Having sent out Aura and Mare to play and after he had finished putting their things away, Ainz leaned against the wall, idly looking up at the ceiling while occasionally glancing at the small memo pad in his hand.

He had nothing to do.

Since they didnt have that much luggage to begin with, it didnt take long to tidy up everything. He just had to consult with those two on how to coordinate the interior when they got back.

He had thought that someone would come to see him right away but, all things considered, no one had come yet.

Ainz dropped his gaze to the memo pad in his hand.

What was written on it were the possible situations that could occur after they had come to the village and how to deal with them. However, no one coming to see him was not something that he could have ever imagined happening.

He had to acknowledge that holes had suddenly appeared in the scenarios he had thought up.

It wasnt a shock to him, because he was just an ordinary person after all, so he thought that was just the extent of his ability to plan ahead. What was important was how he was going to recover from this.

There were two main paths that he immediately thought of. One was to be calm and composed while staying in place, the other one was to take action of his own accord.

Ainz chose the former. He chose the path where he could avoid passing them by mistake.

For a short while, Ainz didnt do anything at all. Around the time he started worriedly thinking that maybe he had chosen the wrong path after all, a single dark elf woman finally came and rudely peeked her head into the room from the entrance. People in this village were usually close enough to do this. When she finally made eye contact with Ainz, she acted a little surprised.

Ainz felt a little uncomfortable there.

Would Ainzs presence there really be that surprising?

{No, is this sort of reaction appropriate if you were to look into a persons housethough were just borrowing itand make eye contact with the person inside? Though considering the sense of distance in the interpersonal relationships of Dark Elves, I have a hunch this is a little different...}

As if she were greeting Ainz, the woman bowed her head once, turned her gaze to the floor, entered the room, and placed the dish she had brought with her on the floor.

The Dark Elves wore shoes even when inside the Elf Trees, because of that, he had some personal reservations about the tray of food being placed on the floor. That said, given that the Dark Elves sat on the floor when they ateas far as Ainz had seen, less than half of the people here used a tablethis might have been the natural thing to do.

And there was a point he was more concerned with than that.

The distance between them wasnt that great. If she had intended to hand it to him, it could have been accomplished by walking a few steps forward. In spite of that, she just silently placed the dish on the floor. Furthermore, since she first peeked her head in, they hadnt made eye contact once.

Even Ainz understood why.

She had no intention of talking to him.

Howeverhostility, contempt, hatredhe couldnt feel any sort of negative emotions coming from her. Even when she set down the dish, she had a polite demeanor. It was more reasonable to think that she was just that type of woman (the type that wasnt good at talking with people).

{No, aside from that, I should consider the possibility of her being on guard. An adult with the same level of power as Auras has come to the village. Seeing that she doesnt know what my background is, it would be natural for her to be on guard, especially around the opposite sex. However, the reason why I brought souvenirs and have been acting this way was so I wouldnt be thought of like that...this is bad...Im a little stumped about how to deal with this.}

He didnt know whether she had any children or not, but it would be troublesome if the women of this villageespecially the mothersstarted saying things like, dont hang around those twins, to their own children.

There would be children who would ignore what their parents said, but there would also be kids who would listen to them.

Ainz, brooding, gave up on immediately finding an answer to this problem.

{Ultimately, if I don't know this womans normal disposition then no matter how many assumptions I make about what sentiments or bearing behind her actions was supposed to convey, I would never arrive at an answer.}

She set down the dish she was carrying, bowed, and left the Elf Tree. Of course, Ainz also lowered his head with the same timing.

Phew, staring at the space where no one was, Ainz let out a sigh.

He didnt ask her.

He couldnt directly ask her what was with that attitude. Be that as it may, even if he hadnt asked that sort of question, there were things besides that that he wanted to ask and talk to her about. However, how should he put it, because he had felt that there was a clear wall between them, he hesitated.

It wouldnt be so bad to have the expectation that, while she might have had that kind of attitude, the next person he met might display a far more different attitude.

There was no doubt in his mind that that would provide better results than forcing a conversation on a person who had put up a wall around themselves.

That was what Ainz thought, but looking at the dish of food the dark elf woman had set down, he remembered his time as Suzuki Satoru.

{No! If its right now, then its not too late! Rather than letting this fester into a problem later, I should take care of it right now.}

It was the same way in a company.

Rather than having a mistake be discovered later, the damage would be minimized if the mistake was immediately reported to ones boss. Because even if you yourself thought it was a big mistake, there were times when it would turn out not to be that big of a mistake after all. However, the damage could become much worse the more time were to pass.

Thats right. There were a few things he should talk to the Dark Elves about sooner than later.

Ainz frantically rushed out of the Elf Tree.

He caught sight of the back of the dark elf woman right away. Since the Dark Elvesand Elves too for that matterhad a far better sense of hearing than humans did, she probably heard the sound of Ainz rushing out of the Elf Tree as She was already turning around.

Was it because of his timing in calling out to her? She was quite surprised, that fact betrayed by her voice.

So, about the welcome party

Please talk to the elders about that, she answered, speaking rather quickly to cover it up.

It was an attitude that made you suspect that she was hiding something, something that she didnt want to say. The first thought that suddenly popped into his head wasit was supposed to be a surprise.

Or rather, that was the only thing that occurred to him.

Of course, a surprise welcome party seemed a little strange, but it might have been a Dark Elf custom, so he should make it a special point to ignore it.

"Is that so... I do not know what you call it in this village, but right now I am in Kayoukazen of the Mourning Moon.

The Kayoukazen of the Mourning Moon is it?...

Yes, do you know of it?

Of course, it was a ritual and name he had made up. His expectation that she couldnt have known about it was betrayed by the following words.

Oh, ah, no, thats right...That, somewhere, right! I have a feeling that I might have heard that word somewhere else before...or maybe I havent.

Wha? Ainz panicked. Could there have possibly been some similar word in this village? It would be bad if that were the case. The worst-case scenario would be if it was the name of some evil ritual. He didnt know how to gloss it over.

However, since the words Mourning Moon by themselves also held the meaning of the month of the date of a loved ones death, that meaning should have been transmitted to her. Even if the word Kayoukazen, a word coined by Ainz, resembled something in the Dark Elf vernacular, he should still have any number of excuses he could use.

Incidentally, the reason Ainz knew the words Mourning Moon wasnt because he learned them at the company he worked for, but because it was the name of a Skill in YGGDRASIL. Wondering what it meant, he had looked it up.

Wa- was that right? N- no, thats right, isn't it? Were all Dark Elves, arent we? By some chance we might have the same sort of words, right? Although you wont know if the meanings are the same unless you try asking.

Th- that certainly is right, isnt it? And besides that! Though I might seem to recall that I've heard it before, I cannot say for certain that they are the same Kayoukazen.

While Ainz and the woman were both speaking back and forth quickly, they each showed a smile like their faces were being pulled taut. Of course, since Ainzs face was an illusion, his expression hardly shifted at all.

Since this month is the time for me to pray for the tranquility of the dead, I would like to avoid going to places that are too cheerful, like a party, for the time being. Of course, because I imagine that this village has rules of its own, if you absolutely insist, I will participate. However, I would like for you to disregard any food and drink for myself.

Yes, it is the month you pray for the tranquility of the dead, isnt it? So you are not eating or drinking. I understand.

While thinking yes, she got it! he shook his head up and down.

I would like to talk about this with the elders, but would you mind telling me which way I should go?

I-if that is the case, then I will relay it to the elders!

Wha? Thats so...thank you very much! Well then, thank you for being so understanding!!

Ainz didnt say things like, when we were talking earlier, it felt like you were telling me to go tell them myself," he didnt check with her either because her proposal was convenient for him. He was just going to take her word for it.

All that was left was for him to get the hell out of there before she said she had changed her mind or that she wasnt going to do it after all.

Ainz abruptly announced his farewell to the woman, who was flustered by Ainzs sudden and forceful urging, then he walked back to the Elf Tree.

While feeling relieved that she hadnt called out for him to stophe had ignored her as hard as he couldAinz returned to their loaned dwelling and picked up the tray she had placed on the floor.

It weighed quite a bit, though from Ainzs perspective it was still pretty light. It didnt look like an amount of food the three of them could finish eating.

This was, without a doubt, the morning and evening mealstwo meals for three people, a total of six servings. When he considered that, it seemed natural for there to be this much, but he also had a hunch that this was still a little too much. That said, this was because Suzuki Satoru had never put that much effort into his meals. In addition, ever since he became Ainz hes had a body that couldnt eat. So this might just be a lot of food based on his intuition.

{Maybe you have to take in a lot of calories when youre living in a place like this. Theres no such thing as a totally nutritionally balanced diet anyway.}

Their meal consisted of cooked meatwhich appeared to have been only roasted <grilled?>and dried fruit. It was garnished with what looked like a salad of some kind of chopped leaves. In the salad, there were what appeared to be crushed caterpillars and a variety of tree nuts to go along with it. Incidentally, there was also a dish of assorted roasted caterpillarsbig onesand other bugs.

Auras assessment of those was, it wasnt very good. Moreover, due to the lack of variation in the flavors and ingredients, it seemed like one would quickly get tired of it.

Be that as it may, it had sparked his curiosity.

What sort of flavors would spread out in his mouth?

Since insects were packed with protein, Suzuki Satoru used to eat the barbeque-flavored ones often. However, he had never eaten these kinds of fat, whole-roasted caterpillars before.

While thinking it was a little unfortunate that his body couldnt eat, Ainz placed the dish on a shelf in the room downstairs. Finally, he started to think about what he should do from here.

{Since the Dark Elves dont have the concept of lunch, the childrens playtime should go on for a whileprobably.}

If the children were counted as part of the workforce, their play time might be controlled to a certain degree, but there were many people who knew Ainz had thrown a word or two at the children about his wish for them to play with the twins. Given that was the case, the adults would probably allow the children to play full-time, at least for today.

In other words, there was a good chance that neither Aura nor Mare would return any time soon. In that case, Ainz decided that he would use the time to pursue his own interests.

Even if he had used [Perfect Unknowable] and walkedwell, flownaround the village, he had never shown himself in public and strolled around before. He might even discover something new. The last reason was that there were some places that he thought he would like to visit.

{And Ive made some preparations, just in case.}

Unlike the memo pad he had been looking at just a while ago, this time he produced a proper notebook out of thin airfrom his Item Inventoryand made it a point to try and memorize the various things he had written in it.

What had been recorded in it was the production method of a potion that used various medicinal herbs and minerals.

Unfortunately, with Ainzs brain, he could only remember two or three kinds of concoctions at best. However, while Ainzs brain certainly wasnt anything outstanding, you couldnt say it was the cause of all of his problems. It was because the mixing process was fairly detailedthough that would obviously be the caseand it was also rather difficult to memorize them for a person who completely lacked basic knowledge of, and interest in, the production of the aforementioned concoctions.

While Ainz mumbled and recited the mixing process over and over again, he stowed away the notebook in his inventory, went outside a second time, and started walking around town.

A number of Dark Elves recognized Ainz and glanced his way. It wasnt as if he was being watched, what resided in the glances of the people who normally walked around the village were curiosity and interest.

While it would be dangerous if one person could see through his illusion, there was fortunately no sign that a person who possessed such an ability was present in this village. No, if there had been, then there would have been a huge uproar when they arrived at the village.

Though there were villagers who were curious and showed interest, no one came up to talk to him.

In this kind of isolated village, they would probably keep their distance from outsiders, as one would expect. No, even Ainzno, even Suzuki Satoruwouldnt try to approach and talk to some unfamiliar face just because they were in the company offices. On the contrary, if anyone did approach and talk to him, it might be logical to think they suspected him of something.

In the first place, Ainz didnt feel he was being alienated.

The twins were the main characters this time, right now Ainz was just an insignificant side character in this play. The problem lied in over-emphasizing that sort of minor role. Yet, the need to call attention to his presence, to a certain degree, would probably appear before long. He intended on that course of action anyways, in order to diminish Aura's role of a hero down to a mere child when the time was appropriate.

A dark elf in front of him walked toward him.

They would occasionally turn their gaze towards Ainz, but that was nothing more than the gaze you would turn to a person you were crossing paths with.

{Perfect. Lets use that as part of my disguise.}

Through his use of [Perfect Unknowable], he knew the general layout of the village, but they had established that this was the first time Auras uncle had come here. He would probably appear suspicious if he were to walk around like he was too familiar with the place. Of course, he could make any number of excuses in that case. For example, Aura had told him, and so on. However, intentionally making excuses and appearing suspicious to them, were both troublesome acts.

He wouldnt do a single thing that would raise their wariness of him, and if that were the case

Ah, excuse me.

Oh, yes. Can I help you with something?

He just had to ask one of the Dark Elves that were around there.

Yes. I heard about it from my niece, but as I understand it, there is a brilliant pharmacist who is the Chief Pharmacist of this village, yes? I would like to pay him a visit, so could you point me in the direction of his Elf Tree?

They answered Ainzs question honestly, without any suspicion or concealment.

Ainz thanked the dark elf and headed in the direction they had told himto the Elf Tree that Ainz already knew about.

Along the way, he saw the sight of a dark elf man with his hands sticking out towards the ground underneath a tree.

Wondering what he was doing, Ainz stopped. As he watched, the earth bulged, started moving, and a lump of soil climbed up the trunk as if it were a Slime.

It resembled the [Earth Surge] spell that Mare used, but it was different in various senses of the word.

Whether it be Domestic Magic or the Divine-type magic of the druids, it wasnt the magic of YGGDRASIL, but probably something they had developed over the course of their lives.

The lump of dirt conformed to the mans manipulation without delay and climbed to the top of the tree, which Ainz couldnt see from where he stood.

That was probably the soil the Dark Elves used in their household vegetable gardens.

The Dark Elves had vegetable gardens using planters that they built either inside or on top of the trees. Even though the planters themselves were made from the trees, he had wondered how they had transported the soil up to them, this seemed to be the answer to that.

Ainz was satisfied that he was able to see something interesting, and once again made his way towards his destination.

The Elf Tree he was directed toward was a rather imposingand thickone. It might possibly be the thickest in the village. As expected of the home of the Chief Pharmacist, an influential man in the village.

And on top of that, there was quite a distance between it and the other Elf Trees around it.

This was probably done so there wouldnt be any harm caused to those around it even if toxic substances were produced during the mixing process.

Even if they were a high levelwith consequently enhanced immune systemspharmacists who could withstand the poisons that were produced, it wasnt necessarily the case that children, the sick, or other sorts of people without that kind of resilience would be able to withstand it.

And maybe in addition to that

{It might also be to prevent the theft of information.}

From Ainzs perspective, he truly could empathize with the idea of monopolizing information. Both in the sense of protecting ones vested interests and in the sense of wanting to avoid the trouble it would cause if they were stolen.

Everyone knew that a medicine could become a poison if you misjudged the dosage.

So, would the person who willfully stole that information be able to make proper medicine? Probably not. If an inferior imitation appeared on the market and victims of it emerged, then even the pharmacist who originally created the medicine would be suspected.

In short, thats what this was.

Hello, do you mind if I come in?

Ainz called out into the interior of the Elf Tree.

There was no reply.

Knocking on the trunk of the Elf Tree, he called out one more time.

When he strained his ears, he could hear the sound of something being rubbed and scraped together.

If youll pardon the intrusion.

Ainz just walked in of his own accord. Then, he immediately caught sight of the back of a slightly plump male Dark Elf. Although it could be due to a lack of exercise, this sort of physique was probably the result of having food delivered that was commensurate with having a prominent, high-status job. First of all, it was probably safe to assume that this wasnt an apprentice, but was indeed the master of this housethe Chief Pharmacist.

Sitting on the floor and turned towards a low-sitting desk, the pharmacist single-mindedly rotated his arm.

On the desk were an ordinary mortar and pestle, a Yagen mortar and pestle, and other rudimentary tools. The pots on the shelves probably had herbal medicines inside them. Herbs and plants that appeared to be medicinal hung down from the ceiling.

(T/N: Yagen () is a type of mortar and pestle that is used to crush ingredients for herbal medicine in Japan. Picture a boat-shaped bowl for the mortar and imagine the pestle is a wheel with a rod in the middle.)

The odor of bitter medicines and green grass mixed together and flooded into Ainzs nasal cavity, reminding him of Nfirea and his grandmothers workshop.

The Dark Elves possessed a far greater sense of hearing than humans did. Be that as it may, it would only be slightly better compared to humans, so Ainz had no way of distinguishing whether the Chief Pharmacist had noticed but dared to ignore him, or whether he hadnt noticed him because he was so focused on his work.

Ainz called out to him once more.

Excuse me. Do you have a moment?

There the Chief Pharmacist stopped his hand that was grinding for the first time and looked over his shoulder, sending Ainz a reproachful look and knitting his eyebrows.

Youah, I see. That face concealing cloth. If Im not mistaken, youre that man from the same place as that girl who came here a little while ago. An Arcane-type magic caster was it?

Yes, thats right. It seems that you are already well-informed about me.

When Ainz tried to remove the cloth, the Chief Pharmacist spoke.

That wont be necessary. It is the custom of your tribe, right? Theres no need to show me your face. Its not like I care about what you look like anyway. Youre fine as you are now. I accept your greeting. Okay. Well then, if youre done here, please go home. Im busy.

Grumbling, that was all he said. As if he had lost interest, his gaze returned to the desk. It felt like there was a thick border around that surly attitude. Despite that, Ainz was relieved.

This sort of person wore their heart on their sleeve and spoke candidly. If they straight up said, youre bothering me, so get out, to get rid of him, then from there even if Ainz were to display his abilities as a salesman, it would be extremely difficult to get them to look at him.

However, he hadnt said anything like that. In other wordsit meant that there was still room to get him to listen to what Ainz had to say.

While watching the back of the Chief Pharmacist as he was grabbing the mortar and pestle, Ainz asked him a question.

What is it that you are making right now?

Whats it matter to you?

There was some harshness in his words. He didn't have time for useless conversations.

Is that right? Ainz answered. After he let some time pass by, he then asked,

...First, I would like to ask you about what medicinal herbs you use to cure a stomachache in this village. Is it Kiine peel <bark?>? Or is it Kandiane root?

The Chief Pharmacists hand suddenly stopped. Just as he did a short while ago, he twisted his neck and looked over his shoulder to stare at Ainz a second time.

Could you wait for a bit?

Yes, of course.

The Chief Pharmacist turned his back on Ainz again and started grinding once more. However, even from behind, Ainz could tell that his attitude had changed a little.

It seemed that the basics of the salesmans art of conversationsearching for a shared topic, like interests or hometown, with the person youre talking tofrom his time as Suzuki Satoru had been useful.

Hypothetically, consider the difference between a salesperson you had no common ground with versus someone with the same interests. If the contents of what theyre peddling, its appearance, price, windows of delivery, payment, and so on were all the same, then a business contact would usually choose the latter.

Since the Chief Pharmacist seemed to be a person who was passionate about their work, he had guessed the topic of medicines would be the best one to curry favor with him.

I was just...making it right now. Kiine doesnt grow around here. Thats why...we use Azen leaves. As you might know, when you grind up Azen leaves, their efficacy quickly fades. However, it is also problematic if the speed of the grinding is too fast and they heat up. When he had finished grinding them enough, he poured a gooey liquid into the mortar. This liquid is a secretion that comes from cutting into the Nere tree. By mixing it with this, there will be no change in efficacy. That being said, one more step is necessary because using it like this weakens its efficacy.

The Chief Pharmacist once again turned to Ainz and unreservedly scrutinized him from head to toe. His nose then moved like he was sniffing for something, after which he frowned.

...Theres no smell. Hey, show me your hands.

Ainz did as he was told and showed him his hands. Because Ainz more or less knew what he wanted to say, he showed him the backs of his handshis fingers. For the time being, the Chief Pharmacist shouldnt be able to touch him with the distance between them, Ainz thought about what to do if the Chief Pharmacist were to approach him and searched for the words to explain it away.

The smell of crushed plantsif youre a pharmacist, that smell that would naturally be soaked into your body, the residue that would stain your fingers, isnt there. I heard you were an Arcane-type magic caster but...does this mean youre performing the techniques of the pharmacists in some other way?

Since he had planned on visiting this place, he could have crushed some medicinal herbs to cloak his body in their scent beforehand and gain the Chief Pharmacists trust. On top of that, because Ainzs hands were just illusions, it was possible to make them hands the Chief Pharmacist would approve of.

However, there were two reasons Ainz hadnt done those things.

The first one was because the Bareare family wasnt like that. Certainly, that smell would drift out while they were working, and the smell that permeated their workshop and work clothes was quite intense.

However, it wasnt as if they were constantly cloaked in that smell. If anything, Nfirea and the rest of them seemed to be very concerned about nothing other than deodorizing themselves. Of course, that might just be the Bareare family, but when faking ones identity, your words and actions would be more natural by using a real person as a reference. You could finish without having to fret over every single word or comment and create lies.

The other reason was because Ainz was totally ignorant about herbal medicine.

Even if he rubbed on the smells, changed the color of his fingers, and assumed the identity of a pharmacists apprentice, he would probably be found out when the Chief Pharmacist asked him about dosing as he would not be able to give a straight answer.

If he was suspected of being a total fraud from that small tear in his disguise, then his activities in this village wouldnt bear any fruit.

No, thats not quite correct. My master also practices Alchemy, it was nothing more than a little bit of the knowledge they had taught me.

This was accordingly in character for Ainz to aim for the last possible moment to avoid having his lies seen through, and so that no contradictions would arise from what he had said earlier.

...Hmph. So thats it.

Ainz immediately sensed that the Chief Pharmacist had lost interest in him.

This couldnt be helped. You could also say it was exactly as he had imagined.

It was for this reason that he had prepared one more trump card to draw his interest. Ainz came closer to the Chief Pharmacist until he was standing next to him, who was once again facing his desk. Ainz placed his trump card among the things on top of the desk.

...This is a potion that contains a healing power that was brought from a certain place.

That potion in the glass bottlewhich was made in E-Rantel and didnt have a speck of refinement to itwas one of the potions the Bereare family made in the process of creating the red healing potion. The red potion was already completedright now, they're focusing their energy on developing a version that used cheap alchemical solutions or herbsso contrary to expectations, this potion was rarer nowadays.

This ispurple? The Chief Pharmacist picked up the bottle. The container isnt coloredThe reason it isnt bluesomething is mixed into it?

The Chief Pharmacist raised the bottle up and shook it while looking at the bottom.

Theres a small, really only a slight deposit on the bottomyes?

He was muttering to himself.

May I?

Go right ahead.

The moment Ainz granted his permission, the Chief Pharmacist opened the lid of the bottle and without any hesitation, lightly cut his hand with a knife. He then splashed the potion onto that small cut.

It was a fairly good amount. He had used about half the bottle.

The cut closedyou couldnt say that it was instantaneousat a visible speed.

Thats fastI couldnt even calculate the time it took? The medicinal herbs and magical reagents used to make itare in this deposit?

{He sure talks to himself a lot, huhOr rather, that knife, wasnt it the one he was using to chop something up until just a moment ago? And on top of that, he was able to use it in that wayWasnt the effect not supposed to activate if you didnt use the whole thing, regardless of the wound? No, that was probably because in an extreme situation, like in the middle of combat, you wouldnt be able to consider things like wound depth to calculate the amount to use, would you?}

The Chief Pharmacist licked off all the potion that covered his hand and then smelled it.

I smell Azen? He seemed to notice that it was something else faster than Ainz could slip in a retort. Is that not it? Is it the smell of my own hand?...odorless and tastelessfor concealing?

{Concealing what?}

No the Chief Pharmacist spun his head around and fixed his gaze on Ainz. Are all the healing medicines of the city this color?

That is incorrect. I hear it was spread there via the undead king who rules over E-Rantel. I do not know all of the details of how it came to be but, well, it is valuable. In fact, the color of the common healing potion in circulation is blue.

The Chief Pharmacist heaved a heavy sigh.

An undead king?No, thats not the problem, I guessthough I also have a feeling that it is a problem, well, itsfine? Mm. So, you wouldnt mind if I kept this?

The Chief Pharmacist pointed at the bottle with about half of its contents left.

Depending on the conditions. Upon confirming that the Chief Pharmacist was waiting for what came next, Ainz continued, the price is information. If its you, who has served the role of a pharmacist in this Sea of Trees, I believe you hold knowledge that can only be found here. I believe things would be balanced if it were to be in exchange for that information butwhat say you?

After silence had reigned over them for a little while, the Chief Pharmacist opened his mouth.

For what sort of purpose do you want to use that knowledge?

If Ainz recalled the attitude of the Chief Pharmacist from just a little while ago, he would have a rough idea about the answer he would be pleased with. Those were probably the words, to aim for the top as a pharmacist, I want to be an even greater pharmacist than I am now, et cetera. However, Ainz could not say that.

It is not that I have any particular purpose in mind. So long as I can get a hold of that information, I might be able to use it in some business in the future, and my thirst for knowledge will be satisfied.

Just as Ainz had predicted, the Chief Pharmacist looked a little angry.

Thats what you want it for?

As I said just a moment ago, I am an Arcane-type magic caster. I pride myself on those abilities being extremely high, but my skills as an alchemist are non-existent, and my master told me that I had no talent in that field. Therefore, I do not have the least bit of intention to live as a pharmacist. However, information is another matter. Information is power, and a weapon. Those who have it and those who do not are completely different. Lastly, the debt of gratitude I would owe would be larger.

debt of gratitude?

Yes. Since I have no intention to become a pharmacist, you should be reluctant to teach me your secretsam I right? Without waiting for the Chief Pharmacists reply, Ainz continued. If that is the case, then the only question that remains is: can you offer me information that is equal in value to the unknown healing potion, an extremely rare thing, in exchange? Thus, the difference in this trade would become a debt of gratitude.

You might end up accepting information about trivial mixes or plants, you know? And then I might declare that I havent taken on any debt. Or, can I assert that the price I paid was higher and that you are the one who will be in debt to me?

Even so I don't mind, you know?

The Chief Pharmacist made a face that said, what?

There are two demerits you receive by doing that. One is that you cannot lie to yourself. The feeling of guilt you'd get from exchanging some useless information for something really valuable would stay with you, would it not?

Hoo.

And one more. You would be appraised as a brazen and unscrupulous person. Should there be a next time, our past association would be taken into account. And, if I were to talk about this in the city, how would the othersthe pharmacists whose knowledge is greater than my ownfeel about it, how would they think of you?

I see. The knowledge of the savages of the frontier would be evaluated as only of that level, and the Dark Elves who live in this forest, and their pharmacists too, will be the targets of derision, huh. Would I be evaluated as a pharmacist who cant even discern the value of the medicine that was handed to them? Would I be considered a pharmacist who doesnt have knowledge that could balance out the trade? Or, would I be judged to be a greedy pharmacist who cant conduct business fairly?

Though you might also be praised for buying an expensive item for a lower price.

Is that how pharmacists in the city think? They try not to pay the proper price for the things they are offered?

Many kinds of people live in the city after all. I cannot say for certain that there are no people who are obsessed with the short-term benefits and do not have foresight. Well, those sorts of people will soon disappear thereafter because a second chance will not come their way ever again. On the contrary, it is those merchants who look after first-time customers who will be given a chance of success. As the saying goes, you must lose the fly to catch the trout.

Heh-heh-heh, the Chief Pharmacist laughed in amusement. It was the first time he had smiled since Ainz got there. You really are a smooth-talker, arent you? You sure run your mouth a lot.

Ainz breathed a small sigh of relief. He had thought the Chief Pharmacist would be a much more emotional Dark Elf.

To put it bluntly, for a very average salesman, customers who put their emotions out in the open presented many, many problems. Personality-wise, the kind of people who prioritized their own feelings over the merits and demerits of an action, even after they were explained to them, were quite troublesome. Ainz remembered hearing that in most cases, those were the sort of people who would decide on the specifications one day and come back to say to change them the next day.

It seems that there was an opinion that if one were to be a first-rate salesman, that kind of customer would be a piece of cake to handle once they got their foot in the door, but for Ainzfrom the perspective of an average salesman like Suzuki Satoruthey werent someone he would want to do business with.

That is the first time I have been told that.

He really had never been told that.

Isnt it just that everybody thought of you that way and just didnt say it out loud?

Unlike a moment ago, the Chief Pharmacist seemed to be in a good mood.

Is that right? Though I myself do not believe so.

Heh-heh-hehNow then, when it comes to the knowledge that will balance out the value of this potion, theres nothing I can offer except the secret medicines I know. How long are you planning on staying in this village?

It is not as if I have definitely decided, but I intend to leave this village in a few days. Perhaps around seven days at the longest.

The Chief Pharmacists mouth twisted into a grin.

I seeIn that case

A few moments passed as he remained silent just as he was. Ainz didnt say anything.

For the time being, if we only have that short a time, then it would be impossible to drill my secret medicines into you. For medicines that are considered secret, you must grasp the minute changesthe changes in the necessary ingredients in each seasonrecognize them by scent and touch, and finally, you have to carefully alter the amounts you use. Putting it bluntly, I want you to stay here for half a year so I can beat those changes into all five of your senses.

Ainz wanted to say, you just have to write them out on a sheet of paper, but if he did, the Chief Pharmacist might be displeased, so he didnt say anything.

Therefore, you dont mind if its not the secret medicinesthough I dont know if theyll balance the scales out from the perspective of valuebut instead, medicines that are thought of as rare. You dont mind if I taught you the processes to mix them, their prescription, and other knowledge about them?

No, that will not be a problem. I shall leave it up to you.

All right thenstarting today, lets have you stay here and Ill teach you. Since we dont really have much time. Im gonna beat it firmly into that body of yours.

What?

Thats a problem. That is absolutely a problem.

He wanted to decrease the danger of his illusion being found out by even a little bit. On top of that, his body didnt need to eat, sleep, or even use the toilet. No matter how well he acted, it was certain he would be thought of as abnormal and he would be found out.

My apologies, but my niece and nephew are here with me, so I must decline that request. I do not mind if you reduce the number of medicines you teach me, so would you be willing to compromise? Because I am going to record it properly.

Oral transmission only. I wont allow a single record of them.

That is a

Ainz hemmed and hawed.

He didnt have the confidence that he could memorize everything, even with instruction.

Certainly, for YGGDRASIL, the game he poured everything he had into, remembering the vast amount of information that was in it wasnt the least bit difficult. However, if you asked him if he could remember information that he had no interest in like in this situation, he would have to shake his head in the negative.

In general, if one were to look at it from a bosss perspective, would you not worry if you had subordinates who only listened to what you said and didnt take any notes?

The Chief Pharmacist probably took a different meaning from Suzuki Satorusa working adult who considered such thingssilence. He opened his mouth.

It seems like youre dissatisfied. But, you know? I won't even say that I want to know the production process of your potion. Ill spare you that much.

Being told not to take even a single record is a little troublingI do not have confidence in my own ability to remember things. Therefore, would you allow me to take just a few notes so I can remember.?

What the hell are you saying! the Chief Pharmacist said, spit flying out of his mouth. Im gonna make your body remember! As a pharmacists apprentice, youre receiving instruction so that you can immediately tell how much the amount of what youre holding right now weighs!

It felt difficult to answer with, No, I cant do something like that. If that were the case, maybe he should lie?

He held no intention of paying lip service to the idea that you mustnt tell lies. There were even times for white lies. Maybe he should say that in this case, he shouldnt tell a lie with ill intent.

{This is so troublesome.}

From the flow of the conversation, it appeared that he would become an apprentice and receive special instruction here, but the reason he had come to see a pharmacist was only on a small hunch that he could obtain information if there were any available. He had consideredif he was able to obtain even a fragment of the Dark Elves herbal medicine and find out if it was more advanced than the Sorcerer Kingdomspotentially importing it in some way like sending out technical intern trainees.

As a part of that plan, they would bring back the technology they learned and research it in pursuit of pharmaceuticals. It wasnt as if Ainz himself wanted to beg to be instructed on the subject.

Frankly speaking, he had said the price was information, but even if it were to be in the form of taking back a single bottle of a potion made here that had value, and then handing that over to Nfirea, there wouldnt have been a problemwell, maybe only a little one. There was no doubt that if it were him, he could analyze it and tell what kind of medicinal herbs it was made from and more.

{Hmmm. Maybe the way I went about our first contact was a little mistaken? Howeverthat was the only way to draw out his interestYou could even say that things proceeded this well because I had that. Its also not as if, when I think about the possibility that even the medicine we receive couldnt be analyzed, it would all be a total wash butNow then, what do I do?}

Whats the problem!

It didnt look like Ainz would be given very much time to think. In that case then, just like always, he wouldnt leave things to chance.

Certainly, my master also said so your body remembers it.

The Chief Pharmacist nodded his head countless times while faintly muttering exactly, obviously, the city pharmacists get it too.

However, in the same spirit, they also said this: take proper notes because youre stupid. So you dont make me say the same things over again and over again.

Wha? The Chief Pharmacists eyes went wide open, and his eyebrows then raised in concern, and asked, stupid you say?

Yes, that is what I was told by my master.

I-I seeNo, no, masters are strict with their disciples. I dont think they were saying that seriously, you know? Look, what you were talking about just a little while ago was well reasoned, and was formed to seal off my escape routes. That definitely wasnt something someone stupid could do.

{Im being consoled}

It seemed that it was also the same for the Dark Elves, that they didnt know what to say when the other party themselves declared, Im stupid. Because the world they lived in wasnt a kind one, Ainz had thought that he would be cast away, but that didn't appear to be the case.

He had complicated feelings about it, but all he could do was capitalize on this. Ainz responded.

No, I'm sure there's something wrong with me. My ability to remember things is weak.

I-I see

Ainz asserted it with confidence, and on top of that, the Chief Pharmacist had averted his gaze as if his head had been pushed to the side.

They both fell silent.

There was a fairly good chance that the Chief Pharmacist would say that theres no way he could teach things that could turn into poison if the amounts were mistaken to someone like him.

However I get it, a voice that sounded like it had accepted something suddenly leaked out of the Chief Pharmacist.

When Ainz was wondering what it was that he got, the Chief Pharmacist showed an expression that was akin to admiration but only for an instant. Since it immediately returned to the expression that wouldnt change from a little while ago, it was a momentary change that could make you think that it was a trick of the eye. It definitely wasnt Ainzs imagination.

In his head, Ainz slightly braced himself. He didnt know what it was, but it appeared that something inside the Chief Pharmacist had resonated with what he had said.

Ainz felt like he could see a demon he knew very well smiling behind the Chief Pharmacist.

{What the hell did I just imagine? That would be really weird, wouldnt it?}

If thats how it is, then it cant be helped. Seven days at the longest, meaning theres even a possibility that youll leave this village even earlier, right? Repeating the same explanations over again means squandering even more of our time. Make sure to burn those records when youve remembered them properly, okay?

He didnt know what had caused the change in the Chief Pharmacists attitude. While keeping his guard up, Ainz answered as he normally would.

Yes, I promise.

You get it, then. In accordance with your request, I will teach a rather difficult mixture. My instruction will be strict, but you wont cry about it, will you?

Ainz didnt remember anything about a request, but even leaving that aside for the moment, this was the only thing he should probably say right at the start.

No, please teach me gently.

The Chief Pharmacists mouth fell open with a pop, and then he made a face that looked like he had swallowed a bitter bug.

It wasnt as if Ainz had negative opinions about strict instruction. However, between strict and gentle, he was the sort of person who would choose the latter.

You got some nerve

No, but I wouldnt like it if you beat me with a heated pole or something?

Y-your master does things like that?

No, they do not do things like that, but

Even I wouldnt do such a thing like that, alright!

I would be very happy if you did not.

When Ainz shrugged his shoulders like he was joking, the Chief Pharmacist looked disgusted.

Haa. I think I understand your personality a little bit. Though I also do feel a little sorry for your master. Come on, Im gonna teach you straight away. From here Im going to cite the names of several medicines and their effects. If theyre ones you know then itll be uselessno, they cant be said to be useless? I guess it wouldnt be so bad in the sense that youll learn about the difference in the ingredients used and more. Well, anyway, tell me which ones you want me to teach you.

Thank you very much. However, before that, one questionAre you alright with a verbal agreement?

If he were to say, sign a contract or cast some spell, it might be better to just have him pretend that everything they had talked about until now didnt happen.

I dont care. Trust is important, right? Who knows, maybe what you put in writing will get passed around and get carried all the way back to me? All thatll happen then is Ill scorn you. So thats the kinda people city pharmacists are, is what Ill say.

I see, I understand. Its also a big loss for me if the assessment of the city pharmacists was lowered. I absolutely promise not to put them in writing and let them be distributed.

Seeing off the back of the man until he was no longer in view, the Chief Pharmacist let out a soft laugh.

How long had it been since he had last seen anyone off? It might have been the first time since he gained the status of Chief Pharmacist in this village.

{He is a surprisingly shrewd man. Are there a lot of people like him in that city-place?}

There couldnt be. No, if that were the case, it would be a crazy story.

{Id heard that the number of inhabitants in the city was greater than all of the Dark Elves living in this forest. That man should be counted among the upper echelons of them. If a man who thought that much was common in the city, you would have to be wary of the details so as not to be fooled, wouldnt you?}

The man humbled himself as a failure and so on, but if that were true he wouldnt run his mouth like that. It was true even more so if he considered the flow of the conversation and the information that had been given to him, he would never go on a fools errand.

If that were so, why had he been so hung up on writing down the Chief Pharmacists teachings on paper? Maybe he didnt think the Chief Pharmacist, who had gotten angry with that, would reject teaching him?

However, the reason the Chief Pharmacist hit upon the idea that he had some kind of objective, was because he started saying things like his memory was bad, or calling himself stupid.

All the things he was taught, he could secretly write on paper later. In spite of that, it was necessary for him to declare he was going to take notes right in front of the Chief Pharmacist until it put him in a bad mood.

In other words

{I didnt get it right away, but what that man wanted to convey to me was probably two things. One was that he's not hiding anything.}

Of course, he couldnt trust him just like that. It might be that even as the man showed him something true, he could be hiding something else behind that truth. Unfortunately, he couldnt fully trust a man he had met for the first time today that much. And yet, for him to say I will not cover anything up and thus lay my thoughts bare before you, held major significance for potentially building a trusting relationship between them.

{And finally, the other reason he could never say out loud was probably him asking to be taught an appropriately difficult level of mixture even given his lack of time. One at the level of definitely not being able to remember no matter how many times he saw it.}

He, who wasnt even a specialized pharmacist, trying to learn high difficulty level mixtures was outlandish. On top of that, pretty much all of the difficult mixtures utilized only precious medicinal herbs. Maybe it was for that reason he couldnt make a direct request himself.

In other words, he was a man who knew shame.

However, the Chief Pharmacist didnt think the second meaning was really a problem.

Originally, based on the conditions of the exchange of that unknown medicinewhich he thought to be related to the one from legendhe had considered it to be okay to offer up his secret medicines.

The Dark Elves secret medicines were split into three major categories.

The first one was medicines that could be made through difficult mixing procedures.

The second was medicines made utilizing extremely rare medicinal herbs.

The third was dangerous drugs that had an excessively potent efficacy.

Those were the three.

He had stated the first one as the reason why he couldnt pass on the secret medicines to him, but he considered teaching him the medicines that were in the second category.

It could be that medicinal herbs that are rare in this region might be abundant in the city or wherever, that was often the case with medicinal herbs. However, if he said that, it wouldnt have gotten them anywhere. Or rather, since those under the first category were impossible to teach him and there was no way he was going to teach the dangerous drugs in the third category, his answer had already been decided.

And in this case, he had also thought there would be a benefit for himself too, he could offer up the ingredients that were rarely found here and were highly prized even in the city at an appropriate price simultaneously.

If he returned to the city, spread the medicines he had been entrusted with, and they became precious materials as a result, then people from the city might come here to the Dark Elf villages to do business to try and obtain them. When he saw the purple potion, he knew that the citys medicinal use was at an appropriately high level. Having a chance to obtain that material and knowledge, even the Chief Pharmacist didnt think it sounded so bad.

Just from that mans arrival, he didnt know whether or not it would give rise to interactions between the village and the city in the future. However, even if you were to tell him that he should accept the request based on that practical perspective, there would be no doubt that the Chief Pharmacist would have frankly disagreed with that sentiment instead. If he had had a personality that could be influenced by some rational conversation on the merits and demerits, the villagers probably wouldnt mutter the word obstinate around him, and he probably wouldnt be without a wife at his age. It wasnt as if he didnt worry about it so long as he was esteemed by his fellow pharmacist friends, but as of now, he had yet to give thought to trying and changing himself.

That man talked about gains and losses. If it had been way before, it would have been an argument that he couldnt stomach. However, it was about his gains and losses as a pharmacist, interestingly enough. If in some far-off place his efforts as a pharmacist were mocked, he would have no way of knowing. He had no way of knowing, but if you were to ask him if he was okay with that, his answer would be absolutely not.

Because he had perceived value in what that man had offered up, he couldnt relax if he didnt return something of equal or greater value.

He felt that the man really was a smooth talker, because he had attacked from the two fronts of logos and pathos simultaneously.

Normally, the one who taught held superior standing while the one who was taught held an inferior standing.

However, it wasnt like that this time.

Teaching was the price of that potion. Whats more, the man had taken the stance of leaving it up to him whether or not he would teach him. At this point, you could say their positions were equal.

And that man immediately went on to say that he was going to take notes to open up hostilities.

{If the other party doesnt hide anythingand acts in a way that can gain my trust, then I should also adopt an attitude so that man will trust me. However}

That was an extremely different problem.

As he was returning to the sitting table, the Chief Pharmacist scrunched up his face.

{I dont think I can do something like that.}

The Chief Pharmacist himself knew he was bad at getting along with others.

Even looking back on the times he had passed on knowledge to the villagers, he could declare that he hadnt been a good teacher.

Flicking a glance at the dried leaves, which were a type of narcotic, that were on the medicinal herb shelf, the Chief Pharmacist shook his head. That stuff was aimed at easing pain and could also be used to eliminate stress. However, it wasnt very appropriate for an educator to use it.

Nothing else I can do but try my best, huh.

The Chief Pharmacist mumbled.

{But, well, it seemed like acting wasnt his strong suit. To go so far as to stare at me so hard he even forgot to blinkdoes it mean that hes that interested in me? Hehehehe looked younger than me based on his looks, but he certainly is young...I guess he did have a pretty cute side to him after all, huh?}