Chapter One Hundred and Seven: Soap Turmoil 5
“I want to find an alchemist who can reproduce my non-magical material potions.”
The “latest paper” by Karen that Isaac referred to was actually Sieg’s paper. In it, along with potions to reduce fever, there was also a recipe for soap to maintain cleanliness as one of the things that could be done for weakened children with the Bloodline Blessing.
It was soap made from carefully selected non-magical materials to prevent skin irritation. If made according to those instructions, even without magical effects as a potion, it would function sufficiently as soap to maintain cleanliness and protect skin health.
The goal was to find an alchemist who could create soap potions with magical effects using that very recipe. It was possible someone might ignore the recipe and realize that using magical ingredients could turn the soap into a potion—but that was a gamble she was willing to accept.
Even if it meant risking her research being stolen, Karen’s top priority was to find a talented alchemist.
“It’s fine for now since I’m here. But what will happen to children with the Bloodline Blessing after I die? Even now, I alone am not enough. Surely there must be suffering people beyond just the nobles’ children in the royal capital.”
This was something Karen had been worrying about since returning from Ehlertt territory, as she visited noble households with Sara and saw many children.
Sara sighed and said:
“Lady Karen… you had such deep thoughts. And yet I rudely spoke out of turn. I’m terribly sorry.”
“It’s fine because you were just speaking out of concern for me. Rather, I calculated that you would tell me I’m being too soft, and hearing that would give Isaac some faint hope. Kind of like… part of my plan, maybe?”
Sara nodded firmly, seemingly completely believing Karen’s improvised excuse.
“I’m impressed by your profound foresight, Lady Karen.”
“Yes, well, something like that… You know, even after my lifespan ends, children with too heavy Bloodline Blessings will continue to be born. For their sake, people other than me need to be able to make my non-magical material potions, but even my elf master who has lived for who knows how many hundreds of years can’t make them. This can’t continue.”
According to Natalia, among the alchemists belonging to the Alchemists’ Guild, opinions about Karen’s research were split down the middle. Some people, like Isaac, thought her research was fundamentally flawed, while others believed Karen had simply forgotten to write down some important fact.
The latter group had tried to become Karen’s masters to steal her research achievements—and even if they couldn’t, some alchemists began conducting follow-up studies, aiming to discover the missing key elements before Karen herself did.
Still, to them, she was merely one more pupil among a handful of others. Just one of countless research projects they were running in parallel.
If possible, Karen wanted someone to research it seriously, right now. With the desperation of someone whose life depended on it.
“I need to quickly secure people other than myself who can create non-magical material potions. For that purpose, I’ve decided to use any means necessary.”
Karen had even reached the point where she would be fine with having her accumulated research achievements stolen if someone could find a universal method for creating non-magical material potions that others besides Karen could make.
Karen guessed this might be how the long-lived elves felt. Yuluyana would probably strongly approve.
So Karen decided to gratefully make use of the fight that had been picked with her. While being provoked by Leonie, she had actually hoped that these nobles and the king’s deeply beloved consort would also assist Isaac with all their might. But from what Karen could sense while facing Leonie, they didn’t seem quite prepared to go all-out just to crush Karen.
As she had told Waltride, unfortunately, this was merely a preliminary move. So Isaac and the Gubert Company would need to work hard.
“—So you’re saying that you’re using my brother Isaac and the Gubert Company because you’re thinking about the distant future after your death?”
Marian asked Karen with a dazed expression.
“Yes. If I provoke him this much, he’ll search desperately, right? He might even recall an alchemist from an S-rank party in the deepest level of a dungeon. I do feel somewhat sorry for giving him such heart trouble, but your brother did say he’d crush me… and he tried to involve not just me but also the Ehlertt family and Lady Waltride.”
After being told all that, Karen felt justified in involving him. Still, even if the person in question was an enemy, it was uncomfortable being asked by his sister if Karen had used him.
As Karen fidgeted, Marian stared wide-eyed and said:
“You—you’re amazing.”
“Huh?”
Thinking she had misheard, Karen stared intently at Marian’s face. But Marian was definitely looking at Karen with an expression she had never seen before.
“You’re the kind of person who can think that far ahead for the future? When there are many people who would die without potions that only you can make, you don’t think of raising the price? Instead, you’re trying to increase the number of alchemists who can make them besides yourself, trying to find them—I didn’t know you were someone who could think like that.”
“Marian?”
Karen couldn’t see Marian’s face as Marian held her head in her hands. But something seemed wrong. Karen was about to ask what was wrong when she noticed water droplets falling to the floor and swallowed her words.
“I’m sorry, Karen. I’m sorry, I’ve committed an unforgivable sin.”
This was the first sincere apology Karen had ever received from Marian.
Karen was caught off guard and blinked in surprise before generously saying:
“Marian… but, you know? You’ve saved many people’s lives in your own way—”
“The lives our soap saved were overwhelmingly low-ranked adventurers! The strong ones already have the highest-grade recovery potions. They didn’t need to rely on soap!”
“Does the rank of the people you helped matter?”
“Maybe to you, the value of life is equal whether they’re strong or weak. But not to me! With those values, I’ve lived my whole life thinking I was right!”
Marian shook her hair wildly, rejecting the words of comfort Karen was about to offer.
“I thought somewhere in my heart that even if I hadn’t stolen your invention, you wouldn’t have been able to do much with it anyway.”
“Ugh…”
Since Karen herself had thought something similar deep down, she didn’t argue. If Marian hadn’t stolen the soap recipe, could Karen have spread it so quickly on her own? Honestly, Karen didn’t have such confidence.
“But you kept healing one noble child with Bloodline Blessings after another, and you developed cosmetic potions, and quickly became my brother Isaac’s biggest business rival… You showed me that you could do it… And every time I thought maybe things would’ve changed faster if you’d just received proper payment, I was forced to face the truth…!”
Since she worked alongside Sara, Marian had apparently been keeping track of Karen’s activities. Although Karen had previously told her to just watch with her finger in her mouth, Sara had apparently truly made her do so.
“So now I’m being punished for my life choices… Even if you forgive me, this sin won’t be lightened!”
In Marian’s value system, the one who could save many lives was right. The one who could save the lives of adventurers who protected this world was more right. Furthermore, those who could save the lives of the stronger ones were justice.
Karen had acted only to save the children’s lives. But from Marian’s perspective, it was an action for the benefit of the strong who only Karen could save. So to Marian, Karen was right, and she herself was wrong.
No matter what Karen said, Marian had already made up her mind. It was a curse Marian had placed upon herself.
“I don’t share your values, but if you feel you can’t forgive yourself, I think you should make amends until you can.”
“That’s easy for you to say. Even though you have no intention of making me atone…! But even if I atone and you forgive me, I can’t forgive myself… I honestly think I deserve to die…!”
“No, please spare me from that.”
Marian caught her breath and looked up at Karen. Karen made a displeased face and said:
“I’d be genuinely depressed, so please don’t.”
Marian’s tear-stained face twisted into a smile.
“Hah… Even though I’m your enemy, you don’t think I’m an eyesore and wish I’d die and disappear? I know you wouldn’t think that way, but… you even make me believe that. Really, you’re such a soft woman…”
As Marian started crying again and Karen flustered over her, Sara excused herself and took Marian away.
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