Chapter 10

In the spring, while watching the farmer using the extraordinary talent of Range Cultivation to till the field, I said hello, I'm Herman. Now that the New Year Festival is over, I'm three years old. The New Year Festival and the Star Allocation Ceremony are when I turned two, and the day when all sorts of people got drunk and collapsed is when I turned three. It seems that in this village, they count their age on New Year's Eve. Everyone must be exactly six years old when they receive their talent allocation; that's the rule. The Age Crossing Festival, which is the seventh time a child has experienced the New Year, is when they undergo the Star Allocation Ceremony, usually at six years and a few months. Well, that's not really important. What matters is that the Star Allocation Ceremony is crucial.

From the time the snow melts, my father, mother, sister Ludmila, and brother Sharlo work on the field assigned to our house, expanding it horizontally using Range Cultivation. The way they till the land, far beyond the reach of a hoe, is like a human tractor. We didn't even need a tractor. Ah, Grandpa and Grandma have a different field assignment, so they're not here. They're probably doing something extraordinary like Range Cultivation too, but with a different level of expertise. They till the land beautifully.

As for me, I don't have much to do in agriculture. I'm not the heir, and I haven't received my talent allocation yet, so I can't contribute. I don't plan to receive a talent allocation for agriculture, and it's fine to stay out of the workforce. I aspire to be an alchemist and don't want to waste my stars on unnecessary agricultural talents. So, I'm going to the church to pray. Please, give me stars for alchemy.

Today, I'll go to replenish the reduced number of storage bottles and then go collecting. As usual, I'll visit Judina. How many times have I come here now? I open the door and call out as usual.

"Excuse me."

"Just a moment!"

As usual, I get the same response, so I sit in my usual spot and wait. This chair is almost at a height where I can sit without climbing. I'm gradually growing taller. After a while, Judina comes out from the back.

"You came at a good time. Do you have any plans for today?"

"Um, my only plan is to collect, but what's going on? That's unusual."

"Yeah, a letter arrived by fast horse yesterday. A material buyer is coming today by express carriage. It's a good opportunity for you to sell your materials too. ... You haven't sold the materials that the professor said not to sell, right?"

"Yes, the ones he said to sell directly to experts. I've kept them safe."

"Today's express carriage is a large-scale purchase from experts. Letters have also been sent to other alchemists living near York's Forest."

"So, the materials will sell for a high price."

"That's right. Here's the purchase list. They're buying at these prices, so you won't lose money."

She shows me the purchase list. Dark Moss is 2 gold coins per bottle, Dark Spirit Moss is 5 platinum coins per bottle, Dark Magic Mushrooms are 5 silver coins each, Dark Armor Mushrooms are 5 gold coins each, and Dark Celestial Mushrooms are 5 small platinum coins each. ... What kind of pricing is this?

"Um, aren't the numbers off? It seems to be 100 times the price I heard from the traveling merchants. ... I understand Dark Spirit Moss because you told me about it before."

"This is the financial sense of the upper echelons of the Alchemical Academy. They think it's cheap even at this price. Just consider it a good deal. It's unlikely you'll get a better price elsewhere."

"... Okay, I'll do that."

"Let's wait here. Oh, by the way, let's take care of the storage bottles and the Mica Mushrooms first. I'll bring out the storage bottles, so please put them away."

She lines up 500 bottles at once. I put them away instantly with 'Extend Space.' Hehe, I've grown too. I can now bring them out into the air and successfully suck in a lot. After receiving 500 storage bottles again, I bring out the Mica Mushrooms to the counter. There are about 530 in total, with the odd number to be dealt with next time. After deducting the bottle cost, it's 2 large silver coins, 6 medium silver coins, and 3 small silver coins. Yeah, this should be a lot of money, but considering the future, it's just pocket change.

After the transaction, Judina puts up dark curtains on the windows. ... Oh, that's right, we need to block out the sunlight for light-sensitive materials. The curtains are always ready to be drawn, which is very practical. There's no wind inside, and the door is locked, so no one can enter. ... Ah, that's why this shop faces north. There's a reason other than living space facing south. Preparations are complete, and now we just wait. ... I might as well ask about something that's on my mind.

"Um, is something happening with this purchase?"

"Hmm? Oh, a professor from the Yin-Yang School is summoning a powerful undead. They're buying a lot of materials and magic stones. If it goes well, they might summon an Elder Lich. ... I hope they have proper control measures in place."

"The last part is a bit unsettling."

"Researchers are always risky, for better or worse. Especially the Yin-Yang School, which deals with summoning and creating undead. Creating is fine because there are limits. But summoning is unpredictable. Ten years ago, when they summoned, countless weak undead appeared, and the Adventurer's Guild had to issue a request to deal with them. Even the Iron Welcome School couldn't handle the sheer number, and the capital was affected."

"Alchemists... right?"

"Yeah? I explained the Yin-Yang School when I told you to collect dark materials."

"I was only half-listening. I didn't think it was that extreme."

"Well, there are radical ones, but there are also moderate ones. It's not unusual to have radicals among them."

"I'm starting to feel uneasy about going to the Alchemical Academy."

"Don't worry, don't worry. There's an evacuation order when dangerous research is being conducted. It's rare for it to go that far. ... The researchers themselves aren't included in the 'people' category, though."

"Alchemists really go all the way, don't they?"

"Well, a few do. Those with talent allocations beyond the stars. Most alchemists are calm, like me."

"I hope they stay calm while I'm at the Alchemical Academy."

"That's up to luck. If something happens, just evacuate calmly. ... Oh, they're here."

A low rumbling sound gradually gets louder. ... I'm only anxious about this sound. ... Ah, it's getting quieter... and has stopped. What does an express carriage look like? I'll see it later. The door opens, and a bell rings.

"Hey, is Judina here?"

"Yeah, I'm here. Anna, it's been a while."

"Oh? You have a kid? Wow, when did you get married? What's the partner like?"

"No, I'm still single. This kid is an aspiring alchemist and adventurer from this village. Please buy his materials too."

"Oh, that's a relief. No problem with the purchase. They want quality and quantity. The contribution will be credited to you, Judina, but it can't be helped."

She seems lively. Better than being gloomy, I guess.

"Okay, let's start with Judina's materials."

Judina starts putting out materials, and this person's inspection speed is insane. It's too fast. Fifty units disappear in an instant, and the materials don't run out. How many does she have in stock? The work continues endlessly in this mysterious space. ... It took about an hour to finish the inspection.

"Both quality and quantity are fine. You've really stocked up, Judina."

"It's been a while since we had a dark material purchase. Of course, they accumulate. ... Other places probably have the same or more."

"True. The inspection is 6 medium magic silver coins, 8 small magic silver coins, 3 small platinum coins, 2 medium gold coins, and 5 small gold coins. ... Next is the boy's turn."

"Y-Yes, here we go."

I start putting out materials. 412 bottles of Dark Moss, 6 bottles of Dark Spirit Moss, 3620 Dark Magic Mushrooms, 869 Dark Armor Mushrooms, and 149 Dark Celestial Mushrooms. This is all the material I've stockpiled. The inspection is over in about 20 minutes. This person's inspection speed is really too fast.

"More quantity than quality. The lack of Dark Spirit Moss is your downfall, boy. The inspection is 4 small magic silver coins, 2 large platinum coins, and 8 medium platinum coins. You did well, boy."

Downfall? We weren't competing. She's always so energetic; doesn't she get tired? More importantly, it went up to small magic silver coins. Who said a large gold coin was a lot of money? This guy's financial sense is way off. Anyway, the purchase is over.

"Then, I have to go as the next place is waiting. I'll take my leave."

She says this and quickly leaves. ... Wait, I want to see the express carriage! I rush outside. There, four golems resembling Sleipnir, with eight legs each, are pulling a carriage... or is it a war wagon?

"See you, boy."

With a tremendous rumbling sound, it speeds away. It's too fast and dangerous, but the noise makes it clear it's dangerous. ... Now I understand why the country's roads are wide enough for three carriages. The tracks are on the sides because they run down the middle. I learned something today.

It was a stormy time, but I made a lot of money. I earned so much that my previous earnings seem like pocket change. ... Maybe I should forget today's earnings. I can't keep making this much money every time. It's a fortune that a commoner would never see in a lifetime. I need to be careful not to lose myself. It's still morning, and I need to go collecting, but the atmosphere suggests otherwise. I think I'll chat with Judina a bit more.

"How was the express carriage? It must have been impressive."

"It was indeed. I saw golems with eight legs for the first time, and they were incredibly fast. They disappeared in an instant."

"There are eight villages around York's Forest, in the east, west, north, south, and in between. The carriage completes a full circle in one day. It will probably be back in Kautz Town by midnight tonight."

"Didn't it take a day to get to the next village by stagecoach? Are they completing a full circle in one day?"

"Yeah, that's right. The fast horses were sent yesterday to avoid overtaking. In the town, it moves slowly, so you can see it clearly there."

It takes about a day to get to the next village by walking or stagecoach. Completing a full circle in one day is insane. ... I wonder if people who don't know about the express carriage get run over in the middle of the road. ... Probably several people a year. The Adventurer's Guild probably warns people, but many don't listen. If there were many, they'd be studying it by now. In a human vs. super-fast mass collision, the outcome is obvious. It's better to be scrapped. They'd be crushed to pieces without even realizing it. They'd be flung away, not run over.

"Well, with this, you shouldn't have to worry about tuition, right? Even a commoner's school wouldn't charge magic silver coins for an entrance fee."

"... Yeah. I don't know what to do if it's not enough. I thought a large gold coin was a lot of money."

"A large gold coin is a lot of money. Forgetting that leads to spending like today's request. ... It's common among noble alchemists with skewed financial senses. ... At the Alchemical Academy, you'll be surrounded by such people. It's important to be financially disciplined. Also, it's probably a good idea to keep materials in stock. As a student, you might use a lot of materials. It's better to have them from the start rather than buying them later."

"What about you, Judina?"

"Me? In our time, we made a lot of advanced potions. In the Eternal Light School, we used magic mushrooms like water. I was a bit of a poor student. We collected materials in the Illusionary School and Iron Welcome School lectures and used them in the Eternal Light School and Life Creation School classes. I didn't want to use my family's money, so it was tight. If I had money, I might have studied in other schools."

"Are there good collection spots around the capital?"

"Near the capital, there should be a spirit land with strong wind attributes and a magic realm with strong water attributes. So, it's better to bring in earth, fire, dark, and light attribute materials if you can. Here, you can get good dark and earth attribute materials, so collect as much as you can. ... Of course, if the curriculum has changed, it might be different."

"That's helpful. Why did you make a lot of advanced potions?"

"Because they were profitable. Advanced potions require 100 Fast Life Herbs and 10 magic mushrooms. Fast Life Herbs are cheap, but magic mushrooms cost 5 small silver coins each. So, an advanced potion costs 5 medium silver coins to make. They sell for 1 medium gold coin. With the nearby magic realm, they sold quickly in the capital. It was a good way for a poor student to make money. Another way was to make magic stones. You can buy low-quality materials from poor adventurers and make magic stones. Normally, one material makes one magic stone, but low-quality ones require many to make one. I sold them to the Life Creation School. Making magic stones from many materials is easy but time-consuming. Turning a few medium copper coins into a medium silver coin is a good way for a poor student to earn money. Making advanced potions is harder and requires more alchemy experience."

"Alchemists really need money, don't they?"

"Expenses are high, but so are earnings. That's why even poor students can manage. If you work hard for three years until graduation, earning a small magic silver coin is not a dream. Turning someone else's small earnings into 100 times their value and selling it is truly alchemy. Once it starts growing, it can quickly become a large sum, which is both good and bad. You must not become arrogant. Arrogance can consume you. Arrogance can consume your money and your future. Many students have failed this way. Alchemists must be humble. Arrogance consumes money and darkness. Remember that."

"Understood. I'll be careful not to become arrogant. Still, Judina was a poor student, huh?"

"Well, I deliberately chose to be a poor student. My sister was consumed by arrogance at the magic school and used our family's money. My father was furious. So, I decided not to use our family's money and to be a poor student. Now, it's a good memory."

"I don't want to be a poor student, so I'll start stockpiling materials. I think I've saved enough money from this, so I'll focus on learning alchemy."

"That's good. Well, you need to get through the Star Allocation Ceremony first."

Laughing, Judina insisted that I would definitely get stars. After some more chat, I went collecting. It was before noon, and I still had plenty of time. From now on, I'll collect without worrying about money. I'll stockpile and enjoy a comfortable alchemy life. With renewed determination to work hard from this year until my Star Allocation Ceremony, I set out.

Well, the results won't change just because I'm determined. Today's collection is as usual. ... I wanted to replenish high-value materials, but they're not guaranteed to be found, so I'll collect casually. My wallet is heavier, but my material stock is still insufficient.

So, I collected as usual until evening. The magic clock allows me to collect until the last minute. Clocks are really convenient. Today's harvest was decent. Ah, I can't wait for the Star Allocation Ceremony. I'm confident I'll get alchemy talent, but sometimes I worry what if I don't. It's not good to be weak, but I'm anxious until the results are in. When I feel this way, I pray at the church to change my mood. I do this every day except on rainy days. Prayer is the best way to relieve anxiety. I don't fully understand, but I feel a mysterious power working. It's like feeling the presence of a deity nearby.

So, today, I prayed at the church, asking for alchemy talent. ... Okay, I'm good now. After that, I'll go home, do my manure disposal job, eat dinner, and go to bed. My 'Extend Space' training has progressed to the point where I can bring things out into the air and has gained suction. I've moved on to expanding the space inside. It grows with growth, but training can make it even larger. ... This is based on experience rather than solid research, but if it's possible, I'll do it. It's better to fit more storage bottles. So,