Chapter One Hundred and Five: Soap Turmoil 3
Upon returning home, Karen summoned Marian. After understanding the situation, Marian had an extremely tense expression.
“Marian, I think if this is just some misunderstanding, continuing this conflict isn’t a good idea.”
Sara, standing behind Marian, had a look that seemed to say "being soft again," but Karen ignored her and continued:
“For example, what if forces aligned with the Consort who were searching for faults in Lady Waltride learned about my conflict with Gubert Trading Company and are forcing your brother to sue me? If this is noble tyranny, I’d like to negotiate privately with Gubert Trading Company and aim for a peaceful resolution.”
“…I think my brother Isaac is acting on his own will.”
“Really?”
“Yes. He never agreed with me going to apologize to you in the first place. He said that whoever brings a product to market first wins, and since there’s no evidence you were developing it, we had no reason to bow our heads.”
“Is that the opinion of the entire Gubert Trading Company?”
“Yes. I think my father has a similar opinion.”
“I see.”
“Even though my family opposed me, I became an indentured worker because I believe people with real ability should be rewarded… But since Isaac was complaining that Ehlertt Earldom’s pressure on the company hadn’t eased, he probably teamed up with nobles to counterattack.”
“Pressure?”
When Karen looked at Sara, she shrugged.
“He’s probably referring to how we helped those who were harmed file complaints against Gubert Trading Company.”
“My brother probably thinks that since Gubert Trading Company handed me over to you, the accounts are settled—or even thinks that they’ve given up more than they’ve gained.”
“So that’s how he sees it. But does he really think he can win against me?”
“Rather, do you think you can win against him?”
When Karen tilted her head, Marian checked Sara’s expression as if gauging her intentions before continuing:
“Isaac Trading Company operates with the full backing of Gubert Trading Company, which has been doing business in the capital of Earthfil Kingdom as a trading company for adventurers since our grandfather’s time. Once they pick a fight with you, the company is surely preparing to win with all its might.”
“But what I’m selling are potions, right? Even the face powder is a potion, and the facial soap is also classified as a potion. Gubert Trading Company sells regular soft soap, doesn’t it?”
“—Your information is outdated, Alchemist Karen.”
Though the sign on the alchemy workshop door should have been flipped to "Closed," someone had rudely entered. A man with dazzlingly bright blond hair. He had facial features similar to Marian’s but with a cold, cruel look.
“Brother Isaac!”
“Marian, wait there. I’ll help you soon.”
Isaac looked Karen up and down before snorting.
“I’ve won.”
“And what makes you think that?”
Karen asked as calmly as she could.
“The magical soap you claim to make can be reproduced even without an alchemist if high-magic materials are used.”
“That’s true. The effects might differ, but something similar could be made.”
Even Karen’s master, Yuluyana, had suspected the same thing. That’s why before their contract, Karen was tested by being asked to make potions using only materials Yuluyana had prepared. High-magic materials, like World Tree leaves, would create potions with magical effects even without an alchemist if simply placed in water.
“The Gubert Trading Company could probably obtain World Tree leaves.”
“I won’t deny we have connections.”
“So, from an outsider’s view, it looks more like I’m just mixing high-magic ingredients or other potions into soap, rather than actually making soap potions?”
“Isn’t that what it is? No one can recreate the potions you’ve made. That’s ridiculous! You’re just an E-rank alchemist! Are you telling me even A-rank alchemists can’t replicate what you did? That’s impossible!”
Isaac’s shouting reflected a common viewpoint. Even Karen herself wondered why other people couldn’t reproduce her potions.
“According to the A-rank alchemist we employ, you’re probably using some high-magic materials you got your hands on somewhere and pretending to create new types of potions—maybe even stole those materials from someone?”
His face twisted with anger, and his voice oozed with righteous indignation. Perhaps he was remembering his adventurer brother who had died young.
“Brother, I told you that’s not true. Karen isn’t the kind of person who would do such things.”
Karen was surprised to hear Marian coming to her defense.
“Do you still believe in the so-called decency of fools, Marian?”
“It’s not about believing or not believing. This woman doesn’t have the ability to deceive people! She couldn’t tell a lie even if she wanted to! She’s too much of a klutz!”
“Who are you calling a klutz?!”
Karen couldn’t help but retort.
If she wanted to, Karen could certainly deceive people. She didn’t do it because she had no purpose or reason to. If she had a purpose or reason important enough to achieve by deceiving or trapping others, Karen wouldn’t hesitate to do it. But that didn’t mean just anyone would be her target. Only someone who posed a threat to Karen or the people she cared about would ever be a valid target.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Then maybe she mixed in high-magic ingredients without even realizing it.”
Isaac brushed off his sister’s warning and turned back to Karen.
“Even so, fraud is a fraud, Fraudulent Alchemist Karen! I’m going to crush you. Thanks to us spreading soap, many lives have been saved. You should have been grateful and stayed in your place, but you had to involve my sister, and you’re still not satisfied, so it’s come to this. You, the Ehlertt family, and the princess who discovered you will all go down together! —But if you admit your guilt, I might forgive you.”
Isaac seemed very confident in his preparations. Maybe one of his personal A-rank alchemists had given it their seal of approval.
When Karen made potions in front of Yuluyana using only materials Yuluyana had prepared, that alone was enough for Yuluyana to believe in her. But if someone were determined, there are countless ways to slip in high-magic materials. If Karen made potions in front of the King and the Consort, who aren’t familiar with alchemy, how much would they believe—or understand?
From what she’d heard, if this had happened to Karen a little while ago, she might have been helplessly framed.
Karen asked Isaac:
“In the first release of the Princess’s cosmetic line, sold under Lady Waltride’s name, I’ve excluded tricky potions and only included easy-to-use items: toner, lotion, bath salts, silk face powder from Silk Spiders, and facial soap. Out of these, Mr. Isaac, is the soap what you claim has had its recipe stolen?”
“That’s right! Soap is a product that my father’s Gubert Trading Company has been producing for a long time. Everyone knows that.”
“Yes, I thought that would be the case.”
Isaac grew wary at Karen’s nonchalant response. Karen looked at him with pitying eyes.
“Currently, no one else can make my non-magical material potions. But… my master has managed to make the soap potion.”
“…Huh?”
Isaac’s eyes widened.
His plan was to assert that since no one could make Karen’s potions, they must be the result of high-magic materials, and if so, Isaac Trading Company had produced the original product first.
So if Karen’s potion could be made by any sufficiently skilled alchemist with the recipe, and that recipe was officially recognized as her invention, Isaac’s entire plan would collapse.
Soap Turmoil 3
Upon returning home, Karen summoned Marian. After understanding the situation, Marian had an extremely tense expression.
“Marian, I think if this is just some misunderstanding, continuing this conflict isn’t a good idea.”
Sara, standing behind Marian, had a look that seemed to say "being soft again," but Karen ignored her and continued:
“For example, what if forces aligned with the Consort who were searching for faults in Lady Waltride learned about my conflict with Gubert Trading Company and are forcing your brother to sue me? If this is noble tyranny, I’d like to negotiate privately with Gubert Trading Company and aim for a peaceful resolution.”
“…I think my brother Isaac is acting on his own will.”
“Really?”
“Yes. He never agreed with me going to apologize to you in the first place. He said that whoever brings a product to market first wins, and since there’s no evidence you were developing it, we had no reason to bow our heads.”
“Is that the opinion of the entire Gubert Trading Company?”
“Yes. I think my father has a similar opinion.”
“I see.”
“Even though my family opposed me, I became an indentured worker because I believe people with real ability should be rewarded… But since Isaac was complaining that Ehlertt Earldom’s pressure on the company hadn’t eased, he probably teamed up with nobles to counterattack.”
“Pressure?”
When Karen looked at Sara, she shrugged.
“He’s probably referring to how we helped those who were harmed file complaints against Gubert Trading Company.”
“My brother probably thinks that since Gubert Trading Company handed me over to you, the accounts are settled—or even thinks that they’ve given up more than they’ve gained.”
“So that’s how he sees it. But does he really think he can win against me?”
“Rather, do you think you can win against him?”
When Karen tilted her head, Marian checked Sara’s expression as if gauging her intentions before continuing:
“Isaac Trading Company operates with the full backing of Gubert Trading Company, which has been doing business in the capital of Earthfil Kingdom as a trading company for adventurers since our grandfather’s time. Once they pick a fight with you, the company is surely preparing to win with all its might.”
“But what I’m selling are potions, right? Even the face powder is a potion, and the facial soap is also classified as a potion. Gubert Trading Company sells regular soft soap, doesn’t it?”
“—Your information is outdated, Alchemist Karen.”
Though the sign on the alchemy workshop door should have been flipped to "Closed," someone had rudely entered. A man with dazzlingly bright blond hair. He had facial features similar to Marian’s but with a cold, cruel look.
“Brother Isaac!”
“Marian, wait there. I’ll help you soon.”
Isaac looked Karen up and down before snorting.
“I’ve won.”
“And what makes you think that?”
Karen asked as calmly as she could.
“The magical soap you claim to make can be reproduced even without an alchemist if high-magic materials are used.”
“That’s true. The effects might differ, but something similar could be made.”
Even Karen’s master, Yuluyana, had suspected the same thing. That’s why before their contract, Karen was tested by being asked to make potions using only materials Yuluyana had prepared. High-magic materials, like World Tree leaves, would create potions with magical effects even without an alchemist if simply placed in water.
“The Gubert Trading Company could probably obtain World Tree leaves.”
“I won’t deny we have connections.”
“So, from an outsider’s view, it looks more like I’m just mixing high-magic ingredients or other potions into soap, rather than actually making soap potions?”
“Isn’t that what it is? No one can recreate the potions you’ve made. That’s ridiculous! You’re just an E-rank alchemist! Are you telling me even A-rank alchemists can’t replicate what you did? That’s impossible!”
Isaac’s shouting reflected a common viewpoint. Even Karen herself wondered why other people couldn’t reproduce her potions.
“According to the A-rank alchemist we employ, you’re probably using some high-magic materials you got your hands on somewhere and pretending to create new types of potions—maybe even stole those materials from someone?”
His face twisted with anger, and his voice oozed with righteous indignation. Perhaps he was remembering his adventurer brother who had died young.
“Brother, I told you that’s not true. Karen isn’t the kind of person who would do such things.”
Karen was surprised to hear Marian coming to her defense.
“Do you still believe in the so-called decency of fools, Marian?”
“It’s not about believing or not believing. This woman doesn’t have the ability to deceive people! She couldn’t tell a lie even if she wanted to! She’s too much of a klutz!”
“Who are you calling a klutz?!”
Karen couldn’t help but retort.
If she wanted to, Karen could certainly deceive people. She didn’t do it because she had no purpose or reason to. If she had a purpose or reason important enough to achieve by deceiving or trapping others, Karen wouldn’t hesitate to do it. But that didn’t mean just anyone would be her target. Only someone who posed a threat to Karen or the people she cared about would ever be a valid target.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Then maybe she mixed in high-magic ingredients without even realizing it.”
Isaac brushed off his sister’s warning and turned back to Karen.
“Even so, fraud is a fraud, Fraudulent Alchemist Karen! I’m going to crush you. Thanks to us spreading soap, many lives have been saved. You should have been grateful and stayed in your place, but you had to involve my sister, and you’re still not satisfied, so it’s come to this. You, the Ehlertt family, and the princess who discovered you will all go down together! —But if you admit your guilt, I might forgive you.”
Isaac seemed very confident in his preparations. Maybe one of his personal A-rank alchemists had given it their seal of approval.
When Karen made potions in front of Yuluyana using only materials Yuluyana had prepared, that alone was enough for Yuluyana to believe in her. But if someone were determined, there are countless ways to slip in high-magic materials. If Karen made potions in front of the King and the Consort, who aren’t familiar with alchemy, how much would they believe—or understand?
From what she’d heard, if this had happened to Karen a little while ago, she might have been helplessly framed.
Karen asked Isaac:
“In the first release of the Princess’s cosmetic line, sold under Lady Waltride’s name, I’ve excluded tricky potions and only included easy-to-use items: toner, lotion, bath salts, silk face powder from Silk Spiders, and facial soap. Out of these, Mr. Isaac, is the soap what you claim has had its recipe stolen?”
“That’s right! Soap is a product that my father’s Gubert Trading Company has been producing for a long time. Everyone knows that.”
“Yes, I thought that would be the case.”
Isaac grew wary at Karen’s nonchalant response. Karen looked at him with pitying eyes.
“Currently, no one else can make my non-magical material potions. But… my master has managed to make the soap potion.”
“…Huh?”
Isaac’s eyes widened.
His plan was to assert that since no one could make Karen’s potions, they must be the result of high-magic materials, and if so, Isaac Trading Company had produced the original product first.
So if Karen’s potion could be made by any sufficiently skilled alchemist with the recipe, and that recipe was officially recognized as her invention, Isaac’s entire plan would collapse.
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