It seemed my eyes had stopped working properly.
I entered Eliodart’s room and greeted him, yet I still could not see him anywhere.
「My frieeeeeeend! Sit somewhere around there and wait a moment deeesssuu! I will finish this useless work riiiight noooow!」
「O… oh……」
Somewhere around there, he says.
And why is there another mountain of what must be failed creations even though I cleaned this place not long ago……
Well, I guess I will find a spot to sit somehow……
「……Ukyuuu」
「Wha! Chess!?」
Right beside the place where I sat was a small mound, and Chess was crushed underneath it.
She lay on the floor with only her face sticking out, and on top of her was a little mountain of failures.
「Haa…… hah! Th, thank you for saving me……」
「Are you alright?」
「Oh…… could I have some water……? While I was cleaning, all of this fell onto my head and I could not move…… I should not try to tidy up when I am sleep deprived……」
No, that is not the issue. The problem is that Eliodart leaves everything lying around until it piles up into a mountain…… no, more than that, he tosses each thing aside the moment he makes it.
「Eliodart…… you cannot dump everything on your apprentice……」
「Ah, no, this pile is mine…… Recently teacher has been teaching me proper alchemy and it has been so fun that before I knew it, it ended up like this……」
「……So you two really are alike」
「It is terribly embarrassing……」
Chess held her hands in front of her and bowed repeatedly.
For now, nothing would progress unless we dealt with this mountain, so I began cleaning while asking her what to do.
Well, all I had to do was dump everything into my magic space once, then sort it out according to her instructions. It was simple enough…… but the problem was that today there was a lot again.
「Oh…… my friend? Why are you cleaning, deeesu?」
「Because this place is far too messy……」
I had originally come to thank him for the magic power sphere.
Maybe cleaning up could count as thanks……
No. He helped us too much for that. Without that magic power sphere, I and everyone else might have died……
And thinking about how it made crossing the desert comfortable, this amount of cleaning was nowhere near enough thanks.
「Hmm…… so, my friend, what did you come here for deeeesu?」
「To thank you for the magic power sphere. It really helped us a lot」
「Oh, you do not need to thank me deeesu! If it helped my friend, I am happy deeeesu!」
「No, no, I do not like receiving without giving something back. Do you want anything? I can help with your research or get you something. Anything is fine, just let me repay you」
If it is something I can buy, then Eliodart can also buy it.
Ideally, I want something he is struggling with so I can help in a way that matters.
「Uuuuum…… was there something, deeesu……」
He clasped his hands and entered his thinking mode.
He began mumbling, so I looked toward Chess. She gestured that it was hopeless and that we should wait until he came up with something.
「By the way, you visited Roukaku, right?」
「Ah, yeah.」
「Um, I know it is bold of me to ask, but if you have any raw gemstones, could you give me some? I want to practice extracting ore from the raw stones」
「Ah, sure sure. I only need a few for Mizera. You worked all night back then, and you are working hard now too, so treat it as a souvenir」
「Waa! Thank you so much! Oh, but Mizera is not with you today……」
Even though she should have realized it instantly, Chess still looked behind me and around the room.
Her long ears swayed as she darted around, which was cute enough to warm the heart.
And when she confirmed Mizera really was not there, her long ears drooped in disappointment, which was again very cute.
「Ah, I invited her to come with me but there are a lot of potions order today. It looks like she’s going to be busy but she said to say hello to Chess for her while looking disappointed.」
「Oh…… Mizera is already working hard. I need to work hard too!」
She clenched her fists with both hands and exhaled with strong determination.
……I could only hope she did not use all that energy on the rest of the cleaning.
「Still, Eliodart is groaning」
「Yes…… it looks like it will take a while. Ah, then while we wait, I have something to ask……」
「Hm?」
「Well…… if possible, could you make a potion……」
「What? Are you injured? I have some potions with me」
「Ah, no no, not that! I mean…… I cannot get the success rate of my potions to rise…… I was hoping to use yours as a reference……」
「Reference?」
「Yees…… my teacher is terrible with potion types…… I mean, he can make them, yes? He can, but recently he just uses the known magic circle and when I ask for tips he says, ‘I do not knooow deeesu!’」
「Ah……」
He would say that.
Especially since Eliodart relies so much on intuition.
The kind of person who tries something and then says it worked.
「I feel bad asking for tips, so I would like to watch and learn. Could you show me, please?」
「I do not mind, but you are Eliodart’s apprentice, right? Is it fine for someone else to teach you?」
「That is not a problem. When I told Master that I could not understand like this, Master said『My Friend is probably better at it deeeeesu! You should ask next time deeesu!』so…」
「Oh… alright. Then I will make one while explaining it」
「Yes… please」
Chess bows so low that I can see the top of their head.
Those long ears point toward me, and I have to resist the urge to touch them as I take out the mortar, pestle, and ingredients.
「Come to think of it, I have been using the Known Magic Circle (Experience Circle) a lot lately」
「Oh… I guess that is what happens?」
「Well, it saves time and you almost never fail」
If you use a Known Magic Circle or the Multi Copy skill, you can produce a large amount in no time.
The only cost is MP that naturally recovers, so when comparing it to time, spending more MP does not feel like a problem.
「Alright, I will start」
「Yes!」
I place the medicinal herb into the mortar and crush it.
At first, I move the pestle to bring the scattered pieces together, and once they start to clump, I press down and grind them.
When liquid seeps out of the herb, I add water and slowly pour in magic power while squeezing out more of the essence.
「You are really fast…」
「Well, I am not as far removed from this method as Eliodart is. I teach Mizera by hand too」
「I see… so it is better to crush the medicinal herb quickly?」
「Hard to say. Personally, I think doing it fast helps prevent deterioration, but if you grind too quickly the heat might change the properties. That is why I use water, partly to keep the temperature from rising」
「I see…」
We talk, but Chess’s eyes are fixed on my hands.
They raise their focus as if determined not to miss a single move, trying to learn everything by sight.
「Alright, pour it into the test tube and it is done」
「Wow… success as expected… by the way, what is your success rate?」
「Hmm? I almost never fail even with this method」
I have made poor quality ones before, but I have never produced something like the medic herb juice that Mizera once made.
Only once did I forget to pour in magic power, and that was the only time something strange happened.
「Ten out of ten…!? Oh… so you have made that many…」
「Well, I had to make a lot for daily life. Anyway, next is your turn, Chess. I will check for things you can improve」
「Eh!? Is that alright?」
「Yeah. Might as well. By the way, Mizera succeeds about forty percent of the time now」
「Forty… amazing. I am still at twenty percent… I will do my best!」
A rival relationship really is nice.
It seems to motivate both Mizera and Chess.
Alright, I should help raise a good rival for Mizera too.
「…and add the water little by little, it helps draw out the essence」
Chess starts making the potion while I stand beside them and give instructions.
I only explain the key points and the things they need to watch out for, and Chess listens carefully and follows everything I say.
「I see… like this?」
「Yes, yes. And pour in the magic power slowly so it blends smoothly」
「Like this… hm… adjusting magic power is difficult… having the right amount is not enough, is it?」
「It is just practice. If you understand the key points and keep practicing, you will get it soon」
「Yes… and then the test tube…」
「Ah, squeeze it a bit more. I think the standard is when fibers as thin as hair start to come out」
「Oh, I understand」
Good, good.
Such an honest and diligent kid.
They follow every instruction exactly as told.
「Hm…? My Friend? What are you doing deeesu?」
「Oh, you noticed. I am teaching Chess how to make potions. Ah, is it fine for me to teach?」
「Of course, I appreciate it deeesu… hmm」
「…It is done! I finished it! And it is a success! Ah, teacher, you were watching…」
「Hm… Chess. How was My Friend’s teaching deeeeeesu?」
「Ah, it was easy to understand and easy to remember」
「Is that so deeeesu! Then I have thought of something I would like to ask deeeeeeeeeeesu!!!」
「Oh?」
Eliodart beams with a huge smile.
He is a grown man, so the smile is neither cute nor charming, but it seems he finally thought of something.
「My Friend! I want you to act as my substitute and be a temporary lecturer at the Royal Capital Elsas Academy deeeesu!」
「…A temporary lecturer?」
「Yes deeeeesu! To be honest, I am terrible at teaching so I have been troubled deeesu! I will write a letter of authorization, so please help me deesu!!」
「Hmm… I do not mind, but if you are the one teaching at the academy, the students learning alchemy will be expecting you, right?」
He is the kingdom’s foremost alchemist after all.
「I do not think that will be the case deeesu? Those kids are not very motivatedddd, it is fine to keep it relaxed deesu. If possible, I want you to inspire them with your teaching deeesu」
「Hmm… alright. But I want a written note from you. Not for the academy, but for the students」
「Understood deeeeesu! I can do at least that deeesu!」
Hmm… this feels uncertain.
But it is a thank-you gift, so I should do the job properly.
First things first, I need to finish the cleaning that is still not done.
Eliodart watches me with an idle expression, but helping would only slow things down, so I leave him be.
On the way back, I happened to meet Iris.
When I told her I would be going to the academy, she laughed cheerfully and said that if she had free time, she would show up, which was completely unnecessary.
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