Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Four: Dedicated Hard Worker
When she woke up in the morning, she opened the window and first let fresh air into the room while letting in the morning sunlight. She washed her face with water from the basin, wiped her face with a towel, brushed her teeth, and changed clothes in the blind spot by the window.
After combing her hair and getting herself mostly ready, Karen left her room as usual.
“Good morning…”
“Good morning, Harald.”
When Karen woke up and came down the stairs, Harald walked by unsteadily with dark circles under his eyes. She wondered when he had woken up—or rather, if he had slept at all last night.
There was no point in warning Harald, so Karen went to protest to Yuluyana, who was probably relaxing elegantly while drinking tea that he had likely made Harald prepare for him in the living room.
“Master, please don’t cut into Harald’s sleep time so much. Even when I tell him to rest during the day, he says he’s working and won’t take a break.”
Karen wanted to introduce a two-day weekend system, but Harald had reacted so violently against it that she had given up on the idea for now. From Harald’s perspective, trying to create days when he wasn’t needed seemed like some kind of preliminary step for Karen to fire him.
“I’m not forcing him to keep me company. Harald wants to learn alchemy from me of his own free will.”
“Lord Yuluyana is absolutely right. So please don’t worry about me, Lady Karen…”
Harald poked his face into the living room briefly, then wandered back to his housework unsteadily.
“Master, even so, please be mindful to ensure he gets enough sleep.”
“Yes, yes, I understand.”
“By the way, what do you think of Harald from your perspective, Master?”
“Regarding non-magical material potions, he can make almost any potion in the areas you taught him. This tea also has awakening effects. However, he still can’t quite make minor healing potions—he’s just one step away.”
Yuluyana had asked to use Karen’s alchemy workshop for Harald’s instruction, and since the alchemy cauldron had originally been given to her by Yuluyana, Karen had permitted its use while she was sleeping.
Even with instruction from Yuluyana, an S-rank alchemist, Harald apparently still couldn’t make minor healing potions. No matter how well one could make potions from non-magical ingredients, one couldn’t become an alchemist without being able to make minor healing potions.
Karen sighed and dropped her shoulders.
“I see… That’s unfortunate.”
“Unfortunate? That’s wrong. Harald’s magical power is below F-rank, you know? With magical power that’s practically nonexistent, he’s one step away from being able to make minor healing potions. Something like this normally wouldn’t be possible.”
“Ah, that’s true.”
“Even your original magical power level of D-rank would normally make it difficult to create minor healing potions. Yet you can make fifty minor healing potions with that amount of magical power, Ms. Karen. That’s what’s strange.”
“So it seems.”
“I should conclude that you have some secret, and Harald has inherited that secret. Moreover, that secret isn’t restricted from being spoken about by the goddess…”
As Yuluyana sank into contemplation, Karen raised her voice a bit:
“I’m invited to the National Foundation Festival tonight! I’ll be going!”
Yuluyana—who sometimes waved his hand absently even when no one was listening—fluttered it dismissively now to silence Karen.
“Lady Karen, have a safe trip.”
“I’ll be late tonight, so I’ll probably stay at Earl Ehlertt’s estate, but I might come home, and if you are awake when I get back, Harald, I’ll be really angry.”
“Yes.”
“I know it’s pointless telling you, Harald, but still…”
Harald, who had come out to see her off, smiled wryly.
If Yuluyana told Harald to do this or that, there was no way Harald could refuse.
“This might displease you, Lady Karen, but I’m not being forced to keep Lord Yuluyana company—I truly am receiving instruction of my own free will.”
“That’s probably part of it, but…”
“I desperately want to become an alchemist, Lady Karen. I was someone who should never have been able to become anything at all—yet someone said I might be only one step away from being an alchemist. And that someone stands at the very end of this path.”
“Harald…”
Harald spoke earnestly to Karen.
Hearing those words, it was painfully clear that he truly wanted to learn of his own volition.
“I won’t cause you any trouble, Lady Karen. So please forgive me for wanting to do everything possible during this opportunity when the whimsical Lord Yuluyana is willing to teach me.”
“…I understand. But sleep at night. And eat your meals. If you don’t sleep and eat, your mind won’t work properly, and even if you study hard, it won’t stick in your head.”
“Understood, Lady Karen.”
Harald smiled and nodded with narrowed eyes.
Even as he replied, it didn’t feel like he was really taking Karen’s words to heart.
Both Yuluyana and Harald were good at giving responses, at least.
“If you don’t sleep properly and eat properly, you won’t grow big!”
“…I’ll keep that in mind.”
Sighing at Harald, whose expression had changed slightly, Karen got into the carriage she had called.
The carriage departed for the Ehlertt family’s estate so she could help prepare for the National Foundation Festival.
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