……What in the world is going on here.
This class, the Second Alchemy Department, is a class made only for nobles.
They should have already mastered my lessons on liberal arts long ago, and on a normal day they would look sleepy, yet today everyone is sitting up straight……
「Senseii, what about homework?」
「Eh? Ah, there is none today」
「All right! Then the next class is alchemy, so let’s get ready!」
「「「「Yes!」」」」
How quick they are……!
They are moving with more energy than I have ever seen!
To think they would prepare for alchemy class during the break!!
Normally during break time, they would drink tea, chat and laugh after the bell rings, then scramble to clean up only after the teacher walks in!
Ah! That reminds me, I heard a temporary instructor arrived yesterday……
Eliodart-sama?…… No, that cannot be. I heard he could not come…… then who could it be!
「「Do we have the ingredients?」」
「「「「All good!」」」」
「「The mortar and pestle?」」
「「「「All good!」」」」
「「And water is ready too?」」
「「「「All good!」」」」
They are checking everything so thoroughly!
And everyone is gathered in the front rows, in the very center seats!
To top it off, they are already seated and waiting! Waiting for whom?
For the instructor!
……How nice.
I wanted to be the kind of teacher who would be awaited with such excitement……
Truly, just how skilled must this person be……
※※※
Haa…….
I’m bored.
There is nothing to do.
So bored I might fall asleep……
「I saaaaid! No more Negin!」
「But but, doesn’t Negin smell good? If we need something green, Negin is the best choice!」
「The assignment this time is something to use in the social scenee! We don’t need a green smelll!」
「But but, if we only gather flowery scents it won’t balance well! We should take a risk here and add Neginn」
「「「Rejected! No Negin!」」」
「More harmony! More balancee!」
Hmm…… They are surprisingly serious and doing well.
Oh, the bell rang.
「Hey, the bell rangg. Take a break, take a break」
「Should we use rosess……? But lavender is nice tooo…… Ahh citrus is tempting as welll!」
「That’s why we should make several and narrow down the choices laterr!」
They are not listening to me at all……
If they need to go to the restroom later, I won’t allow it, you know?
I’ll say no!
It will turn into a huge problem, you know?
……Well, I will not actually say it.
Hmm…… I guess I should go for a bit……
And when I return, even after the bell rings for class to begin, they are still working……
It is good that they are motivated, but resting is important too……
「Then split into groups and before class ends we will have a testing session to decide the basee」
「What should we doo? I still want the rose scent to stand outt」
「I want a refreshing feeling with citrus and mint……」
「I will make the sweet and sour berry scent stand out even moree! The sparkle of sourness inside the sweetness will show the strength of a girl who is more than just cutee!」
「Fufufu…… I will make everyone understand the true power of Negin……」
Ahh…… yeah.
There is no place for me here……
But I really think they should stop using Negin……
Fwaa…… Still, to think this class would become so enthusiastic……
『A brand?』
『Yeah. A brand made by you, and belonging to you!』
『『『『……?』』』』
Huh? The reaction is weak……
This should be the moment when they get excited, right?
『What is a brand?』
Ah, that explains why they did not react……
But now that I think about it, explaining brand only with words is harder than I thought.
『Hmm…… added value? Trust and confidence? Making a product special……?』
『Sensei…… were you trying to make us create something you do not really understand eitherr?』
『No, wait…… hmm, right. For example, when you think of Einzheil, what comes to mind?』
『Caterpillarss!』
『Ah…… yeah. That makes sense』
I do not want to admit it, but caterpillars are the specialty of Einzheil.
I do not want to admit it at all, but I will use that as the basis.
『Just like you said, caterpillars are Einzheil’s specialty. When people hear caterpillars, they think of Einzheil…… That is what I want you to do, but on your own scale』
『On our scale? Are we making a specialty product?』
『Not exactly. You are making something that only you can make. That will eventually become your brand』
I said create a brand, but maybe it is better to say nurture a brand.
『Only uss? But all of us have low alchemy levels and we are not talented, you knoww? Are you sure something made by us is good enoughh?』
『Yes. What you will make can be produced with the basics of alchemy. And you have something only you possess』
『Ooooh…… You look so confidentt』
『You look very dependableee』
Of course I am confident.
『So, what exactly are we makingg?』
『Fufufu』
『Do not tease us, tell usss』
『Right…… then I will announce it!』
『My heart is poundingg』
『I am exciteddd』
『We will make…… perfume!』
If sound effects existed, there would be a ‘dedeen!’
And then a ‘silence……’ would follow.
……Huh? Their reaction is weaker than I expected.
Maybe this mismatch between my excitement point and theirs is what people call a generation gap…….
『Ahh…… perfume, huhhh……』
『Wait, is perfume no good?』
I thought perfume would work because unlike potions, it does not require magic power and they would not fail……
If perfume is rejected, then the next options are soap, shampoo, or rinse, but those require cleansing effects and the process becomes more complicated……
If possible, I wanted to start with perfume to establish the brand image before moving to a second stage…….
『Hmm…… I do not really like that type of thinggg……』
『But I thought people in the social circles used it?』
『Of course some doo? But it is mostly older women than senseii, and the scents tend to be strong and heavy. Tastes really differr』
『If the scent is too strong, people do not react well and sometimes you can even be dislikeddd』
Everyone nods.
So, it is not as popular as I imagined.
Well, that is fine.
『That actually works in our favor. It means you already know what needs to be improved with current perfumes』
『Eh?』
『If the problem is that the scents are too strong, then the answer is simple. Just meet the demand. Scent is one of the five senses people use to interact with others. You dress up for the eyes, so adding a pleasant scent for the nose is not strange at all, right?』
『O-ohh? When you put it that way, a gentle nice scent might not be badd?』
『Business is always about supply and demand. If gentle perfumes are well received and become popular, then demand will appear. If you supply that, business works』
『If it becomes popular…… Ah, we will use it in the social circless』
『Exactly. If all of you take the lead and use perfumes that are not overbearing, others will take interest. They will wonder where you got them. And then……』
『What we made will sell……』
『Yes. And rumors will spread. Not only that, it will not be ordinary perfume sold elsewhere, but perfume supervised and crafted by nobles. There are not many who can offer that』
That is exactly their weapon.
Even if others produce perfume, only they can listen to the voices of the social circles, step into the actual venues, and observe people’s reactions.
『But some nobles already have alchemists working under them. If they imitate us……』
『Even then, you are still at an advantage. Being the origin is special on its own. And there are ten of you here. I told you, right? You will make a brand ‘together’. Something created by many nobles sharing their opinions will always have higher quality in every way than something made by a single noble’s opinion. That quality and trust will become your symbol. That will become your brand』
But then I hardened my expression, adding weight to my words.
Because this next part is the most important.
『A brand is also proof of trust and confidence. You must make people believe that anything you create is safe and reliable. That means no compromises. If there are ten of you, all ten must approve of the scent or it cannot be a product. You need strict testing, discussions, and research. Do not let someone else’s opinion swallow you. But also do not cling stubbornly to denial. Do not judge by personal likes or dislikes. Treasure your own opinion, but also have the capacity to accept someone else’s』
『If it is that strict…… what if we cannot agree no matter what, and the opinions stay divided……?』
Of course that could happen.
But I let a small smile slip and softened the end of my explanation.
『Well, if the opinions split and you cannot reach an answer no matter how much you talk, then make two. You can choose the higher-rated one for the final product. I know it sounds difficult, but keep your thinking flexible while refusing to compromise』
『O-ohh』
『But since we are selling to noblewomen, the number of customers is limited, so I feel the sales will not be great…… And perfume is not something you can price too high. Once someone buys one, they will not buy again for a while……』
『Then consider making versions for men or for the general public. You could each create your own masterpiece, name it after yourselves, and sell it. A perfume crafted by Lady ○○…… something like that would obviously sell well in your own territories. And imagine a shop in the capital where people can buy every variety…… Wouldn’t that be interesting?』
Well, I think we need to keep the price down with things like size and concentration.
If we are going to do it, making the bottles for nobles out of glass with some decoration to give them a high-class feel might not be bad.
Putting them in paulownia boxes for gifts could be interesting too.
『I wonder if normal citizens who are not nobles will use perfume』
『Will it even sell with our names on itt?』
『It will sell. Nobles are what commoners admire. If there is something close and affordable that brings them closer to you, they will want it. We can add a line like it works as a charm when needed or it is good for celebrations』
『Oooh. It is a luxury item, but they do not use it up in one go, so they will buy it like thatt』
And I add one more thing.
『All of you are unbelievable beauties. Of course, the women of the world would admire you』
Natural models… is that what they are?
There should not be a reason like they are daughters of nobles, yet why are they all so beautiful?
『Wha-whaaaat. We got sweet talked』
『This is the charm technique of a man who surrounds himself with six womennn. It was way too naturalll』
『Come on. Do not tease me』
『The one teasing us is you, senseiii』
『W-what do you mean me? And why are you making that faces?』
Of course I would praise them.
They really are very beautiful and they are probably used to being praised, so they must know it too.
『What is it? Why are you blushing before me? Hahaha』
『『Uuugh, shut up』』
『Well, anyway. This is all I can explain』
『…Uuugh, he dragged the topic backk』
『This is frustratinggg』
Of course I brought it back.
We are having a serious talk now, so do not mess around.
『One thing. Think it through. I am not going to fix everything for you. Each of you has to decide what you want to do. But if you want to change your situation, if you want to stand up because you hate staying like this, then I want to use all the knowledge and experience I have to help you. So, think carefully and decide with your own will』
At these words, everyone in the class falls silent and begins thinking seriously.
No one consults anyone else. A silence falls over them as if they are questioning the core inside themselves.
『Sensei, do you think it will succeeddd….?』
『If I say it will, will you feel safe? It is easy to let you dream, but there is no such thing as absolute in the world…. Still, I intend to make it succeed』
I answered Raz and Cran with my honest and straightforward words with serious eyes.
Then the two of them held hands, spoke without speaking, and exchanged a look before giving one big nod.
『…We want to do itt』
『If it goes well, our wish might come trueee!』
A wish, huh.
Nice. Even though they are young, I can clearly see their strong will in their eyes.
I feel like my old man level is rising.
Saying things like they have good eyes because they are young… but they really do have eyes that show a core in their hearts, so it cannot be helped.
『I, I want to do it too! B, because… if this succeeds, I might be able to marry Yuu-kun from the Knight Department….』
『That is true. You have someone you like, but it seemed difficult because of financial reasons. But if you can earn money yourself… it might work. …Me too』
『Me too! I want to make my own perfume. If everyone gets it and feels happy, I want to work hard!』
『Well, at least once… I wanted to throw myself into something seriously. If I can do it while I am still a student, I want to try』
『I get it…. Watching the First Alchemy Department or the Knight Department or the Adventure Department work hard made us feel like we are so useless….. But now we can prove that we can do something too!』
Voices saying they want to try keep coming one after another.
It seems like everyone… is going to participate.
『I will say it again. There is no such thing as absolute. You might fail, get hurt, and think you never want to do alchemy again. You might end up wasting your time. Even so, can you still say you will do it?』
Here I check again and shake them a little by stirring up worry.
Well… if someone is thinking things like even if it goes badly I can just go home and get married, then to be honest they are not ready.
But――
『…I am worrieddd. But I feel more hope than worryyy』
『We will do itt. It is a chance that came to uss!』
『If I am going to do it, I want to give it everything!』
Following Raz and Cran, each of them sends me words or looks filled with determination.
It seems none of them have a soft or naive mindset.
If they are going to do it seriously… then I should answer with my full strength too.
『Good! If you have anything you do not understand, ask me anything. If I do not know it, my teacher or my senpai will know, so I will ask them and answer. I am only a temporary instructor, but even after my time ends, I will still listen to your concerns』
I had fired them up this far.
If I just stirred them up and then walked away… that would be irresponsible.
Well, I will drill the basics into them properly during the period, so there should not be much to worry about.
『Senseii! Does that mean you will take responsibility until the very endd?』
『Hm? Ah, well, yes. I will make sure you succeed—』
『Alright! Sensei says he will take responsibility until the very enddd! If things go badly, we can become live-in apprentices at his house, and our future will be secureee!』
『…Huh?』
Wait, hold on. I never said anything like that!
Live-in apprentices…?
I am going to take care of them!?
『Wait wait wait. Do not freak out. Calm down! Hey! Why are you screaming “Kyaa!”? I am not doing anything! No, that is not the point!』
『If you say “until the end”, it includes the backup plan for when things faill?』
『Aren’t you all supposed to get married if things go badly!?』
I had thought their resolve was lacking… but at the same time, I figured that if things really did go badly, that is what would happen.
But!?
…Does this mean I am the one whose resolve was lacking!?
『You made us dream, so we cannot go back noww! At least I and Raz will let you take care of us together!』
『H-hey, wait! You cannot just suddenly say something like that…』
There is no way Wendy and the others will just… no, they probably will forgive me.
But I can only see a future where they look at me with resigned eyes for a while!
And I already have Mizera, a disciple I must raise properly.
These girls will be fine, but I am still worried about this kingdom’s views toward half-elves…
And more importantly, Raz and Cran are daughters of a marquis.
Ask Hayato for help…? No, I would only cause trouble!
I can already imagine something like
『You commoner! How dare you seduce my daughters!』
No. Absolutely not. That path is completely closed. I must firmly deny it.
『Listen—』
『It was a joke, obviouslyy. But if it goes badly… maybe… you knoww?』
『It will not go badly, righttt? Sensei?』
『…Yeah. I will make it succeed no matter what. So, you all better give it everything』
Anyway… that is how it turned out.
Right now, I have nothing to do.
-0-
The one talking with one letter longer—big-breasted Raz, the older sister.
The one talking with two letters longer—flat-chested Cran, the younger sister.
The one who wants to marry Yuu-kun is the negin girl.
She is quiet, a bit quirky, but small and cute.
Now then, I need to study perfumes…
I have no prior knowledge!! I only know words like musk!!
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