Published: September 9, 2025
Satou here. I heard that in the past, it was popular to quit your job and open a café, but lately, it seems that people are seeking a slow life by buying land in the countryside and starting farming.
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I was invited to the mansion of baronet Dukeri under the pretense of apologizing for the trouble caused by Miss Mary Ann.
Not only me, but also the owners of magical artifact shops and potion shops within the Labyrinth City, which he oversees, were invited to the banquet.
Before the banquet, in the reception room, Miss Mary Ann, dressed in a gown, expressed her apology for the trouble and her gratitude for the rescue. She whispered that she had been secretly attending a swordsmanship dojo without her father's knowledge, then left the room.
I must not have been mistaken—she was smiling like a mischievous child.
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“If you are going to be an explorer in the Labyrinth City, it’s best to make some connections,” he said, introducing me to the shop owners as the benefactor of his daughter.
At the banquet, the conversation naturally turned to popular items and those in short supply in the Labyrinth City. Especially healing potions—they were often out of stock until baronet Dukeri consolidated the city’s shops and allied with the prefect to raise prices.
“Besides, if you want to make healing potions in this town, merchants have to buy expensive ingredients from neighboring towns or brave the wilderness to gather herbs from the wolf-infested mountains.”
“It was tough when we competed with the guild’s magic potions that were sold at a loss.”
“They sell at Royal Capital prices.”
“Exactly, the ease of acquiring herbs is totally different.”
I see. It makes sense that buyers and sellers have different perspectives, but I didn’t realize there were such circumstances. While it’s not good to believe everything blindly, it seems they’re not just greedily charging exorbitant prices.
“But when the potions ran out, did explorers have no way to recover while exploring the labyrinth?”
“No, poor explorers used to pick beria leaves and bring them along.”
“That hasn’t changed even now.”
Beria refers to a cactus-like plant that grows wild in the arid land around the Labyrinth City.
I recall seeing plenty growing along the highways.
Beria is a succulent plant with thick, aloe-like spiky leaves surrounding a cactus fruit. The fruit is edible, and the leaves can be used for stopping bleeding and treating burns.
The central fruit is apparently quite tasty but has the nickname “beggar killer” because overeating it causes diarrhea severe enough to lead to dehydration. Children and the elderly with weak constitution can even die from it.
Unemployed carriers earn some spare change by picking beria leaves around the city and selling them in front of the labyrinth gate. I usually ignore the many vendors there, but I didn’t know they sold such things. I’ll pay closer attention next time.
“Can’t you make healing potions from beria leaves?”
“There’s an ancient legend that a sage made magic potions from beria leaves long ago, but the recipe has been lost for a long time.”
“Nowadays, claiming to make healing potions from beria leaves is just a scammer’s line in the Labyrinth City—nobody believes it.”
I wonder if that sage is Torazayuuya?
I searched for him in relation to beria, but found nothing.
Next time I visit the Elf Village, I will ask the alchemist Mr. Tsutoreiya if he knows of any recipes for magic potions made from beria leaves.
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Later, when I visited their shops, they showed me various prized items.
Among them, the Silver Sword of Antwing seemed popular. Though called a silver sword, it was gray in color but was the easiest of the demonic swords made from monster materials produced in Labyrinth City. It’s made from the wings of labyrinth ants, and I found references in Torazayuuya’s records. I want to try making one.
The magic scrolls I was most excited about were supplied exclusively by viscount Seemen, so the selection was below that of the Duke's Capital.