Twilight Alchemist 48

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48. No Matter The Hardship, We Can't Afford To Give Up, Isn't It?

I leave the rest of the command to Kyle and Guildmaster Synos, and I hurry back home with all my might.

At that time, the Adventurer's Guild assigned a few lower-ranked adventurers as liaisons for direct participation in the battle against the Cockatrice.

"Hey! Wait up!"

"Wait, Craft-san!"

"Fool! Go ahead! I know the way home!"

"Got it! I'll be right there! Leave the door unlocked!"

"Yes!"

"Wait... isn't Craft-san an alchemist?! Why is he so fast!?"

"People who've lived in pioneer villages for a long time are all reckless!"

They must be relatively new adventurers to Golden Dawn.

They quickly pull ahead.

They're weaklings, not even on Black Dragon ship!

I leave the adventurers behind and dive into the alchemy room.

"Welcome back, Master."

The maid Ryuuko appears gracefully.

"Ryuuko! Help me out."

"Yes, everything is prepared."

All the materials needed to make the unfinished petrification prevention potion were neatly arranged.

It seems Ryuuko had prepared them for me.

The Petrification Prevention potion, which requires many precious materials, isn't suitable for mass production. 

If I didn't have the Twilight Alchemist's emblem, I wouldn't have been able to make a decent amount.

Especially now, I'm forcefully substituting some materials with others, so the process takes time.

I have to go through several steps to make the alchemy necessary for the materials of the petrification prevention potion to prevent petrification.

"Damn... if I had that, I could make both the Petrification Antidote and Prevention Potion at once!"

Unobtainable materials flash through my mind.

If I could get those materials, I could skip all these steps and solve everything!

"Huff... huff... Welcome back! Can I help with anything!?"

"Perfect timing! Help me transfer this alchemy potion into that barrel!"

"Yes!"

With the help of adventurers and Ryuuko, we transfer the intermediate alchemy potions into the barrel.

Hey, adventurers! You're weaker than Ryuuko! How pathetic!

As soon as the alchemy cauldron is empty, we move on to making the next potion. We mix these two alchemy potions to create another one.

Each time I make an alchemy potion, it consumes a lot of magic power.

Usually, I'd move on to another task here, but today, I gulp down precious mana potions without question.

Leaving it to the mana recovery potion, I continue making intermediate materials one after another.

Suddenly, I notice the adventurers helping are sweating and exhausted.

"Oh no, this!"

"Is this... perhaps the legendary Stamina Potion with Craft-san's emblem!?"

"Just drink it already!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Woah... what's this?! I don't feel tired at all!"

"Incredible!"

I had completely forgotten because Ryuuko was helping me.

The adventurers cheer up. As long as their hands are moving, it's all good.

With their help, we finally completed the first petrification prevention potion, enough for one barrel.

"Alright! Split it in half and deliver it to the right and left wings!"

"Understood!"

As they pack the petrification prevention potion into barrels, they quickly carry them out.

I stop to begin making the next potion without even watching them leave.

I felt a commotion outside.

Rushing outside and looking towards the commotion, it's from the western side of the incomplete walls, from the central forces.

"They've already reached the town!?"

From what I saw from the watchtower, I thought it would take a few more hours, but the Cockatrice invasion seemed faster than expected.

"The completed part of the wall isn't even that tall in the first phase. Can it really hold them off?"

"Master, if you wish, should we check the state of the city walls?"

"What?"

Indeed, I'm concerned about the walls. If they're breached, our defense strategy will crumble.

But Ryuuko is a maid. Can she distinguish that?

"Leave it to me."

Ryuuko states decisively.

Then let's trust her.

"Alright. Check it out, but do not participate in combat! Also, if you can, check on the central forces."

"Understood."

Ryuuko bows lightly, so I quickly turn away and return to the alchemy room. This is my battlefield!

With the remaining adventurers' help, I start making the petrification antidote this time.

It's just a stopgap measure, but it's all we can do!

I craft like a madman.

If... if only I could get those materials, I could prepare the necessary amounts in no time!

"Damn it... if only I could get Cockatrice eggs..."

I felt Ryuuko lift her gaze at my muttering.

◆

There was the unfinished section of the western city wall.

It was the main body where a large number of adventurers had gathered.

Degard Bismack, who had recently risen to Rank C as an adventurer, was staring at the horizon.

With the main B-rank adventurers mostly absent, Degard, with his experience as a mercenary, was entrusted with temporary command. It was a significant responsibility.

"How many people could drink the prevention potion in the end?"

"Seems like about a hundred."

Answering the gruff Degard was his companion, the tiger beastman Tygarl Gaidal. They both belonged to the same mercenary group, but after their unit was decimated, they switched careers to become adventurers together.

"About half, huh?"

"Considering the combat strength of a hundred skilled adventurers is not to be underestimated."

Tygarl, the tiger beastman, also stares at the horizon.

What rushes toward them like a mad wave is the massive army of Cockatrices that turns into a tsunami.

Cockatrices.

The closest description of their menacing appearance would be a vicious-faced chicken.

They ranged in size from that of a horse to several times larger. They were monsters with significant individual variations.

Of course, their powerful beak attacks matched their size. But what made Cockatrices particularly troublesome was their petrifying breath.

Trained adventurers can resist it to some extent, but there are limits.

No matter how skilled they are, they'll eventually petrify if one inhales a large amount of petrifying breath.

Fighting to avoid the breath is a significant handicap in itself.

Such troublesome Cockatrices were attacking in the thousands. No, tens of thousands. It's no joke.

Distributing the petrification prevention potion to a hundred experienced adventurers who had even experienced dragon battles would be considered fortunate.

"Listen up! Do not advance to the front! Utilize the unfinished parts of the wall to your advantage! Make sure to take down only those who breach inside!"

"""Ohhh!!"""

The central forces respond with vigor.

Degard inwardly sighs with relief that these central forces have some coordination from their past dragon battles.

If these were overly individualistic adventurers, their numbers would have become a liability.

"Those who couldn't drink the prevention potion, act as backup! Carry out injured comrades! Douse them with healing potions! If you have free hands, unleash ranged attacks of any kind!"

"""Ohhh!!"""

The central forces received only a scant amount of petrification antidote. Most of it got distributed to the left and right wings.

Degard's central forces must minimize the number of adventurers petrified.

There's a skilled alchemist who can undo petrification later, but the more people get petrified, the lower their combat strength becomes.

"Dammit. If only Raidock were here."

Degard also acknowledges Raidoc, a B-rank adventurer. Not only is he skilled individually, but all members of his party are also competent.

It's not just Raidoc. A few B-rank adventurers are currently in town.

Due to the Cockatrice commotion, surrounding monsters have become more active, and these adventurers are out dealing with them. No one expected the Cockatrices to attack the town this quickly.

But there's no time for complaints.

As the person responsible for accepting adventurers, treating them well, and even accommodating demi-humans, Kyle Gandar Balelrode of the pioneering village, I want to repay even a fraction of his kindness.

Above all, the Golden Dawn town is already a second home and a place of peace.

With such a clear goal of protecting my home, there's no room for hesitation.

"Hmph. Fake chickens. We'll turn every single one of them into pieces of meat."

"Hah! No worries about tonight's yakitori!"

"We can't eat those damn things though!"

Unfortunately, Cockatrice meat is poisonous.

The battle-hardened Degard and Tygarl laugh fearlessly, easing the tension among the surrounding adventurers.

Amidst these adventurers, someone was watching them with a pale expression.

"Ah! What are you all doing here!? Hurry back to the church!"

"Azu-nee!"

Azure, the fox beastman who is the head of the orphanage, and a priestess at the church, finally finds the children she was searching for, panting heavily.

Turning at Azure's voice were the four orphaned children from the EdSai KaiKawaMika Adventure Group.