The Scorned Noble Lady Picks Up The Path of Alchemy in Her Second Life
Potion Appraisal
Translated by: S3
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*****
Time flew by in an instant as I handled the familiar work at the reception desk.
Thanks to the consideration of my colleagues, I was moved to a different spot at the counter, so I didn't have to face Catarina as usual.
In fact, Catarina, whose haphazard handling of noble requests had been discovered, was currently summoned to the Guild Master’s office.
Even though she is a baron's daughter, this relates to the Adventurers Guild's credibility, so a mere strict warning won't be the end of it. It would be appropriate for her to visit and apologize to all the people she inconvenienced, followed by a salary reduction.
I had warned her many times that noble requests carried heavy responsibility and that I couldn't cover for her anymore... This wasn't my fault for looking after her; she brought it upon herself, so it couldn't be helped.
If I can call it a benefit, I am grateful that I can enjoy my last day of work without stress.
That said, the rumors seem to have spread even to the adventurers and production workers, so the atmosphere isn't exactly comfortable.
「That vixen apparently stole Mia-chan's fiancé this time. 」
「I heard that Lord Zeel made a move on Mia-chan's junior. 」
「Wait. Wasn't Miss Mia supposed to be retiring to get married? 」
There was no stopping the rumors now. And I learned that Catarina seemed to have other offenses, as she was being called a "vixen."
It felt like I would definitely be able to break off the engagement, which was a tailwind for me.
However, being looked at with pitying glances wasn't a pleasant feeling. Given the affair, it made me feel as if I was the one who had been discarded.
Just as I was resigning myself to the idea that this might be how things would be for a while, a man approached my reception desk.
It was Lord Clein, who placed a case full of potions with a thump on the counter.
「I came for your answer from yesterday. Delivering these potions is just an afterthought. 」
「You were serious... 」
「This is not something one jokes about, is it? 」
「That’s true, but it was an offer that was hard to believe easily. 」
I accepted the potions Lord Clein brought and began assessing them as usual.
I checked various criteria: whether there were impurities, if the quality was acceptable, and if the magical power was stable. While checking, I was thinking about something else entirely.
The Court Alchemist's assistant, huh? Thinking about it again, what exactly is he looking for in me?
Normally, they would assign a talented alchemist or a direct disciple as an assistant.
「Let me state this clearly: I do not have an alchemist's license, you know? 」
「I know that much. I'm part of the Alchemists Guild, too. 」
「I've never heard of a Court Alchemist taking a receptionist from the Adventurers Guild as an assistant, and… ah, I'll add a bonus to the purchase price for this one. 」
「Was there a good one mixed in? 」
「The magical power is more stable than the others. I'd like to reserve this for adventurers heading out on long-term requests. 」
Since Lord Clein is researching potions, the ones he delivers have varying quality.
Having a fiancé who was an alchemist, Lord Zeel, and assisting him allowed me to compare various potions, which taught me a lot.
Thinking back now, that might have been the reason I found it incredibly enjoyable and why I was able to quickly hit it off with Lord Clein, who is reputed to be difficult to approach.
「That's exactly what I value about Miss Mia. 」
As I was thinking that, Lord Clein suddenly praised me, and I tilted my head.
「What do you mean? 」
「Detailed assessment of potions is difficult, but you do it so naturally. 」
「It's just practice. It’s a task where experience counts, and every Guild employee does it. It's not like I’m particularly skilled at assessing them—. How did you make this one? It feels a little different from the rest. 」
It looked like a normal potion at first glance, but the flow of magical power was slightly odd.
Having compared the various potions made by Lord Clein, I had become sensitive to even minor changes.
「What? Which one is it? 」
「The fourth from the right in the third row. 」
「That one was created by lowering the temperature of the magical water. 」
「I’ve heard that if the water temperature is too low, the components of the medicinal herbs are harder to extract. 」
「The magical power contained within the herbs might have changed because they were extracted over a longer period. 」
When we talk like this, time flies by quickly; alchemy truly is profound.
Lord Clein listens to my words, even though I'm not an alchemist, and we discuss things back and forth, which always makes our conversation run long.
Although I was on the clock, handling noble clients meant that "entertainment" was part of the job, so no one ever complained.
「If I refuse the assistant offer, it will be painful not to be able to have conversations like this. I do love alchemy, after all. 」
「I thought so. As far as I know, Miss Mia is the only person who gets so animated just by looking at a potion. 」
It's embarrassing to be told that directly. But it's true, I really loved alchemy.
The process of creating a potion from medicinal herbs is mysterious, and watching minerals transform into accessories is also fun.
The reason I accepted the engagement with Lord Zeel was because of the option to be involved in alchemy work.
Perhaps this feeling was what led Lord Zeel to mistakenly believe I was fond of him.
「Does it show on my face that much? 」
「Shall I bring you a mirror? 」
「No, thank you. Instead, I will reject the potion that is second from the left in the fifth row—it’s ineligible for purchase. 」
「It was a failure after all, huh? That one was made by reusing the herbs after their components had already been extracted. 」
「Please don’t bring such things here! I'm not your test administrator. 」
「You're something like a test administrator to me. That, you see, is a fake potion—an illegal item that other employees would normally buy without question. 」
Being told such a strange thing by Lord Clein, I looked at the potion again.
Although it had color and a magical reaction, it clearly lacked any healing component.
There was no way any employee would buy a potion like this. After all, it hadn't even become a potion yet.
「Oh, come on~. That kind of joke won't pass. 」
「I'm telling you the truth. Honestly, if I hadn't put a distinguishing label on it, even I wouldn't know if it was real or fake. 」
Seeing Lord Clein’s intensely serious expression and the potion bottle with a single different label, I froze.
C-could it be? No, that can't be...
*****
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