「I'd like to register as an adventurer please.」
Once again standing in front of Amelia, Leyce opened with that line. Beside him, showing a difficult facial expression was Laffy.
「Do you seriously want to register…?」
「Yeah. I'm kinda interested in it, and it's not like I lose anything by registering.」
「Well, that's certainly true but…」
Laffy's worry was that Leyce would act in a manner outside of common sense when out on a request.
If you try to pass off an elixir as a potion in a potion making request, I'll give it my absolute best to stop you.
While Laffy vowed so in her mind, the adventurer registration is complete.
「Leyce-san, you will begin as an F rank adventurer. Up until D rank you'll be able to raise your rank doing requests other than subjugation requests.」
From D rank onwards it's necessary to be easily able to complete monster subjugation requests in order to gain in rank. In other words, someone unable to fight against monsters such as Leyce would have their rank capped out at D.
「Since I've registered you, is there any request you want to receive?」
「Um, yeah. Back here there's a request that caught my eye.」
So Leyce said, bringing a request over from the bulletin board.
「This is… a request for an alchemy helper?」
「Yeah.」
As Leyce was an alchemist it was a request that fit him perfectly. It was just right for his first request. However, Amelia made a sour face when she saw the request paper.
「It might be better if you pass on this request.」
「Why would that be?」
「The principle alchemist for this request is famous for being obstinate… no one has ever completed anything from him before, so I can't recommend it.」
「Hou hou」
Leyce nodded with his arms folded.
It was certainly understandable why Amelia was hesitant. There was no reason for someone to go and do something that they already know to be trouble.
And so,
「Alright, then I'll accept this request.」
「…Um, were you listening?」
「Yes, I was listening.」
「Then why…」
Leyce flashed a smile before announcing,
「Because it seems amusing.」
Watching Leyce's state of affairs, Laffy dropped her shoulders in defeat. Originally, no one actually wanted to hear Leyce's true thoughts.
In the first place, the requesting alchemist probably wasn't imagining that his request for an assistant would end up calling an alchemist no less than their self. If that were the case things would probably turn out fine in the end.
…That is unless Leyce does something to screw everything up.
「Leyce, I can't say anything about you taking this request. However, do not make any or show any elixir.」
「Oh, uh yeah…」
At the force of Laffy's whispered words, Leyce was half forced into nodding. As much as Laffy would like to do the same request as Leyce, because she lacks ability in alchemy she would just be a hindrance so it couldn't be helped.
That's why she was giving him advice.
Seeing that the conversation between Leyce and Laffy was finished, Amelia stamped the request form while showing a meek face. That denoted the request to be accepted.
「I understand, I will not stop you if you decide to do it yourself, Leyce-san. This here is the location of the requesting alchemist's house.」
She submitted a request form and a map to Leyce.
「Thank you very much.」
「Alright then, I wish you success on your request.」
Sent off by Amelia with a polite bow, and Laffy with an uneasy face, Leyce set off to begin his first request.
「This is the requester's store…」
Relying on the map Amelia had given him, Leyce struggled to the location. There was a shop that was neither big nor small, just an ordinary shop.
The fact that he had gotten lost several times on the way was a secret from Laffy.
For some reason, that girl was prone to worrying.
He would finish this quest safely, and it wouldn't be bad if that won him the faith of Laffy.
「Alright!」
He had plenty of fighting spirit. Brimming with motivation, he entered the shop. Inside the shop was a familiar smell of chemicals he'd grown so used to, and various potions lined the shelves on display.
As an alchemist, it was a very familiar scene to Leyce. Without any surprises, Leyce made his way to the counter.
「Excuse me, I came for the request…」
Said Leyce to the girl at the counter. Her age seemed to be below Leyce's.
She was a small girl with hair of an almost transparent blue colour cut down to her shoulders. With bags under her eyes, her seemingly sweet face was currently warped with exhaustion.
She probably wasn't the client, but there was no one else around. The real client was probably in the back of the store making potions.
Or, that's what I thought anyway.
「Ah, thank you. I'd like to get started right away, so come here if you would.」
「Eh…?」
Leyce was bewildered and unintentionally stood still.
「What's wrong, I'm the client, Daisy.」
「Eh… you are?」
「Yeah, that's right. So what?」
So Daisy asked in an irritated tone. It was just, no matter how you looked at it her appearance was that of a twelve-year-old girl. It seemed rather unbelievable that she was in charge of the store.
「I'll say it before you ask, I'm approximately the same age as you are.」
What… was that?
While his inner mind was being blasted by a shockwave, Leyce tried to keep it from showing on his face. It was obvious that the girl in front of him would get angry if he let it slip.
「I- is that so. I'm Leyce, the adventurer that accepted your request.」
「Yes, thank you. Now be silent and follow me.」
With a puff from her nose, Daisy quickly walked into the store interior. In accordance with her words, Leyce followed behind her.
「So, how long ago did you first start alchemy Leyce?」
「Uh, about seven, eight years.」
Leyce started alchemy at the age of ten. At first, he was self-taught, but at the age of twelve, he learned various things from a teacher.
「That's quite a long time. Then, I guess I can expect a little bit from you.」
「Thanks for that…」
「Look, here.」
Daisy explained where the room all the medicinal herbs were kept was. There were numerous medicinal herbs immersed in a bath of preservatives meant to prevent them from deteriorating.
「What I want you to do here is to take these medicinal herbs and perform 『Extraction』 and 『Purification』」
『Extraction』 uses alchemy to remove the active ingredient from the medicinal plant as a liquid, and 『Purification』 uses alchemy to remove impurities from that liquid.
Both of them were indispensable skills for an alchemist, with more advanced alchemists raising both the speed and precision of them. Of course, Leyce it able to do it too.
「Is it fine with that much?」
「Yeah, that's it. Just do as much as you can.」
「Understood.」
Leyce felt relieved at the unexpected simplicity of the request.
「Just do it earnestly without mistakes, okay.」
She said so in the lightest, sweetest tone of voice so far, but somehow her words also carried with them the greatest force.
Daisy then left after casting a sidelong glance back at Leyce who was shivering in fear.
Mistakes will absolutely not be forgiven.
Becoming tense once again, Leyce commenced his work just the same as usual.
Yes, using the alchemy that was normal for him.
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