Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Nine: Under The Sky of Departure
Only nobles surrounded Karen now.
Karen felt a chill but also relief when Harald at least pushed through the crowd of the Ehlertt family members, who knew about Karen and Harald’s relationship, to approach her.
“There’s just one last thing I want to tell you—!”
Harald was restrained by the adventurers assisting the investigation team. It was inevitable since a commoner had pushed past nobles and stepped into a place where he had no right to enter.
“Um, please let him go. He’s a child I employ.”
“We’d prefer not to let anyone unrelated to the investigation team into the plaza. With so many nobles gathered here, we’d like thorough supervision to avoid confusion.”
“I apologize. But—”
Karen wanted to hear what Harald was trying to say.
However, glared at by the adventurer and unable to continue her words, Karen eventually turned her gaze to Julius.
“Mr. Julius, I want to hear what Harald has to say.”
When Karen asked him, Julius smiled and nodded.
“You there, please release that boy.”
“But—”
“I’m a conqueror of the twentieth floor, and she’s a C-rank alchemist. And he’s a servant employed by a C-rank alchemist. There’s also the possibility he’s carrying a message from the S-rank alchemist who is her master. If that’s the case, can you take responsibility for restricting his speech here?”
“—We strictly prohibit outsiders from entering, so please keep it brief.”
Harald, freed by Julius’s quick thinking, first said in a murmuring voice, "I apologize that this isn’t a message from Lord Yuluyana.”
“Lady Karen, I swear—from now on I’ll live without greed, never forgetting your kindness, living solely to repay your grace!”
It wasn’t the sort of moment where she could joke, “Isn’t that a little heavy?” Instead, Karen gave a wry smile and nodded, choosing to accept his oath.
Harald, who had once managed to make a potion from non-magical materials but then lost that ability, probably needed this vow as a kind of purification to move forward again.
Even Karen, who had been D-rank until recently, couldn’t always make fifty small healing potions. The number varied depending on her physical condition. Since Harald had too little magical power, depending on the fluctuation, there might be times when he couldn’t make any at all. For now, that was the extent of Karen’s understanding. But if she was wrong—how could she possibly save this boy?
“Thank you, Harald. Those words alone are enough. Please continue to help me with your memory, diligence, and earnestness.”
Whatever the case, Karen would never abandon Harald.
Karen officially hired him not because he could make potions from non-magical materials. Showing him that truth was the only thing Karen could do for him now. Harald clenched his back teeth tightly.
As if enduring something, he scrunched up his face and pressed on.
“From now on, no matter what opportunities I’m blessed with, I won’t even look at them! No matter how great someone is, I’ll follow you, Lady Karen. I’ll believe your words over even an S-rank alchemist’s words! In everything, I’ll trust you above anyone, above anything—”
Harald’s words suddenly broke off. His face showed realization, as if he’d noticed something. His green eyes widened as he looked up at the sky. In those pupils reflected the blue sky with white clouds. As if the warped sky was strangely low, approaching Harald.
While Harald was there, his essence seemed to be approaching the sky. He moved his gaze to Karen while maintaining his expression of amazement.
“—I swear to the Goddess.”
At first, even while looking at Karen, the sky that continued to reflect in Harald’s pupils shimmered with rainbow colors.
The next moment, light pouring down from the sky transformed into rainbow-colored particles and showered down on Harald.
The next instant, Harald shed tears in streams.
Harald looked up at the showering rainbow particles and murmured while shedding tears.
“So that’s how it was… Lady Karen was right.”
Even the adventurers who had been ready to remove Harald at any moment relaxed their stance.
No one tried to interfere until Harald finished ascending the steps. The particles of light gradually grew thinner and blended into the air. When all the particles finally disappeared, Harald said:
“Lady Karen—I think I can make potions from non-magical materials again.”
“Really?”
Karen, who had been watching with bated breath, widened her eyes.
“Yes. And I think I can also make small healing potions.”
Right now, Harald was probably feeling omnipotent from the intoxication-like sensation of magical power filling his body, feeling like he could do anything.
While knowing she couldn’t believe his words completely, Karen’s heart raced as she opened her mouth with eager feelings.
“Natalia!”
“What is it, Karen!”
“After I leave, if Harald can make small healing potions, please register him as an F-rank alchemist.”
“Understood.”
“If he becomes an F-rank alchemist, make Harald my disciple!”
Karen was a C-rank senior alchemist.
Senior alchemists could take disciples.
“—Karen, is that alright? Taking a disciple means you have to take responsibility, you know?”
“He’s already been family for a long time, so it’s fine.”
“True, that does sound like you. Leave it to me.”
Natalia shrugged and agreed.
“Sara!”
“Yes, Lady Karen.”
“If he’s my disciple, Ehlertt will protect him too, right?”
“Since he would be the currently unique disciple inheriting your teachings, the head of the family will surely make such arrangements.”
Karen finally turned back to Harald.
Harald was still crying streams of tears.
Maybe he was the type who cried when intoxicated—a crying drunk.
“Harald, sorry for deciding on my own, but if you can make small healing potions and become an F-rank alchemist, won’t you become my disciple? That way, you can receive Ehlertt’s protection through me, and you’ll also become my master’s grand-disciple.”
“Can I really become your disciple, Lady Karen…?”
“I’m the one asking you, Harald.”
“I… I received teachings from Lord Yuluyana, and when there were differences with your teachings, I thought you were wrong. That’s why I couldn’t make potions from non-magical materials anymore!”
That would be the normal way to think. Karen was a newly promoted C-rank alchemist, while Yuluyana was an S-rank alchemist, an elf who had lived for hundreds of years.
How could one compare their knowledge and think Karen was right?
“But I was wrong. The moment I decided to believe in you, Lady Karen, the goddess taught me! —!”
Harald tried to say something but couldn’t, opening and closing his mouth. To Harald, who was blinking in confusion, Karen laughed and gave her first teaching as a master.
“What the goddess teaches you gets restricted with a ‘don’t tell anyone’ limitation. Apparently, you can say it if you really try hard, but it’s not good to do that, so you shouldn’t. So you don’t need to say it.”
“—Anyway, you were right, Lady Karen. Because I realized that—no, even without realizing it, because I decided to believe, the goddess pushed me up to a higher step.”
“I see… Congratulations on your advancement in rank, Harald.”
When Karen congratulated him, Harald’s eyes filled with even more tears.
“Thank you, Lady Karen…!”
“That said, I’m not always right, you know. Please understand that.”
“Even if you’re wrong, it doesn’t matter.”
Harald wiped his tears and smiled.
“Even including those mistakes, I will trust your words, Lady Karen.”
“No, no, no, I think you should stop that!?”
“I don’t mind suffering any disadvantages because of this.”
Harald said with a clear smile, still with tears in his eyes.
“You are my goddess, Lady Karen.”
The moment Harald said that, Karen was embraced from behind again.
“Harald, please don’t call someone else’s girlfriend a goddess.”
“You can’t monopolize the goddess, Mister Julius.”
From somewhere in the crowd, it seemed Yuluyana’s voice shouted, “That’s right! That’s right!” but both Karen and Harald ignored it.
“Still, my feelings toward Lady Karen aren’t like that.”
“Even so, you should be careful with your words. Normally, ‘goddess’ is what one calls a lover.”
“…More importantly, could you release Lady Karen before she gets too flustered? It’s cruel to have her in that state with a dungeon expedition ahead.”
“I’ll protect her, so there’s no problem.”
“There is a problem!”
Karen shouted desperately and escaped from Julius’s arms.
“First, Mr. Julius! Could you please stop embracing me anywhere and everywhere!? As Harald said, I have a dungeon expedition coming up! It’s dangerous!”
“Understood. From now on, I’ll choose the time and place to embrace you to my heart’s content.”
At Julius’s beaming smile, Karen realized her slip of tongue but shook it off and looked at Harald.
“And Harald! Stop calling me that! My back is getting itchy!”
“Then, though it’s a bit early—Master.”
Even though he hadn’t yet been able to make small healing potions or become an F-rank alchemist, Harald seemed confident he could do it. With a bright smile backed by confidence, he said:
“Have a safe trip, Master Karen!”
“I’m off!”
Tim, who apparently had followed along, excitedly threw his arm around the smiling Harald’s shoulders. Instead of getting irritated with Tim as usual or pushing him away, Harald beamed with joy.
Seeing such a Harald and Tim, Karen broke into a full smile, then looked at the nobles and their children suffering from Bloodline Blessing and grinned.
“Please take care of my disciple while I’m away.”
“—If you say so, Lady Karen, please leave it to us.”
Though floating question marks above their heads, the noble parents nodded. The children did too.
Since it was still uncertain, she couldn’t let them get their hopes up prematurely.
But if Harald’s confidence bore fruit, it would be a blessing for them too. Her worries had cleared. Karen looked ahead and gazed up at the sky. With eyes the same color as the clear sky, Karen set off spiritedly for the dungeon investigation.
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