The third floor of the Clan House in the Footsteps of the Beginning. In one corner, there was a laboratory for Alchemists.

It was a vast laboratory that occupied 70% of the third floor. Connected to several other rooms, it is probably the most expensive room in the Clan House, with state-of-the-art equipment and rare materials.
Originally, there was only one alchemist in the Footprints, Citri Smart. Now there is another alchemist, so he is not alone, but the reason why most of the floor is occupied by alchemists, who are few and far between and not often seen as hunters, is because Citry invested a large amount of money from his pocket when the building was constructed.

It was enough to silence Eva, who was a merchant and was strict about money.
The gap between Eva's dumbfounded expression and Citly's smiling face is still strongly etched in my memory.

It had been a long time since I had been in his laboratory, and it was as neat and tidy as ever. When I unlocked the door and entered, I was greeted by two large iron golems for security with an intimidating presence.

The word "alchemist" carries with it a somewhat suspicious atmosphere, but Citry's laboratory is as clean as if her meticulousness were evident.
White wallpaper and polished floors.
There are glass shelves lined with complicated and bizarre instruments, bookshelves lined with books written in languages we don't even know, and other items typical of an alchemist, but all of them are neat and tidy, giving us no suspicious impression.

It is often misunderstood, but an alchemist is not a magus, but a researcher," said Citri.

Many of the magical materials and medicinal herbs that alchemists often use must have a peculiar smell, but the air is clean and odorless. He really was a child without any education.

Many of the materials used in alchemy are expensive, such as precious stones and precious metals. Citry's laboratory was always locked, and the only people with duplicate keys were myself and the other members of the Ghosts of Sorrows, and the other alchemist girl, Talia.

At the sound of the door opening, one of the two figures standing in front of the table in the center of the room - Citri in a plain gray robe - turns to look at me.
When he saw me, he put his hands together, smiled and approached me.

'Welcome, Mr. Cry.

'Have you been busy?

'No, sir. I was just making potions for sale. ...... I've finished preparing them, so I'm fine.

On the table was a large strange device that resembled an hourglass. It differed from the hourglass in that the upper part was not sand but some kind of paste, there was some kind of strange device attached to the center, and there was some kind of pool at the bottom.
It's probably a device for extracting ingredients, but I don't know what it is.

Citri had been accumulating a huge fortune by taking the materials of the demons defeated by the Ghosts of Sorrows at a higher price than the market price, turning them into potions that could be sold at a higher price, and wholesaling them to various merchant associations.
This is why Citri is the richest of them all. According to Eva, who mediated some of the transactions with the Chamber of Commerce, the amount of money earned is unparalleled for an individual.

'I'm sorry, Talia. Please bottle up the rest of the potions and put them in the crate.

'Yes, sir.

Thalia replied, wiping the sweat from her forehead as she poured a light green powdery substance from a huge glass container.

She seemed unusually busy.
Making potions is a big part of Citri's side job, but it seems that if he makes too many of them, they lose their value, so this is the first time I've seen him even using his help to make them.

Talia removes a glass container from the bottom of the apparatus and takes it to another room.
Perhaps sensing my doubts from my expression, Citri explained to me.

'The other day, the people who recharged Kry-san's magic asked me for advice - they want to take the test themselves when they have time, so they need a potion.

'Seriously, ......'.

That's not training or anything like that. .......
I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea.

'Of course, I'll have to pay for the materials, but ...... it's great. It's a great way to get your enthusiasm across. It was worth the effort to inspire me too.

'Yes, yes, yes.

It seemed more like a provocation than an inspiration, but I didn't feel like pointing it out to Citrie, whose eyes were sparkling.
I nodded my head, and Citry continued in a more enthusiastic tone.

'So, I thought I'd improve the potion a bit. It's a rare opportunity for a hunter who has inhaled so much Mana Material to become a test subject himself. Until now, human experimentation has mainly been done on orphans in the decayed areas. It's good that there's no aftermath, but apparently their health is not so good--they've all been collected.

'Yeah, yeah, right?

'It would be a breakthrough if we could observe the progress of everyone who cooperates and establish a means of rapid growth of magic power. Lucia's spirit is too strong, so it wasn't useful for us. If we can demonstrate this with less talented mages, it will change the way mages train. You'll owe me big time! Now, even if I offer you all the potions at a discounted price, the benefits will be more than worth it! What do you think, Cry?

'In moderation.

In moderation?

'I was thinking of giving away the potions I'm currently using for Lucia, but it's difficult and ...... too costly, and the effect on her mental state--'

'I came to return the money, I'.

'What?'

Sitri looked puzzled. I don't mind seeing Sitri looking happy, but it would be more constructive to explain to Talia, who is also an alchemist, than to explain to me.

I'll pay you back the money I got from the tavern the other day.
Most of the food and drinks were consumed by members other than myself, but I will pay for those expenses. Since I was given a share of the money even though I didn't go with them to the treasure house, I should at least pay for it.

When I mentioned that I forgot my wallet and had to pay for it, Eva pointed it out to me.
Sitri blinks and stares up at me.

'No, it's fine. It's a little late for that. I'll let you borrow it.

'I've borrowed so much I can't remember how much I borrowed. ......'

I made a note of every time I borrowed, but I didn't calculate it, so I don't know the total amount. This is because I borrowed too much.
I don't have any other income since I'm only running a clan and treasure is very expensive. I'm sure Citri is aware of this, but he's never asked me for it.

He said something about ten figures in the tavern, but I wonder if it's true: ....... You mean billions of guineas, right?
Citry put his hand on his cheek and said with a shy smile.

'I owe a lot too, so ...... I hope you can pay me back someday.'

'You'll never be able to pay it back if you don't pay it back little by little.

'Even if you pay me back a million or two, it's just a drop in the bucket. I'll have you pay me back with your body then.

'You've been spoiled.

Normally, I should have been kicked out of the party, but I was treated like this. I'm very embarrassed.
I wonder what Eva will say to me if she finds out how much I owe. ....... Citri, unaware of my inner thoughts, said in a cat-like voice, her cheeks flushed.

'I will spoil you a lot. In return, please let me spoil you when the time comes, okay?

Hmm? A pimp? Will I be safe after I retire?
I'm aware of my lack of worthiness, but I think I have at least some common sense. I scowl and answer.

'I'll pay you back.'

'...... How?'

'............ Borrow it from Lucia?'



'That doesn't change the fact that I'm in debt. ......'

'Actually, I'm thinking of opening a sweet shop when I retire.'

'Great. That's a huge turnout! How many years do you plan on taking to pay back the late ten figures?'

Sitri says with a smile. I'm sure he's not being sarcastic, but it sounds like sarcasm to me.
It was the second half of the story. ...... I'll talk to Eva about it next time, in case she gets angry. I made a deep impression on my mind.

By the way, I don't intend to sell the treasures I've collected. An encounter with a treasure trove is a once-in-a-lifetime event. There are some treasures that I have collected over the years that are rarely available.
When I retire, I plan to donate them all to the party as common property. Well, I'm sure Luke and the others won't be using hundreds of treasures, but it's the least I can do to atone for irresponsibly leaving the party.

At any rate, I'll return the money to Citly for the last drinking party. That's 360,000 guilders. That's enough money for an ordinary family to live on for two months if they lived modestly, but for a hunter, it's a small fortune. For me, it's a painful expense.
Citri took it without hesitation, tucked it into the pocket of his loose-fitting robe without counting it, and said with a sudden realization.

'Yes, sir. If you can't pay it back, there are ...... three ways to reduce your debt to zero.'

'...... Let's hear it for reference. It's not like you're going to get rid of it.

I'm still very careful with my finances. I'm still very careful about my finances,' said Sitri, her cheeks flushing.

'The first is to make ...... me your wife. If you become my spouse, your assets will be consolidated and your debts will naturally disappear. I will do my best to make you like sweets too. I'll do something to silence your sister. I won't let her touch you.

It was a funny joke. No, it's not that I don't want to, but it's not a way to pay off my debt.

'...... What's the second one?

'The second is that ...... Mr. Cry will become my son-in-law. I'll take all your debts. I know Mr. Cry very well. I'll do all the housework, including cooking and laundry, and I'll allow you to enjoy the sweet shop as a pastime. I'll do my best to keep your sister quiet.

Citri's sense of humor seems to be just as good as Eva's. I'm not sure how that's different from the first one.
I nodded plausibly and asked, slightly disgusted but not expressing it.

'That's ...... an attractive proposition. What's the third?'

Citri answered without pause.

'To inform on me and have me thrown in jail. But then I'd feel lonely alone, so it would be nice if you could throw me in with your sister.

Don't say that with a smile. I have to be careful not to get into any more debt. .......
It's not like you're doing anything wrong by throwing me in jail in the first place. I sighed once and decided to cover it up.

'Come to think of it, that teriyaki Thunder Dragon you made for me a long time ago was really good.

'Oh, ...... that one has a special seasoning, so ...... perhaps making it with chicken would be more to Cry's liking. The taste of dragon is not as good as livestock bred for meat. I have the recipe memorized. Shall we bake it tonight?

Citri agreed to the blatant turn of events.
Now, how am I going to make money? .......