All the work for producing the “Alchemized Honey” was completed, and it was time to return to the development settlement. The work period lasted four days… with some matters involving the Tamer Guild, my brother seemed rather busy, but the other members helped out with the tasks as usual or spent time shopping and such.

Due to what happened with the Tamer Guild, our bad reputation spread even further, and Lady Kaia warned us there might be danger around us. While it’s probably fine at the settlement, when we’re in places like Mare or Cuarnoeides, we were told not to go out alone and to always bring someone capable of serving as a guard.

Naga-kun and my brother nodded, but really, the point is: “Don’t go out alone.” They warned me not to get kidnapped, but I’m not that careless.

Still, apparently, things have gotten intense enough among the nobles that caution is warranted. Even if kidnapping me wouldn’t cause a full reversal, it could help someone regain a lot of lost ground—so there are people stupid enough to try such things.

Regardless of faction, there’s a lot of activity happening behind the scenes, and there’s a real possibility we’ll get dragged into more of the nobles’ power struggles. That said, I was given permission to dump any problems on Lady Kaia. Since her health has improved, she’s apparently able to handle things herself now.

On a related note, I was told that my decision to use all of the water dragon liver as alchemical material wasn’t a mistake. In fact, I was praised and told it had been very helpful—even receiving a kind of certificate of gratitude from the Royal Prince. Though, I’m not really sure how to handle something like that.

This time, we also got acquainted with the Alchemy and Commerce Guilds, so I did a bit of probing... It seems those two guilds don’t harbor any hostility toward us. In fact, they expressed interest in building a closer relationship going forward. They said they’ll come to the settlement once a month to buy products, and my brother closed the business deal.

Apparently, they’ll be bringing food—especially vegetables, which we tend to run low on—on a regular basis. They’ll also bring rice... that’s a huge help.

Checking in on our public reputation, it seems things are getting rather messy.

“When you think about how much the market owes to Lady Medicia, it’s honestly quite... well, let’s just say, the honey incident stirred up market prices and could easily be used against you.”

That was from the head of the Commerce Guild.

Given the risks of becoming enemies with not just my mentor, but with us as well, and the immense profits to be made by cooperating, most merchants have no intention of turning hostile.

However, I was told that, just like with any guild, there are rotten branches in some local offices, so nothing is guaranteed. If we ever feel a deal is shady, they offered to consult with us free of charge… The fact a merchant is offering free services kind of gives me chills.

They definitely expect to gain something much greater in return—no doubt about it.

My brother just said, “That’s rough,” but he clearly knows more than he’s letting on. So I decided to just leave it to him. There’s nothing I particularly want to get involved in anyway.

“If possible, tell me which regions in the kingdom are known for producing honey.”

“Of course. Here are the documents on honey-producing regions, including year-over-year comparisons.”

In response to my brother’s question, they already had documents prepared. The comparison with previous prices clearly showed a significant increase.

Just the rumor that we were collecting honey had disrupted the market, creating clear lines of conflict, making it easy for others to manipulate the narrative and spread more rumors.

In reality, most of the honey used was from what the Royal Prince had given us and what Naga-kun had gathered. Very little came from the Adventurers’ Guild, and we hardly purchased any ourselves.

We’ve been sourcing most of our other research materials from the Adventurers’ Guild, so the honey thing really should’ve just been a rumor—but since prices have gone up, we bear some responsibility.

The Alchemy Guild is friendly in Mare and Cuarnoeides, but they said they can’t vouch for their other branches.

As for the Tamer Guild—that’s still ongoing… The Cuarnoeides branch is currently operating but under surveillance. It seems there will be a review of their system across all regions.

---

Instead of heading straight back to the settlement from Cuarnoeides, we went to Mare.

Since we planned to stay overnight in Mare, we went to Lord Laz’s estate.

“Lord Laz, what’s your take on all this?”

“Hmm? About the nobles’ movements?”

“After Crow told me not to get involved, Kaia-sama said she would handle it... But it kind of feels like things got even more dangerous because of that, and no one’s telling me anything.”

“I don’t want to fall behind when it comes to noble affairs, but honestly, I’m not very good at it... That said, I think it’ll be alright.”

Lord Laz gave a small smile and called for Fol. As Fol brought us tea, he gave a wry smile.

I’m not sure what they’re trying to say.

“Fol, what do you think?”

“I’ve heard the royal capital is quite chaotic. Some people are seeking the power of the youngest Medicia... I believe it would be better if you did not handle this personally.”

Lord Laz nodded in agreement. So, trying to abduct me might serve a greater purpose for someone.

Which means, anyone well-connected in this area would already be aware of this.

Fol seems to have a decent grasp on the situation, and so does Lord Laz. But it seems they won’t tell me more.

“I respect Crow’s determination. That’s why I won’t go into detail. It’s dangerous for you to know too much. But in truth, no one really has the resources to go after you directly. I figure they’ll just try to trip you up from the shadows rather than cause actual harm.”

“...Yeah, I figured as much.”

They’re worried, but I don’t personally feel in danger.

It’s more like... if I act too carelessly, they might see an opening and take action, so I should stay alert.

“In the end, they want to push you down and use you for their own gain. They want to make the hierarchy clear and keep you under control.”

But I’m Lord Laz’s personal apothecary, right?

Why would they even think like that?

“They plan to revoke Medicia’s noble title temporarily, then give it back to make you feel indebted. Normally, that would work. Like with Viscount Valst—when someone’s about to lose their title, they cling to it so desperately they end up turning to crime. Smearing your name with rumors, making you feel indebted, placing shackles so you can’t resist—those are standard tactics.”

“A match-pump… That’s pretty nasty.”

“But it’s pointless. What they’ve miscalculated is that both Granos and you don’t value the noble status at all.”

They keep thinking we’ll cling to our nobility no matter how much harassment we face. But both my brother and I have already taken steps away from that path... and they just can’t understand that.

“Of course they can’t. They were raised in a completely different world. They’ll crush their enemies relentlessly, but the moment they sense danger, they flee. It’s pointless to even deal with them. The best approach is to keep a safe distance and not provoke them.”

“Huh? Wait, did this just shift from talking about the nobles to how you’re going to treat us? I mean, yeah, we don’t really want to stand on the same stage as them.”

“My father and older brother came to understand you after talking with you. But other nobles can’t. So they think they’re setting the stage for a confrontation, even though you’ve already left the stage altogether.”

Lord Laz is basically saying he’ll provide protection, and we can do as we please. That in itself leads to mutual benefit.

He’ll also prepare whatever we need—but warned that if we get too involved, it’ll be exhausting, so he might just leave us alone.

---

“So, is that what you came here to say?”

“It’s a report. The work in Kyuranoeides is complete. From now on, all distribution of alchemic honey will be entrusted to His Highness the King's younger brother.”

“Alright. If you ever need something, let me know. I’ll give you what I have. I won’t ask what you’ll use it for.”

“…If I start relying on that kind of backdoor route, I feel like other nobles will start complaining, so I’ll refrain.”

“I figured you’d say that. From now on, if someone asks me for your introduction, I’ll use this wax seal. It’s a seal used only for requests addressed to you.”

“Understood.”

So, if someone brings that letter of introduction, I’m supposed to treat it seriously and not ignore it. Since I’m Lord Raz’s exclusive, there’s no problem there.

“From Father and my older brothers, the requests will also come with this wax seal. Remember that.”

“…If possible, I’d like to take a sample back with me.”

“Well, that’s fine. It looks like access to the development zone will also be tightly restricted, so I’m not worried. The nobles can’t make a move if you're not in town anyway.”

“…What if I travel to the Empire or the Republic?”

“If it’s about the dragons, I want you to take care of domestic ones first.”

“…Right. Understood, I’ll handle that side of things first.”

Apparently, he’s not outright telling me not to go. Though, if possible, he wants me to stay within the country. The dragons inside the country are in the west and north… I guess I need to start planning. But it does feel like I can manage it somehow.

“Also, if possible, I’d like you to take on the request from the Alchemy Guild.”

“That request seemed suspiciously large in volume…”

Even Lord Raz emphasized it again.

I can do the alchemy itself, but asking one person to handle that quantity really is suspicious.

“Yeah. But if it’s you, you can manage even that amount, right?”

“I can… but shouldn’t we avoid disrupting the market during this period?”

“…It won’t affect the market. Everything will be delivered directly from the Guild to the Royal Family.”

So in other words, it’s a request from the Royal Family. They’re trying to secure the supply in bulk without upsetting the market. I have a really bad feeling about this. It doesn’t seem like I have the option of refusing.

“Looks like you figured it out, but I’d like you to accept this request. Even if you make more than what was asked, that’s fine.”

Did it show on my face? He must’ve noticed that I didn’t like it, and reiterated it. …“Even more than asked” is what’s bothering me.

“What are they going to use it for?”

“To wipe out the foreign individuals in the Empire… The operation will be a joint effort by the three nations and is scheduled for the seventh month.”

“Ah, I see…”

I’ve confirmed the situation through Setiko and the others, and it looks like it’s not just about 100 people; locals who have become bandits are also among them, so the number may be even larger. Still, it shouldn’t exceed 300 people.

They expect about half of them to switch sides if offered a chance to surrender. That said, they do have considerable strength.

“Um… would we really need that many potions?”

“Hard to say. The goal is annihilation, but there’s always the chance some of our side might betray us.”

“So… we’re going to make the foreign individuals fight each other?”

“Exactly. We’ll involve the 300–400 foreign individuals staying in the capital. The ones from the Empire have more actual combat experience, so they’re stronger. We’ll overwhelm them with numbers and manpower.”

“So… we’re going to deliberately cause casualties to reduce their numbers.”

“If they surrender quietly, that won’t happen.”

No, they’re clearly making plans assuming that they won’t surrender, aren’t they?

“Lord Raz, in the worst-case scenario, you’d let all of them betray you, right?”

“That would just be part of the annihilation plan. It’s the final test to see whether they’re of any use to the nation… After all, we can’t keep treating them like guests forever.”

“What about those who don’t participate?”

“…Do you want to know?”

“No, that’s okay.”

“You can ask if you want. Some of the foreign individuals have already chosen their own paths. Some left the capital for other countries, others were taken in by nobles within the country.”

Huh? So some of them actually started living proper lives. The ones who are still doing nothing and just living in the capital are the targets, it seems.

“Even if they didn’t understand anything at first, they gradually began to grasp the situation. Those who were protected in the capital and then decided to act on their own probably realized that staying in the palace wasn’t good for them.”

“Wow…”

“Of course, some have already been eliminated, so the numbers have gone down as well.”

It’s been about half a year since the foreign individuals arrived in this world, and it seems the nation has decided to seriously eliminate the useless ones. The operation also takes into account the possibility of betrayal. Anyone potentially useful is no longer in that group.

Maybe all the recent suspicious activities are related to this, too.

“Why am I the one supplying the potions to the nation?”

“Because it proves your contribution to the country… Crayne, the Royal Family once removed the highly contributing Medicia. The current king will bear that responsibility.”

“…Lord Raz.”

“If Prince Kai recovers from his illness, we won’t need to worry about a shortage of personnel. …Political strife will occur. And before that happens, we’re boosting Medicia’s accomplishments in preparation.”

The Kingdom and the Principality will cooperate to eliminate the Empire’s foreign individuals and help revive the Empire. That will bring massive profits.

Those involved in creating those profits will be rewarded. A big ripple is about to be thrown into those waters.

“I don’t want to get involved…”

“You don’t need to be involved. Just help make sure the stock doesn’t run out with your mixing and alchemy. That’s simple, right?”

“Well… yeah, I guess so.”

“…Your grandmother doesn’t have much time left. Be prepared. …Depending on the timing, everything might change. But one thing’s for sure—Medicia will be at the center of the chaos… it's just a possibility, though.”

“Ugh… I’d really rather not have the foreign individuals’ reputation stuck to me as well.”

“But I think Granos will handle things well. You should just do what you always do. Since you’re going to be busy gathering potion ingredients anyway, you’ll probably put the dragons on hold too.”

---

It seems the idea is to give me a moderate amount of work to keep me from sticking my nose into unnecessary things. Moderate, huh…? Is making this much in just a month really considered moderate?

Hmm… I'm starting to think I should try making glassware myself, that's how short we’re getting on bottles. Even collecting the used, unwashed ones still leaves us far from enough.

"Could I ask you to place an order for more potion bottles?"

"We’ve got 5,000 prepared on our side for now, so take those with you. I’ll arrange more if needed."

What Raz-sama expects from me is mixing and alchemy.

And all the materials needed for that are already taken care of. He doesn’t doubt in the slightest that I can produce that quantity.

"…Only potions, huh? That doesn’t sound healthy. Aren’t you going to prepare any medicine?"

"No. That’s the point… You understand, don’t you?"

Instead of using medicines to aid recovery over time, they’ll rely on fast-acting potions. Even if overuse leads to addiction, they don’t care. It’s a strategy built on the assumption of sacrifices.

"Sometimes, I really end up hating myself."

"That’s because you’re worrying about things you don’t need to. Didn’t I say some people have already started walking their own paths? Some of the foreign-born have been taken in by nobles. Your actions—while maybe only making them useful tools—have still helped give them a way to live. And you’re not arrogant enough to think you can save everyone, right?"

"…Thank you."

Maybe… just maybe, what I did opened up a path for someone.

According to Raz-sama, the reason the overall impression of the foreign-born hasn't turned entirely negative is because we’re working with the Prince’s faction. As long as their results can be seen, even foreign-born slaves can survive.

"But… isn’t it obvious I’m a foreign-born?"

"There’s no proof. There’s no proof that you’re foreign-born… After all, when you arrived in this world, no adventurer actually confirmed it."

"Huh? Really? I heard there were people watching."

"There were. But all of them testified that they didn’t see you. Get it? There’s no one who can testify that you’re a foreign-born. And besides… many of the foreign-born in this town, sadly, lost their lives while returning to the royal capital. Do any of them even remember Granos and the others?"

In other words, it’s the so-called "Devil’s Proof." There might be some issue with equipment or other traces, but no one can clearly remember. I wouldn’t be surprised if Raz-sama—or rather, the Prince—silenced some people.

Given that I have a Unique Skill, there’s a high chance people will assume I’m a foreign-born. But my level has already risen to the point that no one can see through me anymore.

They might suspect, but they can’t prove it.

"What about my brothers?"

"Same thing. Naga was low-profile to begin with, so no one remembers him. And the people Granos talked to? All dead."

"…Were they eliminated?"

"Not to that extent. But on the way back, many were attacked by monsters. Those recruited from Mare weren’t lucky."

"What about the girl who’s a ‘Saint’?"

"She’s alive. Only the foreign-born around her were saved during the monster attacks. She’s been tending to the First Prince ever since."

Whether it was a coincidence or not, I can’t tell.

What’s clear, though, is that the knights dispatched with them had no intention of protecting the foreign-born. They were just there to transport them.

"Raz-sama… Why do you tell me all this dark stuff!?"

"Knowing this won’t hurt you, right? Granos probably knows more than this, but if I told you everything, you’d probably start crying."

"I won’t cry!"

In the adventurers’ guild reports, the foreign-born were only officially recorded starting midway through the second day.

They probably showed up on the first day and caused problems, which led to surveillance being set up… By then, my brother was already around. Even if he was recognized as one of the group, there’s no proof he’s foreign-born.

As for Naga, it seems his arrival was confirmed… a red-haired boy who disappeared before entering the town.

Lust wasn’t recorded either—he must’ve vanished before the surveillance was in place. And as for me… there’s no record at all. Not only did I not join the group, but even the person who supposedly saw me seems to have had their testimony removed.

In the official records, only those who registered at the adventurers’ guild for free were recorded as foreign-born.

"Thank you, Raz-sama."

"It’s nothing special. Just don’t get tripped up if someone tries to bait you."

I may not be able to avoid contact with nobles, but I need to be careful.

"Try not to cause too much trouble."

"I know."

"Well, if you mess up, just report it to me."

I’m planning to head back to the development area now, but I had a feeling something might happen before I next meet Raz-sama, so when I said probably, he sighed a little and asked for a report.

Things are getting shady, but I won’t get involved directly… Well, it’s frustrating, but maybe that’s safer.

For now, let’s just start making potions through alchemy.