Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 256

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Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-Six: Hunting Festival Scheme

“You’re quite the philanthropist. To extend a hand even to children without magical power.”

“I’m honored by your praise.”

Karen answered with a forced smile, but she understood well enough that it wasn’t actual praise. The noble’s eyes mocked her, as if calling her actions foolish for helping children without magical power.

Even taking Alise’s help into account, gathering children with low magical power went far too smoothly. By that evening, every noble Karen had approached had readily accepted her proposal, and it was already decided that over fifty children, even by a rough estimate, would be sent to Karen.

Since she was still in the process of searching for a place to take them in, the arrangement was to have the children sent once a location was determined at a later date. The hunting festival had not even begun yet, and still, there were far too many.

That’s how critically fatal it was in this world to have little magical power—or rather, to have "none" at all. From the nobles’ perspective, they probably felt they were simply foisting troublesome burdens who could cause unpredictable problems and served no purpose onto Karen.

Thinking of the children who would be sent away to Karen without even knowing where they were going made her chest ache. That said, she had no intention of stopping now.

And at that moment, Karen had been summoned to Helfried’s tent. Alise, Julius, and even Sieg were there beside him.

“Karen, I’ve heard the story from Alise.”

Helfried began gravely. It seemed Helfried did not think highly of Karen’s efforts to gather children. With wrinkles creasing his brow, he said:

“Just because of your promise with Horst, you don’t need to devote yourself to this extent. Julius should have told you—the matter of Ehlertt’s children will be handled by Ehlertt.”

Indeed, Julius had made that promise at the orphanage in Ehlertt’s name with the orphanage director August. The fact that Julius had made that immediate decision meant that Helfried had been concerned about the children’s treatment for some time.

From the beginning, she’d been told not to worry about the promise made with Horst. However, she didn’t recall being forbidden from doing something for the children as an individual.

“Are you saying that my acting as an individual would inconvenience the Ehlertt family?”

“It’s not a matter of inconvenience, Karen. It pains my heart to think that the promise you made with Horst for my sake is binding you.”

“Binding me?”

Karen looked at Julius with wide, puzzled eyes.

“Mr. Julius, did you really think that?”

“If not for my sake, why else would you be doing this, Karen? You have no responsibility or connection to these children—where is the need, the reason, to even spend your private wealth on them?”

“I see… Lord Helfried, you think the same way?”

“Seeing you trying to act for Ehlertt’s children when I haven’t even requested it, the reasons are naturally limited. At first, I considered the possibility that you were a bottomlessly good-natured person, but… as far as I recall from the investigation report on you I reviewed before, you’re not such a good person as to help people unconditionally and without limit.”

“Well, that’s true.”

Karen was aware she was kinder than the average person in this world, but she certainly didn’t think about saving every single person in the entire world. She drew certain lines, and when she judged something to be outside those lines, she had abandoned people before.

Not everyone could be saved—that’s why there was the F-rank cutoff standard. This was that kind of world.

“Karen, you don’t need to worry about the children. I—the Ehlertt family—will take responsibility and care for them. If you wish, we can gather children not just from our territory but from throughout the entire kingdom. Thanks to Julius conquering the dungeon, our territory has that much capacity.”

He meant they had both financial capacity and land capacity.

Monsters didn’t appear within a dungeon’s sphere of influence. In a world where people could only live within that sphere of influence, conquering a dungeon’s deepest floor meant expanding that sphere. By conquering the twentieth floor of the Ehlertt Dungeon, Julius had literally expanded the Ehlertt territory. That said, devoting that newly created capacity to children with little magical power would likely not be welcomed by anyone else in Ehlertt.

“Ms. Karen, if you’re worried that the children might be treated poorly, I will personally look after them. So won’t you please be at ease?”

“Lady Alise…”

“Sister Karen, I’ll help too. So you don’t need to shoulder this burden alone, okay?”

“Even you, Master Sieg…”

“Karen.”

Julius approached Karen and said with a gentle smile:

“We all support your dream. We dream of the day when your dream comes true. That’s why we don’t want to be a burden to you. We don’t want to let anyone be that.”

“—I surrender.”

Receiving the words of the kind-hearted members of the Ehlertt family, Karen gave in.

“Everyone, and especially you, Mr. Julius—it wouldn’t have been strange if you’d noticed, but since you apparently haven’t, I’ll confess. Though, frankly, it would have been more profitable for me if you hadn’t realized.”

“Karen?”

At Karen’s way of speaking, Julius and everyone looked puzzled. Karen smiled wryly.

“You all seem to feel like you’re pushing trouble onto me, but nothing could be further from the truth. I am simply investing early… Before you all realize their value.”

“Their value?”

Helfried voiced the question on behalf of the group.

Karen grinned.

“I plan to educate the children with little magical power I’ve gathered and have them make my non-magical potions. I predict that children with little magical power should be able to make my potions.”

In truth, it was less Karen’s prediction and more Harald’s "understanding." As long as they believed in Karen and understood the state of having no magical power, they could make non-magical potions.

Karen’s potions were so utterly unique that there was always a shortage of every single type. Even now, letters pressing for orders were probably arriving constantly at the alchemy workshop. If these could be made by the hands of many children, it would change the world.

Karen planned to have the children make potions and skim off the top. Though she intended to put some of the skimmed money toward their education and living expenses, what she was planning to do was precisely the work of a shady alchemist.

“In other words, I’m not trying to do good because I can’t leave these children alone! I’m gathering children, educating them, and planning to make them work for my own profit! So please stop treating me as if I were some tremendous do-gooder!”

Karen protested. She was far too uncomfortable.

“However, if your objection is that I should not poach talent from Ehlertt, I will accept that. I had originally planned to quietly take them all… but you are all far too kind, so I couldn’t keep silent—my loss, I suppose.”

Who’s really the good person here? Karen said with an exasperated expression.

Sieg asked her:

“Sister Karen, what will you do when the children come of age? Will you bind them with magical contracts and make them work for you forever?”

“Huh? I wouldn’t do that. When they come of age, they’ll leave the nest just like from the orphanage.”

Sieg exchanged looks with his parents and Julius, then shrugged.

“So… you’re not only giving children without a place to belong somewhere to belong, but you’re trying to equip them with irreplaceable skills—rather than simply keeping them alive.”

“Regardless of what you may think, Ms. Karen, they will be able to live better lives.”

“And for that, it seems you intend to generously share your special knowledge, Sister Karen.”

“You are creating a reason—your own profit—to justify helping those children.”

At the words spoken in turn by Helfried, Alise, Sieg, and Julius, Karen faltered.

“No, I mean, I’m doing this for my own gain…!”

Julius looked down at Karen and narrowed his eyes.

“Seeing you work so hard for ‘profit’ is rather endearing… perhaps that is just the bias of someone in love?”

“In love…! Ugh! That’s hard to deny!”

“It’s a bit disappointing that it wasn’t for my sake, though.”

“No, it is for your sake too, Mr. Julius—”

As Julius made a lonely expression, Karen inadvertently let her true feelings slip, deepening the smiles of the Ehlertt family.

Karen admitted complete defeat and raised the white flag.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 255

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Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-Five: Hunting Festival Venue

“Karen, I’m glad you came.”

“Thank you for inviting me to the hunting festival, Lord Helfried.”

The hunting festival. It was a noble’s event and originally had nothing to do with commoners. Being invited to it was an honor for a commoner.

When Karen bowed, Helfried nodded solemnly.

Arriving later than Helfried’s group, Karen and Julius were escorted by part of the knight order to the edge of the great forest bordering the eastern side of the Ehlertt territory, where the hunting festival was held.

“Julius, I’m looking forward to your achievements this year as well.”

“Since Karen is here, I intend to try even harder to show my best side.”

“Hahaha! I see! So such a season has come for you too, Julius.”

As Karen watched Julius smile bashfully at Helfried, her earlobe became softly warm—a faint warmth as if Julius had touched her earlobe with his fingertips. Julius must have delicately infused magical power into the earring.

For nobles, the hunting festival was an enjoyable event, and for noble men, it seemed to be a place to appeal to the women they fancied. As if to say he intended to appeal to Karen, Julius sent her a subtle signal.

When Karen’s face turned red, Julius glanced at her and chuckled before immediately returning to his conversation with Helfried.

As Karen trembled in frustration at being outmaneuvered, Alise and Sieg approached.

“We’ve been waiting for you, Ms. Karen.”

“Your tent has been prepared over here, Sister Karen!”

A large number of nobles had already gathered at the hunting festival site. The sight of tents pitched here and there with cooking fires reminded her of the dungeon investigation team. Remembering the black powder from before—the pitiful remains of monster eggs—Karen shuddered.

“Sister Karen, are you cold? Are you okay?”

Worried by Sieg, who had been watching, Karen nodded without bothering to deny it.

“Yes… It’s a bit cold.”

“It’s true that this area is even colder than the territorial capital. Let’s get to the tent quickly. We’ll guide you.”

“Are all the people here nobles of Ehlertt territory?”

In other words, they were the vassal nobles under the Ehlertt Earldom. It was a frightening thought that this much influence had been under Horst’s control until now.

“Mostly. But some aren’t.”

“Is that so?”

“The hunting festival was originally a festival for conquering unconquered dungeons and expanding territory. It’s exactly what King Sybilla, the founder of the Kingdom of Earthfill, did.”

While guiding Karen, Sieg taught her about the origins of the hunting festival.

The founding myth of King Sybilla’s pioneering record that even Karen knew. He conquered dungeons overflowing with monsters, opened up those lands, and established the Kingdom of Earthfill. After that, the strong warriors who followed Sybilla gradually conquered the surrounding unexplored dungeons. Those became the later nobles and their territories.

“Long ago, once a year, people would designate land to conquer, gather together, conquer that land’s dungeon and govern it, and build towns in the sphere of influence of the dungeon that had become peaceful. The one who played the key role in the conquest became the ruling noble of that land, and those who cooperated became their house’s retainers. Even now, we’re imitating that.”

“So you don’t do exactly the same thing?”

“Because it’s dangerous—an unexplored dungeon that’s never been cleared is basically in a constant state of a massive stampede. Monsters just keep pouring out. So now, we only hunt the ones that spill over to this side. We also invite nobles from territories that don’t have unconquered dungeons nearby.”

Sieg said with a knowing look, then looked up at Karen.

“Sister Karen, you absolutely must not go near it, okay?”

“Okay…”

Though Karen gave a good child’s response, Sieg pressed it upon Urte and Sepl.

“You supporters, please take care of Sister Karen.”

It was as if to say Karen’s response alone wasn’t reliable enough.

And—feeling that Sieg’s atmosphere was different from usual, Karen blinked. The two probably didn’t know Sieg’s usual atmosphere, so they nodded without seeming to feel any sense of incongruity.

“We’re supporters, after all. Please rest assured, we won’t let her take risks that would require hiring adventurers.”

Urte bowed even more courteously.

Though Sieg’s face, receiving that bow, was smiling, that smile even conveyed pressure. When Karen stood there dumbfounded, Sieg, noticing this, smiled brightly. The cold, oppressive aura surrounding him vanished instantly.

“Sister Karen, your tent is here!”

“…Is this a shared tent that I’ll use jointly with someone?”

Space for pitching tents was not unlimited. The permitted location and size of tents varied depending on one’s rank and status. The tent, comparable in size to the one Waltride had used during the dungeon expedition, looked too spacious even if used with Urte and Sepl.

“Ufufu, this tent is exclusively for you, Ms. Karen. Please go inside and see.”

Urged by Alise, Karen entered, and her eyes widened.

“It’s set up as an alchemy workshop…”

From basic tools like beakers, flasks, and mortars to everything beyond the minimum alchemy tools Karen carried with her—it was all there. On top of that, the cold drifting from the deep forest was completely shut out, leaving a warm and comfortable space. Part of it was due to being warmed by fires in the hearths, but this tent was also a climate control magical tool. It was probably the highest grade among human-made magical tools, enchanted with defensive magic such as eavesdropping prevention.

“Please don’t feel pressured, Ms. Karen. You’re an alchemist, and this is the hunting festival venue. It’s a place where you never know when someone might need potions. We’ve provided this tent to make it easy for you to receive work requests. Of course, until there are requests, you’re free to use it as you like.”

“…That’s just an excuse so I can stay comfortably and do alchemy however I like, isn’t it!?”

“Oh my, it seems we’ve been found out, Sieg.”

“If we’ve been found out, it can’t be helped, Mother.”

Alise and Sieg laughed together, then turned to face Karen side by side.

“We called you here to enjoy the hunting festival, but—Ms. Karen, it seems you have another purpose.”

“…You can tell?”

Karen smiled wryly. It was like the awkwardness of coming to a friend’s house to play, but being found out that you came with another purpose. However, both Alise and Sieg were looking at such a Karen with kind eyes.

“We can tell. That’s why we want to help you, Sister Karen.”

“If there’s anything we can do to cooperate for what you want to accomplish, please tell us.”

“Master Sieg, Lady Alise…”

Karen was moved by how easily they saw through her intentions, yet still offered their help—but only for a moment. She smiled faintly and said:

“I’ll almost certainly drag you into trouble, you know? I mean, I was already planning to use the hunting festival as my stage.”

“The hunting festival is fundamentally a social gathering. It’s natural for everyone to have their own motives, and Ms. Karen, whatever you do is fine. My husband should be happy to cooperate as well.”

“Ah, but Sister Karen, let us do the hunting festival. We have to hunt monsters for the sake of the villages and towns around the forest.”

“You’re so thoughtful of your subjects, Master Sieg. Truly befitting the next Earl Ehlertt.”

Karen smiled at the embarrassed Sieg and said:

“I have no intention of interfering with the hunting festival.”

Karen entered the tent she had been peering into. Alise and Sieg followed, and Urte and Sepl stood watch at the tent entrance. After confirming that security was perfect, Karen said:

“I want to gather all the children with little magical power throughout the Ehlertt territory and take them in.”

Surely, many of the nobles gathering at this place thought of children without magical power as troublesome and were at a loss for how to handle them. While they did so, the Children of the Dark Night were abducting children with nowhere to go.

Karen intended to negotiate with the nobles gathered at this place and take in the children before they were abducted. She was trying to create a place to shelter the children she gathered that way.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 254

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Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-Four: Reservation for Celebration

“Thor—come back safely.”

“You too, Sis. You’re going to the hunting festival, right?”

“I plan to be around the main camp where the tents are set up, so there won’t be anything dangerous.”

At Thor’s request, Karen had come to the Adventurers’ Guild to see him off as he departed to conquer the dungeon. Though the building was smaller than the royal capital’s Adventurers’ Guild, it didn’t have a rural atmosphere at all. However, perhaps because the climate was different from the royal capital, the building’s atmosphere was different. The doors were double doors, and there seemed to be an entrance on the second floor as well.

If she recalled correctly, last year there had been a day of heavy snowfall while she was painting Julius’s portrait on a massive canvas. She had shut herself in a room and worked with the curtains drawn tight so that anyone unrelated wouldn’t find out about the portrait, and by the day of the New Year Festival, the visible areas had been completely cleared of snow, so she didn’t know how much it actually accumulated.

Inside the Adventurers’ Guild, it was warm and bustling with adventurers, giving a sense of the territory’s prosperity.

“Julius will be participating in the hunt, so he won’t be by your side. Don’t worry about me—you worry about yourself, Sis. It’s common for humans to be scarier than monsters.”

“Ms. Urte and Uncle Sepl will be by my side, so I’ll be fine!”

Without any ill intent, simply stating the facts, Thor spoke:

“The strength difference between B-rank and C-rank and below is on another level entirely.”

Saying that, he looked toward Urte and Sepl.

“Want me to give you guys training after I conquer the territorial capital dungeon?”

“It’s still rough being told that by a kid I’ve known since he was tiny!”

“What are you saying, Sepl? If a future A-rank adventurer is offering to train us, we have no choice but to gratefully accept.”

“I know. It really is something to be grateful for. But it’s rough…! What should I do if my kid ends up like this in the future!?”

“If that happens, it sounds fun, so maybe I’ll train your kid, Sepl.”

“I’m grateful! So grateful I could cry!”

Sepl held his head at Thor’s kindness.

Being able to joke around like this showed how broad-minded Sepl was.

“By the way, wouldn’t a send-off usually be at the temple?”

“Yeah, everyone else already went ahead to the temple.”

“Then do you have business at the guild? Don’t worry about me and go finish your business. Did you submit your dungeon conquest notice?”

It was like the climbing plan you submit when mountain climbing. Though it wasn’t absolutely required, if you didn’t return on schedule, they would organize a rescue party.

“I submitted it ages ago. Word spread throughout the territorial capital in no time that we’re diving in, and apparently, the local adventurers are in a panic, saying they can’t let outsiders conquer the thirtieth floor. Funny, right? If they were gonna panic, they should’ve conquered it already!”

When Thor said this while laughing, hostile gazes from adventurers throughout the Adventurers’ Guild stabbed into them. The reason it looked bustling was apparently that adventurers who had panicked upon receiving the Crimson Thunder’s dungeon conquest application had rushed in.

“The local nobles are being noisy too. If it gets conquered by adventurers, the New Year Festival—meant for the lord and nobles—will turn into a place to praise adventurers. The system of displaying the conqueror’s portrait at the New Year Festival was introduced through your efforts, wasn’t it, Sis? …Some people say it’s your fault.”

Thor continued in a lowered voice:

“Sis, seriously—be careful. Just from lightly gathering information, I ran into several guys who have grievances against you. I dealt with the ones I met on the spot, but there are definitely others.”

“I guess so.”

Karen nodded while feeling disheartened. It was difficult to implement measures that pleased everyone—if there were people grateful to Karen, it wasn’t strange that others resented her just as strongly. Though it wasn’t pleasant, it was something she had understood.

“Sis, will you become our Crimson Thunder party’s sponsor as an alchemist?”

“Sponsor?”

To the wide-eyed Karen, Thor nodded and explained:

“In exchange for support, we promote you, Sis—that’s the kind of relationship.”

“I understand that much. But isn’t it strange for me to ride on the coattails of you guys who are about to conquer the thirtieth floor and become A-rank, when I haven’t even provided support worthy of the name?”

When an adventurer’s name rose, of course, the sponsor’s name rose too. Not only that, it also became possible to later draw worthwhile returns from the adventurer. Every adventurer had weak periods, so supporting them then could secure a powerful connection to someone who might one day reach S-rank. For that reason, backers sought to sponsor promising adventurers.

The Gubert Trading Company that Karen had once clashed with must have supported and retained many adventurers in this way. Karen would have been pleased if among them there had been a skilled alchemist capable of making non-magical material potions, but unfortunately for both sides, even the Gubert Trading Company didn’t have such talent.

In any case, Thor must have had many offers. However, there was no sign that the Crimson Thunder had a sponsor.

“Won’t the other party members feel bad about making me your sponsor just because I’m your big sister?”

“Everyone’s all for it, you know? Making and giving us a panacea that no one in this country—maybe no one in the whole world—can make is plenty of support, right? Even though it’s in short supply because only you can make it, Sis, you gave us every last one you could make. So many that we couldn’t pay for them all with the money we have.”

“…That’s true.”

At least according to Yuluyana’s seal of approval, none of the alchemists active on the public stage had ever made a panacea.

Karen had made such potions exclusively for the Crimson Thunder and instructed not only Thor but the party members on how to use them. In the end, she had given them plenty even without being paid.

Now that it was pointed out, that could be called a track record of support.

“We’ll conquer the dungeon before the New Year Festival. And then we’ll take your name along with us to greater heights. We’ll make our names known at the festival, and make sure no one in Ehlertt can look down on my big sister.”

Thor turned his deep navy eyes, which had been gleaming fiercely into the distance, toward Karen. When directed at Karen, those blue eyes held a calm light like a tranquil sea.

“Consider this our engagement present to you, Sis—from the Crimson Thunder.”

Having received such an outrageous “reservation” for an engagement gift, Karen felt her chest grow warm.

“Thank you. But don’t push yourself too hard!”

“Yeah! Value your life, right?”

She didn’t say she didn’t need such a gift and just wanted him to come back safely. This was something Thor earnestly wanted to accomplish. Something he was trying to give his all for her sake. Just because she was worried didn’t mean Karen would deny that wish, that aspiration.

“I’ll do my best so I can surprise you too, Thor.”

“I’m looking forward to it, Sis.”

Karen also had things she wanted to do, which was why she was going to the hunting festival. As Thor said, there would be dangers there besides monsters. Even so, such things wouldn’t hinder the wishes she wanted to accomplish. And Thor would surely support her as well.

Karen headed to the Adventurers’ Guild reception desk with Thor and became the Crimson Thunder’s sole sponsor on the spot.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 253

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Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-Three: Portable Panacea 2

“The real problem starts from here.”

“The real problem?”

Karen nodded vigorously at the puzzled Thor and his companions.

“Potions are magical medicine. So naturally they break if you put in foreign matter that disrupts their harmony—but you see, curry roux is definitely more delicious when simmered with meat and vegetables than eating it as is. I’ve already solidified it with some minced vegetables added, but it absolutely has more substance if it has big chunks of ingredients in it…!”

“Hey, Sis, hold on?”

“Alright, shall we challenge it once more? —Making real curry with meat and vegetables…!”

“It’s plenty delicious as it is! Also, it’s a panacea, not a meal, you know?”

“If it can be a meal too, that’s twice the deliciousness!”

Clenching her fist as she passionately declared that, Karen spun around toward Thor’s companions, who had been watching. When she smiled brightly, they flinched, their shoulders trembling.

“Everyone should practice too, okay?”

“N-No, we…”

“If we accidentally destroy the precious panacea…!”

“In case Thor can’t move, I’ll need you all to make it, so please practice. It’s fine. This is a useful experiment for me too, so I won’t charge for the panacea!”

Karen forcefully urged the pale-faced group to challenge making curry. Probably because they cooked in dungeons, everyone was indeed quite skilled.

Just like with curry, they chopped the ingredients, simmered them in hot water, and then dissolved the roux. While having her panacea destroyed many times by the tearful Thor and his party, Karen came to understand one thing.

“—I see. Using magical ingredients that can be appraised with the appraisal mirror increases the success rate, doesn’t it?”

Just like when Yuluyana had once succeeded in making a soap potion with magical materials, it was likely because one could understand those materials through appraisal results.

However, not everything succeeded. It also seemed that one type of ingredient was the limit. Since they weren’t alchemists, they weren’t adding magical ingredients as proper potion components.

They could just barely avoid breaking the potion because they understood it and because it was appropriate as curry ingredients; however, something essential that defined the potion was being diminished with each added magical ingredient.

Most likely, Karen’s curry roux—that is, the potion—had a limit to what it could accept. And for equally understood ingredients, magical ones consumed more of that capacity than non-magical ones. However, non-magical materials that couldn’t be appraised and couldn’t be "understood" consumed overwhelmingly more capacity and broke the potion.

“Thor was the only one who managed not to break the panacea even after adding non-magical ingredients.”

After repeating success and failure several times, Thor was now challenging making curry with three ingredients added.

“Onions have an effect that makes blood flow well, carrots have beta-carotene or something, and contain the same thing as lemons… pork has protein that becomes muscle…”

Muttering to himself, Thor stirred the curry containing onions, carrots, and pork.

“Sis, it’s done!”

“I’ll appraise it.”

When she appraised it, despite adding three new types of ingredients, it was completed as a small panacea.

“Amazing, Leader. Even though Ms. Karen explained it to us, we couldn’t do it… This is embarrassing for me as a mage… Alchemy is part of magic, so it should be my field.”

She had also explained the effects of non-magical ingredients to the dejected Wanda and others. However, apparently, just hearing the explanation wasn’t enough to reach understanding, and everyone except Thor had failed at making a panacea with non-magical ingredients added.

“Nah, this isn’t really about your ability, Wanda.”

“Leader?”

“The only non-magical ingredients that don’t break the panacea when added are ones whose effects I remember hearing about from Sis when I was a kid. The ones I swallowed whole without question because it was Sis saying it when I was a kid, and ‘understood.’ Sorry, Sis. You taught me all sorts of other things too, right? Would’ve been nice if I’d remembered it all.”

“No, no. I’m happy you remember even a little. It was when you were small, and besides, I’m the only one who said such things.”

And—thanks to Thor, Karen was now almost certain of a particular hypothesis. That was why the "Children of the Dark Night" targeted children. If they were children, they were easier to make "understand." So they abducted children with little magical power and subjected them to harsh education, making them "understand" things they normally couldn’t possibly understand. They likely indoctrinated them, made them believe—truths that were the exact opposite of the ordinary world.

“Sis, you look like you’re having fun?”

“Huh. No, I mean, having fun, that’s not…”

Karen panicked when Thor pointed it out.

Even though she had been thinking about children in tragic circumstances, Karen had apparently been smiling.

“You had a face like Leader’s when he’s toying with prey to death and laughing, Ms. Karen.”

“…You looked so much like our leader at his worst that I might not be able to treat you as a cute girl anymore, Ms. Karen.”

Wanda pointed it out, and Luis averted his face from Karen.

“As expected of Thor’s sister.”

“People favored by the goddess all have that side to them, more or less.”

Odo nodded repeatedly, and Chris smiled wryly.

Having been thoroughly witnessed, Karen gave up on denying it and decided to acknowledge it.

“That’s right—I found this difficult world interesting and couldn’t help but smile.”

She absolutely hadn’t been laughing at the children. The mechanisms of this world, its mysteries, the hidden truths—she simply couldn’t help how delightful, how utterly delightful it was that they were being unraveled little by little before her eyes.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 252

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Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-Two: Portable Panacea

“Hey, Sis, how was the orphanage?”

“Thor.”

As usual, Karen had been in the corner of the kitchen set aside as her makeshift alchemy workshop, and she lifted her head from peering into a regular pot beside her alchemy cauldron.

Thor, who had been out gathering information to conquer the territorial capital dungeon, had apparently returned.

“I was able to make my donation as planned. They seem to be having various troubles, and the priest who’s the orphanage director asked Mr. Julius for Ehlertt’s support, and Mr. Julius accepted, so I think things will get better from now on.”

August had seemed to think that Julius and the Ehlertt family must harbor prejudice against those with little magical power. Even though Julius, Helfried, and Alise were nothing like that.

So while he was surprised, he seemed relieved that Julius accepted the support request.

“But prejudice against those with little magical power… that’s not something we can just fix.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Just because you promised that Horst guy something doesn’t mean you should worry about it more than necessary, okay? You pushed the Earl’s family because of that promise, and the Earl responded by increasing the budget. That’s enough. End of story.”

Scolded by Thor, Karen smiled wryly.

“I do worry about it, but I don’t think it’s my duty to fix everything.”

“Well, as long as you know that. By the way, Sis, whatcha making?”

“A potion.”

“It smells like panacea, but… isn’t it something different?”

Saying this, Thor looked down at the solid curry roux arranged on a tray.

“I’m trying to make a solid panacea roux.”

“Roux?”

To the puzzled Thor, Karen rephrased:

“I’m making a panacea that’s easy to carry around. The panacea I make isn’t really the kind you put in a bottle and carry around, you know.”

“Yeah, yours is basically all food.”

“So I thought I’d make it in a more convenient form for people to take with them.”

“…Could it be, for me?”

“You’re going to conquer the territorial capital dungeon, right?”

What was in the pot Karen had been looking at was the solid roux broken apart and dissolved in hot water. After the water had boiled, she had turned off the heat and put in the solid roux to dissolve.

“If I appraise this pot of curry and the panacea effect remains, it’s a success.”

“Really? I hope it worked…!”

In front of the praying Thor, Karen held up her appraisal mirror.

Minced Vegetable Curry

Panacea (Small).

“Sis! It worked!”

“I’ve succeeded up to this point several times. The problem is whether it becomes a panacea when someone other than me dissolves the curry roux in hot water! Alright, Thor, you try next.”

“Huh? Me!?”

“Maybe you’ll succeed. You grew up hearing all sorts of things about non-magical materials from me.”

“You mean if I fail, I’ll ruin the panacea you went to the trouble of making!?”

“Do your best, do your best. You’ll have to do it yourself once you enter the dungeon anyway.”

“Ugh.”

Though Thor pouted in dissatisfaction, he pulled out a new pot as Karen instructed.

“Once the water boils, turn off the heat and break in the curry roux to dissolve it.”

“The way you’re explaining this isn’t how to make a potion at all—it’s completely cooking.”

“It’s pretty much the same as cooking. You add ingredients that are good for the body while understanding how they help. You make sure not to ruin the flavor balance as a dish. If you keep stacking beneficial effects while preserving that balance, the effects merge together and become a panacea. The goddess makes that happen.”

“Ugh. I’m scared thinking I might be destroying the panacea right now.”

Grumbling, he waited for the water to boil as Karen explained, then turned off the heat and broke the curry roux into it.

As he stirred it around and it dissolved, Thor said:

“Sis, it seems to have dissolved, but what should I do next?”

“Do you guys have your own appraisal mirror?”

“We do. It’s lower rank than yours, though.”

“Let’s try appraising it with that.”

“Is it okay to leave this here? Don’t I have to keep stirring it continuously or something!?”

“No, no. Well, I don’t know if you left it for hours, though?”

“I’ll be right back!”

Thor rushed out of the kitchen and immediately returned.

Bringing his party along behind him.

“I heard we’re at a critical juncture of whether we can take the panacea to conquer the Ehlertt dungeon! The panacea is good for beauty too, right!?”

“Being able to eat that delicious food even in a dungeon is a blessing.”

“Don’t treat panacea the same as cosmetics and delicious food…”

Chris made a tired face as he retorted to Wanda and Odo.

“Aw, man. Having the leader make it isn’t the same. It’s delicious because a girl like Ms. Karen makes it.”

“Then you don’t get any panacea.”

“When you say that, it sounds like I wouldn’t get a panacea even if I’m poisoned or paralyzed! That’s scary!”

“…”

“Deny it!”

As Luis nearly cried after his joke brought down a heavy punishment, Chris rubbed his stomach with a pale face. To Karen’s eyes, the playful exchange between Thor and Luis appeared adorable, but for Chris, it seemed to be a stomach-aching exchange.

“Well, even if it fails as a potion, you can still eat it as a normal tasty dish. Even when you don’t have an appetite, or something tastes a bit off, if you put it into curry, you’ll somehow manage to eat it.”

“Yeah… being able to eat even without appetite is a blessing…”

Though he looked the oldest and appeared to be a proper adult, Chris smiled wryly while exuding an underling-like air.

Wanda pulled out from her bag the most typical form of appraisal mirror—in other words, a magnifying glass-type appraisal mirror. Though it closely resembled Karen’s appraisal mirror, it appeared to have fewer decorative patterns.

“…It says Panacea (Small) potion! Sis!”

“Then you can take it to the dungeon.”

“How much is this?”

“It’s useless to try to pay. The price hasn’t been decided yet.”

“I know the price of small panacea! B-rank adventurers have all the money they need! Setting aside food to eat at home, this is payment for a potion I’ll use as an adventurer! I’m definitely going to pay for it!”

Karen secretly smirked at Thor as he fiercely pulled out his wallet.

To make this solid curry roux, she first created a medium panacea, then kneaded wheat flour into it. Adding wheat flour to solidify it lowered the panacea rank to small panacea, but completed the solid roux.

If Thor knew it was originally medium panacea, he would be dying to pay the medium panacea price. But Thor would never know that.

“Heh… heh heh heh.”

“Ugh… whenever you laugh like that, it means something’s up… damn it… I can’t figure it out!”

Thor couldn’t see through the reason for Karen’s evil grin and continued holding his head.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 251

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Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-One: Society’s Distortions 3

“Once again, I sincerely apologize for the trouble we’ve caused you.”

“Regarding the children of the Ehlertt territory, we of House Ehlertt also bear responsibility. Karen isn’t injured, so don’t worry about it.”

“I’m relieved to hear you say that, Master Julius.”

The director, showing a relieved expression at Julius’ words, had earlier asked him to intimidate the children. He seemed to be an acquaintance of Julius.

The director turned back to Karen and took a priest’s formal bow once more.

“Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am August, a priest entrusted with running this orphanage.”

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Karen, an alchemist. Today, I had Mr. Julius guide me here to make a donation.”

“It’s an honor to meet you. I’ve heard much about your distinguished reputation, Miss Karen.”

“You flatter me.”

From Karen’s perspective as a commoner, priests seemed like truly distinguished people. Not only did they need to possess C-rank or higher magical power, but they also constantly trained to ascend to even higher ranks.

Their purpose was to draw closer to the goddess. Though similar to adventurers, the content of their training was selfless service to the public good. They were polar opposites of adventurers, who risked their lives to fulfill their every desire.

Though she did not feel particularly devout toward the temple, she found their dedication worthy of respect. To have such a person mention her "distinguished reputation" made Karen sit down on the offered sofa with embarrassment.

The broken vase that had been in the office had been cleared away, and as Karen and Julius settled on the sofa, tea and sweets were promptly served. As Karen partook of the tea without hesitation, August eventually broached the subject:

“It’s all because of disturbing rumors that have been circulating recently.”

“Disturbing rumors?”

“That children with little magical power will eventually come to hate this world and commit crimes… Such talk has spread, and because families don’t want a criminal in their lineage, more of them have started casting out even older children.”

Karen made a bitter face while munching on a tea sweet.

That was exactly what Horst had done, and she couldn’t deny it. The dungeon incident had been caused by unfortunate nobles from across the Kingdom of Earthfill who had little magical power and had gathered together.

“Rather than being blamed for future misdeeds they haven’t even committed, it’s better to actually do something bad and be blamed for that… So that’s what she meant.”

When Karen said this, recalling Teresa’s words, the director nodded with a sigh:

“Teresa’s family abandoned her, saying they couldn’t lose the goddess’ favor as adventurers. Even though she’s nearly an adult, they abandoned her before that to demonstrate their submission to the goddess…”

“It seems another superstition is spreading among adventurers.”

Adventurers were superstitious and sometimes became obsessed with delusions. Some superstitions were laughable, while others were trapped in dark beliefs like this one.

“In such circumstances, they’ve fallen into despair and are being driven down the path of evil. At this rate, they may eventually be dragged into even darker places. And despite that, it’s not those children’s fault…”

“Darker places?”

What came to Karen’s mind was Horst descending the stairs.

And the strange teachings spoken by the alchemist girl among the captured Children of the Dark Night. Unlike the ridiculous superstitions popular among adventurers, their teachings seemed to have a certain logic to them.

That fact was eerie, and Karen shuddered.

“Regarding this matter, there’s something I was thinking of consulting the Ehlertt family about…”

Saying that much, August glanced at Karen. Apparently, it was something difficult to discuss with Karen present.

“She is my fiancée. We’re on the verge of announcing our engagement at the New Year Festival. The Ehlertt family has nothing to hide from her. If you’ve noticed anything, please tell us.”

“If you say so, Master Julius—the truth is, it seems the ‘Children of the Dark Night’ have been abducting children in various places.”

“What?”

“Moreover, exclusively children with little magical power. Right now, children who’ve lost their place and been driven out are disappearing one after another. To protect at least the children of this orphanage, I’ve used my connections to have priests dispatched here, but… honestly, I’m not sure we can keep protecting them at this rate.”

“I had wondered why it was priests, not apprentices or believers, who were tending to the children… so this is what has been happening…”

Julius said in astonishment.

Karen found herself inadvertently understanding.

In such a world, it would be unreasonable to expect people not to find salvation in the Dark Night’s teachings that those with little magical power were superior and those with much magical power were monsters. There was no doubt that the Children of the Dark Night were expanding their influence in various places.

For a moment, she couldn’t even tell whether that organization abducting children was truly a bad thing for the children. But recalling the girl who had been able to create poison potions from non-magical materials at the cost of her voice—Karen steeled herself with the thought that an organization that turned children into tools like that must not be allowed to exist.

“Even within the temple, there are those who say that children with little magical power aren’t loved by the goddess, so we should just abandon them.”

“Even those who devote themselves to the goddess’s teachings…”

“It is precisely because we who follow the teachings regard ascending the ranks as the highest virtue that disdain arises toward children born at the lower steps.”

After narrowing his eyes at the children’s voices heard from afar, August fixed his gaze on Julius.

“The children bear no sin and are equally the goddess’ children who should be loved. While those of House Ehlertt may harbor conflicted feelings toward those with little magical power, I humbly beseech you to grant your support to these innocent children.”

Saying this, August bowed deeply. He probably knew what the Ehlertt territory had been like under Horst’s rule.

Karen suddenly thought that perhaps the reason Horst had been able to maintain such influence in this land was precisely because this noble person, who didn’t judge people by their magical power and bowed his head for the sake of children, occupied an important position in the temple of the territorial capital.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 250

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Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty: Society’s Distortions 2

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry—”

“I won’t do it again, never again, please forgive me!”

“…!”

The children gathered in the courtyard were trembling violently. They had been scolded and overwhelmed by Julius’s magical pressure, leaving them utterly terrified.

Julius, having returned, said while cautiously gauging Karen’s expression:

“…Are you disillusioned with me, Karen?”

“I’d say that was an excellent display of intimidation. You have to genuinely frighten them so they regret what they’ve done.”

“Come to think of it, you grew up in the adventurer district, didn’t you, Karen?”

Julius said with a relieved expression.

The culprits who had been summoned by the director were truly shameless.

Before Karen and Julius, they showed no signs of remorse, and when asked why they did such a thing, they gave a ridiculous answer: “Because we wanted to try throwing stones.” At the director’s urging, they offered a hollow “sorrry,” nothing more than lip service.

For Karen’s part, she would have been fine with just giving the misbehaving children a verbal warning. Julius probably felt the same. However, not everyone in this world was as lenient and kind as Karen and Julius. If they threw stones at other nobles or adventurers, it wouldn’t be strange if they were killed. In some circles, an adult’s kindness meant hammering into children the harsh truth that they had done something irreversible when they misbehaved.

It was mainly the custom of lower districts like the adventurers’ quarter. The orphanage seemed to follow the same approach, and at the director’s request, Julius had intimidated them—resulting in this scene.

Even the priests, who should have possessed C-rank or higher magical power, were trembling, so the children—especially those with little magical power—wouldn’t have stood a chance. It was clear that every single child regretted what they had done.

At first, when they were brought before Karen and Julius, the children had defiant eyes, but now they all had pale faces, tears streaming down, trembling violently. While elderly people’s hearts might stop from such treatment, the children showed no such signs, and though some had fallen on their bottoms or wet themselves, none were injured. Karen concluded there was no problem.

“I’m glad it seems you all understand what you’ve done—”

Karen fell silent when her eyes met those of a girl among the children who, while her cheeks were stained with tears, still retained strength in her eyes. She had red eyes like burning flames.

Karen looked at the director and asked:

“What kind of child is this one?”

“That’s Teresa. She’s thirteen years old, born to an adventurer family.”

“Her magical power?”

“F-rank.”

Karen’s eyes widened.

“With F-rank magical power, she can maintain that expression after being hit with Mr. Julius’s intimidation…?”

“Karen, should I intimidate her once more?”

“If her spirit didn’t break from that first one, nothing will break it.”

Tim had also once been a troublesome child of the unbreakable type. Even when kind adventurers intimidated him or beat him up, trying to drill into his body the fear that there existed people in this world you must not defy, he wouldn’t give in. Thanks to that, Karen had been forced to make potions many times.

Occasionally, such children existed. Thor had also been the type who was fine even when intimidated, but Thor was a smart child who understood when Karen properly explained the reasoning, so there was no problem.

In the adventurers’ district, it was said that children who didn’t yield to intimidation would eventually become successful adventurers. Thor had been like that too. However, if this child’s magical power were F-rank, it would be a harsh road ahead.

Karen posed to Teresa the question she had been thinking of asking one of the children again:

“Hey, can you tell me why you threw stones at us?”

“…Because all adults only look at us based on our magical power.”

While glaring at Karen with intense eyes, the girl still answered. However, Karen tilted her head slightly, not quite understanding the meaning.

“We won’t be chosen anyway, but not being chosen without doing anything is frustrating.”

“Huh?”

“So I threw stones. If it’s because of something I did, it’s still better.”

“Um, what do you mean by ‘not being chosen’?”

“You came to take a child with high magical power as your adopted child, didn’t you? Together with your husband.”

Because she had little magical power, she wouldn’t be chosen—for adoption, apparently.

Karen cried out:

“We’re not! Married!”

“Not yet, anyway.”

“We just came to make a donation, okay!? I’m still nineteen! Children and all that are way in the future!”

At Karen and Julius’s words, the girl said irritably:

“It doesn’t matter either way. Anyway, I won’t be chosen, right? Above all, because I’m a bad child. That’s why I’m being scolded. I did something bad, so it’s natural. Even if I’m killed, it can’t be helped.”

With burning eyes, the girl spoke defiantly. It was obvious she bore wounds in her heart. Not trauma from Julius’s intimidation, but surely from the circumstances that led to her being abandoned.

“The children seem to sincerely regret their actions. Could you perhaps forgive them now?”

That was the director’s signal. Karen and Julius exchanged glances and nodded. There was one child who showed no regret and had steeled herself, but there was no need to involve the other children for the sake of that one child alone.

“Thank you. Then, if you’ll excuse us.”

Expressing her gratitude, a priestess led the children, including the girl, away. Karen and Julius moved to the office with the director and proceeded to talk once more.

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