Chapter 3 TSH Vol. 1 Chapter 1 Part 2

Things proceeded according to plan.

The appraisal result came back, “Healing effect confirmed. Recognized as a Grade 6 Healing Potion.” Potion grades ranged from the highest, Special Grade, down to the lowest, Grade 6.

Sieg refined his process, raising the quality to Grade 5, and proposed a new product to Thomas, flavored healing potions to be sold as nutritional drinks. Typical potions had a unique bitterness and a strong smell, but Sieg’s were tasteless and odorless. By adding sweet or refreshing flavors, they could expand the market beyond adventurers to include sick children, tired laborers, and elderly people with poor appetites.

Thomas’s father, the head of the merchant company, loved the idea and immediately summoned Sieg to the capital. As expected of a great merchant, the president was a tough negotiator, but Sieg managed to secure enough initial development funds. All that was left was to create a business plan. If it was approved, they could officially launch it as a company venture.

Sieg stayed in a room at the company headquarters, working with Thomas to hash out the plan. A few days later, the day of the presentation arrived. The president read through the proposal and handed a copy to his head butler. Thomas was still trembling with nerves. Sieg, now used to this, placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

The president looked at them both and spoke slowly. “Hmm… it’s a realistic plan. I was expecting something more fanciful… but this isn’t bad. So, the first year’s goal is mass production, is it? Dividing the labor is a good move. It will minimize information leaks. No one can make the potion unless they know the entire process. …What do you think?”

The president turned to the butler, who offered his opinion. “Using orphans as a labor force is also a good idea. If they learn the trade, we can help them become independent apothecaries in the future. It’s an insight unique to Sieg, who grew up in an orphanage. Furthermore, the orphans are protected by the church. It would deter any scoundrels trying to steal the formula. …Very well thought out.”

The president grunted in agreement and looked at the two young men. Thomas swallowed hard.

“Very well… you may proceed with this plan for now.”

“…Huh? Ah, y-yes! Father!” Thomas replied, his face a picture of disbelief.

Seeing this, the president’s expression hardened. “However! You are to establish a means for mass production within the first year. If you fail, we will consider withdrawing from this venture. Report any problems as they arise. Understood?”

Tears welled in Thomas’s eyes as he answered, his voice shaking. “Yes… Yes! I’ll make mass production a reality, I swear it!”

“…Well, give it a try,” the president said with a sniff, a faint, satisfied smile on his lips.

Thomas let out a choked sob and threw his arms around Sieg. He must have been overjoyed to finally earn his father’s approval. Sieg smiled wryly and patted his back, calming him down.

After Thomas had composed himself, the president asked Sieg, “So, what will you do? Return to your village? You’re welcome to stay here, of course…”

For the first time, Sieg looked genuinely annoyed. In exchange for his stay, he had been roped into helping with the company’s paperwork. He was a quick learner and fast with numbers, so he’d become quite useful.

“Now that the business plan is submitted, may I take a few days off?” Sieg proposed. “There’s a place I’d like to go.”

The president nodded. “Fine… I’ve worked you hard enough. Thomas, you may rest as well. Show Sieg around.”

“Understood, Father. So? Where do you want to go, Sieg?”

All eyes turned to him, curious about what he would do next.

Sieg gave a wry smile. “I want to go to the Adventurer’s Guild.”

They all exchanged puzzled glances.

“What business do you have at the guild?” Thomas asked.

“Oh, there’s a quest I want to try.”

“A quest… don’t tell me it’s monster slaying!?”

Sieg waved his hand dismissively. “No, no. The one I want to do is—sewer cleaning.”

“Huh? Sewer cleaning?” everyone in the room exclaimed in unison.

The capital had several guilds, but the two largest were the Adventurer’s Guild and the Mage’s Guild. Adventurers were jacks-of-all-trades who took on various quests for rewards. The requests ranged from mundane tasks like carrying luggage to dangerous jobs like goblin subjugation, labyrinth exploration, and monster extermination. They also took on requests from the lord and the city, serving a public works function. The sewer cleaning quest Sieg intended to take was one such public request.

The Adventurer’s Guild was located near a specialized district filled with weapon and armor shops. It was a three-story stone building, its design standardized across cities so it could be easily recognized.

When Sieg entered, the adventurers inside shot him curious glances. It was rare for a child to come here. The first floor was a large, open space with several round tables for meetings. The walls were covered with quest notices. The upper floors apparently housed conference rooms and offices for senior staff and the president.

He wanted to leave as few traces of himself as possible, but he couldn’t take a quest without registering. With no other choice, Sieg signed up. I’ll only use the guild card here anyway… It should be fine.

After registering, he politely declined the receptionist’s detailed explanation and went straight to the quest board. There were always public requests available. At the bottom of the wall, he found the one he was looking for.

Requestor: Capital City | Task: Sewer Cleaning | Rank Requirement: None | Reward—

Hmm… Sieg thought. The notice didn’t specify which section of the sewers needed cleaning.

There was a reason Sieg had gone through the trouble of registering with the guild just to clean sewers. Hidden in the capital’s underground was a Blessing Orb. It was an ancient magical artifact, an exceedingly rare magic stone that could grant a Blessing to whoever used it. They were so scarce they almost never appeared on the market, and when they did, they fetched an astronomical price. And one of them was right here, in the capital’s sewers. The Blessing sealed within that orb would make conquering the labyrinth astonishingly easy.

The orb had been discovered by a rookie adventurer during a sewer cleaning job. Freshly minted, he’d bragged to everyone about finding a large magic stone, detailing where and how he found it. Later, when it was identified as a Blessing Orb, the Adventurer’s Guild mediated a sale to the feudal lord. According to the story, it was found underground near the Mage’s District. There was a hidden passage along the path, and the Blessing Orb was enshrined at the end of it. The capital’s sewer system utilized ancient underground tunnels, so the existence of a secret passage wasn’t surprising.

Sieg peeled the request from the board and took it to the counter. “I’ll take this quest. Can I choose which area I clean?”

The receptionist was pleased to see someone taking a public works quest and leaned in to whisper, “Normally we assign the sections, but I’ll make a special exception for you. Don’t tell anyone, okay?”

It’s not that big of a favor, but I guess she wants to act like a helpful big sister… Well, it helps me out.

Sieg hid a wry smile and chose the area near the Mage’s District. The receptionist explained the meeting place, time, and tool rentals, then sent him off with a word of encouragement.

“Good luck out there, rookie!”

“Thank you. I’m heading out.”

He offered his thanks and left the guild immediately. As he walked toward his destination, his expression grew serious.

I won’t know what the hidden passage is like until I get there… There was no mention of traps, but it’s better to be cautious. I won’t get many chances. I have to go in prepared to find it today.

Sieg set his jaw and made his way toward the Mage’s District.

Sorry to that rookie adventurer, but—that Blessing Orb is mine!

---

When he arrived at the meeting point near the Mage’s District, a few people were already gathered. They were mostly young, rookie-looking adventurers, with a couple of middle-aged ones mixed in. A guild staff member in uniform checked his request form and told him to wait.

Good, there aren’t many people… I won’t have to worry so much about being watched.

When the time came, the staff called everyone together and began to explain the job, pointing to a map of the sewers drawn on a wooden board.

“Alright, here’s the job. You’ll be cleaning this section here. You’ll be divided into three roles: one to pick up large debris, one to scoop up sludge, and one to carry the bags of debris and sludge outside.”

They all looked at each other and began discussing roles. It seemed carrying the bags was the toughest job, but it was also the only one that allowed for moving around. Sieg volunteered for it immediately.

Once everyone had a role, the staff led them down a set of stairs at the side of the road. A passage blocked by an iron-grated door came into view. The staff unlocked it and pushed it open.

“I’ll give each of you a magic lamp; don’t lose it. Those carrying bags, take them now. Alright, head on in and start cleaning.”

The middle-aged adventurer, clearly experienced, walked into the tunnel without hesitation, the rookies following behind him. As the carrier, Sieg pushed a wheelbarrow and brought up the rear.

“Ugh, it stinks!” “What a horrible smell!”

The rookies complained as they went. The stench was bad at the entrance, but it grew stronger as they descended the gentle slope. Sieg covered his nose and mouth with a cloth he’d prepared. It was stuffed with dried herbs, which helped to neutralize the smell somewhat.

Glad I made this just in case… This could be another product…

As Sieg was having a merchant-like thought, the middle-aged adventurer, who had already started working, yelled back, “Quit your whining and get to work!”

His words were rough, but he was right. Sieg followed his lead and started his task. The sewer had a large channel in the center for wastewater, with walkways on either side. The water was about knee-deep, a black, stagnant flow moving slowly. There were vertical shafts in the ceiling that let in slivers of light, but otherwise, their magic lamps were the only illumination.

The debris pickers and sludge scoopers stepped into the channel and began their work.

“Ugh… it’s so slimy!” “So gross, I think my nose is gonna fall off…”

Despite their complaints, the rookies worked diligently. Completing public requests like this was highly valued by the guild. While they needed the daily wage, they also wanted to complete the quest to raise their standing.

As he hauled the bags, Sieg recalled the map the staff had shown them. He already had a good idea of where to look. For a hidden passage to exist, there had to be a fairly large space behind the wall. It wouldn’t be somewhere that immediately hit another channel. That narrowed down the possibilities.

There’s a crossroads up ahead. The hidden passage is most likely in the far right section.

However, today’s cleaning assignment was to the left. Sieg followed the others down the left path without protest. After dropping off a load of trash and turning back toward the exit at the crossroads, a scream echoed from deeper within the tunnel.

“AHHHH! R-R-RATS! SO MANY RATS!”

“Whoa! H-Huge! These things are way too big!”

“C-Calm down! It’s not that big a deal! Everybody just calm down!”

As chaos erupted, Sieg instantly extinguished his magic lamp, turned back at the crossroads, and veered right. He’d known the commotion would happen; he had scattered bait in the tunnel on his way out with the trash.

Alright, time to find the secret door!

Sieg moved through the darkness, running his hands along the wall and focusing on the sensation. The uproar continued behind him. The rats here must have been starving.

Where is it… where? There has to be a mechanism somewhere!

Just as he started to get anxious, his hand found a stone block that felt different from the others. He held his breath and crouched down. It felt like it could be pushed. Steeling himself, he pressed it. There was a sound like rushing water, followed by a grating noise as a section of the wall swung open like a door.

Found it—this is it!

The mechanism probably used water pressure. It was an ingenious design. Sieg glanced behind him for a moment before quickly slipping inside. He lit his magic lamp and looked around. At the end of the passage was something like an altar, and resting upon it was a round magic stone.

A shiver of excitement ran through him.

That’s it… the Blessing Orb!

He hadn’t heard anything about traps in the hidden passage, but just in case, Sieg ran down the corridor pushing the wheelbarrow in front of him as a simple precaution. Reaching the end without incident, he examined the pedestal. It also appeared to be trap-free. Carefully, he picked up the Blessing Orb.

So this is it…

The cold touch of the stone sent a thrill of joy through him.

I did it… I did it! Now I can finally conquer the labyrinth!

But at that moment—the door behind him began to slide shut with a grating sound.

What!? There weren’t supposed to be any traps!

The orb was supposed to be discovered about a year from now. Sieg guessed that a heavy rain or something must have happened in that time, disabling the water pressure mechanism.

The door was closing, but Sieg calmly extinguished his lamp and headed back the way he came. With a loud clang, the door stopped. He pushed the wheelbarrow through the gap and then squeezed out himself. A piece of metal junk was wedged in the doorframe. In case something unexpected happened, Sieg had preemptively jammed some trash in the door to keep it from closing completely. He pulled the metal free, and the door resumed its movement, eventually becoming one with the wall again.

Sieg let out a sigh of relief.

Good… preparing for that was the right call…

The commotion from deeper in the tunnel had mostly died down. Sieg tossed the metal junk aside, returned to the crossroads, and relit his lamp. Pushing the empty wheelbarrow, he rejoined the others, pretending he’d just come back from a trip to the surface.

“Whoa! What happened!? A-Are those rats!?” he exclaimed, seeing everyone breathing heavily. Several rat carcasses littered the passage.

The rookies, pale-faced, stammered, “S-Scary… that was so scary…” “Those rats were way too big…”

The middle-aged man glanced at Sieg, then silently began stuffing the dead rats into a bag. Sieg loaded the bag onto his wheelbarrow and headed back to the exit to dispose of it. After that, everyone resumed their work in silence, finishing the job a few hours later.

Success!

And just like that, Sieg had obtained the precious magical artifact, the Blessing Orb.