Allen the Reincarnated Merchant: A Plan to Get Rich in Another World

When producing the red potion, I increased the frequency of magic diffusion from once a day to twice a day—morning and evening.

At the suggestion of Akira-san, a fence and surveillance cameras were installed around the fields, and we’ve even rented a vacant house in Akane Village to station security personnel, reflecting the seriousness of this endeavor.

“Is this… magic power?”

The rose garden was set up with cross-shaped paths leading to the center, and as I walked along one of those paths, I spread my magic power around. Although I don’t manage it every day, researchers under Chairman Ryugen’s supervision often visit to either observe or capture this magic diffusion phenomenon or to test experimental equipment.

Akira-san herself has been coming from Tokyo to Gifu two or three times a week to check on the progress.

Within a week, the entire field of roses responded to my magic diffusion, glowing faintly. This mysterious phenomenon allowed Akira-san, who cannot perceive magic, to witness a magical occurrence for the first time.

…I wish I could demonstrate some proper magic for her, but since I haven’t yet managed to do so, more practice is needed.

As days passed, the light became stronger, and even on cloudy evenings, the surroundings glowed a lavender-like purple when I spread my magic.

“Do you think analyzing this could help us observe magic power?”

“I’m not an expert in that area, but the researchers here today seem deeply fascinated by this glowing phenomenon.”

Following Akira-san’s gaze, I saw a group of adults excitedly jotting down notes while peering into large camera-like devices.

To an outsider, it would look like a suspicious group of people.

“…Even so, these are researchers from the esteemed Saiouji Group, you know?”

Although I hadn’t said anything, Akira-san seemed to feel the need to explain on behalf of the seemingly suspicious researchers.

In fantasy worlds, potions are often considered the product of intricate magical techniques, but what I’m doing is as simple as making 100% fruit juice. I just crush the prepared Magic Roses and extract the liquid.

Apparently, there are skilled potion-making techniques in the Asphial world, but most of these superior methods are considered trade secrets. The general potion-making process involves heating and concentrating herbs or separating their components.

It’s not much different from a middle school science experiment, but since they don’t have convenient lab tools in the Asphial world, the process requires specialized equipment, making potion making a fairly high-bar profession.

“Is it… red?”

“Probably.”

After just over two weeks of cultivation, I successfully transformed all 4,000 roses into Magic Roses. Some of them were sent to research facilities under Chairman Ryugen’s direction, but from the initial extraction tests, it seemed like 4,000 roses were more than enough.

Since it would take an immense amount of time to pick all 4,000 Magic Roses by myself, we gathered a large team to harvest them, just as we did during planting.

…For some reason, even the researchers who had been coming regularly to observe the garden volunteered to help pick the Magic Roses, but they seemed to be enjoying themselves, so I didn’t mind.

Two days before the deadline, we finished harvesting, and I began crushing them using a commercial-grade press. The 4,000 Magic Roses were quickly crushed by the metal plates of the press, and a dark liquid oozed out from the edges.

The liquid gathered in a tray beneath the press and was funneled into a single container.

The extracted potion liquid was then run through a centrifuge to remove any residue produced by the pressing process, further refining the potion.

The strong fragrance filled the surrounding area like an air freshener, and everyone donned masks, goggles, and protective suits as they closely observed the extracted potion.

Thanks to the extended cultivation period and the increased frequency of magic diffusion, this potion liquid had an intense, almost tingling aura that felt like it was stimulating my skin.

While no one else seemed to be aware of this sensation, the faint glow of the liquid had everyone watching it with excitement.

“Science really is amazing, isn’t it?”

“As the saying goes, ‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.’ To the people from the Asphial world, our scientific advancements might indeed look like magic.”

The famous science fiction writer Clarke once said this. He was a pioneer in the world of sci-fi, active long before I was born, and as an engineer, he developed many things that left a lasting impact on future generations.

One of Clarke’s three laws includes the quote Akira-san mentioned: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” This is a well-known phrase, especially for those familiar with science fiction, and even though I didn’t know Clarke himself, I was familiar with the quote.

I also had a sense of why Akira-san chose to bring up this particular phrase right now.

“It does feel like magic when you see it like this.”

Whereas it took me all night to press just 50 Magic Roses by hand, I was now able to press 4,000 of them in under an hour.

The results were far superior to my manual efforts, and the potion liquid was much smoother than what I’d been able to produce by hand.

Seeing this, I began to understand the reasoning behind the phrase “sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”