Nutrient Juice

"Bring it out and let me have a look."

Qiongsen sat back down, planning to first check the quality of the Healing Potion Daby had.

Before long, Daby came carrying a large box, making the tax collector raise an eyebrow.

When Daby opened the box, Qiongsen saw it was packed full of wooden test tubes. The sight startled him.

"S-so many Healing Potions?" Qiongsen stood up and went over to inspect the box.

As far as he knew, the ingredients for making Healing Potions were rather difficult to obtain. He never would have imagined Daby could produce so many at once.

Taking a wooden test tube from the box, Qiongsen pulled out the cork. A fresh fragrance immediately wafted out, lifting his spirits, though it also left him puzzled.

This doesn't seem like the usual kind of Healing Potion. Qiongsen murmured to himself, unsure what to make of it.

After a moment's hesitation, he continued, "I can't be certain of this Healing Potion's effects. I'll have to take it back and let the apothecaries examine it."

Daby nodded at once, then took ten bottles from the box, packed them up, and handed them to the tax collector.

After leaving Orange Fruit Village with the Healing Potions, Qiongsen hesitated. He decided not to collect rent from the next fruit village and instead rode his Ironclad Rhinoceros straight to City of Ambition.

Apothecary Link had been feeling exhausted lately.

At that moment, Orange Fruits were piled high in a corner of his teacher's potion room.

Ever since seeing the Healing Potion Aiven had made, his teacher had been fascinated by it.

If this Healing Potion really could be made using nothing but Orange Fruits, it would surely be a huge breakthrough for the apothecary profession!

Judging from the initial research, the Healing Potion really was made from Orange Fruits. Even its taste had barely changed.

The key must lie in the preparation technique. Through some special method, the healing effects contained in the Orange Fruits had been amplified several times over.

But no matter how much this Master Apothecary studied it, he still couldn't figure out how it was done. It had truly left Link's teacher worried sick.

Maybe I should just go ask Aiven directly. Link thought to himself. He was genuinely worried that his teacher might overwork himself and fall ill.

Of course, he had only considered it. Even if they went to ask, Aiven certainly wouldn't reveal such a precious potion recipe.

"Maybe you should just give up. Every apothecary has their own secrets. Don't you have yours too, teacher?" Link sighed softly.

Who knew where Aiven had gotten that potion recipe? First there were the unusual Awakening Potion and Healing Potion, and then there was that toxin no one could identify. He had heard that Aiven's uncle was an adventurer.

Knock, knock. Knock, knock.

Just as Link was sorting through the Healing Potions that had just been brought over from the apothecary liaison office, someone knocked on the door.

He glanced at the potion room, then went straight downstairs to open the door.

A knight wearing light armor stood outside. Link recognized him at a glance as one of the castle's guard knights.

The young knight politely asked, "Apothecary Link, is Master Olay here?"

"Teacher is preparing a potion. You may have to wait a little," Link said hesitantly. His teacher hated being disturbed while conducting research.

"All right. I'll wait here." The knight nodded and stood waiting at the door.

It looks like the lord really does have something to discuss with teacher. Link made his judgment and quickly ushered the knight inside.

"Is this... a Healing Potion?"

After entering, the knight's gaze suddenly fell on the wooden test tubes on the table. He looked astonished.

"Sir Knight, you recognize this potion?" Link asked, puzzled.

"The lord came to see Master Olay because of this very potion." The knight paused, then added, "Is this really a Healing Potion?"

"Yes, it is a Healing Potion, but it's a little different from ordinary ones." Link sighed, then gave him a brief explanation.

When the knight heard that the potion had been made using nothing but Orange Fruits, even he, a complete layman in apothecary studies, sensed something unusual. How could a potion be made with only Orange Fruits?

Inside the castle in City of Ambition, the white-haired Lady was just as incredulous.

"Master Olay, is this really a Healing Potion made from Orange Fruits?" Mila asked again.

Master Olay sighed helplessly once more. "My lady, it really was made from Orange Fruits. The method is simply very unusual."

An unusual method. Mila pictured Aiven making a potion at Baron Reiser's home. His technique really had been somewhat different from the standard one.

After thinking it over, the Lady continued, "Then how effective is this Healing Potion? Can it replace the Healing Potions we already use?"

In six months, those monsters might appear in Guixu Cave. Before then, he had to stockpile enough Healing Potions. This was a war—the war between monsters and humans!

"The effects shouldn't be much worse!"

Master Olay gave a measured assessment. Mila's eyes lit up. From what the tax collector had said, Orange Fruit Village still had a large supply of Healing Potions.

With that in mind, she immediately ordered her knights to accompany the tax collector to Orange Fruit Village and purchase all the Healing Potions. City of Ambition couldn't possibly have too many of them right now.

"Master Olay, let's talk more about this Healing Potion. Can it really be made using only Orange Fruits?" After giving her instructions, the Lady gave Olay an apologetic look before asking again.

Olay was conflicted, but still nodded.

Seeing this, Mila fell silent. She felt she might have to speak with Apothecary Aiven. The method for making this Healing Potion was simply too important to City of Ambition.

In the farm's cellar.

Aiven was still processing Orange Fruits.

Thanks to the Growth Fertilizer, all the farmers' orchards had produced a bumper harvest. They had gathered far too many Orange Fruits.

Turning all those Orange Fruits into Healing Potions would take a great deal of time, even with Petilil helping him.

"This isn't actually a Healing Potion. It's Nutrient Juice."

"By processing the Orange Fruits using the method I taught you, you can extract all the nutrients from them. The most important part is this cell-wall-breaking step."

"The nutrients in Orange Fruits can dissolve in warm water at 40°C to 60°C. The water temperature is crucial. If it's too low, the nutrients won't dissolve; if it's too high, they'll be destroyed."

"Once the nutrients in the Orange Fruits have completely blended with the water, leave it to ferment at room temperature. Then you'll get the Nutrient Juice I have here."

Aiven was carefully explaining how to make Nutrient Juice to Petilil. When he finished, he smiled and added, "This is Nutrient Juice. If you use an apothecary's methods to make it, you won't succeed."