“My eyes hurt.”
Staring at the Status Window for too long made my eyes sting.
I rubbed them with my hand and checked again.
“More information has been added to the Ending List.”
It somewhat aligned with what I had guessed so far.
The routes to three different endings were determined based on the job I chose and the achievements I acquired.
The second route had already been eliminated because I rejected the life of an adventurer.
The adventures I experienced with Acella in the North were enjoyable, but I chose to remain a doctor.
And.
“I suppose the fork between the Good Ending and the Normal Ending is.”
A significant person who would have a massive influence on my life in that route.
I anticipated that the choices I made regarding my relationship with that person would define it.
Not just the Bad Ending, but all endings independently roll their probabilities at the moment they occur.
For instance, if I hit a 50% probability by the time I reach that point, I could end up with the Good Ending.
If I fail, the Good Ending disappears, and I would face a challenge at a 70% possibility of the Normal Ending.
If that too fails, hmm, I have no idea what comes next. Surely it wouldn’t just pop up as a Bad Ending again.
Well, I have to clear all the Bad Endings first before I get a chance at the Good Ending, so wiping out the Bad Ending takes priority.
Previously, I essentially had to break through 100 chances, which was practically impossible.
But above all, the most crucial point of the information I gained this time was the last sentence.
―――――――――――
○ Hidden Ending
[Path of Desire]
· The main character wants to (unreadable part) 25%
―――――――――――
The probability at the very end of the list had significantly risen.
That identity was the Hidden Ending.
“A path of desire, huh? I can’t even imagine what that means.”
Unlike the other three routes where I could clearly identify who the target was, I didn’t even know who the related person was yet.
I thought I needed to carefully watch when the probabilities would adjust to check for more clues.
As I entered Seymour’s hut, he was comfortably lounging in a rocking chair.
“Oh, Gothberg. You look like you have a lot of questions,” he said.
“The Royal Princess seemed happy. Did she tell you the solution?”
“Whether it gets resolved depends on Acella. You better keep a close eye on it.”
“Understood.”
Just as I responded, Seymour suddenly closed his mouth and cleared his throat roughly.
I handed him a bag of powdered medicine along with some tea.
“This is cough medicine. It should help.”
“Haha, I’ve been waiting for this. Is it sweet?”
“Very sweet. So is the sage’s tea.”
Seymour took my medicine with satisfaction and smiled comfortably.
“Well then, what do you want to ask?”
“Is it alright? I’ve only received a few teachings from the sage; if you treat me as a disciple, the Royal Princess might get upset.”
“Haha, let’s keep it a secret among us. You can even consider it your own secret.”
I sat across from Seymour and sipped the tea that Acella left behind.
“It’s surprisingly drinkable.”
“Right? It’s good for mana circulation. I pick it myself every morning.”
“Vermilion Root is also a potion ingredient for mana enhancement, isn’t it?”
“Mmhm, your alchemy skills have improved.”
Seymour laughed heartily.
“Which ingredients have you experimented with?”
“Recently, it’s been Siren’s Tears.”
“You’ve handled something rare.”
“I’m paying the price properly.”
“The price, huh? Not very amusing.”
Seymour subtly closed his eyes and happily rocked his chair back and forth.
Time to get to the main topic.
“I learned something during my recent investigation; it seems you’ve lived quite a long time, Sage.”
“Ahh, people tend to forget memories. It hasn’t felt long at all.”
“What was the secret?”
Seymour chuckled and flicked his beard.
“Good intuition. I suspected you might be the one to uncover my secret from the moment I sensed your price. Were you driven here by a desire for alchemy? Or medicine?”
“Both. My talents ultimately lead to an exploration of life and death.”
“Precisely. Just as you expected.”
Seymour recognized that fact with a big smile.
“I’ve drunk the Elixir. I achieved immortality.”
The assumption that I could find a clue about the Elixir from Seymour was confirmed.
“But it seems now…”
“You think I look like my lifespan is running out? That’s correct. Aphantasia came up and the cost of my talent resurfaced. I was a genius, but even then it wasn’t enough. I had to gradually pay the price with my lifespan.”
He confessed that he raised the level of magic at the cost of his life.
In other words, even if he hadn’t been greedy for magic, it meant he lived for several hundred years, estimated from now, plus a lot more.
“Was magic worth going that far to obtain?”
“What about you? Do you think the ability to save a person is worth the price you pay?”
His question made me unconsciously look at my palm.
A hand that could freely identify illness, wield a scalpel for surgery, free of all constraints.
An ability I could never have imagined or obtained without this reincarnation.
“It was worth it.”
I answered with conviction.
“So was I. Thanks to that, I can give simple advice to Acella and you, can’t I? Haha, I understand the hearts of those who start believing in goddesses just before they die now.”
He must have intended to take his achievements to the grave like other wizards.
Looks like a hint of change came over him.
“Two hundred years ago, when I fought in the hero party…”
Seymour murmured like he was reminiscing.
“There was an alchemist among the Demon King’s executives. He was the leader of the ‘Forgotten Ones’ undead army. As our exploits intensified the Demon King’s downfall, he created the Elixir to fulfill his desires and escaped the Demon Realm.”
“Did you chase after him?”
“Of course. There was a chance he could resurrect the Demon King. He only needed the final ingredient. He was on the brink of completion. Where do you think he headed?”
“I can’t even imagine.”
Seymour triumphantly picked up the tea leaves from the table.
“To the land of the Elves. He needed a branch of the World Tree.”
“Was the Elixir made from the sap of that tree?”
At my joke, Seymour clicked his tongue.
“Please, it can’t be that simple. All he needed was the last ingredient. In the end, he completed the Elixir. I burned his mouth before he could drink it.”
Knowing Ifrit’s temperament, he added with a chuckle.
“Fittingly, I was alone. Only I, who was close to the Spirit, could approach the World Tree. The party members were blocked by the Elves and had to wait. What do you think I had to do there?”
“To return the Elixir to the Empire for safekeeping?”
“Of course not! I gulped it down. He spilled some, claiming it was incomplete. A branch was lying around anyway; who could tell if I used it or not?”
Seymour excitedly recounted his experience of embezzling what might be the only occurrence in history—a fantastic Elixir.
Well, I’d probably act just like Seymour if I were in that situation.
“Wasn’t there another Elixir that alchemist made?”
“That’s impossible. A leveled-up alchemist can only create one Elixir in their lifetime.”
“Is that so?”
“Now then, has this been helpful?”
Text sparkled in my Status Window.
―――――――――――
◎ Alchemy List
……
· Elixir = ??? + ??? + Branch of World Tree
[Insufficient Rank]
―――――――――――
“Thanks to you, I’ve found a way forward.”
“Haha, I enjoyed our conversation too.”
“Oh, since you helped me after a long time, may I ask one more favor?”
“What is it?”
“Could you lend me the staff you used back then?”
The Great Sage’s Arc Staff. It would definitely be helpful in many ways.
“Oh dear, asking for a whole bundle after saving a drowning man, huh?”
I figured it wouldn’t hurt to take it now since I would come back for it anyway. Having it handed over felt good, rather than stealing it.
It was a bit shameless, but he was the sage; he’d surely understand.
“Open the third drawer.”
Seymour gestured with his chin. When I opened the drawer behind him, a gorgeous staff made of platinum and orichalcum was carelessly tossed among various knickknacks.
I carefully picked it up with both hands. It felt lighter than it looked. There was a mystical atmosphere as the staff seemed to wrap around mana like a living thing.
[No. 022 : Magic Duel 62% → 53%]
The chance of the ending occurring where I got defeated by the Four Heavenly King Ritch decreased. Just as I had surmised.
If I hand this to a suitable person, I can reduce the probability even more.
“I’ll use it wisely for the greater good.”
“Don’t lie. How many countries are you planning to blackmail with that?”
“Oops, you caught me.”
“Haha, there should be a price. Leave me a sleeping potion or something.”
I could do that easily.
I prescribed him a sleeping pill.
He popped the pill straight into his mouth and gulped down the tea.
Seymour reclined into his rocking chair and closed his eyes, looking more comfortable than ever.
*
“What did your master say?”
“He told me to brush my teeth well before bed.”
“That’s something you say.”
Acella snorted and tugged at my collar.
“Shall we head back then?”
“Yes.”
As Acella and I matched our strides for a moment.
Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted behind us.
When we turned our bodies, we were greeted by seven magic circles spread across the sky.
And among them, the grand Fire Spirit was forming and pouring down like shooting stars.
With one massive hand, Ifrit enveloped Seymour’s house, making it look like a toy model.
“Master.”
As if a small stone dropped into a lake, Acella’s pupils slightly trembled.
From Ifrit, made entirely of ever-burning flames, life radiated. When its finger brushed past, it warmly turned to ashes.
Seymour’s house soon disappeared, mixing into the swirling flames. Ifrit turned its back as if it had no further business.
As it headed towards the cliff below the hill, there were four more grand spirits just as colossal.
They seemed to be positioned there to pay their respects to Seymour.
The spirits proudly lifted their heads, and their forms disintegrated as if we were nothing but an illusion, blending into nature.
“A funeral attended by the five great spirits—what a sight to behold.”
What kind of great figure could adorn their last moments like that? At least, in my knowledge, it didn’t seem like there would be another opportunity.
“Lars.”
Acella reached for my arm as she gazed towards the direction where the spirits had vanished.
I supported her shoulder so she could lean against me.
*
“Once we return to the palace, I’ll begin preparing for the Kingdom’s Martial Arts Conference.”
After boarding the carriage, Acella said.
“That’s an important issue. Depending on the composition of the hero party, the weight of our voice in future international affairs will change.”
“Exactly. The nations participating in the allied forces have been decided, and we must include as many of the Empire’s citizens as possible when determining the candidates for the hero party.”
“Empire citizens, huh.”
In the future, the composition of the hero party was six members.
Lishe and I, Neria, two adventurers from the Kingdom, and a wizard from the Mage Nation.
While none of us were particularly lacking in skill, none of us would be labeled as the best either. True top talents were bought by the powerful to shelter them.
Moreover, political reasons affected the composition, so teamwork with Lishe wasn’t great.
“I wish I could include some candidates who aren’t just from the Empire.”
The more likely that possibility became, the less the probability of [Demon King Army Victory] would decrease.
“The vanguard will be taken care of by Tanya, but there’s no talent in the Empire for archers. If there were…”
I turned my head out the window.
The endless ocean caught my eye.
“I’ll have to look for an Elf.”
And one ingredient Seymour mentioned for the Elixir, the branch of the World Tree.
“The World Tree is deep within that ocean.”
After a brief moment of deliberation, I spoke to Acella.
“Your Highness, I have something to tell you.”
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