Chapter Eighty-six: The Giant Gift
After heading from the central plaza of the Kingdom of Earthfill’s capital toward the Merchants’ Guild Street and turning into a side alley, it was just a short distance ahead.
A charming house with a blue roof, white walls covered in ivy, and an orange door. The two-story building had previously belonged to an alchemist and was fully equipped as an alchemy workshop. It came with a magical safe for storing valuables, a small garden, and a well. Karen had thought it would be good for a home vegetable garden when she saw it before.
“This house is a gift from Alise and me to celebrate your promotion to E-rank.”
“Were you in cahoots with Natalia?”
“Hahaha. Your friend was extremely cooperative.”
Helfried laughed while delivering his villainous line.
The place she’d been brought to in the carriage was one of the properties she and Natalia had viewed before she headed to Ehlertt territory. Back then, Natalia suggested that if she planned to keep working as an alchemist, she’d eventually need a home with its own alchemy workshop.
She hadn’t questioned anything at the time, but apparently that had been a request from the Ehlertt family to Natalia to gauge Karen’s preferences.
“I heard this was the house you liked best.”
“…That’s correct.”
“I apologize if you wanted to acquire it through your own efforts. However, good houses sell quickly, and it seemed a shame that the appraisal mirror that Julius got from a dungeon and our family gave you was just being kept at the Alchemists’ Guild.”
“Ah, so you knew about that…”
Despite receiving the appraisal mirror, she had left it at the Alchemists’ Guild, except for times when she was determined to use it. Karen herself thought it was wasteful. It was a lost opportunity.
“This house has locks with magical power authentication and a safe. If you keep it there, you can take it out and use it anytime, right? That should help with your research papers under Sieg’s name.”
“I’ve been keeping you waiting on those too…!”
“We were the ones who brought you to Ehlertt territory for our request. I have absolutely no intention of blaming you for not progressing with your papers.”
While saying it was a gift for Karen, it might also cleverly benefit Sieg as well. Thinking of it that way made the grand gift of an entire house feel a little easier to accept.
“Is it really all right for me to accept something like this…?”
“It’s not even worth a hundredth of the value of your Kocco Curry…”
Regarding Sieg’s request, Karen had received the appraisal mirror as a completion reward. But separately from that, she had also been paid for the potions. Pricing had been difficult because they were non-magical potions.
Karen had tried to discount them, while Helfried attempted to raise the price. In the end, they settled on selling all potions at a uniform price equivalent to a medium healing potion.
The same applied to the Kocco Curry, or rather the minor panacea, but Helfried and everyone apparently weren’t pleased with this arrangement. Feeling that they were adding extra to the reward at every opportunity, Karen decided to accept it gratefully. After all, it was also a price for Sara’s and Sieg’s lives. To refuse it would likely be more disrespectful.
“I gratefully accept.”
“Good. Here’s the key. Inside, there’s a magic stone on the inner side of the door that only allows entry to those who infuse their magical powers while touching it. Register your magical powers immediately. The contract documents will be delivered later. You can move in starting today if you wish.”
Helfried handed Karen the key and departed in his carriage.
Karen watched until the carriage disappeared from view, then entered the house with an excited heart.
Upon entering, she first touched the magic stone on the door and infused her magical powers. The magic stone in the key glowed in response to the one on the door. With this, Karen’s magical powers were registered.
“This is my alchemy workshop…”
She knew it would serve as both residence and workshop.
Considering that her brother would eventually return, she would keep their original house as it was, but she could move her residence here.
It was located just after entering the alley on the south side of the Merchants’ Guild Street. While her previous location had been reassuring with familiar faces all around, the security here was undoubtedly better.
“A desk made of Trent wood, a furnace with magic-resistant bricks…”
These were all items she had been told were essential for alchemy but had never owned before.
They were likely left behind by the alchemist who had lived here previously. Though there were scratches and stains, everything had been cleaned thoroughly and was hardly noticeable.
“Not just a washroom, but a bath too!”
This was one of the main reasons Karen had liked this house.
In a tiled room equipped with drainage, there was a bathtub and a magical device for heating water.
This magical device required magic stones to operate, so as long as she bought some stones, she could take a bath right away.
“I got used to luxury at Ehlertt’s estate, after all. I’ve been wanting to continue taking baths!”
Karen went upstairs and peeked into all the rooms before opening the window of the room she had already decided on and looking outside. Looking down, she could see people coming and going along the Merchants’ Guild Street. Looking straight ahead into the distance, though partially obscured by the neighboring roof, she could see the royal palace. Though not visible, the Ehlertt family’s mansion was also in that direction.
“…I’ll make this my room.”
After saying this, Karen continued gazing at the view from the window for a long time.
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