The Novice Alchemist’s Store

"Tea leaves are... cheap, so I wonder if it's okay?

As I was preparing the tea whispering, Lorea, who was making textile and cookie dough, looked back surprised.

"Hmm!? Let's make it the tallest, is it a prince?

"That's why, on the contrary, rare, spiritual? I know what kind of fancy tea leaves I have."

The tea we have now is tea to drink during meals, tea to drink when eating sweets such as tea time, and tea to drink during special occasions that I bought with a little excitement.

But the level of poverty that I can reach out to is not very high.

From His Highness's point of view, the margin of error is certain.

If you think it tastes bad anyway, it would be a waste of expensive tea leaves.

Even if you are the same rich, like Senpai Priscia who took care of you at school, I will serve you a tea of higher value with a sense of welcome, but not Your Highness...

"... shall I serve you homemade tea?

The tea I made by picking leaves from the back forest and blending them is what I usually drink during meals.

The raw material cost is incredibly zero, my gap is priceless.

He said, "Eating local food is a pleasure," and it's not for sale, so I can't compare it! Hahaha!

"That might be... good."

"What? I thought you might disagree with me...."

"Sarasa's blended tea is delicious enough, unlike the tea that just ripped the leaves and threw them in like her mother did. Besides, at least they don't say" cheap. "

"Well, I didn't put the price on it, I did."

When I say, "This tea is 10 gold pieces in a cup," that's the price!

... apart from whether it can be sold or not.

Yeah, that's it.

This tea is expensive.

But wouldn't it look luxurious if you said, "A special tea that hand-picked, processed, and blended the materials found by the apprentice of Master Class Alchemist Oglia Millis?”

Brand power is the name of the master.

"Even if tea is fine... Lorea, how about some sweets?

"I make it as usual... Sarasa-san, would you like me to add more sugar?

"Yeah, as usual. Lorea's sweets are as delicious as they are."

"Really? Thank you very much. Then I'll do it as usual ♪"

If I praise you frankly, Lorea will respond happily and start making sweets again.

From behind, a nose song is leaking.

I thought I'd fail because I was nervous, but apparently I wouldn't have to worry about it.

--In the first place, it doesn't make sense to make it slightly sweeter.

It's not a lie that Lorea's confectionery is delicious, but in terms of sweetness and appearance, it's definitely inferior to the luxury confectionery sold in the city.

Of course, if it is something that His Majesty usually eats, it is not comparable.

The sweets I had received at Senpai Priscia's house were so negligible that the village used ingredients that they were not available in the town of South Strag.

There's no way Lorea can make anything comparable to it, and there's no need to make it.

Your Highness was the one who demanded the impossible.

Don't eat if you complain.

I think you're in such a good mood.

"It's warm and crisp. Not bad."

That was how His Highness felt about eating cookies.

Of course, Lorea took the trouble to make it.

If you're going to say it tastes bad, you're going to confiscate it with disrespect.

Rather, why don't you say it's delicious?

I ate something delicious.

Don't you think?

Should I tell you something?

His Royal Highness adds words about how I felt in my sight.

"... it's simple and delicious."

Yes, that's fine.

--So when are you coming home?

I put such thoughts in my sight and looked at them carefully, but did I feel nothing this time or was they ignored? His Majesty enjoyed tea gently, and even demanded a refill.

I don't even look like I'm going home.

That's why they're not showing us a little talk.

………

………

Time is wasted on tea and cookies.

After that, it didn't seem like a lie, but the silent space was uncomfortable.

If you don't have anything to do, I'd like you to go home, but it's hard to say that directly to me.

Can somebody do something for me?

For example, Iris and the others are coming back here now.

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"Come out! I know you're here!!"

The loud yells echoed from the front.

- Yeah, I didn't ask for this.

Lorea is resting hard - after finishing making the sweets, it seems that she recognized the difference in the demand for the sweets herself to be served to Her Majesty again - and now I am the only one to deal with it, but in front of her is a guest who drinks tea flatly.

It is time to run out of respectful inventory, but there is only a small amount of discernment left to His Highness.

Looking at His Majesty as he was bewildered, His Majesty turned to the front with a smile.

"I don't mind. Go."

"Excuse me."

With permission, if I went to the front as soon as I could, it would have been the Baron Kirk family and some of their surroundings.

He was watching me come back, and he went out of his way.

From South Strag to this village, it's never close... is it free?

"Can I help you?

"You finally came out."

Warrant Baron Kirk, who stopped shouting at me for showing up, put his finger against me.

"Sarasa Feed, I demand your apology and compensation!

"Yes? Um... against what?

Instead, we should be asking for it, right?

"The day before yesterday, a private soldier of Tsubaki tried to destroy this shop, but many people were seriously injured. This is a serious infringement of the property of the monks."

"Huh?"

For a moment, your thoughts stopped in the form of complaints you never imagined.

Well, I expected "I guess I did" from the amount of magic consumed by the engraving, but I usually confess my criminal behavior with dignity!?

"... does that mean that the person who tried to destroy my shop got hurt, so you have to compensate for it?

"Don't you understand? Well, in the meantime, will you pay half of the sales as taxes?"

………

"And then, you seem to be lending money to the Rotze family? Just give Iris to me. If we flip the debt, we can do it, right? And then..."

"No."

If it's not worth listening to any more, I'll block the line.

What?

"As you have said before, the alchemist is not obligated to pay taxes to the lord, nor is he going to compensate the criminal."

Rather, I would like to request the surrender of the person who did it, but even though he is not a current offender, he cannot be lynched, and even if he asks for punishment as a criminal, he is the lord.

It is useless, so I will not talk about it.

Regarding taxes, I don't have to think about it in the form of 'help me for the village' like Erin. I live in this place.

But in the case of Baron Kirk, the opposite is true.

Instead of providing assistance even if this village is in trouble, it is on the other hand the trouble side.

I'm not obliged, but I'm not willing to pay.

Of course, Iris is out of the question.

It's not worth a thought.

Baron Kirk smiled confidently at me with such a harsh gaze as to try to stuff my mouth with stones.

"Surely there is no obligation, no obligation. But if you're willing to do it, there's nothing wrong, right?

"... what do you mean?

When I look half-eyed with my eyebrows raised, the Baroness Kirk continues to laugh with a smile.

"You seem to get along with the people in this village, don't you? For example, a village grocery store. What kind of tax is that?

………

I was also concerned about this.

If you're trying to harm Lorea directly, I can protect you.

She is an employee of my shop and I am the one paying her salary.

But that's all I can reach.

Beyond that, what can be done is limited.

No matter how heavily Baron Kirk taxes the village, it is within the power of the lord and does not violate kingdom law.

With a decent head, if you do that, the villagers will abandon the village and migrate, and the gatherers will be gone, and it will only hurt... do you think I can break before that happens?

Well, normally, once you set up a store, it won't be that easy to relocate.

But in my case, I get this shop cheaply.

Since the shop was acquired with a subsidy scheme, it would be close to zero if it were sold, but the real loss would be about the renovation costs paid to Geberg and the others.

Even though it is not possible to have another store immediately, I think you can let me work at the master's shop if you ask me, and it is not so difficult to withdraw the money.

... we have to take into account our brother-in-law, our human feelings, and so on.

"I'm not going to tell you to give me everything. I'll leave you some money. I'm very merciful."

You are relieved of my silence, Baron Kirk exposes his ignorance with a smile of satisfaction.

If you take half of the sales, you don't even have to pay taxes to the Kingdom.

Naturally, the store cannot be maintained.

If there is no distinction between sales and profits, it would certainly end sooner or later if we put such a person at the top of the trading city.

Nevertheless, the Lord is still in power at this time.

Properly say it back, or...

"'Witness Zero'...."

Hmm?

Warrant Baron Kirk surprised me when I murmured.