The Novice Alchemist’s Store

"Um! I'm in the middle of a conversation, would you mind waiting?

Surprising gaze from everyone at me for putting my hands up and blocking the conversation.

"Ah, ah. I don't mind the nonsense. I can't go on a day trip anyway. There's plenty of time."

"Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me for a moment..."

I give my condolences to Master Adelbert, who shows confusion.

Look on the table and speak to Mr. Kate.

"Mr. Kate, could you please serve me a cup of tea and... sweets? Sure, because I think I left some cookies made by Lorea."

"Oh, yes, right. Okay."

I asked Mr. Kate to do so and left the room, hoping to eat something sweet and light up a little.

◇ ◇ ◇

When I came back from my errands, the air in the room was a little softer than earlier.

Yeah, I'm sure this is thanks to Lorea's handmade treats.

Because it's so delicious, that cookie.

... enough to spare you a split.

"Ah, welcome home, manager"

"Yes, I'm back now"

"Lord Store Manager, where are you going?

"I just wanted to check something out. Sorry to keep you waiting."

When I got to my seat and lowered my head gently, Master Adelbert shook his head.

"What. Instead, I got time to hear more from the two of you. So, Lord Sarasa. Let me thank you again. Well done, Iris."

"Let me also thank you from me. I owe it to Sarasa to have Iris' life now."

That being said, Master Adelbert and Mr. Caterina bowed their heads deeply against me.

"Oh, no, keep your head up! You just said thank you!

If you do that to someone in front of you, you're in a little trouble!

"But you are rude to Lord Sarasa..."

Iris and Kate sandwiched their mouths with a bitter smile at me waving their hands and necks.

Father, the manager is in trouble.

"Mom, too, because even if you get your head down like that, the opposite will annoy the store manager"

"Really? So, if there is. But Lord Sarasa is the benefactor of Iris' life. If there's anything you can do, say it."

"Yes. Me too. … there's not much we can do."

Without Mr. Iris and the others (?) So I exhale to the two of you who raised their heads.

"Sometimes, please? First of all, Mr. Iris' luck is huge..."

I am truly fortunate that I happen to have an inventory of Potions, a smelter that can cure Mr. Iris' injuries.

In the unlikely event that someone with similar injuries visits now, I don't know if they can be cured... No, there's nothing I can't cure, but the Tiger Child smelting drug Potion, which I have now, is definitely an over-specified substitute, so I would be very lost in deciding whether to use it.

The amount to be charged is going to be significantly higher than the amount charged to Mr. Iris, and when he tells me he used the smelter Potion, which is more expensive than necessary, it's undeniable.

But in fact, in the event of an emergency, I can't believe that I happen to stock Potion, the perfect smelter for my symptoms, which is rarely available in this country, so even if they say, "More than necessary," I have trouble being an alchemist, right?

Because if you say, 'I don't have just the right smelting drug, Potion, so I won't cure you,' you're going to resent me. It's hard, isn't it?

"So, Mr. Store Manager, what's the research? What does that have to do with anything?

"Yes, I thought I heard the name that came up earlier when I had a business meeting with Mr. Leonora, so I made a few inquiries."

Good to have a symphony box.

I installed it the other day and still had no opportunity to be active other than to check the operation, which served an unexpected purpose.

"Well, who's Leonora?

"Father, Leonora is an alchemist in the town of South Strag"

"South Strag's... but how...?

Even as he nodded at Mr. Iris' explanation, Master Adelbert twisted his neck wondering how he got in touch.

"There's a thing called a symphony box installed. Didn't you know?

"I've heard rumors. I hear some of the senior aristocrats are setting it up. Is that it?

"Yes, because we are alchemists to each other"

"Oh my God!"

Master Adelbert looks out for surprises.

In fact, if you weren't an alchemist, if you weren't a senior nobleman, as Dear Adelbert put it, it would be difficult to bear the installation and operating costs.

The farther away it is, the more costly it is to use, and the closer it is, the less sense it makes to install it.

Because that's a bit of a subtle smelter, Artifact.

"Lord manager, what about Lord Leonora?

"Yes, that's..."

First of all, he was trying to make rough money in this village - he was making rough money pickling the alchemists into debt, to be exact, and he said I was targeting them too, and Yoku Barr was still getting rough after that.

It is Leonora's expectation that funding was not forthcoming in time and that she was put on kejime by the back society.

No, Mr. Leonora himself seemed convinced, so maybe he's getting some information from somewhere. For a mere alchemist, I know a lot.

His son Howe Barr is currently running the Barr Chamber of Commerce, succeeding his father-in-law.

He is a merchant who appears in this story.

Thanks to the hard work of me and Mr Leonora, although the scale of commerce is a much smaller Barr Chamber of Commerce, it still does not reach crumbling just because it was originally large, and for once, they are proud of their considerable power.

- Looks like it.

Its fruit, its interior is a fire car.

The current Barr Chamber of Commerce seems to be in a pretty critical situation.

"Leonora said, 'Not very much, but not in a situation where we can have that much money'..."

If this fact involves the name of Associate Baron Kirk, there's going to be some kind of back, isn't there?

Prejudice, maybe.

"Mmm, I looked like a good young man..."

"No cheater with a bad face, I hear, Master Adelbert."

"That's... I guess so"

Lady Adelbert sighs loudly with a suddenly distracted, tired look.

A lot of worries, and the determined result of sacrificing Mr. Iris. Now, that sense of restraint is huge, after all.

"But why did the Barr Chamber of Commerce approach home? It's not like I have money. It's a knight's house."

To Mr Iris, who says a little strangely, I shake my head.

"Because you're still noble. You must have had some kind of calculation to help. And I don't know what to say, but the current level of the Barr Chamber of Commerce will be limited."

Mr. Iris doesn't seem very conscious, but civilians and nobles, the difference is enormous.

Even if that's the lower nobility.

"So did our house get eyes on us? If you do a little research, you will know that Noh is in trouble with the money. Was it a good duck?"

Master Adelbert roars with regret.

"Besides, I can't assure you, Associate Baron Kirk might be chewing one as well. Did you circulate the information or there was some agreement to pay off the debt"

Barr Chamber of Commerce and Associate Baron Kirk.

It seems almost certain that there's some connection between these two, including the last time, but the other guy is a lord.

Mr. Leonora also seems to have difficulty getting his hands on it, which has not been clarified so far.

"But either way, I can't take this talk. Even if the money was available, you can't let someone like that into the Rotze family!

"Dear Adelbert!

It was Mr. Kate who honestly brought joy to that word.

Iris and Katerina, too, although not put into words, can find obvious relief from their serene expressions.

"But, Father. If you are in debt..."

"That's right. I'm back to shaking it out, but how more dangerous would it be to borrow money from such a chamber of commerce than to put the people first"

Yeah, what happens if someone like that becomes the head of the Rozze family or something in the future?

There can never be 'support for the people because they are hungry'.

"But given the circumstances, it seems like I'm responsible for this one, too."

"No, nothing. Lord Sarasa has nothing to do with it? We owe money, and we can't pay it back because we don't have enough power."

"But I was wondering if there was a part about it because I pushed the Barr Chamber of Commerce."

To the strange Lady Adelbert, I shake my head.

Of course, this is if you think the Barr Chamber of Commerce and Associate Baron Kirk are connected and a sudden request for repayment has been made from there to Master Adelbert.

But in fact, if you normally think about it, there's little reason for Associate Baron Kirk to ask for a lump sum repayment.

current situation with high interest and little reduction in principal.

So it is certainly more profitable to receive interest in the long run than to be repaid in bulk.

It's a somewhat puzzling demand, if not for the reason that Associate Baron Kirk fell short of funds and needed a lot of cash for some reason.

"I'm not saying that's a zero chance, but what the manager did is not wrong. You don't have to worry about it."

"Right. The manager's actions have definitely saved many people."

I get a follow up from Mr. Iris and Kate, who bother me.

"If you say so, you will be saved"

"But then again, the money has to be constructed somehow..."

"I wish I could help..."

The cash on hand is currently quite scarce, as a little rough money spent the bulk of it to help the alchemists, and since then has bought in materials that make the big smelter Artifact.

It's not that if you dispose of what's in the warehouse, you'll never be able to prepare the amount, but if you do that, you won't be able to stand up as an alchemist, and it won't be that easy to sell, so it'll be hard to find a place to sell it.

For once, that's all it's worth.

But I don't want to abandon Mr. Iris and, if I have to, think about it too -.

"Just one thing before I do, I'd like to ask you something, okay?

In my words, the Adelberts nodded, even with a strange look on their face.