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

The Court Alchemist’s Assistant

Translated by: S3

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

*****

Having switched jobs from a receptionist at the Adventurers Guild to the Court Alchemist’s assistant, I was making my way to my new workplace: the Royal Castle.

「What is this. Uwah, it’s incredible... 」

Witnessing the facility where the Court Alchemist works for the first time, I exclaimed in language unbecoming of a noble lady.

With an immediate 「Ah!」 I quickly covered my mouth with my hand.

I had consciously broken my speech patterns in an effort to open up to everyone at the Adventurers Guild, but now… I’ve developed a habit of using informal speech and can’t speak in polite language without concentrating.

Since I will be working on the castle grounds, I expect to be required to act like a noble lady, so I must revert to a style of speaking centered on honorifics, as I did in the past. The fact that I’m not confident I can revert suggests I’ve stepped into a seriously dangerous territory.

Ah, 'yabai' (crap/serious) is also commoner slang. Ugh, this word policing is tough.

While I feel I must be much more careful about how I speak, I also can't help but be dumbfounded when confronted with a workshop of this scale.

The facility used by the Court Alchemist was that striking.

Each of the ten Court Alchemists—chosen from the most outstanding alchemists in the country—is provided with their own workshop. Even looking at the people passing by with calm expressions, the scenery is different from the capital city streets I usually walk.

It seems there are many assistants and apprentices involved with the Court Alchemists, and they all radiated an aura of elite talent.

「I feel so out of place. Crap, everyone around here looks so smart… 」

My internal reaction sounds incredibly foolish, but starting today, I am one of the people who works here. I’ve been officially granted access, and I can’t wander around like a suspicious person, so I should be dignified.

…I just used ‘crap’ (yabai). It’s seriously bad that I can’t stop using this word.

Walking forward with a slight tension, I arrived at Lord Clein’s workshop and took a deep breath.

Mustering my resolve, I knocked on the door, and Lord Clein welcomed me.

「Good morning. Welcome, Miss Mia. 」

「Good morning. I look forward to working with you starting today. 」

「Ah, the pleasure is mine. Please come inside for now. 」

After being let in so easily, I was overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the workshop, which was even more impressive than its exterior suggested.

「It’s spacious... 」

「It is the Court Alchemist’s workplace. It has the support of the nation, and the facilities are far more luxurious than any ordinary workshop. 」

「I had heard the rumors, but seeing it in person is different. There are so many pieces of equipment I’ve never seen before. 」

Perhaps because there was no one but Lord Clein, it was strangely silent, and my eyes were drawn only to the expensive-looking equipment.

I had heard that we were provided with all the necessary equipment and abundant funds for research, but I never imagined the difference would be this vast.

「I understand the feeling. I have more equipment here that I haven't used than I have used. If an alchemist's area of expertise is different, they rarely get the chance to use it. 」

「So that's how it is… Wow, even the equipment I recognize looks different. 」

Even the 'filtration device,' which is standard for alchemy equipment, was quite lavish.

It must be a result of pursuing precision in the work. The filter to remove impurities was separated into three stages.

「It’s due to having the latest model equipment. The basic structure is the same, but the handling changes slightly. 」

「It looks like it will be hard to get used to, but I will try my best to learn. At the very least, I must not hold you back with simple chores! 」

「You don't have to be that eager. I want you to be here as my advisor. Even as my assistant, don't hold back. If you sense something is wrong, I want you to tell me immediately. 」

To be called an 'advisor' when I’ve only dabbled in alchemy… It puts a strange pressure on me, especially since I can only be of limited help.

「I am honored to hear that again, but I will only be speaking my mind. Please don't expect too much. 」

「That’s fine. Even if your opinion isn't useful, I have no intention of firing you. It would make me feel more at ease if you just acted naturally, just like when you were at the Adventurers Guild. 」

「…I feel like Lord Clein’s benefit here is quite thin. 」

「If I were going to fire you over that, I wouldn’t have offered you the job in the first place. Even having you assess the quality of the potions is useful information for me. I just want Miss Mia to be herself, that's enough. 」

It might be his original personality, but Lord Clein was being overly considerate.

I feel that getting used to the environment is the first priority, so I’ll accept his kindness.

After all, starting today, I am the assistant working in this workshop.

「Then, please change how you address me first. It feels strange to be treated as a noble lady while being your assistant. 」

「Now that you mention it, you're right. Alright, from now on, I will call you Mia. 」

「Understood. And one more thing. There is clearly no one else in the workshop; where are the other employees working? 」

Despite the spacious workshop, there was no one besides Lord Clein and me. Since the soundproofing was also excellent, it was constantly quiet, which felt immensely strange.

「There is no one else. I haven't hired anyone other than Mia, and I don't plan to. 」

「Did I say something strange? I thought the Court Alchemist's workshop would normally have a lot of people working here. 」

「I'm a firm believer in small, elite teams. I dislike hiring many alchemists. Too many people can only get in the way of research. 」

I wonder if it’s just my imagination that I both understand and don’t understand what he means.

If there’s no one else besides me… wait, what does "small, elite team" mean?

「You're all alone. 」

「Count properly. There are two of us. 」

It’s troubling to be included when I've just been hired. Is this what they call a solitary genius?

「Why did you only recruit me as the sole member? If you don’t hire someone with a track record, you’ll attract antagonism from those around you. 」

「Don’t worry about it. Track records follow naturally later on. 」

「What exactly is the track record of an ‘advisor’… 」

「You don’t have to think deeply about it. For now, since there are fewer people in my workshop, I plan to apply for a higher salary with the country. Please check the contract details. 」

Saying that, Lord Clein handed me the contract, and a startling figure was written on it.

I pride myself on having a more sensible grasp of money than the average noble lady, having been a receptionist at the Adventurers Guild.

Despite that, the hand holding the document was trembling.

「Did you make a mistake in the number of digits for the salary? 」

「I don't think so. If you were assisting the Voitos family, you should have been getting at least half of that. 」

「No, it was unpaid. 」

「You're unexpectedly fond of joking. The alchemist's assistant has a big influence on the manufactured goods. If the Voitos family was growing rapidly, they should have significantly increased the salary to prevent the assistant from leaving… 」

Lord Clein's words trailed off, as if he sensed something was wrong.

It’s understandable. I was not only let go without any lingering attachment, but I was also cheated on precisely because I wasn’t valued in the first place.

It was no pay and excessive overtime on my days off.

「Isn't that too dark? That's completely a black company. 」

「Please don’t ask me. He was supposed to become family as my fiancé, and I wasn’t in a position to complain. 」

「I'm starting to be afraid to hear the rest of the story. For now, please tell me if there are any issues with the contract. If you have any dissatisfaction, you're welcome to negotiate. 」

「Conversely, it's so 'white' it's frightening... 」

「It's just your normal rights. 」

I would happily accept a raise or bonus, but a difference in the order of magnitude for the basic salary is truly scary. While the security is high since it’s a contract with the country, I couldn't help but hesitate.

「May I ask a few questions about the detailed contract terms? 」

「Of course. If I can't determine the answer myself, I'll contact the legal department. 」

I, who had become suspicious of such a good offer, asked Lord Clein various questions before finally signing the contract.