Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 214

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Chapter Two Hundred and Fourteen: Anniversary Date 4

“What is this?”

“That’s a monster-repelling magical tool. Well, it’s a prototype, though.”

“You can make monster repellents too.”

Karen voiced her admiration.

It was shaped like a lamp, and she could see that when activated, a stone installed inside the lamp would emit light. That alone made it a beautiful-looking lamp, but since it was placed here, she thought it couldn’t be just an ordinary lamp—and apparently, while operating, it even demonstrated monster-repelling effects.

“It did make it harder for monsters to approach, sure, but it wasn’t like the goddess-made artifacts that kept monsters away entirely for as long as the effect lasted. I kept a few here for alchemists who are going to gather materials in dungeons, but if you wanted reliability, you were better off purchasing the goddess’ magical tools from a shop that buys from adventurers, or from the Adventurers’ Guild.”

Karen nodded at Urgo honestly explaining the demerits of the magical tool he’d created.

“It could serve as an ordinary lamp as well, and if it even slightly reduced the chances of monsters approaching, then for an alchemist like me who didn’t want to run into monsters, it would be quite useful.”

“But it was absurdly expensive for something that was basically a lamp. It was meant for wealthy folks with money to burn. You should forget about it.”

Though expensive for a lamp, among the magical tools on display, it was quite cheap. And since it had an adorable design, Karen was keen on it, but she was vetoed by none other than the seller himself.

“May I ask about the mechanism that keeps monsters from approaching?”

“Sure. I’ll keep my personal techniques secret, but as a general mechanism, when you activate this thing, it creates a membrane of magical power in the surrounding area.”

Urgo spoke while illuminating his self-made magical tool lamp.

“There’s a theory that monsters detect human magical power and approach. By creating a membrane of magical power, the owner’s magical power should become harder to detect, but well, if they see you visually, it’s meaningless—and some monsters ignore it altogether. Hang on a second.”

Saying this, Urgo disappeared into the back of the shop and soon returned carrying a hexagonal pillar stone in his hand. Since monster-repelling magical tools were expensive items, this was also Karen’s first time seeing one.

“This is the authentic goddess’s monster repellent. Since we don’t understand this thing’s mechanism in the first place, the monster repellents we are doing are nothing more than imitations.”

While speaking, Urgo charged the goddess’s monster-repelling magical tool with magical power and activated it. Its range of effect seemed to be about a one-meter radius, and Karen, who was at the boundary of the affected area, widened her eyes.

“There’s definitely some kind of membrane, but I don’t know what that membrane actually is. Can you tell anything?”

Urgo’s words weren’t serious but tossed at Karen like a light joke.

But Karen nodded.

“I know this sensation.”

“…What?”

Karen smoothly extended her hand to the boundary of the activated monster-repelling magical tool’s range of effect and touched it.

“Here, there’s a membrane of no magical power.”

“—A membrane of no magical power? What’s that?”

“There’s a thin space with absolutely no magical power stretched out like a membrane. I’ve been to such a space recently, so I could notice it.”

“I also remember going to that space, but I don’t seem to understand it, Karen.”

Julius also tried putting his finger through the membrane’s boundary, but apparently couldn’t sense the space without magical power.

Karen nodded with a "hmm" and said:

“Perhaps Harald might understand it.”

“So only those who understand the concept of ‘no magical power’ can tell.”

“Hey, don’t you two go to un understanding without me!”

Urgo examined the goddess’s monster repellent’s boundary line from every angle, passing his hand, body, and head through it, moving about busily before slumping his shoulders.

“I don’t understand at aaaaaall…!”

“Perhaps only people who understand the state of ‘having no magical power’ can tell.”

“How am I supposed to understand that?”

“I think I became able to understand after using up my magical power once, but… for fairy folk dwarves, well…”

“I’d die, wouldn’t I… Seriously? No wonder none of the dwarves can tell… wait? Even so, it’s strange that we can’t even observe it numerically, right?”

“I really don’t understand that part.”

Not listening to Karen’s words at all, Urgo began muttering to himself while charging the goddess’s monster repellent with magical power.

Since he looked like he was having fun, Karen left Urgo behind and quietly returned to searching for a magical tool.

Eventually, Julius said:

“Karen, how about this?”

“If there’s something you want, please feel free to purchase it without checking with me.”

Karen answered reflexively, but what Julius held was a magical tool for alchemists.

Karen carefully clasped a wooden branch ladle in both hands, and Julius followed behind her as they left Urgo’s magical tool shop.

Urgo, who had come out to see them off, said:

“The World Tree ladle has worse magical conductivity than orichalcum or mithril staves at first, but it’s said that with continued use, it would gradually attune itself to your magical power—even to your ‘understanding.’ Though it’s not as expensive as the orichalcum alchemical cauldron, treat it well.”

“Yes!”

Karen nodded while gripping the ladle tightly. It was a ladle used in alchemy when stirring potions or transferring them to bottles. Until now, Karen had used a kitchen ladle, but merely touching a potion with a non-alchemical utensil caused it to deteriorate.

Its shape resembled a soup ladle, formed in a streamlined curve that reduced resistance while stirring. Urgo had adjusted this ladle made of World Tree wood that Julius had chosen for her by carving the grip to fit Karen’s hand right there on the spot. Because of that, it already fit comfortably in Karen’s hand.

“By the way, if you ever got your hands on an orichalcum alchemy cauldron, what would you do?”

“I intended to create the Philosopher’s Stone. Before then, I’d somehow save up the money and seek out connections so I could come here again.”

Julius had a letter of introduction as a reward from the previous Royal Swordsmanship Tournament, but that was apparently a one-time thing. To come here again, she would have to follow a different route.

Karen happened to have a master with useful connections, and she intended to ask for an introduction eventually. Lately, she’d been busy going here and there, so they hadn’t met much, but this wasn’t an immediate matter anyway.

“I see.”

Urgo nodded as if understanding something.

“So for you, the orichalcum alchemical cauldron—the supreme masterpiece we dwarves create with painstaking care using secret techniques—is just a means to an end.”

“Eh? D-Did I say something rude?”

Urgo spoke in a low voice, making Karen’s heart jump. If she’d sullied this first-rate magical tool craftsman’s pride and angered him, obtaining the orichalcum alchemical cauldron would become hopeless. Only S-rank craftsmen could process orichalcum, and such masters were exceedingly rare. Naturally, they also had connections among themselves—

“Quite the opposite!”

Urgo laughed at Karen, who held her breath, rustling his beard.

“What we make is ultimately just tools! Not proof of being first-rate. We want to help those who challenge heights they can’t reach without the magical tools we make. I refuse to sell masterpieces to people who are satisfied just obtaining the tool, to people who have no plans to take on challenges requiring the tool.”

Urgo rummaged in his pocket, then pulled out a single medal. It was golden in color, but it wasn’t a gold coin. On it was drawn the emblem of Urgo’s magical tool shop—a picture of wings and a hammer.

“It’s made of orichalcum, so don’t lose it.”

“Eep!”

Karen let out a small scream, tucked the ladle under her arm, and clasped the medal in both hands.

“That’s an entry permit for my shop. Plus, it can serve as a letter of introduction from me. At other magical tool stores or dwarf workshops, even if they refuse first-time customers, there might be places that’ll let you in if you show that.”

“Th-thank you very much… is this really okay?”

“Yeah. I’m giving you that, so come to my magical tool workshop next time. I’ve got a mountain of things I want to ask you.”

“I don’t know anything about magical tools, though?”

“But you know things I don’t understand, right? If you’ll teach me those, I’ll teach you things you don’t understand in return.”

The legendary metal, orichalcum. It was said that without it, one could not create the Philosopher’s Stone. To handle an orichalcum alchemy cauldron someday, understanding orichalcum itself would be essential.

“I’m honored you’d say that. I’ll visit again sometime.”

“Good. It’s for occasional things like this that I have my shop in human territory.”

Karen smiled back at Urgo’s satisfied words.

Perhaps fairy folk who lived in human society all thought this way.

Greedy for knowledge, always aiming higher.

Aiming for the same place as Karen.

Once she realized that, Urgo suddenly felt like a familiar presence, and Karen pressed the medal tightly against her chest and gripped it.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 213

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Chapter Two Hundred and Thirteen: Anniversary Date 3

Guided to the section for alchemists’ magical tools, Karen’s eyes were immediately drawn to one particular magical tool.

An amber-like golden alchemical cauldron used when making potions through alchemy.

“…Orichalcum, is it? This is my first time seeing it.”

While she fairly often saw mithril as the highest-grade item in ultra-luxury shops, and very occasionally saw scarletite, this was the first time in Karen’s life she’d laid eyes on the substance called orichalcum. It shone like gold, but unlike gold, it was translucent, allowing light to pass through from the other side.

“Yeah, that’s right. Want to hold it?”

“C-Could I borrow some gloves!?”

“Even if you scratched it with your nails, you wouldn’t put a single mark on orichalcum. Don’t worry about it and try holding it. It’s fine even if you drop it.”

“I absolutely will not drop it!”

As Karen reached out toward the orichalcum alchemical cauldron only to pull back, Urgo lifted the cauldron from its pedestal and casually pressed it into Karen’s hands. Realizing it would fall if she didn’t take it, Karen hastily caught it.

“…The weight is about the same as iron, I think?”

“Mithril would be lighter and easier to handle, but this has a higher magical conductivity rate. It’s hard and sturdy—even scratching it with dragon scales wouldn’t leave a mark. It’s the pinnacle of alchemical cauldrons that can compound any material with maximum efficiency.”

“The pinnacle…”

If she was ever going to create the Philosopher’s Stone, this was the finest alchemical cauldron she’d want to obtain. It was a legendary magical tool she’d thought she absolutely wanted to acquire somewhere along the path she was aiming for.

“The method of processing orichalcum is our dwarves’ greatest secret. Can you figure out how to process this incredibly sturdy thing?”

“I haven’t the faintest idea.”

“Well, I suppose not. It’s a dwarven secret technique. It’s only natural you can’t see through it.”

Urgo stroked his beard with an air of satisfaction. Though he’d acted like he didn’t care, perhaps he’d been frustrated that Karen had seen through the secret of the water flask.

As Karen looked at the childish Urgo with half-lidded eyes, a shadow suddenly fell over her hands.

“How much would this be?”

Karen looked up with a start, met Julius’s eyes, saw his beaming smile, and was struck with horror as she finally remembered the plan she’d made on the way to the shop.

Urgo looked up at Julius with a dubious expression.

“It’s an orichalcum alchemical cauldron, you know? Of course, it costs a fortune. If you’re just asking to window-shop, please don’t.”

“Of course I’m asking with the intention to purchase. Besides my salary as a knight of the Ehlertt Order, I’ve received rewards for conquering the dungeon in the Ehlertt territory, prize money from winning last year’s swordsmanship tournament, and compensation for subjugating the elder treant on the recent dungeon expedition. Beyond that, I have money obtained from my work at the annual hunting festivals across various territories. If these are sufficient for payment, I intend to purchase it.”

“Hmm. So there’s a good chance you can pay… very well. No one’s bought it in fifty years, but it’s not like it’s not for sale. The price for this is—”

“W-Wait, please, Mr. Urgo!”

Feeling like it would all be over once she heard the price, Karen cut off Urgo’s words.

“M-M-Mr. Julius, actually, there’s something else I want more!”

“Even though you made straight for the orichalcum alchemical cauldron without looking at anything else?”

Julius looked down at Karen clutching her head and spoke with amusement.

“I watched you being drawn straight to this alchemical cauldron with sparkling eyes, as if you’d forgotten my very existence, Karen. I felt a bit lonely, but it was so adorable I nearly laughed.”

As Julius spoke with a chuckle, Karen’s face turned red while her eyes darted back and forth.

“I want you to let me buy the thing you want most, Karen.”

“The lad is saying he wants to lavish you with gifts. That’s the height of female privilege, isn’t it? You should just accept it gratefully.”

“Mr. Urgo, there’s absolutely no way it’s a price I can accept so readily, right!? It’s something like a hundred platinum coins, isn’t it!?”

When the potions Karen made were appraised, they got labels in parentheses like "minor," "medium," or "large." Above those was apparently "extra-large," but there was even something beyond that. Real "healing potions" had no label at all. They were said to have no limit to their restorative power and were also called full recovery potions. If such a potion went up for auction, the minimum successful bid was apparently a hundred platinum coins.

A hundred platinum coins. From the perspective of a commoner like Karen, it was an absurd amount. It couldn’t be directly converted into yen, but if she imagined it in yen, it would amount to hundreds of millions or even billions.

She couldn’t let him buy something like that. At Karen’s pale-faced question, Urgo frowned dubiously.

“There’s no way a mere hundred platinum coins would be enough. It’s orichalcum, you know? A legendary metal, you know?”

“Specifically, how much would it be? It doesn’t seem like an amount I can’t pay.”

“Mr. Julius, it’s fine, I’m okay, it’s too expensive for a present!”

As Karen grabbed his arm and pulled to restrain him, Julius narrowed his eyes.

“You were adorable when you were absorbed in the orichalcum alchemical cauldron, but I did feel somewhat displeased watching you completely forget about me after all. If you obtain it, you won’t become so absorbed as to forget me again, will you?”

Julius spoke with slightly cold eyes. If her reason for stopping him was mere modesty, he clearly had no intention of accepting it, a faint sneer touching his lips.

Even though the reason Karen had completely forgotten Julius’s existence on their date was that Julius had brought her to a place like this, it apparently still didn’t sit well with him.

Karen’s mind raced frantically to stop Julius, and eventually she clung to his arm.

“Karen? However adorably you try to restrain me—”

“Wh-what if!? If you and I were together, our wallets would be together too, right!? So I’d really like you not to spend a fortune here!”

Karen shouted, turning bright red. This was a desperate measure wrung from the depths of her soul—the "we’ll have joint finances when we’re married, so please don’t spend money here" strategy.

“—That’s—”

“I’m sorry! I know your money is yours, Mr. Julius! But for commoners, it’s normal for the wife to manage the husband’s money, so somehow that kind of thought just popped into my head! How embarrassing!”

Karen spoke incoherently while remaining bright red.

“Ah, but if that’s an outrageous way of thinking from your perspective, Mr. Julius, I apologize. For a commoner like me to think about managing your assets, Mr. Julius—that’s presumptuous, isn’t it? Ehehe…”

As Karen turned red and pale repeatedly with tears in her eyes, Julius sighed. Karen flinched at the sigh, and the tears welling in her eyes threatened to spill at any moment. Julius knelt at her feet and took her hand.

“It’s my complete defeat, Karen. Of course, when we’re married, the authority to manage my assets as your husband will belong to you as my wife. If you don’t permit it, I’ll refrain from major purchases.”

Karen cautiously observed Julius’s demeanor, but he didn’t seem offended. Rather, he wore a cheerful, amused smile as if in a good mood.

“Hey, you two, what are you doing about the orichalcum alchemical cauldron?”

“We’ll pass on it for today!”

Karen resolved in her heart to save up money and buy it herself someday.

The shared marital assets argument was just Karen’s sophistry, so of course, there would be no problem if Karen bought it herself.

“Then, my future wife. Within the range you’ll permit me, I’d like to give you a gift—could you tell me what you want second-most after the orichalcum alchemical cauldron?”

“Th-thank you very much. I’ll choose now.”

Karen steeled herself and let her gaze race in search of reasonably priced magical tools.

This time, she absolutely would not let her eyes be captivated by some outrageously expensive magical tool, she resolved with force in the pit of her stomach.

“Also, I’m personally interested in this magical tool—would it be all right to purchase it?”

“I think you may do as you please with that.”

“But since my wallet is yours, I thought it wouldn’t be good to buy things arbitrarily.”

Julius spoke with an air of amusement.

His manner of speaking was as if Karen had authority over all of Julius’s purchases.

It was serious to call it teasing, but the corners of his mouth were completely relaxed.

From the embarrassment caused by her own words, Karen turned bright red and shouted:

“Y-You know I only said that to get out of the situation, right!?”

“Even if you said it to get out of the situation, I took it seriously and withdrew. I can’t wait to be managed by you, Karen.”

Seeing Karen trembling with a red face, Julius laughed aloud like a blooming flower with mirth in his eyes.

Karen glared sharply at Julius, then turned her face away from him and resumed selecting magical tools with rough steps.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 212

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Chapter Two Hundred and Twelve: Anniversary Date 2

“So you’re the champion of the last swordsmanship tournament?”

The card Julius called a letter of introduction bore the golden rose and crown of thorns—the emblem of the Earthfil Kingdom Swordsmanship Tournament. When he showed it to the gatekeeper, Karen and Julius were courteously invited inside, where they were greeted by a dwarf. The card Julius held must have been something akin to a special privilege granted to the winner of the tournament.

The dwarf’s height didn’t even reach Karen’s chest. More than half his face was covered in a beard. Though he held a bottle of liquor in one hand, this wasn’t a sign of improper behavior—when it came to dwarves, alcohol was practically the same as water.

Julius must have contacted him in advance, as the dwarf seemed to know he was coming.

“A pleasure to meet you, magical tool craftsman Urgo. As I wrote in my letter, I am Julius, a knight of the Ehlertt Earldom. She is Karen, an alchemist.”

“N-Nice to meet you.”

Seeing Julius and Karen clearly dressed for a date, the dwarf’s eyes grew distinctly suspicious.

“Hmm? I’m Urgo, the proprietor here. Well, a warrior who protects the nation may use the champion’s privilege as he pleases, but I would say this place is a bit too exclusive for simply showing off to a lady, don’t you think?”

“Is that so? When a man is in love, does he not wish to present the finest thing in this world to the woman he adores?”

“Well, there’s no doubt my magical tools are among the best in the world—one or two, anyway. If your partner is truly one of a kind, then I suppose that follows. You’re surprisingly devoted—for a human, that is.”

Karen had heard neither the sweet words Julius had chosen to suit her tastes nor the prejudice the dwarf Urgo seemed to harbor toward humans.

“Ah… aah… ah…!”

Already visible over Urgo’s shoulder were magical tools she’d only seen in commoner school textbooks.

Looking down at Karen trembling and restraining herself from charging inside, Julius narrowed his eyes in rapture.

Glancing up at Julius, then at Karen, Urgo shrugged his shoulders.

“Feel free to look around, but don’t touch anything without permission. When you want to touch something, ask me if it’s all right first. Got it?”

“Yes!”

Karen gave an energetic, well-behaved reply and then marched inside in a comically polite speed-walk. She clasped her hands behind her back as she walked to avoid accidentally touching anything.

Magical tools came in two types: artifacts called the goddess’s magical tools that human hands still couldn’t create, and artificial magical tools crafted by humans in imitation of them.

In most magical tool shops, the difference between the two was obvious and unmistakable. But looking at the magical tools lined up in this shop, she couldn’t tell them apart.

The most well-known man-made magical tools were those that used elemental magic stones to produce fire, water, wind, or earth. The devices used in bathrooms and kitchens to generate water or flame were precisely such inventions.

Karen looked at a water-producing leather flask. For water flasks used in dungeons, it was said that for drinking water, one should definitely use the goddess’s magical tools and avoid human-made artificial ones. Since the mouth of this one was shaped for easy drinking, it was probably one of the goddess’s magical tools.

But Karen’s assumption was quickly proven wrong.

“That’s a magical tool I made. Can’t tell it apart from the goddess’s magical tools, can you?”

“Eh, but—”

“Some people say drinking water from human-made water flasks makes them sick, but that’s just because the people who made those magical tools don’t understand water flasks well enough. With the water flasks I make, there isn’t anyone who ruins their body. Not in the hundred and fifty years I’ve been watching, anyway. Gahaha!”

Though not as much as elves, dwarves were also a longer-lived race than humans. If it had been fine for a hundred and fifty years, about half of all humans would have reached their natural lifespan anyway, so even if there were problems, it wouldn’t matter much—a long-lived species joke.

“That’s amazing. Could it be you’re using earth magic stones?”

When Karen asked casually, the smile vanished from Urgo’s face.

“—Why do you think that?”

“Eh? Ah, I’m sorry. That’s a trade secret, isn’t it?”

“The manufacturing methods for magical tools are, of course, our craftsmen’s greatest secrets. That’s precisely why, if they’re leaking, I’d like to confirm the source of that leak… but you were an alchemist, weren’t you?”

“Yes. I don’t think your magical tool manufacturing methods are leaking, Mr. Urgo—I just understand water as an alchemist.”

Karen said this while fidgeting.

The water produced by water magic stones was probably ultra-pure water containing nothing but water itself. If someone who’d been sweating and losing salt from their body drank too much water containing no minerals like salt, it wouldn’t be strange for some people to develop water intoxication. That was why, even now, though Karen had water-producing magical tools at home, for drinking water she drew well water and boiled it, or drank juice or wine.

Most likely, people with high magical power had their magic supplement their bodies, so no problems arose on the surface. But it was known from experience that it became poisonous for people with weak bodies—babies, the sick, the elderly—and so it wasn’t basically used for drinking water.

She’d just thought on the spot that to make a water flask that could include minerals while producing water, one might be able to use earth magic stones in addition to water magic stones. That said, having secret manufacturing methods guessed correctly couldn’t feel good.

Watching Karen shrink back, Urgo stroked his beard roughly.

“I see, you appear to be a fairly skilled alchemist. What was your name again?”

“Karen!”

“Magical tools for alchemists are over here, Karen.”

“Thank you so much!”

Karen’s face lit up with a radiant smile, and without sparing Julius a single glance, she trotted after Urgo’s guidance.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 211

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Chapter Two Hundred and Eleven: Anniversary Date

Sara came to drag Karen out of bed at the crack of dawn and began getting the still half-asleep Karen ready.

“Sara…? What are you doing here…?”

“Mister Thor, who was already up early, let me in. You’re going out with Master Julius today, right? So I’ve come to dress you up properly.”

“Mrph.”

As her face was wiped vigorously with a damp towel, Karen woke up a little.

“Thank you for coming all the way here, Sara.”

“Hmph, think nothing of it.”

Sara puffed her chest out proudly. Karen drifted in and out of her half-asleep haze for a while, but eventually something caught her attention.

“Wait!? I don’t recognize this dress!”

“It’s a summer dress Lady Alise had made for you, Lady Karen.”

It was made of thin white fabric embroidered with gold thread. Layered over that were several more sheets of white cloth so sheer they were nearly transparent, giving it a soft, fluffy design that was utterly charming.

“When did she have time for this!? Is it really all right for me to accept it…?”

“Of course it is. It’s for Lady Alise’s in-laws’ outing, after all.”

“I see. It’s for Mr. Julius’s sake, then.”

Karen murmured that in a sleepy, absent-minded tone, and Sara shook her head as if to say, “What am I going to do with you?”

“Well, for now, I suppose that’s good enough. If you enjoy yourselves, that’ll be all Lady Alise could wish for.”

With that, Sara set about finishing Karen’s preparations with brisk efficiency.

“Ah… you look lovely, Karen.”

Julius, dressed in formal noble attire, said it with a soft smile, and Karen gave a sheepish, lopsided grin.

“D-Do I? You look absolutely wonderful yourself, Mr. Julius!”

She thought that standing beside him, she couldn’t help but pale in comparison—but she kept that to herself.

Julius looked at Karen’s neck, and his smile deepened.

“You wore the necklace, too.”

“Yes. The colors seemed to work well enough with the dress.”

Karen placed her hand over her chest. There gleamed a necklace set with a golden gemstone, the same color as Julius’s eyes. The set included earrings too, yet because she already had piercing, those had stayed behind. It was the piece of jewelry Julius had once given her in return for a sachet she had made.

“It brought me great delight to see you adorned in my colors.”

As Julius leaned in to look more closely at the necklace, Karen noticed the embroidery on his cravat. The thin white cravat bore gold embroidery worked into the fabric.

“Mr. Julius, that cravat…”

“It’s not just the cravat—today my entire outfit was tailored to match your dress, Karen.”

“…I’m so happy.”

Karen said it with a quiet smile. She meant it from the bottom of her heart. At the same time, she thought it must look rather ridiculous to anyone watching—but she knew that Julius would not be pleased to know she thought so, and so she said nothing.

“Shall we go, then, Karen?”

“Yes! See you later!”

She took the hand Julius offered with a smile, waved to Sara and Harald, who had come to see them off, and climbed into the carriage.

“Where are we going today?”

“If it doesn’t trouble you, I’ve changed my thinking somewhat—I thought we might go somewhere quite public. What do you say?”

“I don’t mind at all, as long as I’m with you, Mr. Julius.”

“In that case, would you be willing to attend a party tonight as my partner?”

“If you were certain I’m suitable… but could one really join a party so suddenly?”

Karen had once seen Alise preparing for a party for Sieg’s recovery celebration. After sending out invitations, she recalled seeing Alise grow anxious over those who failed to reply regarding their attendance.

“There’s a party I’d received an invitation to—I had already sent my regrets, but on a whim I dispatched a messenger last night, and by early this morning I had a reply saying my attendance would be most welcome.”

“I see. I suppose anyone would be delighted to have you come, Mr. Julius.”

Alise, too, had gone to great lengths to invite famous performers and musicians to liven up Sieg’s celebration. If the guests were to enjoy themselves and feel compelled to attend, someone as celebrated as Julius would always be welcome—any time, without question. The only regret would be not having been able to tell the other guests in advance that Julius would be there.

As for an extra like Karen—well, no one had asked for her.

“I cannot say how much value I hold in others’ eyes, but I intend to show them that the one person before whom I, rated as I am, willingly bow—is you alone.”

“I don’t dislike that at all.”

If anything, it was exactly the kind of romantic stories Karen loved most. And yet she tilted her head in thought.

“But is that really the date you dreamed of, Mr. Julius?”

It was a little hard to imagine that the date a young Julius had once fantasized about involved a woman standing next to him with a smug look on her face. Julius answered her question without missing a beat:

“The truth is, Brother Helfried and I have different mothers. On the surface, I am recognized as a legitimate son of the family, so there are very few even among the servants, who know the truth.”

Karen nearly let out a surprised exclamation and swallowed it just in time.

“After I was taken into the household, Mother—Brother Helfried’s mother, that is—tried to treat me as her own child without distinction. But I felt guilty. She attempted to take me to many places, and I refused every time. I usually gave excuses such as preferring swordsmanship or wanting to explore the dungeon.”

The lightness with which he spoke of it made Karen close the mouth she had begun to open, and simply listen.

“But in truth, there were times I wished I had gone with her… I was often told I resembled Mother more than my father, so perhaps we would have appeared a true family. Part of me wanted that, yet at the time, I felt it was wrong. We were not bound by blood, and yet people said I resembled her—that felt like something I had no right to. Gatherings like this party were among those occasions.”

Julius looked down at the invitation he had drawn from his breast pocket and smiled. Karen thought that perhaps the place Julius had dreamed of was less a destination for a date and more somewhere he had wanted to go with his family—but she didn’t say so. Instead, she slid across from the opposite seat to the one beside him and leaned gently against his side.

“Let’s go to all sorts of places together from now on.”

“…Thank you, Karen. I find myself looking forward to being seen as your partner.”

Karen felt, just slightly, that she understood the feelings of that young Julius who had thought it wrong to be seen as part of his family. Being seen as Julius’s partner was something the Karen of today couldn’t help but feel unworthy of. Her chest ached with a quiet, squeezing pain.

But that pain came less from her sense of unworthiness toward Julius, and more from the thought of what must have been going through Julius’s heart back then—when he had surely still been so young. She felt glad that she might have understood even a fragment of that heart.

There were so many things she wanted to ask, but she left them unasked and turned to something else instead.

“If the party is in the evening, what would you like to do until then?”

“Shopping, perhaps?”

“Is that genuinely somewhere you want to go, Mr. Julius?”

“But of course, Karen. Brother Helfried once told me that a man truly feels the meaning of being alive in the moment he sees the face of the one he loves light up with joy. And he was right.”

It seemed this was something Julius had quietly, earnestly dreamed of for a long time—having been influenced by his lovey-dovey earl brother and sister-in-law.

Julius cheerfully reached out and brushed Karen’s earlobe, touching her earring.

“Right now, I feel I could know that feeling even more deeply than when I gave you that necklace and the earring.”

No matter how one looked at it, Julius was fully intent on buying her something. It wasn’t that she was ungrateful for gifts, but letting him spend money on her did feel a little wrong. Still, he said it with such undisguised anticipation shining through his words that Karen decided to set aside any excessive modesty.

“If it makes you happy, then let’s do that, Mr. Julius.”

Whatever Julius intended to buy for her, it would only be a problem if Karen decided she wanted it. Of course, since Julius clearly wanted to buy her something, she would let him—some small thing. She would choose something at a reasonable price from the things she actually wanted, accept it graciously, and make a great show of her delight.

Ideally, something Julius would find worthwhile to give, and something Karen could cherish for years to come. She was confident she could show genuine, unfeigned joy. No performance would be required. Karen drew up what felt like a perfect plan in her mind and left the choice of destination entirely to Julius.

That was her greatest mistake.

“Here we are, Karen.”

Julius took her hand to help her out of the carriage, and Karen looked up at the shop before her and went pale.

“‘Urgo’s Magical Tool Shop’…!?”

It was the most prestigious long-established magical tool shop in the Kingdom of Earthfill. The shop every alchemist and magical tool artisan who dealt in such items dreamed of setting foot in.

“B-But this shop is by referral only…! The proprietor is terribly particular—they say even the king himself can’t get in without meeting the conditions…!”

Karen stumbled over her words, and Julius smoothly produced a card in front of her.

“I have a letter of introduction to Urgo’s Magical Tool Shop, so there’s nothing to worry about, Karen.”

Could Karen manage not to want anything at all? Could she accept some modestly priced item, and then convincingly perform the picture of complete and utter satisfaction?

Thus began Karen’s battle against her worldly desires.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 210

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Chapter Two Hundred and Ten: First Year 3 (Julius’s POV)

“Nothing of the sort, Karen. If anything, you are far too good for me.”

“You really do seem to mean that, Mr. Julius.”

Karen laughed softly, with a hint of amusement. Whether she believed his words or not was difficult to tell. She probably did, Julius thought. And yet he understood full well that aside from himself and those closest to him, no one else would ever consider Karen a suitable match for him.

That was why he had thought it was still too soon—for her sake, so she would not be hurt.

“Once I can reveal that I’m B-rank, please take me to all sorts of places! By then, people should think that I’m at least a little worthy of standing beside you, thanks to the abilities I have!”

“You are already more than sufficient as you are.”

“If I could get others to think so as well, I’d love to be your partner at social gatherings, Mr. Julius.”

Hearing Karen voice her wish in a near whisper, Julius felt something catch in his chest.

He had no right to say that others didn’t matter. It had been Julius himself who had told Karen—when she wished to accompany him into his social world—that as long as she was not acknowledged by others, he could not take her there.

His reason had been that he didn’t want to hurt her. And yet Karen herself had said she didn’t mind being talked about. It was Julius who had minded.

“Before then, I’ll have Lady Alise and Sara drill proper etiquette into me, so I won’t be an embarrassment to you.”

“There is not a single thing about you right now that embarrasses me!”

Karen’s eyes widened at his declaration, and then she smiled and rose from the sofa. She took hold of the hem of her casual dress and offered Julius a lady’s curtsy. It was considerably more polished than when she had practiced for Sieg’s recovery celebration. The form itself was not wrong. But the movement lacked fluency—it was stiff and awkward. Whether her body was tensing unnecessarily or she simply hadn’t yet found the feel of it, grace was nowhere in sight. It could not be called elegant by any stretch, and the impression of hasty, surface-level learning was undeniable.

“Lady Alise said I do well enough for a commoner. But even I can’t say I’m fit to be your partner, Mr. Julius. And yet here I went, swept up in the excitement of a date and making wishes above my station.”

Karen smiled with a distant look in her eyes. She had allowed herself a dream, and Julius had thrust reality back in her face.

—Even without cruel words from others, Karen had already been hurt. It was only like a minor scrape, and Karen herself did not seem overly concerned.

But it was a wound Julius had made. Whatever his intentions, it was a wound born from his having told her—a C-rank alchemist of commoner birth—that she could not be his partner.

Karen attempted to hold herself like a noble lady, and the effort made her movements halting. Julius stepped toward her—she looked like a marionette in the hands of a clumsy puppeteer—and pulled her into his arms, so that she might no longer have to strive to become someone other than herself.

“Forgive me, Karen. When it comes to you being spoken of badly, the one who is wounded is surely me, not you. I simply could not bear to watch you be hurt. I never meant to imply that you were lacking.”

Julius had hurt Karen to protect himself. Karen, held still in his embrace, spoke from within his arms:

“I truly don’t think I mind people saying unkind things. Compared to possibly being hated by the goddess, something like that is trivial.”

Julius gave a wry smile at the enormity of what she was comparing it to. Indeed, when set against a goddess, being disliked by most people hardly amounted to much.

“But if it troubles you, Mr. Julius, then I don’t like that either. If taking you somewhere would mean you’d be spoken ill of, then even if you wished to go, I wouldn’t want to take you there. So please, don’t trouble yourself over it.”

That must have been how Karen had made peace with his refusal. In caring for him, she had quietly swallowed her own wish along with it.

“Compromise doesn’t suit you, Karen.”

“No, no—I’m not so unreasonable that I demand every single wish of mine be granted!”

Karen wriggled free from his arms and made her displeasure known with a small pout.

It was true that Karen had not yet acquired the bearing of high society. In her current state, the title of C-rank alchemist—kept so only because her true ability could not yet be revealed—would not earn her sufficient respect from the nobility.

—Long ago, Julius had worked himself to the bone to acquire the manner he now carried. To be accepted by the Ehlertt household—by those of the family other than Helfried, and other than his father. Every gesture, every posture, every way of speaking, every expression he shaped toward the ideal of a noble young man—he had refined them over and over as he watched how others responded, aiming always to be well-regarded. Because he often took cues from women who openly showed him favor, he had become someone rather easily liked by women.

He had shattered his former self into pieces so that no one would ever notice. But Julius had not the slightest desire to damage even a single fragment of the shape Karen was now.

“I want you—and everyone else—to understand that, for me, you are more than enough as you are. With that in mind, may I rearrange tomorrow’s plans?”

“I already understand that, and I’m not sure it matters whether others do, but either way is fine with me.”

Karen gave an awkward, shy smile at Julius’s sudden change of stance. The moment when she might have celebrated without hesitation had long since been lost by Julius’s own doing. And so, to bring her joy, Julius gathered resolve from deep within and produced his most dazzlingly sweet smile.

Karen gave a bashful, slightly flustered smile at his sudden change of heart. The moment when she might have received it with unclouded joy was one Julius had already forfeited. And so, in order to bring her joy still, he gathered his resolve and produced his most exquisitely tender smile.

Seeing Karen look up at him with melting eyes, his smile grew all the more profound. The sweetness in Julius’s expression deepened beyond anything mere acting could achieve.

“Someday, in a distant future… I once indulged in the sweet fantasy that if I ever had someone I loved, I would bring her to a certain place. I will take you there.”

“Th-that’s far too much to look forward to.”

Seemingly struck to the heart by his declaration, Karen’s face went perfectly still, and she began to tremble. Bearing the weight of her expectations, Julius declined the dinner invitation and set off home, intending to use what little remained of the short night to prepare for tomorrow.

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Alchemist Karen No Longer Compromises, Chapter 209

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Chapter Two Hundred and Nine: First Year 2 (Julius’s POV)

“—So that’s the situation. Does anything come to mind, Sara?”

He knew, at least in theory, that women cherished anniversaries. That seemed to be the same whether one was a noble or a commoner.

Because it felt like a special day to Julius as well, he wanted to make it a good day for Karen. That’s why he wanted to eliminate any concerns that might have existed.

“Since Lady Karen’s initial wish was to try going to places like the opera house, perhaps she was dejected that it couldn’t be fulfilled?”

Having returned to the Ehlertt estate, Julius called Sara and told her about his exchange with Karen, seeking her opinion.

“I promised we would go once she reached B-rank, but even so, Karen’s expression did not brighten.”

“Maybe she wanted to go tomorrow right away.”

Having once struggled to move her facial muscles, Sara had become rather inept at hiding her feelings once they began working properly again. Even if she could hide things in front of strangers, before Julius, she completely failed to conceal an expression that seemed to say “Ah, I see” as if she understood something.

However, Sara apparently had no intention of telling Julius what it was. Her employers were the Ehlertt family, specifically Helfried and eventually Sieg, but even so, Julius was a member of the household.

Before Sara, who was keeping silent out of consideration for Karen, Julius felt a sense of fondness but also devised a plan.

“I thought that perhaps you, as Karen’s friend, might understand—but even for a friend, is it difficult?”

Sara’s expression twitched.

Julius looked off in another direction and showed signs of contemplation as he spoke.

“Perhaps Miss Natalia would know. After all, she has been Karen’s friend longer than you—”

“Presumptuous though it may be, there is something that comes to mind as a possibility. I, too, am Lady Karen’s friend.”

Julius had no real intention of visiting Natalia, but Sara seemed to think that keeping silent would be pointless if he was going to visit Natalia anyway, and spoke while emphasizing the word “friend.”

“Hmm. What is it that comes to mind? May I hear it?”

“This is merely my speculation, but knowing Lady Karen, she’s likely thinking something like, ‘Mr. Julius can be my partner in society, but as I am now, I can’t be his partner.’”

As Sara spoke, even mimicking Karen’s tone and manner of speech, Julius was aghast.

“Can’t be? That kind of thing—”

“’Mr. Julius would be embarrassed to have a C-rank like me as a partner, right?’ ‘To bridge the class gap between nobility and commoners, it has to be after I become known as B-rank’, ‘I personally don’t mind, but if Mr. Julius minds—’”

“I don’t care about class differences!”

When Julius involuntarily raised his voice, Sara abruptly stopped her oddly skillful mimicry of Karen’s gestures and speech and said:

“…It’s merely my foolish fantasy, so please don’t let it concern you. I apologize for causing you discomfort.”

“I’m sorry for raising my voice. You’ve done nothing wrong, so there’s no need to apologize.”

Julius apologized to Sara while standing up.

“I shall go out once more. I appreciate your cooperation, Sara, Karen’s friend.”

Sara showed a triumphant smile and bowed respectfully.

“Have a safe trip, Master Julius.”

“Oh, Mr. Julius? Will you be staying for dinner too?”

Karen, who seemed to have already finished bathing, wore relaxed, casual clothes. Julius tried to avert his eyes out of courtesy before Karen in that appearance, but Karen seemed completely unconcerned. That appearance, which a noble lady would never show in public, apparently was something that, by commoner sensibilities, could be shown to the opposite sex without issue.

Though he had seen her lightly dressed in the dungeon, the dungeon was outside ordinary life. Precisely because of that, minor differences in common sense he had never noticed were laid bare in ordinary life.

Julius stopped averting his eyes and looked down at Karen.

“Karen, did your expression darken at the thought of tomorrow because you believed I thought that, as you are now, I could not make you my partner?”

After making a blank face, Karen pulled on Julius’s arm.

“Shall we go inside for now?”

“Yes…”

Even though Karen wore relaxed casual clothes, the alchemy workshop was so lively that there was no way for an odd atmosphere to develop.

It seemed Thor was in the kitchen preparing dinner with Tim and Harald, and the sounds of their noisy struggle could be heard.

When Karen showed him to the drawing room, they moved just a little away from the kitchen commotion.

“Um, did something happen?”

“I felt like I could see melancholy in your expression, and when I consulted Sara to find a clue to resolve it, she said you might have thought something like that.”

Perhaps Karen had intended to gloss over it, but the moment he mentioned Sara’s name, her expression became one of resignation.

“Why does Sara always figure it out?”

“Because she’s your friend—I’m sorry for making you think that way.”

“Eh!? Please don’t apologize!”

At Julius, bowing his head, Karen hastily waved her hands.

“It’s a fact that as I am now, I’m not suitable as your partner in anyone’s eyes, Mr. Julius.”

Seeing Karen’s bitter smile, Julius bitterly realized his own failure.

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