Chapter Fourty-four: An Overflow of Visitors
“Karen, here are the results regarding the research paper on your new potion recipe that you submitted to the Alchemists’ Guild.”
Natalia came to Karen’s home, and after being served tea, she placed an envelope on the table. Karen sat down across from her and took a deep breath to calm her racing heart.
For Karen, an F-rank alchemist, there were two ways to advance to E-rank. One was to make more than fifty minor healing potions in a day. The other was to achieve something worthy of promotion.
Having failed at making fifty potions the other day, Karen had attempted the alternative method. What she submitted to the Alchemists’ Guild for promotion was one of her fever-reducing potion recipes.
This potion suppressed fevers caused by the Bloodline Blessing. According to Sieg, although there were other symptoms, just reducing the fever made him feel much better. It was a potion that would likely be in demand going forward. Rather than monopolizing it, it would be better if everyone could use it.
Though she had thought there might be a flood of customers after the debut at the recovery celebration party, there hadn’t been much response…
“I’ll open the envelope now…!”
“Yes, go ahead.”
Natalia sipped her tea.
Karen nervously opened the envelope and checked its contents.
She was stunned by what she saw.
“P-Promotion denied!? Natalia, why!?”
“Well, the fact that it uses non-magical materials is the issue.”
Natalia sighed, resting her chin on her hand.
“While examining your potion does show its fever-reducing effects, we can’t detect if there are any other side effects. The Alchemists’ Guild can’t easily approve this potion.”
“That’s why I included the recipe! When I submitted the whole formula, wasn’t the guild’s alchemists supposed to make it and verify its safety?”
If a potion is useful enough, there might be situations where people have no choice but to use it, even while accounting for some risks. That’s why she had heard there was a high chance her paper would be approved.
“About that… none of our contracted alchemists could recreate your potion.”
“What!?”
“Karen, did you forget to write something? Are there any omissions in the recipe? Did you leave out any explanation about the ingredients?”
“I wrote everything I could think of…!”
“You must have left something out. We even have A-rank alchemists among our staff. For normal recipes, they can recreate them with their overwhelming magical power even with some omissions.”
“No way…”
Karen slumped back in her chair.
For an alchemist, getting recognition while keeping a recipe confidential was a crucial challenge.
She had submitted a recipe for fever-reducing herbal tea made from a single type of herb to minimize information leakage, so there shouldn’t be any confusion about different ingredients.
“I thought I wrote down all possible effects… are there really omissions?”
In theory, if others had the same knowledge as Karen, they should be able to make the same potion since she could make it.
“Or perhaps only you, with your exceptional talent, can make this potion.”
“That’s flattering, but not in a good way…!”
“If you want to reach E-rank, you’ll have to increase your magical power and make fifty minor healing potions in a day.”
“Noooo!”
As Karen held her head in despair, Natalia opened the lid of the basket she was holding and pulled out a wine bottle that was half-sticking out.
“Well, shall we start our consolation party?”
“I thought you brought that wine to celebrate…!”
“You saw it? Oh my… I tried to hide it with a handkerchief. Sorry for getting your hopes up, Karen. But hey, we can still celebrate completing the request.”
As Natalia uncorked the bottle, Karen dejectedly took glasses from the cupboard.
“I thought I’d be flooded with the Bloodline Blessing-related requests from now on. Does this mean people don’t trust my potion?”
“Pretty much.”
“Waaah!”
Just as Karen was holding her head again, there was a knock at the door.
“Coming!”
While Natalia went to answer the door for Karen, Karen started preparing snacks with a gloomy face. As she was pulling out her treasured chunk of prosciutto from the cupboard, Natalia returned with a tense expression.
“Karen, it’s someone from Ehlertt Earldom. Can you handle it?”
Karen broke into a cold sweat, thinking of one particular person who might come here. That person valued Karen as an alchemist and was apparently trying to win her over. Even though she said it would melt her brain. And yet, he had insisted he would stay within the limit where her brain wouldn’t melt.
The most troubling part was that Karen wasn’t completely opposed to the situation deep down. Being pursued by him was far too enjoyable. She was fully aware of how materialistic that made her. But if she gave in to desire even for a moment, her dream would never come true.
Karen nervously went to greet the visitor at the entrance, and let out a sigh of relief when she saw who it was.
“Sara, welcome! What brings you all the way here? No, first please come in.”
“It’s been a while, Lady Karen. I see you have company, so I’ll come back another time.”
Sara, who was standing at the entrance, gave a small bow. This was on the fifth floor of an apartment building in the adventurers’ district.
Wondering how she had found this place, Karen spoke up:
“No, no, please come in! That’s just my friend inside. You don’t mind, right, Natalia?”
“That’s fine with me. But are you sure it’s okay for me to be here?”
“Ms. Sara, would Natalia’s presence be a problem for your business here? If not, we’re about to celebrate completing a request—why don’t you join us?”
“Would that really be alright?”
“Of course! I’d be happy if my friends could become friends with each other.”
“Friends…”
Sara’s purple eyes widened.
Before Karen could feel anxious about that reaction, Sara broke into a smile.
“If you say so, I’d be delighted to join.”
Karen invited Sara inside and asked:
“So what brings you here, Ms. Sara?”
“It’s nothing urgent, so it can wait. It’s not as important as celebrating your success in helping Master Sieg.”
“We’re not bound by the request anymore, so you don’t need to be so formal with me, Ms. Sara.”
“You are someone Master Sieg calls sister. I can’t compromise with that. However, please drop the formality when addressing me.”
“Isn’t that a bit one-sided?”
“You two really are friends!”
Natalia burst out laughing and took another glass from the cupboard.
Just then, there was another knock at the door.
“Wonder who it is this time?”
When Karen went to answer the door without thinking much of it, she found Marian standing there with a stiff expression.
Uh oh
ReplyDeleteWhat that ungrateful Marian girl wants to say?