When the atelier was first given to her, Kinley had been worried that a workshop at the small border town would be too crude, and did not even come equipped with basic equipment.
Such conditions were not rare: there had been kings who, in their lack of basic alchemy knowledge, had provided several alchemist apprentices with a few hundred Rions, telling them to get themselves any warehouse where they would craft scrolls of taboo spells…
That was basically the paying a group of university students a few thousand dollars’ worth of research fees, and have them build a nuclear bomb in some random hall.
Still, Kinley was stunned as soon as she stepped inside the atelier to inspect it.
The interior atelier was not actually huge, but all sorts of experimental tools were available—crucibles and furnaces of every shape and sizes, and a giant cauldron that could easily fit an adult inside.
Moreover, there were also numerous translucent test tubes and curiously made glass containers placed on the tables.
Not even Kinley, whose alchemy accomplishments was already considerable had seen those weird apparatus, but she could guess how it works and how to use it with a single glance. In fact, she believed that having those apparatus would have a better effect if they were used for many past alchemy experiments!
Moreover, the precision of those tools was unimaginably high, and she just needed to say the name of the materials and the needed weight for it to appear on the trays of the scales. That same voiceover function worked for writing reports too: the ink on the quill never seemed to dry, the papers would pile together as a volume and the bookmarks could help her quickly check through her notes…
In comparison, Kinley could not help feeling that her master’s atelier—the so-called best alchemist on the continent—was as crude as those illegal underground ateliers.
Damn it, what if she got used to such an excellent atelier and couldn’t use it in the future?
Maybe she should strengthen her ties with the God of Games’ believers so that she could keep using it?
No… when she thought about it carefully, wouldn’t marrying Angora be the better choice if she really wanted to secure the astoundingly advanced alchemy technology in this Church?
“I don’t want to wipe that stupid smile off your face, but could you please confirm the condition of this atelier so that I could make my report to the liege in time?”
Vela, who had accompanied her here to open shop asked impatiently.
“Ah, my apologies.” Kinley came to and grinned. Her well-groomed young lady remained flawless that it left Vela the village girl a little chagrined in turn.
It was fortunate that Vela was in a good mood—she merely pursed her lips before promptly recovering.
‘Sure, you’re pretty and noble, but could you take on a fishman? I can! And ten of them at once!’
“Miss Vela, do you like Mister Angora?” Kinley suddenly asked then, sliding her a glance.
“Naturally,” Vela replied with a poker-face. “It’s not just me either—many townsfolk like their liege too because he guided us out of our despair.”
“I see. Hmm… Well, I like him too.” Kinley smiled in return.
“…”
Vela’s eyebrow twitched.
“But do you like me, Miss Vela?” Kinley asked then, seemingly having not noticed Vela’s rather dangerous look.
Vela was about to say something when three other persons rushed into the atelier.
Or four, to be precise.Read more chapter on NovelFull
One was a middle-aged man whose Player name read ‘Mufasa’, while two others were children following behind him without Player IDs and therefore weren’t Players. At the same time, Mufasa was carrying a young girl over his back and likewise wasn’t a Player.
Her eyes were also tightly shut, her breaths choppy and her face a flushed redness of pain.
“Boss Lady!” Mufasa was left stunned to have run into Vela there for a moment, before greeting her briskly and turning to Kinley. “Are you Lady Kinley, the new alchemist?”
Vela’s mouth twitched.
Why was she a boss lady and Kinley an actual lady? ‘Do you think I don’t punch hard?’
Meanwhile, Kinley seemed to have realized what had happened but still politely asked. “Yes. What’s the problem?”
“Nala… this girl has been sick for some time,” Mufasa quickly replied, “but she never said a word about it. It had become serious this morning when we finally noticed it, and the Clerics’ exorcism or purification won’t work since she’s not a player. But I’ve also heard that you could make healing potions… you have to help her; I’ll do anything you ask!”
The two boys behind him nodded as well. “We’ll help too!”
Even as Kinley mulled over the word ‘Player’, the smile on her face did not change at all while telling them with her exceedingly mild voice, “It will be alright. Leave it to me.”
As a matter of fact, she had no intention to follow the lofty attitude of most alchemists and ignore the peasants suffering. For one, she intended to strengthen her ties with the Church of Games in the first place, so why would she stay idle and ignore such a chance? Secondly, she had also believed that the reason good alchemists were so few on the continent was due to the alchemists’ own excessively high-and-mighty attitude and hoarding of alchemy knowledge, which goes so far that it prevented them from working together.
“Will it really be alright? The potion ingredients here don’t seem to be enough,” Vela asked worriedly.
“I’ve checked: the ingredients to brew a potion for this child’s condition is enough.”
Kinley smiled, just before she started summoning various unusual ingredients onto the scales which she then put into the cauldron to cook. Meanwhile, she connected several containers with glass tubes, pouring out the cooked ingredients, filtering it and then processing it for a second time.
In a brief dozen minutes, she had completed every procedure and a bottle of jade-green potion was made.
Kinley was very satisfied with it too. It would have taken her another dozen minutes if it had been her mentor’s set of tools, and the resulting brew would not be that good as well.
“Have her drink this twice over three hours. She would be fine by evening.”
Mufasa and the two children left in utmost gratitude with the potion.
Vela gave Kinley a look of mixed expressions.
After a moment, she honestly said, “About your question just now… I don’t like you, but I sincerely welcome you to our town, Lady Kinley.”
