Chapter 153

Nearly ten hours had already passed since they worked in Rinoa’s underground laboratory .

The time has long since fallen into the night, and the other magicians are all working with a grim expression on their faces .

My goal is to blend the magic grass called Hydra with the existing crops in the Fage territory .

The magical grass called Hydra has two characteristics: an abnormal growth rate and a digestive system .

It grows as it crawls across the ground and walls, enveloping prey that enters its territory with its petals, which it digests and sends to its roots for nourishment .

Individuals vary in size, but if they are large enough, they can swallow a child or so whole .

If they are larger than you, they can also engulf you with their vine, and surround you with their digestive juices to dissolve you and eat .

Although it is a magical grass, it sometimes appears in the Adventurer’s Support Center, and is sometimes referred to as a magic beast .

Since they don’t have mobility, they are often burned to death from a distance .

If you crossed Hydra with a crop, you would be able to create a sturdy, high-growth crop .

I have utilized all the books I borrowed from the Chief in the past, my own notepad, and the books in the Fage territory, and I am trying to find a way to combine Hydra and crops .

At the moment, I’m glaring at the perkin (a burly orange gourd that resembles a pumpkin) and Hydra as a good match .

I had Rinoa and her men working with Ortem to grow Hydras .

I carved out the inside of Ortem to make it look like a flowerpot, spread a thin layer of the special soil I smelted on the bottom, and planted the seeds there .

After that, the whole process is to feed them moderately and supply them with magic power according to the magic formula .

This will adjust the degree of growth according to the magical power of the wards and soil developing through the medium of Ortem, so the Hydra flowers should become smaller and more mature, and we should be able to collect the seeds safely .

We need to get more seeds to grow first .

After all, Hydra does not exist in Fage territory .

If we run out of the seeds we have on hand, the development will be suspended .

When I was in the city of Lomarn, I bought the Hydra Seeds (18 grains per bag, 250,000g) out of curiosity, and it just happened to be left in my luggage .

I remember well that the shop was run by a kind-looking old man alone in a somewhat deserted street with no traffic .

It was a bit pricey, but I had a feeling that I wouldn’t be able to get it if I missed this, so I took the plunge and got excited .

…… The next time I was there, I saw the guards entering the magic shop with their hands in their scabbards, and I was so scared that I didn’t go there again .

In case you’re wondering, because it’s underground and light can’t reach it, we have an artificial sun Ortem in the center of the room that emits intense light from its eyes and mouth .

This is because no matter how much nourishment Hydra has, it only has the property of growing and self-pollinating as long as it is exposed to light .

“…… How’s it going over there?”

I stop writing a hypothesis in my notebook and ask the sorcerers .

“…………”

There is no reply .

Everyone has an empty face and is single-mindedly pouring their magical energy into Ortem .

That’s how much they are immersed in their roles, I’m impressed .

When I was training in sorcery, there were times when I didn’t recognize my father or Gizel’s voice .

It seems that Rinoa had just taken a break and was peeling off the black, shrunken petals and packing the seeds inside into a bottle .

She lifted it up and shook it, making a clip-clop sound .

“…… Isn’t Hydra a little dangerous?”

“No, I’ve got it under control, so it’ll probably be fine . If you accidentally spread it outside in the soil, it could be a disaster, though . Hydra isn’t a magical beast, it’s a magical plant, after all . It’s officially so in the classification of magical arts . ”

Although there are many regulations when applying bio-magic to magic beasts, there are quite a few restrictions on the modification of magical plants .

There is no lack of regulations, but I found an opening in the application form for permission to use magic arts that I submitted to Lark, and I twisted it into the application form for permission to use magic arts, so I didn’t miss anything .

I didn’t do anything to be blamed .

“But it’s harder than I thought…… . no, I’ll make it in time, but……”

I tell myself as I look over my notes and rub my eyelids .

I feel oddly heavy .

“Abel, are you okay?’ Your eye circles are terrible, you know? I think you need to take a break for a bit……”

Mea, who has been watching me from the side, calls out to me .

“We don’t have much time . Besides, I’m used to this kind of thing . ”

I take the de-legalized Abel Potion (legal specs adjusted to meet the ordinances of the Fage territory) out of my luggage and chug it down .

“Ohhhh, I’m head’s getting clearer…… yeah, my vision isn’t blurry, it’s clearer . ”

“Was your vision blurry just now!? As I thought, you should still rest!”

That’s not how it works .

The longer the development is delayed, the more Icarus will be overwhelmed .

The reason I was able to endure all that was said and done is because I thought I could pay Icarus back in full later on .

I really wanted to throw it back as soon as possible .

If the development wasn’t ready tomorrow, I honestly don’t feel like it .

“Yes, do you guys want this potion? It can improve concentration, withdrawal of drowsiness and pain, increase magic power, and many other benefits . Though the side effects may be a bit tough to take . ”

“Abel, you’re sure you’re okay, right!? Right!?”

Mea grabs me by the shoulders and shakes me .

“It’s okay, you don’t have to worry about it so much……”

When I had spoken that much, I felt something rush up my nose .

When I couldn’t help but break off my words, Mea looked into my face anxiously .

“Abel…?”

“Hyak-…… kishi!”

I looked down and sneezed .

“I knew you weren’t feeling very well……”

“…… I’m fine, is what I think but I’m going to carve an Ortem to ward off disease . ”

Maybe the rain made my body a little cold, and that’s why I’m out of shape .

I can’t bear unnecessary time loss at a time like this, so I’ll just deal with it appropriately with the Ortem of avoiding sickness and disease .

It could be anything, this much .

I’m not as sickly as I used to be either .