Chapter 20

Noem's Elixirs, which he had crafted, were delivered through the Craft Guild.

This was done considering the Craft Guild's position and to avoid drawing too much attention to the person who made them, taking various circumstances into account.

In any case, the Master of the Craft Guild was overjoyed to maintain their reputation and visited the Adventurer's Guild today to express his gratitude.

◆

"Please join our Craft Guild!"

...And somehow, the conversation turned to this.

Since I started acting together with Noem, I've come to fully realize the preciousness and usefulness of alchemists. It's no wonder the Craft Guild, which oversees related industries, would desire such a person so desperately.

"No."

Noem was resolute in her response.

Hasn't she become tougher since we first met?

"I have no intention of moving from the Adventurer's Guild to the Craft Guild. Please understand."

"Why!? Isn't it common sense for a production specialist to join the Craft Guild!?"

"I have no intention of blindly following common sense."

Noem has become a woman who can clearly say 'No.' Perhaps her confidence has grown along with her achievements. Well, it's a good thing if she has gained experience and grown as a person.

"Understood... However, I will not give up on you. I will gather more persuasive materials and try to recruit you again later."

"I'll accept regular production requests, though."

"Separate from that, I have another request today. May I talk about it?"

It seems the conversation will proceed even if she says no.

"The Elixirs you made were successfully delivered to us. The royal palace, the client, was very pleased."

The quest we received the other day was from the royal palace.

The Adventurer's Guild collects materials, and the Craft Guild produces healing potions based on those materials.

The royal palace seemed to desire a considerable number of the highest-quality healing potions.

"The royal palace initially requested ten bottles of Elixirs, but Noem, you made far more than that, didn't you? Truly, the work of a 'Master Alchemist' is awe-inspiring."

"Can you please not use the '-chan' suffix so casually?"

"To be honest, I was unsure what to do with the surplus, but the royal palace bought all of them. It seems they find them very useful."

Elixirs are high-end items.

Collecting materials and manufacturing them requires significant effort. It seems even the kingdom understands the limits of such requests.

"Therefore, the royal palace is very pleased and wishes to commend the contributors. The honor of being recognized will go to Noem, as you are the most deserving."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Before Noem could fully understand, the Master of the Craft Guild continued.

"You will receive an audience with the king."

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And the scene changes...

Noem and I are standing before the king.

"Why do I have to be here too?"

Noem insisted that she wouldn't go to the audience unless I accompanied her.

Noem wasn't enthusiastic about the audience, but it would have been too impolite to refuse the king's request. With the help of me and Londait, we managed to convince her, but with the condition that I would accompany her.

I never thought I would ever set foot in a royal palace, a place completely unrelated to me...

Life is full of surprises.

"I am Leonhardt Friedrich Centaurian Elricsalt the Thirteenth... the King of Centaurian."

A straightforward-looking elderly man, in contrast to his grand name, sat on the throne.

He is the king of our country. I've never seen him before.

"Your work this time was truly remarkable. Thanks to the highest-quality healing potions you crafted, our country can avoid the worst crisis. I believe this achievement deserves direct praise from me, and that is why I have summoned you."

"Ah, thank you very much!"

She stumbled over her words.

Even though Noem has become a bit more confident, she is still extremely nervous in front of the king.

"I have heard the details from the Masters of the Craft Guild and the Adventurer's Guild. It was you who personally crafted the Elixirs I requested. You are quite impressive, despite your young age."

"I, I just did what I could..."

"Although I requested it, I never dreamed it could be achieved. I heard that creating Elixirs requires collecting several valuable materials and the skills of a highly skilled alchemist. I knew our country lacked both."

Despite knowing this, he still requested it.

Was it because he didn't understand the gap between desire and reality? Or was there a pressing need that made it necessary despite the difficulty?

"The super-healing effects of the Elixirs will bring peace to our country. All of this is due to your efforts. I wish to reward you for your contributions."

The king raised his hand, and a servant-like person appeared from the side, holding something important.

"First, I will award you the Deep Green Spirit Medal. This medal is given to those who have overcome national crises. Please accept it with honor."

"Wh-What?!"

"Second, I will appoint you as the royal alchemist. This will entitle you to a certain amount of support from the state. In exchange, you will prioritize requests from our country and not respond to requests from other countries without permission. However, the benefits far outweigh the inconveniences."

"Wh-What?!"

"Of course, I am also willing to offer material rewards. You may request gold or land as you wish. To have an alchemist of your caliber at our disposal is worth the appropriate expenditure."

"Wait! Please listen to me!!"

Noem's loud voice made the king pause.

Interrupting the king's words is quite disrespectful, I think...

"I have a request for the king. Please understand the situation!"

"Understand...?"

"The Elixirs this time were not completed by me alone. No matter how skilled an alchemist is, they cannot create anything without materials!"

"Indeed, I have heard that the materials for Elixirs include several ultra-high-end items that are traded for gold. I believe the collection of these materials was entrusted to the Adventurer's Guild."

"All of those materials were collected by this person, Ryuya. Please give Ryuya a reward as well!"

"Hmm."

The king's gaze turned to me for the first time.

As if to say, "Who is this guy?"

"Is what you say true?"

"Yes, it is..."

I also stumbled over my words.

This is my first time speaking to such an important person, just like Noem.

"So, you attended this audience for this reason. Bringing a contributor to this ceremony shows the Adventurer's Guild's attention to detail."

"No, it's not like that... I'm more like a guardian."

"A guardian? Of whom?"

"Of her..."

I glanced at Noem next to me.

Since I had to explain from the beginning, I told the story.

We encountered bandits by chance and defeated them. Noem was among those they had kidnapped.

Since then, Noem, who had fallen into a state of distrust towards humans, could only trust me, and that's why we have been acting together.

"Such a thing...!?"

After hearing the story, the king stroked his chin with a hateful expression.

"Slave traders are truly despicable. Treating people as commodities. We must enforce stricter regulations."

Slavery is prohibited in this country.

I felt reassured by the king's righteous reaction.

"Although it is late, your actions were commendable. What is your name?"

"Ryuya."

"If I had overlooked the evil slave traders, Noem might have been sold and possibly sent abroad. Stopping that, Ryuya, is truly commendable. And the fact that you collected all the materials for the Elixirs alone clearly shows your considerable skills."

The king's gaze changed.

It seemed to be the eyes of a ruler who wouldn't let go of excellent talent.

"Since you can achieve such feats, you must possess excellent skills. It seems the Adventurer's Guild also has talented individuals."

"No, not really..."

"Then, what skills does the elite of the Adventurer's Guild have? Can you tell me in secret?"

Why is he so eager to pry into personal information?

But I couldn't ignore the king's question, so I reluctantly answered.

"...I have no skills."

"Huh?"

"I have no skills! I don't possess any skills at all!!"