Chapter 3

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It has been a month since then. Yesterday, Sister told me that I passed the reading and writing test. She also taught me arithmetic thoroughly. Since it was the same decimal system as in my previous life, it was easy once I memorized the numbers. So, today I’m going to the alchemist’s place. She said to come when I could read and write. I have a vague feeling that I’m getting close to grasping the 'Extend Space.' ... Since it’s just a feeling, I don’t know when I’ll be able to use it, but I feel it won’t be too far off. So, I came to the alchemist’s shop.

"Excuse me."

"Wait a moment!"

I think she was in the back of the shop last time too, probably doing some alchemy. After a while, a woman who looked no different from a month ago came to the counter.

"Oh, it’s you from the other day. Is something the matter?"

"I’ve learned to read and write, so I’ve come as promised."

"...I didn’t expect you to be so quick. I see, sit in that chair for a moment, please."

She said that and went back to the back of the shop. She probably went to get something, probably a book. Since it’s about reading and writing, I can only think of reading a book. ...After waiting for a while, the alchemist came to the counter with a book and placed it there.

"This is a plant encyclopedia. I think you’ll have to buy many books as an alchemist, so start saving money now. Books are still expensive, even though they’ve become relatively cheaper. For a while, you’ll have to read several books by coming here regularly. ...After you’ve read them, I’ll give you more assignments, so make sure to memorize them well. You can read them again, but try to finish in one go."

She handed me a book. ...It seems to be a plant encyclopedia. I started flipping through it randomly. It appears to be an encyclopedia of plants used as alchemical materials. It’s detailed, from how to harvest them to how to process and store them. ...Some of them need to be dried. If you don’t place them in a suitable spot, they might be mistaken for garbage and thrown away. I’ll have to consult my mother about this.

"Once you’ve memorized this, you’ll have to go and collect them. Occasionally, alchemists come as merchants, right? Sell them to him. Other people will buy them at a low price because they don’t know about alchemical materials."

I see, after I’ve read this, I’ll collect in this forest. The encyclopedia also mentions the approximate material prices. ...Some materials are worth a large silver coin per vial. If such materials are in this forest, that would be great. ...If they’re not, she wouldn’t show me this. I guess they are there. It might be hard to find them because they’re rare.

"This forest, called York Forest, has quite good materials. Especially moss. There are many rare and useful mosses. Your job will be to collect them and sell them to the merchant. I’ll sell you the storage vials, so let me know whenever you need them. ...At first, you can pay me after selling them to the merchant. I’ll lend you a few vials. ...However, you can only collect once you can use the 'Extend Space.' Otherwise, you won’t be able to sort the collected items, right?"

The 'Extend Space' is probably for carrying items. It’s probably a magic for that purpose. ...It seems I can only carry one vial in this body. Mastering the 'Extend Space' is urgent. At the same time, I need to memorize the content of this book. It’s impractical to carry the encyclopedia while collecting. I need to memorize it thoroughly.

The content of the book isn’t extremely difficult. It has illustrations and detailed annotations, making it a proper encyclopedia. It includes seasonal characteristics, flower colors, collection methods, storage methods, and cultivation methods. The illustrations are helpful. There are no colors, but that’s understandable. I’ll memorize the detailed annotations as well.

"I’ll go out to the forest for a bit. You can read here, but if a customer comes, tell them I’m out. ...If you get thirsty, there’s a well in the back, so drink the water there. I’ll be back, then."

"Understood."

...I answered, but I wonder if it’s really okay to leave me here alone. Well, if she says it’s fine, it’s fine. However, I think the alchemist also goes to collect. There are valuable things, and if she lives by collecting, it’s not strange for her to go out to earn a living. I’ve heard that this alchemist is often not here, so she probably goes out often like today.

However, the plant called Fastgrass on the first page of the encyclopedia. My father often pulls it out because it’s bad for wheat growth, but it’s a material for recovery potions... It has a tremendous vitality and grows everywhere, as it says. ...It doesn’t seem to be worth much, but I’ll memorize it. The storage method is simple, and it doesn’t seem to sell well, but I’ll memorize it.

I think I spent the whole day looking at the encyclopedia. It wasn’t that thick, so I went through it twice today. If asked if I memorized it perfectly, there are parts I remember vaguely, but I’ve memorized most of it. ...However, the alchemist hasn’t returned. It’s almost evening, but she still hasn’t come back. I also need to go home soon. ...I’m not allowed to walk around after dark. I need to go home while the sun is still up. I’m slightly anxious, and finally, the alchemist returned.

"...I’m back. It’s late, so go home soon. From now on, you can leave the book and go home when the time comes. I forgot to tell you that."

"Understood. Thank you. I’ll go home today."

"Yes, see you tomorrow. ...Oh, by the way. Run home without stopping from here. If you don’t have stamina, you won’t make a good alchemist. See you."

So, I decided to run the 15-minute route home. ...I was already running, but since stamina is important, I’ll consider that from now on. Everything is preparation now. Now is the time for all preparations. ...I got a little scolding from my mother, but I don’t regret it.

The next day, I ate breakfast, dealt with the waste, and headed to the alchemist’s shop. I ran firmly on the dirt path leading to the shop in front of the forest. I won’t forget the assignment from yesterday. I ran firmly to the shop.

"Excuse me."

"Wait a moment!"

I waited as usual. Today, I decided to sit in the chair I used yesterday. Either way, I’ll be reading here. I occasionally practice the 'Extend Space,' but mostly I read the book, the encyclopedia. I’d like a different encyclopedia today. I’ve almost memorized yesterday’s book, so a different one would be better. I think I can memorize better by reading a different book and then reviewing. So, I was thinking I’d like a different book, and the alchemist placed a book on the table.

"Today, you’ll read this book. It seems you read all of yesterday’s book, so today it’s this one. Try to memorize it well."

"Yes! Thank you."

I received the new book and opened it immediately. This book also has illustrations and is in an encyclopedia style. Yesterday’s book was titled 'Comprehensive Herbology,' and today’s is 'Comprehensive Guide to York Forest.' York Forest is the forest I heard about yesterday. It seems someone drew an encyclopedia of this forest in the past. It was probably written by another alchemist.

...This is a book that can make real money. There might not be anything unique to this forest, but it should have many valuable things found here. I’ll read it with wide eyes, absorbing everything like a plant absorbing water. If I memorize this, it will be very advantageous for collecting here. Knowledge that the villagers don’t know, knowledge that only this alchemist knows, I’ll engrave it in my mind.

Knowledge is power. Knowledge is money. If I want to become an alchemist, I can’t afford to stumble here. Meeting such a kind alchemist was fortunate. Normally, I would have been turned away. But this alchemist accepted me, even though I haven’t completed the Star Allocation Ceremony. I won’t spare any effort. I have to believe in my talent and the Star Allocation Ceremony and push through.

In the evening, my back hurt from concentrating on reading, but the results were significant. I learned that York Forest has many valuable collectibles. It seems that the Dark attribute is the strongest, followed by Earth and Wind attributes. Since many Dark attribute materials can be collected, I’m looking forward to being able to use the 'Extend Space.' I think it’s almost there. It’s like... I can’t quite describe it, but it feels like it’s almost there. I can’t create the space beyond my hands. Is it a problem with my visualization? ...I’ll try it again.

"Sorry, can you show me the 'Extend Space' again?"

"Hmm? Oh, sure. Do you feel like you’re getting close? Here, show me your hands."

I showed my hands as she said. ...This is the feeling. The 'Extend Space' is activated in front of me. ...It closed. ...It’s like zipping up or down a zipper, I think. I’ll try a few times while the feeling is fresh. ...No, I still can’t do it.

"Don’t rush. Try it gently day by day."

"Yes... Understood."

With the feeling that I’m almost there, I’ll go home today. I’ll run home properly. Building stamina is also part of the assignment. I ran home for 15 minutes and then went to deal with the evening waste. I pulled out the four-wheeled cart from under the toilet and replaced it with a new one. Then I took the cart to the sticky substance the alchemist prepared. The sticky substance is near the fields, and I brought the cart close to it. Then, tentacles-like things extended from the sticky substance and consumed the waste. When the sticky substance retreated, only the clean cart remained, and I took it back home. This is my job twice a day, morning and evening.

I don’t really understand what this sticky substance is. It’s a magical creature that consumes waste and produces fertilizer, as I understand it. It was created by alchemists when the village was built. It also needs to be given waste regularly or it will die, so it’s a living thing, I guess. It’s a bit mysterious, but...

Then, while doing my job, I go to the village’s garbage dump. There are many slimes in the garbage dump. ...They’re different from the sticky substance. The sticky substance only eats waste other than feces. There are also slimes as monsters. It’s the duty of those with the Tamer talent to raise slimes and feed them the garbage in the dump. When slimes eat garbage, they produce a slime-like fuel. I don’t fully understand it, but slimes are creatures that produce fuel when they eat garbage. Among the various types of garbage, slimes particularly like organic