This is the beginning of the next section/arc, “Nobles and Commoners” (chapters 192-236)
Section Six: Nobles and Commoners
Chapter One Hundred and Ninety-Two: Alumni Reunion
When they emerged from the dungeon, the outside world had already turned to summer. Perhaps due to the seasonal disorientation, as soon as Karen returned home to the alchemy workshop, she collapsed and ended up sleeping for a whole week while being cared for by Harald.
Karen had finally managed to get back on her feet, but now she had come to a reunion. It was a reunion hosted by the commoners’ school.
The school hall had been transformed into something resembling a ballroom held by nobles. In the adjacent room, there was a buffet-style table lined with light refreshments. A band was in the hall playing music, making it possible to dance.
The commoners, who weren’t as accustomed to dancing as nobles, mostly danced only with their accompanying partners.
“There are lots of people again this year.”
“It’s a rare opportunity to gain connections with people from other industries.”
When she had opened the letters that had piled up during her absence, she found an invitation, and the event date was already close at hand. Although she hadn’t sent a response about her attendance, Natalia had negotiated with the school as a member of the Alchemists’ Guild and made it possible for her to attend.
For commoners, this annual reunion was an important social venue. Experts from diverse fields who had gathered based on the single common thread of having graduated from this commoners’ school. Interactions with them would nourish Karen.
Although she had somehow managed to attend this important social venue, Karen was being conspicuously kept at a distance.
“Natalia, what kind of rumors are there about me?”
“There’s a rumor going around that you were in conflict with the Gubert Trading Company. The Alchemists’ Guild also issued a protest statement and tried to get them to retract their statement, but… while we were negotiating, their son caused a serious incident…”
Upon receiving the report of Isaac’s crimes, the Gubert Trading Company had effectively collapsed. On the surface, it still appeared to function as a trading company, but internally, it was in chaos and in no condition to hold discussions.
“So it’s gotten all muddled up.”
“Yes, I’m sorry for not being able to do more. It’s a rumor that would die down instantly if we revealed your true rank, but it would be better to do that after you have a supporter.”
“A supporter, huh…”
Currently, Karen’s alchemist rank was B.
Apparently, the Alchemists’ Guild had been contacted the moment Karen created the panacea inside the dungeon, and at that point, Karen’s promotion to B-rank had been unofficially decided. From Natalia’s perspective, B rank was low for someone who could make panaceas, but according to Gabriel, it was difficult to grant a higher rank for Karen’s panacea, which differed from a formally recognized one.
In any case, if it were revealed that Karen was a B-rank alchemist, people’s attitudes toward her would soften, but jealousy would also increase. For that time, she needed to have a way to protect herself.
“Still, I don’t really want people around me who would distance themselves just because I stood up to the Gubert Trading Company.”
“I’ll remove the adventurers who declined last time from the list.”
While nodding at Natalia’s kind words, Karen looked around.
There were several groups keeping their distance from Karen.
One consisted of people who had often hung around with Marian before—people who believed status and magical power were everything. At one point, they had even tried to ingratiate themselves with Natalia. They were the people who had been present at the scene where Karen’s engagement to Lyos was broken off, and who had applauded without any reservation or hesitation.
There was also a group who appeared to be adventurers, believing the bad rumors about Karen. If they believed the Gubert Trading Company’s statement—that Karen was trying to hinder the company’s dedication to the dungeon investigation team for the sake of insignificant children—and knew no information beyond that, it made sense they would have that kind of attitude.
Karen felt that she had, in her own way, accomplished things. However, commoners had almost no opportunity to learn about what happened in noble society.
The people of the adventurers’ district were friendly to Karen, who had been born and raised among them, but they were tight-lipped with outsiders, so neither good nor bad news from the adventurers’ district spread outside.
Adventurers who trusted one another also didn’t leak each other’s secrets.
For better or worse, none of the people here knew about the commission Karen had received from the Ehlertt Earldom, her ability to create potions that cured magical intoxication, or that she had ascended the ranks.
That’s why they didn’t want to get involved with Karen, who was in conflict with the Gubert Trading Company, which outwardly still existed.
They would change their attitudes if they learned Karen was a B-rank alchemist. However, even if they changed their attitudes and approached her at that time, Karen wouldn’t feel like being friendly with them anymore.
If it were Julius, Karen could have accepted that he was interested in her abilities, but the people here weren’t Julius.
That was just as Karen sighed.
“So this is where you were, Karen.”
Hearing her name, Karen turned around.
The one who strolled toward her with an air of ease was one of Karen’s former classmates.
“Long time no see, Ahim.”
“Don’t call my name so casually, Karen. You and I live in different worlds.”
Saying that, the blue-haired young man Karen had called Ahim grinned fearlessly.
“I’ll make you realize it today, Karen. That day, at that time, in that class! Just because you made a potion faster than me! That was merely a coincidence! You can never stand above me!”
Ahim pulled it out from his pocket with a flourish.
Holding it between his index and middle fingers, he showed it off with a smug face.
“Look! At this brilliance, this beautiful silver light! This is a mithril brooch! The mark of excellence, of a B-rank alchemist!—This is the lofty height you can never reach!”
The brooch hadn’t arrived yet, but Karen was also a B-rank alchemist.
So she understood just how amazing it was to become a B-rank alchemist.
Karen clapped her hands.
“So you’ve become able to make greater healing potions. Congratulations.”
“Don’t calmly congratulate me. Be frustrated. Come on.”
At Ahim glaring at her, Karen scratched her cheek.
When Karen had studied alchemy at the commoners’ school and successfully made a potion for the first time, her classmate Ahim was the only other person besides Karen who had succeeded at potion-making.
A thoroughbred from an alchemist family on both parents’ sides.
After receiving elite alchemy education from childhood, in the commoners’ school’s alchemy class, he had taken more time to create a potion than Karen, who was seeing it for the first time, and after his potion was judged to have weaker effects and worse magical efficiency than Karen’s, he had persistently hassled Karen about various things.
That said, she hadn’t been hassled at all in recent years, so she had thought he’d long since forgotten about her.
He apparently still regarded Karen as a rival, even though he seemed to know nothing about Karen being scheduled for promotion to B-rank, let alone anything else.
When Karen chuckled, Ahim glared at her fiercely, which made it even more amusing. As an alchemist, she could only think of it as being recognized by a fellow alchemist.
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