Chapter 127: Dividing the Spoils (2/2)
Mike took the key Anna proffered, and opened it. Inside was a pile of gold coins. Closing it quickly, he carried it upstairs.
After counting it, he was able to determine that the chest contained 1,232 golden wrens, a small fortune, even by noble standards. To call this a 'small gift from his personal assets' was ridiculous.
”What do you think this means?” He asked Sera.
”Huh?” She was staring at the pile of money with a rapt gaze that betrayed her thoughts.
Mike forcibly turned her head. ”This money. What are they trying to tell us?”
She frowned in consideration. ”They are clearly trying to impress us with their wealth. It could be a means of warning us against trying to go against them. Alternatively, it may be their attempt to show how valuable of an ally they can be. It's a little hard to say with nobles. They like to keep things ambiguous.”
Mike shrugged, ”Well, I won't worry about it too much, then. So what are you going to do with it?”
She gave him a look, ”You mean my share? I have a few ideas, but I think I want to explore the market a bit before making my decision. What about you?”
”Nah, I didn't do anything to earn it. It was the three of you that got caught up in this mess, so I think you should figure out how to split it three ways. Besides, I don't really need the money.”
Brenden cut in, ”What are you talking about? You go through weapons and armor like crazy, your familiar will probably have massive food requirements, and didn't you just start practicing Alchemy? I've heard that it takes a few years of practice before you succeed often enough to turn a profit.”
”Meh,” He replied carelessly. ”Most of that is being covered by the scholarship and stipend the Count is providing. I'm doing just fine, monetarily. That does remind me however, I have a few things for the three of you.”
He pulled out his extradimensional sack, and withdrew three vials of the Low Grade Panacea, the Fortifying Ice Tonic, and two of the Tier 1 Mana Potions. ”I had some luck in my classes, so I wanted to spread the wealth a bit.”
”What's all this?” Sera asked, eyeing the bottles suspiciously. ”Some kind of poison?”
”What? No. These are potions for each of you. I would recommend keeping them on your person for the time being.” He said while handing each of them a vial of coppery liquid.
”What is?” Tal asked curiously, although her subtle excitement suggested she already had an idea.
”These are Low Grade Panaceas. You can use them to treat illness or poison-” He started explaining, before being interrupted.
””WHAT?!”” Brenden and Sera yelled in unison.
”You mean that stupidly expensive medicine that's supposed to be able to cure any disease in minutes? That Panacea?” Sera asked, slight stupefied. ”And you just happened to make it in a beginner's Alchemy course?!”
Taking a step back from her intense interrogations, Mike answered, ”I suppose? They gave us the chance to do some experimentation with the ingredients in the supply closet, and I got lucky, I guess. It's still only low grade.”
”Do you have any idea how expensive a panacea, even a low grade one, can be? Just one of these is worth hundreds of gold, easily.” She paused for a second, as if finally listening to the words coming out of her mouth. ”Say, do you think you'd be able to make more of these?”
”Probably, but I would need to have the same ingredients again. I searched the entire supply closet and couldn't find another Desiccated Basilisk Liver. The rest was more commonplace.”
Sera stared down at the vial in her hand, evidently working through the economics of the situation.
”Are you sure about giving this to us? You are already letting us split the noble's payoff money, and we really haven't done anything to earn our keep so far. This seems a bit much.” Brenden spoke up in a slightly hushed tone.
”What's wrong with making sure my friends can cure themselves if they get poisoned, or are stricken down by illness?” He asked in a somber manner.
The group lapsed into silence for a few moments.
”Besides, I made this stuff by accident, and I don't really have a need for it myself. I think I might be functionally immune to disease by this point, and anything I don't resist can be cured with Healing Magic.”
Sera made a slightly disgusted noise in the back of her throat, before walking into her room. The group could distantly hear her yell, ”IT'S SO UNFAIR!”
Brenden just sighed, as if this was to be expected. ”Yeah, not really feeling guilty about this, anymore. So what's the rest of these?”
Mike handed Tal two vials. ”These are Tier 1 Mana Potions I got from one of my instructors. Are you familiar with them?”
Tal nodded, ”Thanks.”
”I have more if you end up needing them. Just let me know.” He picked up the last vial. ”This is a Fortifying Ice Tonic, which allows you to stand extremely low temperatures. Supposedly, it also has a chance of unlocking the Cold Resistance Skill. I was trying to decide who to give it to, and I'm leaning towards Brenden.”
”Me? Why?” The beastman asked a little surprised.
”Well, you're the vanguard, and therefore the most likely to be in the midst of combat. If we come across a monster that can use cold as a weapon in some way, you would be the one most likely affected.”
”Agreed.” Tal added her own opinion, before moving into her room.
Brenden sighed, ”That makes sense, but what about you? Why don't you use it on yourself?”
Mike yawned, and tossed the vial to Brenden, who caught it in a panic, juggling it for a few seconds before securing it.
”It shouldn't be hard for me to unlock the skill, just a little painful. Anyway, it's been a long day, and I think I'm going to head to bed early.” He said, walking into his own room.