“By the way, how much do you usually buy potions and antidotes for?”

I should at least know the going rates. Yep.

“A potion is worth one silver coin, and an antidote is two silver coins.”

Whoa. So, my potion really does get bought for an exceptional price.

“I’ve never held money before, but how much is one silver coin worth?”

When I asked, Victor took out a few coins and explained.

I was a bit nervous that it might seem strange for someone my age not to know the value of coins, but thanks to the gothic lolita outfit that Ermine provided, they mistook me for a rich family’s daughter, so he explained without any suspicion.

“Ten copper coins equal one silver coin, and ten silver coins equal one gold coin. Additionally, ten gold coins make this mithril coin.”

One copper coin can buy about one loaf of bread, which is roughly 100 yen.

So:

Copper coin… 100 yen
Silver coin… 1,000 yen
Gold coin… 10,000 yen
Mithril coin… 100,000 yen.

Wait a minute.

The silver coin that Zeke just gave me as payment for the antidote—wasn’t that a mithril coin!?

Even without thinking much, I’ve been overpaid!

Just as I was about to say something, there was a sudden commotion outside the door. The sound of hurried footsteps followed by someone frantically knocking.

“What’s going on?”

“Guildmaster! It’s an emergency! Lord Herbert, who went to explore the Misty Forest, has been cursed by a basilisk!”

“A basilisk!?”

“He’s already petrified up to his knees!”

“This is terrible…”

Victor’s face changed color as he quickly glanced at Cloud. Cloud stood up with a grim expression as well.

“Lord Cloud, do you have any medicine to break the basilisk’s curse?”

Cloud shook his head in response to Victor’s question.

“I can make a potion to slow the petrification, but… that depends on whether we can gather the ingredients.”

“Lord Herbert is essential to this town of Lints. We will gather whatever ingredients are needed. What do we need?”

“Fresh eggs, crushed snake fangs… and unicorn horn powder.”

“Rest assured, the Merchant’s Guild has all of those in stock.”

“Then let’s borrow a space and make it immediately.”

“Please, we’re counting on you.”

After bowing to us, Victor hurried out with Cloud. Something serious seems to have happened, but will everything be okay?

“Zeke, what just happened?”

I decided to ask Zeke, who had a concerned look on his face.

“It seems that Lord Herbert Lints, the Count who governs this town of Lints, has been cursed by a basilisk.”

“A basilisk?”

“It’s a monster with the upper body of a chicken and the lower body of a snake. Its beak and claws carry a petrification curse. Even a small scratch can spread the curse, eventually turning the entire body to stone.”

I see. Since its upper body is a chicken, that explains why eggs are one of the ingredients. And unicorn horn powder also sounds incredibly effective.

But wait—if that’s the case…

“If it’s an egg, wouldn’t a golden egg be even more effective?”

I said casually, and Zeke asked, “What’s a golden egg?”

Well, it’s an egg. Just a golden one. But since it comes from the miniature garden, I feel like it’s more nutritious than an ordinary egg.

Oh, right. I should ask Ermine if I don’t understand something.

“Hey, Ermine. Would a golden egg be more effective than a regular egg in making the medicine to break the petrification curse?”

“Yeah, it would.”

He easily confirmed, making me jump out of my seat.

“Eh?! You should have told me that sooner! Shouldn’t we give this to Cloud then?”

When I took out the golden egg from my bracelet, Ermine tilted his head.

“Mei, do you want to make the potion to break the petrification curse?”

“Well, if I can make it, I want to.”

“But the potion they mentioned earlier only slows the petrification, right? Is that good enough?”

“What do you mean, ‘good enough’?”

“I’m saying, there’s also a potion to stop the petrification entirely, as well as one to cure it. Do you not want to make those?”

What!? There’s such a powerful potion?

Of course, I’d want to make the cure!

“How do you make it? What are the ingredients?”

“To stop the petrification, you need a golden egg and Pegasus tail hair. To cure it, you need those plus a basilisk’s heart.”

“Why a Pegasus?”

“Because a Pegasus is born from the neck of a Lamia Queen. It’s effective against petrification.”

“Born from her neck!?”

A Lamia is a monster with the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a snake, and its superior form, the Lamia Queen, possesses petrifying eyes. Apparently, when her neck is severed, a Pegasus is born from the cut.

Where was the Pegasus hiding…?
The creatures in this world, starting with Koko, are just too mysterious…