Finn's Devotion

Exactly ten minutes had passed since Finn swallowed the medicine.

The last grains of sand fell through the hourglass.

"How are you feeling?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. The only thing I'd complain about is how bitter it was."

She drained a cup of water as she said it.

"No self-reported symptoms, and no visible changes. The medicine itself is harmless."

"Will there be any adverse effects down the line?"

"That should be fine too. I'm a veteran alchemist for a reason."

Ramiza-san answered Elza's question with her chest puffed out in confidence.

"Then I have no objections."

"I ran all those experiments specifically to prevent that. I'm impressed we got it done in a day. Now, the next step is testing whether it actually protects against poppy-derived narcotics. Are you really sure about this?"

The narcotic refined from poppy seeds had powerful side effects.

If the medicine they'd just finished didn't perform as hoped, Finn would be subjected to those very effects.

It could impact not just her work, but her entire life.

No one would blame her for backing out now.

But Finn just snorted dismissively, as if the question were ridiculous.

"You think I'd come this far and say 'never mind'? Hurry up."

"All right. If you do have a reaction, I'll make sure you're treated."

"… Hmph. You'd better."

Ramiza-san held out a small wooden bowl containing the powdered narcotic. Finn practically snatched it from her hands.

She slowly brought it toward her mouth.

"Ingesting it all at once could cause acute poisoning, so take it slowly, bit by bit."

Finn nodded in acknowledgment and began taking the powder in small doses.

She drank water along the way, and over time, she consumed everything in the bowl.

"It sticks in your throat. Absolutely vile. I can't fathom why anyone would want this stuff."

"That's exactly what makes it so terrifying. You don't want it because you want it. You're made to want it. The fleeting pleasure fades with each dose while the suffering grows, driving you to take more. A devil's drug, literally."

"A devil's drug, huh. Doesn't feel like much to me."

Finn was guided to a chair as a precaution.

"I formulated it to be absorbed quickly so the effects would show sooner. If anything's going to happen, it'll be around now."

At Ramiza-san's explanation, everyone, Yohane included, fixed their eyes on Finn.

Under the collective stare, Finn flinched. That was rare for her.

She pulled a blanket around herself and shrank down.

"Don't stare at me like that. It's embarrassing."

"I understand, but if something goes wrong, it's a big deal."

"I'm telling you, nothing's going wrong. She's someone you trust enough to vouch for, right?"

"I do. She's an absolutely top-notch alchemist."

"Then it's fine."

Finn said it with finality.

"My, my. That's quite the vote of confidence. 'Top-notch,' huh? Now I'm blushing."

"We have known each other a long time now, I suppose…"

"How heartwarming."

Some time passed, but there was no change in Finn's condition.

Her face did seem a touch red, though.

Yohane pressed his right hand to Finn's forehead.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Your face looks a little flushed. Is something happening?"

"I-I'm fine. It's just hot under the blanket, that's all."

Finn broke eye contact and pulled off the blanket she'd been wrapped in.

Yohane studied her complexion for a while longer, but nothing seemed amiss.

"Did it work?"

"Not so fast. I still need to do a verbal exam and a physical check, so out you go."

Ramiza-san shooed him to his feet and pushed him firmly toward the door.

A physical examination meant undressing.

He certainly couldn't stay for that.

Doing as he was told, he moved to the shop front and staved off the cold with the blanket he'd been given while he waited.

He sat down and pulled the blanket over himself, and just as he was starting to drift off, Elza opened the door and came over.

"You can come back in. Finn-chan is changed."

"Good. I'm starving, let's get some food."

"Agreed. I'm famished too."

Returning to the room, he found Finn in fresh clothes, as Elza had said, and Ramiza-san collapsed in sleep.

"You're back. I wouldn't have minded if you saw me naked, honestly."

"How's Ramiza-san?"

"She confirmed everything was fine, said she was going to sleep, and dropped like a rock. She hasn't slept for so long, so it's no surprise."

"She was probably using medicine to stay awake. Once it wore off, she must have passed out."

"Makes sense."

Finn crossed her legs as she spoke.

Her demeanor was the same as always, but traces of fatigue showed through.

Even someone as tough as Finn needed proper rest.

The same went for Elza and Yohane.

"I'll go make some food. You must be hungry."

"Mm. Yeah, I guess I'm pretty hungry."

"I'll help!"

"I'll have it ready in no time. Just wait here."

"If you're going to the trouble, then sure. Milk too, please."

"Got it."

Finn waved him off with a lazy flap of her hand.

Yohane took Elza with him, went home, and raided the kitchen.

They'd want to eat quickly and sleep, so something simple and ready fast would be best.

First, he filled a pot with water and heated it with a fire magic stone.

Alexia had been keeping the stone's mana topped up, it seemed. The flame was strong enough to bring water to a boil quickly.

He tossed salt, bacon, dried vegetables, and thinly sliced potatoes into the pot.

"Elza, cut the bread. I'll handle the vegetables and meat."

"Okay!"

He left the bread they'd bought in advance, now slightly stale, to Elza and prepared the fillings.

Good thing he'd stocked up. Four servings required a decent amount, but they managed to avoid a meager spread.

"Done."

"Right. Stuff them, cut in half, and done."

"We're using this premade sauce, right? I like this one. It's rich."

"Let's add a little mustard too."

With both of them working, it came together fast.

He loaded the finished food into a basket.

The pot could go as-is. This level of weight was nothing for Elza.

"All right, let's head back."

"Should we bring this too?"

Elza pointed to a plate.

He hadn't noticed until she pointed it out, but the plate was lined with rows of baked cookies.

It looked like Azu and Alexia had been baking test batches.

He picked one up and tried it.

A bit too sweet, but nicely baked.

"Sweet. Something sweet is probably just what everyone needs right now."

"You're right, they are sweet. These will definitely perk everyone up."

"Here's hoping."

He packed the plate of cookies into the basket and headed back out.