CH 6

Let’s Create a Potion (2)

If you are reading from a pirate or aggregator site, please read from the translator’s site: yado-inn (dot) com I have to put the link like this or else the bots will remove it, sorry 

I had decided to go back to the basics for the time being and try to finish reading the books. I finally finished reading the second volume, but I haven’t found the information I’m looking for yet.

However, it’s hard to read through three volumes of books, so today, I brought the third book with me and decided to read it in the living room.

“Would you like a cup of black tea?” It was Kate, the maid who’s often present at my experiments. She took in the situation and greeted me.

“Well, if my hand slips and my precious book becomes wet, that’ll be troublesome. It’s the thought that counts, though; thank you, Kate.” When I turned down her offer with a smile, Kate also smiled, bowed, and left.

“Hmm, this volume is mostly recipes for how to make various things, though……”

As expected, it was difficult for a five-year-old’s body to put up with this much reading without a break, so subconsciously, I skimmed the book while turning the pages of the book.

Huh? My hand paused on the page titled: [What is Extraction?]. What’s this?

‘Extraction is the process of selectively separating the ingredients contained in plants and raw materials.’ This is it!

‘When extracting ingredients from solids, the raw materials are generally pickled thoroughly in water or other solutions, and if possible, heating and stirring are applied as well. Additionally, depending on the circumstances, finely ground the raw materials in advance.’

“This is what I was missing!”

I brought Kate with me and hurried to the laboratory.

◆

“In order to grind the plant…” I looked around the tools in the laboratory.

“Wouldn’t you need a mortar? I also use one in cooking. Also, it might be good to try finely chopping it with a kitchen knife.” As she spoke, Kate pointed at the ceramic tool while teaching me.

“Then, I’ll try comparing both!”

“Then I will be in charge of finely chopping them,” Kate replied.

Yup, I have never cooked before, so I watched Kate finely chop the ingredients, and learned for the first time how to finely chop something…

First, I put the healing herb and mana grass that I had ground in the mortar into the water in the beaker, according to the ratio.

Next, I put the beaker on top of the heating magic tool and started heating it.

Small bubbles formed on top of the water, clinging to the sides of the beaker.

[Potion]

Quality: Normal.

Details: The active ingredients are on the weaker side. Slightly bitter.

When I let it sit for a bit longer, the bubbles grew larger.

[Potion]

Quality: Normal.

Details: The active ingredients are slightly on the weaker side. Bitter.

Huh… I’m concerned about it being bitter.

When I let it sit even longer, the water started to burble sometimes.

[Potion]

Quality: Normal.

Details: The active ingredients have been well-extracted. However, due to that, it’s bitter. Extremely bitter.

Even if they say good medicine is bitter, for it to be extremely bitter……

Then, it started boiling.

[Potion]

Quality: Low.

Details: A portion of the active ingredients have been lost. The bitterness has also become weaker.

I used the back of the scrap paper near me and took notes on the transition.

“Regarding quality, it seems to be good to stop before it starts boiling… Not to mention, it’s bitter.”

For the time being, I’ve taken down the results of the mortar method, so let’s try the finely chopped ingredients.

Following the same 2:1 ratio, I put the chopped healing herb and mana grass in the beaker of water.

I followed the same steps, placing the beaker back on the heating magic tool and starting it up.

Small bubbles formed on top of the water, clinging to the sides of the beaker.

[Potion]

Quality: Normal.

Details: The active ingredients are on the weak side. Slightly bitter.

After a short period of time, the bubbles became larger.

[Potion]

Quality: Normal.

Details: The active ingredients are slightly on the weak side. Somewhat bitter.

Finally, after letting it sit even longer:

[Potion]

Quality: Normal.

Details: The active ingredients have been well-extracted. However, due to that, it’s bitter.

Like I thought, it’s bitter…… However, it seems like the bitterness of the finely chopped potions was less than the ground potions. Why is that?

For the time being, using the beaker with the finely chopped ingredients, I filtered the liquid right before it started boiling with a cloth and poured the contents into a glass vial.

It’s bitter, but it’s completed, more or less… I think.

“Hey, Kate. I created a normal quality potion, but it’s bitter. I’m stumped.”

Kate, who had been watching the experiment the entire time, tilted her head in confusion at my words. “Miss, how do you know that the potion is normal or bitter without using it?”

Ah, that’s right! I haven’t told anyone about my Appraisal skill yet!