Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 199

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Chapter One Hundred and Ninety-Nine: Memorial Service

“Thanks to the dedication of the dungeon investigation team, we were able to capture the evil ones who had brought calamity to the dungeon. And we, the Kingdom of Earthfill, have obtained a pegasus for the first time since King Sybilla. This is the goddess’s blessing.”

“Ukyu!”

In response to Waltride’s words from the platform of the grand temple, Weiss, held in her arms, chimed in.

“It was the dedication offered by our nation’s warriors that brought us this victory blessed by the goddess. As a member of the royal family, I shall report to the goddess the dedication you have shown, risking your lives, and that of the fallen. I shall praise the courage and achievements of those who fearlessly stood against unknown evil, and honor their sacrifice.”

Today, a special memorial service was held. The memorial service was a ceremony held for the nation’s fallen warriors who had fought for their country. At the request of the state, the temple organized it, offering prayers so that the souls of the fallen warriors might ascend the steps to the goddess.

This memorial service was not a ceremony for all those who had died fighting for the Kingdom of Earthfill, but a special memorial service held solely for the members of the dungeon investigation team. The venue was the grand temple. Not the temple where the dungeon gate was located, but the largest temple in the Kingdom of Earthfill’s royal capital, situated in the plaza before the royal palace.

The attendees were the High Priest and priests, the royal family led by the king, and the participants of the dungeon investigation team. Therefore, Karen was also attending the ceremony as a member of Waltride’s unit. And Waltride, having been assigned the first seat of the dungeon investigation team, was being made to give a speech as the representative of the investigation team during the ceremony. Though her face had been completely pale until just moments ago, Waltride’s figure standing on the platform was impressive.

“How admirable…”

“At first glance, yes.”

Irmlinde’s words made both Dorotea and Karen smile wryly.

Just moments ago, she had been throwing a tantrum about wanting to take sick leave like her brother. Originally, it was Boromias’ role to give the speech as the representative of the dungeon investigation team.

However, Horst, who had been under Boromias’ custody, had escaped. Despite there being guards, he had apparently vanished like smoke. Boromias was reprimanded for letting a criminal closely connected to the mastermind escape, and though no public punishment was handed down, he was not permitted to attend the memorial service.

He was made to be absent under the pretext of recuperating from illness. As a result, Waltride had won by default, so to speak. Boromias and Waltride had been the only royals on the dungeon investigation team.

If that were all, it would be one thing, but from an outsider’s perspective, Waltride was a hero who had destroyed the enemy base and returned with a pegasus. Though the destruction of the base meant that evidence and leads on the organization could no longer be obtained, causing significant losses, the achievement Waltride had established still appeared great at first glance.

For that reason, at this memorial service, in royal terms, Waltride had obtained the most advantageous position. Though it was a place to mourn the dead, displaying one’s presence at a ceremonial occasion was apparently something glorious for royals. Therefore, from the row of royals in the royal seats, the people who appeared to be Waltride’s family were clearly watching her intently.

To Waltride, it apparently felt like she was being glared at. The princess believed that every one of her parents and siblings questioned her being in this place and surely thought her unworthy, and that might actually have been the case.

Nevertheless, as one of the royals who had participated in the dungeon investigation team, Waltride mourned the fallen, expressed gratitude for their contributions, and praised them to the fullest.

“Ugh… everyone was looking at me… I might have made some mistake…”

Returning unsteadily, the first thing Waltride did was complain.

“You were admirable, Your Highness Waltride.”

“Indeed. At a glance, no one could possibly see through Your Highness’s true feelings, so there is nothing to worry about.”

“If that is the case, then good.”

Even Irmlinde’s rather rude remark seemed to be fine with Waltride.

The one who appeared next was the High Priest.

This was the first time Karen had seen him.

He appeared to be a middle-aged man, but since the High Priest was said to have held the position since well before Karen’s birth, he must be quite advanced in years.

It was believed that those who served the goddess needed to stand upon a lofty tier of the steps. Therefore, only people with magical power of C-rank or higher became priests, and those who became High Priests were required to have magical power of S-rank or higher.

So he only looked youthful, and must actually be an incredible age.

Karen wasn’t a particularly devout believer, so she only prayed occasionally at the temple that managed the dungeon when she went there anyway, but fervent believers of the goddess prayed at the temple on the weekly goddess worship days.

For such pious people, witnessing the High Priest was apparently a precious opportunity, and some were shedding tears of emotion rather than mourning the dead.

“To send the warriors who fought bravely for our nation to the goddess’s garden, please join me in offering prayers to the goddess.”

Many believed that if the High Priest—said to stand close to the goddess—offered prayers, the souls would surely reach the goddess’s garden.

Though Karen wasn’t deeply religious, the adventurers who had died felt painfully close to her.

She pressed her lips together, placed her hand on her chest, and lowered her eyes. The fact that Thor and Julius hadn’t died this time was merely good luck. The possibility of not returning, like her father, always existed for anyone.

The moment she thought that, Julius, who had been behind her, placed his hand on Karen’s shoulder. Karen placed the hand that wasn’t on her chest over his.

Waltride and everyone also fell silent with solemn expressions and lowered their eyes.

The moment the High Priest drew breath to speak, the grand temple was enveloped in silence as if water had been poured over it.

“O Goddess, please welcome into your stairway the souls of those who fulfilled their lives for the protection of our nation. So that those on low steps and high steps alike may not lose their way in the dark underground forest, may they be guided by your mercy and love, and may you watch over them so they can safely reach your stairway. May the souls that have climbed to the heights eventually be purified, granted perfect bodies in the goddess’s garden, and be permitted to live eternal life.”

Karen had felt the goddess’s actual existence herself.

If so, did the goddess’s garden exist as well?

While harboring this question that occasionally surfaced in her heart, Karen still prayed fervently to the goddess for its existence.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 198

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Chapter One Hundred and Ninety-Eight: Dividing Wall 3 (Julius’s POV)

“That’s why I’m not embarrassed anymore. Well, I’m still a little embarrassed sometimes. But I’m not as overwhelmed as before, and then I became able to see you much better than before, Mr. Julius.”

Karen gazed at Julius as if seeing through him. It felt as though she might see through even things that shouldn’t be seen through, but he couldn’t avert his gaze from Karen, and it was Julius himself who became unable to move.

“Until now, I was just squealing on my own. I thought that was fine. Because you were just making me feel good for the sake of your house anyway, Mr. Julius. I never thought there was a possibility that your sincerity was included in it.”

Karen peered into Julius’s eyes. At a distance where the Karen of before would have been too embarrassed to even look directly at his face.

Drawing close enough that their breaths might touch, Karen looked at Julius’s inner self rather than his face itself and said:

“When I thought about how much I’d overlooked your feelings while I was squealing, it felt wasteful. This isn’t the time to be melting my brain.”

“…There aren’t only good feelings within me, you know.”

Julius said this while feeling a hint of fear at Karen’s gaze, then suddenly gasped.

“Could it be… that because you saw through the improper feelings within me, you decided to refuse marriage with me?”

If she had only looked at Julius’s glittering exterior appearance, she would have been deceived, but because she touched Julius’s essence, hadn’t she thought that while she could date him, she couldn’t marry him?

Hearing Julius’s speculation, Karen first rounded her eyes in puzzlement, then her expression became serious and determined.

“That’s not it. Marriage is too much at the center of my dreams, so my brain can’t handle it.”

“Hm? …The center?”

“If I get married, I’ll almost certainly become absorbed in married life. I’m far too confident I’d throw alchemy aside. So I can’t get married yet.”

At the unexpected answer, Julius started to smile, but immediately realized reality and erased his smile.

“However, marriage with me will be different from the dream marriage you’ve imagined until now. I don’t know commoner marriages, and you don’t know noble marriages. Perhaps you wouldn’t need to become so absorbed?”

“If it’s marriage with you, Mr. Julius, no matter what it’s like, of course I’d become absorbed! Your estimate is far too optimistic!”

Looking down at Karen as she stated this decisively, Julius widened his eyes.

“Certainly, I can predict any number of difficulties. We definitely don’t look well-matched. It won’t be a time that’s just fun like dancing. Even so… honestly, I’m so happy I feel like I’m going crazy!”

Julius finally noticed that Karen was desperately pressing her lips together to keep the corners from loosening into a grin.

“I want to get married. Seeing Fiene has made that feeling stronger than ever. But if I get married, my alchemy life will… end!”

Julius almost said, “If you balanced both,” but swallowed the words. Now of all times, he had no intention of getting in Karen’s way.

However, if Karen became absorbed in marriage, in Julius, and forgot about alchemy and stopped in her tracks, he probably wouldn’t dare push her back either. He could imagine his future self tempting her with all his might so she would never remember alchemy again. If Karen were there, gazing only at him, then even if Julius didn’t mean to hinder her, he could see nothing but a future where he became an obstacle.

“You’d prefer it if I became an S-rank alchemist too, wouldn’t you, Mr. Julius? So, until I become an S-rank alchemist, won’t you wait for me!?”

Karen firmly grasped Julius’s arm and sent him pleading eyes. He almost said he’d wait as long as it took—but stopped himself.

He could wait. As long as needed—he surely would—but he didn’t want to.

However, he would probably end up being made to wait in the end.

Julius, whose weakness of being in love had been seized, smiled sweetly at Karen as payback.

“Karen. I’m not being kind to you for the sake of my house, I simply love you, so I wouldn’t mind even if you were F-rank.”

“Th-that makes me happy. But it doesn’t!”

“Your rank didn’t matter to me, but if you aimed to become an S-rank alchemist, I’d support you. Knowing you, Karen, you’d surely rise to S-rank in no time, wouldn’t you?”

“The pressure is overwhelming!”

Julius showed his most dazzling smile to Karen, who lately had stopped falling for just his smile, and whispered in her ear:

“I can’t wait to marry you soon, Karen.”

She reddened from her neck.

Julius had been worrying that he might not be able to fulfill Karen’s dreams, yet Karen believed that no matter what dreams she had about marriage, she could be happy as long as it was with Julius. If none other than Karen wished it to be so, then it surely would be—Julius found himself believing this too.

His minor worries and the wall between them would surely be trivial matters before this tireless, never-give-up hard worker.

The fact that he could think this without any real basis was unbearably amusing.

Laughing, Julius offered his congratulations for Karen’s dreams:

“When we do get married, I want to fulfill all your dreams, so if there’s anything I can help with, please tell me. For example, may I hear what kind of dream you have?”

At Julius’s question, Karen turned bright red before his eyes.

It didn’t look as though she was holding back out of modesty because the dream was something Julius couldn’t grant.

Karen turned bright red, held her head in her hands, and groaned.

“Ah! My brain… melted…!”

“It doesn’t seem to have melted, Karen.”

What Karen had melted was the wall—the anxiety within Julius.

Seeing Karen dyed red from head to toe for the first time in a while, Julius found himself wondering just what kind of dream she was having, and burst out laughing.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 197

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Chapter One Hundred and Ninety-Seven: Dividing Wall 2 (Julius’s POV)

After being introduced to her friends by Karen, Julius was in turn introduced by Karen as well. Linus’s family home was a farm, and Fiene apparently ran a bakery in the royal capital. As Linus supplied them with wheat, their relationship had deepened.

The biggest trigger that led to their marriage was apparently the anomaly in the dungeon. They said they had entered into marriage so they could be together no matter what happened in the future. Even if the anomaly in the royal capital’s dungeon caused the sphere of influence to shrink, causing monsters to appear in Linus’s village, if his wife were from the royal capital, he could flee there with his family.

However, in Julius’ opinion, it wasn’t based on such calculating thoughts, but rather they seemed to be bound together by love.

And Karen’s friends, who were bound by love beyond all interests and advantages, celebrated Karen as she claimed Julius was her lover, yet watched her with worried expressions, seeming unconvinced that Julius and Karen had a proper relationship. If her partner had been someone like Ahim—a fellow commoner and even a fellow alchemist—they would surely have wholeheartedly celebrated Karen for forgetting Lyos and moving forward.

During the carriage ride taking Karen to the alchemy workshop, Karen seemed to be constantly thinking about something, lost in thought.

Julius gazed at her profile as she looked out the window. The commoner dress had a cool, airy feel to its thin fabric. The design that exposed her back was something rarely seen among nobles, and to Julius’s eyes, it looked unsettlingly revealing. He wished he were the only one who found her beautiful, but she apparently looked beautiful to others’ eyes as well.

Linus and Fiene weren’t the only friends of Karen who had gotten married. Karen had many friends, and following the dungeon upheaval, several others had married as well. Karen had gazed at them with longing. Surely it was a scene she had longed for since childhood, and she must have imagined herself joining that circle countless times.

Afraid that Karen might be drawn away by that longing, Julius took her hand. Then Karen’s sky-blue gaze looked at him.

“What’s wrong, Mr. Julius?”

Karen asked with a smile.

When their gazes intertwined, Julius could no longer keep his mouth shut, and he drew Karen’s hand to his lips and kissed it.

“Karen, marry me.”

At Julius’s sudden proposal, Karen’s eyes opened wide as saucers.

“Eeh!? W-Wait a moment. Isn’t this way too sudden!?”

It was an impulsive proposal. There was no arrangement, no preparation whatsoever. While inwardly angry at his own lack of preparation, Julius simply pressed Karen’s hand to his forehead and pleaded.

“Marry me, Karen. I want to be with you from now on.”

“…Thank you very much. Your words make me very happy, Mr. Julius.”

Even before hearing the words that followed, Julius was already disheartened.

If Karen had truly been inclined to accept marriage, she would not have been this calm. She should have been more excited, more flustered, and reassured Julius with her joyful reaction.

Yet even when faced with Julius’s earnest proposal, Karen spoke in an exceedingly calm tone.

“But—”

“Karen, why have you stopped saying your brain is melting lately?”

“Brain… what? What do you mean?”

Julius interrupted Karen’s words, raised his face, and gazed at her.

Even gazing at her from close range, Karen’s face was flushed, but that was all. She had changed from before, when she would freeze up just from being gazed at by Julius.

“Even when I bring my face close, you’re no longer captivated by me. Did you lose interest because I handled you roughly in the blank zone? Or have you simply grown tired of me?”

“I haven’t grown tired of you! And that level of roughness in the blank zone is very welcome! I’m sincerely looking forward to the next magic intoxication!”

“You don’t need to wait. But if that’s the case, then why?”

“That’s, well… um…”

Just as Julius was about to console his anxiety at the sight of Karen shyly growing redder by the second—

Karen noticed his expression and widened her eyes.

Then the fervent light dwelling in her eyes settled down—Julius looked down at that change with a tormented heart.

“Why…!”

“Until now, I thought I was the only one who liked you, Mr. Julius, so even being happy was embarrassing, unbearable, and I always felt like I was going to melt.”

At some point, Karen had stopped turning bright red and panicking even when they kissed.

With an almost maddening calmness, Karen explained herself.

In the past, she would have been far more flustered.

She used to show signs that made it obvious at a glance that she had feelings for Julius—and yet, why had she changed?

Depending on the reason, he might not be able to stay calm.

So as not to hurt Karen when that happened, Julius steeled himself.

“But, Mr. Julius, you actually like me too, don’t you?”

Karen mumbled the words, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

The start did not seem unfavorable, and Julius nodded vigorously.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 196

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Chapter One Hundred and Ninety-Six: Dividing Wall (Julius’s POV)

Immediately after leaving the dungeon, Karen had collapsed into bed. His daily visits were refused so that Karen could rest, and after she was able to get up, he had been visiting the alchemy workshop every two or three days, but today she had declined his visit, saying she had business to attend to.

Instead, he went to Sara, who supervised Karen’s guards, to hear what they knew, and learned that Karen had gone to a reunion at the commoners’ school.

When Julius learned that Karen was attending a party called a reunion—something that was normally attended with a partner—a sense of unease ran through his chest.

He opened the bottle of sachets he had received from Karen, grabbed some from inside, and had the servants help him hurriedly prepare his appearance. He bathed in hot water into which he had dumped the contents of a sachet, dressed in the knight’s uniform that also served as formal wear that Karen seemed to favor most, and arranged his hair.

The figure reflected in the mirror was one that many women endlessly desired. The version of himself that Karen desired. After confirming there was not a single flaw, he headed to the commoners’ school.

It was the place where Karen had spent the majority of her life thus far. Children of the same age gathered as their parents wished, learning, honing their skills, fostering friendships—it seemed like a place far too removed from Julius’s own life.

“U-Um, do you have an invitation…?”

Grateful that the person handling the guest reception was female, Julius gave a sweet smile to the woman who was asking in a flustered manner with a red face.

“I apologize, but my partner has already entered, and I don’t have the invitation on me. Might I be allowed inside?”

“Um, there’s no message either, and basically you need an invitation, but—”

As Julius deepened his smile, the words of refusal that the woman was about to utter disappeared in her mouth.

“If you could tell me whose partner you are…! May I ask for the partner’s name and graduation year, as well as your own name?”

“I am Julius Ehlertt, partner of Karen, who graduated in Kingdom Year 3361. Would presenting my crest suffice as proof of identity?”

“Yes! I’ll confirm it! Please enjoy yourself!”

“Thank you.”

Julius felt relieved inwardly that his appearance had resolved the matter. He didn’t want to flaunt his noble status. This was Karen’s domain.

When Julius entered the hall, gazes gathered on him. Perhaps because he was recognizably a noble at a glance, no one made a fuss.

However, even Julius, unaccustomed to this place, could understand that the attention was gathering in a clearly unusual way.

If he went straight to Karen like this, he would probably interfere with her—it was just as he had come this far and stopped his feet in hesitation.

“Karen looked super beautiful, didn’t she?”

Julius checked the face of the man who had spoken those words. He was an utterly ordinary commoner—and seemingly someone who knew Karen. He might be a friend, and it wouldn’t be strange if they had an even closer relationship.

Julius knew nothing of Karen’s past. He knew her background on paper, but not the life she had lived. Therefore, he couldn’t dismiss any possibility.

Julius was made to realize anew what kind of emotions Karen must have felt when she saw Julius and Therese together.

“And get this—Karen the alchemist made it to C-rank. A buddy of mine sent her a wedding invitation and got a reply from her apprentice saying she was away on business.”

“Having an apprentice means she’s really C-rank?”

“Didn’t Karen get dumped by Lyos? That means she doesn’t have a partner now, right?”

“Lyos did something stupid, didn’t he?”

“Karen doesn’t choose people based on magical power or rank or upbringing. Even I could totally date her, couldn’t I?”

“No way, a C-rank alchemist is probably impossible.”

“Asking costs nothing, right?”

“But someone’s already beaten us to it.”

Before he knew it, Julius had taken a step forward. To keep in check all those who harbored hopes for Karen.

Finding Karen wasn’t difficult. Rather than Karen herself, it was because the man with her was attracting attention.

As he proceeded toward where people’s eyes and ears were directed, their attention shifted to Julius one after another.

Right in front of the man named Ahim, who was about to invite Karen to dance, Julius took Karen into his arms.

He saw Ahim’s expression in that moment. The emotion that showed on that man’s face was decidedly not one born from friendship.

“C-Congratulations…! Wait, what!? No, I had no idea you two were in that kind of relationship…!?”

Julius watched from a step back as Karen talked animatedly with her friends.

She was clearly at ease, genuinely enjoying herself. Just as she was with her younger brother Thor and Sepl, there was no reserve there. This was the face Karen showed to those she had opened her heart to.

Why did that face make his chest burn, despite the fact that her friends were a married couple?

“A lot happened starting around last fall.”

“Why wasn’t I invited to the wedding!?”

“I did send an invitation. But Karen, I got a very polite reply from your apprentice saying you were away on work?”

“Ah! Sorry! Right now I have a mountain of letters at home, and I haven’t been able to read through them all yet…!”

Karen held her head in her hands.

The invitation must have been sent during the period when Karen was delving into the dungeon.

Now that it was clear she was an alchemist who could make panaceas, even though information was being controlled, Karen was already famous among the nobility. Letters were probably arriving in droves.

Karen, while apologizing, gazed at her ordinarily married childhood friends, at friends who had been blessed with a child, with a somewhat envious, longing look.

Several of the things Karen gazed at with longing were things that Julius, as a noble, could never give her. They might have been things that the man named Ahim, who had been about to invite Karen to dance, could have given her.

“It can’t be helped. If you’re a C-rank alchemist, you must be getting letters from nobles too, right? You have to respond to those first, or it’ll be scary later.”

“Fiene! You’re in front of a noble!”

“Ah, I-I’m sorry.”

Linus spoke as if flustered, and Fiene voiced an apology.

It was clear it had been casual banter for them, and Julius himself did not mind.  However, in the eyes of Karen’s friends looking up at him, there was fear. Because Julius was a noble and they were commoners.

It felt as though he were experiencing the distance from the world Karen lived in, and Julius tasted bitterness in his mouth.

However, without showing any sign of it, he smiled.

“Feel free to interact casually. I’ll tell you this—as long as you don’t anger Karen, you won’t anger me either. Everything I am belongs to Karen.”

Karen looked at her friends with an embarrassed, bashful smile.

“Hehe. That’s how it is, so it’s okay.”

When Karen said this with a smile, even the two whose tension hadn’t eased with Julius’s words alone relaxed their shoulders in relief.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 195

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Chapter One Hundred and Ninety-Five: Alumni Reunion 4

“I’m sorry, Mr. Julius. That was a rude classmate. Please forgive him—he’s B-rank, after all.”

Since Julius was staring intently in the direction Ahim had gone, Karen followed up with a bitter smile.

Ahim was always like that. He would come up to her, pick fights with Karen, and always get angry. It was normal for Karen, but from Julius’s perspective, it must have been unpleasant.

However, once someone reached B-rank, whether an adventurer or alchemist, they became a figure to be respected. They would be given some leeway even for slight rudeness toward nobles. Thor was in a similar position. Surely Julius would overlook it too.

“By the way, how did you know I was coming to the alumni reunion, Mr. Julius? I didn’t particularly mention it.”

“I asked Sara. Sara keeps track of your schedule.”

Julius tightened the arm he still had around Karen’s waist.

“From now on, I’d like to hear from your own lips about plans to go to occasions that require bringing a partner—would that be possible?”

“All right. I’ll discuss it with you. But really, commoners are more relaxed about such things, so being alone is totally fine.”

Rather, the problem would be Julius’s noble social gatherings. However, Karen kept quiet about that. Remembering how Julius had stood out at this commoner social occasion—in a good way, but still—she could imagine what eyes she would be looked at with if she appeared at a noble social gathering.

Even if Karen seemed transformed compared to before from a commoner’s perspective, from a noble’s view, her etiquette would be superficial and hastily learned. Seeing Julius made her feel she had witnessed firsthand just how ridiculous she would look when she appeared at a noble party.

“Karen.”

When her name was called and Karen looked up, Julius, who had separated from her without her noticing, was now standing before her, extending his hand.

“Won’t you grant me the honor of dancing with you? My goddess?”

“…With pleasure.”

When Julius took her hand and they stepped onto the floor, for some reason, the other people cleared the space.

Even as she felt the full attention of her classmates who had gathered simply to watch, she had been far less nervous than when she had danced with Sieg.

This was Karen’s home ground, and her dance partner was Julius. All eyes were directed at Julius, yet despite receiving all this attention, Julius seemed unconcerned and gazed only at Karen.

Before long, he began to lead Karen in time with the change in the music’s tempo. Even if Karen’s feet got a bit tangled, there was a sense of security that Julius would somehow manage it, making it simply fun. Was it because he was accustomed to dancing, or was Julius just skillful? Strangely, Karen didn’t think it was because Julius had accumulated dance experience with various women. It was a time of pure enjoyment, where she almost felt the illusion that her own dancing had improved.

For a moment, she wished this time could continue forever—but eventually, the music stopped.

“Karen, it’s been a while!”

“Ahh! It really has been! Huh? You didn’t come to the reunion last year and the year before, right?”

“My family home is far from the capital.”

As Julius said he would bring something for the overheated Karen, she stood alone by the wall when another classmate approached her.

His name was Linus. Though a classmate, he was three years older—a young man who had come from a village within the sphere of influence of the royal capital dungeon and had been a boarding student at the commoners’ school. He had saved money to attend school to acquire abilities useful for his family’s farming business, and after graduation, returned to the village where his family lived, so they rarely met after graduation.

But he was one of the people she had been close to during school. Those who took pride in living in the capital wouldn’t even speak to people like Linus, who came from farming villages, and Karen also didn’t get along well with that crowd, which included Marian, so they naturally gravitated together.

“Karen, you’ve really changed.”

“Hehe. I get told that often.”

“For a moment, I couldn’t tell if it was you, but it is you. Women are amazing. …Is it the influence of that noble you were dancing with earlier?”

“I suppose you could say that.”

Karen had changed since she became involved with the Ehlertt Earldom. Even without the presence of Julius, Karen would have changed for the people of Ehlertt. But the biggest cause of change was undoubtedly Julius.

“I guess we’re living in different worlds now…”

“Eh, don’t say that. I’m—”

As Karen was about to protest against Linus, who smiled as if troubled, the returning Julius physically blocked her with his body. With Linus completely out of view, Julius smiled and handed Karen the plate he had been holding.

“Karen, it’s lemon sherbet.”

“Thank you.”

Julius smiled brightly, then turned around to face Linus.

Karen could only see Julius’s back.

“Now then, who might you be?”

“Eep, um…! I have some business with Karen…!”

Sensing Linus becoming flustered, Karen peeked her face out from behind Julius’s back, which was blocking her view, while eating the sherbet.

“Business with me?”

“Y-Yeah. Fiene is over there, but she’s not feeling well. I thought I’d ask if you could come, but you’re a C-rank alchemist, right? Unlike before, I thought it might not be good to make you come all the way here now…”

“She’s not feeling well!? You should have said so right away!”

Fiene was also one of her friends. While there were many people at the commoners’ school who were hungry for more and aiming higher, there were also easygoing people whose ambition was just to acquire some skill that would be useful for the family business they would inherit from their parents, and Fiene was the latter.

Karen thrust the sherbet plate, still half uneaten, at Julius and rushed fiercely toward where Linus had pointed. Linus followed in a flustered manner.

“No, it’s not urgent enough to rush like that.”

Wondering what he was being so carefree about, Karen shot him a sharp look, but Linus only laughed foolishly in response.

He had always been a laid-back man, lacking the reliability expected of someone older, yet he had been gentle and kind by nature. Even so, she found it odd that he was smiling when a friend was unwell, and with that thought, Karen headed toward the friend seated on a bench along the wall.

“Fiene! Are you okay!?”

“Karen, long time no see. Sorry for making you come all the way here.”

Fiene, her round cheeks flushed red, waved when she saw Karen.

Though she was leaning her weight on the bench, she was smiling, and Karen felt a bit relieved.

“No, it’s fine. You’re not feeling well, right? Just in case of emergency, I have a mid-grade healing potion hidden in my dress, but do you think a mid-grade healing potion would help?”

Fiene blinked and looked up at Linus.

“What on earth did you tell Karen?”

“Um, I said you weren’t feeling well and wondered if Karen could come over.”

“If you put it that way, it sounded like you called Karen just because you wanted a potion. You idiot.”

“Ow!”

Fiene, usually gentle, hit Linus with all her might in an angry face. Karen’s eyes widened at this interaction, showing a closeness she didn’t remember seeing during school.

At Karen’s reaction, Fiene smiled bashfully.

“This is morning sickness, so a healing potion won’t cure it.”

“Morning sickness means… you’re expecting!?”

“Yes. You see, I married Linus.”

At Fiene’s words, Linus’s grin grew even wider.

Karen made a face like a pigeon that had been hit by a peashooter.

Now that she thought about it, Karen was nineteen this year. She would turn twenty at the beginning of next year. Karen’s generation was precisely at marriageable age.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 194

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Chapter One Hundred and Ninety-Four: Alumni Reunion 3

“What!? Mr. Julius!?”

“Karen, I came as your partner, but was that a bother?”

Julius, who embraced her from behind, wore a terrifyingly sparkling smile. Moreover, despite this heat, he was dressed in his formal knight’s attire with full force.

There were wealthy people among commoners too, and especially many successful individuals among those who graduated from commoners’ schools. So there were people dressed well enough to be mistaken for nobles, but Julius’s appearance with his styled hair was dazzlingly brilliant, and from his bearing and manner, an aura of nobility overflowed abundantly.

At this commoners’ school alumni reunion, Julius stood out completely. Even the women who had been watching Karen’s conversation with Ahim with displeasure were now stunned as if their souls had been extracted at the sight of Julius.

Karen agreed with that feeling in her heart—she understood it well. To commoners, Julius was far too radiant to cause squealing and fussing.

While everyone was entranced by Julius, Karen looked up at him and caught her breath. Though Julius wore a beautiful smile, his golden eyes weren’t smiling.

His magical power seemed to be raging with heightened emotions, making his eyes glitter intensely. Perhaps to suppress his magical power, a strong fragrance wafted from him as if he were carrying about five sachets.

Karen broke out in a sweat from the waves of anger emanating from Julius.

“Should I perhaps have invited you…? But, you see, this commoners’ school reunion is, so to speak, a networking venue for me—a work occasion, and I wondered if it would be appropriate to invite you to a work event, Mr. Julius. It’s a place full of commoners, and while it’s true that it’s fine to bring a partner, it’s not mandatory, and plenty of people attend alone.”

Julius narrowed his eyes while maintaining his smile.

“Indeed, I do understand. For me too, socializing is part of work. I’ve attended countless times as an obligation, and even after I began seeing you, I’ve attended social functions for the Ehlertt family alone. I considered them not the sort of occasions to burden you with. However, I hadn’t realized that this behavior would make you feel this way, Karen.”

“No, I don’t mind at all when you attend social functions alone—”

Seeing Julius’s smile deepen, Karen fell silent without finishing her sentence.

For nobles, attending social gatherings was precisely part of their duties. Dancing there was merely a greeting, performed to build relationships. Even married people danced. Of course, there was also the aspect of searching for a marriage partner.

However, while Karen couldn’t help but wish Julius wouldn’t dance with anyone, she had never voiced it, nor had she ever thought she wanted him to take her as his partner. Because she had thought it was a world separate from hers.

So now, Karen didn’t understand what Julius was feeling.

While she was thinking, Julius’s fingers caught the hand Karen had been extending to take Ahim’s.

Julius looked at Ahim.

“I’m sorry, but Karen has me as her partner. Please give up on dancing with her.”

“—Hey, Karen, that guy’s a noble, right? So you’re already being kept by a noble?!”

Ahim ignored Julius and shouted at Karen.

“Wake up, Karen! I don’t know what sweet words you’ve been deceived by, but you’re just being used!”

“That’s not true, Ahim.”

“It is true! Nobles, no matter how kind they act, don’t think of us commoners as the same kind of humans! These nobles put on friendly faces for us because they want to make our abilities their own. They just want to use us!”

“Well, there’s probably some desire to make use of me.”

The people of the Ehlertt Earldom were very kind to Karen and felt gratitude toward her. But still, she could glimpse their intention to incorporate her into their fold.

For nobles, marriage was also politics. If there was a house that possessed something they wanted, they would consider marriage with that house.

Before Karen accepted the Ehlertt’s commission, if Julius could have obtained a Legendary-class magic-sealing magical tool simply by marrying the princess, he would have married her.

Karen had understanding thanks to interpreting nobles through her previous life’s knowledge. For someone raised as a pure commoner, these were incompatible values.

“Even if that man shows signs of liking you, he doesn’t really like you.”

“I don’t think that’s true.”

If this had been Karen from a little while ago, she would have taken Ahim’s words to heart and become depressed, but the current Karen stated firmly:

“This person truly cares for me.”

“There’s no way that’s true! Don’t spout such delusional nonsense! Are you planning to throw away alchemy again and waste your time devoted to a man!?”

Everyone who learned of Karen and Julius’s relationship initially said the same thing. They were all worried about Karen. Because from an outside perspective, Karen and Julius were far too mismatched—Karen said with a bitter smile:

“At first, I also thought that if Mr. Julius was around, I might get distracted and unable to concentrate on alchemy. But, Ahim—”

“Don’t say it, I don’t want to hear it.”

Ahim irritably cut off Karen’s words.

“I was stupid to think you’d finally returned to the path of alchemy. No—maybe I was the one who underestimated your talent. I should have known sharp-nosed nobles would sniff it out right away, and that a pure, romance-brained girl like you would be as easy as twisting a baby’s arm for a handsome nobleman. It’s my fault for not making it in time.”

“In time?”

Ahim glared at Karen, who tilted her head.

“I’m going to create the Philosopher’s Stone, Karen. I’ll create the Philosopher’s Stone that you could have made too if you’d devoted yourself to alchemy—and that’ll wake you up.”

After spitting out those words, Ahim turned his back on them.

Ignoring the people trying to stop him, Ahim left the hall.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 193

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Chapter One Hundred and Ninety-Three: Alumni Reunion 2

“Ahim boy, you’re B-rank!?”

“That’s impressive. You’re still young, yet you’re B-rank—that’s quite an achievement.”

Since Ahim had declared it with such a dignified attitude, people gathered around in no time. Not just classmates and upperclassmen and underclassmen, but even much older senior alumni.

Karen tried to quietly slip out of the circle, but Ahim pointed at her and stopped her.

“This girl is also a C-rank alchemist at the young age of nineteen.”

“What!? Karen is?”

People who knew Karen looked surprised, while people of different generations who didn’t particularly know her sent honest looks of respect.

Just because it became known that Karen was a C-rank alchemist, the atmosphere of the people who had been keeping their distance from her softened. Of course, there were exceptions, but they were clearly in the minority.

Rather than feeling relieved at the situation, Karen felt deflated.

If the dispute with the Gubert Trading Company had dragged on, Karen’s bad reputation would have spread further, and the resentment would have run deeper. Alternatively, if the Alchemists’ Guild’s protest had gone through, the Gubert Trading Company’s infamy—and their claims, which contradicted Karen’s—would have spread, possibly leading to people suffering business losses and harboring grudges against her.

The public would surely have found the opposition between Karen and the Gubert Trading Company entertaining and would have made it a big topic of conversation. However, the opposition Karen had envisioned didn’t occur. That’s because the conflict with them had ended in an unexpected way.

Not being in hostile territory was a good thing, but Karen sighed at the reality that wasn’t going as planned and looked at Ahim. In the end, it seemed he had also approached her, thinking Karen was a C-rank alchemist. In reality, she was B-rank, but either way, it was the same in the sense that she wouldn’t have been noticed if she had remained low-rank.

And that was precisely the situation she wanted to change.

“You said not to call your name casually, so I totally thought you were treating me as a rival even though you thought I was F-rank. What a shame.”

“If I thought you were F-rank but were showing off a B-rank brooch, that wouldn’t be treating you as a worthy opponent—it’d just make me have an incredibly terrible personality.”

“…That’s certainly true.”

It would be exactly like a petty villain tormenting someone of lower status.

“Karen, let’s move somewhere else. It’s gotten noisy.”

Having heard that Ahim was a B-rank alchemist, the gazes of people lighting up with the intention of getting close to him under the pretext of the reunion’s informality stabbed into Karen. Particularly painful were the gazes from women of marriageable age. Ahim was the same age as Karen, if she remembered correctly—a nineteen-year-old B-rank alchemist. For many women, he would be a highly coveted marriage partner.

“Karen, go ahead. The existence of an alchemist of the same generation and comparable ability is valuable.”

At Natalia’s words, Ahim furrowed his brow slightly.

Karen nodded. Indeed, this was precisely one of the connections she had been seeking at the reunion.

Normally, it was just a gathering to meet old friends, drink, eat, and go home, but Karen had finally reached the point where she could take part in commoners’ socializing.

Natalia went to join the circle of guild members from other industries as usual. Seeing her off, Karen also moved to the wall area with Ahim.

“Who has comparable ability to whom? Even though it’s only a difference of one rank, from B-rank, it’s a different world, you know? It’s a different world from C-rank.”

From C-rank was advanced. From B-rank was a different world. From A-rank was the Goddess’s domain.

Ahim didn’t seem convinced by Natalia’s words, but before Karen could offer any explanation, he continued with "Still…”

“I think that someday, you’ll definitely catch up to me, Karen.”

“Why do you think that?”

As a matter of fact, Karen was already a B-rank alchemist.

Even though he shouldn’t know that, why would he say something like that?

“Because you beat me. —That day, you shattered my world.”

It was during an alchemy class at the commoners’ school.

Ahim was the only student from an alchemist family in the class, so the teacher called him forward and had him make a model minor healing potion. Called up, Ahim held his head high and confidently showed them how to make a minor healing potion. Karen watched that and reproduced the potion in an instant. After that, she was praised by everyone, including the teacher, so she only vaguely remembered it, but she did recall seeing Ahim frozen in place. At that time, he had apparently been dazed after having his world shattered by Karen.

“Sorry about that, I guess?”

“Don’t apologize! You demonstrated your ability. And I lost! —But since then, I’ve never let my guard down. I’ve kept running at full speed and made it this far. But what about you? Just when things are about to get good, I hear you’re making frivolous stuff like cosmetics.”

When told "recently," Karen tilted her head, but thinking about it, the series of events—starting to sell cosmetics, being harassed by Isaac, and having her business crushed—had all happened this year. The events in the dungeon were just so intense that it didn’t feel recent at all.

“Even if you got promoted to C-rank with crappy potions that don’t even help defend the country, would that make you happy? Even if the Alchemists’ Guild recognizes it, I don’t. If you’re an alchemist, make proper potions. You beat me once, even if it was just that one time—don’t become some money-grubbing alchemist! If you’re an alchemist, aim to create the Philosopher’s Stone!”

“Ooh.”

“Don’t clap like it’s someone else’s business…!”

When Karen, moved by Ahim’s speech, applauded, he got angry. It seemed he really didn’t know that Karen had become a B-rank alchemist.

Information about B-rank and above was basically kept confidential except for matters the person wished to share. Ahim’s assigned guild staff member probably knew about Karen’s promotion to B-rank, but Karen’s information seemed to be properly protected.

At Ahim, glaring at her, Karen grinned.

“Of course, I’m also aiming to create the Philosopher’s Stone.”

“You said it, right? You can’t take back what you’ve said, you know?”

Having extracted a promise from Karen, Ahim smiled with satisfaction. Apparently, provoking her had been his goal. To light a fire under Karen, who had once defeated him, to make her aim for even greater heights.

“Let’s compete to see which of us can reach the Philosopher’s Stone first, Karen.”

The Philosopher’s Stone was a legendary item even in this fantasy world. And Ahim was challenging Karen to a contest with the dead-serious premise of creating it. It was amusing and exciting, and Karen’s eyes sparkled.

“Sure. Let’s compete. I definitely won’t lose!”

“What gives you the right to say ‘definitely’? Right now, you’re the one who’s losing.”

“I wonder about that? Maybe the information just hasn’t come out yet.”

When Karen said this in a lowered voice, Ahim’s eyes opened wide and round.

Information about B-rank and above was kept confidential. As a B-rank himself, Ahim would know well the fact that no one could access information that the person didn’t wish to make public.

“—Hey now, seriously!?”

“It’s a secret, a secret! I’m planning to do various things after I hire a supporter who used to be an adventurer!”

“This is getting interesting…! I knew it, I knew it! You’d climb up this far! As expected of the woman who beat me! That’s how it should be!”

When he realized Karen was B-rank, Ahim’s face immediately broke into a smile.

“But I’m going to go even higher, you know? If I could become a B-rank alchemist before turning twenty, I was promised I’d be taken on as an apprentice by a master alchemist!”

Hearing "master alchemist," Karen pictured the elf who lived on the second floor of her home alchemy workshop, but that elf had absolutely no intention of taking on any disciples other than Karen, so it was surely a different person.

“Man, today’s a good day.”

Ahim received wine from a waiter and handed one to Karen as well.

“To the future of alchemy.”

“To the Philosopher’s Stone we’ll someday create.”

They toasted.

After gulping down his wine, Ahim said with a smile:

“I’m glad you got dumped by Lyos. That freed up your time, and you were able to get promoted, right?”

It was an insensitive thing to say, but Ahim said it with such genuine happiness that it didn’t feel rude. Besides, it was an undeniable fact.

Ahim put down his wine glass and held out his hand to Karen.

“Karen, want to dance with me?”

“Huh?”

“We don’t have partners anyway, right?”

Karen’s eyes widened in surprise.

The commoners’ school reunion was a social venue, but until last year, Karen had been only an F-rank alchemist.

Even when she tried to gain connections, no one would associate with her, and she would just reconnect with old friends, occasionally get commissioned to make minor healing potions, and eat, drink, and go home. She had never even considered that she might be invited to dance.

“Um—”

“If you aim for the heights, you’ll end up dealing with nobles too. It’s better to be able to dance, you know? For those nobles, it’s apparently like a greeting. Think of it as practice.”

Thinking he had a point, Karen reached for Ahim’s hand—and at that very moment, she was seized from behind in a bear hug. The scent of a sachet Karen remembered making herself tickled her nose.

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