Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 246

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Chapter Two Hundred and Forty-Six: Visiting the Knight Order 3

“Of course, I intend to marry Mr. Julius. By the way, as someone who will become his’ wife, there’s something I’d like to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Why did you refuse Mr. Julius’ offer to instruct? He’s the strongest person in Ehlertt right now.”

Karen smiled brightly at Gottfried, who frowned.

Noble knight orders were organizations that fought monsters for their territory, but it was commonly known that they were overwhelmingly weaker than high-ranking adventurers. She hadn’t heard of the knight order conquering the Ehlertt capital’s dungeon before or after Julius, either. Karen’s sarcasm—that, despite being weak, what were they being picky about?—surely got through.

“You said Mr. Julius’ swordsmanship isn’t what knights should learn, correct? His swordsmanship is indeed unique, but knights basically fight monsters. Since monsters don’t use swordsmanship based on chivalry, shouldn’t you learn what you can learn?”

Karen let her anger show implicitly, saying that Julius had kindly offered instruction, yet they had treated it coldly.

Gottfried’s eyes widened slightly.

“—I see. So you know about Master Julius’ swordsmanship.”

“Of course. It’s unconventional, but it’s a fighting style that’s rarely common among adventurers.”

“Indeed, your younger brother is an adventurer.”

“A B-rank adventurer!”

When Karen puffed out her chest as if it were her own achievement, Gottfried smiled wryly.

“As the family of a high-ranking adventurer risen from common birth, perhaps you don’t see how abnormal it is.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

“No, I didn’t intend to criticize you. Nor your brother.”

If the sharp edge of those words wasn’t aimed at Karen or Thor, then the only target could be Julius.

When Karen finally lost even her smile, Gottfried cleared his throat.

“There seems to be some misunderstanding, so let me explain. Master Julius’ swordsmanship is established on the foundation of his blessed physical abilities, natural sense, and enormous magical power.”

“…Excuse me?”

When Karen looked puzzled at Gottfried suddenly beginning to praise Julius, Gottfried explained as if breaking it down carefully:

“For example, we have knight apprentices from noble families of the Ehlertt territory. If they admired Master Julius and tried to imitate that style, they would quickly break themselves. Their bodies couldn’t keep up—and neither could their magical power.”

Karen recalled the battle between Julius and Thor. Their fighting style looked almost like acrobatics. Both of them were moving beyond the range of human motion. If asked whether it could be imitated, the answer was absolutely no.

“Master Julius’ swordsmanship is established on the premise of making maximum use of the exceptionally rare talents he was born with. It’s utterly impossible to master. But even if I ordered the young apprentices not to imitate it, I couldn’t stop their admiration for dungeon conquerors. Reckless youths would try to become like Master Julius and end up permanently disabled. As a knight captain, I cannot overlook that.”

“I… see…?”

“What’s suitable for the knights’ swordsmanship is the Royal Swordsmanship, where one becomes strong by mastering basic forms that even small children can imitate. With this, even if young apprentices whose bodies aren’t fully developed imitate it and strain themselves, the possibility of permanent disability is low.”

“Indeed…!”

“Therefore, I stated that Master Julius’ sword wasn’t suitable as a knight’s sword, and I declined having him observe training. Do you understand?”

“Yes…! Very much so…!”

Karen felt mortified. She had felt Julius was being treated badly, but explained this way, it made sense.

“Because Mr. Julius is a genius that no one can imitate, yet if they saw Mr. Julius’ sword, they’d want to imitate it. So you can’t show it. That’s what it was…!”

“I’m glad you understand.”

“And yet I misunderstood, thinking Mr. Julius was being treated poorly… Um, I’m sorry for being confrontational…!”

“It just shows how much you care for him. I don’t mind. My first cousin once removed will have a loving wife, it seems.”

“Ehe, ehehehe…!”

To Karen, who could only laugh wordlessly from the embarrassment of her misunderstanding and shyness, Gottfried said:

“…Besides, it’s not as if you have no reason to criticize me.”

“Knight Captain?”

“Well, that swordsmanship still can’t be called pleasant to look at. So naturally, I also have feelings of not being able to introduce it to the knight order for that reason. Even among knights, some find it repulsive. It’s often feared. Especially by women.”

“…True, perhaps I’m just desensitized from being used to adventurers.”

Karen hadn’t thought anything of it. But Julius had thought Karen would fear it. There were probably many people who actually did fear it.

“By the way, Lady Karen, I have a favor to ask of you.”

A request, perhaps? Karen straightened her posture and waited for Gottfried’s words.

“Before the New Year’s Festival, could you help those of the former earl faction—the Winfried faction—who have been mistreated in Ehlertt because of Horst Brahm? I’m not part of that faction myself, but I have many relatives among them.”

“…Um, that doesn’t seem like something to request of me as an alchemist?”

To Karen, who tilted her head, Gottfried nodded.

“Not as an alchemist, but as a personal favor from me to Lady Karen, who will become Master Julius’ wife.”

Karen had promised Horst to protect people with little magical power from discrimination, but she hadn’t promised to protect his family, relatives, or their associates. To begin with, Karen and Julius had nearly been killed by Horst.

So why should Karen, just because she would become Julius’ wife, have to listen to such a request to help those on his side?

Seeing the expression that completely revealed Karen’s inner thoughts, Gottfried said with a wry smile:

“If you would listen to my favor, I will tell you a secret about Master Julius that he would never tell you himself. An important secret that, once known, might give you reason to reconsider your engagement to him.”

Julius’ secret.

At the sound of those words, Karen gulped.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 245

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Chapter Two Hundred and Forty-Five: Visiting the Knight Order 2

“Welcome to the knights’ quarters, Miss Karen. I am Gottfried Forland. I serve as captain of the Ehlertt Order of Knights.”

His family name didn’t seem to be Ehlertt, but he clearly carried strong Ehlertt blood. Since he resembled Winfried this much, he must be a relative on the paternal side.

When Gottfried approached Karen with a swaying gait, he bent his body. Apparently, he was bowing his head.

“I sincerely thank you for saving Master Sieg. He is my first cousin twice removed.”

“…I am honored by your kind words.”

Karen had come intending to give him a piece of her mind, but somehow her momentum was dampened. Within Ehlertt territory, there were factions that saw Sieg as an obstacle.

First cousin twice removed meant the grandson of a cousin. In other words, he had been Winfried’s cousin. With such close family ties, he would have had an even higher possibility of gaining power if Sieg weren’t around.

But even with Gottfried’s near-expressionless face, he seemed to be genuinely grateful to Karen. Perhaps she had just misunderstood due to his stiff manner of speaking, and he might not be as bad a person as she had thought.

“I heard from the messenger that you, the renowned B-rank alchemist, brought potions for the knight order. How much do we owe you?”

“I don’t need payment. They’re gifts. After all, I will be engaged to Mr. Julius. I couldn’t possibly accept payment for bringing gifts to the knight order that he belongs to.”

As she spoke, Karen held out the last potion to Gottfried. Seeing it, Gottfried made his stern face even more severe.

“This is a large healing potion. Please accept it.”

“…Even a potion of this value is a gift? Are you using this as payment to demand something from our knight order?”

Gottfried looked up at Karen with a wary gaze.

“During activities with the knight order, Mr. Julius might sustain serious injuries. So I want everyone to always carry a large healing potion.”

It was neither a bribe nor favoritism—just a rather earnest request from Karen. She would never allow a situation where someone couldn’t be healed because potions had run out.

Gottfried’s expression changed to one of exasperation.

“If another man suffers life-threatening injuries, I will use it on him, you know?”

“If you use it, tell me, and I’ll replenish it! I’m bringing them as gifts in case Mr. Julius gets seriously injured!”

“Replenish, you say. So the abilities of a B-rank alchemist are genuine.”

For an alchemist to be promoted from C-rank to B-rank, they normally had to become able to make large healing potions. But Karen so far had only been able to make up to medium healing potions. By creating a panacea, she had irregularly fulfilled the promotion conditions.

But when she made them with the orichalcum pot and the World Tree ladle, she was able to make large healing potions quite easily. She did her best to pour all her magical power into it. Even so, since it was her first time making potions in the orichalcum pot, she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was just a trial run.

It seemed likely that quite a number of alchemists from wealthy families raised their rank solely through equipment performance. Karen keenly felt the inequality of society. Still, only the promotion exam to E-rank was conducted fairly under the Alchemists’ Guild’s supervision, so they should at least possess a minimum potion-making ability.

—Setting aside the matter of alchemists’ actual capabilities, that is.

After inspecting the potion, Gottfried spoke as if making a firm decision:

“I’m grateful to receive the large healing potion, but I cannot accept this without payment. However, I don’t have the funds to pay now. I’ll hold onto it, and if I use it on someone other than Master Julius, I’ll pay at that time.”

“Well, that’s fine too.”

Though Karen was saying she’d give it to him, so he should just accept it, Gottfried spoke conscientiously. She had even considered the possibility of unlimited demands. Yet this was an unexpected reaction. Just as Karen was changing her view of Gottfried, he said:

“—Do you truly intend to marry Master Julius?”

His tone suggested he couldn’t believe Karen would marry Julius. His tone, expression, and gaze all carried some hidden meaning.

“Once it’s announced at Ehlertt’s New Year’s Festival, there’s no taking it back. Even if you’re Ehlertt’s benefactor, you won’t be permitted to sully Ehlertt’s pride. If you’re going to reconsider, now is the time, Alchemist Karen.”

If she had been told she wasn’t worthy of Julius, Karen probably wouldn’t have cared. She might have been spurred on instead, to eventually gain recognition. But Gottfried had clearly treated marriage to Julius as something bad for Karen.

As she thought, this man had some issue with Julius. This man, who closely resembled the father Julius feared becoming like—Gottfried had something. Karen, whose wariness had swelled all at once, deepened her smile.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 244

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Chapter Two Hundred and Forty-Four: Visiting the Knight Order

“To every one of the Ehlertt Knights, thank you for all your hard work. I’m Karen, an alchemist. I’ve come bearing gifts!”

“Oh! Alchemist Karen—the one who healed Master Sieg, who suffered from the Bloodline Blessing!”

“I heard that though you were E-rank last year, you were promoted to B-rank in no time, but is that true!?”

“A gift from a high-ranking alchemist—how grateful…!”

Karen appeared at the knights’ training ground carrying a large basket. Though confused, the knights welcomed Karen with generally favorable attitudes. As expected, the title of B-rank alchemist must carry weight. And the gifts were surely another powerful factor. Gifts from a B-rank alchemist would naturally be welcomed by anyone.

Just in case, Karen had brought her orichalcum alchemy pot from the royal capital. Although she had left her workshop in the capital to Harald, the orichalcum cauldron was far too valuable to entrust entirely to him.

She could have deposited it with the Alchemists’ Guild, but since it was far lighter than an adamantite cauldron, she brought it with her to the Ehlertt territory this time.

She had it stored in the safe in the room for the wife who married into the Ehlertt household—in other words, Karen’s room. She took out the orichalcum cauldron from there and quickly prepared everything.

Incidentally, Sepl and Urte were also present, but they were treated as servants attending Karen and apparently didn’t count as guests in noble society. Still unaccustomed to the treatment of supporters, Karen cleared her throat and pulled herself together.

“To honor everyone who works hard to protect the beloved Ehlertt territory of Mr. Julius, who will become my fiancé! I’ve brought honey lemon tea fatigue recovery potions.”

“Fatigue recovery? Is there such a potion?”

“That’s new to me, but I guess that’s what you’d expect from someone who climbed from E-rank to B-rank in just a year.”

“We’re grateful. The knight captain has been murderous lately, and training has been getting increasingly harsh.”

Most of the knights present were unfamiliar faces. Karen had some acquaintance with the Ehlertt knights in the royal capital. So those here must be knights permanently stationed in the Ehlertt territory.

The small number of knights was probably because Helfried had gone to set up the venue at the forest edge for the hunting festival that would resume this year, and most had accompanied him.

“There’s plenty in the pot, so please drink during your breaks. And as souvenirs for the wives and lovers who support you all, beauty potions—”

“Beauty potions!? The ones my lover said she absolutely had to have and went all the way to the royal capital for!?”

“Is it all right!? I heard they’re constantly sold out even in the royal capital!?”

“My wife was so disappointed that she couldn’t get them even though she wanted them so badly!”

“Thank you! My daughter has wanted them forever! With this, I can show my dignity as a father who’s often absent!”

There was a saying: if you wish to shoot the general, first shoot his horse. The beauty potions Karen had prepared, thinking it would be faster to win over the knights’ families, wives, daughters, and lovers if she wanted to win over the knights themselves, seemed to be extremely effective.

Karen smiled brightly and distributed the bottles she had brought in the basket to the knights.

“Please direct your gratitude to Mr. Julius. After all, I’m in the Ehlertt territory because he is here.”

“Our thanks to Sir Julius!”

“Well done persuading such an alchemist to join Ehlertt Earldom!”

The knights were offering words of gratitude to Julius, who wasn’t present, all at once. Unlike the knight captain who had rejected Julius’s teachings, they didn’t seem to harbor any ill will toward Julius.

Karen patted her chest in relief.

“Please continue to look after Mr. Julius!”

“Of course.”

“We are nowhere near Master Julius’s level, so unlike Ehlertt’s elites, we can’t accompany him into dungeons…”

“But we’ll do our best!”

The atmosphere was harmonious.

Such activities, done regularly, would eventually support the one who would become Karen’s husband. This was the very model of wifely support, Karen thought proudly.

“You don’t have minor healing potions?”

“I believe you purchase such potions from the local alchemists. I couldn’t intrude and take their work away, especially since I won’t be staying here permanently.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

“However, our stock has become quite low at present, and additional deliveries are difficult. If you could make just the shortfall, it would be extremely helpful.”

“I see… I’ll consult with the knight captain.”

“In that case, we’ll guide you to the knight captain’s office right away!”

Karen’s objective had been the knight captain from the start. As planned, Karen was smoothly guided to his office.

She gained the support of ordinary knights while closing in on the knight captain—everything unfolded exactly as Karen had planned.

“Captain, Alchemist Karen is here.”

“Enter.”

Inside the room was a giant of a man. He was standing by the desk, so tall that Karen had to look up at him. He was probably taller than Julius. But what made this man feel even larger was his thick physique. His body, armored in bulging muscles, wore his knight’s uniform as if it were too tight.

He had black hair and gray eyes. His appearance closely resembled Winfried Ehlertt—Julius and Helfried’s father—whom she had seen in portraits.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 243

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Chapter Two Hundred and Forty-Three: Their Room

“Please keep this door locked at all times.”

Karen had been exploring the room with a beaming smile when Julius pointed to a door with an inner lock and spoke.

“Beyond this door is a room for a married couple to use together. It connects to my room as well. Naturally, it’s not something to use before we’re even married.”

“Kyaaa!”

“Don’t try to open it so eagerly, Karen.”

“Sepl and Urte are here with us! Right?!”

Julius, who had been holding back Karen as she tried to latch onto the door with shining eyes, looked with exasperation at the two supporters who were leisurely sitting on the sofa, drinking the grape wine that had been in the room.

“Can you two really protect Karen like that?”

“You want us to come between you and Little Karen acting all lovey-dovey? Give me a break; she is like a niece to me.”

“Do you want us to support her even in the marital bedroom? Ahahahaha!”

Urte was slapping her knee and laughing. She might have been weak to alcohol.

“Mr. Julius, I’ll just look! I’ll just explore a little, okay?”

“It can’t be helped. Please make absolutely sure to keep it locked normally, all right? You must never go inside, and certainly never leave it unlocked.”

After reiterating the condition, Julius allowed Karen to enter the couple’s room.

Karen excitedly unlocked the interior lock and went inside.

The room was at the end of the hallway, connected to both Karen’s and Julius’s rooms, which faced each other. A canopied bed larger than the one in Karen’s room, a fireplace, and a comfortable-looking sofa. And—

“A portrait of Mr. Julius and me…”

It was similar to but different from the one the Ehlertt painter Irene had done last year.

“My clothes, they’re an alchemist’s outfit…?”

In the painting Irene had done before, Karen, standing close to Julius, had been wearing a dress.

Since she had worn a dress provided by Ehlertt when attending the New Year’s Festival, Irene, who had only seen that, had painted Karen as she was.

But the Karen in the painting hung in the bedroom wore an alchemist’s outfit, while Julius wore a knight’s clothing.

“I thought this attire was most like you, and most like me as well.”

Saying this, Julius smiled mischievously.

“Do you like it?”

“…Very much!”

Being an alchemist was the self she could be most proud of, and it was precisely because she was such a Karen that Julius stayed by her side and tried to fight alongside her. If they had lived lives suited to entirely different roles, they would never have met.

Karen was entranced by the portrait for a while. Finally, Julius indicated another door.

“This door leads to my room. —There’s no lock on my side. So while it’s always open, I will never visit from this side.”

“Even if I don’t lock it, as long as you don’t come in, isn’t that enough?”

“…I can’t trust my own reason when I’m intoxicated by magical power. You know about that, don’t you?”

“Kyaaa!”

“Karen, that’s not a place to let out a cheer.”

Julius pinched Karen’s cheek with a squeeze. Though it didn’t hurt, being forcibly made to make a strange face left Karen feeling sour, but Julius chuckled softly.

“For my sake, as I wish to cherish you, please guard yourself carefully.”

At Julius with his shadowed smile, Karen, her cheek released, tightened her loosened lips.

“And you’re correct—it would be enough if I simply restrained myself. I’m sorry.”

Julius showed a smile too beautiful, as if trying to conceal his inner feelings. Karen would no longer be completely fooled by that beauty. But looking up at Julius’s smile, she pretended to be captivated by it. If he was trying to hide it, he probably didn’t want her to know.

Either way made no difference to Karen. But for Julius, the thought of his reason-deprived self doing things far removed from his ideal must be unbearable.

“If you say so, I’ll keep it locked. Although premarital relations are normal for commoners, you know. Right, Uncle Sepl, with your shotgun wedding?”

While trying to keep her tone light, Karen called out to Sepl waiting in the next room. So that no matter what happened in the future, Julius wouldn’t be hurt.

When Karen and Julius returned from the bedroom, Sepl said while scratching his cheek:

“That’s quite a polished way to say it, but well, it’s true.”

“Yes, I got married after the fact too. It’d be a problem if you only found out you weren’t compatible after marrying.”

“So yeah, better to check compatibility before marriage, right?”

Though Urte and Sepl answered matter-of-factly, adventurers were among the less chaste of commoners. But to Julius’s ears, it seemed to sound as if this was normal for commoners, and his face visibly changed.

“Are you saying that if, after checking, this ‘compatibility’ turns out to be poor, even an engagement would be broken off?”

“Well, that’d be natural.”

“Otherwise there’d be no point in checking.”

“—If that’s normal for you all, then all the more reason I will never lay a hand on Karen until marriage.”

“Does that mean once we’re married, it won’t be so easy to call it off?”

In other words, he wouldn’t let her escape.

As Karen let out a gleeful squeal at being loved that much, Urte frowned:

“Don’t you want to cherish Karen? And yet you’re planning to trap her so she can’t leave easily? If there’s some problem with your male function—”

Just as the sound suddenly cut off, Karen realized Sepl had gently covered her ears. Urte seemed to be scolding Julius about something for Karen’s sake, and Julius was being overwhelmed. By the time Karen’s ears were finally freed, the two had finished their argument. Urte was breathing hard through her nose, while Julius looked exhausted.

“That conversation was too stimulating for you, Little Karen.”

“I’m already an adult, you know? I’m twenty as of the New Year, you know?”

“Karen.”

The one who called Karen’s name as she tried to complain about the unfair treatment was Julius with an uneasy expression on his face.

“I understand well that there are differences between noble and commoner common sense. But I still want to act according to my own perception and not do anything that would feel like treating you roughly. Can you understand?”

“Yes! It’s fine!”

“Of course, I don’t intend to make only you endure. I promise that when the time comes, I will make every effort to dispel your anxieties.”

“Either way, a delicious future…!”

Though Julius himself had been frowning anxiously, seeing Karen trembling with joy made him relax and smile. Seeing Karen happily oblivious to his inner struggles, Julius looked relieved.

Looking up at such a Julius, Karen pledged in her heart to properly keep the door locked.

A quiet resolve was also born within Karen. She wanted to eliminate any obstacles to ensure her engagement—and eventual marriage—with Julius would proceed smoothly.

—First, the knight order.

“By the way, Karen, aren’t you interested in my room as well?”

“Of course!”

“You should see it while your supporters are here during the day.”

Invited by Julius, who seemed to have resigned himself to the fact that Karen’s curiosity couldn’t be stopped, she visited Julius’s room from across the hallway rather than through the bedroom.

And there, a huge portrait was displayed far too brazenly.

“Gah!? Isn’t this the Mr. Julius I drew!?”

It was supposed to be Julius holding a single rose and winking. A year ago, it had looked much better, but now it was beyond doubt that the figure looked like every bone in his body was broken.

“Take it down right now! Or you’ll have nightmares!?”

“On the contrary, when I look at this painting, I sleep well… ahahaha, hahahahahaha!”

“What are you laughing at!?”

“Heh, hehe. Because I got to see that face of yours, Karen.”

The portrait Karen had assumed someone had discarded had apparently ended up in Julius’s hands.

Though he had looked gloomy just moments ago, now that his prank had succeeded, Julius was smiling brightly—and Karen found herself speechless, just like the time he had brought his face close to hers.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 242

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Chapter Two Hundred and Forty-Two: Karen’s Room

The room she was shown to was different from the one last time.

“Lady Karen, this will be your room.”

“It’s bigger than before. Is it because I became B-rank?”

Not only was it spacious, but the furnishings also looked quite fine. As a result of visiting various noble estates for commissions, Karen’s eye was becoming more discerning. Unlike the room where she had stayed at the Ehlertt mansion in the royal capital, she could somehow tell this was a room of noble grade rather than commoner grade.

Karen had been in Alise’s bedroom in the royal capital, and this room might be comparable even to that one. Perhaps her treatment had improved because Karen had been promoted to a B-rank alchemist. Or maybe it was the Ehlertt people’s sense of duty, and they had simply prepared this room out of gratitude to Karen.

At Karen’s speculation, Sara showed a meaningful smile.

“Yes, I suppose that’s part of it.”

“Huh, there’s something else? What? What is it?”

“You’ll find out eventually.”

Sara left the room quickly after setting down the luggage. She seemed to have gone to guide Sepl and Urte, who had come with Karen. They were apparently shown to a room nearby, as cheers could be heard from beyond the door of a room slightly ajar. It seemed they had prepared nice rooms for Karen’s adventurer escorts as well.

While smiling at the joyful voices, Karen looked around the room. But she couldn’t figure out what else there might be about this room. To begin with, the room she had stayed in before was in the East Wing, managed by Sieg. Then who in the Ehlertt household managed this West Wing—?

At that moment, Karen’s thoughts were interrupted by a sound she heard outside the window. Thinking she heard voices arguing, Karen opened the window and looked down. An open plaza was set up there. Seeing the target range, Karen deduced it was a training ground for the Ehlertt Earldom’s knights.

A moment later, perhaps because the wind direction changed, voices from the training ground reached Karen.

“Your concern is unnecessary! Your swordsmanship is not the kind knights should learn!”

The rough male voice that reached her ears received no rebuttal from the one being addressed. But Karen’s heart realized who was being subjected to those words even before seeing the figure.

—After seeing Karen off to her room, where had Julius gone?

Karen rushed out of the room and headed for the training ground. Just as she left the mansion, Sepl and Urte, who had jumped down from the window, caught up with her.

“Little Karen, if you’re going out, let us know.”

“Ah, sorry. I’m still not used to being guarded…”

“You can go wherever you want, Karen. We’ll make sure we can keep up.”

Karen headed to the training ground with Sepl and Urte. On the way, she met Julius returning from the training ground to the West Wing.

“Mr. Julius!”

“Karen, why the rush? There’s only the knights’ training ground ahead, you know?”

Julius, his eyes wide, looked as gentle-faced as always. But was it just Karen’s imagination that there seemed to be a shadow in those golden eyes?

“I heard voices. Mr. Julius, are you all right?”

“Are you perhaps talking about just now? How embarrassing that you heard. But it’s nothing serious.”

“Is that so? Didn’t it sound like something unpleasant was being said to you?”

“I heard they want to make the knight order stronger. I offered to instruct them, but my original swordsmanship is rather unique, so the captain who knows this simply declined.”

“That’s…”

Karen recalled the sight of Julius fighting Thor in the dungeon. Certainly, that wasn’t the kind of fighting style knights would emulate. At Karen’s hesitation, Julius smiled wryly.

“I have mastered knightly swordsmanship as well, but I’m not particularly strong when using it.”

“But you won the swordsmanship tournament in that state.”

“The truly strong are out fighting monsters in dungeons or beyond the influence zones. For a swordsmanship tournament meant to make a name for oneself, that level is enough to win.”

If Lyos, who had competed in the same tournament and been defeated, heard this, he would surely be furious, but Julius seemed to mean it seriously.

“There is no swordsmanship of mine worth learning, and if they were to adopt my personal style, it would likely trouble them as knights. They seemed desperate, so I tried to offer help, but it appears I only caused a disturbance.”

Julius said this calmly. As if it were nothing important. But the voice Karen had heard held no respect for Julius.

“—The owner of that voice just now was the captain of the Ehlertt knights, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. He’s been protecting the Ehlertt territory for a long time.”

Such a person had said that Julius’s swordsmanship was not what the knights should learn. Julius had called the form he showed in his battle with Thor his true form. That form, which he had said was different from what Karen believed in, the captain surely knew of it too.

Julius had believed that Karen would fear that form. Perhaps that was because he had already experienced being feared and shunned. Julius was widely known in the royal capital as the greatest marriage candidate among the three kingdoms. If he had experienced being disliked, the only place that could have happened was in the Ehlertt territory.

The fact that the man was still the captain of the knights meant he hadn’t been on Horst’s side. He must be an ally of Helfried’s. Even so, Karen couldn’t help but glare at the training ground. Looking down at such a Karen, Julius whispered:

“By the way, Karen, do you like your new room?”

“Huh? Yes. I thought it was a lovely room, but…”

Julius was obviously trying to change the subject, and Karen responded warily. He moved his face closer, and Karen braced herself.

She was no longer the Karen of before, whose brain would melt and be fooled by everything just because Julius’s beautiful face was brought close.

“Across the hallway from yours is my room."

“…Huh?”

At Karen’s blank expression, unable to grasp the meaning of his words, Julius narrowed his eyes.

“Your room is the room for the person who will become my wife, Karen.”

Julius looked down with an amused smile at Karen, who stood there dumbfounded.

Karen looked at the room on the second floor where the prepared room was, looked at Julius, looked at the room on the second floor again, and then screamed.

“Kyaaaa!”

Letting out a gleeful shriek, Karen broke into a run toward the room. She had been completely unaware that it was such a room and hadn’t looked at it properly at all. At the sight of Karen dashing off in a beeline to examine the room, Julius followed after her, laughing.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 241

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Chapter Two Hundred and Forty-One: Arrival

“Mmm, the air is cold!”

Karen took Julius’s hand and stepped down from the carriage, stretched her arms above her head, wearing a warm, fluffy coat and the gloves she’d received from Sieg.

Her body was stiff from being jolted in the carriage for so long. Even so, since the territorial capital at the westernmost end of the Ehlertt land was only five days northeast from the royal capital, the journey was relatively easy. Irmlinde’s territory, where Waltride had headed, apparently took a month one way by regular carriage.

The Ehlertt territory was only five days away, yet perhaps due to its proximity to the northern Bruyère mountain range, winters here were colder than those in the royal capital. The frozen winds from the mountain peaks might be blowing down on the territory.

“Your cheeks are red, Karen.”

“Mr. Julius, the tip of your nose is also a bit red.”

And her earring was freezing cold, feeling like her ear might fall off. When Karen gently channeled magical power into her earring, Julius’s eyes widened.

“Karen?”

“Did your ear get warm?”

Julius looked astonished, then smiled. The next moment, Karen’s ear grew gently warm.

“…That was my first time channeling magical power into it.”

As Julius whispered this, Karen also lowered her voice.

“Why don’t we casually infuse magical power like this from time to time?”

“To warm each other’s ears?”

Julius chuckled softly. Looking up at him, Karen narrowed her eyes.

When Julius had gone missing in the dungeon, his magical power had been depleted, and he hadn’t been in any condition to channel magical power into his earring. But even if he had been overflowing with magical power, Karen didn’t think Julius would have asked her for help.

So that someday Julius could infuse magical power into the earring to call for Karen’s help—this would serve as practice for that.

“Yes. Since it’s cold… just occasionally, when you remember, please channel magical power to warm my ear.”

“All right.”

Though there was no need for it, they smiled at each other over this small promise made in lowered voices like sharing a secret, then headed toward the mansion.

“Welcome, Lady Karen. Welcome home, Master Julius. And to all of you, thank you for coming.”

The one who said this was Volker, who had come out from the mansion to greet them. Volker was the butler of the Ehlertt household in the royal capital. If she recalled correctly, he had remained at the royal capital residence last year.

“So this year, you’re here as well, Mr. Volker?”

“We reorganized the personnel at the territorial capital mansion this time, so the number of servants has decreased significantly. That is why I have come here this year.”

“…I see.”

Karen immediately understood. Last year in the Ehlertt territory, Horst Brahm’s influence had reached every corner. Surely the servants were no exception. With Horst’s crimes, the influence of the former Earl Winfried’s faction had weakened. Taking this opportunity, Helfried had decided to replace personnel.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Horst wasn’t the only noble who had participated in the dungeon scheme. Thus, while the Ehlertt Earldom bore the stigma of producing a criminal, it had escaped severe punishment through adjustment of interests with the royal family, much like other territories.

It wasn’t any specific territory at fault—the blame was being placed on the weak who were born without magical power. The incident had taken on that tone.

As a result, nobles with little or no magical power—despite having no involvement—were probably finding life uncomfortable in their own lands. They might already be receiving terrible treatment.

Karen had promised Horst she would stop this. However, so far, she hadn’t found a way to do so.

In Karen’s estimation, there existed potions in this world that could only be made by those who understood the state of having no magical power. The more useful those potions were, the less harsh the treatment of people born without magical power would become. However, she hadn’t established a method to prove this.

“You’re sure it’s fine for my party to lodge here as well?”

“Of course. As Lady Karen’s younger brother and his party members, we have been ordered by our lord to extend Ehlertt’s full hospitality to you. Even without that, it is our pleasure to host a B-rank adventurer party such as yours.”

Volker said this in response to Thor’s question. Thor’s party members, who had been moving their bodies by stretching and doing squats after getting off the carriage like Karen, caught up.

“Ms. Wanda! And…”

“I be Odo.”

A dwarf with black hair and a thick black beard, carrying a giant axe on his back. Like all dwarves, he was short, and his age was indeterminate due to the beard covering most of his face, but he seemed younger than Urgo from the magical tool shop.

“I’m Luis. Ms. Karen, you’re cute even in different clothes from usual—why are you kicking me, Leader!? I haven’t done anything yet!”

The one speaking in a flirtatious tone and giving her a suggestive look was a fairly handsome man with brown hair and blue eyes. He was clutching his shin with teary eyes after receiving a low kick from Thor. With light equipment and a bow on his back, he was probably an archer.

“I’m Chris. I might look like an old guy, but I’m the lowest-ranking member here, so if you need anything, just send me running.”

As he himself said, he was an old man with gray hair mixed with white. He had a worn-out appearance and wore a tired expression. He was about the same height as Julius, with a more solidly built frame than Julius. Being a B-rank adventurer and looking like that, he might actually be quite elderly. He carried a longsword and shield.

“I’m Wanda, a mage. I’ll be intruding for a while.”

Thor was probably the youngest among them. Yet he was their leader. It was a strange sight, no matter how many times she saw it, and Karen blinked repeatedly.

She had barely exchanged greetings with anyone except Wanda. They had been made to wait in the royal capital until recently, indulging Thor’s selfish wish to stay by Karen’s side until her supporters were decided. And on top of that, they had followed her all the way to the Ehlertt territory.

That said, Karen was not their objective.

“We can explore the local dungeon, right?”

“We would be grateful if you would. The dungeon’s dormancy period has already ended, and the lowest floor is believed to have gone deeper than the twentieth floor.”

“So the lowest level is the thirtieth, then?”

“Most likely.”

“Sounds just right for us now.”

Thor turned to his companions and grinned. Conquering the thirtieth floor. That was the condition for a B-rank adventurer to rise to A-rank.

Not only Thor, but Wanda, Odo, Luis, and Chris all wore fearless smiles. Though it would undoubtedly be a dangerous journey, there was no sign of anxiety. Rather, they seemed to be looking forward to it.

Thor had never been afraid of dungeons. Because of that, he seemed to stand out not only among his peers but among adventurers in general, but his party members appeared much the same.

Watching their backs as they entered the mansion, Karen narrowed her eyes.

“…Thor finally has friends who understand him, huh.”

“No, no, no, is that really such a cute story?”

“As Sepl said, that’s a gathering of terrifying lunatics.”

Sepl and Urte had exasperated looks on their faces. They had come along as Karen’s supporters. Even to them, Thor and his party apparently seemed bizarre. As a sister whose brother was being called a lunatic, Karen said with a sour face:

“Well, we’ll just stick to gathering potion materials bit by bit on the first floors.”

“Please do. I’m about to become a father. Don’t think you can go deeper just because I’m here.”

“Are you underestimating what a supporter does?”

“I’ll protect you with my life if anything happens to you! But at least once! Just once, I don’t want to cross dangerous bridges until I can hold my child!”

“Okay, okay.”

From the start, Natalia had told her not to use the two as adventurers. They were solely supporters of an alchemist.

“Well then, Karen, I’ll see you later.”

“Yes, Mr. Julius. See you later.”

Parting with Julius, who was going to put away his luggage, Karen also headed to her room. A maid called out to Karen:

“Lady Karen, I’ll show you to your room. We’ve also prepared rooms for your two supporters, so please follow me.”

“Ah, Sara! Long time no see! Have you eaten the curry fried bread yet?”

“Everyone in Ehlertt has eaten it. I purchased it from the bakery. It was very delicious and well-received. Mr. Sieg in particular seemed to enjoy it, and I’ve already been ordered to purchase it several times.”

“Hehehe. Really? If everyone knew the next Earl of Ehlertt liked it, they’d all be shocked!”

Imagining the surprised faces of her commoner friends’ family, who ran the bakery, Karen’s shoulders shook. Sara smiled at Karen, took her luggage, and began walking.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 240

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Chapter Two Hundred and Forty: The Kingdom’s Laws (Diehild’s POV)

“How did I appear in the eyes of Alchemist Karen, I wonder?”

In the bathing room of the queen’s palace, Queen Diehild was having her body washed. She unhesitatingly exposed her ageless, voluptuous body that seemed impossible to believe had borne six children starting from her thirties, as the clinging rose fragrance was washed away.

What was being lathered on her body was the beauty soap, one of the princess-branded cosmetics set sold by Alchemist Karen. This soap potion with the same fragrance as the flower Karen called chamomile was apparently impossible to reproduce even by her disciple, and continued to be out of stock.

Those who couldn’t obtain this soap had no choice but to purchase ordinary soap—not potions—from merchants who made soap following the recipe Karen had made public. Even soap without potion effects apparently improved skin luster and maintained cleanliness better when used. Solid soap without fragrance was already incorporated as strategic supplies for both the Royal Knights and the Royal Guard. It was reportedly valued for being easier to handle than soft soap and better at removing dirt.

The knight orders reportedly requested soap potion deliveries from particularly talented E-rank alchemists building their delivery records, yet so far, no one else had succeeded in supplying this soap potion.

Even C-rank alchemists who accepted individual requests couldn’t make it, and B-rank alchemists had such high pride that they disliked being forced to use others’ recipes, so they couldn’t be compelled. However, even if they were forced, they probably couldn’t make it anyway. Diehild had also asked the royal alchemists, but even they said they still couldn’t make that potion.

Some nobles tried to pressure Karen, but that was stopped somewhere before Diehild even needed to intervene. Especially when high-ranking adventurers from the Adventurers’ Guild got involved, even the royal family couldn’t track the flow of power.

After Diehild’s body was washed, the court ladies withdrew. Only three ladies-in-waiting remained at Diehild’s side as she reclined in the bathtub, and they answered Diehild’s question.

“As an ordinary commoner girl, she would likely feel honored that Your Majesty spoke to her so amiably.”

“As the daughter of an adventurer who couldn’t have a search party sent for him due to his low rank, she likely felt disgust at the motherly face Your Majesty showed toward Her Highness Waltride, who receives attention despite not fulfilling her duties.”

“As Her Highness Waltride’s friend, she may have been pained by Your Majesty’s coldheartedness.”

The three ladies-in-waiting each stated different opinions. All of them were quite plausible. What Karen had outwardly shown was the third emotion as Waltride’s friend, but there was also the possibility that it was an act.

“If Alchemist Karen’s behavior was an act, then my response today was truly half-hearted.”

However, whatever intention Karen might have been hiding, it probably wouldn’t have been a fatal mistake. She must have appeared as a queen who put the nation first—not favoring her daughter, yet not entirely free of maternal attachment.

Diehild let out a long, heavy sigh.

She knew that the Adventurers’ Guild had moved and detained an A-rank adventurer. That A-rank adventurer was a dungeon expedition participant who had lost her mental equilibrium after losing her partner, who was both a party member and her husband, in the dungeon expedition. The resentment wouldn’t have been strange if directed at the king, who had ordered the dungeon investigation. However, that resentment was directed at Karen, but before it could reach Karen, it was settled through the Adventurers’ Guild by someone’s intervention.

At A-rank, adventurers were treasures of humanity. Only those with even greater power or abilities were permitted to bend the will of such precious fighting forces. If all adventurers were to turn their backs, a nation would fall.

When Diehild was still a girl, there had been a country that perished that way.

“Still, what could possibly have happened in the dungeon to result in taming a pegasus? Waltride’s explanation made no sense.”

She had summoned Waltride to explain, but the girl grew frightened before Diehild and failed to give a coherent account. She said there had been a pegasus on the dungeon’s eighth floor. If one only heard the words that she had received the egg from a pegasus who had come to retrieve her child’s egg that had been kidnapped by those plotting to overthrow the Kingdom of Earthfill, it sounded just like the return of King Sybilla, but the reality was different. Upon closer questioning, it turned out Waltride had been unconscious for most of it and did not truly understand what happened.

The one who had arranged everything was Alchemist Karen. What exactly was this alchemist’s intention in creating this situation? Why did she have enough influence to move the Adventurers’ Guild? Was she the guild’s pawn?

“Until now, Waltride wasn’t given significant trials precisely because His Majesty had given up on her, but at this rate, there’s no telling what kind of trials His Majesty might impose.”

“Are you worried?”

“Worried? Indeed. I’m terribly worried that making Waltride stand out even more will cause the adventurers to abandon our kingdom.”

There once was a country called the Kingdom of Zektas. It was located far to the west—beyond the great river Granas, past Diehild’s birthplace, and even beyond the western forest.

This country had been abandoned by adventurers who could no longer endure the arrogance of the king and the tyranny of the nobles, and perished unable to stop a great stampede. Diehild hadn’t actually witnessed that state with her own eyes.

The western forest was part of the great central woodland of the continent, filled with numerous unconquered dungeons. Only capable adventurers—or a few people protected by them—could cross that forest. Even so, they had had diplomatic relations. But from a certain day, those diplomatic relations were severed.

What Diehild saw were the many adventurers crossing the forest. Skilled adventurers came to the Kingdom of Earthfill, to Diehild’s territory, crossing the forest while protecting only the people truly important to them.

“To adventurers, their homeland is not necessarily something they must protect. However, the stronger they are, the more accustomed they are to the goddess’s trials. Therefore, they will follow reasonable principles. We must not let them think our kingdom’s laws are unjust.”

Seeing her parents welcome and accept the adventurers who had crossed the forest with their families, Diehild decided to do the same on a national scale. For that purpose, she had gone through fierce struggles to become queen and was here. The king seemed to have his own thoughts, but Diehild wasn’t patient enough to wait for the results of those thoughts she wasn’t permitted to share.

When Diehild rose from the bathtub, the ladies-in-waiting wiped her body and draped a robe over her.

“Continue to monitor Waltride.”

Troublesomely, her bloodline was legitimate. The pegasus’ existence appeared like proof that the ancestral King Sybilla had acknowledged Waltride. If she had remained in her ugly form, not just fat but bloated and distorted in strange ways, it would have been one thing, but now, at least in appearance, she had come to closely resemble Diehild when she was a young woman who had won the queen’s position. To uninformed citizens—especially adventurers—Waltride would appear as an existence symbolizing the Royal Family.

“If Waltride acts against the Kingdom of Earthfill’s national interests—”

The softness and sweet scent of the newborn Waltride returned vividly to her memory, but as if averting her eyes, Diehild looked at the black-clad figures who had silently appeared behind her and knelt.

“—Do what must be done.”

After watching those who immediately vanished after responding "Yes", Diehild sat on a couch and drained the wine poured by her lady-in-waiting in one gulp.

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