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The Scorned Noble Lady Picks Up The Path of Alchemy in Her Second Life

The Alchemist Guild 2

Translated by: S3

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

*****

Captured by Vanessa-san, I sat at the reception counter, watching the registration process proceed smoothly.

「To think the day would come when Mia-chan registers as an alchemist. Big Sis is deeply moved.」

「Please don't suddenly act like my big sister. We don't have that deep of a relationship.」

She spoke to me with the familiarity of an old friend, but I only knew her casually from some minor help she gave me with alchemy work.

However, Vanessa-san, who I never felt any emotional barrier with from our first meeting, always treated me with such ease.

「How sad. Given the bond between me and Mia-chan...」

Since we are strictly business partners, I wonder about having too much emotional closeness. Well, not that Vanessa-san would care.

If I get too used to this atmosphere, I start worrying if she doesn't crack a joke or two, so I truly think she's a strange person. It's no exaggeration to say she is one of a kind.

Just as Vanessa-san's joking subsided, without realizing it, she exuded a more mature aura.

「But you know, I had a hunch that it might turn out this way someday.」

「Is that what they call a woman's intuition?」

「No. I just had a feeling that Mia-chan's mana was contained in the potions brought in until now.」

It was only natural since I was doing the potion preparation when I worked under Lord Zeel.

But normally, no one can understand whose mana is contained in a potion. Since it can only be determined by special testing, it wouldn't be investigated unless one gets involved in major trouble.

For that very reason, I felt it was better not to mention this.

If it turns out that someone unregistered as an alchemist was involved in potion creation, it could be considered fraud or subject to punishment.

It should be safe if I was an assistant... but since I was handling 90% of the work, I didn't think I could talk my way out of it.

「I appraised potions at the Adventurers Guild, but I never recognized the creator's mana. Isn't it just your imagination?」

「I don't know for sure either. But you know, for people who can sense mana wavelengths, it just kind of comes across.」

Saying that, Vanessa-san brought the potion I had handed her close to my face.

「See, the same wavelength is coming out. It's a good potion, resembling its creator.」

「Ah, thank you...」

Smiling brightly, Vanessa-san’s atmosphere was different from usual; she looked a bit like a bewitching older sister.

After all, being appointed as Sub-Master, it seems her stance towards alchemy is proper.

「Since this potion is a sample, can I just pocket it?」

「Please handle it appropriately.」

I take back my previous statement. Vanessa-san is indeed a free spirit. I was a fool to reconsider my opinion even slightly.

With the bewitching older sister vibe vanishing quickly, Vanessa-san moved her pen across the documents to register me as an alchemist, looking lethargic.

「But why did you decide to register as an alchemist? If you started assisting Clein-chan, you can't accept guild requests, right?」

「C-Clein-chan!?」

I don't know their relationship, but surely he isn't someone you can call with the "-chan" suffix.

He is the eldest son of a Marquess House and the Court Alchemist. It's truly mysterious why she doesn't get scolded.

「For now, I don't intend to accept requests. However, Lord Clein told me to just register to be under the protection of the Alchemists Guild, and—」

Mid-sentence, Vanessa-san covered my mouth with her index finger.

「Mia-chan, you mustn't say that so honestly. The guild is also run for profit, you see. If it weren't me, I wouldn't have let that slide.」

While thinking So she'll let it slide, I also accepted that she had a point.

At the Adventurers Guild, some people register just to use it as ID, and we didn't refuse registration as long as there was no criminal record. With many people losing their lives, retiring due to age, or moving from town to town, the turnover was intense.

But the Alchemists Guild is different. Since it's not a job just anyone can do, it seems they don't accept anyone unless they are useful.

「Even if I register with the Alchemists Guild, I am still an apprentice alchemist who just started. I think I need a little more time to get used to things before I can handle requests.」

「I think it's important to just register first and show your willingness to work. But since you can make potions so well, you'll be judged as slacking off if you don't.」

「The only thing I can make is potions. I can't even process Magic Ore without a Formation magic circle.」

「It seems so. There are traces of failure.」

Checking my own clothes, I didn't see any Magic Ore stuck to them. I was wearing an apron while working, so there shouldn't be any dirty spots... probably.

However, when Vanessa-san touched my cheek and showed me her hand... a fragment of Magic Ore that must have scattered during work was on her fingertip.

As expected of a former A-Rank Alchemist. It seems Formation skills are her specialty.

「Thank you...」

「You're welcome.」

Thinking that I had been walking around with mineral stuck to my cheek until now was incredibly embarrassing.

If I was going to feel like this, I should have checked thoroughly in front of a mirror. Since I practiced until the last minute and rushed out of the workshop, Lord Clein probably didn't notice either.

Hmm, I can't really complain to anyone. It was clearly my negligence and my own fault.

「Sadly, I've proven myself to be an apprentice alchemist.」

「I think it's fresh and nice. But you know, as long as you register as an alchemist, you are treated as a working member of society. Unless you become a B-Rank Alchemist or higher, judged to bring significant profit to the guild, you have to accept requests.」

「Being told that by Vanessa-san, who is always slacking off, is oddly frustrating.」

Since her argument was so sound that I couldn't find a retort, I could only shrink back dejectedly.

「I came here because Lord Clein told me to just get the registration done; can't something be worked out?」

「No~pe. Clein-chan doesn't understand that part. The Alchemists Guild isn't a charity, after all.」

What should I do about this? Accepting requests arbitrarily might hinder my assistant duties. I'm currently practicing the Formation skill, but there are also potion creation requests Lord Clein passes to me...

While I was worrying about this, Vanessa-san peered into my face with a grinning expression.

「Bu~t, don't worry. I have an e-x-t-r-e-m-e-l-y good method.」

「W-what is it? I have nothing but a bad feeling about this.」

「There’s a potion transaction that’s become a bi~t of a trouble, you see. I was just thinking I wanted to deal with it soon.」

「Normally, would you try to push such a dangerous-sounding request onto an apprentice alchemist who just registered?」

「No problem. If you periodically deliver the same potions as the sample you brought, I'll handle the rest. See? It's a sweet deal, right?」

Since Vanessa-san was pleading with her hands clasped together, I had no choice but to compromise here. She is the Guild Sub-Master, after all, so I needed to save her face.

Nobles of lower rank always lose out at times like this.

I need to develop a mindset where I can refuse requests at least a little bit.

「Honestly... I’m only accepting a strange request this one time. If it's just potions of this level, I think I can deliver them easily, so I don't think it will hinder my assistant work.」

「If it's potions of this level, huh. Fufu, you really are an interesting girl, Mia-chan.」

Beaming with a full smile, Vanessa-san pulled out a potion contract as if to say she had prepared it in advance.

If I can successfully register as an alchemist, I don't really mind, but...

「Well then, Mia-chan. Good luck with the C-Rank Request. I'd be happy if you could deliver one hundred potions by the end of next week.」

「Hm? A C-Rank request, one hundred bottles...? I feel like I misheard a lot of things, so could you say that one more time?」

Seeing Vanessa-san's smile change to a strained laugh, I can surmise that this is a more troublesome problem than I thought.

Is this really a request that I, an apprentice, should accept?

「Look, since it's technically a trouble case, I'd appreciate it if we could handle it quickly and swiftly. If Clein-chan's assistant handles it, I think the other party will be convinced too.」

「Muu... To think you'd come with such a calculating strategy. I should have confirmed the request details first.」

「Please! I swear I absolutely won't cause trouble for you or Clein-chan.」

「...It really is just this one time.」

「Thank you, Mia-chan! I love you!」

I decided in my heart that I would not lightly accept requests from Vanessa-san again.