the naked eye.
It took just over a minute for the wound to heal to the point where only a faint red mark remained.
It couldn't compare to the speed of the potion Idella created in the original story, but considering this was a blessing from a Saintess with only 10% divine power, the result was impressive.
If I imbue a better potion with a blessing, its effectiveness will likely increase even further.
"From now on, I'll just bless all the potions before distribution."
The only issue is that I can't let Iric find out I'm using blessings. I'll have to do it secretly.
But how?
I stared at the potion, thinking furiously.
Sigh… In this second life, why do I have so many lies to tell?
"This isn't it either."
Potion production lab.
After the first sample passed Saintess Ordel's inspection, the production team threw themselves into improving the potion.
Ordel had said they could take their time, but the alchemists, obsessed with research, spent all day glued to their potions.
No matter how much they studied, they couldn't create anything better than what current alchemists were already selling.
"With the divine power of the Sun God infused, the potion should easily outperform regular alchemical ones."
Zenrick pulled at his hair in frustration.
The result was clear, but not knowing the process was driving him insane.
"If I could just figure out the blend ratio of these two ingredients, I could perfect it…!"
"You still haven't given up on combining those incompatible ingredients?"
Wolfgang, looking just as haggard as Zenrick, clicked his tongue.
"It's common knowledge, even among regular folks, that mixing Amin flowers and Lyndal grass creates poison. Isn't it time you let that go?"
Amin flowers, known for their stabilizing effect, and Lyndal grass, used for stopping bleeding, were both commonly used in potion-making.
But surprisingly, mixing the two resulted in a deadly poison.
So many people had died from using them together that it had become widely known—even outside alchemy circles.
That's why Wolfgang was frustrated with Zenrick's refusal to let it go.
"This isn't stubbornness. And it's not just me being difficult, either."
Zenrick ruffled his hair roughly.
"I was so curious about why those two plants are considered opposites that I spent two years researching it…"
Wolfgang didn't scoff at the fact that he'd spent two years on something so seemingly pointless.
Alchemists unable to resist their curiosity was nothing new.
"If you look strictly at the ingredients' components, there's no real contradiction. In fact, they go together really well."
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah. But the reason toxicity occurs is that if either one is even slightly overused, the effect becomes way too strong."
Stronger medicine doesn't always mean better.
Sometimes, excessive potency can worsen an illness.
"So if the blend is just right, the problem is solved."
It would require a precision ratio down to decimal points—an exact and painstaking task.
Honestly, it was practically grunt work, but Zenrick was determined to figure it out.
If he couldn't even solve a mystery like this, how could he call himself an alchemist?
As Zenrick clenched his fists with determination, Wolfgang let out a sigh.
"…And what if you fail and the Saintess kicks you out? For now, just fix the performance of the current potion first."
"Hey! Don't jinx it!"
Just as Zenrick raised his voice slightly at the demotivating remark—
"...Y-You're not fighting, are you?"
Lana, who had been buried in books on the other side of the lab, cautiously asked.
After the marble-floor-breaking incident, Zenrick and Wolfgang could hear her voice better than anyone else, and they both quickly denied it.
"Fighting? No way, I was just a little upset!"
"I was worried the Saintess might kick him out, that's all."
As they desperately emphasized they weren't fighting, Lana visibly relaxed and smiled brightly.
"Thank goodness...!"
We're the ones who should be relieved—thank goodness we calmed her down before she started throwing punches.
Zenrick and Wolfgang both let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"And... the Saintess wouldn't kick us out just because we haven't made progress."
Then Lana spoke up with a rare tone of conviction.
It was a surprising comment, especially from someone as scared of the Saintess as she was.
"...I just feel like the current Saintess wouldn't do that."
Zenrick and Wolfgang's eyes widened, and Lana blushed and quickly lowered her head.
Come to think of it, Ordel was said to have changed for the better lately.
Still, they'd heard plenty of warnings about how terrifying her real personality was and to be cautious.
Scarier than Lana, apparently. Which raised the question—just how scary could she be?
Both of them simultaneously glanced at the marble floor Lana had broken.
Since it hadn't been fully repaired yet, the memory of that day was still fresh in their minds.
'If Priest Lana can do that much... with the Saintess' divine power being even stronger, she could probably shatter not just the floor, but the pillars—or heck, the entire building.'
That thought sent a chill down their spines.
They quietly vowed to never cross not just Lana, but Ordel as well.
"Oh, Saintess."
While having tea in the garden with Monica and Victoria, I turned my head.
Zenrick, looking like death warmed over, was trudging toward us.
"...I told you, sleep is for the dead."
"I just can't sleep when the research is going nowhere..."
I sighed at his bitter smile and patted the spot next to me.
"Come sit and have some tea. Take a break."
Zenrick didn't hesitate. He sluggishly plopped down like a zombie.
"Solutions don't come when you're squeezing your brain. They come when you're resting."
I comforted him. Honestly, I was in the same boat.
I couldn't figure out what excuse to use for blessing the potions, so I'd just come out here to kill time.
But I wasn't particularly anxious about it.
It was the same in my past life, back when I was tracking down a murderer. I could never figure out how to catch them while hunched over my desk. But the answer would suddenly strike me when I stepped away to clear my head.
One time, it even happened while I was showering.
If my junior hadn't stopped me, I nearly ran out the door stark naked—a fond memory in hindsight.
"So you should drink some tea and relax, too."
"Thank you, I'll gladly take that."
Zenrick took a sip of the tea Monica had poured.
Maybe because it was warm, a bit of color returned to his pale face.
"Come to think of it, I don't remember the last time I rested."
"People hardly visit as is—if a corpse shows up around here, we're really done for. Take it easy before you die on us."
Zenrick burst out laughing at my advice.
He's laughing? I wasn't joking, I meant that seriously.
"I think you're right. Resting feels really good."
Still mistaking my words for a joke, Zenrick spoke more casually.
"But what kind of tea is this? I've never had it before. It clings to the tongue in such a pleasant way. Somehow it even calms me."
"It's made from dried Hias petals. The flower only grows at the Grand Temple of the Sun God."
The Hias flower was the only one that had survived in the temple, where nearly everything else had withered.
Because it could thrive solely on sunlight and divine power.
As long as the sun didn't vanish, this flower would never disappear from the temple.
"The flower contains divine power, so it soothes the body and mind. Perfect for someone like you whose brain's about to explode, right?"
"Yes, that's... Wait, what? This flower contains divine power?"
"Yup. I'm sure the Grand Temple of the Great Sea God has something similar too—maybe a flower or plant infused with divine energy."
"They do. There's a tree, actually. I think they call it the Guardian Tree?"
Monica nodded in agreement.
"A flower infused with divine power..."
Zenrick muttered blankly.
And then, suddenly, madness erupted in his fatigue-filled orange eyes.
What the—scary.