Chapter 44

"Helen will just give advice. I make a lot of mistakes, after all."

"I see... Thinking about it that way, I can somehow understand that letter. It was a letter considering my side, which I thought would never happen."

That's right.

Absolutely correct.

"Adel, were you dissatisfied with working at headquarters?"

"Yes, I was."

Adel answered clearly and nodded.

"That's the reason you accepted my invitation and came to this remote place, right?"

"Yes. Mr. Sieg, what was your impression of me at headquarters?"

Huh? Impression?

None...

"I'm sorry. You were just a woman at the reception desk."

"That's right. My job was to handle the reception. After graduating from the capital's magic school, even though it was only a 9th-grade qualification, my job was to handle the reception."

Oh?

That's right, she wasn't in a technical position...

"Didn't you do alchemy work?"

"I was called to help when there were urgent requests and time was short, but basically, I sat at the reception desk."

That's...

"I'm sorry, but can I ask you clearly?"

"Go ahead."

"Can't you do the job?"

I tried to choose my words carefully.

"How should I put it? I wasn't given enough work to judge. I graduated from the magic school with decent grades and passed the 10th-grade exam right away. However, my assigned position was the reception desk. Other than that, I did odd jobs and helped out when there was a shortage of staff."

Hmm...

"10th grade, huh... The headquarters are full of elites."

"I thought so too, and I got the 9th-grade qualification in the next exam. But nothing changed. You might not remember, but my classmates who graduated from the same magic school are still 10th grade and are given proper technical jobs."

That's...

"What? Is Adel disliked?"

"Why do you look so happy about it..."

Oh, no...

"I'm sorry... I thought you might be a friend..."

"I know I'm not particularly friendly, but does that matter?"

It shouldn't...

For sales, maybe, but technical jobs are more like crafts. There are people with problematic personalities.

I'm the worst, after all.

"Can you think of any reasons?"

"One is that there are nobles from families that don't get along in the personnel department."

That's it...

"Nobles are tough, huh?"

"Yes. You might be disliked too, but you have the support of the head of headquarters. However, I'm from a samurai noble family, so I don't have such connections in this industry."

Samurai...

That's why she seems so strong?

"I see... So that's why you came here?"

"Yes. It's very hard to say in front of you, but I had the talent to be a mage. However, I wasn't strong enough to become a magician."

Well, she's a girl.

Her family would have stopped her.

"You don't seem strong."

"Should I be clear?"

"I'm a teacher and a magician, and I know a magician's apprentice. I can tell just by looking."

She's definitely different from them.

"I'm sorry. Can you tell me for reference?"

"Not just you, but Erika and Leonora too. It's about their appearance. Well-groomed hair, skin, hands... They clearly don't think about fighting. Even when we were in magic school, it was easy to tell if the girls were aspiring magicians or alchemists."

Especially their feet.

Leonora wears sandals, and Adel wears heels.

Magicians would never wear such shoes.

"I see... That might be true. I hate blood, so I never wanted to be a magician. That's why I chose the path of alchemy. Maybe it was also influenced by Leonora?"

Leonora has always wanted to be an alchemist.

She was influenced by her old friend.

"What about your parents? I heard Leonora was disowned, so I'm asking."

"That's not the case. Leonora is an only daughter, and there was a good marriage proposal. She ran away because of that. She's not disowned; she just says so."

Is that true?

Should I tell her?

I don't know if I should get involved...

"Hmm... I see. Anyway, the reason you came here is that you want to work as an alchemist, right?"

"Yes. I can't stand the idea of ending up as a receptionist. I don't know why I was allowed to attend the best magic school in the country and worked hard to graduate."

Is it such a prestigious school?

In my previous life, it would be like high school.

Of course, I wouldn't say that out loud.

"I see... The receptionist job looks easy, but it's not, right?"

"Not at all. It includes handling complaints too."

Oh, that's tough.

"That's rough. I would quit on the first day. I hate being insulted the most."

"You would, wouldn't you... The receptionist job is mentally taxing in many ways. When your invitation came, it was like a boat in the river. I'm not from the capital, so I don't have any attachment to it. In Leit, I have friends like you and Leonora. More than anything, I want to work where I'm needed."

Hmm, I see...

That makes sense.

"So, Adel, you don't have much practical experience, right?"

"No, I don't. Just the practical training at school and helping out occasionally. That's why I said it would be a bit tricky to take the 8th-grade exam. I might pass the written test, but the practical test is difficult."

...I passed it in one go while in school.

Of course, the examiners were far below me, so there was no way I would fail.

I wondered who was evaluating whom.

"It's already less than a month, right?"

What do you think?

"I want to get used to the job before the exam."

That makes sense.

You haven't settled in your personal life either.

"Got it. But at least take the exam. Even if you fail, it will help for the next one."

Just knowing what the exam is like makes a difference.

"Understood. I'll do that."

Hmm... I need to guide Adel too.

Well, it's the same with two or three others.

"Are you going to take Adel as a disciple too?"

Helen, who probably thought the same, asked.

"She's the same age and a classmate."

"No, Leonora is too."

"She's childish."

She is small, after all.

"Her body is very mature, though."

"Don't say that. It's irrelevant."

"Okay..."

Jealousy?

There's no one better than Helen in this world...

Pet, pet.

"Adel, you don't want to be my disciple, right?"

"Being a disciple... The master-disciple relationship in magic is quite complicated... It's more like a parent-child relationship. A disciple can't go against the master, and the master has to take care of the disciple until the end."

I know.

That's how it is with me and the head of headquarters.

"I don't like that kind of sports club atmosphere. One should live more dryly and selfishly."

"I don't understand the sports club thing, but I get what you mean. Sieg seems to dislike that kind of thing."

"That twisted master-disciple relationship is the reason the magic industry doesn't develop. They're all so stupid."

I'm going to change that.

That's why I don't respect the head of headquarters, who intimidates my junior brothers and Helen.

"That's a Sieg-like way of thinking. Anyway, let's put the disciple thing aside. I want to learn the job."

"I'll teach you, and I'll make sure Adel passes the 8th-grade exam quickly. I can teach you well."

I've been teaching two people recently, and I've gained confidence.

Talented people make good teachers.

Of course, in my mind, 'Why don't you understand this?' keeps repeating.

It even appeared in my dreams the other day.

"You're going to take her as a disciple, aren't you..."

Helen is exasperated.

"Sieg, should I call you master?"

"No, don't... Oh, by the way, you don't have to use formal language with me. We're classmates, after all."

"No... Hmm, is it better not to use formal language?"

I just wondered, but it doesn't really matter...

"No, use whatever makes you comfortable."

"Hmm, I usually use formal language with men... But since Sieg says so, I'll speak normally..."

I just wanted to be considerate...

"Do what you like. Adel, want to have some whiskey? A highball with soda is easy to drink."

The wine Adel brought is already empty.

"Hmm? What's that?"

There's no such thing as a carbonated drink in this world.

"It's a fizzy drink. Just try it. You might like it."

"I'm not sure, but I'm curious, so I'll try it. Oh, and not 'okay.'"

Huh?

"What?"

"The thing written in your favorite book."

A pickup book...

It did say 'okay' for a home drink.

"The other day, at the after-party, Leonora made Erika drink wine and asked, 'Okay?'"

By the way, Erika said 'no.'

"That girl really hasn't changed. She was like that even as a child."

She's a fun person...

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