The first ingredient I took out was the nirnroot shavings. I put the shavings into the 500 mL beaker, then filled it halfway with water from a flask. After that, I put a very small sheet of scrap metal on the floor and used tinder to light a fire. Basic alchemy sets didn’t come with a burner. While the water was being brought to a boil, I placed a handful of purple grass into the mortar and used the pestle to grind the grass until it was a fine paste, then chopped off a piece of kalt root and ground that into the purple paste as well.
It didn’t take long for the purple grass to mix with the kalt root, turning what had originally been a purple paste into a slightly muddy-looking paste. By this point in time, the nirnroot had fully coagulated into the water, which had become a light green. After using a stirring rod to make sure none of the nirnroot remained, I added the paste into the beaker and began stirring again.
Alchemy was the creation and refinement of alchemy pills, salves, and other concoctions that were used to create various effects. This included everything from curing certain diseases, healing injuries, and recovering from spiritually related ailments like Spiritual Poisoning and Spiritual Rotting. Of course, it could also be used to further cultivate a person’s Spiritual Power.
I continued stirring until the purple grass and kalt root paste fully mixed in with the nirnroot and water mixture. While mixing muddy brown with green would have normally made something look even more like mud, this mixture actually turned a light blue instead and began emitting a slightly sweet fragrance. I smiled in satisfaction.
With the mixture created, I poured the contents of the beaker into the cauldron. It didn’t even fill up 1/20 of the cauldron, but that was fine. I had expected that. After cleaning out the beaker, I repeated this process several more times, using up all the ingredients I had bought. The end result was that the glowing blue liquid filled up 2/3 of the cauldron. I looked at the liquid, grabbed the jar of spirit essence, and then poured it all in.
Now came the hard part.
While refining pills mostly involved learning how certain ingredients interacted with each other when combined, there was also a slightly spiritual aspect to it. One couldn’t just mix ingredients together and expect to get a pill. In order to refine the ingredients after they were mixed, it was necessary to add Spiritual Power into the mixture. Otherwise, all a person would get was goop. Spiritual Power was the catalyst to activate the ingredients and refine them into a pill shape.
The liquid inside of the cauldron became a bright silver as I stirred and channeled my Spiritual Power into it. Arcs of pale lightning shot from the cauldron. That didn’t worry me. This happened every time I refined pills.
I was very glad I had gone out to train earlier. With my lack of control, it would have been impossible to refine anything. It would be more likely that I would have killed myself after causing an explosion. However, because I had exhausted all of my Spiritual Power until only a little bit remained, I could easily control that bit to refine the pills.
When the lightning finally ceased, I stopped stirring and gazed at the liquid. It looked like liquified silver. When I removed the stirring rod, a string of liquid came with it before slowly detaching and falling back into the cauldron, creating a gentle ripple.
After setting the stirring rod in the beaker I had used to mix the ingredients, I placed my hands on either side of the cauldron. I breathed in slowly. Holding it, I breathed out before channeling the remainder of my Spiritual Power into the liquid.
Sweat formed on my brow as I used my power to shape and mold the liquid into pills. The liquid rippled and bubbled. Nothing aside from that seemed to happen at first, but then, ever so slowly, the liquid began separating into bubble-shaped droplets about the size of my thumbnail. My arms shook as I kept pouring my will and Spiritual Power into the refinement process. The bubble-shaped liquid soon became completely smooth. Then all of them hardened into tiny beads.
It was done.
Releasing both my Spiritual Power and the cauldron, I leaned back and took several deep breaths. I closed my eyes, inhaled, held it, and then exhaled. I repeated this several times.
I felt exhausted. There was a deep ache in my bones that only came from having spent all the Spiritual Power I possessed. It was known to Spiritualists as Spiritual Exhaustion, a self-explanatory name if ever there was one.
Releasing a weary sigh, I put the alchemy pills I had refined into a bag, then cleaned the pestle and mortar, cauldron, stirring rod, and beaker I had used before putting those away too. Once I had properly stored my alchemy set by the bookshelf and placed the bag of pills on the lowest shelf, I stripped off my clothes and climbed into bed.
I fell asleep the moment my head hit the hard, lumpy, and altogether uncomfortable mattress.
Chapter 6
Embarrassing a Princess
Six months had passed since Kari and I met. We’d grown a lot closer during that time, to the point where we didn’t just spend time within the library. While she always wore a hood, the two of us often traveled through Nevaria, taking in the sights and just enjoying each other’s company.
My heart felt light during the time I spent with her, like it was soaring through the clouds. I didn’t say anything because I wasn’t qualified to; she was the daughter of the empress and I was just some guy who worked at a library. However, I knew that I had fallen in love.
It was late in the evening. The sun was beginning its descent behind the Demon Beast Mountain Range, casting dark reds, oranges, and yellows across the sky.
Kari had come to visit me early this morning and asked me if I wanted to spend the day with her. I was technically supposed to work this day, but when I saw the expression on her face, that hopeful look mixed with a strange desperation, I couldn’t say no.
Our first stop had been breakfast, but after that it was a smorgasbord of activity. We’d gone to a park, watched a play, walked around the Merchant’s District, and spoken the entire time. By the time the sun had begun to set, I was feeling a mixture of emotions. I’d had fun. Of course, I had. However, a strange sensation crawling around inside of my stomach kept me from just enjoying myself. I was worried, but I didn’t know why.
“There’s one more place I would like to take you,” Kari said as she held my hand and pulled me along.
I didn’t resist her. “Where are we going?”
She looked back and smiled at me. “You’ll see.”
Kari said nothing else as she pulled me through a number of streets, took several turns, and soon led me up a hill. We eventually ended up traveling along a slight cliff face. I realized that the place we were traveling along was part of the mountain that the Imperial Royal Palace sat on. This caused my body to jolt as though lightening was racing through it.
The place where we eventually stopped was a small ledge that was just big enough for two people to sit. I stood there in stunned silence. From this spot, I could see almost all of Nevaria; I could even see some of the farmlands that existed beyond the walls of the city. As I took in this breathtaking view, Kari smiled at me before turning to the city.
“It’s a nice view, isn’t it?”
“It’s amazing.”
“I’m glad you like it. I wanted to show it to you… since we won’t be able to see each other anymore.”
Those words were enough to send a chill through my bones. The view was no longer important.
I turned to her. “What do you mean…” I slowly trailed off as I realized what she meant. I vaguely recalled something that happened over four months ago, when I had been attacked by Grant Leucht. “This is about those marriage talks, isn’t it?”
Kari’s lips trembled and her eyes moistened with tears. “It… was inevitable, I suppose. Even though I am a member of the Astralia Royal Family, even I can’t escape from a fate like this… no, perhaps it is because I’m a member of the Astralia Royal Family that this happened.”
My mind went blank as I stared at this girl, who wasn’t even seventeen years old,
and yet she was already going to get married. So many conflicting emotions swirled around inside of me. I was jealous of the person marrying her, felt hatred at this situation, but above all that, I felt sympathy for this girl who was being forced into a position she never wanted.
“Your mom can’t do anything?” I asked, swallowing.
Placing her hands behind her back, Kari took a deep breath and sighed. “Even my mom doesn’t have the power to stop this. The Leucht Family is one of the Three Heavenly Families. They wield a lot of political and economic power, and they’ve been pushing Mother hard to convince her that I should marry their heir. She’s done her best to stall them, but I am just the youngest member of the family. My life and happiness are not worth the political unrest her rejection would cause. Moreover, Grant Leucht won the Spiritualist Grand Tournament four months ago.”
Kari took a deep breath while I was reeling and continued.
“The Spiritualist Grand Tournament is a competition that has taken place in Nevaria since its founding. The winner will be able to receive any one thing that he or she asks for from the current ruler of Nevaria.” Kari gave me the saddest, most desolate smile I had ever seen. “I don’t think I need to tell you what he asked for. With his victory and the Leucht Family’s power within Nevaria, my mom doesn’t dare reject the marriage arrangement.”
I curled my fingers into a fist. Kari had told me about the marriage talks several months ago when Grant Leucht attacked me. At the time, she had laughed and told me it would never happen, that her mom would never allow it. I had sensed her dispiritedness at the time. However, for the sake of not wanting her to worry, I had merely nodded and said I wasn’t worried at all.
“And there is nothing you can do?” I asked in a soft voice.
“Not unless I’m willing to run away,” she confessed.
“Then maybe we should do that,” I said.
“We?”
I nodded and grabbed her hands. “Let’s run away together.”
Kari looked startled. “Where would we go?”
“Does it matter? We’ll go anywhere. We’ll go everywhere.” My voice became more fervent the longer I spoke. “We’ll travel the world, explore ruins, and face dangers just like you always dreamed of doing.”
“I’d love to run away with you…” Kari clutched my hands tightly as a few tears fell from her eyes. “But I can’t. I… as a member of the Astralia Royal Family, I have obligations. And besides, even if we tried to run away, my fathers and brothers would come after us. I know my limits. There’s no way I could escape from them, and if I can’t escape, then there’s no way you would be able to either.”
The words were more than just a blow to my pride. Kari was telling me that I was weak, which I already knew. I had never trained, never studied Spiritualism… I didn’t even know which end of a sword to hold. I was weak. I knew that. However, until this moment, I had never felt like being weak mattered. Now I knew otherwise.
“So this… this is the last time you and I will see each other?” I asked for confirmation.
“P-probably. That’s why I wanted to… I wanted to tell you that I… I…”
Kari was fully crying now. There was no stopping her tears. Her face had become a mess, eyes rimmed red as several sobs wracked her body. So even a person as strong as Kari can cry like this? I was a little shocked. A jolt raced through my spine as I stood there, dumbfounded by the tears this girl was shedding.
I thought about what I should do at a time like this, but then I switched my thoughts. If this was the last time we would see each other, then…
“In that case… I hope you will permit me to take some liberties with you.”
Her eyes widened as I let go of her hands, wrapped my arms around her waist, and pulled her close. Her body fit snugly against mine. She was smaller than me, but she was also stronger. I could feel the muscles in her back shift and twitch even through the fabric of her dress. What’s more, the two large breasts she was sporting were pushing into my chest.
I leaned down, but I didn’t completely close the distance. Even though I wanted more than anything to seal her lips with a kiss, even though I had wanted to kiss her for months and might never get the chance to do so again, I also wanted to give her the chance to refuse. If she wanted to, she could push me away. It would be easy with her strength.
She didn’t do that.
Before I knew what was happening, a pair of hands threaded through my hair, and fingers gripped the back of my head. Kari pulled me down the rest of the way and our lips touched. Her kiss was filled with desperation and remorse. It was like she was pouring all of her emotions into me. I could feel the longing she had as her fingers grabbed my hair, sense the anguish she felt at being married off as her lips sought to consume me, and detect her sorrow in the tears that splashed against my chest after creating streaks down her face.
The soft warmth of her lips as they caressed mine felt incredible, but all I could think about was how bittersweet this kiss was. All I could do was regret how I hadn’t said or done anything about my feelings until this moment.
Several months after our last meeting, it was publicly announced that Kari would marry Grant Leucht on her eighteenth birthday. After she graduated from the Spiritualist Academy, she and Grant had a huge ceremony where all the nobles and even the peasants were invited. I didn’t attend.
I wouldn’t see Kari again after our last meeting for another two years when the Demon Beasts invaded Nevaria and forced the two of us to flee.
My body ached the next day. I hadn’t done anything super strenuous, but as I sat in bed and stretched my arms, the powerful and deep ache that came from Spiritual Exhaustion persisted. This dull throb that ran through my body was so powerful it caused me to feel a pseudo-physical pain.
Sadly, there was no rest for the weary, so after washing my face, cleaning my body with a rag, and getting dressed, I exited my room and made for the waterfall that I had decided to use for the first stage of my training. I didn’t forget to grab the bag of pills on my way out.
It was quite early in the morning. The sun was just rising. Naturally, this meant there weren’t that many people present. Only a fool like myself or someone who needed to start their day early was awake at this time. Fortunately for me, bakers had to start their day early to get their work done before everyone else woke up to buy their bread, which meant I was able to pick up breakfast before I caught a passing carriage and paid a small fee of one copper valis to transport me to the eastern gate.
As I ate the baguette with light amounts of honey drizzled on it, I thought about what I needed to do today.
Of course, the training came first. I needed to gain control over my Spiritual Power. I wasn’t sure how long this would take since I was much stronger than I had been in my previous life. Back when I first started training, it had been relatively easy to learn how to control my Spiritual Power—relatively because Kari and I couldn’t figure out why I was unable to use Spiritual Techniques—but I didn’t think it would be as easy this time.
After training… I had to close the library.
The large waterfall looked the same today as it had yesterday. After setting down my bag of pills, I stripped off my clothes and set them aside. I paused for only a moment before reaching into the bag and grabbing one of the pills. It was quite small, about the size of a bead, and was a pale silvery blue color.
Three-Way Spiritual Widening Pill.
Without thinking about it, I popped the pill into my mouth and chewed. It didn’t taste that good. If I had to describe it, I would say it tasted like raw root vegetables that hadn’t been cooked. I put up with it because I knew it was necessary.
Almost immediately after swallowing it, a slight chill spread through my body, pervading every part of me. That was just a side effect of the pill. It let me know it was working. The true purpose of this pill would only come when I began training.
I quickly swam to the waterfall and climbed onto the boulders
. It wasn’t any easier this time than it had been last time, but I persevered and released my Spiritual Power. The blue aura with powerful lightning swirling around like streamers of water roared to life. The waterfall that had been battering my body stopped in midair. Well, technically, it fell over the sides of the pillar created by my Spiritual Power, but I wasn’t going to get into the complicated details right now.
Crossing my legs as I sat, I closed my eyes and began my training.
The purpose of this training was to shrink the Spiritual Aura that my body was currently emitting and bring it into myself. While all people who released Spiritual Power could manifest it as a Spiritual Aura after they reached a specific level of power, it never went out of control like this—usually. My current Spiritual Aura was the result of my powers being too strong, my control over it lacking, and my Spiritual Pathways being unable to cope with this amount of power. In order to control my power, I had to do two things: Mentally harness my power by reigning it in and widen my Spiritual Pathways.
The pill I had consumed was one that would help my Spiritual Pathways naturally widen. It acted as a healing agent, soothing the agitation and inflammation that came from my currently small Spiritual Pathways releasing such a fierce amount of Spiritual Power.
I wasn’t sure how long I stayed underneath that waterfall, but the rumbling of my stomach eventually told me it was time to stop. A warrior could not work when he was hungry. What’s more, if I was hungry, it probably meant it was about time for me to head over to the library.
After drying off using the remnants of Spiritual Power that didn’t get drained from my training (I channeled my control over water to evaporate the water clinging to me), I donned my brown pants, white long-sleeved shirt, and leather boots. I grabbed the bag of pills, popped another pill into my mouth, and walked back into Nevaria.
Since I was hungry, I bought something to eat while on my way to the library. It was just a simple sandwich. That said, the combination of meats, cheese, and grilled vegetables did wonders for my stomach. I also drank a small flask filled with ale. Even if I wasn’t much of a drinker, I needed something to help make the food go down.
WIEDERGEBURT: Legend of the Reincarnated Warrior: Volume 1 Page 9
