Chapter One Hundred and Twelve: Royal Entertainment
Karen and her companions were summoned to a tea party between Consort Benedicta and the King. The room they were shown into had a curtain draped across it, and the two appeared to be seated behind it. Though Karen’s group couldn’t see beyond the curtain, it seemed those on the other side could observe them clearly. It was completely a spectacle.
Waltride entered the room together with Karen but took a seat by the wall with the maid as someone watching over Karen.
Since they said it was fine to come not only by oneself but also to bring assistants with you, Karen brought one other person besides Waltride. The person who followed behind Karen was taller than Karen, and from the bone structure, one could tell it was a man. He wore the hood of his cloak pulled deep over his head to conceal his face.
However, since identity verification was done when entering the royal palace, the King and Benedicta should already know who it was.
Isaac also brought one man with him.
Since he wore a silver brooch, he was probably a silver or mithril—D-rank or A-rank alchemist. There was quite a difference depending on which.
With a tense expression, Isaac requested, "I would like to make a potion first," so Karen agreed and yielded the floor to him.
The alchemist Isaac brought was preparing to make a potion. Judging from the ingredients, it seemed like Karen’s non-magical material soap potion.
Karen involuntarily leaned forward. If he could reproduce Karen’s potion—then there would be room to let everything be water under the bridge. As Karen stared intently at that alchemist, the companion she had brought passed by her side and stepped forward. Wondering what he intended to do, Karen watched as her companion grabbed the arm of Isaac’s alchemist.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
“W-What are you doing—!?”
“Do you intend to interfere?!”
The alchemist was visibly shaken, and Isaac raised his voice in a shrill protest. At that moment, something green slipped and fell from the male alchemist’s hand.
“You were just about to add a World Tree leaf, weren’t you?”
What fell to the floor appeared to be a World Tree leaf. Speaking of World Tree leaves, they were ultra-luxury and rare magical materials.
“Y-You just tried to slip that in yourself!”
“Hmm?”
Yuluyana took off his hat and looked closely at the man’s face, then smiled brightly.
“You, which alchemist are you? You wouldn’t happen to not be an alchemist from this country?”
“H-how rude! I am a distinguished alchemist from the royal capital!”
“Oh my. That’s strange. I should remember the faces of all A-rank alchemists, but I have no recollection of your face. If you were low-rank, it would be possible that I didn’t remember you as not worth remembering, but that brooch is made of mithril, isn’t it?”
Karen couldn’t tell the difference between silver and mithril, but according to Yuluyana, the brooch the man wore on his cloak’s chest was made of mithril.
Wearing a mithril brooch meant he should be an A-rank alchemist.
“You just don’t remember! What’s wrong with that?!”
“It’s also strange that you don’t know who I am. Normally, there aren’t any alchemists who’ve reached A-rank who don’t know me.”
“Just who are you supposed to be?! You’re just some elf!?”
“An elf… alchemist?”
Isaac gasped as if realizing something.
He seemed to have figured out Yuluyana’s true identity, but it was too late.
Meanwhile, the man pretending to be an A-rank alchemist still seemed clueless about Yuluyana’s identity, his face a mix of anxiety and confusion.
Yuluyana was quite famous. Even novice alchemists knew of his existence. It was covered in commoner school lessons, so even non-alchemists were likely to know him.
Yet the man didn’t know. He probably really wasn’t knowledgeable about alchemy.
Come to think of it, when the man tried to put the World Tree leaf into the alchemy pot, Karen should have been watching his movements intently, but she didn’t notice. His sleight of hand was too skillful, so she couldn’t tell he was trying to mix the World Tree leaf into the alchemy pot.
“…Could it be you’re not an alchemist at all, just a magician?”
“I think so too.”
Karen had considered the possibility that Isaac might resort to full-blown deception—that had been one of the expected tactics.
She disappointedly dropped her shoulders.
If only he had at least become able to make non-magical material soap, it would have been different. She had been thinking of showing some mercy, but this wouldn’t do.
Yuluyana spoke through the hanging cloth to the two noble figures who were probably watching.
“I am Yuluyana, an S-rank alchemist registered with the Alchemists’ Guild of the Royal Capital of Earthfill Kingdom. Your Majesty, this man is not an alchemist but a magician, and this merchant is a criminal who attempted to commit fraud in your presence.”
Karen had called Yuluyana to help when something happened.
For example, if the other side had become able to make non-magical material potions, she intended to have him protect her so that Karen wouldn’t be accused in turn.
The act of hindering a high-rank alchemist was a serious crime.
“Is it necessary for my disciple to be further exposed and reveal her methods in order to clear suspicions from these people’s false accusations?”
Since Karen hadn’t asked him to say that much, she was startled. Yuluyana’s tone carried a sense of displeasure. It was almost a protest.
“…I never thought the one under suspicion would be Master Yuluyana’s disciple.”
A man’s voice came from behind the curtain, and Karen gasped.
It was the King’s voice, which someone in Karen’s position would normally never have the opportunity to hear. The tone sounded younger than she had imagined as Waltride’s father.
“You have refused to take on a disciple, even when the palace alchemists requested it. Has something changed your mind?”
“By becoming her teacher, I, too, have much to learn.”
“Hmm. She seems to be a promising alchemist for the future—Benedicta.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
A woman’s beautiful voice was heard. If Waltride had a somewhat low alto voice, this woman’s voice was a clear soprano.
“As far as I know, she is the first human alchemist Master Yuluyana has taken as a disciple. Wasting her time on such a foolish spectacle may constitute obstruction of national defense. Benedicta, you have induced obstruction of national defense. Do you have any excuse?”
Karen’s eyes widened.
She had planned to list Isaac’s crimes and appeal to the king for judgment.
But even without Karen requesting anything, the name of the crime given to Isaac’s actions was greater than she had thought, and Karen gulped.
What the heck I caught up D:
ReplyDeleteAnyway great work my guy!