Plans+Vampire 2 - (Rosario+Vampire Capu2, OC!I)
Alchemy Club is not what many would expect.
Alchemy, in general, is the sublime art of using science and magic to obtain the best of both worlds. In ancient times, this translated in old 'mages' employing empirical nature to attain natural power within the realm of existance. Or just try to get rocks into pretty stuff that could be sold rapidly.
Well, the club was quite like that- except within a limited and more narrow-minded view of the 'science' and an equally archaic view of magic. Hence why most of the members were witches (witch was also a term for both genders in this world) and students with some old lineage tied to blacksmithing and magical creation.
It was a mixed group and one that, despite its great potential, was aimless and unaware of how 'stuck-up' it was in the old traditions. I got a full taste of this when I was given the introduction tour, told about the limits of some of the devices used and then given quite the reaction when I offered a solution.
"I am quite sure there are machines and processes that can handle these burdens."
My words only got puzzlement from the rest of the people, and while most of the members just ruled it as silly thoughts, the leader was different.
"You think it's possible?" The young man that was supposedly two years older than me asked. "If so, then I want you to give it a shot. If you can prove yourself worthy of the subject through this, then you will be rewarded. If not, you will be out."
I nodded, understanding that what had been a mere attempt to secure healing salves was now becoming a way to pull myself away from the plot. It was the perfect solution as I could alternate between sneaking in the library or the club room.
But the main issue of that idea was succeeding with that challenge. The first idea was immediately flung out of the window: Modern Science can turn lead into gold, but the process is far too extensive, expensive and radioactively dangerous.
That was not an option with just the equivalent of 400 USD at my disposal for this 'introduction project'. I had two weeks and I devoured books on Alchemy. While I doubt that much was added to the list of what common humans were made aware of the subject, I actually found a few interesting details that stuck to me through the research.
I couldn't use Transmutation of Metals as the basis of my work, despite how interesting that would be, and definitely I wasn't going to dare my hand at the damning path of creating the Philosopher Stone as my first project. But I could tackle the one thing known as 'Panacea'.
A true Panacea was not attainable with what I had, but something akin to an 'universal antidote' was actually possible with what I could find on antidotes. Surprisingly enough, the world of Alchemy lacked a singular cure to all forms of poisons and venoms.
The excuse was that the potions were usually too 'specific' to tackle all kinds of effects caused by either poisons and venoms. How do you change that? Through modern chemistry. One thing I noticed as I was using some of the 'human' books on the topic that the headmaster had bought together with other 'monsters-known' books was that none of the 'human ones' were ever claimed in this subject.
No one had ever used any of the chemistry books available, which meant that no alchemist had given a look into the matter on this side of the world and maybe country. Opening the books on chemistry cracked open a bigger list of reagents and compounds, some of those known to alchemy itself through other names and their effects already tested out, but the rest was utter mystery which I saw fit to entertain by first tackling past failures on trying to use different compounds to address an universal cure to poison.
I wasted a solid week mixing between understanding the nature of all compounds when mixed with with previously used mixes, and then another week consolidating my findings in some carefully-tested good results.
The 'Anti-Poison' was all I could get as Venoms were something else entirely and had some lesser if not abysmal effect on those. I had used some of the 'rats' allowed to be experimented upon, and the results were good as none seemed to perceive any problems in the long-run.
As the two weeks were over, I found myself doing a presentation over what I developed. The spectators were those that had specialization over the subject I was bringing up, and after answering a few intense questions, I knew that I had made it.
I hadn't been uncertain of the product, but I was a bit nervous on 'selling it right'. The good news is that I had indeed succeeded and that I have gotten some rights over the production of this 'First Generation Panacea for Poison'. A percentage of production for the Academy, who used the Club to also make some money in exchange of certification to become alchemists, would enter my pockets each month.
This was a good step up from having no income within the situation I was stuck with, but it also meant that I had a new activity to busy myself with. So, no sudden invitation to the Newspaper Club, no 'coercion' over switching away to it as I had potential in the Alchemy Club and-
"Senpai?"
"Yes, Shinpei-san?"
"I am not suited for this task," I flatly remarked, but the club leader snorted. "I am serious."
"None of that. It's a mere case of Gro-Gro Drops gone awry."
Gro-Gro Drops - one of the simplest scams in Chinese history. Some alchemist in Ancient China aided some obscure emperor of the time by giving him balls of alchemical composition that granted the child several years of physical aging. The issue is that the Drops were untested and thus instantly reverted mere hours after ingestion, leaving the already childish ruler in an even younger and shorter state of things.
At the time, there was no solution to this and the kid was killed and replaced by an older relative, but nowadays we had a solution to this that was bitter drops that were made by the son of the Gro-Gro Drops' inventor.
I want to say this is all non-canon bullshit, I want it to be a lie, but I was stuck with a certain harem in a lolified form. So, the backstory to this mess is that Kokoa used a Drop to one-up some jerks of the Karate Club, it soon backfired when she was reduced in brat's form.
After mocking her for a while, the girls then came to rescue a running Kokoa that had been ambushed by said jerks all the while using the Gro-Gro Drops, becoming loli and proving that there was indeed a 'little kid power'. I want to believe it was done less in an awkward manner and more on the Scrappy Doo sort of 'kid power' deal.
Now, the issue was that Yukari had the Drops, but not the antidote. As the effects were not passing, the Alchemist Club was asked to do something about it and, since I was the newcomer, I was given the unsavory job itself.
It wasn't even a 'give them a ball to eat and they will be fine', but it was a task to find out which size to use. Too little would be a partial solution, too much would be outright wasteful of a cure that is actually fairly expensive to produce, so it was best to be extremely precise about it.
To me, the issue was merely interacting with those people. Tsukune wasn't around to recognize me, but the mere proximity to this chaotic bunch was the plot equivalent of playing with the Demon Core. One small mistake and shit will hit the fan so hard and so extensively that I may as well leave the school altogether.
The worst of them all by all means was Kokoa. Because, the rest of the girls had somewhat 'calmed down' after a full year of random bullshittery, while Kokoa was a freshman like me. And she was in the same class so... I was glad that she didn't recognize me at all.
Then again, with her mind centered around being half-a-siscon and extremely tsundere on the other part, I guess who was in her classroom wasn't part of her thoughts. None of the other girls created me a problem as I rapidly solved their problem and, when it was Moka's turn, I felt a random chill hit my spine as I was tending Moka.
She was just as calm as the rest of the girls, no sign that she could create me any trouble, and yet, as she managed to fully grow up to the right size and thanked me for the help, she suddenly reached out and squeezed at my hand.
It was sudden enough I jumped in fright, and sudden enough for her to let go and appear mortified.
"What was that?" I asked, my untouched hand soon grasping at my hurting one and I realized some of her nails cut into the flesh- just enough for a small cut to persist and blood to pour out.
"I-I don't know. I am so sorry-"
"Just leave, I am not in the mood to face any antics from your group. I have work to do."
And I left. The task was done, I cared not about Kurumu calling me a jerk, and I paced fast out of sight. Unaware that, while Moka had not realized how close she had been in revealing my identity, Kokoa was soon staring at me leaving.
Her nose picking up the scent of human blood being drawn in the open.
AN
Next time... dodging a tsundere has never felt too intense...