Chapter 252

Chapter 252: Time

"First tell me how much time you require to produce one hundred bottles of Medium Magic Recovery Potion."

"Ah, about half a month for a hundred bottles. But if we’re solely crafting Medium Magic Recovery Potions, the current alchemical ingredients would yield far more than a hundred. Two hundred bottles would be trivial! With favorable fortune, perhaps several dozen beyond that."

Manfel responded reflexively.

Yet no sooner had the words left his lips than regret prickled his conscience.

Why such candor? If his deduction proved true—that this maiden sought to commission him using these materials—a slight exaggeration might have secured surplus ingredients for himself…

Though perhaps honesty served better…

This particular young woman seemed ill-advised to deceive.

"Fifteen days?"

The timeframe could be reduced so drastically? With output more than doubled?

Two hundred bottles in fifteen days implied over a dozen produced daily.

The golden-haired maiden’s gaze acquired a faint luminescence.

"Then transform them all into Medium Magic Recovery Potions."

"But—"

"It’s settled. Subsequently I shall bring additional materials."

As Manfel opened his mouth to protest, Army Lady’s razor-edged glance severed his words midair.

"Regarding compensation—maintain this production rate of two hundred bottles per fortnight, and you may retain surplus materials. Monetary remuneration may also be requested."

"I may keep leftover materials? Truly? You swear this?"

"Mmm."

"Then no monetary recompense is necessary."

"Very well. Henceforth I shall return every third dawn. Ensure the potions await me."

Three days’ span equated to forty medium-grade Magic Recovery Potions. Given her mother’s Magic Value Limit, this quantity should suffice for two or three full replenishments.

With affairs thus arranged… The gilded-haired girl inclined her head fractionally before pivoting to depart.

…

Later, within the inn’s confines,

Army Lady entered Stealth One’s chamber to find Lvzi listlessly toying with her digits at the table,

While upon the bed lay Stealth One, immersed in profound slumber.

"You refrained from… actions?"

Army Lady arched an eyebrow in mild astonishment.

"Exploit another’s vulnerability? I’d never commit such vulgar conduct!"

"Your claim strains credibility."

For the first time in living memory, Army Lady executed a perfect ocular roll.

She glanced at the shadows beneath Stealth One and Lvzi.

So she understood.

If Lvzi were to make a move, these shadow-dwellers would have to intervene immediately—unless they wanted their eldest sister to teach them a brutal lesson.

"Ahem. How’s the situation progressing?"

Lvzi cleared her throat, drawing Army Lady’s attention.

Army Lady then briefly recounted her negotiations with Manfel.

After spending so much time together, she’d grown accustomed to consulting Lvzi on various matters.

…

…

The next day,

Lvzi visited the lord’s mansion as promised.

Though she remained the sole woman in the Guard Knights, none of the knights dared underestimate her. They’d all witnessed her power firsthand—this deceptively youthful, breathtakingly beautiful girl could slay a Big Goblin with a single strike.

Since Lord Simon had granted her maximum autonomy,

Lvzi wasn’t required to participate in daily knight training.

Her role resembled Knight Commander Laikalis’s… though not exactly the same.

Laikalis often stepped onto the field to adjust stances, correct movements, or spar directly with the knights.

Lvzi, meanwhile, lounged in a nearby pavilion sipping the lord’s specially provided hot beverages and nibbling pastries.

Only occasionally did she join the training sessions like Laikalis—sometimes sparring with knights, sometimes with the Knight Commander himself.

Whether facing Class C knights or the Class B Laikalis, it made little difference to Lvzi. Her sole consideration was preserving the Knight Commander’s dignity by ensuring his defeats weren’t too humiliating.

*The green-haired girl defeated the Knight Commander.*

Though anticipated, witnessing it firsthand still stunned the knights. To them, Laikalis had been an unconquerable peak—they could scarcely fathom a member of the human race surpassing him.

Beyond routine drills, biweekly field expeditions took place.

After another display of Lvzi’s capabilities, Knight Commander Laikalis and she each led twenty knights to hunt in Granville Monster Forest’s periphery. Venturing deeper risked catastrophic losses—a danger they wisely avoided.

Lvzi’s familiarity with the forest ensured her squad’s smooth operation. Her team suffered fewer injuries while securing significantly more prey of higher quality than Laikalis’s group.

Her talkative nature, formidable strength, leadership flair, and beauty that occasionally froze observers mid-glance swiftly earned the knights’ respect within days.

…

Meanwhile,

With Lvzi absent from their trio, Army Lady and Stealth One operated independently—completing missions separately and submitting guild reports alone. Even at their inn, they retreated to separate rooms, rarely convening.

The initial peace soon gave way to lingering thoughts of their missing companion.

"Oddly unsettling without the noisy one."

"Mm."

The two women dined opposite each other in the inn’s first-floor restaurant, their mutual distaste silently acknowledged yet never voiced.

"Weren’t you close?" Stealth One suddenly asked.

"You hunted together even before her human form stabilized."

"Accurate, but ‘close’ overstates it…"

"You could’ve joined the Guard Knights with her."

Stealth One’s gaze flicked to the golden-haired woman. For Class B Adventurers like them, commissions meant little now—coins held scant value when monster materials from the ant nest storage could be sold for fortunes. Maintaining their adventurer persona became the sole reason for accepting requests.

"Me?"

"Shouldn’t you worry about her being alone there?"

"Why? The Guard Knights pose no threat, and Stealth Four and Stealth Five remain nearby."

"Fair point."

Unspoken between them lingered the guilt—how they’d failed to prevent Lvzi’s death during the reincarnator Luo Yong’s assault.