Apprentice Alchemist Bakes Bread - Relaxed Collection and Forest Workshop Life

94. White Bulbs Decorated on Tea and Hair in Encrypted Rows

I look up as I'm held up, my face is so close. And somehow, suddenly I got embarrassed... but I was also embarrassed to push that chest back, and I figured I could stay like this for a bit longer, and I turned away as a compromise and decided to keep my cheeks on that chest.

"... by the way Iris, you smell something sweet, don't you?

"Huh?"

If you mean tea, I just said...? and tilted his neck and looked up sideways.

"Oh, not that way, but from the hair..."

My hands are stretched out softly and I comb my hair in one room...... but my hair tips are tangled and pinned! And I get pulled.

"Yikes...!

"Wow, sorry."

"Yes, no... stay put because you're awake...!

I'm tangled up because I didn't even put my hands through it...! The slopes have been exposed here......!

"Maybe my head is messed up?

"No, as messy as it is a little... oh, I knew it was from your hair. Smells sweet."

"Oh, that guy earlier put a white bulb in his hair -"

"Huh?"

"... Huh?

A great wrinkle was placed between Mr. Letterio's eyebrows.

"Eh, I'm sure it was a detour to insert something I got into my hair from someone I didn't know, but it was a flower I could pick here, so I'm fine..."

"Not really.... What is it really about the first time we meet? The man."

"Mr. Letterio, do you really not notice that 'rose-haired person'? I was talking about if you're from Wang Du..."

"No. I haven't made it public that this labyrinth is my jurisdiction, but I'm trying to make sure I know the Costantini family (of which) and the Alchemy Institute are doing something. And before that, they don't normally get their hands on the side of this labyrinth, which is thought to be the land of the Marquis Veneti."

"Really?... diving in the deepest part of the world... is that supposed to be getting your hands off the side?

"I will. Usually the deepest part is where the 'nucleus' of the labyrinth is, right? When I said it in the castle, the throne. If they drop it, it's over. If it's not an uncontrolled, runaway labyrinth, but operates as a hunting ground like here, then the 'nucleus' is strictly controlled and protected by the lord."

Oh, you mean that. Labyrinth material is an important resource, it involves the Knights and commercial guilds, and it was even made of something like a city in front of the entrance.

"Commercially important place... do you mean?

"Yeah. It's the labyrinth hunting grounds that are involved not only in the territory, but also in the economy of the country. This place is a labyrinth that hasn't been attacked yet, so the handling is extra subtle. Therefore, the use of the transfer team is also thoroughly controlled. You'd have an admission roster, wouldn't you? It has mild magic registration magic, so I can see the disguise of my name and identity."

"Heh..."

That's why I said 'let him track'. Is it simply the knight at the entrance chasing you? I thought so.

"You know who you are by the time you leave here tomorrow..."

Mr. Letterio is strangely grumpy.

"Iris, maybe you care about the guy?

"Huh? Well... I wonder if he was a weird person or if he had a potion effect on the soup... about that, but why?

"... you know what it means to decorate your hair with 'white bulbs'?

"No?"

"Oh, I knew it..."

Mr. Letterio exhaled a harsh, loud sigh, and drooped over with his face.

"Does that make sense?

Mr. Letterio narrowed his eyes to stare lightly, holding him with his hand attached to my back all the way, he said in his ear.

"Decorating white bulbs on your hair is a sign that you have a festival partner. But if you wore it in front of the person you gave it to - 'I'm your lover' means the same thing you gave me back the red bulb."

"... What!?

"The princess's story about the white bulb, that's why. There's that kind of descent in the story..."

"And I didn't know! I just asked Lulusu-kun about his crude muscles..."

As soon as I know what that means, I feel sick about the sweet fragrance that is still in my hair.

What the hell is that guy......!?

"I guess. If I knew and said," I inserted it in my hair, "I wondered why."

"I don't know what to do..."

chuckle. Mr. Letterio gave a deep grin, silently increasing at all times.

... I wonder what they were going to do.

"- That's right. That guy said someone wants to give me a white bulb......! Kind of weird, isn't it? Then decorate my hair... you won't do it, will you? Normal."

"You don't. He's the guy who picks those flowers at this time of year, and he's got a counterpart, right? I don't normally."

"... don't you mean pu (...) tong (...)"

"Whatever you ask, it's not normal. Everything."

"Oh, Mr. Letterio..."

What should I do? I suddenly got scared of those flowers I got. Is that flower a pu (...) pass (...)? No, it's not normal. None of that scent's strength, size, luster, or shine fly high in quality.

"That guy, where did you get that white bulb...?

"Maybe thirty-eight floors. That's the bottom line. - But it's not like the flowers we saw today, so I guess they were really picked a while ago and locked somewhere."

"Are you...?

"Yeah. That story will also involve tomorrow's exploration, so I'll come back in the morning."

"... Yes"

In a quiet labyrinth night I feel something I may not be good at and accidentally grip Mr. Letterio's clothes.

- I don't know, I don't like it.

"It's okay. I'm letting you track that guy down, and I'll take care of it."

Mr Letterio holds me in again and says as he strokes his back.

"... ugh."

In an instant, my face got hot.

Mr. Letterio, if we talked about everything, it's kind of sudden, not too straightforward......!?

I think I have to say something, but suddenly my heart is quicker and I don't get the words to say. While I was thinking about that, Mr. Letterio's arm was loosened.

"... I think it's time"

Ignis' flame is getting a little smaller. Looks like we've been talking for a long time. The tea in the encrypted row (chamomile) is also very cold.

Mr. Letterio took the silver pocket watch out of his chest.

Oh, that silver watch! I knew it was brilliant work. I'm sure it incorporates a variety of smelting formations while hiding them in the pattern.

"... what, this"

Mr Letterio glanced at the clock with a rugged face and said: - Something on the dial?

"What's wrong......?

"There is a change in the clock. You've never seen anything like this... Iris, you know? This."

And he said to me, "You know what?"... you know as an alchemist? Does that mean?

I peek into the dreaded clock.

"What?"

The watch I saw was quite odd with the dial and needle.

There are numbers from one to twelve, and it's a regular watch to the point where it has a long and short needle. However, the dial appears to be dyed red from "twelve" to "seven", the short needle refers to "seven", and the long needle moves slowly between "twelve" and "one".

"All the colors on the original dial are white. The colour of the needle remains silver and has not changed."

"... it's not seven minutes in the morning yet... right?

"You're not. Maybe it's only about five minutes in the morning? This long needle is weird too. There's no way I can move this much."

We face each other.

"... let's wake up Lambert for now. I'm not sure how long this (...) has been going on... but you should talk to me soon"

"Yes."

A long needle that moves warmly and a plate surface that twitches and goes red stained. Feeling something I might not be good at again, I shook my back with zombies.

And from the hair, that heavy, sweet scent was twitching.