Axel attempted to make the tonics according to the recipe he bought, but...

"Damn, this thing takes a long time to do..."

He could only grumble to himself.

Tonics are created by mixing various essences into a single vial, but to gather those "essences," he needed to condense them slowly using a multi-stage condenser. The required purity for each essence, or the level of concentration, was quite strict.

Having no choice and wanting to speed things up, Axel decided to buy more condensers. He purchased one for each ingredient he needed—totaling 50 units. He arranged them throughout the laboratory, watching as they nearly filled the space to the limit.

"Multi-stage condensers are way too big..."

He adjusted each one, buying accessories to secure them in place, and then set the heaters to emit a modulated temperature. Once he finished setting everything up, he stood at the entrance and admired his handiwork.

Of all the projects Axel had undertaken, this was definitely the most expensive one yet!

The ingredients alone had cost him 10 million Colts. Now he understood why tonic prices were so outrageous in the Interdimensional Shop, despite it having a limited number of uses!

The heat sources were powered by electricity, so he wouldn't have to worry about running out of gas, unlike traditional burners. This meant Axel could leave the lab for a while.

He estimated he would need a few hours, at least, up to a day at most, before the essence condensation would be completed.

After hanging his protective gear outside the lab, Axel stepped out and took a deep breath of fresh air.

"Phew... Hot..."

He had been inside the lab for several hours, and the sun was now at its zenith, beating down on him. As he looked around, he noticed that the girls were nowhere to be found.

"Did they finish their chat?" Axel wondered as he continued onward.

His destination was the castle in the center of the camp, which was technically his home. However, he hadn't spent as much time there as he had hoped. He had gone to Witcheria almost right after construction was completed, after all.

As he walked through various buildings, he spotted a few new faces around.

Of course, he didn't just go around greeting them with a smile. Instead, he maintained a straight face, observing as they cast curious glances his way.

As a leader in the camp, alongside Teruria and Eve, he couldn't simply act friendly without knowing who they were. Maintaining a certain level of dignity in front of the ordinary "citizens" was essential.

"Sir Axel, you're finally here!"

Upon reaching the castle courtyard, a familiar face rushed toward him. A certain black-haired maid, her expression filled with panic, was slightly out of breath.

"Maria?" Axel tilted his head in curiosity. "What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"

The direction she came from wasn't the castle; it appeared to be either from the barracks or the training grounds.

"I-It's bad, Sir Axel!" she gasped. "Please stop, Miss Fenrir!"

"Lead the way."

Axel didn't bother asking what Fenrir had done. Instead, he followed Maria, knowing he would understand the situation once he reached the girls.

At least, that was his assumption...

"What the hell...?"

In the training ground, bodies lay scattered about. No, they were still alive, barely able to groan. But what was even more shocking was who they were.

About twenty people were down for the count! It was already too late!

One figure stood among them, hands resting on her waist, observing the fallen with a frown.

Axel felt a headache forming as he called out, "Fenrir, what's going on?"

"Master," Fenrir replied, turning to Axel and kneeling like a knight before her liege. "It's nothing serious. These girls just didn't seem to accept my claim as the first wife, so they came to pick a fight."

Axel let out a bewildered sigh. 'Who told you you're the first wife in the first place?'

He scanned the fallen figures' faces.

There were Eve and Teruria, which was expected, but surprisingly, Nina was among them as well. Beatrix and Arianne, along with five unfamiliar female soldiers, were also down. The rest were the refugees they had initially saved, now members of the Valkyrie Knight Order.

Judging by the fact that they were still breathing, Axel deduced that Fenrir had held back properly.

Still...

"This is excessive."

As a form of punishment, Axel flicked Fenrir's forehead. Though she didn't even flinch, his action left a red mark on her forehead, which she gently rubbed.

"Go and take care of them. And after that..." Axel turned to a few familiar figures and frowned. "Teruria, Eve, Arianne, Beatrix... and Maria. Bring them to me."

"Huh?"

Maria, who was already positioned behind him, tilted her head in confusion. She couldn't fathom what Axel wanted with them.

Fenrir wasted no time in executing his command.

She selected the individuals Axel had named and dragged them before him—with ease. Her strength should've made it effortless to carry them in her arms, but she didn't.

Axel could only think it was some form of petty revenge.

'They barely know each other and are already holding grudges? I really don't understand girls...'

Once they were all gathered in front of him, he took out two bottles and handed them to Maria.

"Here, take these," he instructed. "They're potions that will permanently increase your stats. Drink only the first bottle first—the one with the blue liquid."

"This?"

Maria examined the small vial in her hands and gulped.

Despite her reservations, she wouldn't dare disobey Axel's orders. She twisted off the cap, closed her eyes, and downed the contents in one swift motion.

"...!"

In an instant, she felt warmth rise from her stomach, radiating outward to her limbs. A strange sense of satisfaction, mingled with the feeling of gaining immense power, flooded her mind.

"This is..." Maria gasped, struggling to comprehend what had just occurred.

Even without checking her stats, she could sense it. Her strength had increased severalfold! She felt as if she were now capable of battling a Giant Zombie with her bare hands!

"Do you feel alright?" Axel asked, concern etched on his face.

He recalled the time he had consumed tonics to increase his stats, only to suffer from Mana Backlash that nearly cost him his life. He worried the same could happen to Maria.

However, his fears were unfounded in this case.

His situation had been unique. He possessed an overwhelming amount of mana, far beyond what his body could normally handle, and had downed multiple tonics at once, solely increasing his mana. It was no surprise that he nearly met his maker.

Maria, however, had increased her stats in a balanced way. Her physical strength matched the boost to her mana, allowing her to effortlessly handle her newfound power.

"I... don't feel anything wrong."

Only after Maria reassured him did he relax his tensed shoulders.

Now, all that remained was to give each of the half-conscious girls a potion and help them regain their strength—with an added power-up!

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