Dungeon Reform Plan*2
And so.
“Um, see… making a potion like that out of herbs alone would be tough, I think. The magic in herbs just doesn’t have effects like ‘regeneration’…”
“I figured…”
That was Mishisia’s answer when I consulted her. Well, yeah, makes sense. Even in a fantasy world, there have to be limits. A potion that makes a missing arm sprout back like a plant? Of course that doesn’t exist.
“But if you use World Tree leaves, that could work! The World Tree governs things like ‘life,’ ‘cycles,’ and ‘regeneration’… with Asuma-sama’s power, you might be able to make a potion that heals arms or eyes!”
… Okay, scratch that. Turns out fantasy doesn’t have limits.
That’s terrifying!
“Here you go, Asuma-sama. Use this to make the potion!”
“Thanks, Mishisia-san!”
And so, I got some World Tree leaves from her. The fresh, vivid green leaves really did give off a sense of “LIFE!”
“But hey, are you sure it’s fine for me to take these? The World Tree’s pretty important, right? Wouldn’t it be bad to hurt it too much…?”
What worried me was that Mishisia was supposed to be the “guardian” of the World Tree. Was it really okay to just hand me leaves like this?
“Eh, it’s the Tree of Life, so something like this is nothing! You’re so thoughtful, Asuma-sama.”
Apparently it was fine. And she hugged me again. This woman really hugs me every chance she gets…
“Still, the World Tree’s magic is strong. If it falls too easily into human hands, it could invite disaster. So I want to keep it secret, hidden away, and properly managed. That’s kind of what being a guardian means.”
“I see… so that’s what ‘guardian’ means.”
That I could understand. Strong power has to be properly managed. Makes sense.
“Exactly. So…”
With this, I could begin making “potions that might restore lost arms or eyes.”
And the reason I wanted to make such a potion… was to recruit a certain “mercenary.”
That person called Lisas—the one missing an arm and an eye.
Most likely, they ended up mixed in with thugs because they couldn’t find steady work. But they seemed decent at heart. If their arm and eye were restored, I felt like they’d be able to work honestly.
… Though, thinking of it like “buying a good product at discount because it’s missing parts, fixing it up, and using it” does feel pretty rude when we’re talking about a person. But still, if I can heal their injuries, I think I should.
If it works out to be a win–win relationship, all the better… but who knows.
Anyway, potion-making begins. In this dungeon, it’s simple. Just like with the herbs.
Decompose and absorb the World Tree leaves, analyze them, extract the magic that serves as the active ingredient, then reconstruct it. Mix that into the dungeon’s spring water, and done.
For the record, I’ve confirmed that the dungeon’s spring water contains a fantasy component called “effect enhancement.” Basically, it buffs everything mixed into it.
… Come to think of it, maybe the reason food made with the dungeon’s spring water tastes so good—and why the Panis villagers love it—is because the water puts a “deliciousness buff” on it.
“All right, done! Ten doses of World Tree Potion!”
And just like that, the potion was complete. Probably. Probably.
“… Well, until we actually test it, we can’t know the effects for sure…”
My lack of confidence came from the simple fact that I hadn’t tested it. Ideally, I’d do animal trials first, but the only creatures around here are slimes. And since slimes don’t have arms or legs, there’s no way to test regeneration on them.
“It’s fine! I’m sure it’ll work! And even if it doesn’t, World Tree leaves won’t ever turn poisonous. At the very least, they’ll ease pain!”
Since Mishisia—the person who knows the most about the World Tree—said that, I figured it was probably fine. Probably!
“I really hope that person’s arm heals…”
“Yeah. Even if they don’t end up working for us, it’s better if they’re healed.”
“Mm. I think so too.”
… Best case, we build a mutually beneficial relationship. Worst case, they just help test the potion.
Now then.
“By the way, Asuma-sama, shouldn’t we put a label on these? Otherwise you won’t be able to tell them apart from herb potions.”
“… Good point.”
Just like with the herb potions, I put them into crystal bottles reconstructed from the dungeon. But now they looked nearly identical. Which made sense, since both were almost entirely free of impurities. There wasn’t even a green tint—just a slight difference in how they sparkled.
“Labels, huh… But if I write down too much information and these ever get lost or leaked, that’d be dangerous…”
“Maybe some kind of mark only we can recognize would work.”
“Well, the simplest way would be to change the bottle shape…”
So, I reconstructed the crystal bottles. Kneading the model in my head, I shaped them into cut-glass style bottles with decorative patterns. That would do.
“Wow… they’re so sparkly… I’ve never seen bottles this beautiful before…”
Mishisia’s eyes lit up. She seemed enchanted by the shimmering refractions in the crystal.
Wait. Now that I think about it, in this world, bottles this clear—whether glass or crystal—might actually be advanced technology.
“Um, Asuma-sama… could I maybe have the empty bottles after the potion’s used up…?”
“Ah, sure. Go ahead.”
… Yup. Since Mishisia seemed pleased with them, I decided to keep the bottles like this.
And so, with our World Tree Potion bottles in hand, we headed outside the cave to the jail.
Each prisoner had their own cell. Pretty luxurious design, but well, setting up jails doesn’t take much effort anyway…
When I expanded the maze by absorbing granite, I ended up with a lot of iron too. Using that and stone, it was easy to build.
“Hey, brat! Open this up if you don’t wanna get killed!”
Inside one of the cells, a lively thug was yelling and banging around.
“Shut up, baldy!”
And thus, my insult shone. Since I’ve got an elementary-schooler body right now, I can get away with hurling elementary-schooler level insults. Which means, in a battle of words, I’m invincible.
As we made our way down the row of cells, I occasionally got yelled at by the thugs, shot back childish comebacks, and earned a “Asuma-sama… your mouth is foul…” sort of look from Mishisia. And so, we finally reached the cell we were aiming for.
Using the key I’d gotten from Edele, I clanked the lock open. Inside, the man sitting down looked up at us in puzzlement.
“… Is it time for the handover already? That’s fast.”
“No, not yet.”
“Then what do you want?”
When Mishisia and I both stepped into the cell with a “heave-ho,” the man tensed up a little… Though neither Mishisia nor I had our guard up at all. I mean, we already knew this guy didn’t seem like a bad person.
Anyway.
“Uh, you’re Lisas, right?”
“… Yeah. What of it? You here to ask about my old workplace? If so, tough luck—I’ve got nothing to tell you.”
I wasn’t sure why he was so wary, but I guess something happened at his old job. Well, that’s for later…
“I wanted you to try this medicine.”
“… Huh?”
When I held out a small vial, his one eye blinked wide, and he let out a really dumbfounded sound.
So I handed it over. He took it with his single hand and stared at it closely.
“… That’s a pretty thing.”
“Yep. And, uh, that might be able to heal your arm.”
The moment I said that, he nearly dropped the vial. Managed to catch it himself, though.
“Wha… what the hell is this medicine?”
“Well, it’s just… something like that exists, so.”
I wasn’t about to spill all the details. After all, it wasn’t certain he’d work for us yet.
“Ah… right, there was a World Tree in this dungeon.”
“Ah—yeah, that’s the one.”
Oh. Guess the World Tree part was already obvious to him. No point hiding it, then.
“So… uh, for now, just try drinking it. Apparently it won’t poison you…”
“Yeah! It’ll be fine! Since Asuma-sama made it, it’s definitely safe!”
I tried to gently encourage him, but Mishisia jumped in with way too much confidence. Hey, Mishisia, me making it is not a guarantee of quality!
Lisas stared at the vial for a moment. But with us both watching, he didn’t ask further questions—just popped the cork and downed it in one go. Whoa, this guy’s bold!
“… How’s it taste?”
“Taste? … It’s sweet, actually.”
Huh. So magic has flavors? That means there’s probably “delicious” magic out there too. Like, maybe in tomatoes.
And then, a few seconds after he drank—
“… Ugh.”
He groaned, dropped the vial—Mishisia caught it—and clutched at the stump where his arm had been.
“Ah, wait, is regrowing an arm insanely painful!?”
“Pain…? No, it’s like… pressure…? Ticklish…? Hard to say… ugh…”
O-oh. So it’s just incomprehensible. Makes sense! I mean, who would know what growing an arm feels like!? I sure don’t! And from Mishisia’s face, neither did she!
As we fretted, light gathered around Lisas’s arm.
“Ah—that’s the World Tree’s power…” Mishisia murmured.
The light shaped itself from the stump downward, forming a whole arm. Then, light gathered in his empty eye socket too, doing… something.
And then—
“… My arm’s there. My eye… I can see…”
When the light faded, Lisas just sat there, stunned, flexing both hands and staring at them with both eyes.
Surgery successful! Congrats, congrats! Overcome with joy, I found myself taken by the hand by an equally thrilled Mishisia, and we started dancing. She did some quick, elven, elegant footwork, while I just did a slow, bon-odori style jig. Totally mismatched. Didn’t matter. We were happy.
Eventually, Lisas got dragged into it too. He looked completely lost, but with a “ah, screw it, no point overthinking,” he awkwardly joined in our nonsensical dance. Yep, this guy’s a good person.
After we danced our fill—
“… Unbelievable. I never thought my arm and eye would return…” he said with deep feeling.
Then, suddenly, his expression hardened.
“… So, what’s the catch? Is this just so you can chop them off again later…?”
… Wait, what!?
Oh. Well, yeah. From his perspective, this must look super shady.
“W-wait, no! It’s not like that at all! I—I just… want you to work here, that’s all!”
I quickly blurted out our real aim, trying to clear the misunderstanding. Look, we do want something in return! That’s why it’s not some creepy scheme!
“Uh, so, right now, we’re hiring… especially combat workers… and, well, it’d mean a lot if you’d join us…”
“I can’t handle everything by myself… so I really want someone reliable to help defend this place… is that… no good…?”
When Mishisia and I put it like that, Lisas just froze, completely dumbfounded. Well, yeah—he’s got no clue about our terms or conditions. Makes sense he’d be confused.
Uh… should we just… dance again!?
What do you think about this chapter?
💃💃💃