Atelier Tanaka Book 2: Chapter 21 (1)

Dorm Life 3

The alchemy test was a practical exam.

It seems I need to make a mana potion. This potion is sothing that recovers mana.

a mana potion?

I dont think its possible.

I cant make sothing like that.

I dont rember ever seeing it in Edita Senseis book.

I rember the noble mage drinking sothing like that during the dragon extermination party. I rember it was a thick liquid with a blue colour. If its sothing like that, Id never had any need for it.

What does it feel like to recover mana by drinking sothing?

My automatic mana recovery skill seems to be working against here.

Ive never even tasted it.

Please begin.

Following the voice of the instructor, all of the students began working.

Im currently on one of the many floors of the school building in a classroom that looks similar to a ho ec room. The test itself is pretty similar to a cooking exam in school. However, even if I describe the room as a ho ec room, the room itself is pure white and looks rather modern.

Its fairly reminiscent of a luxury hotel room. There are glossy, beautiful wood cabinets on either side of the room and two rows of thirty highly polished silver sinks set into counters.

.

If I look around to the rest of the students, theyre all moving things around. Theyre all working diligently. While Im just standing here with no idea what Im supposed to do.

Tanaka-san? Is sothing wrong?

The instructor noticed pretty quickly.

This person, I rember eting her on my first day here. I think her na was Lydia Nannuzzi and she looks like shes in her mid-thirties. Her gentle eyes are distinctive.

Based on what shes wearing Im guessing shes also a noble. Shes wearing a grey robe with gold embroidery. Her long brown hair is loosely tied up around her shoulders. The robe shes wearing is actually pretty revealing and my eyes cant help but be drawn to her large chest.

Is she married? Shes probably married. Shes definitely married.

Ill work on conquering married won once I unlock the Yarichin cheat.

That will be my bonus challenge after clearing this ga.

Ah, no. Theres nothing wrong. Im just trying to think of how to start.

Alright. Please, tell if youre not feeling well.

Sorry about that. Thank you for your concern.

Ive heard a lot of good things about you from Fahren-sama. Hes told that youre an extraordinary mage. I have high expectations for you. In fact, when youre finished Id like to use your potion as an example to the rest of the students.

N-No, youre expecting too much.

Theres no way thats true. This is the first ti Ive ever heard Fahren-sama praise soone else so much. If possible, Id like to be able to sit down and talk about magic with you soday.

i-is that so? Thank you for saying that.

Sure. Then, Ill get back to supervising the rest of the students.

Right.

So its like that.

The noble mage seems to have made my life more difficult once again.

What should I do?

Lets do our best on the exam.

Ester-chan is also sitting in the seat next to .

What a uselessly nice smile.

She even said she wasnt taking any alchemy classes for her major.

S-Sure.

On top of the attention Ive drawn from what the lecturer said, the fact that Ester-chan is sitting here has drawn even more attention from the surrounding students.

It would be impossible for to even cheat like this.

.

Theres no reason for to start panicking so soon. I just need to calm down. Its true that I have no idea what the recipe for a mana potion is, but I do have several recipes in my mind that I learned from Edita Senseis book.

As long as I follow the basic alchemy procedure of evaluate, dissolve, boil, and repeat; I should be able to create sothing that can restore mana. Even if what I create isnt a mana potion, it should be able to be used in a similar way.

If Im able to at least create a similar effect I should be able to pass this exam. Though, Edita Sensei was working on next-generation potions so I may risk accidentally creating sothing completely unexpected.

ah, thats right.

I decided to get on with it.

When I occasionally look over at Ester-chan, I can see her asuring out water in different containers. She seems to be the only one taking this exam seriously right now.

Alright, Ill do it.

Ill do my best.

When I think about it, this will be the first ti that Ive ever used the knowledge Ive gained for anything related to alchemy.

Umm.

On top of the counters, there are many different items and equipnt used for alchemy. This entire room really resembles Edita Senseis atelier. Most of the items on the counter are things Ive never seen before.

.

Ill just ignore all of the stuff I dont recognize.

Im not skilled enough to mix in things I dont recognize.

Lets just take things slow.

this will be the main dish.

I pushed everything I didnt recognize to the corner of the desk and picked up an herb that Id use as the main ingredient. It was a purplish plant that resembled garlic chives. Its a dicinal herb thats grown throughout the world. Its little more than a weed and even has the nickna Poor Peoples Salad.

For convenience sake, Ill call it a purple chive.

Its a widely known fact that the purple chive has no real nutrients. However, according to Edita Senseis book Poverty and You, by using a special procedure, you can use the purple pignt of the chive to restore trace amounts of mana.

How would I go about doing that?

Anyway, I just need to try it.

I place it in a vial with water and began to heat it using my fireball. I extracted the coloured water into one of the bottles on the counter. I used to do sothing similar to this when I was a child. Id use morning glories and soak them in water to make coloured water. Its actually quite nostalgic.

Now I need to distil this chive soup mixture.

Edita Sensei wrote that the way to extract the magical properties of this plant is to apply a strong light to the coloured water. By doing this, the mana stored inside the liquid is discharged.

And so, I once again activated my fireball but this ti it was to be used as a light source.

A large fireball around the size of a volleyball appeared before .

All of the surrounding students looked at in shock.

This chive-like plant has a tendency to absorb loose particles of mana that are in the soil and store this mana in it. Sensei hypothesized that the pignt of this plant is due to the mana that it absorbs through the soil. She was able to co up with this thod of extraction while she was verifying this. As expected of my Sensei. I want to have sex with her.

alright.

Done.

In total, I was able to make about the equivalent of three Yakults of this purple liquid. (TN: A Yakult is a milk drink from Japan)

.

Still, how much exactly is a trace amount of mana?

Im a little worried.

I dipped the tip of my finger into the liquid and tasted it.

wow, thats terrible.

It tastes like aojiru mixed with sen. (TN: Aojiru is another Japanese drink)

The amount of mana recovered isnt amazing, but, either way, as it is now theres no way anyone can drink this. That ti on Mount Pepe, I rember seeing both the noble mage and Ester-chan drinking a mana potion easily.

I definitely need to find a way to improve its taste.

Im sure there was sothing like that in Edita Senseis works.

I rember there being sothing by her that listed various ways to improve how drinkable a potion is. I think it was in her book called Gourt and You.

Based on my basic understanding of alchemy, there should be a way for to convert this purple liquid into powder form. Considering I am also able to use magic in this world, it should be even easier for to find a way to convert this into tablet form.

For now, Ill do that and convert the powder into a tablet.

If it goes directly into your stomach before dissolving, you wont be able to taste anything.

Still, even in tablet form, this is really unpleasant.

I think it would be best to cover it with sothing to mask the taste. I set out so materials that I thought might work on the countertop. A fruit that looks similar to a walnut called Cass is what I decided to use. I cracked open the shell to find it contains a thick, oil-like substance that resembled cheese.

Its possible to just eat this as is and it can also be used as a catalyst when diluted in water. Ill use it as sothing similar to a cheese fondue to coat the tablets.

Its rather similar to coating baked goods in chocolate. With this, the disgusting flavour is completely covered up. Its also child-friendly and works well as a gift for that special woman in your life.

Alright, this looks good.

Im beginning to think I can actually pass this exam.

Its been a while since the start of the test, and most students are now entering the final stages.

Lydia was walking around the classroom for most of that ti but, after checking the ti on the clock, she had now returned to the front of the class and sat down at her desk.

And she looked over the students and gave out her instructions.

Its about ti to finish. Please, add your mana to the potion now.

Eh?

What does that an?

I guess I can add mana to this sohow.

How does that work?

Whats the matter, Tanaka-san?

N-No, its nothing.

I unintentionally let my voice slip.

Because Ive never heard of anything like that.

I was confused by her instruction but she continued anyway.

As I explained repeatedly during the lecture, mana potions supplent the natural mana recovery that everyone possesses. We add mana to the potion in order to aid the body in recovering mana after drinking it.

Seriously.

This is the first Ive heard of anything like that.

Ive never used a mana potion before.

Powerful mages have the natural ability to rapidly recover their mana, but most mages need the assistance of a mana potion to properly recover magic when needed. Therefore, the quality of a mana potion is determined based on its ability to quickly enter the body of whoever drinks it.

I looked around at the surrounding students once more.

They all placed a flask containing their liquid on the counter.

All of their liquids are blue.

I held both hands in front of and said a small prayer.

The action of adding mana to the potion is possible even for a low-level user. There are two points to consider when making potions. First, is to make the potion as easy for the body of the user to absorb as possible. Second, is to make a potion that can increase the natural mana recovery rate of the user as much as possible.

I see.

Basically, a mana potion is used to increase the natural mana recovery of soone in a safe way. I should have been thinking about it as more of an aid rather than a dicine itself.

It was a huge misunderstanding on my part. I thought the purpose of the mana potion was to directly increase the amount of mana one has available, but it just increases the natural recovery rate. I dont rember reading anything like that in Edita Senseis works.

Maybe thats just basic knowledge in Alchemy.

That has worried about how they go about mass producing these potions. Do they just hire a lot of mages and set them up along a factory line? Or do they just have mages in retail shops that charge the potions? I dont understand.

.

There are several things Im doubting.

However, there wasnt a lot I could do to figure this out now.

Right now, my own situation is worrying .

What should I do?

Whats most important for the potion is its ability to quickly enter the body of the user. Also, how much the users natural mana recovery ability is increased is also important. I need to study a lot more. Thank you for this information. Im pretty sure I have no chance now. Thats why the rest of the students all have their potions in liquid form.

Its only now that I noticed sothing so important.

If I had just been paying attention to those around I wouldve noticed this much earlier. The task was to make a potion, and yet I managed to create sothing that in no way resembles a potion. What I managed to make is sothing like a strange candy.