Chapter 82

Good morning from room 0304 of building 5. Today is December 14th, my last day of the Abundance Meeting as a third-year student. I don't have anything to report this time, but I wanted to say hello. A lot has happened at the Alchemy Academy, though. When I made the alchemy distiller, my classes in the Dawn faction changed when I became a second-year student. In October, making the alchemy distiller was added to the curriculum. Its effects are tremendous when it comes to techniques. The Life Creation and Iron Welcome factions each gave me 25 large magic gold coins as a thank-you. In addition, I received 250 large magic gold coins as a reward. ...That was just my share. With this, the future of bankruptcy is no longer visible, but Mr. Arrogance is doing the breakdance.

During the summer, I focused on hunting Mizuchi and Stinarnia. The capital of the Omond Earl's territory is adjacent to Cox's Great Lake, a magical realm where Mizuchi and Stinarnia appear. I participated in raids to practice, thinking I could take them down. I think I can handle Mizuchi solo, and I've managed to defeat it a few times. Stinarnia, on the other hand, is a raid. It takes about 30 minutes to defeat, so I need others to help. That's why I participate in raids. I feel I can take down Stinarnia alone, but I'd like some help with the surroundings. It would be great if someone could fight alongside me, especially a shield user. The difficulty of defeating it changes completely with a shield user. The raid with the Iron Welcome faction taught me the value of a tank.

I also made some great tools and equipment. I kept the alchemy cauldron as is, embroidered the magic cloth, and made the magic wands with the highest quality for all attributes. I also have the alchemy distiller. I made two broadswords with the highest quality earth attribute magic stones and two broadswords with the highest quality magic gold stones. I also made a full-body chain mail with the highest quality earth attribute magic stones. With these, I can fight sufficiently in the magical realm. I was torn between all attributes and earth, but I chose earth for the water attribute magical realm. I was told that magic gold would be better because fire attributes are also present. I realized that all attributes have their drawbacks. The magic gold weapons are for potential wars. I don't think I'll use them, but I had them made by a blacksmith in the capital who I thought might be better. It would be better if they're not needed.

Another thing I prepared is skeletons. I have 20 of them, each a combination of 500. I got them by trading one kelpie and 50 goblins with various people. I don't need kelpie corpses; goblin corpses are easier to use and can't be enhanced. I plan to grow fast-life grass and magic mushrooms as a cost-free labor force. ...I was told that I can cultivate magic mushrooms on the side of the magical realm. I was advised to live as close to the magical realm as possible, so I'll consider that.

In terms of skills, I learned that instead of using the sapling of the spirit tree for wands, it's better to grow it normally. I was told that if grown near the magical realm, magic mushrooms can be harvested. I also plan to create a pond to harvest water bubble mushrooms, so I'll try to run a river through the field. I might even create a floating garden using Archimedes' screw. Mushrooms don't need sunlight and are fine in the shade. Fast-life grass needs sunlight, though. The sapling of the spirit tree grows to its maximum size of about 10 meters in about 20 days. I'm considering various things, but first, I need to become a knight. I plan to stay at an inn for a while. I need to live in a building befitting a noble, so if I move into a house right away, I'll have to move again soon. I'll have the house built, then modify it myself, create a garden, and open a shop. I might stay at an inn for about a year. ...I don't know how long it takes to build a house, but if I become a noble in the summer, it would be good if the house is ready by winter. I can put my belongings in an Extend Space, so it might be faster, but we'll see.

"Well, it's time to start the last Abundance Meeting of the year. I'll start—"

The Abundance Meeting started as usual. The number of participants didn't increase much. It seems that only one or two new members join every five years. I didn't get any juniors, which is a bit disappointing. ...Well, I'm leaving the seminar, not staying. After that, the main topic was water management. The spiral and gears are revolutionary, and it seems that water management efficiency will improve significantly. They are currently consolidating the concept and securing an experimental site. I introduced water wheels, which apparently didn't exist before. It seems strange that they didn't exist, but perhaps the talent of farmers and alchemy prevented their development. It feels odd that there are wheels but no water wheels, but maybe that's just how this world is. As the conversation progressed, it was my turn to speak.

"It feels like a long time since Herrmann joined."

"Yes, we've made a lot of discoveries. Water management is currently the hot topic."

"Indeed, we need to secure an experimental site as soon as possible."

"Regarding crops and cooking, it was only at the beginning. After becoming a second-year student, I got to try a lot of delicious things, but we didn't find any new species."

"Improving plants in three years is unrealistic. Just seeing what happens when they are ground into powder is a significant achievement."

"Well, I'm happy that he chose my territory. The town has many crops created by this club, so I hope he enjoys the cuisine there."

"The Omond Earl's territory won't lack for food, so it's a good territory for Herrmann."

"However, the things he's doing are on par with the Iron Welcome faction."

"Yes, he's planning to hunt Mizuchi, right? He's been doing raids, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"He's even prepared armor. His preparation is beyond that of an adventurer. ...The Iron Welcome faction in the capital is also thriving."

"The Iron Welcome faction was punished along with the Life Creation faction for hoarding purchases. The Iron Welcome faction went to the magical realm, and the Life Creation faction went to the sacred land."

"Well, both factions value magic stones. This situation will likely continue for a while. ...It might be permanent for the Life Creation faction."

"The Life Creation faction even talked about creating themselves. Some even talked about cutting off their limbs."

"Ah, ...cutting off their arms? That's quite something."

"Wow! Are they putting their arms into themselves? Wouldn't hair be better?"

"That's completely in the domain of the Life Creation faction. I don't understand it."

"Some of them have gone to the extreme, cutting off their limbs."

"Ultimately, only the Eternal Light faction has made a difference. The Eternal Light faction couldn't do much."

"...The Eternal Light faction will only become active when the elixir of immortality is created. It's probably impossible."

"The content of the lessons hasn't changed in 1500 years, but other alchemists should keep up with the information that has been made public."

"That's just a rumor. It seems they update information every few years. ...For long-lived species, it might be longer. The Alchemy Guild has sent letters to alchemists within their territories, so I think the information has reached my territory."

"Surely, there are no alchemists who don't update their information. I don't know about the border territories, though."

"The border territories have Alchemy Guilds in their core cities. It's unlikely that alchemists don't use the Alchemy Guild for decades... I don't understand the Illusory Mystic faction. They might not know about the current enthusiasm."

"They don't come out of the sacred land. ...But the information will spread otherwise."

"Rather than spreading information, we need to explore new uses for the alchemy distiller."

"True, it's not just about techniques. The characteristics might change."

"Well, it was impossible to integrate the alchemy distiller into the alchemy cauldron. What Herrmann said about the degradation of the alchemy cauldron might be true."

"But we've figured out the conditions for techniques, so someone will think of something eventually."

"...It's certain that it won't be me."

"Again, we'll wait for something that attracts the moon. I can't think of anything."

"Another long wait. It might not happen in my lifetime. The turbulent period is now, though."

"Being born in the turbulent period is lucky. ...The stagnant period is boring."

"It's fine. I never thought I'd reach the level of a technique."

"More importantly, Herrmann's future. If you think of something, write a report and send it to the Abundance Meeting through the Alchemy Guild."

"If you go to town, you'll probably get married. Choose your partner carefully and don't regret it."

"Oh, Albert, are you regretting something?"

"No, I'm not... I've met about 15 people. ...Some were terrible. People who only think about money, for example. You can choose, so choose carefully."

"I didn't have much trouble choosing a husband. I found someone I thought was right. ...At first, I couldn't tell if he was a halfling or a human."

"Deborah's husband is an exception. He's almost indistinguishable from a human. I only found out he was a halfling when I asked his age."

"The human marriage age is too short. It's too short to be 20."

"Scale dragons can't have children until they're over 300 years old. It's fine to find someone around that age. Elves can have children early, but they marry late."

"...Talking about marriage is painful. Please stop."

"Indeed. You need to find a partner soon."

"Beastfolk usually find a partner around 50. Martha still has time."

"Enough about marriage! Don't dig into my heart any deeper!"

"Manuela... you're a divorcée, aren't you?"

"What can I do? My husband died too soon. It's good to have children. ...Was it just one?"

"Yes... I wanted three, though."

"It's because you married an adventurer. He died in the magical realm."

"It was a rough time. ...But let's forget about it."

"Let's stop the heavy talk. It's before Herrmann's departure. ...By the way, when are you leaving? You have to be at the New Year's Festival, right?"

"I plan to leave the day after tomorrow. It should take about 15 days to reach the capital of Orson, right?"

"Yes, it would take less with a two-horse carriage. The fastest is 8 days. If you skip towns, it's 5 days, but there's no need to rush. Mizuchi doesn't appear until July, August, or September anyway."

"You don't pay much attention to dates. It's fine to estimate. When it gets hot, you can leave."

"The Alchemy Guild is there, so it's not a problem. The Alchemy Guild also manages dates, you know?"

"You might not pay attention, but when you think it's time, ask. It's more reliable than searching in the magical realm."

"Everyone here is rooting for Herrmann's success."

"Yes. Live a happy life."

"Yes. I will enjoy it."

The farewell ended like that. I'll finish packing tomorrow. ...I just need to throw things into the Extend Space. Moving in this world is convenient. Even if I forget something, the new students will use it. I've gained a lot, but I don't remember everything. I didn't increase the number of chairs, but I made some shelves on my own. I properly collected the showerhead, but I might have missed something. We chatted happily and said our goodbyes. The Abundance Meetings were fun. I improved the food around me to some extent. I don't have a talent for cooking, but I can cook. I think I ate a lot of delicious things. ...I wanted to blame my previous life for being a foodie, but it's understandable if you don't know how to cook. I wanted to eat curry, but it only turned out as soup curry. I couldn't get the right consistency. How do you get it? ...Well, it couldn't be curry rice anyway because rice wasn't available in the capital.

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If you could provide feedback, even as a casual reader, it would help me improve my writing.

...Probably.