The result of the battle to recruit me was that I registered with both the Commercial Association and the Mercenary Guild, and got two metal tags. Both were marked F, which seemed to be the lowest rank. I threaded a piece of cord through them and hung them around my neck, just like I’d worn my ID tags for the past fifteen years. Even after ending up in a VR game as a cute vampire girl, old habits were hard to break.
However, I turned down the mayor’s offer to settle here. Being a free citizen was an advantage for me, after all.
“Miss, please accept this!”
While the beast-eared lady was busy counting the horned rabbits, the bespectacled girl suddenly gave me a book and a clay tablet. The book was about Alchemy, and the tablet, engraved with a magic circle, looked like a simplified Alchemy workbench.
“Thank you.”
“I hope you’ll become a senior member of the Commercial Association soon.”
Happily, I put the Alchemy book and the tablet into my item box. But when I turned around, I found the beast-eared lady glaring at me with envy. The fur on her tail was all puffed up, and she was making a little whimpering sound like a puppy. So you’re a canine? I thought you were a cat. I received my first payment from the Mercenary Guild and tucked five copper coins into my pocket. Looks like I’d have enough for a bed and meals over the next few days.
Before returning to the inn, I went to bathe in the river near town. I gazed at the pale-skinned girl reflected in the clear water. She was still at an age when her beauty had yet to fully bloom, but there was already a bewitching allure about her that rivaled an adult’s. Fortunately, I wasn’t some pervert who was interested in little kids, so I quickly finished washing and got ready to go back and sleep.
I slept until evening, and didn’t get out of bed until the sun had set. When I opened the window, the cool night breeze swept through my silver hair. I leaned on the windowsill, gazing at Nagu Town in the night with my red eyes. Scattered lights glimmered in the darkness, and the peaceful, quiet atmosphere soothed me, body and soul, after the exhaustion of war.
Could this be the ideal place I’d always dreamed of?
Thanks to the “Noble of the Night” blessing, I could see through the darkness without a lamp. So I took out the Alchemy manual and sat by the window to read. Before I knew it, the moon had climbed directly overhead, and I’d finished the book.
“Open status window.”
A blue dialogue box opened in front of me:
Name: Elsa von Lancelot
Gender: Female
Race: Vampire (True Ancestor)
Level: LV2/LV999.
Skills: Blood Sucking, Blood Weapon, Mist Form, Beast Bloodline, Mecha Master, Herbalism (Beginner), Potion Making (Beginner), Sniper’s Eye (Beginner), Swordsmanship (Beginner), Swift Run (Intermediate), Alchemy (Beginner).
Titles: Last Vampire Princess (Innate/Hidden), Otherworld Transmigrator (Hidden), Vampire Slayer.
Buff: Noble of the Night (all stats +15%).
Abnormal Status: Loli-fied.
As expected, “Alchemy (Beginner)” had appeared in my skill list. Looks like I could learn a skill just by understanding a book. This system sure was convenient.
I set the book aside and took the “Bloodwort,” “Antidote Herb,” and all the other herbs Herbalism had identified from my item box. Then I placed them on the Alchemy tablet. A pale blue menu popped up at once, and the options “Lesser Healing Potion” and “Lesser Antidote” lit up. Looks like those were the only two kinds I could make for now.
Well, this was a beginner’s village, after all. I’d definitely be able to make all sorts of amazing potions someday!
With my confidence renewed, I tapped the “Lesser Healing Potion” option. The system prompted me to supply mana, so I followed the instructions and fed MP into the tablet. The runes on the transmutation circle lit up one by one, and the Bloodwort broke down into countless motes of light before vanishing. The glowing particles swirled for a moment, then gathered together again, forming a potion inside a small glass bottle. Good grief, it could even make the bottle itself! The world of swords and magic sure was convenient.
Since my MP bar was almost full, I went all out making potions. Before I knew it, I’d made enough to cover a whole table. As I stared at the huge pile of Lesser Healing Potions and Lesser Antidotes, the corner of my mouth twitched. There was no way I could use all these myself, so I might as well sell them tomorrow.
Once I’d made up my mind, I climbed into bed and slept for a while. After the sun came up, I headed to the market.
The market in Nagu Town ran from six to ten in the morning. I found an empty spot in the square and set my healing potions and antidotes on an old wooden crate I’d borrowed from Aunt Kate. That was enough to get my stall ready, more or less. Pandora’s apparition appeared from who-knows-where. She looked at the potions I’d made with some curiosity, but soon lost interest and vanished into the morning light. I kept a wary eye on this apparition who called herself a machine spirit. Somehow, I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was more than she claimed.
“Little miss, how much are your healing potions?”
A massive shadow blocked out the sun. I looked up at the mercenary, whose body was packed with muscle. He wore leather boots and trousers, with a leather cuirass over his bare upper body. The battle-axe on his back looked incredibly heavy. Anyone who could swing a weapon like that had to be a formidable warrior.
“Five copper coins a bottle.”
“Whoa, that’s a lot cheaper than what that profiteer Wolf sells them for.” The mercenary uncle picked up a bottle and held it up to the light, inspecting it closely. “Hmm, the color looks a little off. Aren’t ordinary potions pale green? Why’s this one so much darker—and even kind of golden?”
Uh… This was my first time making a potion. How was I supposed to know?
“How about this?” The mercenary uncle grinned. “Little miss, if you let me test one, I’ll buy five.”
“Test it?”
While I was still wondering what he meant, the mercenary uncle suddenly drew the dagger at his waist and slashed his own arm. The scent of blood filled my nose. Bloodlust activated! I fought the urge to pounce on him and drink his blood. I hadn’t realized human blood would be so tempting to me. While I struggled to hold myself back, the man poured the healing potion onto his wound. A flash of green light passed over it, and the cut healed right before my eyes.
“Hahaha, this stuff’s great!” The mercenary uncle was delighted. “Give me five bottles. No, ten!”
“Thank you for your business.”
Just like that, I traded eleven potions for five silver coins. The mercenary uncle left happily with his potions. I was amazed by how well the healing potion worked, but I still couldn’t believe someone would cut a huge gash in their own arm just to test one. Were all NPCs this brave? Over the next few hours, hunters and mercenaries came by one after another. There were even a few woodcutters. They seemed to have heard about my potions, and already knew the price. I had to thank that mercenary uncle whose name I didn’t know for spreading the word.
Over the next few hours, I sold out of healing potions, but it seemed like I couldn’t sell any antidotes at all. I’d better make more healing potions next time.
Just as I was getting ready to pack up, a shifty-eyed man came over with the town guard.
