Vanessa's Necklace
Translated by: ME
-Horizontal.jpg)
*****
Hearing Vanessa-san mention a "special bonus," I immediately began searching for her ulterior motives.
「Are you planning to make me sign some strange contract while my eyes are closed?」
「Goodness! As if I would ever do something so cruel. Honestly, Mia-chan, you say the most mischievous things.」
「You have a bit of a prior record, you know. I haven't forgotten how you roped me into a C-rank contract the moment I registered with the Alchemists Guild.」
She had told me I just needed to deliver "a few" potions, only to turn around and demand a hundred. I could hardly forget that. To make matters worse, I nearly had a heart attack later when I discovered the order was a trouble-shooting case for Duke Wolfwood—the man my former fiancé (Zeel-sama) had been doing business with.
It all turned out fine because the Duke was pleased with the results, but... it was truly bad for my heart. Just remembering it gives me the shivers.
「You don't need to worry this time. It’s genuinely nothing bad.」
Vanessa-san began radiating a mature, "big sister" aura, so I decided to trust her and closed my eyes.
Just in case she tried to force a pen into my hand for a shady contract, I kept my fists tightly clenched. Then, I felt something being draped around my neck.
When I tentatively opened my eyes, I saw a necklace with a lovely design.
It featured a crescent moon carved from magic ore, adorned with a white gemstone, and the entire piece was enveloped in a soft, white magical glow.
It was the very necklace Vanessa-san always wore.
「It’s a necklace I made back when I was still practicing alchemy. I can’t tell if you have good luck or terrible luck, Mia-chan, so you should keep this as a ward against misfortune.」
(What kind of reasoning is that?) I wanted to retort, but since she wasn't entirely wrong, I couldn't find the words to argue. My life does seem to involve rather extreme ups and downs.
「Wait, is this the source of your luck, Vanessa-san? This necklace has an 'Enchantment' on it, doesn't it?」
「That’s right. As a reward for an emergency request, I’d say it’s more than sufficient, wouldn't you? It has the effect of repelling malevolent things.」
It might be exactly what I need right now. Maybe it will keep the marriage proposals from people with "malevolent" intentions away... though expecting something that convenient is probably asking too much.
Still, I felt its benefits almost immediately.
My heart had been frayed by the pressure of all those glowing rumors, but since putting on this necklace, a mysterious sense of peace had begun to wash over me.
Perhaps I had been pushing myself much harder than I realized.
Experiencing an effect like this firsthand makes me truly appreciate the value of enchantments. There is still so much unknown potential hidden within alchemy that I’ve yet to discover.
(Alright! My next goal will be learning the Enchantment skill!)
Feeling significantly cheered up, I puffed out my chest just a little and gave Vanessa-san a smile.
「How does it look? Does it suit me? I avoided wearing any kind of jewelry while I was engaged, so it feels a bit strange.」
「It looks fine; it suits you perfectly. You’re a noblewoman, Mia-chan, so you need to dress up at least a little bit.」
「I suppose so. Things have been so hectic lately that I haven't had the luxury to even think about it. Maybe I’ll take this opportunity to start paying a bit more attention to my clothes...」
Checking my reflection in the mirror on the desk, my eyes were drawn to the beautiful radiance of the necklace.
A crescent moon necklace made by Vanessa-san, a former A-rank alchemist. Between the cute design and the fact that it was enchanted, it must be quite expensive.
Even if it was a special bonus, I wondered if it was really okay for me to just take it.
I felt a twinge of guilt... but I also knew that if I let this chance slip by, I might never get my hands on something like this again. The thought made me a little shameless.
「Are you sure I can have this?」
「Don't be modest. I just felt like I wanted to *entrust* it to you.」
「Hmm? Entrust?」
「Oh, it’s nothing. I've retired from alchemy, so I simply have no use for it anymore.」
Vanessa-san was still firmly in "big sister mode," so I judged that this time, it really was an act of goodwill.
Even Barbaril—the old woman famous for overcharging people—always said that one should accept the kindness of others, so I decided to accept it gratefully.
「Thank you. I’ll gladly accept this as my reward. By the way, does this count as a Magic Item?」
「No, it’s just a knock-off Magic Item. That was the limit of my ability.」
「Even though the mana is intertwined so beautifully? I’m surprised it isn't certified as a true Magic Item.」
「Hehe. So you really can see the flow of mana, Mia-chan.」
「I can, I can! The mana is distributed so evenly; it’s incredibly delicate work. Well, I’ve never actually tried the Enchantment skill myself, though.」
「You should give it a try. I think you could do it, Mia-chan.」
Encouraged by Vanessa-san’s supportive tone, my easily-influenced alchemist’s soul caught fire.
(I'll ask Master Clein to teach me the Enchantment skill before the herb shortage is fully resolved!) I swore this to myself.
*****
Thank you for reading. If you want to help my hobby please download and install LDP9 with my link down below. Just Click the small yellow LDPlayer Banner.
OR
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
-Horizontal.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment