Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 144

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Chapter One Hundred and Fourty-Four: Adventurers’ Problems 2

“It would be a bother if you came here so frequently.”

When Karen arrived at the adventurers’ camp, Gunther appeared. Karen responded with a smile to Gunther, whose expression was exactly as unwelcoming as his words suggested.

“I didn’t come here on Lady Waltride’s business.”

“Then why did you come?”

“First, please let me introduce myself. I’m Karen from the fifth floor of the second apartment building in District Five of the Adventurers’ Quarter in Earthfill’s Royal Capital.”

“The Adventurer Quarter? So you’re an adventurer too?”

Seeing Gunther’s attitude clearly soften due to Karen’s way of introducing herself, Karen deepened her smile cheerfully. Given her background, Karen could easily blend in and gain adventurers’ trust.

Waltride should know this too, but judging by her attitude, she seemed unlikely to order Karen to spy, so Karen had come to gather information of her own free will. Incidentally, she had explained her plan to Julius and brought him along as a bodyguard, but the journey had been awkward with almost no conversation.

“My father and younger brother are adventurers. I’m just employed by Lady Waltride as an alchemist, and I’m still a commoner, so I thought it would be reassuring if my family had joined up here.”

“Being employed by a princess means you’re quite skilled.”

Gunther’s wariness returned again. For adventurers, alchemists who ventured into dungeons were an entirely different breed from those who did not. While the latter might consider themselves equals, adventurers—including those who are alchemists themselves—do not see it that way. The adventurer mindset was that dungeon conquerors were the most important.

“So your old man or brother is among this group? If they’re here, I’ll call them for you.”

“My father went into a dungeon years ago and never came back, so he’s not here.”

Among adventurers, missing people whose bodies weren’t found weren’t called dead. Even if they had held a funeral.

“But my brother might be here, so I came looking for him. I’ll search myself, so please don’t worry about it.”

“No, no, don’t hold back. Tell me your brother’s name. If he really exists, that is?”

Karen looked puzzled.

Although it had been a pretext since she didn’t think her brother had actually joined the dungeon investigation team, she hadn’t expected Gunther to doubt her brother’s very existence.

“My brother’s name is—”

“Oh! Could that be little Karen over there?!”

Just as Karen was about to say the name, someone called out to her, and she turned around.

“Ah! Uncle! Uncle Sepl!”

“Oh! I heard your house burned down! Were you okay?”

“I’m fine!”

Sepl, a D-rank adventurer. He was Karen’s father’s friend.

He had his hair slicked back and tied up. He should be in his late thirties, but he looked youthful, appearing to be in his late twenties, probably because he had climbed the rank several times.

Even so, he still wasn’t C-rank. To become a C-rank adventurer, one had to conquer the tenth floor. Every ten floors in the dungeon, there were powerful monsters, and defeating these monsters meant risking one’s life. So perhaps he had chosen not to advance. There were quite a few D-rank adventurers who chose not to advance even though they had sufficient strength to climb ranks.

“Uncle Sepl, you came with the investigation team too!”

When Karen tried to jump on him out of childhood habit, her collar was firmly pulled back. Even when she tried to move forward, she couldn’t.

Seeing Karen in this state, Sepl frowned.

“—Karen, who’s that pretty boy behind you?”

“Ah, um, that’s Mr. Julius. He came along as my bodyguard.”

“That guy’s a noble.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Karen nodded while still being pulled back. It was Julius doing the pulling. Wondering what he was doing, Karen looked up at Julius with suspicion, only to find him gazing down at her. Though Julius had accompanied her as her bodyguard when she came to the adventurers’ camp, the matter of that woman remained unresolved.

When their eyes met, Karen glared at him reflexively, and Julius hurriedly let go of her hand, saying "sorry" with a flustered look. He probably thought Karen was glaring because her collar had been pulled, but that wasn’t it. However, pursuing that now would be completely wrong.

Sepl and Gunther looked at each other.

“Is she someone you know?”

“Yeah, she’s the daughter of one of my old drinking buddies.”

“She says she has an adventurer brother. Is that true?”

“It’s true.”

“Then she can stay, but—Master Julius of House Ehlertt, would you not consider returning to the princess? Just having you here somehow tires us adventurers out.”

“I am Karen’s bodyguard.”

“I’ll take over as her bodyguard. She’s a friend’s daughter, after all.”

“Mr. Julius, since Uncle says he’ll take over guarding me, please go back ahead.”

This was perfectly timed, given how awkward things were with Julius. When Karen gratefully moved toward Sepl, Julius’s expression clouded.

“…If that’s what you say, I’ll return first. He’s your father’s friend and like a father to you, is that correct?”

“Exactly right!”

“Then… I suppose this isn’t a situation where I should interfere.”

Julius spoke with strange hesitation, then turned on his heel and left.

“Hmph, get lost.”

“Uncle Sepl?”

As Karen was surprised by Sepl cursing at Julius’s retreating back, Sepl said:

“That nobleman probably thinks commoners like me are too dirty to touch.”

“Huh? Mr. Julius never said anything like that!”

“He stopped you when you tried to tackle me, didn’t he? What an unpleasant guy. Well, Karen, you’re big now too, so I’d prefer you stop with the tackling.”

“It wasn’t tackling, it was an affectionate embrace! And, um, I don’t think Mr. Julius stopped me with that intention?”

“Then what was with that hostile look in his eyes?”

Apparently, Julius had been looking at Sepl with hostile eyes when Karen tried to hug him. At Sepl’s words describing a scene Karen couldn’t see, Karen blushed and said:

“Maybe it was… jealousy? I’m dating him.”

“Karen, you’re being deceived.”

Sepl placed his hand on Karen’s shoulder with a serious expression.

“That’s not true!”

“It is true!”

“Uncle Sepl, you’re an idiot!”

“The one calling someone an idiot is the real idiot, stupid, stupid!”

While Karen and Sepl engaged in this futile argument, Gunther and the other adventurers looked exasperated, let their guard down regarding Karen, and dispersed.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 143

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Chapter One Hundred and Fourty-Three: Adventurers’ Problems

The seventh floor of the Earthfill’s Royal Capital’s Dungeon, the Mountain Foot Forest. As the name suggested, it was a forest at the foot of a mountain, where the monster ranks were higher than in the forest right after entering the dungeon, and the frequency of encounters also increased.

Since Karen never left the noble tent area set up in the open space at the edge of the forest, she had never seen any monsters except for bird-type ones that flew through the sky.

The adventurers had pitched their tents in a location deeper within the forest to maintain distance from the nobles’ tents.

When Karen’s group approached the adventurers’ tent area with Waltride at the front, a clearly unwelcoming atmosphere began to drift around them.

When they got halfway there, a stern-faced middle-aged adventurer blocked Waltride’s path.

“What business might the nobles have this time?”

Unfazed by the sharp tone, Waltride responded with a smile:

“I would like to speak with the adventurers’ representative. I am Waltride Earthfill. I am the First Princess of the Earthfill Kingdom and commander of the First Princess Unit.”

“…Not a noble, then. That was rude of me. I shall guide you.”

“I appreciate it.”

The adventurer seemed taken aback by Waltride’s smile, and his manner appeared to soften somewhat after that.

Waltride was a stunning beauty, gentle by nature, and easy to get along with. Karen could guarantee that she wasn’t the type to look down on someone for being a commoner. Perhaps this personnel choice wasn’t wrong after all, Karen secretly thought.

“Gunther, we have visitors.”

“Let them in.”

When they were guided into a tent about three times larger than the others, there were already three adventurers inside. One was a woman, two were men. The man in the center stepped forward.

“I’m Gunther. I’m a C-rank adventurer assigned by the Adventurers’ Guild to serve as the adventurers’ representative, and I’m also the leader of the C-rank party, Jet Black Hawks.”

“I am Waltride Earthfill.”

“I’ve heard about you. So you’ve been chosen as our supervisor? You’ve been stuck with a troublesome job.”

Gunther smiled sardonically. The eyes that the man and woman on either side turned toward Waltride also showed distrust.

“I don’t think of it as troublesome at all. Adventurers are precious and indispensable to the nation. I intend to approach this work with pride, hoping to become a bridge between you and the nobles.”

Without revealing any hint of what had been discussed in the tent, Waltride spoke amiably. Since it looked to Karen’s eyes like genuine enthusiasm was showing through, Gunther wore a confused expression.

She’s quite good at acting, Karen thought, gaining new respect for Waltride. It wasn’t for nothing that she had continued acting the part of a proud princess for years.

“A bridge, eh. That would be appreciated if you could manage it, but to us, you folks just look like the nobles’ representatives.”

“It’s understandable that you would think so at first. We intend to work hard so that you will come to trust us. Therefore, if you have any trouble in the future, please consult with us.”

“Troubles, huh.”

Gunther exchanged glances with the man and woman on either side of him. There was clearly an atmosphere that something was going on.

“…There’s nothing in particular at the moment, so could you please return for today?”

“Very well. If anything comes up, please send someone to my tent anytime. I’ll also come check on things from time to time.”

“How kind of you, Your Royal Highness.”

Waltride spoke matter-of-factly without pressing Gunther further.

Gunther put on a forced smile and waved his hand lazily as he saw the princess’ group off.

“They definitely had the look of people in the middle of some problem.”

“But they weren’t inclined to tell me about it. Since we haven’t built a trusting relationship yet, it can’t be helped.”

Karen turned off the fire on the magical stove that used fire magic stones set up in Waltride’s tent, then poured the black liquid inside into a cup and handed it to Waltride.

“Here’s some hot dandelion coffee.”

“So, a detox potion. Ahh… warmth really seeps into the body in a dungeon.”

Waltride began drinking the steaming dandelion coffee, blowing on it to cool it.

Since she was detoxing regularly, she no longer had situations like at first, where she had to rush to the bathroom, but Julius and the other attendants had left just in case.

“Karen, you mentioned having family among adventurers. Did you notice anything?”

“Well… I don’t think those other two people in that tent were members of Mr. Gunther’s party.”

“Is that so? I had assumed they were members of Jet Black Hawks.”

“I don’t think so. The woman was wearing red armor, and the other man was wearing silver armor, wasn’t he?”

“Hmm, I think that was the case, but what about it?”

“Their party name includes ‘Jet Black,’ right? I’m sure the party members’ equipment is all coordinated in black.”

“Is that your only reason?”

“Only? That’s important! Many adventurers have delusional tendencies, like a protagonist complex! They definitely coordinate in black! Unless some incredibly amazing artifact dropped—no, even if something did drop, the goddess often matches the color to the equipment they usually use!”

“Really?”

Waltride looked at Karen with complete suspicion.

“Really. That’s why adventurers say they feel the goddess is always watching over them.”

That’s exactly why the higher-ranked adventurers were, the less they would do anything shameful before the goddess. Especially never inside a dungeon.

“If you say so, Karen, then perhaps it’s true. Speaking of which, I only heard the names of the C-rank or higher parties joining the adventurer corps: Jet Black Hawks, Crimson Dancing Maidens, and Twilight Knights. ‘Knights’ is just a name—apparently, no noble has actually knighted them.”

“The woman was wearing red armor, so she’s probably from Crimson Dancing Maidens.”

“Then the other man was from Twilight Knights… There’s a high possibility they were holding a meeting with the party leaders gathered together.”

“Isn’t it awful that unless we figure out what the problem is and stop it before it blows up, it’ll end up being your responsibility, Lady Waltride?”

“Well, it can’t be helped.”

Waltride answered nonchalantly.

“…Lady Waltride, you don’t seem to fear becoming responsible for problems at all. Why is that?”

“Ugh.”

For some reason, Waltride flinched awkwardly.

When Karen stared at her intently, Waltride said, "hehe.”

“If I’m busy handling internal affairs now, I won’t have to defeat monsters or be sent to investigate deep in the forest, right?”

“No wonder you seemed enthusiastic.”

It appeared to be work she had proactively taken on, rather than work forced upon her.

There was no doubt that Boromias had pushed this troublesome job onto Waltride. But if Waltride had eagerly accepted it, then to Boromias it must have been utterly baffling.

“Lady Irmlinde and Lady Dorotea are both worried about you, Lady Waltride! Really!”

“S-Sorry… But it is without doubt an important duty, and I intend to do my absolute best.”

Waltride spoke with determination.

“But well, even if I can’t fulfill my responsibilities, in my case, they won’t take my life. At most, I’d get punishment like house arrest. But if you all become accomplices, I don’t know what punishment you’d receive, so please conduct yourselves so that doesn’t happen.”

No one expected anything of Waltride. Not even Waltride herself.

With an exasperated sigh, Karen made up her mind about the course to take from tomorrow.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 142

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Chapter One Hundred and Fourty-Two: Mission from Her Brother

It was said that if a dungeon weren’t obstructed by monsters, it would take one day to cross each floor. So if it were just one floor, even Karen might be able to cross it in a day if she were lucky. If she were unlucky, she would die, so she had never tried it.

As one descended each floor, the monsters became stronger, so the number of days required would increase. However, as expected of a group composed of the Royal Guards, the Royal Knights, elite units of nobles and other individual forces like Waltride’s, as well as adventurers of D-rank and above, it only took ten days for everyone to reach the seventh floor, the "Mountain Foot Forest.”

The monsters were apparently killed instantly by adventurers who secured the left and right flanks of the formation, most often before Karen could even spot them. The problem wasn’t the monsters, but the conflicts between humans.

Karen withdrew the hand she had stretched toward a dandelion and was appalled at the sight of a young Royal Guard staggering backward through the ranks like a broken man.

This was the aftermath of a young nobleman from the Royal Guards who had made advances on a beautiful female adventurer, been rejected, flew into a rage, and attacked her, only to have his head severed in return. The Royals Guards had immediately used a stockpiled major healing potion, so his temporarily separated head had been reattached, but his spirit appeared to be completely broken.

He was apparently leaving the unit to return home. Incidentally, that female adventurer was completely pardoned for trying to cut off the head of a high-ranking nobleman.

Why? Because she was a B-rank adventurer.

Not because she was the victim—Karen felt there was something dark about that distinction, though legally speaking, there would be no crime even if a nobleman forcibly attacked a commoner woman. Still, such behavior would, at least, earn contempt from other nobles. And probably hatred from the goddess as well.

“They should have mistakenly used a medium healing potion instead and let him die. That family is to be pitied. They’ll be at a loss when such an utterly disgraceful man returns home.”

Irmlinde, who had been accompanying Karen as she walked around the nearby area for gathering, spat out these words. Karen had no objection to that opinion.

But a slight chill ran down her spine as she remembered how she had confronted that female adventurer who had been strangely close to Julius the other day, without even knowing her true identity. If that female adventurer had been high-ranking and in a bad mood, Karen’s head might have been separated too.

When high-ranking adventurers hurt others, they were usually pardoned regardless of the reason. Why? Because they were high-rank adventurers recognized by the goddess.

Of course, having been born and raised in an adventurer district, Karen knew that adventurers took strong pride in being recognized by the goddess and had their own unique sense of ethics, so they wouldn’t go completely out of control.

But Karen’s interactions were mostly with D-rank or E-rank adventurers, with C-rank being rare. And she knew almost nothing about those above that level. She had only heard mid-level adventurers rambling in taverns speak of high-level adventurers with admiration and awe.

Even knowing all this, when faced with a woman embracing Julius, the uncontrollable maiden’s heart couldn’t simply withdraw quietly.

With a sour expression, Karen returned to the princess’s camp with Irmlinde, carrying the dandelions she had picked. Then Waltride, who had returned from the regular meeting, called to them:

“Irmlinde, Karen, come to my tent.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

When Karen set down the dandelions and entered the tent, inside were Waltride and Dorotea, as well as Julius. Though Karen glanced over at him with a sullen look, Julius seemed to be lost in thought, keeping his head down, and their eyes never met. Waltride looked around at everyone present and began:

“You all know that since the investigation team entered the dungeon, troubles between adventurers and nobles have been occurring frequently.”

Karen turned her gaze away from Julius and recalled the face of the young man who had just departed with a pale complexion. Though he was the only one who had his head severed, she had heard rumors that various other problems had occurred as well.

“To ensure the smooth progress of the investigation and prevent frequent conflicts with adventurers before they happen, my brother has assigned me the mission to manage and supervise the adventurers. Since I cannot remain hidden in my tent forever, I intend to fulfill this mission entrusted to me by my brother.”

Waltride declared sonorously.

“Irmlinde, Dorotea, Karen, please help me with my work.”

“Yes, Your Royal Highness.”

“I shall serve you with complete devotion, Your Highness Waltride.”

Irmlinde and Dorotea responded solemnly.

Karen’s expression became thoughtful as she considered the difficulty of the assigned task.

“Will Mr. Julius also be helping you, Lady Waltride?”

“Yes. As a bodyguard.”

When Waltride spoke, Julius added a clarification:

“I will be guarding you, Karen, rather than Her Highness. I transferred units to be with you.”

“Yes. Therefore, Karen, you must always accompany me. It seems I can get protection as a side benefit since you’ll be there.”

Waltride’s words were matter-of-factly pragmatic.

“In other words, under this pretext, Master Julius is actually protecting Her Highness Waltride while slipping past the Second Prince’s notice, right?”

“It seems safer to leave it at that, don’t you agree, Lady Karen?”

Karen bristled at Dorotea’s interpretation, but Irmlinde quietly patted her shoulder. With a sigh, Karen shifted her train of thought.

“If you are with us, Mr. Julius, the adventurers should show at least some respect.”

Dorotea frowned at Karen’s words:

“Are you suggesting there’s a possibility that adventurers might not show respect to Her Highness Waltride?”

“Since my father was a D-rank adventurer, most of the adventurers who were kind to me were also D-rank or below, so I’m not sure how accurately I understand the reality of the adventurers currently in the investigation team… but I have heard that higher-ranked adventurers tend to show less respect for social status.”

“If they don’t show respect to Her Highness Waltride as royalty, then what do they show respect to?”

While Dorotea raised her eyebrows, Karen recalled what she had heard about high-level adventurers in drinking establishments.

“To ability, or perhaps to the goddess’s blessing.”

“And if one has neither?”

Unlike Dorotea, who showed clear displeasure, Waltride asked straightforwardly.

“…I don’t know either.”

“Could it be that Your Royal Highness has been assigned a mission that’s the second most difficult in this dungeon investigation team, after identifying the cause of the dungeon’s anomaly?”

At Irmlinde’s observation, everyone fell silent.

Julius, who had been silent from the start, was the first to regain his composure and speak:

“The First Princess’s unit originally brought only us, a few guards, and servants—a unit not suited for combat from the beginning. If we’re not fighting, we must take on other work, and being assigned an important mission could be considered something to celebrate.”

“Should it be celebrated?”

When Waltride tilted her head, Julius nodded.

“If you can complete the mission successfully, this dungeon expedition will serve to enhance Your Highness’s prestige.”

“I see. That is one way to think about it. Though if I fail, I’ll have to take responsibility for that. My brother likely intends the latter.”

Waltride smiled bitterly.

Karen and the rest widened their eyes. The princess had apparently accepted this mission, knowing all of this.

“I will do my part as best I can, but from now on, any trouble caused by adventurers will be laid at my feet. You must conduct yourselves wisely so as not to be dragged down by my responsibility. Understood?”

That bitter smile was painful to see, and Karen, Dorotea, and Irmlinde exchanged glances and nodded to each other.

They would do everything they could for this princess.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 141

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Chapter One Hundred and Fourty-One: Secrets

“Mr. Julius! Who might that person be!?”

“Karen, she is—”

“About that day… I’m so happy that you remember, Master Julius. Depending on the expedition’s duties, we may end up working together, so I look forward to your company when the time comes.”

Before Julius could say anything, the aqua blue-haired woman smiled gracefully and departed from the scene. For a moment, the woman looked at Karen and smiled. Whether it was a mocking smile, Karen couldn’t tell—there was a very high possibility that her eyes were clouded like frosted glass by her romantic filter.

Her beautiful, long, aqua-blue hair seemed difficult to maintain inside a dungeon. She wore a white dress-like outfit and carried a large staff topped with a fist-sized magic stone. She was an adventurer and a healing mage. Healing mages specialized in water magic, and their cleanliness often reflected their skill. Her shoes and staff showed signs of use, so she was probably a skilled healer.

After seeing the woman off until she disappeared from view, Karen shifted her gaze to Julius.

“Mr. Julius?”

“She’s a noble from Ehlertt, Karen. Though she’s a noble, she works as an adventurer and will be accompanying the investigation team, so she apparently came to greet me.”

While saying this, Julius quickly brushed his eyes. It was a casual gesture, but Karen noticed. Julius had just wiped away tears that had formed at the corners of his eyes.

“Um, Mr. Julius, were you crying?”

“Of course not. Why would I cry?”

“Did that person say something to you? What kind of relationship do you have with her? It looked like you were embracing each other.”

“We didn’t talk about anything important, and she’s just a fellow noble from my homeland, Karen. Besides, we weren’t embracing. I was just steadying her when she swayed.”

Julius said this and smiled brightly at Karen.

His perfect smile carried an intention to melt Karen’s brain.

Lately, Karen had shared many kisses and embraces with Julius.

She had probably built up some resistance by now.

Karen directed a suspicious glare at Julius without being easily deceived.

In other words, Julius had no intention of speaking honestly to Karen.

“I see… is that so?”

Karen backed down while maintaining her suspicious glare.

Julius wore a slightly troubled smile, but apparently still had no intention of speaking, keeping his mouth shut.

“…I’m going to prepare lunch, so excuse me.”

“Ah, see you later.”

Karen stared at Julius suspiciously in silence, then left the scene.

“Do you two know anything about women Mr. Julius has dated in the past?”

When Karen asked while preparing detox potions for Waltride, the two maids who were accompanying Waltride’s expedition and were now preparing cutlery for lunch looked at each other.

“Mr. Julius’s? I don’t know anything about that. I knew there were rumors that he was courting Her Highness Waltride, but that was false. Do you know anything, Irmlinde?”

“I don’t know either. Even during my stay at Ehlertt, I don’t recall hearing anything particular. The young ladies admired Mr. Julius, but he was entirely like an unreachable flower, so I think he belonged to no one.”

The tall woman with pale olive green-colored hair was Dorotea, and the small woman with peach-colored hair was Irmlinde. Dorotea was an earl’s daughter, and Irmlinde was a marquis’s daughter. They were daughters of quite high-ranking nobles, respectively, but they were good people who treated Karen with a certain amount of respect.

Dorotea looked at Karen timidly.

“Um, did something happen between you and Mr. Julius… Lady Karen?”

“Your expression looks strange. Are you alright?”

They were good people who even worried about Karen’s dark expression.

“What would you two think if the gentleman you were dating had an unknown woman clinging to him? The gentleman says he was just supporting someone who was swaying. Despite clearly giving off an atmosphere that something happened between them in the past, he says there’s nothing, that she’s just an acquaintance.”

“That’s definitely cheating.”

“Irmlinde, that’s too blunt.”

Dorothea flustered in a panic, while Irmlinde declared firmly.

Karen let out a deep, deep sigh.

“If it’s only something in the past, I wouldn’t call it cheating. Right, Lady Karen?”

“I don’t intend to make a fuss about the past, but what do you think about hiding it from the girlfriend you’re currently dating? When I’m asking about it and he won’t say anything, what do you think?”

“It’s not uncommon for a partially used fire magic stone to ignite from the slightest stimulation.”

Irmlinde remarked wistfully, as if recalling an old saying about a spark rekindling dying embers.

Karen channeled magical power into the contents of her hand pot with a burning intensity. It was a household iron hand pot. The adamantite alchemy cauldron was too heavy to bring along.

“Even though he said he changed his affiliation to the First Princess’ unit to follow me…”

“But Lady Karen, how much effort are you making to keep Master Julius with you?”

“E-Effort?”

When Karen looked at Irmlinde in surprise, Irmlinde received a small tasting plate from a servant who had finished cooking and said:

“Born as a noble daughter, I was educated from childhood to live for my husband’s family once my marriage was arranged. While women also fight, since women bear children, the burden of risking one’s life for the country is still heavier for men. To support the men who risk their lives in battle, I intend to submit to my husband’s family’s teachings and accommodate my husband’s wishes as much as possible. —But Lady Karen, how much are you accommodating Master Julius’s wishes?”

“I-Irmlinde, honestly! Lady Karen is from a commoner background and is an alchemist! She’s different from us who serve Her Highness Waltride for bridal training!”

“Of course, I do think it’s fine to be different. But perhaps Lady Karen should be aware that this is what noble daughters are, and that noble sons grow up dreaming of marrying such women.”

Irmlinde said this calmly and tasted the small plate, then instructed the servants to adjust the seasoning, saying "Her Royal Highness prefers a slightly stronger salt flavor.”

Karen had frozen like a stone in the pose of having completed her detox potion.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 140

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This is the beginning of the next section/arc, “Dungeon Investigation Team” (chapters 140-191)

Section Five: Dungeon Investigation Team

Chapter One Hundred and Fourty: A Warning from the Princess

“First, we’ll descend to the forest at the foot of the mountains on the seventh floor, then begin the area investigation.”

After returning from the squad leader meeting, Waltride shared the plans with Karen as well.

Currently, Karen’s group had pitched tents on the first floor’s grasslands, carrying out their final checks before diving into the dungeon.

“So basically, we’re going down to the seventh floor, huh? This will be my first time diving that deep.”

“I’ve never even been to the first floor! …On my way back here, I saw slimes in the grass. I can’t take this anymore. It’s unbearable.”

Waltride said this while holding her head. Her face was deathly pale. Karen smiled wryly at the sight of Waltride, who was far more frightened than herself.

When Waltride appeared alongside Julius at the temple plaza, Karen’s blood had rushed to her head, but thinking back on it, Waltride had simply been desperately trying to hide behind Julius’s shadow. To do that, she had to stay within the range where Julius’s shadow extended, so she was only close for that reason.

From this behavior, it was clear that Waltride didn’t have even a fraction of composure to flirt with Julius. Karen calmed her feelings and looked at the princess with gentle eyes.

“Lady Waltride, you should basically travel by carriage.”

“Ah, yes, I’ll do that. I’ll close my eyes and plug my ears.”

Saying so, Waltride assumed a posture of listening to the pulse of blood flowing through her own palms.

And this, before they had even departed.

The first floor of the dungeon was grassland stretching endlessly. Beyond the grassland, forests could be seen, but no matter how much one walked, the forests could never be reached. Beyond the forests were mountains, but even continuing to walk, the mountains couldn’t be reached either. As one progressed through the grassland, there would eventually be a black gate, just like when entering the dungeon. Passing through it allowed one to proceed further.

A mountain peak visible even from the grasslands marked the tenth floor. While it felt like climbing upward, conceptually, it was called diving to lower floors. Every ten floors, powerful monsters served as gatekeepers, blocking humans from going to lower floors. The guardian of the tenth floor of the Earthfill Royal Capital Dungeon was an Elder Treant. It was said to be a massive tree monster with a threat rank of C. For this expedition, it wasn’t supposed to concern the investigation team—but the chance of running into it wasn’t entirely zero.

“The magical power in the dungeon has thinned, and the cause might be some powerful monster being born somewhere, right?”

While pulling down Waltride’s hands from her ears, Karen posed the question.

The princess nodded with a sad expression, saying, "Yes.”

“On top of that, deep-floor monsters that shouldn’t normally appear in the shallow layers have been observed.”

Normally, monsters couldn’t cross between floors.

But sometimes they did.

“There’s talk that a Great Collapse Stampede might be about to occur, right?”

“The adventurers insisted that since the royal capital dungeon has been continuously conquered, that was impossible… but when a representative from the Royal Guards pointed out that the conquest might have been neglected, the Royal Knights, who are responsible for maintaining the kingdom’s security, took offense, making the meeting atmosphere terrible. Thanks to that, I was distracted, though.”

It seemed that her fear of humans taking precedence had somewhat diverted her fear of monsters.

Waltride had been half-crying ever since arriving here.

This time, Second Prince Boromias was assigned as the leader of the dungeon investigation team. Boromias was the captain of the Royal Knights and was currently commanding the First and Fifth Units.

However, in the chain of command for this expedition, the Royal Guards were positioned above the Royal Knights. The Royal Guards were a knight order that protected royalty and followed Second Prince Boromias.

Karen had also heard about the bad relationship between the Royal Guards and the Royal Knights through Lyos. According to Lyos, the Royal Guards were a place for noble young masters to play at being knights.

Rumor had it that truly capable people, even among the nobility, preferred to join the Royal Knights. But in terms of status and position, the Royal Guards were superior.

“Right now is an emergency, so I won’t say they should be friendly. But I do hope there won’t be any pointless backstabbing.”

“Only royalty can control the Royal Guards, so I hope Brother Boromias will do his best.”

Though Waltride was supposedly royalty herself, she spoke as if it were someone else’s problem.

“Oh, right, I forgot to tell you something important.”

“What is it?”

“This investigation team is accompanied by many adventurers. I’ve heard that among them are many actual adventurers—nothing like those representatives from the guild who just attend meetings.”

“You mean the crazy ones, right?”

“That’s quite a direct expression, but yes, that’s right. Brother’s orders are to never provoke them. Some of them are as strong as A-rank monsters and can’t be reasoned with, and even state authority doesn’t work on them. If you cause trouble with them, even I might not be able to protect you, so be careful.”

“Thank you for your concern. Still, it’s remarkable that such people agreed to cooperate with the investigation team.”

Strong adventurers were very capricious and selfish, and sometimes even the Adventurers’ Guild couldn’t control them. While the staff members who had formed bonds with adventurers during their rise to strength served as individual reins through their relationships, she had heard that those bonds alone often weren’t enough to manage situations.

“—This is something I was told not to say publicly, but apparently several high-ranking adventurers have gone missing. And in the lower floors, no less.”

“Does that mean it’s related to the current anomaly?”

“The high-ranking adventurers probably think so and decided to cooperate with us. Since even they would be in danger in small groups, we ended up forming this investigation team.”

Waltride fixed Karen with a sharp gaze.

“Steel yourself, Karen. The dungeon right now is a dangerous place, even on the first floor.”

“Understood, Lady Waltride.”

Karen nodded with a serious expression.

This wasn’t the time to be flustered by Julius, who was inexplicably in full-throttle mode. Karen steeled herself anew and left Waltride’s tent.

Right outside the tent were Julius and a light blue-haired woman clinging to him. Karen forgot all of Waltride’s warnings and charged forward.

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The Forsaken Saintess and her Foodie Roadtrip in Another World (Light Novel), Volume 1 Prologue

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Alright, I'm starting to translate the first volume. Compared to the web version, the changes in the prologue are minor, but they are present. For example, there is no LUC stat in Rin's stats.

Volume One, Prologue

If I were asked to tell in three lines what happened, it would be the following:

Summoned to another world with a beautiful high school girl.

Labeled useless with trash skills.

Banished! ← That’s where I am now!

What? Too abbreviated to understand? Well, I don’t think it would make sense even if I didn’t abbreviate it!

I mean, I was on my way home after a solo camping trip to trout fishing when suddenly I fell into what seemed like a hole that appeared under my feet. Before I knew it, I was in this gloomy place that practically screamed “a palace dungeon of some medieval fantasy!” Then, this super-suspicious brat in a pitch-black robe started babbling something about summoning a saint. While I was trying to make sense of it all, a handsome blonde boy knelt gracefully before the pretty high school girl next to me and politely asked to escort her. At the same time, he shouted insults at me like “What trash skill loser!” and, as they were leaving, he casually said to the black-robe kid, “Dump this old hag somewhere appropriate!” and suddenly a light shone beneath my feet. Next thing I knew, I was standing alone in vast, empty grassland.

… See? Makes no sense, right?

But don’t worry. Even I, the person it happened to, have no idea what’s going on!

Fortunately, I managed to pull out my favorite folding chair from the cart box that somehow got summoned (?) here with me, along with all my fishing and camping gear. Let’s sit down and try to organize my thoughts.

I take out the memo book I keep in my bag for recording fishing results and successful lures, and start jotting down questions as they come to mind.

Let’s see, first… my name is Takanashi Rin. Former care worker, currently an acupuncturist at an osteopathic and acupuncture clinic in my early thirties… My greatest joy in life? Catching, cooking, and eating…

…Yup, no issues here. My memories aren’t gone.

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved catching my own food. It grew into a hobby of gathering mountain vegetables and mushrooms with my grandpa, fishing with my dad, and eventually solo fishing and camping trips.

Just yesterday, I went on a fishing camping expedition to an out-of-prefecture fishing pond where you can catch various trout species, including rainbow trout, and stayed overnight at a nearby campsite. Today was supposed to be the return trip, yup.

Well… they say truth is stranger than fiction, but I never imagined I’d actually experience something like being summoned to another world!

Still, what is this “saint summoning”? And what exactly are ‘skills’? And I ended up here because I was “dumped somewhere appropriate”? Oh, didn’t that girl look back and smirk at me when they were leaving!? There’s so much I want to ask someone, so much I want to know… but I’m all alone right now…

There’s not a single person around… or rather, all I can see is grass, trees, and ground. Is everything going to be okay… in every sense of the word?

“Come to think of it, hearing about skills reminds me of tabletop RPGs…”

While I enjoy outdoor activities like fishing and solo camping, I’m also into indoor hobbies, such as TTRPGs and reading. I’ve played a wide range of games, from high fantasy in other worlds to modern low fantasy, near-future cyberpunk, dystopian, horror, and even lighthearted slice-of-life games… In fantasy games, depending on the status and party balance, I tended to create characters with skills and classes that could engage in direct combat. Of course, I loved playing explorer-type characters too!

…Wait a minute, tabletop RPGs? Looking at it that way, aren’t I basically acting as both the Player and the Character right now!? Haven’t I become something like an adventurer, an explorer, a PC1 I always dreamed of!?

“Ah… it would be interesting if I could see my status…”

The moment I mutter that…

A panel of light suddenly appears before my eyes. Something like text is written on what looks like a somewhat greenish LCD screen. I instinctively reach out to touch it, but my finger passes right through the light panel. Seems I can’t touch it.

Still, being the reading addict I am, my eyes can’t help but follow the text on the panel.

[Name: Rin Takanashi

Class: Outlander, Traveler

HP: 17/17 MP: 15/15

STR (Strength): 8 CON (Constitution): 9 POW (Power of Will): 15

DEX (Dexterity): 13 INT (Intellect): 14

Special Skills: [Camping Car] *Usable only outdoors

Skills: [Survival]]

What… Japanese!? And what are these numbers!? Don’t tell me this is my status!?

No way… My status actually appears…!

…Well. Looking at these numbers objectively, my Strength and Constitution are on the lower side. Is this okay for someone who loves the outdoors? Maybe it’s balanced by having high Power of Will and Intellect, but doesn’t this make me seem like I’m all brains and no brawn? I’m no weakling, come on!

Wait… so, my Special Skill can only be used outdoors?

Ah! I get it now. So, it wasn’t active during the summoning because it was indoors, hence my skills got called “trash”! I see, I see! He dismissed me without even checking me out properly! I hope that “prince” stubs his toe on a drawer corner and writhes in pain without me knowing!

As I take a closer look at the totally ‘fantasy-esque!’ status window and parameters, a new window appears over a word I focus on!

Judging by the amount of text, this must be a detailed explanation!

[Skill: [Survival]

Passive.

To ensure the user’s survival, provides support on both physical and knowledge aspects to adapt to the natural and social environment.

Moreover, in the event of unexpected situations, harmonizes mental and thought processes to ensure survivability, while enhancing physical capabilities.]

Oh, I see.

So that’s why I’m unusually calm.

Being suddenly summoned (?) to an unknown world and then forcibly warped to this deserted place… I should be weeping, panicking, or falling into despair, but I’m not that different from usual, thanks to this Survival harmonizing my thoughts.

Even in this situation, something is trying to help me survive… or rather, I’m the one trying to survive…

Ah… I feel like crying!

Despite all this incomprehensible stuff happening to me, looks like I want to live.

I see. I want to live… In that case, I have to survive no matter what…

“Hmm? Then what about the other one, [Camping Car]?”

Wiping away the tears welling up in my eyes, the moment I mutter the words "Camping Car" that are listed in the status window… There is a sudden tremor from behind as if something extremely heavy dropped down, and the ground shakes.

I hesitantly turn around, and the first thing that comes into my view is the green vehicle body and the light-cream-colored container cabin. The two-tone body at first glance looks like what’s called a truck camper, with living quarters mounted on a truck bed. But looking closer, while it’s painted to look like a truck camper, it’s actually a cab-over type with the body and living quarters integrated… commonly known as a cab-over camper!

With a bunk bed over the driver’s area, isn’t this the archetypal style of a camping car that comes to mind for anyone when they hear the word “camper”?

“No way! Seriously!? No no no! Really!? Really!?”

My excitement is apparently too much for even Survival to control, reducing my vocabulary, but can you blame me!?

A camping car is a magical vehicle that lets you enjoy both outdoor and indoor life—you can travel anywhere you want while having a living space to retreat to!

Oh, seriously! What is this god-tier skill!?

…breathe in… Breathe out.

The illustration description: Rin is looking at the Camping Car.

…Breathe in… Breathe out… Breathe in… Breathe out…

Let’s… let’s calm down a bit. Be cool… Be cool, me! My face is probably breaking into an embarrassing grin right now!

…Ah… I’m having trouble settling down…!

The truth is, there was a time when I seriously researched camping cars, thinking how amazing it’d be to use one for my fishing and camping trips. But the more I looked into it, the more I realized that both the purchase cost and maintenance fees were astronomical. It just wasn’t practical for everyday use. In the end, I had no choice but to sigh, accept that "I can’t afford this right now," and quietly close my browser—it was my dream vehicle…!

Even after concluding that "buying one is impossible," I still kept checking out camping car interiors and exteriors whenever I had free time. I’d daydream—err, I mean, imagine all the possibilities—"What if I actually owned one…?”

When your dream vehicle suddenly appears out of nowhere and becomes yours… how can you not be overjoyed!

Trying hard to contain myself from jumping around like a kid despite my age, I take another look at the suddenly manifested camping car.

The driver’s section and the lower third of the vehicle body are a deep dark green. The container cabin area is painted in light cream, with an elegant vine pattern as an accent on the side door, and a deep red rose adorning the door handles.

Yup… I actually really like this design!

As I reach to open the door, there’s a light pshhh sound, and the door slides open automatically. W-Wait, does this thing even have a smart door!? Before I can even wonder how many features it has, a world I never expected spreads out beyond the open door.

“Mmm!?”

Straight ahead, there’s a spacious living room with a large table by the window and sofa-style chairs. On the right side, there’s a beautiful, spacious sink and a kitchen with a three-burner stove. Beyond that, I can even see a sign indicating a restroom.

…Huh? This doesn’t make sense. Isn’t it way too spacious?

I hurriedly step outside to look at the vehicle again.

…Yup. No matter how you look at it, it’s just a “regular” cab-over camper. I really can’t imagine how there’s that much space inside…

Upon entering again, I see the bright living room lit by sunlight streaming through a large window, and a clean, functional kitchen equipped with the appliances I’ve always dreamed of.

…Yup. This makes no sense.

I quietly close the cabin door and decide to forget what I just saw for now… Well, this is beyond what this thirty-something woman can comprehend.

…

…Alright! Let’s change gears and check out the driver’s seat!

Lifting my head after being lost in thought, I head toward the driver’s seat. Though it takes a bit of technique to climb in due to the high clearance, I manage to get in without too much trouble.

Thanks to the height, the visibility is great.

I take a look at the steering controls—it seems like the gear’s an automatic. I have a manual license, but I haven’t driven a manual car in ages, so this is a relief!

Opening the dashboard, I find what looks like a familiar black vehicle inspection file. Upon opening it, it appears to be more like an instruction manual for this vehicle.

…Let’s see… what do we have here…?

[Thank you very much for using the Special Skill, Camping Car.

This skill allows the caster to summon a Camping Car at will, using their coordinates as the starting point when outdoors. Please note that dungeons are also considered "outdoors.”

The vehicle absorbs "magic particles," an energy substance present in the atmosphere, to power both its movement and internal equipment, so you need not worry about running out of energy. The water from the taps inside the vehicle is magical water generated from magic circles built into the vehicle and can be used directly as drinking water. Wastewater is also magically processed and returned to the outside as magic particles, so no cleaning is necessary.

The vehicle is equipped with a barrier function that prevents anyone not approved by the caster from boarding. Additionally, the vehicle has a concealment function, making it invisible to anyone other than the caster and passengers.

The living area uses spatial magic to achieve spaciousness and comfort for your stay. Please feel free to relax and enjoy your time to the fullest.]

…Wow. That’s Amazing.

So amazing, I can’t help but read it in a monotone.

Somehow… with this skill, I feel like thinking too hard about it means losing. Like "Don’t think, feel!" you know?

For now, I get out of the driver’s seat and look at the vehicle from the outside again. The gleaming body without a single scratch or speck of dust. The large tires firmly supporting the vehicle.

What is this special skill…? They called it a "trash skill"… I don’t know what that high school girl’s skills were… but isn’t this skill actually amazing?

Something slowly begins to well up in my heart, which has been simply dumbfounded. It’s joy, curiosity, motivation… and also a vague fear.

…But nothing will start if I just mope around here!

First, I’ll trust in Survival and this childish curiosity that’s welling up, and embark on an adventure!

I can worry about everything later!

Deciding to retrieve the cart box I left on the ground, I open the rose-adorned door once again.

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