Chapter One Hundred and Thirty: Sudden Turnaround 2
Even so, Karen looked up at Gabriel. He was someone from the higher-ups of the Alchemists’ Guild whom she had only seen from a distance. It seemed he cared quite a lot about Natalia.
“No matter how cute Natalia is, isn’t there too much of an age gap?”
Gabriel’s eyes widened in shock as Karen furrowed her brows deeply.
“Like hell I’d lust after a friend’s brat! Don’t go imagining weird things!”
“Ah, so that’s the kind of relationship you had. My apologies.”
“Oh, Karen, really… It’s nothing like that with Mr. Gab. He’s a friend of my father and mother. Practically like family.”
While saying this, Natalia seemed unusually embarrassed, and Karen stared intently at Gabriel with dilated, pitch-black pupils.
“Hmm. I see…”
“Don’t look at me with those strange eyes… Instead of saying stupid things, go home quickly and devote yourself to training for Natalia’s sake. For some reason, Master Yuluyana, who’s famous for not taking disciples, has made you his disciple! Learn all you can.”
Karen didn’t reply and placed a bottle she took from her pouch onto the counter with a soft clink, her face composed.
“What’s this?”
“A medium healing potion.”
“Huh?”
While Gabriel made a puzzled face, wondering what she was talking about, Natalia’s eyes grew round as saucers and her cheeks flushed rose-colored.
“Karen, don’t tell me!”
“I became able to make them yesterday.”
“That’s so like you, Karen!”
Natalia jumped out from behind the counter and hugged her. Karen caught Natalia’s body and made a peace sign toward the dumbfounded Gabriel.
“If you had rejected my rank advancement application, the capital’s Alchemists’ Guild would have become a gathering of idiots with no discernment. Thanks to Natalia’s keen insight, that didn’t happen!”
“—It’s definitely a medium healing potion.”
Gabriel confirmed through his monocle-shaped appraisal mirror.
“Is there anyone who can testify that you made this?”
“I made it in front of my master.”
“If it’s Lord Yuluyana, there’s no doubt. Well, seriously?”
“I told you so, Mr. Gab. I knew Karen would accomplish something amazing!”
“So it seems. Hah… Indeed, thanks to your foresight, the guild’s reputation can be preserved.”
If they had rejected Karen’s rank advancement application for reasons like lack of experience or something, and then she fulfilled the requirements for an even higher rank advancement, it would apparently affect the guild’s reputation. Though Karen didn’t understand why skipping rank advancements was problematic, it seemed she hadn’t made Natalia’s efforts go to waste. That was all that mattered to Karen.
“You look like you don’t get it.”
“Ehehe.”
“For example, if you wanted to become D-rank but our guild obstructed you, and then you went running to another guild, dangling the medium healing potion that’s a requirement for C-rank. Wouldn’t that make it seem as if we deliberately tried to keep you from becoming D-rank?”
“Well, I suppose so. Though the actual reason was that my delivery record was too short.”
“That’s also a legitimate reason, but—if rumors spread that we obstructed the advancement of someone capable of becoming C-rank, it would be fatal for the Alchemists’ Guild.”
From C-rank onward, one became a senior alchemist. Those who embodied proof that the goddess recognized their ability to work for the sake of the country and the world. Anyone who interfered with them would be severely punished as someone who hindered national defense.
Gabriel let out a deep, deep sigh and looked at Natalia.
“…Natalia, you really, truly did well. Thank you for persistently persuading us yesterday. Thanks.”
Gabriel casually patted Natalia’s head with a gentle touch. Natalia looked quite pleased.
“Hehe. You’re welcome, Mr. Gab.”
Gabriel held his head in the same hand he had used to pat Natalia and groaned.
“Ah, crap. Why did things suddenly turn out this way?! We weren’t trying to stop the D-rank advancement out of malice!”
“I understand. There’s also the aspect that you were thinking of me due to my lack of experience.”
“But there are damn blockheads in this world who just don’t get that…!”
As Gabriel wailed, showing the sorrows of middle management, there was a presence of someone new entering the Alchemists’ Guild.
“Ah, there you are, Ms. Karen! How did your D-rank advancement go? If your application was rejected, why don’t you transfer to another guild with me instead of this guild that lacks discernment? Actually, there’s been a country that’s been recruiting me with good conditions for about a hundred years now.”
“There’s one of those blockheads I was talking about!”
Even if it was done with the other person’s best interests in mind, there were always those who would see anyone who stood in their way as an enemy. Teenagers in their rebellious years, and Yuluyana as well.
“My D-rank advancement went through! I’m about to be advanced to C-rank now!”
“Is that so? Hmm. Lately, this guild has been full of people obsessed with sticking to traditions, with no sense of novelty. I honestly thought they’d call you inexperienced, Ms. Karen, and refuse your promotion.”
“Lord Yuluyana, you were thinking such things…! No wonder you’ve been skipping recent meetings… You should have said something! Before abandoning our guild!”
“I’ve been saying it on and off for about twenty years now.”
“Ugh!?”
“What’s admirable about humans is their quick turnover, their ability to change. Those without that quality are meaningless to me.”
Gabriel’s cheek twitched at Yuluyana’s cold smile. Karen cleared her throat to mediate as his disciple.
“Master, I still intend to work hard in the Kingdom of Earthfill, so let’s research alchemy together in this country, alright?”
“If you say so, Ms. Karen, then I suppose I will.”
As Yuluyana broke into a grin, Gabriel rubbed his stomach with a haggard, pale face.
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