The Tale of a Little Alchemist Blessed by the Spirits Vol 1

Prologue

I’VE LIVED SUCH A LONELY LIFE.

That thought ran through my head as I lay dying at the age of fifteen.

At the end of my life, I was all alone.

My only comfort was the potted plant that bloomed just once a year. It was the only witness to my final breath.

I was born into a baron’s family. Ever since I was little, I loved plants and flowers, and I helped take care of the estate’s garden for as long as I could remember.

In my kingdom, children participate in a Baptism ceremony when they turn five years old, where the gods bestow upon them their future Occupation. My bad luck started when the gods designated me a maid.

To my parents, I’d struck out because being a maid was a profession for losers. They were very prideful, ambitious people, so they’d had high hopes for their children’s futures. They’d wanted us to get glamorous jobs that would boost their own reputations. That’s why they were furious with my results and had apparently wanted to throw me out of the house.

Instead, due to their pride and wanting to avoid shame on the family name, they taught me manners, proper etiquette, reading, writing, and arithmetic so I could at least be hired by a family of good standing. When I didn’t learn quickly, my tutor would whip me, and no amount of tears would save me from punishment.

When I was around ten years old, my parents sent me away when they learned a certain local family was seeking a maid. I worked for that family until I contracted an incurable illness at nearly fifteen. My employers tried to send me back to my family, but my parents refused to take me. At their wits’ end, my employers kept me isolated in a shabby hut at the edge of their estate.

I was all alone, with no one to visit me.

I want somebody to love me. Somebody to look at me. Please, just one person!

That was my only wish at the end of my short life, one I thought would never come true.

I’m sorry I can’t take care of you anymore…

I weakly reached out toward my potted plant, but my arm fell limply to the floor.

For a moment I thought I was enveloped by a strange green, holy light, but surely it was just a hallucination in my dying moments.

The next moment, everything went dark.

***

Just as my vision went black, things suddenly got bright again. I couldn’t open my eyes, but I could feel the sensation of light on them. Then air rushed into my lungs, so suddenly that I cried out in surprise.

“Master! Lord Henry! The baby is born! You have an adorable little daughter!” a woman’s voice helpfully filled me in on the situation.

But I thought I just died?

Amid my confusion, I was washed and then wrapped in a soft, cosy blanket. Suddenly, there was another soft sensation, and I realized someone else had picked me up with large, warm hands.

“She’s beautiful! Thank you, Rose.”

I heard a kissing sound next to my ear.

“Is this my sister?” I heard a voice say as a tiny finger poked my cheek.

Then I heard the babble of a slightly higher baby voice and felt an even tinier hand smack my forehead.

“Now, now. Be nice to your new little sister, you two,” said a gentle, kind-sounding woman.

“Whatser name, Daddy?” came a clumsy little boy’s voice.

“What do you think, Rose? Shall we go with Daisy after all?”

“Yes, first Dahlia and now Daisy. We decided all our girls would be flowers, remember?”

The people trying to decide on my name had to be my parents.

I’ve been reincarnated!

I finally grasped my situation.

I had been reborn as Daisy von Preslaria, and it wasn’t very long after my birth that I realized another soul resided in “my” body. There was the one named Daisy who had naturally developed from the time of her conception, and then there was me. With my reincarnation, both of our souls lived in the same body.

The Preslaria family, which included my parents and my older brother and sister, showered me with love. As time went on, I made the decision to disappear and let Daisy be the only one to inhabit this body. The love my new family gave me was truly my dying wish being granted. I was happy every single day, and I was more than satisfied.

Even little Daisy thought of me as her older sister and adored me; she was so cute. But sharing two souls in one body was both very unnatural and unstable. If I stayed around, Daisy, who was the true owner of the body, might disappear for some reason. After all, this body belonged to her. I had no right to take it over.

I decided to only leave the memories of the things I’d learned in my past life to Daisy so she wouldn’t be at a disadvantage. I thought the best decision would be to take all the unpleasant memories with me and disappear.

“I wish you nothing but happiness, Daisy.”

“Are you leaving, Sis? I want us to stay together forever. I don’t want you to leave!”

Because of her internal dialogue with me, Daisy had grown to be quite a mature child. She sadly tried to stop me, but I shook my head.

“This body belongs to you, so I can’t. Once I disappear, you’ll forget about me. But I promise to continue watching over you from somewhere, okay?”

Thank you, Preslaria family. Father, Mother, and my tiny older brother and sister. And thank you, adorable Daisy. And gods, if it was you who preserved my memories when I was reincarnated, thank you so much. The days I spent with Daisy in the Preslaria house were the happiest of my life.

Around Daisy’s fourth birthday, I hugged her as she protested having to say goodbye to me. My consciousness was enveloped by a green light, and it felt like many green entities were welcoming me as I faded away from within Daisy. The moment I disappeared, my heart was filled with love, so I had absolutely no regrets.

Chapter 1:
Baptism

MY NAME IS DAISY VON PRESLARIA. I AM THE second daughter of a viscount in the kingdom of Saltenburg. I’m almost five years old. My hair’s the color of green apples, and I have aquamarine eyes. Grown-ups say I’m a little “precocious.”

I live in the Preslaria estate in the royal capital, and in my free time I like to read plant and herb encyclopedias and sometimes take walks with the family gardener. I’ll tell anyone who asks that I love plants. That’s also why I love to help take care of the roses.

My dad is the head of the family, and then there’s my mom, my older brother, and my older sister. We also have a lot of servants at our house who take care of us. They live in an attached dormitory on the first floor of our estate. There’s also a place to practice magic, and at the edge of our property we have a small shed where we store things. Plus, there’s a small forest behind our house full of berries and chestnuts for our family to enjoy.

Oh, but the best thing about my house is the roses! They grow around the middle of our garden, and in the parlor and guest room terraces too! They’re so pretty. There are red, pink, white, and yellow roses of all different types. When they’re in season, they fill the estate with their beauty and wonderful fragrance.

“There are so many roses this year, and the colors are so beautiful. It’s lovely.” Mother sat next to me on the parlor terrace, admiring the flowers as our family enjoyed tea together.

“I daresay it’s due to the young mistress’s new interest. She took such good care of them, I think the roses responded in kind,” our butler Sebastian replied.

Mother smiled and patted my head. She was just as beautiful as any rose, and I loved her so much. It made me happy and a little shy when she praised me, and my cheeks went as pink as the rose petals.

Speaking of roses, I had acquired a skill called “Appraisal,” probably because I spent so much time looking at the plants around the estate. It let me take one look at a plant and know how to most effectively care for it. For example, this plant:

Rose

Type: Plant

Status: Not healthy. Small caterpillars are eating its young leaves.

Once I discovered what was causing a problem—in this case, a bug—I could take the right steps to treat it.

If I used Appraisal on a person, it looked like this:

Daisy von Preslaria

Second daughter of a viscount

Health: 10/10

Mana: 150/150

Occupation: None

Skills:

Appraisal: (3/10)

However, I very rarely looked at other people’s statuses, including those of my own family. I figured most wouldn’t care to have their abilities snooped on like that. I even kept it a secret from Father and Mother.

I was going to be five years old soon. Five is an important age because that’s when you get to participate in a very special event called a Baptism. In my kingdom, every citizen attends a Baptism when they turn five, which is when the gods bestow their Occupation upon them, no matter if they’re a commoner or a noble. You receive a Certificate of Occupation at the ceremony once you find out your job, so that it can’t even be altered using magical tools. The results of the Baptism are especially important to us nobles because not only does it determine your future Occupation, but it can also influence your marriage prospects.

The most desirable Occupations are ones that give authority to protect the kingdom, such as Knight or Mage, along with elite civil service jobs. Parents are thrilled when their children are selected for such Occupations. And if you’re assigned a job like those, you not only have a career advantage, but you can gain better marriage prospects since Occupations often run in families.

One also gains a higher rate of progression for skills related to the Occupation received from the gods. As a result, in our kingdom, people believe that Occupations are both the will of the gods and a blessing. So rejecting your Occupation is the same as rejecting a divine gift—in other words, you’d be defying the gods—and the church will condemn you for it.

You are required to present your Certificate of Occupation when applying for a job, and it’s extremely hard to find employment without a certificate to match. My family has produced very talented mages through this kingdom’s Occupation system. Father serves as the Deputy Mage Commander in the Order of Mages, and I’ve heard Mother also has a lot of magical talent. My older brother and sister were born one year apart, and both had received the Occupation of Mage at their Baptisms and were expected to have bright futures. They often practiced magic at home to live up to those expectations.

Since I grew up in that environment, I expected I would become a Mage too, so I would often insert myself into my brother and sister’s magic practice and imitate everything they did.

“Brother, how do you shoot Air Cutter like that?”

My brother proudly demonstrated the spell again. “Because I have two years of practice on you, Daisy.”

I puffed my cheeks out in response and raised my hand. “Air Cutter!”

I felt the subtle sensation of wind in my hand, but the spell wouldn’t activate.

“I can do it too, Daisy! Look! Air Cutter!”

My sister came up next to my brother and me and showed off the spell she’d just learned.

“It’s not fair that both of you can do it and I can’t! I want to help Father too, you know!” I shouted.

After that, I attended classes with my siblings over and over again and tried my best to imitate their magic. But in the end, I was still unable to cast any spells.

***

Those peaceful days continued until the day of my Baptism finally arrived.

The warm spring sunshine shone gently on the green leaves, as if blessing this day that was so important to children. The dappled sunlight through the leaves seemed to be pointing the way toward my bright future. I squinted my eyes.

It’s a little too bright, but it’s a lovely morning.

Mother and Father took me by the hand and led me to the church in the capital. I wore a brand-new dress for the occasion, thrilled not to be in my sister’s hand-me-downs for a change.

There were many young children just like me lined up in the church with their parents. They were all smiles, imagining their bright futures. Colorful depictions of the gods and various angels adorned the stained-glass windows, almost like they were giving their blessings to the children who came for their Baptism today. The large, white stone sculpture of the God of Creation at the center of the chapel smiled serenely as it looked down over the excited children waiting in line.

I had to wait for a long time, and I was incredibly anxious.

If I receive Mage for my Occupation, I’ll be able to practice magic a ton with my brother and sister, but this time for real! And then when I grow up, the three of us can work with Father!

That was what I truly believed.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll get Mage too, Daisy,” Father said encouragingly as he squeezed my hand.

“Yes, Father. And then I’ll practice magic a lot so I can help you one day!”

I thought that was the natural thing to expect.

The priest called the children’s names in order from a list. Perhaps it had to do with the ranking of noble families, but since I was the child of a viscount, it was taking forever for him to get to my name. At this rate, I wondered if the commoner children behind me would be called first.

“Daisy von Preslaria.”

The priest finally called my name.

It’s my turn! I just want him to hurry up and say I’m a Mage!

“Yes!” I replied cheerfully and walked up to the altar at the back of the church where the priest stood. I’d dreamed of this moment so many times; my heart was beating wildly in my chest.

“Please place your hand over the crystal,” the priest instructed, gesturing to the magical tool. I did just as he said.

“O gods, please bestow upon Daisy von Preslaria the blessings of her fifth year and grant her an Occupation worthy of her talents and fate.”

A bright light covered my hand.

The word “Alchemist” appeared within the crystal ball.

“Huh?”

After that, I was speechless. I bowed when the priest wrote out my Certificate of Occupation and handed it to me, then I rushed away from the altar.

Wait. Why am I not a Mage?

I left the church alone, utterly confused. All I could do was stare blankly at the word “Alchemist” written on my Certificate of Occupation.

What’s an Alchemist? But more importantly, I’m the child of two Mages. Why am I not a Mage?

Suddenly, a scene flashed in my brain of my entire family calling me useless and kicking me out of the house—it was such a vivid image it was like it had actually happened to me before. But Father and Mother would never do something so cruel. And my brother and sister weren’t mean children who would laugh at me and exclude me either. So why did I suddenly remember it happening, and why couldn’t I stop thinking about it?

I was unable to hold back the fear welling up inside of me, and I broke down sobbing.

Father and Mother came outside and rushed over to me. They hugged me, rubbing my back to comfort me as I cried.

No! That’s a lie! I don’t want my family to throw me away!

I’d never once doubted that I would be a Mage just like my brother and sister, so when I didn’t receive the Occupation I’d dreamed of, it was a complete shock. Not only that, but I was so consumed by the fear that my family would reject me for it that all I could do was cry.

***

My daughter received the Occupation of Alchemist at her Baptism.

It wasn’t a profession a noble family would necessarily be thrilled about. She’d shut herself in her bedroom as soon as we got home. Compared to Healers, who could use recovery magic to treat the sick and injured and were considered one of the most prestigious Occupations, Alchemists were seen as more utilitarian. They created potions and helped to make up for the shortage of Healers. They also lacked the glamour of serving on the front lines as part of the royal court’s Order of Mages. Because of this, Alchemists weren’t particularly popular among the noble families.

There were some legends that Alchemists could create elixirs of immortality or a Sage’s Stone that contained the entirety of human knowledge, but there were no records of those things really existing. Most Alchemists just ran workshops that sold potions to cure minor injuries and ailments.

The reason they were limited to such low-level potions was because books were very expensive in this kingdom, and thus quite difficult to acquire. As a result, Alchemists rarely attempted to create the medicines, alloys, or special fibers described in those books, nor did they work to improve the quality of the potions they did know, even if those books held the hard-won wisdom of the Alchemists who came before them.

Before long, most Alchemists learned their craft by apprenticing to a master. The art of potion cultivation came to rely heavily on intuition and experience, and gradually the skills of this kingdom’s Alchemists plateaued. The brilliant discoveries of their predecessors faded into history, and Alchemists became content in their roles of entry-level apothecaries.

The profession’s unpopularity among noble families also stemmed from the belief that noblewomen Alchemists had poor marriage prospects. When marriage offers did come, they were often from elderly men seeking to remarry, or their families looking for a caregiver—hardly the kind of marriage offers a young woman would hope for.

And as for men, if they were the eldest sons, they might even be disowned to avoid the Occupation being passed down through the family line.

Now, what to do…

I, Henry, pondered this. My beloved daughter Daisy was still crying in her bedroom after receiving the Alchemist profession at her Baptism. As her father, I needed to decide what to do about this situation, and how I would express that to my daughter.

Now that her occupation had been decided, there was no going back. Our religion wouldn’t allow any refusal of the job. Under these circumstances, whether my daughter would lead a happy life from now on depended on how we, her parents, reacted and supported her. Even if this wasn’t the result we wanted, there was still a way forward. And if I could just give my daughter the proper guidance, I was certain she could live a happy life.

It was common practice in this kingdom to disown or reject children who received unfavorable Occupations, but I could never consider such a thing.

There was no point in fretting about the matter on my own. I decided to consult my wife and went to her room to speak with her.

“Rose, are you in there?” I called out to my wife Roselia as I knocked gently on her door.

“Yes, I’m here. Elly, open the door, would you?”

Elly, the maid, obediently did as instructed.

I went inside and gave my wife a kiss on the cheek. “I wanted to talk to you about Daisy’s future. Do you have a moment?”

Roselia kissed me back and gave me a beautiful smile. “Of course I do, Henry. She’s our beloved daughter, so as her mother it’s only natural to be concerned.” She beckoned me over to the sofa and I sat beside her.

Elly prepared some tea for us, then gave us a bow before leaving the room.

“It’s about Daisy receiving the Alchemist Occupation, of course.”

Rose nodded.

“Everyone says that it’s difficult for a young noblewoman to lead a happy life with such a job. It’s said to be an unfavorable Occupation. You know that, don’t you?” I asked.

Rose nodded again. Her expression was just as melancholic as mine.

“She’s dreamed of being a Mage like her siblings for as long as she can remember,” she said. “That’s certainly what I had expected to happen as well. But you know, being an Alchemist might not be a bad Occupation for her, depending on how you look at it.”

I was surprised to hear her say that, and uttered a noise of curiosity. “What exactly do you mean, Rose?”

She took a sip of tea before answering. “I’ve been thinking that Daisy is very gifted in academics compared to other children her age. She’s already mastered reading and arithmetic even though she’s only five years old. Her manners and speech are at an even higher level than those of our other children. She’s incredibly curious and passionate about plants to the point of reading encyclopedias about them for pleasure.”

I had no idea Daisy’s interests went that far—this was my first time hearing about it.

“She has a very rare combination of academic giftedness and passion,” Rose continued. “Although some might say Alchemy is an unfavorable Occupation, if it’s aligned with her interests, why can’t she have a happy life despite what everyone else thinks?” My wife looked at the roses blooming in the garden, which Daisy had tended to herself.

I mulled over Rose’s opinion and then nodded. “Then our first task should be to have her explore Alchemy so she that develops a passion for her Occupation. And we can help her do that.”

Rose was a wonderful mother who took good care of our children. She thought for a moment and then offered a suggestion. “In that case, why don’t we find her some books on Alchemy along with the tools of the trade? She might surprise us and take to it right away.”

“That’s my Rose!” I wrapped my arms around my wife and pulled her close, giving her a kiss on the lips. “I’ll go out and buy everything she needs right away!”

All my sadness disappeared in an instant and I quickly left the room. Now, what shall I buy for my daughter?

***

As soon as I returned from the Baptism, I shut myself up in my room and didn’t come out.

I thought it was a given that I’d be a Mage just like my brother and sister and dreamed of becoming one like it was the most natural thing in the world. But now that my dream had been stolen from me, I was absolutely devastated.

To make matters worse, I couldn’t get that image of my family rejecting me out of my mind. What was so scary was that the scene felt strangely real.

“Would my family really abandon me?” I whimpered as I burrowed deeper under the covers.

By the next morning, I couldn’t ignore my stomach growling, so I decided to sneak out of my room. I went down to the parlor and found Mother on the terrace drinking tea with Elly by her side. My brother and sister were there too, and when they saw my face they both beamed and rushed over to me.

“Daisy! You finally came out of your room!” Mother rose from her seat and came over to me, kneeling to my eye level. Then she gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“Daisy! It’s about time you came out! I’ve been waiting because I found a book you might like,” my older brother said while giving me a tight hug of his own.

“You promised you’d pick some flowers for my room, so I’ve been waiting for you as well, Daisy! Let’s play in the garden together later, okay?” My sister gave me a big smile and gently embraced me.

“I’m sorry for hiding in my room, everyone,” I said.

Just then, my stomach let out a ferocious growl.

“Goodness! It sounds like somebody’s hungry! Well, it’s no wonder. Elly, would you fetch something that will be easy on Daisy’s stomach? Some porridge or soup or even risotto, it doesn’t matter which,” Mother instructed.

Elly smiled in response. “The kitchen staff was waiting for Miss Daisy to come out, and they have already prepared a pot of freshly made barley soup! They were quite concerned that you hadn’t eaten yet, Miss.” She bowed, then disappeared into the kitchen.

After I waited at the dining table for a little while, Elly brought out hot, fresh barley porridge with extra broth. I scooped up a spoonful and gave it a taste. The vegetables and meat had all been finely chopped and the barley was simmered until soft, giving the porridge a gentle, comforting flavor. The warm meal not only filled my stomach, but my heart as well.

But why show such kindness to a failure of a child?

My father walked into the room just as I was finishing up my meal.

“Daisy, you came out! I’m so happy!” he said, wrapping me up in his arms.

The fear of abandonment that lurked in my heart overpowered the happiness I should have felt from the hug, and I shrank back from his touch.

“I have a present for you, darling.”

Doesn’t he know how I’m feeling right now? I wondered, as my father smiled and took me by the hand. Then he led me to his study.

When we arrived at my father’s study, I could see all kinds of unfamiliar, gleaming transparent glassware and pure white ceramic tools. Next to them were also three fancy books.

“I’ve brought some gifts for our little Alchemist!”

What are all these strange, shiny bowls and bottles? Drawn by curiosity and my love of books, I found myself drifting toward the desk. I picked up the one on top and leafed through it. Inside were instructions on making various things.

“Filtration, distillation…potions?” I read aloud.

The book was filled with all kinds of information I’d never seen before, and I felt compelled to read more.

“This is all for me?” I turned around and looked at my father, who watched over from behind me. He nodded. “But aren’t you disappointed that I won’t be a Mage like you, Mother, and my brother and sister? Don’t you not want me anymore because I can’t help the family?” Saying it out loud brought all the sadness rushing back to me, and I felt tears fill my eyes.

“What are you talking about, Daisy?” said Father. “The gods gave you the Occupation of Alchemist because it’s the perfect job for you! As long as you do your best, your mother and I and everyone else will support you. We would never, ever not want you anymore, Daisy. You’re a precious part of our family.”

Father took a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped away my tears.

My family still wants me! I thought happily.

Thanks to my father’s kindness, the fear that had been clinging to my heart vanished as if it had never been there in the first place. Now all that remained was the warm love of my family, and a curiosity about all these new things.

“I’ll do my best, Father! I’m going to become a great Alchemist!”

Filled with relief, I flung my arms around him. I had been so afraid that my family would call me useless and stop wanting me around. But that wasn’t the case.

My father hugged me tightly in return.

Alchemy used fire, so Father decided that it would be too dangerous to conduct Alchemy experiments in my bedroom. He asked the servants to clean up the empty shed on our property so that I could use it as my laboratory. He had all those pretty glass and ceramic instruments moved there as well.

I told Father that, before anything else, I wanted to read the Alchemy books in my room, so he had the servants take those up there instead.

A few days later, I was told my laboratory was ready. I hesitantly stepped inside and looked at all the instruments lined up on the table.

Bright sunshine from outside shone in through the small windows, giving the interior plenty of natural light. My brand-new equipment sparkled and gleamed in the sunlight, almost begging me to hurry up and use them. Before this, I had thought of the shed as a small, dark place, but now it looked completely different—it had been transformed into my own little workshop.

I’m going to study so much Alchemy here! I’ll become a great Alchemist, just like I promised Father. Maybe I can even open a real workshop in the capital someday!

A little dream was beginning to grow inside of my heart.

Chapter 2:
Water

I LAY ON MY STOMACH IN BED AND BEGAN TO read Introduction to Alchemy: Part 1.

Hm? We’re starting with water? I noticed.

I understood water that wasn’t clear was dirty, but apparently even clear water wasn’t guaranteed to be pure. There could be colorless substances dissolved in it, or bacteria too small to see, some of which might be harmful. Apparently, using bad water in Alchemy was a big no-no.

Hm, maybe I should look at different kinds of water…

First up was well water. There was already some drawn and sitting in the kitchen.

Water

Quality: Normal (-1)

Status: Contains a small amount of bacteria, so be sure to boil before using.

Eek, there really is invisible bacteria in it! I thought.

I turned and called out to one of the cooks in the kitchen. “Pardon me, Maria.”

“Yes, Miss Daisy? May I help you with something?” Maria wiped her hands on her apron and came over to me.

“Do we drink this water straight from the well?”

She shook her head. “The water we use for the family is either boiled and used for tea, or boiled and then cooled down for drinking. Even when we cook with it, it’s always boiled first.”

“Hmm, I see,” I said. “Hey, Maria? Do you have any water that’s already been boiled and cooled?”

She disappeared into the back of the kitchen and then came back with a cup full of water. “Here you go.”

I peered into the cup at the water inside.

Water

Quality: Normal

Status: Sanitized and suitable for drinking.

Well, it seemed like the conditions in our kitchen were just fine.

“Thank you, Maria!” I gulped down the water, handed the cup back to her, and left the kitchen.

Next, I decided to investigate the pond in the rose garden. It was dirty, just as I suspected.

Water

Quality: Low

Status: Contains dirt, bacteria, and insects. Do not drink.

I also looked at the rainwater that had collected in the basin.

Water

Quality: Normal (-2)

Status: Contains pollutants from the air. Unsafe to drink.

Hmm, so you really do have to boil water for it to be Normal. I wondered if there was any other way to improve the quality.

I ran back to my bedroom and opened the book again. There was more information there about water. It said that, when making something with Alchemy, one should use a distiller to remove impurities from the water.

Maybe I should try it? I thought. I’d like to see how the process works and then compare it to what’s written in this book.

I hugged Introduction to Alchemy: Part 1 to my chest and went back to my laboratory. Using the illustration in the book as a guide, I was able to find the equipment I needed.

“So this is it.”

A distiller worked like this: Two flasks, which were glass bottles shaped with a round bottom and narrow neck, were connected by a glass tube. One flask held the liquid to be distilled, while the other collected the purified result. Beneath the flask containing the initial liquid was a magical tool called a burner, with a cooling unit attached to the glass tube connecting the flasks.

I grabbed one of the flasks, went to the kitchen and filled it with well water, then brought it back to my laboratory. Since I was only five years old, I wasn’t allowed to do experiments by myself, so one of the servants came with me.

This was my very first experiment.

I wondered if I could do it the way the book described. My heart pounded, and I was very nervous. I was mainly worried that I might break the equipment my father had so kindly given me as a present.

I hesitantly touched the glass instruments. They looked so fragile that I was afraid even that much might break them, but they felt surprisingly sturdy. I could even tap them with my fingernails without any problems. This set me at ease so I could start my work.

I set the flask filled with well water onto the distiller and anxiously flipped the switch. The burner turned on, and tiny bubbles began forming in the heated flask, gradually growing larger. Steam filled the top of the flask until the water was at a vigorous boil. Droplets formed in the cooling unit before trickling down the glass tube into the receiving flask.

After a while, most of the water had been transferred, so I turned off the heater and compared the water in both flasks.

Water

Quality: Good

Status: Pure, distilled water.

“Wow! This is just like the distilled water from the book!” I said.

And the quality had improved from before.

“My experiment was a success!” I blurted out, overcome with excitement and emotion.

While I was at it, I examined the first batch of water I put in the flask.

Water

Quality: Normal (-2)

Status: Water with concentrated impurities. Waste.

That meant that as the water distilled, the impurities in the original liquid became more concentrated, which lowered the quality.

My experiment had been a success! I produced distilled water, which was a basic tool of experimentation! I was so happy and excited, I kept comparing the contents of the two flasks back and forth. Unfortunately, the maid who was supervising my experiment couldn’t tell the difference between the two flasks of water at all, and returned to her work with a perplexed expression.

Chapter 3:
Let’s Make Potions!

ONCE AGAIN, I WAS IN MY BEDROOM READING Introduction to Alchemy: Part 1. But today I sat at my desk properly. After all, I planned to make my very first medicinal potion today.

I was beginning to feel like a real Alchemist, so I couldn’t help but sit up nice and tall!

“Let’s see, the potion ingredients are healing herbs, magical herbs, and water…”

How am I supposed to get those?

I decided to walk out to the gardener’s shed and ask Dan, the gardener.

“Hello, Dan,” I called out.

Dan looked surprised by the sudden tiny visitor. “Oh, Miss Daisy! Do you need something from me?”

“I’m looking for healing herbs and magical herbs. Do you know where I could find them?”

Dan gave me a puzzled look. “Well, the fastest way would be going to town and buying some from the herbalist,” he said.

Hmm, in that case, I’d need Mother’s permission.

Since it was the afternoon, I figured I would find her in the parlor, and there she was, doing embroidery with Elly.

“What is it, Daisy?” Mother paused and looked up from her work.

“I want to make a potion, but I need healing herbs and magical herbs,” I explained. “I asked Dan where to get them, and he told me they sell them at the herbalist shop.”

Mother looked a little troubled when I told her this and tipped her head to the side. “You’re only five years old, darling. I think you’re a bit young to go shopping in town.”

She paused to think about it, but then Elly interjected with a suggestion. “Shall I go buy them, Mistress?”

Thanks to Elly, I now had six bundles of healing herbs and three bundles of magical herbs. But…

“Hmm. These aren’t fresh,” I murmured, gazing at my newly acquired herbs while I walked back to my laboratory.

Healing Herbs

Quality: Normal (-1)

Status: Some time has passed since these were harvested, and they are slightly wilted.

Magical Herbs

Quality: Normal (-1)

Status: Some time has passed since these were harvested, and they are slightly wilted.

I’d have to figure out how to obtain higher-quality ingredients later.

Back at my laboratory, I thoroughly rinsed the herbs and then dried them.

In Introduction to Alchemy, Part 1 it said that healing herbs and magical herbs should be extracted in a 2:1 ratio with water. I followed the instructions and roughly chopped the herbs into pieces small enough to fit into a beaker, added water, sealed it, and let it sit overnight. Naturally, I used distilled water for the process.

The next day, I decided to Appraise the mixture.

Hmm? It didn’t make a potion?

Potion ???

Quality: Extremely Low

Status: Diluted. Almost no active ingredients were extracted. Drinking this would have no effect whatsoever.

What does “Potion ???” even mean?! I wondered. Wait just a minute here. I followed the instructions exactly! Do I need to stir it up or something? I tried stirring it with a spoon.

Potion ???

Quality: Extremely Low

Status: Still diluted. Almost no active ingredients were extracted. Drinking this would have no effect whatsoever.

So it wasn’t enough to follow the book’s instructions?

Maybe I made some kind of mistake somewhere. Maybe trial and error was a necessary part of learning Alchemy.

Hmm… Did I need to grind the leaves into a paste? Wait until they were completely dried out? Pour hot water over them like tea? The more I thought about it, the more options I thought of to try.

Wait. Come to think of it, I’ve only read one of the books Father bought for me. Maybe if I read the other three, I’ll find the answer?

I put the remaining herbs into the slightly damp underground storage cabinet and then went back to my room to read the other books.

***

I decided to go back to the basics and read all the books. But even after I got through the second one, I still hadn’t found the answer I was looking for. Reading the third one after that seemed like a daunting task. After all, I was still only five years old; I couldn’t help having a short attention span. That was why I decided to read the third book in the parlor for a change of pace.

“Shall I make you some tea?” asked Kate, the maid who was supervising my experiments today. She’d seen me reading in the parlor and come over to see if I needed anything.

“Well, I wouldn’t want to spill anything on my precious books. Thank you though, Kate,” I declined with a smile.

Kate smiled back and then bowed before excusing herself.

“Let’s see… There are just a bunch of recipes for all sorts of things in here…” I murmured.

I tried to focus on reading, but my five-year-old self couldn’t concentrate for very long, and I ended up just flipping through the pages and skimming them.

Huh?

My hand paused when I found a page on “extraction.”

Let’s see what it says…

“Extraction is the process of selectively separating components contained in raw materials, such as plants,” I read.

Oh, this is what I’ve been looking for!

“When extracting components from a solid, it is advised to soak the raw material in water or another liquid, applying heat and stirring as needed. In some cases, the material may be finely crushed beforehand.”

That’s it! That’s where I went wrong!

I hurried to my laboratory with Kate.

“What can I use to crush the plants?” I wondered as I surveyed my equipment.

“Isn’t that a mortar? We use that in cooking too. Or you could use a knife to chop it finely,” Kate suggested, pointing to a ceramic utensil.

“Let’s try both and compare the two!” I said.

“All right, I’ll be in charge of the chopping,” Kate replied.

Since I’d never cooked before, I learned what chopping something finely meant by watching her. You’re a noblewoman. It’s all right that you don’t know what chopping is in the first place, I thought, trying to comfort myself.

First, I ground the healing herbs and magical herbs with the mortar and pestle, then added the correct ratio to the water in the beaker. Next, I placed the beaker on the magical heating device and activated it. Before long, tiny bubbles began to form inside the glass.

Potion

Quality: Normal (-1)

Status: The active ingredients are diluted, but it’s rather bitter.

Still, this was better than my first try!

After more time passed, the bubbles grew bigger.

Potion

Quality: Normal (-1)

Status: The active ingredients are slightly diluted, but it’s very bitter.

Hmm, the bitterness was a problem.

I waited longer and the water turned to a low boil.

Potion

Quality: Normal

Status: The active ingredients are sufficiently extracted. However, it is also quite bitter. Extremely bitter.

They say all good medicine is a little bitter, but no one would want to drink extremely bitter medicine.

Now the water was at a rolling boil.

Potion

Quality: Low Quality (+1)

Status: A portion of the active ingredients has been lost. Less bitter than before.

I took notes on my process on the back of a scrap of paper I found nearby.

“The quality was best before the water was at a full boil, so it seems like a good idea to turn off the heater before that point. I’m not sure what to do about the bitterness, though,” I mused.

At any rate, the experiment with the crushed ingredients was complete, so now it was time to do it again with the finely chopped ingredients.

I put the healing herbs and magical herbs into the beaker in the same ratio as before, then set it on top of the magical heater. Small bubbles began to form inside.

Potion

Quality: Normal (-1)

Status: The active ingredients are diluted, but it is slightly bitter.

Bitter again, huh?

Before long, the bubbles started getting larger.

Potion

Quality: Normal (-1)

Status: The active ingredients are slightly diluted, but it is rather bitter.

I waited a bit longer and the water started bubbling more.

Potion

Quality: Normal.

Status: The active ingredients are sufficiently extracted, but it is also quite bitter.

Still bitter.

Oh, but when I tried it with the crushed ingredients, it mentioned how bitter it was twice. So maybe the chopped formula wasn’t as bitter as the crushed one?

For now, I turned off the burner before the mixture reached a full boil, strained it through a cloth, and poured it into a glass bottle. Even if it was bitter, it was a finished potion for all intents and purposes, right?

“Hey, Kate?” I said. “I was able to make a normal quality potion, but it’s bitter. I’m not sure what to do.”

Kate, who was supervising my experiments, seemed puzzled. “How do you know its quality and what it tastes like when you haven’t even used it, Miss Daisy?”

Oh, right! I haven’t told anyone about my Appraisal skill!

I took my finished-but-bitter potion and left the laboratory, heading toward the parlor to look for Mother.

“Mother!” I called. I found her on the terrace and told her I had a secret just for her and Father to know. She nodded and said that she and Father would set aside some time for me tonight when he was done with work.

“Well? What’s this secret I’ve been hearing about?” Father asked.

The three of us sat on the sofa in his study.

I showed him the glass bottle I held. “This is a potion I made. It’s normal quality, but bitter.”

Mother and Father exchanged glances. The room was silent for a while.

“Darling, is it usually possible for a five-year-old to make a potion on her own after just receiving books and equipment?” Mother asked.

“No, I think it’s normally quite impossible, in fact…” Father cleared his throat to try to hide his bewilderment as he gazed at me. “Did you drink it yourself to try it out?” he asked, but I shook my head no.

“In that case, how do you know the quality is normal and that it’s bitter?” Mother asked.

I couldn’t blame her for wondering. “I spent so much time taking care of flowers that I learned the skill ‘Appraisal.’ So when I look at something, I can tell its quality.”

“What?!” my parents exclaimed in unison, staring at each other in disbelief.

“I can also use Appraisal on people, but I kept it a secret because I thought people might think I was spying on them,” I continued. “I didn’t want anyone to get mad at me for it. But I can only see someone’s status if I try to, so I promise I’m not spying on anyone!”

“Hmm… Well, of course we won’t get mad at you for it. How about trying it out on me?” Father suggested.

I stared intently at him.

Henry von Preslaria

Viscount

Health: 550/550

Mana: 1360/1360

Occupation: Order of Mages Deputy Mage Commander

Skills:

Fire Magic: (8/10)

Wind Magic: (7/10)

Earth Magic: (6/10)

Magic Resistance: (5/10)

Rewards and Crimes: None

Hm? There are more categories on Father’s status…

“Well? What does it look like?” he asked.

There were some things I was curious about, but I read the results of my Appraisal of Father just as he requested.

“There’s only one person at the royal castle who even has the Appraisal skill, Daisy,” Father said. “I’ve heard it’s such a rare skill that you can count the number of people who have it in the whole kingdom on one hand. Even if your Occupation is seen as unfortunate, that Appraisal skill will put you in high demand.”

Father sighed and continued. “Daisy’s results aren’t just accurate; she could see I have a magic resistance skill I wasn’t even aware of! It really tells you these things, eh?”

After that, Father had me use Appraisal on various objects around the house, which I did easily. I was even able to identify accessories that had been imbued with hidden blessings or other abilities and name their effects. With every correct answer, it seemed like Father and Mother were becoming more convinced that my ability was real and worth believing in.

Then, the conversation returned to potions.

“Like I said, I just followed the instructions in the book, used my Appraisal skill to compare the results, and adjusted the mixture accordingly. And, well…it worked.”

“It worked, hm?” Father pressed his hand to his mouth and let out a thoughtful noise.

Mother held her cheeks as if in deep contemplation.

“Alchemy is an Occupation that involves combining multiple ingredients to create something new,” Father explained. “With Appraisal, you can effortlessly judge the quality of your results. It’s almost like having a natural guide for crafting.” He let out another contemplative noise before resuming muttering to himself. “Daisy’s already more intelligent than other children her age, and she can use Appraisal on top of that. Perhaps receiving Alchemist as her Occupation was less unfortunate and more inevitable?” At that, Father buried his head in his hands.

“Whatever the gods may have intended, it’s probably best not to speak openly about her Appraisal skill. Daisy’s still small, and it would be horrible if someone tried to kidnap her so they could use it,” Mother said.

“You’re right. We should only tell those we trust.”

Seeing how serious and solemn Mother and Father were, I felt my excitement deflate. When I’d come here with my heart full of accomplishment, I’d been expecting praise, not worry.

Did I do something wrong?

Father noticed my downcast expression and gently placed his hands on my shoulders to reassure me. “It’s okay, Daisy. This is a wonderful skill granted by the gods. You should be proud of it and never feel ashamed. But for now, we should keep it a secret.”

Father’s validation came as a relief, and I smiled at him before nodding obediently.

Just then, my brother Remus, who was two years older than me, came home, crying loudly.

“What happened?” The three of us looked at each other and headed toward the sound of his voice. We found my brother in the parlor, accompanied by a maid. She told us he had tripped and fallen while stepping down from the carriage. The maid had already cleaned his injuries, but his knee and palm had been badly scraped; they looked raw and painful.

His knee is bright red… Poor Remus.

“Dear, we’ve verified that Daisy’s ability is legitimate, so the potion she made must be the real thing, too. Why don’t we try it on Remus’s injuries?” Mother suggested. “I know it’s hardly a situation for a potion, but it looks quite painful…”

“True, Daisy’s ability is genuine. If the only problem with the potion is that it’s bitter, then it should be fine to apply externally,” Father said with a nod. “Daisy, may we use your potion on Remus?”

I nodded and handed him the small potion bottle.

Father opened the bottle and splashed some of the contents onto Remus’s knee. The raw, bloody gash that had been scraped open on the cobblestone street was instantly covered by fresh, healthy skin. His injury had completely healed in an instant. Next Father poured some onto my brother’s scraped palm and, just like before, new skin formed, and the injury disappeared as if it had never been there in the first place.

Wounds can disappear in an instant? Potions are amazing! I thought. But most of all, I was thrilled that my potion had completely healed my brother’s injuries.

“Daisy’s potion really worked…” Both my parents and the maid who’d been tending to my brother were dumbfounded.

“Whoa! What just happened? That was incredible! What do you mean, Daisy’s potion?” Remus, who’d been crying just moments before, blinked in surprise.

“This is Daisy’s very first potion,” Father explained as he put the stopper back in the bottle. I beamed happily beside him.

“You’re smaller than me, but you can make potions? I can’t even use healing magic and you can heal wounds?! That’s amazing! Hey, my knee doesn’t hurt at all anymore!” Remus was so excited that tears sparkled in his eyes as he gazed at me. However… “Yuck! It’s so bitter!” He licked his palm where the potion had been applied and immediately grimaced. “I’d rather be sick than drink that! You gotta fix the taste!” And with that, he ran off to the kitchen in search of water.

“Oh, dear. It looks like you have your first commission!” Father chuckled.

Father, Mother, the maid and I all laughed. Then, Father glanced at the remaining potion in the bottle and then at the maid’s fingertips.

“Your hands are chapped and cracked. There’s not much left, but go ahead and use it,” he said.

He handed the bottle over to the hesitant maid. She poured the last of the potion over her hands, and the painful, deep cracks disappeared, leaving her skin smooth and healthy again. She gazed at her hands in delight, then thanked me profusely before bowing and returning the empty bottle.

After that, Father handed me ten copper coins and said, “This is your payment for the potion.” It felt like my first real job as an Alchemist, and I was so happy that I decided to store the ten coins in the treasure chest I kept in my room.

Later, I remembered that I’d used Appraisal on Father and found a new category I’d never seen before: “Rewards and Crimes.”

I decided to use Appraisal on myself once more, and observed my abilities had evolved a bit as well.

Daisy von Preslaria

Second daughter of a viscount

Health: 10/10

Mana: 150/150

Occupation: Alchemist

Skills:

Alchemy: (2/10)

Appraisal: (4/10)

Rewards and Crimes: None

My Occupation had changed to Alchemist!

Perhaps Father compensating me for the potion had made it official? My Appraisal skill had also improved, probably because I’d been using it a lot during my experiments.

***

The question now was how to fix the bitterness of my potion. If I didn’t change the taste, no one would ever be able to drink it, which would defeat the entire purpose. The thought of bitter flavors brought vegetables to mind. Those were all sort of bitter, right? Following that logic, I decided to visit the kitchen. There I found Bob, the head chef.

“Hi, Bob. I’d like to ask you something,” I said.

“Oh? What is it, Miss Daisy?” He wiped his hands on his apron, looking down at me curiously.

I explained how my potion had turned out bitter after crushing and chopping up the ingredients. Since that made me think of vegetables, I wondered if he might have some idea what to do about it.

“Oh, I see,” he said. “Well, those sorts of leafy greens tend to have a strong astringent taste. That’s why you shouldn’t just chop or grind them alone.”

I nodded eagerly and took out my notebook to write everything down.

“You can rub the leaves with salt or blanch them briefly in hot water after salting them. That helps to reduce their bitterness. If you do blanch them, make sure to cool them in water afterward. Oh, and don’t overboil them!”

Don’t overboil them. I made sure to write that down.

“That helps a lot, Bob! Thank you!” I said and hurried off to ask Mother for permission to try the new method.

“Running isn’t ladylike,” she gently scolded.

I quickly apologized, then explained that I needed salt to try reducing the bitterness of the potion and a strainer in case blanching was necessary. Mother called for Elly and asked her to fetch some salt from the storeroom along with a spare strainer from the kitchen.

Kate carried the salt and strainer for me as we headed to the laboratory.

“You probably can’t manage blanching on your own yet, Miss Daisy, so I’ll take care of it. Just watch me closely.” She smiled as she spoke, and I was grateful for the offer.

My parents had decided that Kate would be the only one to oversee and assist me during my experiments. She was also the only other person who knew about my Appraisal ability.

“I only need to salt the bitter herbs, right?” I realized, so I took a small bite of both types and grimaced at the taste. “They’re slightly different, but they’re both bitter.” I knew it wasn’t proper, but I spat out the chewed-up herbs into the garbage.

“In that case, let’s try doing both,” Kate suggested and I nodded.

I prepared the leaves by rubbing them with salt and then rinsing them, while Kate did the same but also blanched hers briefly before cooling them. Once prepped, we thoroughly dried the leaves and finely chopped them.

First, I tested the herbs that had only been rubbed with salt. I measured the proper amounts of healing and magical herbs into a beaker of water. Then, I placed the beaker onto the magic heating device and began to warm it. Small bubbles started to form along the inner surface of the glass.

Potion

Quality: Normal (-2)

Status: The active ingredients are diluted.

Well, I expected that. A while later, the bubbles grew larger.

Potion

Quality: Normal (-1)

Status: The active ingredients are slightly diluted.

I still wasn’t there yet.

The liquid began to froth gently soon afterward. Just to be safe, I stirred it lightly with a glass rod.

Potion

Quality: Normal

Status: The active ingredients are fully extracted. Somewhat bitter.

Yay! It was much less bitter than before!

I strained the slightly bitter potion through a cloth and poured it into a bottle. Next, I tested the salt-rubbed, blanched leaves. Again, I put the healing and magical herbs into a beaker of water at the correct ratio and placed it on the magic burner. Small bubbles formed inside the glass.

Potion

Quality: Normal (-2)

Status: The active ingredients are diluted.

So far, the results were the same. After a little while, the bubbles grew larger.

Potion

Quality: Normal (-1)

Status: The active ingredients are slightly diluted.

As time passed, the liquid occasionally let out small bubbling sounds. I stirred it gently again.

Potion

Quality: Normal

Status: The active ingredients are fully extracted. Somewhat sweet.

It doesn’t say it’s bitter! If it was a little sweet, my brother would have no trouble drinking it!

“I did it!” I exclaimed. “It’s not bitter anymore! Kate, I made a normal-quality potion that’s sweet!”

I’d successfully created a normal potion that wasn’t bitter at all. I jumped up and down, overwhelmed with excitement. Then I realized Kate was staring at me…

Oh, well. I might be a noblewoman, but I was still a child.

Just then, I noticed Kate’s hands. Her daily work had left her skin rough and chapped, just like the other maid’s. There should still be active ingredients left on the straining cloth, right?

“Kate, try wiping your fingers with this damp cloth,” I said.

She did as I suggested and rubbed her chapped fingers with the fabric that was still soaked in my potion.

“Oh! My hands are healing!” Her eyes widened as she laughed in amazement. “I certainly never imagined attending you would bring these kinds of benefits, my lady.”

She happily gazed at her now-smooth fingertips. Even working women wanted beautiful hands, after all.

Chapter 4:
Improving Potion Quality

I SAT AT THE COFFEE TABLE DEEP IN THOUGHT, surrounded by bottles of my various potions and scattered scraps of note paper.

For further experiments, I had tried refining the process for the best batch—the normal quality, slightly sweet potion. I tried letting the leaves steep before straining or stirring the liquid during steeping, but no matter what I did, the quality remained normal and didn’t improve any further.

Just then, Mother happened to walk by and noticed my mess of notes.

“Oh, my! You’re doing so much trial and error, I’m impressed! But if you keep writing your notes on scraps like this, your findings will get all jumbled. I think you need a proper notebook.”

And with that, she went off to search the house before returning with several unused notebooks for me.

This is amazing!

I finally had my very own research notebooks.

Now I could get back to improving the quality of the potions. If the quality wouldn’t change no matter how much I adjusted things later in the process, perhaps the problem was at the beginning?

Then it hit me. That’s right! The herbs I’d been using were wilted.

That had bothered me from the start.

I headed to the kitchen to ask Bob another question. “Hey, Bob? Can you make good food with wilted ingredients?”

“Hm, that’d be a challenge,” he said. “That’s why I go to the market early in the morning to buy my vegetables fresh. You can’t get fresher than harvesting them from your own garden, though.” He chuckled, but told me we didn’t have room for a whole vegetable garden on the estate grounds.

“A garden…” I said to myself.

I went back to my room and pulled out Introduction to Alchemy. I was sure I’d seen something about how to cultivate good soil. I flipped through the pages until I found it: There! Rich soil.

Let’s see here…

“By mixing fertilizer, nutrient solution, and soil while warming with mana—a process called alchemical fermentation—one can create rich soil that promotes healthy plant growth. Fertilizer includes horse manure and human waste—” Wait, what?! “Nutrient solution may be created through alchemy. Ideally, the soil should be soft leaf mulch from a forest.”

I flipped ahead to the section on nutrient solution.

“Nutrient solution is made by mixing plant leaves, water, and magical herbs.”

Why does this part feel so vague?

Still, if I wanted higher-quality potions, I needed high-quality ingredients grown in this rich soil. I decided to explain everything I’d researched so far to Mother and try to convince her to let me have my own herb garden. She agreed to discuss possible locations with Father, since it may be some time before I truly needed one. In the meantime, she’d have Dan, the gardener, teach me how to prepare the soil.

“Still, warming up manure and mixing it? That would have to smell awful.” Mother seemed to be imagining the stench, because she covered her nose with her handkerchief before walking off.

I’d had the same thought myself. So Alchemy won’t always be pretty…

***

Nutrient solution is made by mixing plant leaves, water, and magical herbs.

The recipe in Introduction to Alchemy was incredibly vague. It didn’t even specify what kind of leaves! I grumbled to myself and considered the possibility that “plant leaves” might mean any leaves rich in nutrients. After all, this was a nutrient solution.

I decided to explore the small forest behind the estate and set off carrying a basket to gather materials. As I searched, I noticed that my Appraisal skill had gained new categories, and its descriptions had become more detailed. Maybe using it so much had increased its level?

It seemed there were a lot of thriving, good-quality plants in the forest, probably because the soil in the forest was particularly rich in nutrients.

Plain Herb

Classification: Plant

Quality: Good

Status: Common herb. Doesn’t contain many nutrients. Thriving.

Curly Herb

Classification: Plant

Quality: Good

Status: Common flowering herb. Doesn’t contain many nutrients. Thriving.

Bell Herb

Classification: Plant

Quality: Good

Status: Common flowering herb. Doesn’t contain many nutrients. Poisonous roots. Thriving.

Loae

Classification: Plant

Quality: Good

Status: Can be used as a medicinal herb. Doesn’t contain many nutrients. Thriving.

Greenleaf

Classification: Plant

Quality: Good

Status: Rich in nutrients. Animals love it. Thriving.

Zinnia

Classification: Plant

Quality: Good

Status: Rich in nutrients. Its flowers last a long time. Thriving.

Magical Herb

Classification: Plant

Quality: Good

Status: Contains mana. Often used as a base for medicines. Thriving.

Healing Herb

Classification: Plant

Quality: Good

Status: Rich in nutrients. It has many medicinal properties. Thriving.

Oh, healing herbs and magical herbs are growing wild here! And they’re even better quality than the ones in the shops! I should gather these for ingredients, along with the greenleaf and zinnias.

I decided to take those four types of herbs back with me and head back home. Once there, Kate accompanied me to the lab, as usual.

Hmm, the nutrient solution recipe didn’t mention ingredient ratios…

Since I didn’t have anything else to go on, I decided to use the same 2:1 ingredient ratio as the potion.

First, I started with greenleaf. I finely chopped both the greenleaf and magical herbs and placed them into distilled water. I set the beaker onto the magical heating device and began heating up the mixture.

Nutrient Solution

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Normal (-2)

Status: The active ingredients are diluted.

After a little while, the bubbles grew larger.

Nutrient Solution

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Normal (-1)

Status: The active ingredients are slightly diluted.

So far, things were going as expected. Not long after, the bubbling sounds began.

Nutrient Solution

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Normal (-0.5)

Status: The active ingredients have been fully extracted, but some components are missing.

Then, the mixture reached a boil.

Nutrient Solution

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Low (+1)

Status: Some active ingredients have been lost.

Wait, the boiling process reduced the active ingredients? That meant I should stop before it reached the boiling point next time.

For the next batch, I decided to try combining greenleaf and zinnias. I prepared the greenleaf, zinnias, and magical herbs, chopping them finely before adding them to the distilled water. Then, I set the beaker on the magical heating device to begin warming it up. Not long after, the mixture began to bubble.

Nutrient Solution

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Normal? (Whoa, I’m almost there!)

Status: The active ingredients have been fully extracted, but some components are still missing.

Hmm? What’s still missing? Do I need another type of plant?

I turned off the heating device before the liquid could start boiling.

I rested my chin on the table and peered into the beaker, but I still couldn’t figure out the problem. For now, I took out two new beakers and split the solution into three equal parts and wrote down three methods to try out.

Leave solution as is.

Stir solution using a glass rod in a circular motion.

Stir solution while infusing it with mana (alchemical fermentation?)

I tried the second method but had the same results.

Nutrient Solution

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Normal? (Just a little more!)

Status: The active ingredients have been fully extracted, but some components are missing.

“Eek!”

When I tried the third method, I must’ve used too much mana, because the beaker flashed brightly and exploded. The glass shattered and ended up cutting my hand.

Don’t worry, I still have the potion I made earlier! I told myself. I quickly treated my cuts with it, but I still ended up with a scolding from Kate, who immediately began to clean up the broken glass. Meanwhile, I checked the solution I’d just made, and it had turned into “industrial waste.”

Industrial Waste

Classification: Trash

Quality: Useless

Status: Just throw it away. It has no use at all.

What? That’s just rude!

I decided to try the third method again. I used the batch I’d set aside earlier to be left untouched and carefully stirred it while controlling the amount of mana I used so I wouldn’t cause another explosion. I made sure to do it secretly while Kate cleaned so she wouldn’t notice.

As I stirred, the liquid began to shimmer and the solution’s properties changed.

Nutrient Solution

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Good

Status: All active ingredients are present.

I did it!

“Kate! I did it!” I said.

“What?!” Kate disposed of the broken glass outside and peered into the beaker once she returned. Then she gave me a big smile. “For a moment there I wasn’t sure how this would turn out, but I’m happy for you,” she said. “Even so, I will still be reporting the explosion to the master and mistress.”

That night, I got a lecture from my parents to be more careful. However, when I used the leftover good-quality healing herbs and magical herbs to make a potion, it turned out just as I expected—a higher quality potion! The quality of the ingredients really did make a difference. Today was a huge success!

Potion

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Good

Status: Sufficient active ingredients. Slightly sweet. Can heal moderately serious conditions.

***

I also managed to make a large bottle of nutrient solution, so the next step was mixing it with fertilizer—yuck!—and leaf mulch. Well, I had no other choice but to get to work.

I went to find Dan, the gardener.

“Hi, Dan!” I greeted him with a cheerful smile.

“Hello there. What do you need today?” he asked, taking off his straw hat to greet me properly.

“I want to make good-quality soil for my garden, so I need fertilizer and leaf mulch. Could I get those right away?” I couldn’t help but grimace when I told him I needed fertilizer.

“Ah, right. The mistress had asked me to assist you with your garden. Well, those two things are easy to get. Shall we go fetch them?”

Dan took two empty wooden buckets and a shovel from his gardening tools.

“Let’s start with the leaf mulch,” he said.

We headed to the forest behind the estate. The forest floor felt different from the soil I usually walked on; it was soft beneath my feet.

“This is what we call leaf mulch,” Dan said. “See how soft and springy it is?” He trod on the ground a few times to demonstrate. I imitated him, feeling the soft texture for myself. It was like a cushion!

“Leaf mulch forms over many years as fallen leaves and branches from autumn and winter break down into soil,” Dan explained while crouching down to brush aside some leaves and twigs, exposing the soft, dark soil beneath.

Just then, I saw a long, pink, wriggling bug appear. I shrieked and fell over on my bottom. Dan burst into laughter, then casually picked up the worm and tossed it away.

“You might think they’re gross, but these little guys nurture the soil.”

I brushed the dirt from my clothes and hands and nodded.

“All right, let’s fill the bucket with this lovely soil and take it back,” Dan said.

Leaf Mulch

Classification: Soil

Quality: Good

Status: Good soil rich in nutrients. Thriving thanks to a healthy ecosystem.

This should work just fine!

Since the buckets were too heavy for a five-year-old, Dan carried them for me.

Next up was fertilizer. In other words, horse manure.

We went to the stables and found two horses with several piles of fresh manure scattered around. I braced myself against the stench and compared the piles. I noticed something strange—they all varied in quality.

Fertilizer

Classification: Fertilizer

Quality: Good

Status: Healthy horse manure. Fresh.

Fertilizer

Classification: Fertilizer

Quality: Low

Status: Manure from a sick horse.

Horse

Classification: Animal

Quality: Good

Status: A healthy horse.

Horse

Classification: Animal

Quality: Low

Status: Its stomach hurts. Unwell.

“Hey, Dan. Do you think this horse has an upset stomach?”

Dan was just about to scoop up some manure, but he stopped and walked over to the horse.

“I’m no expert on horses, but I think you’re right. It doesn’t look well, and it won’t settle. I’ll go call the stable hand.”

Maybe a potion would help if it’s sick? I wondered. I rushed to my lab and put a normal quality potion into my pocket. Mother happened to be out on the terrace, so I called out to her.

“Mother, one of the horses has a stomachache. Can I give it a potion?”

“Oh, dear,” she said, touching a hand to her cheek. “Ask the stable hand first, all right? And make sure it’s not bitter, or the horse probably won’t drink it at all.”

“Okay!”

With Mother’s approval, I hurried back to the stables. Dan was there with Alan, the stable hand, by the time I arrived.

“I heard you noticed it first, Miss Daisy?” Alan said. “The horses are my responsibility, so I should’ve seen it myself. I apologize.” He rubbed the horse’s stomach and bowed his head.

“It’s okay,” I said. “By the way, do potions work on horses?” I pulled the potion from my pocket and showed it to him.

“They do, but a horse with a stomachache doesn’t seem worth a potion…” Alan looked bewildered as he glanced between me and the horse.

Still, since a horse he cared for was in pain, I was sure he wouldn’t refuse.

“Mother already gave me permission. Here, try this.” I handed the potion to Alan.

“Thank you! I’ll give it to him right away.”

Alan poured the potion into a dish and held it up to the sick horse. The horse sniffed it a few times, and then, as if it somehow knew the potion would help, obediently drank it all. After a few moments the horse shook its head, perking its ears, and then started to nuzzle Alan cheerfully.

“Hey, looks like it worked! He seems happy again.” Alan smiled as he stroked the horse.

Horse

Classification: Animal

Quality: Good

Status: A healthy horse. Feeling great after recovering from stomach pain.

It worked! I’m so relieved!

Dan and I took only the manure from the healthy horse and brought it to the front of the lab. I decided I would rather keep that particular ingredient outside. Now that I had all the materials, it was time for the experiment, which would also be conducted outside because, well…it was going to smell awful.

Kate was here like usual, but…

“Just make sure it doesn’t explode this time!” She seemed (understandably) wary and kept her distance. “I don’t want to be showered in horse manure either, you know!”

How rude! I thought. I stood in front of a large, empty wooden bucket. I started by adding the leaf mulch, then mixing in the horse manure. Finally, I evenly poured an entire bottle of the nutrient solution over the top.

Please turn into good soil, I prayed. Stir it gently, carefully… Please don’t explode!

I took a wooden stick that was as tall as I was and infused it with mana before I stirred the bucket once.

Rich Soil ?

Classification: Soil

Quality: Low

Status: Not fully fermented. Just a mixture of materials.

Even after stirring it two or three more times, the results didn’t change.

Ugh, this stinks! And the soil was so hard to stir. But this was for my future herb garden. I had to keep going!

I forced my five-year-old body to keep stirring and stirring. Then, when I’d stirred ten times, the contents of the bucket suddenly began to sparkle.

Rich Soil

Classification: Soil

Quality: Good

Status: When mixed into a gardening plot, it will produce healthy crops.

I did it! It’s finished!

Later, I told Mother that the horse had recovered, thanks to the potion.

“Well, consider this your fee,” she said, handing me another ten copper coins.

I feel like I’m finally being useful to my family, and it makes me so happy!

***

“I did it! We can grow an awesome garden with this!” I was so excited I ran off to tell Dan.

“Then it’s time to prepare the field,” he said, grabbing a hoe and shovel before leading me to the designated garden plot next to my laboratory.

“First, we’ll roughly turn over the soil with a shovel,” he explained, demonstrating by scooping over a single row of dirt.

“I want to learn how to do it myself,” I said. “I’ll need to know when I open up my own workshop!”

“Oh? So you already have a dream for the future, Miss Daisy?” Dan handed me a shovel as he spoke.

“Yep! One day, I’m going to become a great Alchemist and have a workshop in the capital!”

Dan smiled warmly at me. “Then you’d better work hard.”

“I will! Here goes! Heave-ho!”

The soil was tough. This was hard labor for a five-year-old, but I had to learn how to do it myself! I was so determined I managed to dig up a whole row.

“You did a great job. I’ll handle the rest,” Dan said. He effortlessly continued to turn over the rest of the soil. “Next, we’ll break up the turned soil with a hoe,” he said, demonstrating another row for me before handing over the tool. “Now you give it a try.”

I nodded and took the heavy hoe, breaking up the soil bit by bit. Once I had finished one row, we switched again and Dan loosened the rest of the soil for me. Then we worked together and broke up the remaining few clumps by hand.

“Dan, I want to mix this into the soil to add nutrients!” I showed him the wooden bucket I’d filled with my freshly made rich soil.

“Oh-ho! So this is the fertilizer you made, Miss Daisy?” Dan peered into the bucket with interest. He lifted the bucket with a grunt and evenly scattered the fertilizer over the freshly loosened soil.

“Time to mix it in, but we need to make sure to do it evenly,” he said as he thoroughly combined the rich soil with the regular soil in the garden plot. Then, he took care of shaping the soil into neat rows.

And just like that, I had a garden plot right next to my laboratory, as long as a grown-up was tall!

“How do I grow herbs? I want to turn this into a medicinal herb garden,” I asked, tipping my head to the side.

“Hmm, well, if you were growing wheat or something similar, you could just buy seeds. But for herbs…” He told me that herbs used in potions were usually gathered from the wild, either by foraging yourself or submitting a collection request to the adventurers’ guild if they grew in dangerous regions. That was how the herbalist in town had gotten the healing and magical herbs I’d received; herb seedlings weren’t something you could buy just anywhere.

“What kind of seedlings are you looking for, Miss Daisy?”

“I found healing herbs and magical herbs growing wild in the forest behind the estate, so I don’t think I need those,” I said. “But for new potions, I need medicinal herbs and mage’s herb.”

“Oh, those grow along a little stream to the north of the capital. I can go with you if you’d like, but you’ll need your parents’ permission first.”

Hmm, so I need to ask Mother and Father…

“Shall we go collect more healing herbs and magical herbs first?” Dan suggested.

Hm? But I can go to the forest behind the estate by myself.

“Wouldn’t it be easier to pull them up by the roots and replant them in my garden?” I asked.

Dan let out a knowing chuckle and shook his head. “You have to be gentle with transplants. The roots will break if you’re too rough, and then they’ll wither. I’ll go with you and teach you how to do it properly.”

After that, Dan took me to the forest and we carefully dug up two plants each of healing herbs and magical herbs, then replanted them into my new garden.

That evening when Father returned from work, I reported that the garden was finished. I also told him that I needed mage’s herb to make high-quality mana potions, and medicinal herbs to make hi-potions.

“If you could actually make high-quality mana potions, I’d like to buy some for the Order,” my father, the Deputy Mage Commander, said eagerly.

“Yes, I was hoping you would be able to use my mana potions, Father! But I’ll need to collect herbs that grow near the northern stream to make them. Can Dan take me there?”

Father exchanged glances with Mother. “Slimes should be the only danger in that area, so you may go. But take some potions with you, just in case.”

I nodded. “Also, I need a mana stone to make mana potions. May I have one?”

Mana stones were gemstones found within monsters, containing stored magical energy.

“Only one?” Father seemed intrigued by the process of making mana potions.

“According to Introduction to Alchemy, mana stones aren’t single-use. You can use one to influence how a potion is processed, but it isn’t dissolved as an ingredient. That means they’re reusable, so I only need one, but I’d prefer a high-quality one,” I explained.

“You explain things with such understanding that I almost forget you’re only five. Daisy truly is a genius.” Father chuckled softly and looked toward Mother before leaving to retrieve some mana stones from the storage room. When he returned, I used Appraisal to select the highest-quality stone from the lot.

Chapter 5:
My First Time Gathering Ingredients

TODAY I WAS GOING TO THE NORTHERN STREAM with Dan. Mother had given me a small rucksack, which I filled with potions and a handkerchief. I also carried a basket with a small shovel tucked inside.

Hmm, I might need to re-think my gathering gear. This feels too bulky, I thought as I walked alongside Dan.

We arrived at the city gates. Since I didn’t have an identification card yet, I handed over a letter Father had written for me instead, which got us through without any problems. When we passed through the gates of the city, I saw a vast, green meadow before us. There wasn’t a cloud in the bright, early summer sky that stretched overhead.

“Wow!” I spread my arms wide and inhaled deeply. The air felt so much fresher and cleaner out here than in the city.

“The stream is this way, Miss Daisy.” Dan took me by the hand and began to lead me while I stumbled along, distracted by all the plants that were so different from the ones in the forest.

Then, I spotted something that caught my attention.

Stonecrop

Classification: Plant

Quality: Good

Status: Its leaves and roots are especially rich in nutrients. Thriving.

This could be really useful! I thought. I’ve never used roots as an ingredient before, but maybe they could improve the quality of the nutrient solution?

“Hey, Dan?” I tugged on his hand to stop his stride.

“What is it?” He paused and turned toward me.

“I want to take some of this back too. It seems to have a lot of nutrients. Let’s see, one for the garden and two to experiment with. I need all three with their roots intact.”

“All right then, let’s dig them up properly.” Dan instructed me to watch carefully as he gently loosened the soil around the plant, taking care not to damage the roots. “These roots look good. Now why don’t you try digging one up yourself?” he suggested.

I did as he’d demonstrated and carefully dug into the soil, glancing over at Dan beside me as he worked to dig up the third plant. He gave me a nod of approval when I finished. Now that all three plants were safely in my basket, we continued toward the stream.

The rushing water was clear and sparkled in the sunlight.

“Let’s start looking,” Dan said.

I was just about to start searching for the herbs, but…

“Oh! Look out, Miss Daisy!” Dan quickly pushed me behind him. “Just our luck… We’ve encountered a killer rabbit!”

It was a sizable monster, nearly as large as I was.

Killer Rabbit

Classification: Monster

Quality: Good

Status: Has strong front teeth. Its back legs have a powerful kick.

Dan drew his dagger and fought back, but he was struggling. To make matters worse, the rabbit bit his arm and drew blood. If I didn’t do something, Dan would be in trouble.

But what should I do? I don’t have any way to attack… Wait, magic! Maybe I can use magic!

I’d practiced with my siblings before. I’d never been able to pull off a spell, but maybe if I just tried to do what they did again, it would work this time. After all, I was a Preslaria too!

“Air Cutter! Air Cutter! I need to save Dan! Please, just work! Air Cutter!” I desperately pictured how my brother always cast the spell and shouted it over and over. Finally, on my last attempt the spell activated and a sharp blade of wind flew straight toward the killer rabbit!

“Watch out, Dan!”

Hearing my voice behind him, Dan quickly dodged to the side. Luckily, my spell hit its mark and sliced right through both tendons of the rabbit’s hind legs.

“Goodness! Thank you, Miss Daisy!” Dan shouted happily. Then he quickly held down the immobilized killer rabbit and slit its throat. “It’s defeated, thanks to you! But I’m glad you’re safe, most of all.”

Dan tied the rabbit’s legs together with a rope and hung it upside down to drain its blood. Meanwhile, I reached into my rucksack and handed him a potion.

“Your arm is injured. Here, use this.”

“This is for me? Thank you!” Dan poured the potion over his wound. “Your potions really do work wonders, Miss Daisy! Not only that, but you used magic to save me. You must be an absolute genius to do both those things at just five years old.” He rubbed at his fully healed arm with a smile.

We took a break for a while to collect ourselves, and then resumed our search for the herbs.

Medicinal Herb

Classification: Plant

Quality: Good

Status: Can heal injuries and ailments even when simply crushed up. Thriving.

Mage’s Herb

Classification: Plant

Quality: Good

Status: Absorbs mana from the air to store in its leaves. Thriving.

Since we’d found what we came for, we carefully dug up the plants and started our journey back to the city.

Daisy von Preslaria

Second daughter of a viscount

Health: 20/20

Mana: 175/180

Occupation: Alchemist

Skills:

Alchemy: (3/10)

Appraisal: (4/10)

Wind Magic: (1/10)

Rewards and Crimes: None

Since I’d successfully used Wind magic for the first time, the Wind magic skill had been added to my profile.

“I was so focused on gathering before, but I really did cast a spell! I guess Alchemists can use magic. Maybe I should start training in that too?” I stared at my hand, the one that had cast the spell. I wanted to learn how to protect myself.

That evening, the killer rabbit that Dan and I had defeated was served as the main course for dinner.

My older brother, a growing boy with a big appetite, was thrilled. “Wow, the cuts of meat are so big today! What a feast!” he gushed.

Killer rabbit meat was lean but tender and had a delicious sweetness to it.

“Today, Daisy went to gather herbs with Dan, but they happened to encounter a killer rabbit,” Mother explained, relaying Dan’s report. “Daisy used Wind magic to immobilize it and Dan finished it off.”

My older sister also seemed delighted by our special rabbit dinner. “You hunted a monster at just five years old? That’s incredible!” She couldn’t praise me fast enough.

“Hm? I didn’t know you were practicing magic, Daisy,” said Father. While my siblings were beyond impressed, he seemed puzzled.

“I used to practice by imitating Remus’s training sessions while I watched from the side,” I answered. “But today was the first time I actually managed to cast a spell. Dan was in danger, and I was desperate. I pictured the spell I saw Remus cast before, and I tried it a few times, and then I finally did it.” Then I decided to ask them about something that had been on my mind. “Father, Mother… I’d like to train in magic just like Dahlia and Remus. May I?”

My parents exchanged glances.

“If I’m going to be an Alchemist, I’m going to have to go out and gather ingredients myself when I get older,” I continued. “I know I’ll never become a Mage, but if I have even the slightest magical talent, I’d like to learn how to protect myself.”

Father crossed his arms and pondered for a while. “Daisy has a point. And if she does have the talent, it would be a waste not to nurture it.”

And with that, I was officially granted permission to learn magic.

“I think it’s amazing that you can use magic even though your Occupation is different. That’s Daisy for you!” Dahlia said.

Everyone in the family nodded in agreement. I felt embarrassed, but also happy. Even though I had a different Occupation than everyone else, I could still use magic like the rest of my family!

Chapter 6:
My First Magic Training

MY NEW DAILY ROUTINE INCLUDED WATERING the garden in the morning and evening, and now magic training.

I now had five types of plants in my garden: healing herbs, magical herbs, stonecrop, medicinal herbs, and mage’s herb. They were growing well in the week since I’d transplanted them. My plan was to harvest the leaves as needed while collecting their seeds and then gradually improve their quality.

Growing lots of nutrient-rich herbs → collecting good seeds → plant good seeds → grow even better plants → higher quality herbs, then repeat!

I hoped that process would work. My thought was that if I could grow better ingredients, I might be able to help even more people.

After watering the garden in the morning, I had breakfast with my family, then spent the rest of the morning training in magic. We had a practice area in the yard for us children, complete with targets for aiming spells. That was where I would learn magic.

My instructor was Miss Yulia, a former court Mage who had retired after marriage. Since her children were grown, my father, who had worked with her, asked her to be our tutor.

“I’m Daisy. I’m looking forward to studying magic with you starting today,” I said, bowing my head politely.

“It’s been such a long time since I’ve seen you!” said Miss Yulia. She had light blue hair and eyes. “As you know, I’m Yulia. Let’s give it our all today, okay?” She gave me a warm smile and patted my head. She seemed like a kind teacher. “Remus and Dahlia, you two review yesterday’s lesson for now,” she called to my siblings, who were in position in front of the targets.

“Yes, Miss Yulia!” they replied in unison, then began to cast their magic.

Miss Yulia turned back toward me. “Daisy, have you ever felt the presence of mana inside of you? Right around here?” She gently touched the spot just below my belly button. It was the same place that felt warm when I used mana in Alchemy, like when I stirred potions. I nodded and told her as much.

“Oh, my! You’re already practicing Alchemy at just five years old?” Her eyes widened in surprise.

“Well, I was given the Alchemy Occupation at my Baptism, so I started studying it,” I said. “It’s just like how Remus and Dahlia have been practicing magic ever since they learned they were Mages.”

Miss Yulia smiled and nodded. “Lord Henry is so devoted to his children’s education. Practicing magic will benefit you in ways beyond just casting spells. If you learn how to control your mana with skill, I’m sure it’ll be of use in your Alchemy as well.”

I was surprised to hear that training in magic could help my Alchemy. “I’ll do my best!” I said cheerfully.

That day, I practiced fundamentals of mana control instead of spellcasting. Miss Yulia told me that mana circulated through one’s body the way blood flows through the heart and veins. It originates from a central point below the belly button and travels in pathways throughout the body. But unlike blood, mana doesn’t flow on its own; you must consciously control it.

“Now, let’s start from the mana’s point of origin, below your belly button, and try to circulate a warm sensation through your body,” Miss Yulia instructed.

Hmm. It’s not moving. I don’t get this at all.

“Miss Yulia, it won’t move,” I told her, unsure of what to do next.

“Try remembering how you felt when you used mana during your Alchemy experiments, or when you used Air Cutter the other day,” she suggested, once again touching the spot by my belly button. “Didn’t you feel warmth flowing from here to your hand? Concentrate hard and try to remember.”

I closed my eyes and did as she said, trying to recreate the sensation. After a while, I finally felt a soft warmth moving toward my right hand, and I quickly informed Miss Yulia.

“That’s it! You’re controlling your mana! Good job!” she praised, tousling my hair as I grinned happily.

I continued to practice, exploring the ways mana could travel through my body and trying to circulate it smoothly. Even that simple act seemed to use up my mana, because the warmth was gradually decreasing.

I checked my own status using Appraisal to confirm.

Daisy von Preslaria

Second daughter of a viscount

Health: 20/20

Mana: 160/180

Occupation: Alchemist

Skills:

Alchemy: (3/10)

Appraisal (4/10)

Wind Magic (1/10)

Rewards and Crimes: None

This time, my mana had dropped to 160. It kept on lowering, getting closer and closer to zero…

And then I blacked out.

I woke up just past noon.

“Oh, you’re awake! You fainted because you completely drained your mana,” Mother said as she stroked my hair. Apparently, she had been watching over me.

Huh?

Right before I passed out, my maximum mana had been 180, but when I checked it after I woke up it had increased to 183. Shocked, I immediately told Mother.

“Goodness! If that’s true, then that’s incredible! We must tell your father when he gets home!” She seemed very excited.

Father was just as thrilled when he returned from work. “If this is true, it’s a major discovery! Remus, Dahlia, Daisy. Tonight, just before bed, I want all three of you to drain your mana completely. Understood?”

That night, the three of us practiced mana control in bed until we ran out of mana and fell asleep.

The next morning, I used Appraisal to check on all of us. My brother’s mana had increased by 3, my sister’s by 2, and mine by 2 as well.

Father was over the moon. “If you do this every day, your mana capacity should increase dramatically!”

And just like that, we children were instructed to drain our mana before bed every single night.

Chapter 7:
Let’s Make More Potions!

TWO WEEKS HAD PASSED SINCE MY OUTING TO the northern stream. My herb garden was thriving, thanks to regular maintenance and mixing in nutrient solution every time I watered.

Stonecrop

Classification: Plant

Quality: Good (+2)

Status: Its leaves and roots are especially rich in nutrients. Thriving with thick, healthy foliage.

Magical Herb

Classification: Plant

Quality: Good (+2)

Status: Contains mana; used as a base for medicines. Thriving with thick, healthy foliage.

Since I’d decided to grow stonecrop as an ingredient for my nutrient solution, I thought now was the time to test it out. As usual, I only plucked a few leaves from a magical herb, but with the stonecrop, I pulled it out, roots and all. Then I headed into my laboratory.

Hmm, this is my first time using roots in a potion.

I followed my usual process and prepped my ingredients by chopping them finely, including the roots. Then, I put everything into a beaker of distilled water and placed it onto the magical heating device. Before long, tiny bubbles began to form along the inside of the glass.

Nutrient Solution

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Normal (-2)

Status: The active ingredients are diluted.

More time passed and the bubbles grew larger.

Nutrient Solution

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Normal (-1)

Status: The active ingredients are slightly diluted.

So far, everything was progressing as usual. At the very least, that meant nothing unexpected had happened. Then, the liquid began to bubble more vigorously.

Nutrient Solution

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Good (+1)

Status: The active ingredients from the leaves have been fully extracted. However, the active ingredients from the roots are not yet fully extracted.

Hmm? Did roots take more time to extract?

I wondered what I should do. Bring it to a boil? No, every time I’d done that before, it ruined the potion. For now, I decided to lower the temperature and maintain it just below a boil. I let it sit like that for six whole turns of the hourglass, watching the sand run through completely each time. Then…

Nutrient Solution

Classification: Medicine

Quality: High

Status: The active ingredients from both the leaves and roots have been fully extracted. A very good solution.

All right! This was my first time making a high-quality nutrient solution!

But how did I manage it? I’d used the same good quality (+2) ingredients before, but this was the first time I managed to go even further and produce a high-quality result. I wondered if there was still a category I couldn’t see yet with my Appraisal skill.

Needs further testing, or possibly requires leveling up Appraisal, I wrote in my notebook. I was sure my skill level would increase eventually if I kept using it so much.

I remembered that Father had been hoping for a mana potion. The recipe required mage’s herb, water, a mana stone, and magical herbs. I wanted to challenge myself by trying a new type of Alchemical process using a mana stone as the catalyst.

I quickly went to check on my garden.

Mage’s Herb

Classification: Plant

Quality: Good (+2)

Status: Absorbs mana from the air to store in its leaves. Thriving with thick, healthy foliage.

This should be good enough quality. I picked some leaves from the mage’s herb and magical herb, then went back inside the lab.

Mana Stone

Classification: Gem

Quality: High (+2)

Status: A crystallized form of mana found inside a monster. Small, but densely packed with magical energy.

I double-checked the instructions in Introduction to Alchemy.

“Place the mage’s herb, mana stone, and magical herbs into water and then heat. Gently stir to stimulate the transformation of the extracted ingredients over the mana stone.”

All right, let’s try it out!

I finely chopped the mage’s herb and magical herb, then added them to distilled water along with the mana stone. I set the beaker onto the magical heating device to begin the process. Tiny bubbles began forming along the inner walls of the glass beaker. I carefully stirred the mixture, making sure to be very gentle.

Mana Potion

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Low

Status: The active ingredients are diluted.

A little more time passed, and the bubbles grew larger.

Mana Potion

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Normal (-2)

Status: The active ingredients are slightly diluted.

This stage never seemed to be any different. I wondered if there was an ideal temperature for making medicine. More time passed, and the mixture began to bubble more.

Mana Potion

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Normal (-1)

Status: The active ingredients in the leaves have been fully extracted. The rest of the active ingredients are still slightly diluted.

Boiling probably wouldn’t help, so I lowered the temperature to stabilize the potion. I monitored it closely with Appraisal and kept stirring carefully. Slowly but surely, the quality improved.

It’s working!

Mana Potion

Classification: Medicine

Quality: High

Status: Exceptional mana recovery properties. Restores 1.5 times the amount of a normal-quality potion.

Yes!

I carefully strained and bottled the potion. Since this was an experimental batch, I only made a small amount: five bottles of potions in total.

“I made a high-quality mana potion, just like Father wanted!” I said. “He’s going to be so happy!”

While I was at it, I decided to try making healing potions using the herbs from my garden.

Potion

Classification: Medicine

Quality: High

Status: A superior product boasting 1.5 times the recovery power of a normal potion. Mildly sweet.

My hypothesis was once again proven correct! Better ingredients really did make better potions!

“One and a half times the effectiveness of a normal potion? That’s incredible!”

Father was thrilled when I reported my results.

The Order of Mages and the Order of Knights were responsible for defeating the monsters that appeared across the kingdom, and also accepted monster-hunting requests from other territories. That was their usual duty, unless war broke out, of course.

Mages were rendered useless when they ran out of mana on such expeditions, which is why they needed mana potions. But the amount restored by a single potion mattered. In a tough fight, the less time needed to spend on drinking potions the better.

“But Daisy, why is it that you can make something this good? As far as I know, no other Alchemist in the kingdom can produce potions of such high quality.” Father seemed genuinely puzzled.

“Well, I thought about how you can’t make a good meal with poor ingredients. You can’t create a high-quality potion with wilted ingredients either. I figured the best way to get good fresh herbs was to grow them myself.”

Father finally seemed to understand. “So that’s why you asked for a garden.”

“Yes! That’s why I planted my own garden and grew my ingredients using as many nutrients as I could. And just as I hypothesized, it made for better potions.”

While I explained, Father looked totally baffled, as if he’d been completely outwitted. “Just as you hypothesized, eh? You hardly sound your age. It’s almost like you were chosen by the gods to advance our kingdom’s lagging Alchemy techniques! No, no, that’s just me being a doting father…” He cleared his throat to regain his composure, then said, “Daisy, can you make more of these?”

“I harvest the leaves from my garden, so I should be able to make a batch about once a week.”

Father nodded with satisfaction. “Tomorrow, I’ll negotiate with the kingdom about purchasing these potions officially!” he said with enthusiasm.

This is my chance! I thought, and decided to try a negotiation of my own.

“If I’m going to be making these potions regularly, I’d like permission to expand my garden.”

Father was in an exceptionally good mood today and granted my request without hesitation.

I did it!

***

There was one thing I hadn’t tried making yet since my outing with Dan: a hi-potion, which was made from medicinal herbs, nutrient solution, and magical herbs. The process wasn’t very different from that of a normal potion, but the ingredients rendered different effects. A typical healing potion could heal more minor wounds like cuts, but a hi-potion was powerful enough to reattach a recently severed limb. I wondered how a potion that powerful could really use the same process as a regular potion.

I was a little worried, but I decided to try it anyway. I picked some medicinal herbs and magical herbs from my garden, which were now high-quality, and headed to the lab. Fortunately, I kept a stock of nutrient solution in storage. I always needed it because I mixed it in every time I watered my garden.

Once I was inside my lab, I finely chopped the medicinal herbs and magical herbs and added them to the nutrient solution. I placed the beaker onto the magical heating device and activated it. Tiny bubbles began to form along the inside of the glass.

Hi-Potion ?

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Low

Status: Hardly any active ingredients have been extracted.

A little more time passed, and the bubbles grew larger.

Hi-Potion

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Low (+2)

Status: The active ingredients are diluted.

The mixture started bubbling occasionally, and I kept heating it as I always did.

Hi-Potion

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Normal (-2)

Status: The active ingredients from the leaves have not been fully extracted.

I lowered the heat right before it started boiling and decided to use my hourglass to measure the time. It took six full turns, about the same time it took for one chime of the church bell.

Why is it taking so long?

Hi-Potion

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Normal (-1)

Status: There are still active ingredients that can be extracted.

This was taking forever. Was there a way to speed up the extraction process? I’d get in trouble if I stayed up all night to watch it, since I was only five.

Isn’t there a better way? I wondered as I flipped through Introduction to Alchemy.

Oh? What’s this?

“The extraction process can be accelerated by infusing the potion with mana.”

This book is always so vague…

I stirred the mixture thoroughly to make sure it dispersed evenly, then divided it into three separate beakers. Suddenly, I saw Kate, who’d been standing beside me, take a step back. She was probably worried I’d explode another flask.

How rude! Hmph!

I picked my first beaker and wrapped the other two in a thick cloth to keep them warm. Then I focused on channeling mana into my hands, just like I did during magic training.

“Okay, you’re filling with mana… Slowly, slowly filling with mana…” I tried intoning like a sort of spell.

I waited, but nothing happened. When I thought about it, my “spell” did sound pretty childish. I mean, I am a child, but still!

Hi-Potion

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Normal (-1)

Status: There are still active ingredients that can be extracted.

Hmm, so chanting a random spell did absolutely nothing to change the quality. I let out a sigh and rested my chin on the table, trying to think. Then I remembered something Miss Yulia had said.

“Magic is the process of using mana to turn what you imagine into reality. When you understand the mechanisms, the theory, and use that to visualize a particular outcome, you can influence it to happen.”

And wasn’t Alchemy the same as magic in that aspect?

Visualize it clearly…

I sat up and placed both hands on the beaker again, carefully channeling mana into the potion.

I imagine the essence from the leaves seeping out and dissolving into the nutrient solution…

Hi-Potion

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Normal

Status: There are still active ingredients that can be extracted.

Hey, at least it’s a better Normal, isn’t it?

Hi-Potion

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Normal (+1)

Status: There are still active ingredients that can be extracted, but the quality is already above average.

Yes! The quality is going up!

Hi-Potion

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Normal (+2)

Status: There are still active ingredients that can be extracted, but the quality still surpasses most common potions.

Just a little more!

Hi-Potion

Classification: Medicine

Quality: High

Status: A superior product, boasting 1.5 times the recovery power of a normal hi-potion. Mildly sweet.

“I did it! And it even says it’s superior!” I exclaimed.

Miss Yulia was amazing. Studying magic really had helped improve my alchemy, just as she said it would.

I infused mana into the remaining beakers, successfully producing more high-quality hi-potions. As a result, I was able to make five in all.

That evening, Father seemed down when he returned from work. Just yesterday he’d been in such high spirits about negotiating with the kingdom to purchase my potions. It turned out the negotiations had gone well, but the Knights had interfered.

“Why should only the Order of Mages receive such high-quality potions?! We demand a superior product as well!” or so the Knights had whined.

“Well, both Orders are putting their lives on the line, so of course they’d want the best potions they can get…” Father let out a deep sigh.

“By the way, Father, I managed to create a high-quality hi-potion today that’s one-and-a-half times as effective as a normal potion. And I also made high-quality regular potions,” I said after Father had slumped over the table.

“That’s it!” He suddenly looked up at me. “Daisy, tomorrow you’re coming with me and I’m going to open negotiations again.”

And so, Father decided I would accompany him to the royal castle the following day.

Since I was only five, I didn’t have to wear a formal gown to the castle but rather a simple dress appropriate for my age. It was pale-blue to match my aquamarine eyes.

Kate helped me get dressed, then braided the sides of my hair and secured the braids with a hairpin. Although it looked a bit improper, I also wore a leather satchel to carry my potion samples.

“There. You look absolutely adorable!” Kate exclaimed.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I do look really cute, if I do say so myself! All right, time to do my best today, for Father’s sake!

When we arrived at the castle, Father helped me out of the carriage and I quietly followed behind him. He stopped in front of a door.

“Oh, Deputy Mage Commander. This way, please.” The guard on duty opened the door for us. Several people were already seated inside; naturally, they were all grown-ups. And they were Knights, which made me a little scared.

“Henry, who is this child?” A man with a thick, upturned mustache gave my father a suspicious look.

“This is my second daughter, Daisy,” Father replied. “She is the one who created the potions. I thought things would be easier to explain if I brought her along.” He told me quietly that this man was the Minister of Military Affairs.

The room immediately erupted into murmurs:

“Has the Deputy Mage Commander lost his mind?”

“Is he trying to sell off his own daughter?”

“Wait, that little girl is supposed to explain this?”

There were many such comments.

“Young lady, how old are you?” one of the men asked me.

“I am Daisy von Preslaria, five years old. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I replied, holding the hem of my dress and curtseying in accordance with proper etiquette.

“Five years old, with that comportment?” he said. “My own children could learn from you. I should introduce myself as well: I am Oscar von Woyrsch, Commander of the Knights.”

The Knight-Commander seemed impressed with my manners. After he introduced himself, he exchanged a glance with the Minister of Military Affairs.

“I find it hard to believe a five-year-old child is a potion maker, but for now take a seat, both of you,” the minister instructed.

Father and I obliged. I took a moment to observe the room and try to identify the most high-ranking person. I thought it was most likely the Minister of Military Affairs, who had granted us permission to sit.

“May I speak?” I asked, looking directly at him.

“Hrm, looking me straight in the eye?” he responded. “You’re a fearless one. Very well, you may speak.”

I nodded and took the potion, hi-potion, and mana potion samples from my satchel, then placed them on the table.

“My father informed me that the Order of Knights also wishes to obtain high-quality potions,” I said. “I’ve brought samples of my potions and hi-potions for you as well. Just like the mana potions, these have one-and-a-half times the healing effects of normal-quality potions.”

“O-oh!” I heard murmurs of shock, awe, and disbelief that a five-year-old could be capable of such a thing.

“May we conduct an Appraisal on these, Miss Daisy?” asked the Minister of Military Affairs, and I nodded. “Heinrich, confirm the quality of these three samples. You also have the ability to see who created the potions, correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

A young man, Heinrich, stepped forward and bowed his head. I gathered he also had an Appraisal skill like mine, but unlike me it seemed he could also identify who created the object.

That means different people can use Appraisal to see different things…

As Heinrich examined the potion bottles one by one, a new visitor suddenly arrived.

“I hope you don’t mind me joining in,” he said.

“Your Majesty!” Everyone in the room immediately jumped to their feet. I quickly followed their lead and stood as well.

Of course, there was only one man in our kingdom who could be addressed as “Your Majesty,” and that was the king himself. He had short, wavy blond hair and emerald-green eyes and looked barely a day past thirty.

“Ah, go ahead and take your seats,” he said. “I heard you were discussing the purchase of potions, and my curiosity got the better of me. Don’t tell me this little girl is the Alchemist?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” I said, curtseying politely. “I am Daisy, second daughter of Henry von Preslaria, and I am honored to stand in the presence of the king.”

The king looked astonished. “I’m surprised! You’re quite the composed little girl; the picture of a proper young lady well-trained in etiquette. Meanwhile, my son, who is about your age, keeps running away from his tutors. That’s quite the daughter you have, Viscount Preslaria!”

The king took a seat, still looking amazed, and I followed suit.

“Now then, what’s going on with the discussions?” he asked the Minister of Military Affairs.

“Your Majesty, we just finished conducting an Appraisal of the potion samples we received from Miss Daisy,” the minister said, bowing his head to the king.

“And what were the results?”

“The Appraisal confirmed that the potions, hi-potions, and mana potions are all of high quality, with 1.5 times the recovery effects of a normal potion. In addition, we were able to verify that Miss Daisy is indeed the creator of these potions,” Heinrich replied, prompting murmurs of astonishment and admiration to erupt throughout the room.

“A five-year-old with such skill… What extraordinary talent! This is incredible!”

“The Order of Mages wanted to purchase these potions as emergency supplies for particularly dangerous monster hunting expeditions, correct?” asked the Minister of Military Affairs.

Father and his superior nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“And Knight-Commander, your request was that if the Order of Mages was to make this order, then the Order of Knights would also like to order high-quality potions and hi-potions, correct?”

“Yes, sir,” the Knight-Commander replied.

“Miss Daisy, would it be possible for you to supply these potions regularly?” the king asked, looking at me.

“Yes,” I said. “All the herbs I use as ingredients are grown in my personal, nutrient-boosted garden, so there is no risk of material shortage disrupting a stable supply.”

“A nutrient-boosted garden? Is that the reason for the potions’ high quality?”

“Yes. The only ingredients available to buy in town are wilted and low-quality, which is why I decided to grow my own. I was able to create these superior potions using high-quality, freshly harvested herbs that were grown in nutrient-rich soil,” I explained.

The king nodded in satisfaction. “Your explanation is both logical and wise. And Heinrich’s Appraisal has confirmed you as the creator. Despite your youth, you determined that you needed your own garden to create superior products. Not only do you have technical skill, but your analytical thinking and ambition are truly exceptional.”

The king turned toward another man in the room, who didn’t appear to be a Knight.

“Minister of Finance, I approve the purchase of Miss Daisy’s potions. Work out the details and ensure she’s paid a price worthy of the quality of her potions.”

The middle-aged man that the king had addressed as the Minister of Finance bowed deeply. Then, His Majesty turned his gaze back to me.

“Daisy, your dedication to quality and your passion for Alchemy is quite remarkable, especially for your age. Is there anything you desire? Would you like a personal reward for your achievement, aside from the monetary one?”

A reward? I thought about it for a moment. Father looked slightly anxious, apparently wondering how I would respond.

“I currently only have beginner-level Alchemy textbooks,” I said. “If I may request a reward, I would be very grateful to receive more advanced study materials.”

The king nodded with approval.

“Our kingdom’s Alchemical knowledge is, admittedly, behind the times. To think that we have such brilliant young talent on our hands! I will grant your request; I’m sure it will be of great benefit to the kingdom.”

The king smiled, looking thoroughly pleased, before leaving the room.

Afterward, the terms of purchase were finalized. I agreed to provide three hi-potions and ten of every other type of potion per week. The price was set at three times the standard market rate in respect of their superior quality.

Regarding the difference between the market price and what the government would be paying, a potion normally cost one large copper coin, but mine would cost three large copper coins, or 3,000 lira. A hi-potion was one large silver coin, but I would receive three large silver coins each, or 300,000 lira. And finally, a mana potion was worth three large copper coins, but I’d be paid nine large copper coins for it, or 9,000 lira.

So, at just five years old, I was now earning 1,020,000 lira per week, equivalent to one large gold coin and two silver coins.

For context, the kingdom’s currency system was as follows:

1 lira = 1 iron coin

10 iron coins = 1 copper dime

10 copper dimes = 1 copper coin

10 copper coins = 1 large copper coin

10 large copper coins = 1 silver coin

10 silver coins = 1 large silver coin

10 large silver coins = 1 gold coin

10 gold coins = 1 large gold coin

10 large gold coins = 1 platinum coin

10 platinum coins = 1 large platinum coin

A room at a mid-tier inn without meals cost around five large copper coins per night. A commoner government official’s yearly salary was roughly four gold coins. So this was a huge income for a five-year-old. Even I was a bit surprised. I might even be able to afford that centrifuge I read about in a book with this amount of money!

The reason for the high rate was mainly the hi-potion, since it could reattach a severed limb if applied immediately. Naturally, it was considered incredibly valuable.

About a week after the meeting with His Majesty, the Alchemy books he had promised arrived at our estate. They included The Alchemy Handbook in three volumes—beginner, intermediate, and advanced—along with Delicious Dining with Alchemy, for a total of four books.

I didn’t request that last one, did I? Maybe the king is dropping a hint?

As Mother and I looked through the books together, she said, “We definitely need to send a thank-you letter!” She told me it was best to express gratitude right away.

“All I have to include with the letter are potions, though,” I told her.

“That’s precisely what His Majesty would expect from you. Why not send him some?” she suggested.

I took her advice and wrote a letter to express my thanks and wish for the king’s continued health, then sent it with a potion attached.

Since the income from my potion sales would be needed to support myself in the future and for the purchase of any expensive materials, Father decided to manage my earnings alongside the household finances. After all, it wasn’t like I could just stash it all in the little treasure box in my room!

***

Father had given me permission to expand my garden, but I had yet to get to work on it. Some of the plants had even begun to bud by now, which meant it was time to collect seeds and replant them.

Now that I had regular deliveries to manage, my weekly routine generally consisted of one or two days spent making potions and the rest tending my garden. The stonecrop I used for my nutrient solution turned out to be a species that propagated underground; even with frequent harvesting, it would take over my garden if I wasn’t careful. I needed to rearrange how things were planted.

My plan for next week was to spend a day or two making potions for deliveries and then devote the rest of my time to research. First, I would need to read the books His Majesty had given me, which meant I couldn’t develop anything new for a while.

I may have secured a steady source of income for the future, but my schedule was pretty busy for a five-year-old!

My first step was to consult with Dan about the expansion and layout of my garden. The stonecrop would need its own section since its underground root system could spread and interfere with the growth of other plants. Healing herbs, medicinal herbs, magical herbs, and mage’s herbs would be planted in a new shared section. The original plot would be harvested as much as possible before we tilled and replanted it.

Once we’d decided on the layout, it was time to prepare nutrient-rich soil for the two new plots. Since we had a limited supply of horse manure, it took two days to make enough. After that, Dan and I each tilled a new plot, which took another two days.

My muscles were incredibly sore the next morning, but thankfully I had a potion that could cure it instantly. Using high-quality potions just for muscle pain felt a bit extravagant, but I could easily replenish my supplies myself from my own garden.

Next, I needed to collect seeds from my plants. Some seeds were difficult to identify at first glance, but I sorted them out with my Appraisal skill.

Healing Herb Seed

Classification: Seed

Quality: High

Status: Plump seeds packed with nutrients.

Magical Herb Seed

Classification: High

Status: Plump seeds packed with nutrients.

Medicinal Herb Seed

Classification: Seed

Quality: High

Status: Plump seeds packed with nutrients.

Mage’s Herb Seed

Classification: Seed

Quality: High

Status: Plump seeds packed with nutrients.

The well-nourished plants in my garden had produced some good-quality seeds. I couldn’t wait to see what kind of plants they’d grow into! However, I did come across a few duds.

Mage’s Herb Seed

Classification: Seed

Quality: Poor

Status: Hollow inside. Probably won’t sprout.

Unfortunately, I had to discard those.

Sorry, little guys.

I planted the viable seeds in the freshly tilled sections, spacing them out carefully. The first sprouts appeared a few days after planting. Once they’d grown a bit, I culled them to leave only the strongest stems.

Magical Herb Sprout

Classification: Plant

Quality: High

Status: Eager to grow.

Magical Herb Sprout

Classification: Plant

Quality: Low

Status: Lacks the strength to thrive.

I Appraised the sprouts carefully as I decided which ones to keep. And by the time I finished planting seeds in my expanded garden, my sixth birthday was right around the corner.

Chapter 8:
My Sixth Birthday and New Friends

I FINALLY TURNED SIX. I DECIDED TO CHECK MY status with Appraisal for the first time in a while, and noticed a change.

Daisy von Preslaria

Second daughter of a viscount

Health: 45/45

Mana: 460/460

Occupation: Alchemist

Skills:

Alchemy: (4/10)

Appraisal: (5/10)

Wind Magic: (4/10)

Earth Magic: (2/10)

Water Magic: (1/10)

Conceal

Rewards and Crimes: None

Gifts: Protection of the Nature Spirit King

I’d acquired the Conceal skill, Appraisal had leveled up, and a new category called Gifts had appeared, listing the Protection of the Nature Spirit King.

What’s that supposed to mean?

Fairies and spirits were legendary creatures appearing in myths and stories, said to be small, adorable beings that flew freely through the air and used magic with the power of nature. I’d always wanted to meet one, but I was pretty sure I never had…

So how had I received the protection of one?

I remembered Mother had warned me once that my Appraisal skill could make me a target for kidnapping, so I quickly used my new Conceal spell to hide it.

Daisy von Preslaria

Second daughter of a viscount

Health: 45/45

Mana: 460/460

Occupation: Alchemist

Skills:

Alchemy: (4/10)

(Appraisal: (5/10))

Wind Magic: (4/10)

Earth Magic: (2/10)

Water Magic: (1/10)

(Conceal)

Rewards and Crimes: None

Gifts: Protection of the Nature Spirit King

Once I finished my morning routine and sat down to breakfast, I told my family that I had acquired the Conceal ability and used it to hide my Appraisal skill. Because of this, they granted me permission to go out whenever I wanted as long as I was accompanied by a maid.

Yay!

That same morning, I discovered the meaning behind the blessing from the Nature Spirit King while I was watering my garden. There were tiny green creatures with wings lounging on the soil and perched atop the leaves. The whole garden was full of them!

“Um…”

I was too shocked to form words. But before I could come to my senses, they called out to me.

“Daisy! You finally noticed us!”

“Took ya long enough!”

“You can say that again!”

They floated around me excitedly.

“Who are you?” I asked, puzzled.

“We’re the nature fairies, obviously!”

Right, of course. Fairies. Wait, what?! Fairies? Like the ones in legends and stories?!

“Goodness! We’ve been helping you this whole time and you didn’t even notice!” A fairy that looked like a little girl swirled around me.

“How were you helping me?” Since I hadn’t been able to see them before, I had no idea what they’d been doing for me, so I decided to ask the fluttering fairy directly.

“We pulled weeds for you!”

“And we got rid of bugs that ate the plants!”

Come to think of it, I’d barely done any weeding or pest control in my garden. I’d just assumed Dan was doing it for me. Apparently, it had been the fairies all along! I felt like the heroine of a storybook!

They told me they’d been around since I first helped Dan tend the rose garden. They found my carefully nurtured plants lush and comfortable to live among. Then, when I started my own garden, they followed me there, decided they liked it and wanted to move in, and settled in to help things along.

But since I’d never noticed them, the hard-working fairies got so frustrated they begged the Spirit King to let me see them. That was how I received his protection. The fairies were incredibly excited to finally be able to communicate with me.

“Thank you so much for helping me all this time!” I said. “Is there anything you’d like in return?” After all, it was only fair.

“No, we’re fine!” they replied. “We love your nutrient solution. Oh, do you have anything sweet?”

It seemed they loved sweet things but were satisfied just taking sips of the nutrient-infused water I used for the plants every day.

“Today’s your birthday, isn’t it? We have a present for you! Go ahead and fetch a basket!” one of the fairy girls suddenly announced.

I hurried off to retrieve one.

“Follow me!” One of the fairies floated ahead, leading me deep into the woods behind the house. I trailed close behind.

“We’re here!”

She stopped in front of a plant: a large bush full of ripe blackberries.

“Wow, there are so many!” I gasped in surprise. The fairy looked pleased by my reaction.

I filled my basket with blackberries and returned home. That evening, as part of my birthday dinner, we had dessert topped with generous amounts of fresh blackberry jam.

Before I went to bed, I secretly set aside a small dish of jam and left it beside my garden. I watched the fairies gather around, gleefully lapping it up.

***

My peaceful days as a six-year-old continued with my new friends at my side. On this particular day, I was eagerly flipping through Delicious Dining with Alchemy, one of the books given to me by the king.

I want to eat something delicious! I thought. Ooh, fluffy bread?! I bet Remus and Dahlia would love that. Even the name sounds yummy.

There was also a recipe called Danish pastries made using the same method as fluffy bread. I wondered what such buttery, flaky bread would taste like. The bread we normally ate was baked from kneaded dough made with wheat flour and left to ferment naturally. That made it totally flat and not fluffy at all. Honestly, it didn’t taste very good. But if this “fluffy” bread really was as soft as the book described, I was certain my whole family would love it.

According to the book, fluffy bread required yeast, which was created by fermenting fruit using Alchemy.

In that case, I’ll go pick some fresh blackberries from that patch in the forest the fairies showed me the other day!

Blackberries

Classification: Ingredient, Food

Quality: High

Status: Perfectly ripe, juicy, and sweet.

Just as I expected, the fairies had led me to top-quality fruit.

Next, I went to the kitchen for some honey.

Honey

Classification: Ingredient, Food

Quality: Good (+1)

Status: The hard-earned product of bees, gathered from the nectar of various wildflowers. Mildly sweet.

I filled a sterilized jar with water in equal proportion to the blackberries, then added two spoonfuls of honey. Then, I sealed the jar and gently shook it while applying Alchemical fermentation.

Yeast???

Classification: Ingredient?

Quality: Low

Status: Just honey water with blackberries floating in it. That’s all.

W-well, of course it is, I just got started. Why are you so harsh, Appraisal?

I continued the fermentation process and soon, tiny bubbles began to form.

Yeast

Classification: Ingredient

Quality: Low (+1)

Status: Trying to become blackberry yeast.

Well, at least I’m “trying.” That’s good.

I kept going and before long, the mixture became bubbly.

Yeast

Classification: Ingredient

Quality: Good

Status: Blackberry yeast that is fully fermented.

I strained the yeast through a clean cloth, leaving only liquid behind. Next, I needed to strengthen the yeast by cultivating it further. I poured the freshly made liquid yeast into a jar, added a bit of water, a slightly smaller amount of honey than before, and about the same amount of blackberries. I then sealed the jar and repeated the process.

Yeast

Classification: Ingredient

Quality: Good (+1)

Status: Blackberry liquid yeast which has just begun to ferment again.

I gave it a gentle shake, which seemed to kickstart the fermentation process a little.

Yeast

Classification: Ingredient

Quality: Good (+3)

Status: Blackberry liquid yeast which is almost fully fermented.

I gave it another shake. Almost there.

Yeast

Classification: Ingredient

Quality: High

Status: Blackberry liquid yeast. Fermented to maximum strength through cultivation.

I stopped there and strained the results through another clean cloth to collect the liquid residue.

I did it! Now, I just need to turn this into bread!

I took the jar of liquid yeast to the kitchen.

“Hi, Bob!” I greeted the head chef as I stepped inside.

“Hi there, Miss Daisy. What brings you here today?” he asked cheerfully.

“I’d like to make fluffy bread using this special yeast. May I use the kitchen for a bit?” I held up the jar and showed it to him.

“Fluffy bread? In that case, do you mind if I watch?”

“I’d love to watch too!” Maria, a member of the kitchen staff, joined in with Bob. Having them around would help since I wasn’t familiar with where everything was stored.

“Sure!” I said. “Thank you for allowing me. Would you mind preheating the oven for baking bread?”

“Of course!” Bob and Maria were more than happy to help me.

First, I mixed flour, honey, and a pinch of salt into a bowl, then added the liquid yeast and warm water until everything was fully combined. I followed the measurements exactly as they were written in Delicious Dining with Alchemy.

“The counter seems too high for you, Miss Daisy.” Maria noticed me straining to reach and kindly handed me a step stool.

“Thank you, Maria.” I gave her a grateful smile.

I kneaded the dough thoroughly, slapping it against the counter until it was smooth. Then, I kneaded in butter, working it into the dough until fully absorbed. I shaped the dough into a round ball and let it rest in a warm spot to rise on its own.

I wanted to speed up the process with Alchemical fermentation, but I held back for the sake of Bob and Maria, because I wanted them to be able to make this bread themselves.

Bread Dough

Classification: Ingredient

Quality: High

Status: Fully fermented and ready for degassing.

Hmm. Is it just me, or is Appraisal giving me more guidance now?

Bob and Maria were surprised to see how much the dough had risen. I followed Appraisal’s advice and pressed out the air in the dough, then divided it into twelve portions, rolling them into smaller balls. Then, I covered each one with a damp cloth to rest.

“Okay, now let’s bake them!” I asked Bob to handle the oven for me since I didn’t know how to use it myself.

“Make sure to leave space between the rolls, because they’ll rise even more in the oven,” I told him. Bob and Maria looked surprised to hear that the bread would rise even more.

As the dough baked, it doubled in size and became a beautiful golden brown. When they were done, Bob took them out of the oven for me.

“Now it’s time to taste it!” I said.

Bob and Maria hesitated, but I handed them each a roll. I tore my roll in half, and a gentle, fruity aroma filled the air.

Wow, I’ve never eaten anything like this before!

“Not only is it truly fluffy, but it smells incredible…” Maria murmured, totally captivated.

I took a bite, and the rich taste filled my mouth.

“Mmm, this is so good!” Bob said, thrilled. “I don’t think I can go back to the regular kind of bread after this!”

The fluffy bread had been a huge success! We set aside the remaining nine rolls to serve with dinner that night.

“Wait, this is bread?” Father picked up a round roll, looking perplexed.

“It sure is! It’s ‘fluffy bread’ made with Alchemy! It’s delicious, so please try it!” I urged, and my family all took bites of their rolls.

“Yum! It’s so soft!” Remus and Dahlia exclaimed.

“Goodness, it has such a lovely aroma! It smells like some kind of fruit…” Mother tipped her head to the side with curiosity.

“I used blackberries to make the fermenting agent, so I think that’s where the aroma comes from,” I explained.

“It truly is delicious. I don’t think I’ll want to eat another kind of bread after this,” Father said, sounding thoroughly pleased.

“This is the only bread I’ll ever want to eat again!” my brother and sister agreed in unison as they both reached for seconds. And in no time flat, my siblings had polished off all the leftovers.

Since everyone agreed there was no going back, fluffy bread became a staple in our household—a total success!

Afterward, I taught Bob and Maria how to use the special yeast to bake the bread. From now on, they would handle the breadmaking process for our family.

***

Since my family had liked fluffy bread so much, making liquid yeast became another part of my regular routine.

Hmm… It’s becoming difficult to manage all these tasks on my own.

I knew it was a good thing to be busy, but since I relied on Appraisal to judge the quality of my Alchemical products, I felt like I could only maintain that quality if I had help from someone with the same skill. Beyond anything else, without Appraisal it was difficult to explain exactly when and how to make certain adjustments to the process. That was why I’d put off the issue of finding someone to help me.

And honestly, who would want to apprentice(?) to a six-year-old Alchemist, anyway?

It weighed on my mind, but on this particular day I was out with Kate at the morning market to find ingredients for my next project. I’d even taken the morning off from magic training for the occasion.

As we walked through the streets, I kept thinking about needing to find an assistant. Just then…

“I’m not wasting my time apprenticing at a shop that only makes bad-quality products like this!” A boy around my age roughly threw open the door of a nearby shop and stomped out.

“Hey, don’t go around telling people my products are bad! I don’t need an apprentice like you anyway! You’re fired!” a man from inside the shop shouted angrily at the boy. A moment later, he threw out a small bag which I assumed belonged to the boy.

I glanced at the shop’s sign. It was an Alchemist’s shop!

Wait, how can he tell good quality from bad?

The words “bad-quality products” stuck out to me. I knew it wasn’t polite, but I decided to use Appraisal on him.

Marcus

Commoner, Oldest Son

Health: 50/50

Mana: 170/170

Occupation: Former Alchemist Apprentice

Skills:

Appraisal: (3/10)

Rewards and Crimes: None

He has Appraisal! And he’s an apprentice Alchemist! Or at least, he was.

This is it! I’ve found him!

As the boy picked up his bag, I ran over and grabbed his hand. Kate, left behind, looked completely baffled by what I was doing.

“My name is Daisy, and I’m an Alchemist,” I said. “May we speak for a moment?”

“Huh? A munchkin like you’s an Alchemist?” he scoffed. “What are you—wait, it’s true!” While at first he’d looked skeptical, he stared hard at me—probably using his Appraisal skill—then his eyes widened in shock.

And then his stomach growled loudly.

“…Are you hungry?” I asked.

His face flushed a bright red.

“I got into that fight with my master before I had breakfast, so I haven’t eaten yet.” He held his stomach with one hand and scratched his head shyly with the other.

“Kate, the food stalls aren’t open yet, right?” I asked.

Kate still looked bewildered but nodded. “Not yet, it’s too early in the morning.”

“I’d really like to talk to you,” I said to Marcus. “Why don’t you come to my house? I’ll make sure you get some breakfast. Can we, Kate?”

“I suppose we can ask Bob…” Kate relented with a nod.

With that, I gave up on shopping at the market today and took Marcus back home with us.

Once at home, I asked Marcus to wait in the foyer while I went to get permission from Mother to invite him in.

“Mother, I found a boy who I’d like to assist me with my Alchemy,” I told her. “But he was fired from his shop this morning and hasn’t eaten breakfast yet. May I invite him in and give him something to eat?”

Mother gave me a warm smile. “Of course you may, dear.” Then she continued with a slightly firmer tone: “But if he’s going to be assisting you, then your father and I will need to meet with him.”

Now that I had permission, I brought Marcus inside and led him to the kitchen. Bob wasn’t there, but Maria was.

“Maria, this boy here hasn’t had breakfast yet and is very hungry. Do we have anything he can eat?”

“One of the servants took the day off, so we have an extra portion of bread and soup. I’ll warm it up for him.” Maria hurried away to prepare the meal while Marcus and I waited at the servants’ table.

“What kind of bread is this?! It’s delicious!” Marcus was shocked at the bread Maria served. Ever since I introduced fluffy bread to the household, it had become a staple among both my family and the servants.

“It was made using Alchemy,” I said, watching him as he eagerly took another bite. “And I can make things like these too.” I pulled a potion and a hi-potion from my satchel and set them on the table.

“What? I’ve never seen potions this good! You made these?” Marcus stared at the potions in disbelief.

“Yep! I also make mana potions and supply them to the kingdom’s military.”

His eyes widened even further. “You’re a lot more talented than you look! Oh, I’m Marcus. I’m seven years old and, as you can tell, I’m just a commoner.” At last, he had finished his meal and could properly introduce himself.

“I already know because I used Appraisal on you,” I told him. “I keep it hidden, so you may not have seen it, but I can use Appraisal too. My name is Daisy and I’m six years old. It’s nice to meet you.” I gave him a smile, put the potion bottles back in my satchel, and took him outside to the garden. “This is my personal herb garden. I use Alchemy to make nutrient-rich soil for it. Try using Appraisal on the plants.” I stopped at one section of the garden and urged him to see for himself.

“You have ingredients this good? And you’re the one who grew them?” Marcus examined one plant after another with Appraisal, looking more astounded the further he went. “Every Alchemist I ever apprenticed under just used the wilted stuff they sell at the shops.” Then he muttered, “This is amazing! I’d love to make potions with these fancy healing herbs!” as he gazed enviously at my garden.

I figured this was my chance to make an offer. “Why don’t you come work for me, then?” I asked while he was absorbed in admiring the garden. “Then you could learn how to make high-quality potions instead of those bad ones.”

His face lit up for a moment. “But…can you even afford to hire me?”

I couldn’t blame him for being skeptical. I was only six, after all.

“Yes, I can,” I assured him. “Since I sell my potions to the kingdom’s military, I have enough to pay you. But I’m sure your parents will be concerned that your employer is only six years old.” That would certainly be a problem.

Just then, I heard a commotion coming from the entrance of the house. Father was only working a half shift today, and he’d just returned home.

I’ll go ask Mother and Father for advice!

I quickly led Marcus inside to speak with Father and Mother.

I explained everything to my parents.

“So Daisy, you want to hire this boy Marcus, but you’re worried that if a child makes the contract his parents will worry.” Father was seated on the sofa in the parlor, going over my concerns.

“Daisy has a point,” Mother agreed with a nod.

“Seb, do we have any vacant rooms in the servants’ quarters?” Father asked our butler, Sebastian.

Oops. I’d been so excited about hiring Marcus that I hadn’t even thought about where he would stay!

“Yes, we have an unused room,” Sebastian answered immediately. “It hasn’t been used in some time, so it would take about two days to prepare properly.”

“Marcus, would you be all right with living here?” Father asked. “While your job will be to assist Daisy, I’d be the one officially hiring you. Is that acceptable?”

Marcus looked nervous sitting before two nobles. Father smiled gently at him while he waited for his response. “Yes! I’d be grateful for the opportunity!” Marcus said with an enthusiastic bow.

“In that case, we’ll draft a proper contract later,” Father said. “By the way, Marcus, why are you already working at your young age? Are there some sort of circumstances at home that require you to do so?”

It wasn’t unusual for commoner children to work in our kingdom, but it was usually due to some sort of adversity, so Father seemed concerned.

“My father died in an accident two years ago, so it’s just my mother now,” Marcus said quietly. “But she’s too sick to work. I have a little brother and sister, and we won’t survive unless I make some money. I need to afford my mother’s medicine, too…” He had an anguished look on his face.

“Is your mother’s illness serious?” Father asked with concern.

“The doctor said she can only be cured with a hi-potion or the church’s Hi-Heal. That’s why I need money…”

Father stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“Daisy, do we have any hi-potions at home right now?”

“Yes,” I answered immediately.

“How about this, Marcus?” Father continued. “We’ll use one of Daisy’s hi-potions to cure your mother first. Her illness will only get worse if left untreated. I know you can’t afford to pay for the potion right now, so we can draft a deferred payment plan. You can repay in small installments withheld from your salary, with enough left for you to still live comfortably. What do you think?” He folded his hands and rested his chin on them, looking at Marcus carefully.

“You’d let me pay for something so expensive after I’ve used it? You’d trust me that much even though you just met me?” Marcus looked beside himself with shock.

“You were apprenticing at an Alchemist’s shop, weren’t you? Surely you could’ve stolen a hi-potion if you wanted. But you didn’t. You kept working hard instead.” Father gazed at Marcus intently.

“Father, I checked, and Marcus has no record of theft,” I said. I wanted to help his mother too, so I decided to vouch for Marcus.

Father nodded. “We’ll include it in the contract, then.” And with that, he moved to his study to draft one.

Marcus was so overwhelmed by Father’s decision, and the thought that his mother’s illness would be cured, that he buried his face in his hands and wept.

Later, Father returned with the written contract and explained its terms to Marcus, including his salary and the payment plan. As Marcus was still a child, his salary was reduced compared to that of an adult servant, but apparently it was still higher than what he had earned at any of his previous jobs. He seemed very grateful for his rate.

“Your room will be ready in two days,” Father said. “Can you be here at morning’s first bell in that time? Also, please have your mother sign her name here and bring back the signed contract.”

Now that Marcus had both the contract and the hi-potion for his mother, he left to return home.

Once he was gone, I turned to Father. “Father, I want to pay Marcus’s salary myself.”

“No, Daisy. It’s a parent’s job to cover any expenses needed for their child. Besides, this is an investment in your future; it shouldn’t be your concern. I’ll be adding the monthly payments from Marcus for your potion to your savings as well.” Father patted my head and then left the room.

Two days later, Marcus returned with the signed contract. He also brought a letter from his mother addressed to Father. Marcus excitedly shared the news that his mother’s illness had been cured; he was bursting with gratitude.

Later, Father told me what was written in the letter: It was a heartfelt thank-you for the hi-potion, and a mother’s concerned plea for us to take good care of her son.

Since Marcus had just arrived today, he would be under Sebastian’s supervision for the time being. New servants were expected to clean themselves up first. They would bathe, get a haircut if necessary, and dress in the appropriate clothing provided. Afterward, they were taught the household rules and given a tour of the estate, including the servants’ quarters. They also met the other servants during lunch, which was important. Of course, Marcus would be working almost exclusively with me, so his role was different from the others, but since he was officially joining the household staff, it was essential for him to attend Sebastian’s half-day training session.

After I finished my morning magic training, I considered what tasks to assign to Marcus. The most important thing was water; I would need to teach him how to distill it properly. If he could do that while I had morning magic training, it would make the day much more efficient. But glassware like distillers was expensive. Ordinary Alchemy shops in town probably wouldn’t let a first-year apprentice anywhere near them. I needed to explain how to use one properly first.

After that, I stopped by the garden and debated whether to let him handle the watering.

“Daisy, what’s wrong? Is something on your mind?” A nature fairy fluttered onto my shoulder.

“Well, I just got a new trainee, and I was wondering if I should have him take care of watering the plants,” I said, helping the fairy onto my fingertip so I could talk to her better. She sat there, perched.

“Hmm. Watering can be tricky, you know,” she pondered. “Too much water and the roots rot. Too little and they wither and die…”

“If only he could see you fairies like I can, you could help guide him so I wouldn’t have to worry,” I thought aloud.

“You mean, we should give him some direction?” The fairy suddenly perked up with excitement. Her hands were twitching, which was a little scary. “It’s our duty to encourage people to care for plants! Leave it to us, Daisy!”

Huh? But Marcus can’t see the fairies.

“How are you going to teach someone who can’t even see you?”

“We’ll make it so he can see us!”

And with that, the fairy girl vanished in an instant.

That evening, Marcus arrived at the garden after completing his day of training with Sebastian.

“What the…?! What are all those green things?!” Marcus let out a yelp and fell flat on his backside.

Apparently, the fairy girl and the Spirit King worked quickly, because Marcus could see the fairies in the garden now.

That was fast…

The fairy who’d spoken with me earlier flitted down to my shoulder and proudly puffed out her chest.

“Don’t worry, Marcus. They’re nature fairies. They help look after the garden,” I explained as I helped him up. “I’d like you to take care of watering the plants every morning and evening. You might not get the technique right at first, but…”

“We’ll train him properly!” The fairies interrupted, bursting with enthusiasm. “Now, let’s start with this evening’s watering! Come along now, this way! Let’s get the watering can!” The fairies swarmed him and started to take him away.

“M-Missy?” Marcus gave me a bewildered, pleading look.

“Good luck, Marcus! Hang in there!” I just smiled as the fairies carried him away.

Perfect! Now I don’t have to worry about the garden anymore!

“Hey! Don’t just dump the water all over the place!” I heard tiny voices call.

“You must spread it evenly and gently!”

“I thought you had Appraisal? Check the plants first to see how much water they need!”

The fairies sure sounded enthusiastic. It seemed like they were cramming a lot into his first lesson.

Maybe I should save the distilled water lesson for tomorrow…

For now, I decided to leave today’s education in the fairies’ hands.

The next morning, after my magic training lesson, I arrived at the garden only to find Marcus looking completely exhausted while the fairies flew around him, buzzing with excitement about their new student.

“Good morning, Marcus,” I said. “Thanks for watering the garden.”

“Yeah… The fairies sure were rigorous, but I pulled it off somehow…” Marcus chuckled with a shrug, glancing at the fairies that floated around the garden triumphantly.

“I’d like to teach you a new task today,” I said.

He gave me a puzzled look. “What is it?”

“Do you know what distilled water is?” I asked him as I unlocked the door to my lab.

“No, I don’t,” he said, shaking his head.

“Do you know what kinds of things are in normal water?”

Marcus frowned thoughtfully.

“All right, take this bucket and go get some well water, then use Appraisal to check what’s in it,” I said as I handed him an empty bucket and directed him to the well.

A short time later, Marcus returned, looking excited. “There’s all sorts of stuff in well water!”

Apparently, he’d never used Appraisal on water before.

“That’s right. That’s why we can’t just use regular water in Alchemy.” I asked him to bring the bucket inside and led him over to the table with all the glass equipment.

“Then what kind of water do you use?” He was clueless, even with the glass equipment in front of him. I figured he hadn’t been allowed to do any real Alchemical work in his previous apprenticeships.

“Well, the answer is right in front of you. Those tools are used to extract pure water, or distilled water.”

Marcus’s eyes widened as he looked at the equipment. He’d likely seen something similar before but never been allowed to touch it.

“Wait a second, you’re telling me you’re actually going to let me use this?” He sounded hesitant but excited.

“That’s right,” I told him. “Starting tomorrow, distilling water will be one of your morning chores.”

There were two chairs, so I took a seat in one and urged Marcus to sit in the other.

“I’m going to show you how to do it, so watch carefully.”

“Got it!” He nodded, his eyes sparkling with curiosity as he focused eagerly on the equipment.

“First, take a clean flask. Oh, a flask is this bottle with the round bottom and long neck. Fill it with well water and set it onto the distiller. Then, attach an empty, clean flask on the other end.”

I filled the starting flask with well water from the bucket and secured it onto the distiller.

“Next, we turn on the magical burner underneath the first flask, and the magical cooling implement above it.”

I turned on both devices. Gradually, bubbles began to form around the flask, then it filled with steam as the water reached a boil. Droplets gathered in the cooling unit, then trickled through the glass tube into the receiving flask. I pointed at the accumulated liquid.

“This is distilled water,” I explained.

Once most of the water had been distilled, I switched off the magical tools.

“Now, compare the water in both flasks.”

Water

Classification: Liquid

Quality: Good

Status: Pure, distilled water.

That was the water collected in the receiving flask. Now for the original flask:

Water

Classification: Liquid

Quality: Normal (-2)

Status: Water with concentrated impurities. Waste.

“The water separated into clean and dirty parts!” Marcus seemed very excited.

“Try to stay calm, because this is going to be part of your daily work,” I said. “Now it’s your turn.”

I put on thick gloves, removed the still-hot original flask from the distiller, and poured out the water. Then, I transferred the distilled water into a large pitcher to use for experiments.

“Now, I’ll show you how to clean the used equipment.”

I let the original flask cool, then poured in a bit of the distilled water from the pitcher, swirled it around, and then discarded it. I placed the flask onto a drying rack for clean equipment. I then picked up two fresh bottles and handed them to Marcus.

“Okay, now you try.”

Marcus took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, as if to calm himself down. He carefully followed the steps I’d shown him to set up the equipment for distilling the water. He did everything just as I’d demonstrated, successfully completing the task and adding fresh distilled water to the pitcher.

His cheeks flushed with excitement. This was the first time he’d truly done anything like Alchemy. It seemed like his chest was swelling with pride.

“Hey, Missy! Do you think you’ll let me try making potions one day?” he asked, his eyes shining with anticipation.

“Of course!” I said. “I’m looking forward to working with you!”

“So am I!”

We exchanged a firm handshake.

Chapter 9:
Let’s Make a Present!

THAT NIGHT, I BROUGHT DELICIOUS DINING with Alchemy into the sitting room to ask my parents a question.

“The king sent me this book along with the others. It wasn’t something I requested, so I was wondering if perhaps His Majesty has some kind of special interest in it?” I finally asked them what had been on my mind for so long.

“Hmm, I see why you would ask,” Mother said, thoughtfully resting a hand on her cheek. “Many people are curious about new and delicious foods.”

“Daisy’s fluffy bread is certainly delicious, but it’s a bit too simple to present to His Majesty.” Father frowned, deep in thought.

“What about a spirit?” Mother clapped her hands together as the idea came to her.

“Oh, that would be suitable. His Majesty does enjoy a good drink. If I recall correctly, he’s particularly fond of wine,” Father said, nodding in agreement.

But that means I can’t enjoy it myself!

“I’m still a child, so I won’t be able to sample it,” I told them. “Could you and Mother do the tasting for me?”

“We’d love to!” For some reason, Mother and Father seemed thrilled by the idea.

One day, after I arranged for wine barrels and other necessary supplies, I set out for the morning market accompanied by Kate and Marcus. We each carried a large basket, because we planned to buy a variety of grapes. Our morning schedule had been adjusted accordingly, and I asked Dan to take care of watering my garden.

Once we reached the main street, I noticed the central square was packed with makeshift stalls and bustling with energy. The excitement of the market was infectious.

“Kate, Marcus, look how lively it is here!” I twirled around in the middle of the plaza before making my way toward the fruit vendors.

“Looking for something, young lady?” called out a woman selling fruit.

“I’m here to buy grapes to make wine. Do you carry any suitable varieties?” I asked, looking over the colorful array of fruits on display.

“Well, if you need wine grapes, you should talk to Old Man Basso at the end of the row.” She pointed toward the back of the row of vendor stalls, where I saw an elderly man.

“Thank you very much!”

We made our way over to his stall. “Good morning!” I asked. “Do you have any grapes suitable for making wine?”

“Old Man Basso” looked up curiously at the sound of my voice. “You’re making the wine?” He peered at me, seeming puzzled.

“Yes, I want to make a special wine as a gift for someone very important,” I explained honestly.

“Well, in that case, I’ll help you pick out the very best varieties for a fine wine.” He made a noise of effort as he got to his feet and walked over to where his grapes were laid out.

“We have three baskets, so I’d like to buy three different kinds,” I said.

“Three kinds, hm? Well, in that case, I’d first recommend this one, called pino loire. It’s a local signature, and a perfect base for a delicate and refined wine.”

Grapes (Pino Loire)

Classification: Food, Ingredient

Quality: High

Status: Harvested at peak time for winemaking. When made into wine, it develops a sophisticated fragrance with notes of violet as it ages. Best enjoyed after letting breathe for a while.

“Next, there is this one called merolo, which has a fruitier body.”

Grapes (Merolo)

Classification: Food, Ingredient

Quality: High

Status: Harvested at peak time for winemaking. When made into wine, it has a smooth, robust taste with notes of blackcurrant and plum.

“And lastly, this here’s the grape used to make nettiolo, the king of wines. I have a special batch available today.”

Grapes (Nettiolo)

Classification: Food, Ingredient

Quality: High

Status: Harvested at peak time for winemaking. When made into wine, it develops a bold, regal flavor. Best enjoyed after letting breathe for a while.

Wow, I had no idea there were so many different kinds of wine! These unique grapes made me excited to get started.

“I’ll take all three, sir!”

We headed home with our baskets full of grapes. They were heavier than I expected, so I had to ask Marcus to take one of the basket handles so we could split the weight. That was the only way I could manage to lift it.

When we got home, the winemaking began.

Since we had three varieties of grapes, I asked both Marcus and Kate to help. The grapes in the baskets went into separate wooden barrels. We hadn’t washed them, because washing would reduce the sugar content and ruin the taste. But we made sure to wash our hands, of course.

“First, we need to remove all the stems,” I said.

We picked off all the little stems connecting the grapes together.

“This is pretty tedious,” Kate grumbled as she worked.

Next, we had to crush the grapes.

“Ugh, when is this going to end?” Now Marcus was grumbling too.

But despite their complaints, we managed to crush all the grapes and moved on to the fermentation stage, which seemed to relieve Kate. She took the opportunity to sink down into a chair to watch us work.

I added liquid yeast made from raisins into the barrel with the crushed grapes. Since blackberry season had ended, I’d had to start by using other fruits. Marcus had also learned how to use Alchemical fermentation so he could make the yeast himself, so I had him help with the next step, which was infusing mana in the same process.

Wine??? (Pino Loire)

Classification: Food, Ingredient

Quality: Low

Status: Crushed grapes. Only just begun to ferment. The yeast is hard at work.

Wine??? (Pino Loire)

Classification: Food, Ingredient

Quality: Low

Status: Crushed grapes. In the process of fermentation.

Wine??? (Pino Loire)

Classification: Food, Ingredient

Quality: Low

Status: Crushed grapes. Has begun to ferment into alcohol, drawing pigments and tannins from the skins into the juice.

The smell of alcohol was getting stronger.

We repeated the process for the two other grape varieties. Once fermentation was complete, we placed the mixture into large cloth bags and squeezed out the liquid to separate the skins and seeds. Then we transferred the filtered juice into three separate barrels.

Next was another round of fermentation.

Wine?? (Pino Loire)

Classification: Food, Ingredient

Quality: Low

Status: Fermented grape juice. Acidic and sour.

Wine? (Pino Loire)

Classification: Food, Ingredient

Quality: Low

Status: Fermented grape juice. Mellow, but lacking something.

The smell of alcohol was even stronger now and the acidity seemed to have reduced.

Now it was time for Alchemical aging. It was my first time trying it, so I was excited. According to my book, normally wine was aged naturally over a long period of time, but Alchemical aging used mana to achieve the same results much more quickly.

Will it work? I wondered.

Wine? (Pino Loire)

Classification: Food, Ingredient

Quality: Normal (-3)

Status: Fermented grape juice. The aroma of the barrel has begun to infuse into the liquid. The aging process will add further complexity to the flavor.

Wine (Pino Loire)

Classification: Food, Ingredient

Quality: Normal (-3)

Status: Freshly made young wine. Very acidic. Still lacking a depth of flavor.

Hmm, so wine with a complex taste was considered better? But shouldn’t I address the strong acidity first? I wasn’t confident, but I followed the book’s instructions and repeated the process for the other two wines before filtering out the impurities and then bottling them.

Once the bottles were sealed, we had six in all, including two of each type of ‘Wine?’.

Wine (Merolo)

Classification: Food, Ingredient

Quality: Normal (-1)

Status: Freshly made young wine. Tastes like simple fruit juice. Still lacking depth of flavor.

So it just tastes like sweet juice?

Wine (Nettiolo)

Classification: Food, Ingredient

Quality: Normal (-2)

Status: Freshly made young wine. Very tannic, or bitter. Still slightly lacking depth of flavor.

This one is bitter and has a simple taste…

My Appraisal skill kept mentioning depth of flavor, but everything I had made so far was simple. I wondered if that meant the next step, which was Alchemically aging the wine in the bottle, would create the complexity it needed.

This was where my method would differ from how wine was usually made. Most people in our kingdom drank wine soon after it was bottled, but I was going to age it even further first. I went ahead to the final step, which was applying Alchemical aging to the bottle. I wasn’t old enough to test things myself, so I just had to trust the book.

I started with the pino loire.

Wine (Pino Loire)

Classification: Food, Ingredient

Quality: Normal (-2)

Status: Freshly made young wine. Very acidic. Still lacking a depth of flavor.

Wine (Pino Loire)

Classification: Food, Ingredient

Quality: Normal

Status: A more settled wine. Still acidic, but complex flavors are starting to develop.

Wine (Pino Loire)

Classification: Food, Ingredient

Quality: Best

Status: Aged to perfection and ready to drink. Its scent contains notes of violet and raspberry, as well as a nuanced aroma reminiscent of leather. Let it breathe to mellow out its acidity.

Huh? Appraisal is practically complimenting me!

Next, I moved onto the merolo, which didn’t need as much aging.

Wine (Merolo)

Classification: Food, Ingredient

Quality: Normal (-1)

Status: Freshly made young wine. Tastes more like simple juice. Still lacking a depth of flavor.

Wine (Merolo)

Classification: Food, Ingredient

Quality: High

Status: A rich, fruity wine with notes of blackcurrant and plum. Smooth, balanced, and easy to drink.

So it doesn’t need to age anymore. I’ll stop here.

Finally, I moved onto the nettiolo.

Wine (Nettiolo)

Classification: Food, Ingredient

Quality: Normal (-2)

Status: Freshly made young wine. Very tannic, or bitter. Still slightly lacking depth of flavor.

Wine (Nettiolo)

Classification: Food, Ingredient

Quality: Normal

Status: A more settled wine. Still bitter, but complex flavors are starting to develop.

Wine (Nettiolo)

Classification: Food, Ingredient

Quality: Best

Status: Aged to perfection and ready to drink. A deep, regal wine, velvety smooth with a powerfully robust flavor. Fragrant with a refined finish. Let it breathe after opening to mellow out its bitterness.

The king’s wine is finished!

And with that, all three types of wine were complete.

“I did it!” I said.

At that, Marcus peered excitedly into the bottles and checked them with Appraisal, making a fuss. Meanwhile, Kate seemed not to have any idea what was going on. Now all that was left was for Father and Mother to taste them, since obviously a six-year-old couldn’t do the judging.

I gave Sebastian a note detailing the characteristics of each wine and asked him to serve them to my parents during dinners, as he was usually responsible for selecting the wine pairings for my parents’ meals.

“Oh? So these are the wines you’ve been working on, Miss Daisy?” Sebastian asked.

“I’m going to give them to His Majesty as a gift, but first I promised Mother and Father that they could taste them. I’ve also heard that wines pair best with certain foods, so I thought I should ask your advice.”

“Hmm, I see,” he said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “Fascinating, indeed. I imagine the fruitier merolo will be reminiscent of the wines your parents usually drink, but the other two sound intriguing as well. Let’s see… If these descriptions are accurate, the merolo would pair well with pork or strongly seasoned chicken. Since the pino loire is more delicate, it would suit lighter meats; perhaps chicken, or duck. As for the nettiolo, it sounds very rich, so it might pair best with pheasant or venison!”

Sebastian seemed like he was really getting into imagining all the different possible pairings.

“We purchase our fresh ingredients in the morning, so I’ll inform Chef Bob today,” he continued. “Starting tomorrow, your father and mother will sample one wine with dinner each night over the next three evenings.”

And with that, Sebastian took charge of the wine tastings.

THE FIRST NIGHT

Dinner was roasted pork with herbs, paired with the merolo wine. My parents took a sip and immediately praised its flavor.

“Mm. We often drink fruity wines, but this one is particularly well-balanced and deep. It reminds me of ripened plums,” Father said with a nod of satisfaction.

“I could drink this every day!” said Mother. “Even though it’s so fruity and full-bodied, I don’t think I could tire of it.”

Well, I don’t think I’ll be able to make it every day for you, Mother! I thought.

THE SECOND NIGHT

Tonight, the main course was duck confit served with the pino loire wine. But first, following Appraisal’s advice, we opened the wine beforehand to let it breathe. The moment we uncorked the bottle, the dining room filled with a fragrant floral aroma, causing quite a stir.

“What is that wonderful smell?” Father said as he and Mother entered the room, looking surprised.

“This is from Miss Daisy’s wine. It seems to have permeated the whole room after opening the bottle,” Sebastian explained, bowing slightly.

I’d come into the dining room too and was surprised by how good it smelled.

“A wine that can fill an entire room with such a lovely fragrance?” Mother said as she and Father exchanged astonished looks.

The wine received excellent marks from them as well after they tasted it at dinner.

“It has the scent of violets but with a fruity flavor that reminds me of raspberries. And there’s a subtle, gentle note of something at the end… It’s such a romantic wine. I love it!” Mother exclaimed with excitement.

“I agree,” Father said. “It does have a bit of acidity, but it still tastes smooth. It’s an incredibly fragrant wine.”

THE THIRD NIGHT

The final pairing was the nettiolo wine with sauteed pheasant.

“What a bold wine!” Father said. “The aroma is rosy and tart, layered with black cherries and herbs. It’s truly delicious. I think this one might be my favorite.”

“Normally I don’t care for heavy wines, but this one is surprisingly easy to drink. I still think my favorite is yesterday’s, though!” Mother said.

Since I couldn’t taste the wine myself (or rather, I wasn’t allowed to), I gauged my parents’ reactions over the three days. It sounded like a rousing success, but I wanted to ask just to be sure.

“So do you think this wine is good enough to present to the king?”

“Of course!” they chorused.

All right! I was so relieved to have my parents’ seal of approval that I let out a deep sigh.

Meanwhile, Sebastian had been “inspecting” the wine before serving it to my parents. (In other words, he was taking samples as well.)

***

The next step was to ask Father to arrange an audience with the king so I could present his gifts.

“Daisy, would you consider adding the fluffy bread to the gifts as well?” Father asked unexpectedly after returning home from work one day.

We moved the conversation to the sitting room.

“Huh? But I thought we decided bread wasn’t fancy enough for the king?” I asked as I sat down on the sofa.

“Well, I spoke with His Majesty’s chamberlain about arranging an audience, but the king himself happened to arrive at that moment. So I told him directly about your plan to present the wine. He said, ‘Is wine the only thing Daisy made from that book? Didn’t she make anything for herself to enjoy?’” Father leaned back against the sofa, looking a little weary.

“Oh, so that’s how you got onto the topic of fluffy bread,” I said.

Father nodded.

“His Majesty is married to the queen, of course, but they have two children, the first prince and the first princess, right?” I asked.

“Yes, their children are six and three years old.”

Fluffy bread would be a good gift on its own, but now that I knew the plan, I wanted to include something that the young royal children would enjoy even more than bread. Though the prince was the same age as me.

Father told me the audience was scheduled to be held in a week’s time, due to His Majesty’s packed schedule.

“In that case, I’m going to prepare eight loaves of bread, but half of them will be a little special,” I said. I sat on the stool in my lab and swirled a bottle of a liquid yeast I made with apples, discussing the matter with Marcus. We’d managed to pick some good apples that day.

“Hmm, something the prince and princess would like…” Marcus stared up at the ceiling, deep in thought. “Maybe something sweet? Should we roll the bread flat and put something on top of it? Or mix it into the dough? That sounds yummy, but not exactly special…”

“Bread… Something sweet…” I mused aloud. “When I think about those together, the first thing that comes to mind is jam.”

“That’s it! We should bake the jam inside the bread!” Marcus smacked the table excitedly. “Then when they take a bite, surprise! It’s filled with sweet jam in the middle!” He had a dreamy expression on his face as he imagined it.

“We need to have Bob and the others try making it!” I said.

Excited, we grabbed the liquid yeast and rushed to the kitchen.

That afternoon, we had Mother, Remus, and Dahlia taste the bread during teatime.

“Hey, there’s strawberry jam inside!”

“I got blueberry!”

“Mm, mine has apple jam with cinnamon! I’ve never had bread like this before.”

We had definitely succeeded in surprising them. However…

“Hmm, but it’s so dry without any tea,” Dahlia said, asking the maid for another cup of tea as she ate.

“Perhaps it needs more than just jam? Something that will keep it moist?” Mother suggested, agreeing that it needed a bit more adjustment.

Our first prototype needed improvement, which was a tad disappointing.

That evening, we gathered in the kitchen to discuss with Bob and Maria.

“Hm, it does kind of make you thirsty,” Bob agreed, taking a sip of water after his bite.

“We need to be careful if we add liquid, though. Too much will make the bread soggy,” Maria added, holding her cheek thoughtfully.

“If we’re set on including the jam, then whatever we add should be mildly sweet,” I said. “Pudding won’t work because it’s too firm. What about that smooth filling in tarts?”

“Custard cream?” Bob asked, tipping his head to the side.

“It’s so soft, though. Won’t it be difficult to bake into the bread?” Maria seemed skeptical.

“Wait, I know!” I pointed to the icebox, which was a storage device kept cool with large blocks of ice. “We can chill the custard cream on a tray to make it slightly firm. Then, we put it on flattened bread dough, add the jam on top, seal it, and shape it! Then we’ll have bread filled with custard cream and jam!”

“Let’s try that next! We’ll make it in time for tomorrow’s tea.” Bob and Maria agreed to the plan.

Since the following day was a weekend, Father was home in time for afternoon tea. I asked my family to try the newest version of our bread, explaining that it was meant as a treat for the prince and princess.

“Wow, there’s cream inside!” Remus took a bite first and exclaimed in surprise, the corner of his mouth smeared with custard.

“Ooh, the bread is a little softer now, too!” Yesterday Dahlia had complained the bread was dry, but she seemed to like this much better and took another bite.

“The custard isn’t too sweet, so I can enjoy it as well,” Father said with approval.

“This meets all our requests. It’s quite delicious,” Mother said with a warm smile.

We did it!

My family finished off the bread in no time. If my family all loved it so much, surely the young prince and princess would too.

With that, we had finished our menu for the royal audience.

***

The day of the royal audience finally arrived.

One thing I liked about occasions like this was that I didn’t have to wear one of my sister’s old dresses. I got a brand-new dress just for me. Today, I wore one made of light-green chiffon to match my apple-green hair, which had a delicate, flower-shaped hairpin made from aquamarine—the same color as my eyes.

“You look just lovely, Miss Daisy!” Kate said, her eyes softening after she helped me put it on.

Let’s do our best today! I told myself, feeling great.

Since the three bottles of wine were so heavy, Father carried them while I carried the bread, which was carefully packed in a brand-new basket and covered with cloth. With everything ready, we climbed into the carriage and headed to the castle.

The audience was to take place in a small chamber deep within the castle. Although it was an official audience, it wasn’t a grand event with other nobles there to observe. I wondered if that was in consideration of my age. A chamberlain led us into the room, where Father and I placed the basket and the wine onto the table and waited for the king to arrive.

At last, the king entered, followed by the queen, the first prince, and the first princess, who was being carried by a maid. A moment later, Heinrich, the man from before who had the Appraisal skill, also came into the room.

“I apologize for bringing so many people today. There’s no need to stand on ceremony—please, make yourselves comfortable,” said His Majesty, urging us to take a seat.

“The moment William heard there would be fluffy bread, he wouldn’t stop talking about it,” the queen said with a small, amused smile on her face as she made the young prince sit down properly.

“But, Mother, I can’t help it!” the prince pouted. “I’ve never heard of fluffy bread before! I have to try it right away!” He turned to speak to me. “Are you Daisy, the bread-maker?” He grinned as he stared at me with emerald-green eyes.

“Yes. Would you like to try some now?” I smiled at the prince and then looked over at the king and queen. I couldn’t offer it to the prince without their permission, of course.

The king nodded to Heinrich, and I removed the cloth covering the basket of bread. Heinrich carefully examined each piece, then nodded back to the king, signaling that the food was safe to eat.

“Daisy, may I take one for my son?” asked the king.

“Yes. I’d suggest one of these four here,” I said, pointing to the sweet bread.

“Which one would you like, William?” The queen steadied the prince as he eagerly leaned over the basket.

“This one!” He grabbed a piece with both hands. “Ooh, it’s so soft and squishy.”

The prince looked amazed, staring at the bread before eagerly taking a bite. The moment he bit into it, some jam and custard cream squeezed out from the sides of it and stuck to the corners of his mouth. It was an adorable sight.

However, the maid rushed over and quickly wiped it away with a handkerchief.

“Wow! It’s so soft and there’s some creamy filling inside, Father!” The prince exclaimed after chewing and swallowing.

“Do you like it, William?” The king gently patted his son’s head as he took another enthusiastic bite, watching over William warmly. The prince nodded, completely captivated by the bread.

Then, I heard a small voice say, “Cweam.” The tiny princess tugged on the queen’s sleeve, her babyish voice requesting her own piece of bread.

“Daisy, Margaret would like a piece as well,” the queen said, an apologetic look on her face.

The little princess was so cute, shyly asking for bread. I couldn’t help but smile and reply, “Of course!”

The queen took one of the sweet breads and tore off a small piece. “Goodness, it really is soft!” She seemed surprised by the texture. Then she scooped out a bit of the jam and custard from the center before offering it to the princess, who chewed it slowly, then swallowed with a soft gulp.

“Cweam so sweet!” A huge grin spread across her face. She was so adorable.

I’m so glad I included sweet bread for the prince and princess! I was incredibly happy they liked it so much.

Everyone in the room watched the children fondly. Then the king turned to us, looking apologetic. “Thank you for bringing such rare treats. Is there anything you’d like in exchange, Daisy?”

Hmm, there is something I want, I thought. Should I ask for it?

“Actually, I’ve been looking for a device called a centrifuge.”

“A centrifuge? I’ve never heard of such a thing,” the king said, looking puzzled.

“I’d be extremely grateful for any information regarding a shop that sells one, or a craftsman capable of making one,” I said.

I guess it’s no use. I’ve been searching everywhere and still haven’t found one.

“Daisy, what exactly does this ‘centrifuge’ do?” the king asked, curious about this mysterious machine.

“It separates things. Like cow’s milk, into thick cream and thinner liquid. If you mix sugar into the cream and then whip it, you can make something called Chantilly crème, which is supposed to be a rich, silky dessert. I read about it in a book, and, well…I’d really love to try it.” I felt like all I was doing was talking about food, which made me feel a little embarrassed, so I blushed.

“Hmm, I see. That certainly sounds like something worth trying,” said the king. “Don’t you think, darling?”

“Yes, I would be very curious to see this dessert,” the queen agreed.

“I’ll have someone investigate it for you. Give me a little time,” the king said.

After that, we chatted as the prince and princess ate their bread. Once they had finished, the audience came to an end.

A few days later, I received a letter from the king thanking me for the bread and wine. Along with his thanks, he wrote his detailed impressions of each wine’s unique taste and aroma. He told me that he and the queen spent a wonderful evening tasting and discussing each one.

I was so happy they had enjoyed the gifts.

After that, I heard that the king requested fluffy bread be included in the royal family’s regular meals. He added my Alchemical yeast to their regular orders, and by request, Bob and his kitchen staff instructed the royal kitchen staff how to make it into bread. Apparently, the young prince and princess were absolutely thrilled to be eating it instead of their regular bread.

Chapter 10:
My Seventh Birthday and New Friends

I HAD JUST TURNED SEVEN.

The king made good on his promise. After having someone track down a centrifuge, he gave it to me as my seventh birthday present. I was thrilled. Now I could finally make the Chantilly crème I’d been dreaming about!

I also received a gift from the Commanders of both the Order of Mages and the Order of Knights: a set of detox herb seedlings. According to Father, they’d recently gone on a monster-hunting expedition to a region where these medicinal herbs grew, and they had brought back these seedlings as a token of appreciation for my regular potion deliveries.

But how did they know I wanted seedlings? Oh, right. I did mention during the negotiations that I grow my own ingredients.

And so, my birthday gifts this year were a centrifuge and detox herb seedlings. Noble daughters like this really existed, and I was lucky to be one of them. Since I was still a child, I couldn’t go gathering ingredients by myself yet, so I was very grateful for these gifts; after all, not being able to gather ingredients myself slowed my potion-making progress. I had been given two seedlings. Once they adjusted to the soil and their quality improved, I could start using them right away.

Ahh, I wish I could grow up faster so I could gather ingredients myself!

I set aside my current complaints and sat down to write thank-you letters to everyone who had sent me gifts, making sure to include a potion with each one.

***

After I received the detox herb seedlings, a new ambition began to form. If I wanted to use them in a potion, why not try making a powerful antidote potion? A regular antidote potion could be made with detox herbs, water, and magical herbs. They were widely available in shops, but could only neutralize common poisons; there were some out there that those potions couldn’t cure. One was venom from high-level monsters. Another was the kind of strong poison made especially for assassinations.

A powerful antidote potion was needed to neutralize such poisons, but those could almost never be found on the market. In fact, few of them even existed. That was because one of the key ingredients was mandrake root. Mandrakes were extremely rare magical creatures that grew like flowers in the ground. If you tried to uproot one, it would let out a terrifying scream so powerful that anyone who heard it would die. I had a feeling what the Order of Mages and Knights truly wanted out of this gift was a powerful antidote potion. After all, normal antidotes were easy to come by. I planted the seedlings in an empty space in my garden, then sat down in front of them, letting out an unladylike sigh.

“What’s wrong, Daisy?” A green nature fairy fluttered over and landed on my shoulder.

“Well, I need mandrake root. But I’m still a child, so I can’t get permission to go hunting for them. And even if I did, wouldn’t their scream just kill me?” I sighed again, resting my chin on my hands.

“Wait, Daisy!” The fairy zoomed around me frantically, looking alarmed. “Mandrakes are a kind of fairy! You can’t just hunt them! You mustn’t kill them!”

“Wait, they’re fairies?” I replied. “Then they’re friends of yours, right? Well, that makes things even harder. Now what am I supposed to do?”

“Hmm, wait a minute. Let me see if I can do something about that!” With that, the fairy flew up high into the sky and disappeared.

A few days later, when I went to check my garden, I found two unfamiliar plants growing there. They resembled marguerite daisies, one with bright red petals, and the other blue. Both flowers had tiny, round faces at their centers. And those little faces were singing.

I was so stunned that I fell right onto my backside.

“Th-they have faces… They’re singing!” I pointed at them with a trembling finger.

“Nice to meet you, Daisy!” The blue flower talked! “We heard you needed us, so we came for you!”

“What a lovely garden!” Now the red flower was talking! “It was nice near the spirit tree, but we can burrow even deeper here! It’s so cozy!”

I sat there on the ground, dazed. All I could do was stare.

Just then, the same green fairy from before fluttered over. “See? I brought the mandrakes for you!” they announced proudly. “They really like the soil here. They said that once they’ve gotten used to it and their roots grow nice and strong, they won’t mind sharing a few with you!”

As the fairy spoke, the little mandrakes nodded their flower faces. “But make sure you don’t pull us out yourself, okay? We’ll share our roots with you when the time is right!”

“Yeah, if we get yanked out without warning, it might scare us, and we’ll start screaming.”

“Don’t do that!”

I learned that although they did scream when uprooted, it wasn’t actually fatal, only startling, and the mandrakes would use that moment of shock to use their roots as legs and run away. So there was no real danger to my family, which made me sigh in relief.

Later, I learned that the legend of their deadly scream was a total lie. Fairies had purposely spread the rumor a long time ago to discourage mandrake hunting.

Just like that, my garden was home to another set of unusual new friends.

Interlude:
A Disturbance in the Southern Forest

SHORTLY BEFORE DAISY’S SEVENTH BIRTHDAY, the Minister of Military Affairs received a report of unusual activity from the unit patrolling the southern region of the capital.

We have observed abnormal behavior from the monsters in the southern forest, it read. They appear to be in a state of heightened agitation. Some are even fighting their own kind. As a precaution, we recommend formulating countermeasures in case they approach the royal capital.

Once the castle received this report, the Minister of Military Affairs held a private discussion with His Majesty.

“What is your opinion on this matter, Minister?” the king asked.

“It may be too soon to make an official announcement to the public,” said the minister. “If we reinforce security around the capital discreetly, we can avoid unnecessary panic among the citizens.”

His Majesty nodded in agreement. “Yes, I think that would be best. Also, have someone confirm the whereabouts of Letia and Mark. Order them to return if they’re too far from the capital. They’ll be valuable assets in case of battle.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

And so, their confidential meeting came to an end.

Chapter 11:
Meeting the Nature Spirit King

I’D BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO MAKING Chantilly crème using my new centrifuge, so Marcus, Kate, and I went to the market in search of fresh milk.

The gentle, early morning sunlight shone down on us, and the sound of birds chirping filled the air. It felt like a refreshing yet ordinary day. Suddenly, a flock of birds alighted from the trees and scattered into the sky as if fleeing from something.

Hm? That’s odd…

And now that I looked more closely, it seemed like more guards than usual were patrolling the streets. Something seemed off, so I stopped to observe my surroundings.

“Miss Daisy, is there something the matter?” Kate asked when she saw me glancing around.

“Is it just me, or does the city feel unsettled this morning?” I said.

“Hm, I don’t really notice anything out of the ordinary,” she replied, seeming unconcerned.

Maybe I was overthinking things. I shrugged off the feeling and decided to focus on our errand. We continued toward the marketplace in the city plaza. By the time we arrived, the lively chatter and bustling crowds made my earlier anxiety seem like a distant thought.

“Fresh fruit, picked just this morning!”

“Vegetables here! You won’t find fresher vegetables anywhere else!”

Just then, a cheerful vendor called out to us. “Is that container there for milk, young lady? I raise all kinds of dairy cows, so I can get you the best milk!”

I had no idea there were different kinds of dairy cows. I exchanged glances with Marcus and Kate, and we agreed to purchase our milk from this vendor. She seemed knowledgeable and friendly.

“Good morning,” I said. “I’m looking for milk with lots of cream. I’m going to separate it to use in a recipe.”

“Oh, I see,” she said. “Well, in that case, you’ll want something rich and full-bodied.” She turned to consult with a man, who I assumed was her husband, before pointing to one of the containers. “This is from a variety of dairy cow called a red cow. They have hearty appetites and produce rich, creamy milk. That sounds perfect for what you need!”

“I’ll take—”

Just as I was about to agree, a man called out in a panic from the back of the row of stalls.

“What’s going on?” I looked around, only to realize that the marketplace had become strangely restless.

“Evacuation order!” Shouts rang out across the market, and vendors scrambled to pack up their stalls.

“Get home quickly, you lot! There’s an evacuation order!” the woman urged us.

The three of us exchanged anxious looks, and then…

“Stray monster approaching from the south! All citizens are permitted to take shelter in the noble district! Hurry northward immediately!”

“Soldiers who can fight, Knights, adventurers, prepare for combat! Quickly!”

The city guards began to shout, and the marketplace erupted into panic. Families fled with whatever belongings they could carry while others began to frantically collect their things.

“We need to get back to the estate,” Kate urged us, sounding panicked. We immediately began to run back home.

“Miss Daisy, prepare to evacuate, quickly!” Kate immediately took charge when we arrived home. I turned toward my room, intending to obey her.

But…

Should I really be running? That question stopped me in my tracks.

If monsters were coming, there would be fighting. And if there was fighting, there might be a lot of injuries. And of course, Father would be there. Father was strong, but you never knew what could happen.

I’m just supposed to hide and let people protect me while all of that’s happening?

Under normal circumstances, that was the right thing for a child to do. But though I was a child, there was something I could do.

That’s right! a voice in my heart cried out. I’m an Alchemist! I can help the injured! I can give rear support!

And if there was something I could do to help, then I would do it. Even if I got in trouble for it later, I wouldn’t budge. It would be better than not helping at all and regretting it later.

I turned and ran down the hallway in the opposite direction from where Kate was leading me.

“Miss Daisy, where are you going?!” Kate called.

“I just need to grab something important first!” With that excuse, I entered my father’s room.

I’m sorry for lying to you, Kate.

I swiped a large satchel from my father’s closet, then I sprinted toward my laboratory, careful not to let Kate see me. Once there, I grabbed every potion I could find—both the ones I’d made in advance and Marcus’s practice samples—and stuffed them into the bag.

“Marcus! A monster is coming!” I yelled. “We need potions, hi-potions, and mana potions. You remember how to make them, right? I need you to start making batches right away!”

Marcus had lived at the estate for nearly a year now, and I’d already taught him the basics of potion-making.

“Got it!” Marcus replied and quickly began gathering equipment and beakers. “But what about you, Missy?”

“I’m heading to the vanguard to pass out potions to the fighters! Once you’ve made enough, bring them to the southern gate!”

“The vanguard?! That’s too dangerous!”

I ignored Marcus’s attempts to stop me and ran toward the southern part of the city.

The southern gate of the capital was teeming with tough-looking grown-ups. I could feel the tension in the air. Suddenly, someone grabbed my shoulder from behind and yanked me backward.

“Hey! Kids don’t belong here!” It was a Swordswoman in black leather armor with beautiful, long black hair. Her obsidian eyes stared sharply down at me.

“I might be a kid, but I’m also an Alchemist!” I said, glaring back just as fiercely. “I came to provide rear support!” I opened my satchel and showed her the dozens of potions inside.

“Leave the kid alone and stop bullying her, Letia,” called out a man with messy brown hair who also seemed to be an adventurer.

“I’m not bullying anyone, Mark! She’s a child! She doesn’t belong here!” the woman replied, though she didn’t seem as angry as before. To me, she said, “You stay behind the gate, and if things get dangerous, you run. Understood?” With that, she disappeared into the crowd, likely heading for the vanguard beyond the gate.

The man named Mark roughly tousled my hair. “Don’t overdo it, kid,” he said, then trailed off after her.

“Open the gates!” shouted the commander, causing the murmurs at the gate to fall into a tense silence. “Everyone take your positions!”

The massive wooden gate swung open with a deep, groaning creak. Warriors, including Swordsmen, Heavy Knights, and Martial Artists, rushed out to either form the vanguard or guard the gates, while Mages and Healers took positions atop of the ramparts.

Beyond the open gate, I could see a thick cloud of dust billowing toward us, rising from the plains.

Something big is coming.

A shadow appeared, then froze in place. The vanguard seized the opportunity and surrounded it.

The monster had bloodshot red eyes that burned with rage, its huge body bigger than any human. Its sharp fur, capable of tearing through flesh with ease, stood on edge from anger. A gigantic horn protruded from its forehead, and fangs gleamed from either side of its mouth, ready to rip apart a human body in an instant.

This monster was a behemoth.

The warriors surrounding it stood their ground, gripping their weapons tightly as the behemoth stood on its hind legs, then let out a deafening roar.

The Mages struck first. “Ice Storm!” They cast a freezing attack aimed toward the behemoth’s feet, attempting to immobilize it. A layer of ice spread over its front legs.

“Did it work?” someone asked.

The behemoth stamped on the ground, easily shattering the ice, which crumbled to the ground in fragments.

“Heaven’s Thunder!” Next, a bolt of lightning crashed down from above straight at the behemoth’s head. It was a paralysis spell, meant to stun it. The monster froze, going completely still.

“Now!” Two Swordsmen ran for its hind legs, but…

Thud!

The behemoth kicked one of them right in the stomach, sending him hurtling toward the southern gate, where he lost consciousness. Blood flowed from his mouth, likely indicating internal injuries. The other swordsman was struck in the shoulder; he crumpled to the ground, his arm twisted at an unnatural angle.

“Someone heal them, now!” Someone called out an order, but the battlefield was too chaotic. The vanguard clashed with the behemoth, with fighters getting knocked back one after another. The Healers were desperately trying to keep up with the growing number of injuries.

“I have potions!” I shouted, rushing toward the injured swordsman leaning against the broken gate. I helped him drink a potion, then poured another over the shoulder of the other injured man, which had broken upon impact. At this point, my potions’ recovery effects were two times stronger than that of a regular potion.

“Huh? What? A kid saved me…?” The man with the stomach injury had regained consciousness. He wiped the blood from his mouth.

“How’s your stomach?” I asked him.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore…” he said. “Thanks, I owe you one.” He stood up and ran back into battle.

The swordsman whose broken shoulder had been mended moved his arm in circles, testing it. He gave me a bewildered look before thanking me and running back into the fray as well.

Then…

“I’m out of mana potions!” shouted a female Healer desperately.

“Here, use this!” I quickly grabbed a mana potion from my bag and tossed it up to her.

She drank the potion and gasped in shock. “Huh?! That completely restored my mana!” she said. “Hey, everyone! This kid’s potions are really effective! If you run out, go straight to her!” She pointed at me, and suddenly I felt everyone staring down at me from the ramparts.

And one of them was my father.

He looked stunned to see me. He probably thought this was the last possible place I would be. But I didn’t have time to explain before a soldier rushed up to me, asking for help.

“There’s a guy whose right arm got ripped clean off by the monster’s horn! Can you help him?”

I followed him to where the man lay on the ground, his severed arm nearby. He was very weak and barely conscious.

“I’ll do my best!” I quickly pulled out a hi-potion from my satchel. I placed the severed arm in its proper place, then dumped the potion over both the arm and the wound where it had been torn. The moment the potion touched his flesh, the bone, muscle, and skin knit themselves back together. Nerves and veins reconnected. Before long, fresh skin covered the arm, and it looked completely healed.

“Wow,” said the man who’d brought me over. “Does it hurt? Does it feel strange at all?”

The injured man moved his newly reattached arm to test it. “Not at all. It feels even better than before, and even my old scars are gone!” He gripped his sword tightly once again. “I owe you one, kid. I’ll repay this debt with that monster’s life!”

With that, he turned and ran back into the battle.

Afterward, I mostly stayed inside the gates, assisting those who ran out of potions or suffered severe injuries.

The battle against the behemoth dragged on and on. We struggled to gain the upper hand. The Knights, the Order of Mages, and adventurers all fought as one, but even with their combined might they couldn’t land a fatal strike against the legendary monster. The only advantage we had was that this particular behemoth was on the smaller side for its species.

No one had been able to break its greatest weapons, its horns and fangs; they couldn’t even stop it in its tracks. The ones putting up the toughest fight were the female Swordsman who had scolded me earlier, Letia; the Heavy Warrior named Mark; and the adventurer who had charged back into battle after I healed his severed arm. Father and the court Mages were doing their best to hold the line as well. As for me, I provided potions free of charge to anyone who needed them, to support them however I could.

“Inferno!” I heard Father’s incantation as massive flames swirled from his outstretched hands.

“Warriors surrounding the behemoth! Fall back immediately!” the commander of the Order of Mages shouted. The fighters at close range quickly withdrew as Father launched the spiraling flames straight at the behemoth. The inferno surrounded the monster, clinging to its body and searing its fur no matter how much it struggled. The stench of burning hair and charred flesh filled the air as the behemoth howled in pain and thrashed wildly, enraged.

By the time the fire finally burned out, the monster’s eyes had been scorched dry, leaving it blind.

“As expected of Lord Henry, the Scorching Calamity!” Cheers erupted from the Order of Mages, their morale surging.

Father has a nickname? I never knew that… He really is amazing. I gazed up at him in wonder, then offered him a mana potion.

“Thank you. We will talk about this later,” he said, taking the potion from my hands and giving me a look.

I knew it. I’m going to get the lecture of a lifetime…

“Arrghhh!” Our triumph only lasted a few moments before I heard a scream coming from the battlefield. The blind behemoth, now completely unhinged, began to rampage. Its huge horns and fangs were still intact, and now unable to see, it charged wherever it sensed a target.

“Watch out!” Mark lunged toward Letia, shoving her out of the way just before the behemoth charged through. Unfortunately, he was left vulnerable, and one of the monster’s fangs stabbed him deep in the gut.

“Nngh!” Mark clutched his stomach, his face contorted in agony as sweat dripped from his forehead.

“Mark!” Letia, who was unscathed, kept to the ground as she waited for the behemoth to pass. “I’m out of potions! You’ll have to hold on.” She made sure the area was clear, then threw Mark onto her shoulders before retreating inside the gates. “Somebody! Anybody! I need a potion!”

“I’ll take care of it! I have potions!” I said.

Mark’s wound was gruesome. Blood gushed from his stomach and pooled onto the ground. The smell of torn flesh and his insides spilling out made my stomach churn. I almost gagged, but I forced it down. This wasn’t the time.

“Kid, what in the world are you—” Letia began to protest.

“Yes, I am a kid!” I snapped. “But I’m also an Alchemist! And I can help!” At this point, I wasn’t sure whether I was telling her or myself. “His organs are damaged. I need to use a hi-potion.”

I pulled one from my bag and poured it directly onto his stomach wound. The potion worked instantly, restoring his damaged organs to their normal state and returning them securely inside of his stomach. Muscle, sinew, fat, and skin covered the wound like he’d never been injured at all.

“Haah!” Mark drew in a sharp breath, relieved that the pain was gone. He panted a few times, then his breathing gradually settled down. He was out of the woods.

“Mark!” Letia threw her arms around him as she trembled with relief. “I-I thought you were a goner…”

Mark reached up and patted her head. “Idiot. Who’s gonna keep an eye on you if I’m not around?”

Letia buried her face in his chest.

“Missy!”

I turned to see Marcus pushing his way through the crowd, running with a fresh batch of potions.

“Marcus! I’m running low! Start handing them out!”

He immediately did as I instructed and began passing out potions to those in need.

I looked at the injured warriors, then at the monster who was rampaging against those warriors, who were truggling to stay on their feet.

“Fairies, spirits… Great Spirit King!” I called. “Am I really only capable of standing by to heal the wounded?!” The faces of everyone whose injuries I’d treated flashed through my mind. I could heal them, but that was all. I couldn’t prevent them from getting hurt in the first place. And even though I knew they’d recover, I hated seeing them in pain. I could feel their pain like it was my own.

A tear slid down my cheek. It fell off my chin and dripped onto a leaf at my feet, so small it could be called a weed.

And then, a voice echoed in my mind.

“Daisy. Why do you cry?”

I felt a soft, yet commanding presence envelop me in a gentle, green light.

I looked up. “I can’t protect anyone and that frustrates me,” I said. “Is it because I’m still a child? I don’t know. But it’s just unbearable watching everyone suffer.”

I looked down at my outstretched hands and slowly curled them into fists.

I’m powerless. And I hate just standing here, watching them get hurt!

The green light gradually took the form of a tall man with wings made of leaves. His long hair flowed down his back, and atop his head rested a crown woven from branches with fresh, green leaves. A radiant green light shimmered behind him.

“Do not weep, Daisy,” he said. “You are not powerless, my beloved child. That creature has trespassed beyond the boundaries between man and monster to harm those who live here. I am the King of the Nature Spirits, your guardian. Your sorrow is my sorrow, and I shall lend you my strength.”

“The Spirit King?” I stared in astonishment. The Spirit King nodded once and gently cradled my face with one hand, his gaze softening. His large, warm palm soothed the turbulence in my heart.

Suddenly, the trees, the grass, and every living thing around me as far as the eye could see burst into a radiant green light. Towering trees covered in thick, thorny vines shot up from the earth and all surged toward the behemoth at once. The vines coiled tightly around the behemoth’s massive body, holding it captive. The more it struggled, the tighter the vines constricted, their thorns tormenting it by piercing deep into its thick hide. Before long, even its horns and fangs, its deadliest weapons, were useless.

“Now!” The Order of Mages and the adventurer Mages unleashed a flurry of spells. Though the behemoth endured the attacks, the vines regenerated and pursued the monster.

“This is for Mark!” Letia leapt to her feet and dashed forward, jumping high into the air. She used the whole weight of her body to drive her sword deep into the monster’s forehead. A sickening crack! echoed across the battlefield as her blade shattered the behemoth’s skull and destroyed everything inside.

Vanquished, the monster collapsed with a thunderous impact, sending up a great cloud of dust. The vines that had bound the monster loosened and sunk back into the earth without a trace.

“Daisy, my beloved child. You needn’t cry anymore. Farewell…” said the Spirit King.

“Ah!” I gasped and reached out to stop him.

He brushed away the tears from my cheeks, then warmly kissed my forehead before fading away, as if disappearing into the air itself.

The behemoth had been defeated, and peace returned to the capital. The warriors sighed in relief, some collapsing onto the ground while others slumped against the rampart walls. Laughter and cheers of victory rang through the air. Marcus and I ran through the battlefield, handing out potions to those who needed them.

Suddenly, I felt strong hands gripping my shoulders. A Knight I didn’t recognize stared down at me.

“Are you a Saint?” he asked. “Before the vines seized the behemoth, you were glowing with this brilliant, green light. Did you protect us? Were you the one who saved our kingdom?”

Everyone around us who could hear turned to stare at me.

“Excuse me.” Father pushed his way through the crowd and came over to me.

“Fath—!”

“Hush.” He placed a hand gently over my mouth. “I know this girl. I’ll make sure she gets home.”

Obviously, no Knight would dare object to the Deputy Mage Commander. Father took me by the hand and whisked me away from the battlefield.

After we made sure the Knights would escort Marcus home, Father and I boarded a carriage and headed for the castle. We rode in silence for a while before he finally spoke.

“Why did you come to such a dangerous place? Do you have any idea how terrified I was when I saw you there?” Father gave me a bonk on the head, but then… “Oh, I’m so glad you’re safe! I was so worried that something might happen to you!” He sighed deeply and pulled me into his arms. His hands were trembling. I could feel in his embrace the fear he must have felt when he saw me on the battlefield, and then the relief that I was unharmed…

“I’m sorry for worrying you, Father,” I apologized. As I felt his love enveloping me, I regretted making him worry. I closed my eyes and hugged him back.

After a while, he slowly pulled away. “We can discuss everything in detail later. First, I need to ask you something about what that Knight said. Daisy, are you a Saint?” His expression was very serious as he studied my face.

“No,” I said honestly. “I only have the protection of the Nature Spirit King. Wait…”

The moment I said it, something didn’t feel right. The Spirit King had said, “My beloved child.”

I needed to check for sure, so I used Appraisal on myself.

Daisy von Preslaria

Second daughter of a viscount

Health: 50/50

Mana: 525/525

Occupation: Alchemist

Skills:

(Appraisal: (5/10))

Alchemy: (4/10)

Wind Magic: (4/10)

Earth Magic: (3/10)

Water Magic: (2/10)

(Conceal)

Rewards and Crimes: None

Gifts: Beloved Child of the Nature Spirit King

“Before, I only had his blessing,” I said. “But just now, I checked with Appraisal and it says ‘Beloved Child of the Nature Spirit King.’ I think it happened because I felt so powerless. I was watching so many people get hurt, and it was unbearable not being able to do anything about it. I was so frustrated that I started crying, and then the Spirit King appeared before me. He heard my wish and granted it!”

“I see…” Father said. “Daisy, I want to protect you. That’s why I need to know how you really want to live your life, before anyone else discovers this. I’m your father, and I want to understand what you truly wish for, so I can protect that wish.”

He gently brushed his hand against my cheek before letting it fall to clasp my small hand with his large, warm one.

“With the gift of Beloved Child of the Nature Spirit King, you could sit on the throne of any kingdom you wanted. No, rather…people might fight to control you and seek to use you for their own gain. That’s what worries me so.”

His expression was serious, and his eyes were full of concern for the overwhelming blessing I had been given.

“You shouldn’t have to worry about such things at your age,” he murmured quietly, biting his bottom lip.

“Father, my future is already decided. Please don’t worry so much about me.” I smiled up at him and gently touched his lip. “If you keep biting your lips like that you’re going to make them bleed.”

His expression softened slightly. “And what exactly do you mean by your future is already decided?”

“My wish is to become an independent Alchemist in the kingdom and establish my own workshop. I want to open it in the commoner district so that anyone can visit, regardless of status. I have more than enough money to afford it already. Isn’t that right, Deputy Mage Commander?” By deliberately addressing him by his title, I hinted that I was making a business negotiation.

“You’ve been thinking about this ever since you started making deliveries to the kingdom, haven’t you? If it weren’t for the burdens given to you on your Baptism Day, maybe you could’ve grown up more like your brother and sister, had more of a childhood. Maybe I was too harsh, forcing that on you then.”

I heard a tinge of regret in Father’s voice, but I shook my head firmly. “No, Father. It’s because you and Mother showed me that path that I am who I am today. If I’d just wallowed in despair over the outcome of my Baptism, I wouldn’t have become anything. I never would’ve dreamed of having my own workshop. But now I have a future to dream about. One I can pursue. And that’s because you and Mother guided me that day.”

Father listened to me carefully, then nodded. “In that case, as your father, it’s my duty to support your dream to the fullest.” He opened his arms wide and welcomed me into an embrace.

“Thank you, Father. I love you!” I threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly.

***

Some time later, I stood in the royal palace’s throne room. In front of me, the king sat upon the throne, surrounded by the prime minister, the ministers of finance and military affairs, the Commander and Deputy Commander of the Knights, and the Commander of the Order of Mages. My father, the Deputy Commander of the Order of Mages, stood by my side.

We’d briefly stopped at home to change into formal attire before returning for an audience with the king. Even though I was a child, I was still expected to wear a formal gown, but since I wasn’t used to such clothing, I kept worrying I’d trip over it.

Honestly, I felt completely out of place. I knew why I was here, but still.

“First of all, you have all done well defeating the monster,” praised the king. “A legendary behemoth was brought down before it could take a single step inside the capital’s walls, without a single civilian life lost. Every single person who fought against it is the pride of this kingdom.”

“We are unworthy of such praise.” The military officials bowed in unison.

“However, there were those who lost their lives in battle. Their bravery shall be honored, regardless of their rank or status, and no expense shall be spared in supporting their bereaved families. Understood, Minister of Finance?” The king looked over at the minister.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The minister bowed deeply.

“And now…Daisy von Preslaria.” The king addressed me next.

“Yes, Your Majesty?” I held up the hem of my dress and dipped into a formal curtsey.

“I’ve been told that despite your youth and the dangers of the situation, you took it upon yourself as an Alchemist to distribute potions free of charge to those in need. Your selfless spirit and compassionate heart are truly commendable. Thanks to your efforts, the number of casualties was far lower than it might have been otherwise. You have my deepest gratitude.”

“I am unworthy of such praise, Your Majesty.” I curtseyed again.

“Now, Daisy, I must ask you about the mysterious vines that bound the monster. I have heard rumors that that was your doing. Is this true?” The king studied my face.

“No, Your Majesty,” I said honestly. “It wasn’t exactly me that did it. All I did was grieve that the behemoth was making people suffer. The Nature Spirit King heard my lament and acted. The vines were entirely his doing, and I was but a bystander.”

“The Nature Spirit King, you say?” he asked. “And what is your connection to him? Why would he take pity on your sorrow?” It seemed my explanation wasn’t enough to satisfy him.

“Since there are so few people here, I will speak of it,” I said, lowering my face. “The reason is because I am the Beloved Child of the Nature Spirit King.”

It would’ve been easy to keep this a secret, but I hated lying. Plus, I thought that revealing the secret now might work to my advantage. But most of all, Father had promised to protect me, so I knew everything would be okay. It had to be.

The next moment, everyone except me and my father began murmuring fervently.

“Is this true?” His Majesty asked. “This is a very serious claim. I would like to confirm it with Appraisal. Will you consent?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” I answered without hesitation.

The king sent a messenger to fetch Heinrich.

“I came as quickly as I could,” Heinrich said as he entered the chamber, bowing to the king and the gathered officials.

“What you are about to learn here is to be kept under the strictest confidence,” the king said sharply. “Anyone who speaks of it outside of this room will receive severe punishment.” Everyone present nodded quietly.

“Heinrich, use Appraisal on Daisy von Preslaria and confirm whether she is truly the Beloved Child of the Nature Spirit King.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Heinrich stepped forward and stared intently at me. Then he fell to his knees and bowed his head. “Miss Daisy is without a doubt the Beloved Child of the Nature Spirit King,” he reported.

“What?!”

“A child blessed by a Spirit King himself, in our very own kingdom?!”

A wave of not only shock but joy rippled through the chamber—after all, it was the Nature Spirit King. A kingdom with a Beloved Child of the Nature Spirit King meant that the land itself would flourish under his blessing, bringing endless prosperity.

On the other hand, however, if the Beloved Child were to suffer misfortune, the Spirit King would whisk them away for protection in the Realm of Spirits, and the kingdom they left behind would be forsaken. The fertile lands would wither, and the region could turn into a barren desert.

The king rose to his feet. As he descended the steps, his red mantle trailed behind him. He stood before me for a moment, then dropped to one knee and bowed his head.

“Please stop, Your Majesty!” I pleaded, feeling panicked.

“I can’t,” he replied, shaking his head. Still kneeling, he looked up at me. “For this moment alone, allow me to kneel before you for the sake of my kingdom and my people, and ask you to hear my request. Beloved Child of the Nature Spirit King, I ask that you remain in this kingdom and love it as your own. And, as its king, I swear that I will protect your wishes without fail.”

The young king gazed at me, a strong light shining in his emerald eyes.

“My dream is to someday become an independent Alchemist and open my own workshop,” I said. “I might travel sometimes to gather ingredients and materials, but the place I will always return to, and the kingdom that I will always love, is this kingdom, where my father, mother, and siblings live.” I looked up at my father standing beside me. His warm hand tightened around mine, giving me the strength to voice my final request.

“The only other thing I ask is that I continue to be treated just as an Alchemist. I have no other wishes.”

I looked back at the king; he shook his head with a chuckle. “Truly, you are a selfless soul.”

Having the king himself kneel before me was too strange to deal with. “Your Majesty, please return to your throne,” I pleaded. “I’m only seven. This is too much for me to bear.”

“Please, Your Majesty,” Father pleaded as well. “My daughter’s knees are trembling so badly she can hardly hold her posture.”

That broke the solemn atmosphere and everyone began to laugh, including the king. He rose and returned to his seat, then he made a declaration. “Miss Daisy, I have heard your wish. I promise to watch over you from afar, so that you may build the workshop you dream of in peace.”

The post-battle debrief had come to an end.

Father and I were preparing to board the carriage home when I noticed something. Near the palace entrance was a sign that said “Bereaved Check-in.” Mark and Letia, the warriors I had assisted in battle, stood there with a young beastfolk girl about my age. She had soft pink hair, white cat ears, and a white tail.

“Father, may I have a moment? There’s someone I want to speak with,” I said, stepping away from the carriage.

“Oh, it’s you.” Letia was the first to notice me.

“Hey, that’s the girl who saved me! Thanks for everything you did back there!” Mark waved at me excitedly. Unlike Letia, he seemed like an open and easygoing person. “I’m Mark. This is Letia, and this here is Miina.”

“I’m Daisy,” I said with a smile.

“You’re a noble, huh?” Letia looked me up and down. “Yet you showed up on the front lines to hand out potions. What were you thinking?” Her shoulders slumped in exasperation.

“Well, I got quite the scolding for it,” I said, sticking out my tongue and slumping in the same fashion. “What are you doing here?”

Letia and Mark exchanged glances as Miina lowered her gaze.

“My mother and father were adventurers,” Miina said, her voice trembling. “They were fighting at the southern gate today, but…” She began to weep, her tears spilling to the ground and forming small circles in the dirt.

Father came up from behind me, probably curious about what I was doing. “Pardon me for interrupting,” he said, speaking in a calm and gentle voice as he knelt to Miina’s eye level. “I’m Daisy’s father. Young lady, you say you lost both your parents in the battle?”

“Yes. Papa and Mama eloped and became adventurers, so now I don’t have any family at all…” Her emotions overcame her and she began to sob loudly.

Father gently rubbed her back. “Miina, do you have anywhere to go?” he asked softly.

She tearfully shook her head. Letia and Mark’s gazes fell to the ground.

Miina, I’m sorry for peeking, I thought before using Appraisal on her.

Miina

Commoner, Orphan

Health: 25/25

Mana: 50/50

Occupation: None

Skills:

Cooking: (4/10)

Laundry: (3/10)

Cleaning: (3/10)

Water Magic: (1/10)

Fire Magic: (1/10)

Rewards and Crimes: None

Then I discreetly whispered into Father’s ear, “She doesn’t have a criminal record. She has a natural talent for housework, especially cooking.”

Father nodded.

“Miina, you’ll need to either go to an orphanage or find another way to support yourself,” he said to her. “But if you’d like, why not come to our home to take some time to rest and decide what you want to do? If you can manage housework, you could work in our household as a maid. Or, when Daisy establishes herself, you could work for her. And if neither of those options appeal to you, we can help you find somewhere else to go. What do you say?”

Mark and Letia brightened visibly at Father’s proposal, apparently relieved. Miina, on the other hand, seemed overwhelmed and unsure of how to respond.

“I am Henry von Preslaria,” Father continued. “I serve our king as a noble. Your parents gave their lives for this kingdom, which makes them heroes. I would never do anything to harm their child. Why don’t you stay with us until you’re ready to decide what comes next? There’s no need to be shy.”

Miina hesitantly glanced back and forth between Mark and Letia. The two of them gave her a reassuring nod. That must have convinced her, because her drooping white tail slowly lifted.

“I-I don’t know anything about proper etiquette, but I’ll do my best to learn. Please take care of me.” She bowed politely to my father, who smiled and patted her head gently.

And so, Father and I headed home with Miina.

On the way back, Father instructed the driver to stop by Miina’s home so she could gather any belongings she might need. Father explained the situation to the landlord while she was inside getting her things. He arranged for Miina’s home to be left untouched for the time being and paid the rent in advance for her. She would need time to process her loss and decide her future; having somewhere for her parents’ belongings would help her preserve those memories until she was ready to move on.

After that detour, we finally arrived home. The first thing Father did was call for Seb and inform him of Miina’s circumstances and living arrangements. For now, she would be considered a guest and would stay in one of the guest rooms. Although she was a commoner, she was now under Father’s care, and Sebastian explained this to her as he guided her to her room. He reassured her that she should make herself at home.

***

That night at dinner, since I, Miina, was considered a guest, I sat at the dining table with the entire Preslaria family.

I don’t even know proper table manners. I’m so nervous…

My white tail drooped, twitching restlessly as I struggled to keep my nerves in check.

“Here’s your bread,” a maid said gently, waving a pair of tongs toward my plate. I’d never seen bread so perfectly round before. As it passed under my nose, I could smell a hint of fruit.

My tail shot straight up with curiosity, its tip flicking in little circles. Wow, I wanna try it! Is it really okay? I glanced around at the Preslaria family members. They all reached for their own bread, so I picked mine up as well.

So soft! The bread easily squished under my fingers.

“Miina, doesn’t the bread look good?” Daisy’s older brother Remus asked me. He was a little older than me, with light-blue hair and gentle eyes like his father, Lord Henry. His expression was warm and kind.

“This is called fluffy bread. Daisy made it using Alchemy!” her older sister Dahlia explained. She had apple-green hair and eyes like their mother and was very cheerful.

“It’s best when it’s still warm, so go ahead and eat it!” Daisy, the inventor of this mysterious bread, gave me an encouraging smile. She’d inherited her apple-green hair from her mother and aquamarine eyes from her father.

“All right, then.” I tore off a small piece, and a soft, fruity aroma wafted toward me. “Wow, it smells so good…” The scent was entrancing. Then I popped it into my mouth.

Mm, so fluffy! My tail began to wag furiously. Ack! I need to stop! This isn’t proper behavior at the dinner table! Also, I think Remus is laughing!

“U-um, this bread is delicious!” I said, blushing and bowing my head. “I-I was so happy that my tail started moving on its own. I’m sorry for my poor manners.”

Lord Henry chuckled and shook his head. “There’s need to worry.”

“Exactly. No need to be so formal,” Lady Roselia said with a smile.

“So, Daisy, you mentioned wanting to try making another kind of bread?” Remus said, directing the conversation away from me.

“That’s right!” Daisy said. “There’s a recipe in one of my books for a ‘Danish pastry.’ It’s supposed to be crispy bread! I really want to try making it!” Her face glowed with excitement as she imagined it.

“Crispy bread sounds strange, but I’d love to try it,” I said, tipping my head to the side. I couldn’t even imagine what that might taste like.

“Why don’t you join Daisy the next time she bakes bread, Miina?” Dahlia suggested, clapping her hands together like she’d just had a great idea.

“That’s a wonderful idea!” Daisy said. “Miina, would you like to bake with me?”

“Yes, I would! I love to cook, and I’d love to learn how to make it!” I felt new excitement inside of me. Just yesterday, I’d been drowning in sadness, but now I had something to look forward to—and it was all thanks to the kindness of the Preslarias.

From that moment, I could truly relax and enjoy the meal and the conversation.

***

After Miina and I talked with Bob and Maria, who worked in the kitchen, we decided to try making the Danish pastries tomorrow. The four of us would be baking together.

First we needed to roll out butter with a rolling pin. It was important to keep it cold, so we placed a smooth stone slab into the icebox to chill along with the butter itself. Meanwhile, the butter to be mixed into the dough was left to soften at room temperature.

Maria prepared a stepping stool for me, and I climbed onto it. I took out the chilled stone slab and dusted it lightly with flour, then retrieved the cold butter from the icebox. The next step was to flatten it into a thin sheet, then fold into thirds before shaping into a square.

But wait… This is way too hard! It won’t flatten at all!

“Bob, the butter’s too hard. I can’t roll it out!” I called.

“This part is a bit much for you, Miss Daisy. I can take care of it.” Bob smiled and took over, pressing and shaping the butter with practiced ease. I noticed Miina watching his movements closely. I wondered if she would be able to do it; she was good at cooking, but wasn’t this tough work for girls?

Bob expertly handled the butter, keeping it cold as he shaped it. “I’ll go ahead and put it back in the icebox,” he said, carrying the whole slab.

“I’ll do the next step myself!” I declared, determined.

I took a deep breath and climbed up to the counter. I poured flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl and mixed them well, then added the butter and mixed again. Next, I combined some milk, water, eggs, and liquid yeast, and then quickly stirred it all to incorporate everything. Then I turned to Miina, who was seeing this for the first time.

“This is liquid yeast made with Alchemy,” I explained. “It’s what makes the bread soft and fluffy.” I handed her a bottle; she peered at it curiously, watching the bubbling liquid inside with fascination.

Once the dough was well mixed and no dry flour remained, I placed it onto the counter and shaped it into a smooth ball. I covered it with a damp cloth and let it set at room temperature for about an hour to rise.

Making bread involved a lot of waiting.

When it was finally done rising, I punched the air out of the dough, flattened it slightly, wrapped it in another damp cloth, and let it rest in the icebox overnight.

This is taking forever!

The next morning, we all woke up before sunrise. I wanted to serve Danish pastries for breakfast.

First, we preheated the oven so it would be ready whenever we needed it.

“May I try kneading today?” Miina asked, her fluffy white tail swishing with curiosity.

Ahh, she’s so cute! And so, I left this morning’s dough-making up to Miina. She put on an apron, and Bob and Maria supervised while we prepared breakfast.

Miina rolled out the dough to the same size as the slab of butter Bob had prepared yesterday. She placed the butter diagonally in the center on top of the dough and rolled it out to three times its length, folded it into thirds, rotated it, then repeated the process several times until the dough was ready.

Her technique was very neat and precise compared to my usual improvised methods, and her movements were more efficient. I guess cooking skill really does make a difference! I thought. She’s so ladylike… I’m jealous.

“This is actually quite difficult,” Miina said, though her tail was still wagging happily. Just watching her tail swaying with excitement made me feel the same.

After we let the dough rest, we cut it into long, evenly sized triangles and then, starting from the wide end, rolled each one up. Once they were all arranged on the baking tray, we once again covered them with a damp cloth and let them rise.

“These pastries are such strange shapes,” Miina said, drying her hands before joining us at the kitchen table. “I wonder why we’re supposed to roll up the dough like that?”

“We’re mixing so much valuable butter into the dough. I wonder how it’ll turn out,” Bob mused, looking a bit concerned.

Yeah, I hope the Danish pastry turns out…

We chatted until it was time to put the pastries in the oven. We brushed the tops with an egg wash and finally put them in!

“Whoa!”

After all that waiting, the baking part was done in a flash. The dough puffed up into delicate, crescent-moon-shaped layers and baked into a perfect golden brown, filling the air with the rich aroma of butter. Miina peered into the oven, her tail wagging nonstop.

Once they were done, we pulled them out and tore one in half to taste-test.

“Wow, it’s so crispy!” A huge smile spread across Miina’s face.

“But the inside is so soft,” I said, amazed by how the dough stretched and pulled apart.

“The flaky crust sticks to your hands, though,” Bob said.

“We should set out finger bowls, then,” Maria suggested. “I’ll tell the head maid.” She wiped her hands on her apron before stepping out of the kitchen.

When the rest of the family woke up, the scent wafting from the kitchen piqued their curiosity.

“It sure smells wonderful in here this morning,” Father said.

“But it’s different from the fluffy bread,” Mother noted, tilting her head.

“That’s right!” I said. “Today we’re trying something new!”

“Ooh, the Danish pastry!” Dahlia exclaimed. “I’ve been looking forward to this!”

Everyone took their seat at the table and Miina and I took off our aprons to join them. Finger bowls had been added alongside our usual table settings.

“A bread that requires finger bowls? That’s a first,” Remus said, intrigued.

Finally, the freshly baked Danish pastries were served.

“According to my Alchemy books, pastry is the general term for this kind of bread,” I explained.

“Let’s try Daisy’s newest creation then,” Father said, which signaled the start of breakfast.

Everyone picked up a pastry.

“Oh, it crumbles in your mouth,” Father said after taking a bite.

“But the inside is so soft,” Mother said, pulling hers apart.

“The buttery flavor fills my whole mouth! I love the crispy texture!” Dahlia gushed. She seemed to really enjoy the pastry.

“There are so many layers to the dough,” Remus observed. “But it does leave crumbs on your fingers, so that explains the finger bowls!” He seemed curious about the layering process.

In the end, the Danish pastries were a huge hit. Everyone devoured theirs. Miina and I exchanged glances and huge grins.

Chapter 12:
Let’s Make Strong Antidotes!

ONE DAY, I WAS OUT IN THE GARDEN WHEN I heard a mandrake calling me.

“Daisy! Daisy!”

Hmm? I knelt in front of the mandrakes.

“Our roots are ready for you! Do you need them?” asked the blue one.

“Thanks, Mandrake. I’d love to have them,” I said with an eager nod.

Suddenly, three thick roots emerged from the soil. The mandrake scrunched up its face and then, pop! Pop! Pop! They shot out of the ground and landed in the dirt.

Wait, what? I thought you had to cut and dig up the roots?

“Whew, that was a lot of work!” said the mandrake. “Go ahead and take them!” Oblivious to my doubts, it looked satisfied, like it had just finished a tough job.

“U-um, thanks! I’ll go ahead and use them!” I was still a little bewildered, but I quickly picked up the roots and thanked the mandrake again. I also plucked some detox herb leaves and went to find Marcus so we could start making the potions together.

Hm? Where is Marcus, anyway?

I ran into Kate as I was searching for him. “Kate, have you seen Marcus?” I asked.

Kate touched her cheek with a troubled expression. “Marcus was scolded by Sebastian for calling you ‘Missy’ so informally instead of a proper title like ‘Miss Daisy’ or ‘Young Miss.’ He was ordered to clean every bathroom in the mansion as punishment.” She pointed down the hallway, where I saw Marcus rushing to clean the next bathroom, only to be stopped and scolded by Sebastian.

“No running in the hallways!” Sebastian barked. “Keep your back straight! You must conduct yourself properly as a servant of House Preslaria!”

I walked over to Sebastian. “Thank you for your hard work, Sebastian. Will Marcus be training with you for a while?”

Because if that’s the case, I’ll need to adjust my schedule to allow for his regular tasks.

“Yes, I was just about to inform you, Miss Daisy,” Sebastian said with a polite bow. “Aside from the regular duties you have already assigned him, I intend to teach him proper etiquette. Considering that he may serve you in the future when you’ve established your own household, it would be beneficial for him to improve his skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic. I’m terribly sorry for not addressing this earlier.”

I did feel a bit bad for Marcus, but I supposed it would be necessary in the long run. If he lacked proper manners, or made mistakes in financial calculations by the time I was independent, I wouldn’t be able to keep him in my employ—especially considering my plans to serve a wide range of clients, including nobles and government officials.

I wanted to be kind, but discipline was important. Perhaps part of me had been soft on him because we were so close in age.

“Very good, Sebastian, you’re absolutely right. Thank you for your consideration. I’ll leave Marcus in your care,” I said.

With that matter settled, I headed to the lab by myself.

Once inside the lab, I gathered all the equipment and beakers I would need. Marcus had distilled more water earlier this morning.

Hang in there, Marcus. I closed my eyes briefly and sent him some silent encouragement.

“All right, time to focus,” I told myself. “This is my first potion-making attempt in a while, and I’ll be using the mandrake roots to attempt a powerful antidote potion!”

I enthusiastically got to work. I’d been waiting so long for these mandrake roots, and it was my first time using them as an ingredient.

I’m going to make a potion you can’t get anywhere else in this kingdom!

First, I took a small bite of the detox herb to check its bitterness.

“Hmm, this one isn’t bitter.” That meant I didn’t need to salt or soak the leaves before using them. I chopped them up finely along with a single mandrake root, then added the cuttings into the distilled water along with a mana stone before beginning the heating process.

Powerful Antidote Potion???

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Low (-3)

Status: The active ingredients have barely been extracted.

After a little while, the bubbles began to grow larger.

Powerful Antidote Potion

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Low (-2)

Status: The active ingredients are diluted.

As more time passed, the mixture began to bubble occasionally.

Powerful Antidote Potion

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Low (-1)

Status: The root’s active ingredients have not been fully extracted. This is nothing more than a poor version of a normal antidote.

Huh? This is worse than a normal antidote? That’s just mean, Appraisal!

According to Appraisal, the active ingredients in the leaves had been fully extracted, but not those in the roots. However, based on my previous experiments, if I continued boiling the mixture, the detox herb’s active ingredients would probably be ruined. Still, I decided to try it anyway.

As the liquid reached a rolling boil, the finely chopped detox herb began to dissolve into a thick, ominous looking green sludge. Whoa! I immediately switched off the heat.

Industrial Waste

Classification: Trash

Quality: Useless

Status: Just throw it away. It looks vile.

Well, that was a resounding failure! Ha ha ha…

***

While Daisy was busy struggling with her potion experiment, the royal castle was in complete chaos, and had been since early that morning.

“Someone, call the court Physician! He must be treated immediately!”

That morning, Prince William, the king’s only son, had collapsed. Both the king and queen rushed to his bedroom. The young prince lay in bed, his complexion tinged purple. Occasionally, he would clutch his stomach in pain. The queen wept as she stayed by his side, holding his tiny hand.

“How is his condition?” the king pressed the Physician in a panic.

“Your Majesty, it appears he has been poisoned,” reported the court Physician. “Fetch an antidote,” he ordered his assistant, who searched through the medicines before producing a vial.

“Again?” The king muttered bitterly, his face twisted with anguish. Although they took every precaution, this was not the first time his son had been poisoned.

The young king had only one queen and had no desire for another, but there were many nobles pressuring him to take a second wife. Moreover, the king had half brothers sired by the previous king. As a result, the prince had become an obstacle to those seeking to be the next king themselves and to the nobles who wanted their daughters to become queen and birth the next king.

The queen collapsed into sobs, overcome with grief. She wished it were her instead; her young son suffering again and again was unbearable. If the prince had a younger brother, it might discourage those scheming to usurp the throne. She’d wished for another son, but so far they’d had no success. She lamented her own powerlessness as a mother.

“We shall now administer the antidote,” the court Physician announced before bowing to the king and approaching the prince’s bedside. He brought the potion bottle to the prince’s lips—the same potion they always used whenever the prince was poisoned. It was produced with strict quality control, ensuring it was suitable for the royal family.

And the prince should have recovered like usual. However…

***

Meanwhile, back in my lab, I stared at my failed experiment. I told myself I should learn from my failures.

Yeah, I just need to refocus… I know! I should write everything down in my notebook to keep my thoughts organized. I can document the best extracting conditions for each ingredient.

1. Detox herb: No preprocessing required, but boiling ruins the active ingredients. (Confirmed.)

2. Mandrake root: Needs to be boiled? (Unconfirmed.)

3. Mana stone: Has not acted as a catalyst. The ingredients haven’t been fully extracted yet, though. (Unconfirmed.)

First, I needed to determine the extraction temperature for the mandrake roots. I finely chopped another mandrake root and placed it into a fresh beaker, added distilled water, and started heating it.

Mandrake Essence???

Classification: Potion Base

Quality: Low (-3)

Status: The active ingredients have not been extracted.

Larger bubbles began to form as more time passed, but even as it approached the boiling point, nothing changed. Then, as it finally reached a rolling boil, the bits of mandrake root began to dance in the bubbling liquid.

All right! It’s safe to boil it! I’ll keep going.

Mandrake Essence

Classification: Potion Base

Quality: High

Status: The active ingredients have been fully extracted.

After simmering it for a while, I managed to extract the essence!

Ah, I see! The detox herb and mandrake roots have different optimal temperatures for extraction and quality preservation!

I went ahead and revised my notes.

1. Detox herb: No preprocessing required, but boiling ruins its active ingredients. (Confirmed.)

2. Mandrake root: Must be boiled to extract properly. (Confirmed.)

3. Mana stone: Has not acted as a catalyst. The ingredients haven’t been fully extracted yet, though. (Unconfirmed.)

So I should extract the detox herb and mandrake roots separately, then mix them together and use the mana stone as a catalyst to transform the ingredients. The temperature must not reach boiling after combining them, but other factors remained unclear.

All right, I’ve got my plan, I said to myself. Just then…

Bang! The lab door burst open loudly.

“Father?” I turned in surprise to see my father standing there. He should still be at work.

“Daisy, have you made an antidote potion yet? You received detox herbs for your birthday, right?” he asked urgently. He was panting and must have come in a hurry.

“Yes, I was just experimenting with making a powerful antidote potion, but…”

“Then finish it immediately! Thank goodness we’ll make it in time!” Father exclaimed, as if everything had already been decided.

But just because I was experimenting didn’t mean I could make it just yet. I was still in the trial-and-error phase and having someone suddenly barge in completely threw off my concentration.

Still, Father clearly had his reasons. He seemed in a hurry, so whatever was happening must be urgent. For now, I needed to get him to calm down.

“Father, I’ll bring the finished potion to you as soon as it’s ready. Can you please wait in the sitting room?” I urged him out of the lab and shut the door quietly behind him.

Now, where was I? Try to remember…

I took a deep breath and looked down at my notes. Ah, yes. My plan was to extract the detox herb and the mandrake root separately, mix them together, and then add the mana stone as a catalyst to trigger the reaction. I’d just finished making mandrake root essence, and the next step was to make the detox herb essence.

I took out a fresh beaker, added finely chopped detox herb and a small amount of distilled water, and began heating it up. I switched off the heater right before it came to a boil, which successfully extracted the active ingredients.

Detox Herb Essence

Classification: Potion Base

Quality: High

Status: The active ingredients have been fully extracted.

Good; so far everything was going according to plan. I had to remain calm. I added the mana stone to the detox herb essence, then poured in the mandrake root essence, which had cooled significantly. Then, I carefully began to stir.

Powerful Antidote Potion???

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Low (-3)

Status: The active ingredients have not yet reacted with each other.

The reaction didn’t seem to be progressing much at this temperature, so I carefully increased the heat. Just as I expected, there was no drop in quality so long as I kept it below boiling. I raised the heat to that point and then kept it steady.

Powerful Antidote Potion

Classification: Medicine

Quality: Low (-2)

Status: The active ingredients are starting to interact with each other.

All right, I think this should work if I just keep it up…

I slowly stirred the mixture with my rod, watching it closely. Then, the liquid inside the beaker began to sparkle!

Powerful Antidote Potion

Classification: Medicine

Quality: High

Status: Cures all types of poison. However, it has no effect on other status ailments.

“Yes, it’s done!”

Since Father was in such a hurry, I quickly used Water magic to fill a basin with ice water and submerged the beaker to cool it rapidly. Once it was chilled, I strained the liquid through a cloth and poured it into multiple bottles. Of those, I grabbed two and rushed to the sitting room where Father was waiting.

“Father, I did it!”

“Great job, Daisy!” Father picked me up and nuzzled his cheek against mine. “I’m taking Daisy with me to the castle!” he called out. Then, still carrying me, he made his way toward the carriage.

“Father, I need my usual satchel,” I said.

Kate overheard and quickly grabbed it for me.

“Thanks, Kate.” I put the new potions into my satchel and slung it over my shoulder.

Father and I boarded the carriage and raced to the castle. He explained the situation on the ride over: The first prince was suffering from a slow-acting but powerful poison, and his life was in danger.

Once we arrived at the castle, we had to make our way to the prince’s bedroom, which was quite far—it was located deep in the castle within the royal family’s private quarters.

“It’s too far for you to run all that way,” Father said, then lifted me with one arm and hurried down the halls.

“I am Viscount Preslaria, Deputy Commander of the Order of Mages!” Father said to the guards stationed outside the prince’s room. “Please inform His Majesty that we have acquired the medicine!” One of them knocked on the door, then went inside and relayed the message. Moments later, the king’s voice granted permission, and we were ushered inside.

“Oh, Daisy! Is it true that you’ve brought the medicine?” His Majesty looked desperate for anything that could save his son, who seemed on the verge of death.

“Yes, I’ve made a powerful antidote potion,” I said. “According to my Appraisal, it is effective against all poisons.” I curtseyed and took the potion from my satchel, then gave it to the king.

“Summon Heinrich,” said the king. “Of course I don’t doubt you, but we must verify to be sure.” The king took the potion from my hands as he gave his orders. The soldier nodded and rushed away.

Before long, Heinrich arrived and hurried into the room. “Which item requires my Appraisal, Your Majesty?”

“This one,” the king said and handed the potion to Heinrich.

Heinrich studied it closely for a moment before announcing the results. “I’ve confirmed that this potion can cure all manner of poisons!” Heinrich looked stunned. It was only natural, since the potion he was holding was thought to be impossible to obtain.

“Your Majesty, we must have His Highness drink this at once!” the elderly court Physician urged the king, who nodded firmly and handed the potion over to him.

The Physician uncorked the potion and approached the prince who lay weakly in bed. He gently cradled the boy’s cheeks to coax his mouth open and began slowly feeding him the potion.

“This will ease your suffering, Your Highness. Please drink.” The prince obediently swallowed, his throat bobbing up and down as he did. Soon, the sickly purple tint to his complexion began to fade and his color returned to normal, although still a bit pale. However, he suddenly grimaced in pain, clutching his abdomen as he continued to take shallow, painful breaths.

Huh? It didn’t work? But I’d been completely confident. The Appraisal had confirmed its effectiveness, so why wasn’t he recovering? I was totally confused.

“Father…” I said. Have I made a mistake?

Anxious, I reached out to grab Father’s coat. He responded by covering my hand with his own and squeezing it.

“What’s going on?! Why isn’t he healing?” the king, panicked, asked the Physician in a sharp, desperate voice.

“Please remain calm, Your Majesty. The poison itself has been cured,” the Physician soothed. “Pardon me for a moment, Your Highness.” He began to press his bony, wrinkled fingers against different parts of the prince’s stomach, carefully feeling for any sort of abnormality. When he reached a soft area at the center, the prince winced with pain.

“Did you find something?” the king asked urgently.

The Physician nodded. “His Highness is suffering from prolonged exposure to poison, which has severely damaged his stomach. A hi-potion should heal the internal injuries, which will lead to a full recovery,” he said with a bowed head.

The king and queen finally looked relieved and hopeful.

“Treat him at once,” the king said as he smoothed his son’s hair, damp with sweat, away from his forehead.

“Of course, Your Majesty.” The Physician signaled his assistant, who quickly pulled out a hi-potion. He slowly made the prince drink once again, which the prince did obediently. Before long, his breathing became deep and regular, and the pink began to return to his cheeks.

His eyelids opened slightly as he looked around the room.

“Father, Mother…” He reached out his arm and the queen clasped his hand, pulling the prince into her arms.

“Oh, William! Thank goodness! I was so afraid we’d lose you!” She collapsed into sobs, overwhelmed with relief that her precious son’s life had been spared.

The king stroked her back gently to comfort her. I let out a deep sigh of relief that I had been able to help.

“Court Physician Madra and Alchemist Daisy, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your service, not as a king, but as a father.”

“We’re not worthy of such praise, Your Majesty,” we both said, bowing our heads.

***

Once the prince’s condition had stabilized, Father and I were summoned by His Majesty to a separate room. In it waited nothing but a table and chairs.

“You must not tell anyone what I am about to say,” the king warned, causing Father and I to sit up straighter.

What could he have to say to just the two of us?

“Daisy. Is it possible for you to create a truth serum?” the king asked me.

“A truth…serum?” I echoed uncertainly. I’d never heard of such a thing before.

Father explained it in simpler terms for me. “When you have someone drink a truth serum and ask them questions, it makes them tell the truth.”

The king told us they had a good idea of who was poisoning his son, but without proof they couldn’t arrest whoever was behind it. This time, the poison had a delayed effect, allowing the prince’s life to be saved, but if it had been fast-acting, we might not have made it in time. That was why the king wanted to use a truth serum on the suspect and bring the true culprit to justice to protect the prince.

I thought I’d seen something like that in one of my Alchemy books, but it wasn’t called a truth serum. “There was something similar in one of the Alchemy books that you gave me, but I don’t think I can get the ingredients,” I replied honestly, and the king nodded.

“I didn’t expect an answer right away. Once you return home, consult your books and see what you need. Then give me your reply,” he said. “But first, I wanted to express my gratitude for today. Please accept this.”

His Majesty reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pouch made from a lovely lavender fabric, placing it before me.

“Pardon me,” Father said respectfully before picking it up on my behalf and opening it. He took out the item from inside and placed it in his palm for me to see.

It was a single platinum coin.

Father gasped. I just stared with curiosity, because I’d never seen a platinum coin before. It looked so fancy.

“Your Majesty, surely this is too much for a single potion…” Sweat dripped down my father’s forehead.

But the king shook his head. “This isn’t payment for the potion. It’s a reward from a father for saving his child’s life.”

Well, I couldn’t possibly refuse it now.

“Then we shall gratefully accept.” Father thanked the king and carefully returned the coin to its pouch before slipping it into his breast pocket. Then he turned to me and said, “It’s far too dangerous to let you carry such a valuable coin, Daisy. I’ll keep it until we can secure it safely.”

I still didn’t fully grasp the value of the coin, but I could tell that it was an incredible amount of money, so I nodded obediently.

Something else was bothering me, though. Though Prince William was alive, the culprit hadn’t been found yet; that meant the prince wasn’t truly safe.

“Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your generosity,” I said. “Even though the prince is out of immediate danger, I want to give you something just in case. I have another bottle of the powerful antidote potion we used today; please accept it. I hope you’ll never have to use it, though…” I offered the powerful antidote potion to the king.

He lowered his gaze. “Thank you so much for your consideration.”

With that, Father and I excused ourselves and went back to our carriage.

The moment we returned home, I began scouring The Alchemy Handbooks for the truth serum the king had requested.

“A potion that makes people tell the truth…” I was sure I’d seen something like it, but now that I was looking I couldn’t find it. “I know for sure it wasn’t called a truth serum, though…” I let out a sigh of frustration and rested my head on the book as I mumbled to myself.

“Tell the truth, talk… Something that makes you want to talk… Talkative… Oh!”

That was it. I remembered the name!

“Talkative Tonic!” I quickly flipped through the book, searching for the page. It didn’t take me long to find.

Ingredients: Chatter mushroom, roots of the donna herb, water, and a mana stone.

I quickly scribbled that onto a piece of paper and rushed out of the room to find Father. I found him in the sitting room, relaxing on the sofa.

“Father, I found it!” I told him excitedly. “The potion is called talkative tonic! I can make it if I have a chatter mushroom and the roots from a donna herb!”

But he patted his lap instead and said, “Come here.”

I did as he said and climbed onto his lap.

“Daisy, I want you to listen carefully,” Father said gently as he held me in his arms. “If we use this potion to make someone confess to poisoning the prince, what do you think will happen to them?”

“They’ll probably be arrested, right?” The moment those words came from my lips, I gasped in realization.

This potion won’t make anyone happy.

“Father, this potion will protect Prince William, but the person who harmed him will be arrested and punished, won’t they?” I asked, staring into my father’s eyes.

“That’s right,” he said. “They’ll likely be sentenced to death, or in the best-case scenario, life imprisonment.”

I gulped and nodded.

“Are you still willing to make it, knowing that? If not, you don’t have to. I can speak to the king and have him try another way.”

The thought that the king could order someone to be executed because of a potion I made was shocking. But then I remembered Prince William’s innocent smile when he ate the sweet bread I gave him. Someone was trying to harm a young boy my age who had done nothing wrong. And I really don’t like that.

Just because he was the king’s son didn’t mean he deserved to suffer repeatedly. He easily could have died today, despite being innocent. That was too cruel to bear.

“I’ll make the potion, Father,” I said, pressing my lips together. “I want to protect the prince’s smile. Even if it means someone will be punished for their crimes.”

“I see.” Father wrapped his arms around me tightly as he buried his face against my hair.

After that, Father informed the king that I would make talkative tonic, but that I would need chatter mushrooms and donna herb to do so.

***

While I was caught up in the kingdom’s secret struggles, I celebrated my eighth birthday.

I woke up that morning and saw a huge wolf(?) curled up next to my bed. Its fur was pure silver, and it had emerald-green eyes. On its forehead was an oval-shaped emerald gemstone. Its body was about the length of a full-grown adult.

It’s huge! But for some reason, I don’t feel scared.

“Who are you?” I called out. The wolf(?) slowly raised its head and sat up.

“I am the divine beast Fenrir, born and raised under the tree of the Nature Spirit,” it said. “I have been sent to serve as your guardian by order of the Nature Spirit King, Lady Daisy.” Then it slowly bowed its head to me.

Its emerald eyes were beautiful, and so was the gemstone on its forehead.

Its fur is so shiny and glossy! Wait, did it say divine beast?! That means it’s a legendary sacred creature! The Spirit King is so kind to have sent me such a wonderful creature…

I was surprised, but more than that, it warmed my heart to receive such a lovely gift from the Spirit King. But I couldn’t just sit here admiring it; first I needed to talk to Father. I certainly couldn’t keep something this big a secret!

Taking the Fenrir with me, I went through the house looking for Father. I found him near the garden, relaxing on the sitting room’s terrace.

“Ah, Daisy? Who’s your new friend?” Father seemed bewildered at the sight of the Fenrir, who introduced himself just like he had to me before Father could say another word.

“I see,” Father said. “However, if you’re a divine beast, I think we should keep it a secret, or it might draw attention to Daisy’s status as the Beloved Child of the Spirit King.” He crossed his arms and pondered. “Sir Fenrir, if I may ask something of you…would you be willing to pose as Daisy’s wolf—no, rather, her familiar instead?” He knelt to meet the creature’s gaze.

The Fenrir slowly nodded. “My duty is to protect the Beloved Child. I will do whatever is necessary.”

“Thank you. In this kingdom, familiars are distinguished from monsters by wearing a collar with a seal around their necks. Would you be willing to wear one? If so, you would be formally recognized as Daisy’s familiar and could stay by her side without a problem.”

The Fenrir nodded again. “In that case…”

And with a poof! he suddenly transformed into a puppy.

“I can also take on a smaller form if needed. Would this form be more convenient unless otherwise necessary?”

So adorable! I nodded enthusiastically.

“That’s her answer, I suppose,” Father laughed.

“Do you have a name?” I asked, lifting the tiny Fenrir puppy into my arms.

“No, I do not,” he replied, shaking his little head.

It’s so sad to not have a name, I thought…

“Hmm, what would be good? Since you were sent by the Nature Spirit King…” I thought for a moment. The oval emerald on its forehead reminded me of something. “How about Leaf?”

The little wolf blinked its sparkling eyes, then happily nuzzled my cheek.

That settles it!

I’d received one of the most wonderful birthday gifts ever.

Not long after Leaf joined our family, the trip to obtain ingredients for the talking tonic was arranged. The king assembled a party that included three Knights from the Royal Order, two Mages from the Order of Mages, and one Healer. Father was one of the Mages, of course, and was the leader of the party. They would all ride horses.

Leaf would accompany me as well, transformed into his Fenrir form. I wanted to verify the authenticity and quality of the ingredients myself, and I would be riding Leaf instead of a horse. Leaf wore a special magical-type seal designed for familiars with transformation abilities. He was also given riding gear to make it easier for me to sit on his back, because otherwise I could pull on his fur and hurt him.

Since I was an Alchemist who could also use magic, I was given a loose, child-sized robe, enchanted with both physical and magical attack resistance properties. Underneath, I wore lightweight riding pants. I carried my satchel filled with potions over my shoulder, as usual.

At first, Father was reluctant to have me come along. But now that I had Leaf as my guardian, sent by the Spirit King himself, Father wasn’t as worried about my safety and allowed me to join the expedition.

We’d already discovered that chatter mushrooms grew in Orc Forest, located to the southeast of the capital, and donna herbs were found in the Orkenia Plains to the southwest.

“We’ll head to Orc Forest first,” Father announced. “There’s a possibility we’ll encounter orcs and need to engage. Stay vigilant!”

“Yes, sir!” the party replied in unison.

“Let’s go!” Father commanded, and we set off for Orc Forest.

The Knights led the way as we made our way southeast from the capital toward Orc Forest. The blue sky stretched endlessly overhead, a lush green meadow rolling beneath it with a single road cut through the grass. It was the kind of freedom you could never feel in the capital city. I took a deep breath and stretched.

At that moment Father came up beside me. “Daisy, you can manipulate ice with Water magic, correct?”

“Yes,” I replied, riding on Leaf’s back.

“When a monster appears, it would be helpful to freeze them first. That’ll make it easier for the Knights to act.”

I realized I hadn’t considered how to use my magic during battle yet. If I was going to fight alongside the others, then it was important to contribute. I nodded and made a mental note of his instructions.

“If you have the chance to aim for the tendons, any kind of magic will do,” he added. “It’s a good tactic to immobilize the enemy, which can make the battle much easier.”

I nodded again.

“When you attack directly, aim for the forehead, neck, or heart. Those are the vital targets.” Father continued to instruct me how to fight as a Mage as we rode, as well as how to coordinate my attacks with the Knights. It was incredibly useful advice.

Before long, a dark, dense forest came into view.

“That’s Orc Forest,” Father said, pointing at it. “Orcs by themselves aren’t that dangerous, but they tend to gather in packs. When a large group forms, it will have a hierarchy led by an orc king, with orc generals and high orcs below him. That makes them far more dangerous, so don’t underestimate them.” He explained more about orcs as we got closer.

When we reached the forest, those on horseback dismounted and tied their horses to nearby trees. I walked with Leaf toward the center of the group for protection, but we didn’t find any mushrooms that looked promising.

Just then, two orcs appeared in our path. One immediately ran off while the other headed straight toward us.

“Yaaaah!” One of the knights cleanly beheaded the orc. Its head rolled across the ground.

“One ran into the forest, likely for reinforcements. Stay on your guard,” the Knight told everyone. We all nodded, scanning our surroundings cautiously.

Oh! Chatter mushrooms! I spotted them right at my feet, but then…

“Orcs coming in from the front! There are four, no five! Three regular orcs and two high orcs!”

Everyone readied themselves for battle.

“Ice Storm!” I cast my freezing spell at the group of orcs, aiming for their feet. The ice crackled and spread, freezing them in place.

“Thank you!” the Knights called out as they charged. Two of them took down an orc each by beheading.

“Air Cutter!” Father’s wind blades slashed through one high orc while the other Mage took down the final one.

Only one high orc remained.

Leaf charged forward and sank his teeth into the orc’s neck, tearing it open.

“Is it over?” someone asked.

Father looked around, signaling to the other members of our party.

Just then…

“Three orc generals are approaching from deeper in the forest!”

“Three of them?”

“That means there’s a king nearby.”

A group of orcs even larger than the high orcs appeared, wielding swords.

“Ice Storm!” These were clearly stronger than the others, so I gathered my mana for a few seconds before casting the same spell at a higher level. I successfully froze two in place, but missed the third.

“Great job, Daisy! Air Cutter!” Father aimed his spell at the orc I missed, slicing through its leg tendons. The orc general collapsed onto the ground with a thud.

Two Knights immediately moved in. One drove his sword into the fallen orc’s forehead while the other cleanly beheaded one of the frozen ones. As the knight who finished off the first orc turned to strike the last…

Clang!

A heavy clash of metal rang out. The knight fell, blood spilling from his mouth. The orc king towered over him, its eyes bloodshot with fury for his murdered pack. His sword had caused the clash.

The Healer rushed over to the fallen knight. “Hi-Heal!”

The Knight used his sword to get back on his feet. Now with the orc king and one unfrozen orc general at the center, we faced off against them, waiting for our chance.

That was when Leaf leaned in close to me and whispered into my ear. “Cast Rose Whip at them.”

I followed his instructions, raising my hand toward the orcs and shouting, “Rose Whip!”

Thorny vines burst from the ground and nearby trees, shooting toward the monsters and wrapping tightly around them. The orcs tried to slash at them with their swords, but more vines appeared for every one they cut. The more they struggled, the tighter the vines constricted. Eventually, the two orcs couldn’t take it anymore and both collapsed onto the ground with a thunderous impact.

“That was some spell!” A Knight let out a relieved sigh as he looked down at the restrained orcs.

“It’s a type of Earth magic,” I said. At least, that’s what I had decided to call it. To be honest, I had a feeling it had something to do with the nature spirits.

“This would’ve gone a lot worse if not for that spell.”

Two Knights moved in to finish off the orcs. Once our enemies were defeated, the vines slithered away and disappeared back into the earth.

After that, we collected several high-quality chatter mushrooms that I’d spotted during battle, and we set off for our next destination. We left Orc Forest behind and followed the road west toward the Orkenia Plains. I rode on Leaf like before, while the others continued on horseback.

Up ahead, we spotted a carriage under attack by ogres. Some adventurers were frantically trying to protect it. I wondered if the ogres had strayed from the forest.

“Shall we assist them?” one of the Knights asked Father.

“Of course! Let’s go!” At his command, everyone charged toward the carriage, Leaf running alongside them.

“Miss Daisy!” a Knight called out to me as we rode. “Can you use that Earth magic spell you used before? The binding one?”

I nodded. “I can do it!”

Leaf picked up speed. Up ahead, I spotted three ogres against four adventurers. Some of the adventurers looked injured; they were clearly overwhelmed.

But now we were within spell range.

“Rose Whip!” I grabbed Leaf’s reins tightly in one hand, raising my other to cast the spell at the ogres. Hundreds of thorny vines exploded from the ground beneath them and attacked. The ogres swung at the vines to try to fend them off, but more just sprang up. Eventually, all tangled up in the thorns, they toppled over.

With the battle suddenly over, the adventurers stood there in astonished silence.

Hey, don’t just stand there! Finish them off! I thought.

The Knights arrived just in time and cleanly beheaded the ogres. They seemed pleased the battle had ended so smoothly.

“I wish every expedition was like this!”

“Miss Daisy, would you consider joining the Order of Knights?”

Are they trying to recruit me?!

“I can’t! I’m an Alchemist, and I’ve already decided to open my own workshop.” I politely declined their offer. Meanwhile, the lady Healer tended to the injured adventurers.

I heard the click of the carriage door, and out stepped a broad-shouldered, well-dressed gentleman and an elegant middle-aged lady. I saw a girl still sitting inside the carriage, although she didn’t come out.

“Thank you so much for saving us today,” said the man. “I am Oliver, a merchant from the capital. My daughter has a condition that affects her legs, so I’m afraid she can’t easily exit the carriage. Please forgive her for not greeting you herself.” The merchant couple thanked our party.

“You should thank this young lady instead,” one of the Knights said, pointing at me. “She’s the one who bound the ogres.”

“This cute little girl?” Oliver said. “To think she can use such powerful magic at her age! Prodigies really do exist. Thank you so much for saving us, my lady.” He bowed deeply to me.

I gave him a shy smile, feeling flustered.

“Oh! Please wait a moment.” Oliver disappeared into the carriage, rummaging around before returning. “This is but a small trinket, but please accept it as a token of our gratitude.”

He held out a lovely hair ornament made of a delicate, flower-shaped aquamarine with a tiny peridot leaf at its side.

Is it okay to accept this? I turned to Father, who nodded with approval.

Our party wasn’t an official military escort. Publicly, they were just guarding my Alchemy expedition. There was no need to refuse a small token of thanks.

“Thank you so much for the kind gestures. It’s a lovely piece. I’ll cherish it.” I accepted the cute hairpin with a smile, expressing my gratitude.

After all the adventurers had been healed, we said goodbye to Oliver and his family and resumed our journey westward. We didn’t encounter any monsters in the Orkenia Plains, so we were able to focus on gathering. It didn’t take long for us to find donna herbs at all. Since its leaves and berries were poisonous, we had a Knight in full plate armor pull up the plant so I could harvest its roots.

Now I had all the ingredients I needed.

***

At last, we returned home from the expedition. When I walked inside, I passed by Miina, who was on her way to the kitchen.

“Welcome home, Miss Daisy!” She greeted me with a bow.

She’d started out as a guest in our home, but after we made the Danish pastry together, she began spending all her free time in the kitchen to watch the staff. Eventually, she chose to become a servant in our household. She moved into an empty room in the servants’ quarters and began training as a kitchen assistant. She told me that she hoped to learn everything from Bob and Maria by the time I opened my workshop, so that she could become my personal chef. Since I wasn’t great at cooking, I was very thankful!

Right now, the people planning to join me in my new household were Marcus, Miina, and Leaf. I would like to sit down with the three of them soon to discuss the future of the workshop.

After I said goodbye to Miina, I went to my room to change, then headed to the lab to begin making the talkative tonic. Normally, a noble lady would have a maid help her dress, but since I planned to live independently I was trying to do everything I could by myself to prepare.

I went to my lab and took out the two ingredients—the chatter mushrooms and donna herb roots—then began thinking about the procedure. This was an important potion, so I needed to be very careful. I decided to extract the ingredients from each one separately, like when I made the powerful antidote. Since this was my first time using mushrooms, I had no idea what temperature was needed.

Honestly, my strategy of just throwing everything in and heating it had only worked through sheer luck. But after the green goopy industrial waste from last time, I’d learned my lesson.

First was the chatter mushroom. I chopped it up finely, added a small amount of water to a beaker, and began heating it.

Talkative Essence???

Classification: Potion Base

Quality: Low (-3)

Status: The active ingredients have not been extracted.

After a short time, tiny bubbles began to form inside the glass. They gradually grew bigger and started rising to the surface.

Talkative Essence

Classification: Potion Base

Quality: Low (-1)

Status: The active ingredients are beginning to dissolve.

I adjusted the heater to maintain that precise temperature.

Talkative Essence

Classification: Potion Base

Quality: High

Status: The active ingredients are fully extracted.

After I continued heating it for a while, the essence finished extracting!

It seemed like mushrooms didn’t like high heat, either. Well, at least one of the extracts was completed. Now it was time to move onto the donna herb root. I chopped it up finely and added it to a beaker with water.

Temptation Essence???

Classification: Potion Base

Quality: Low (-3)

Status: The active ingredients have not been extracted.

The bubbles started getting bigger after a while. Just as I suspected, nothing changed as the water got hotter. I wondered if roots always needed to be boiled or else the active ingredients wouldn’t dissolve at all? I scribbled that down in my notebook for future reference.

Then the water began to boil, the chopped-up donna herb roots dancing around in the bubbling liquid.

Okay, boiling it is fine after all! I’ll keep going.

Temptation Essence

Classification: Potion Base

Quality: High

Status: The active ingredients are fully extracted.

After I simmered it for a while, I was able to extract the active ingredients.

That’s the second extract done!

Now it was time for the final step: using a mana stone to combine the two extracts. I placed it into the chatter extract, then added the mostly cooled temptation extract, stirring them gently to mix.

Talkative Tonic?

Classification: Potion

Quality: Low (-3)

Status: The two ingredients’ components have not reacted with each other.

Nothing seemed to be happening at the current temperature, so I carefully turned up the heat. So long as I kept it just below boiling, the quality didn’t degrade. I raised the heat to that point and then maintained it.

Talkative Tonic?

Classification: Potion

Quality: Low (-2)

Status: The two ingredients are starting to react.

All right; the quality is improving! I just need to keep this up.

I slowly stirred the mixture with a rod. And then…

Talkative Tonic

Classification: Potion

Quality: High

Status: Causes the drinker to become fond of the one who administered it, making them unusually honest for a set amount of time, depending on dosage. Should not be misused.

“Should not be misused.”

That’s the kind of potion I’ve created. I couldn’t believe I’d done it.

I told myself I was protecting the prince’s smile, even if that meant someone else would have to pay the price. Because I thought that was the right thing to do at that moment.

But now that the potion was real, created by my own two hands, I suddenly felt conflicted.

Even if an Alchemist created something for the right reasons, that intention meant nothing once it was in someone else’s hands. It could still be used for harm. And I had the power to create something that could be used for good or evil.

For the first time, I realized I was afraid of that power. I knew this fear was something I had to hold onto deep inside my heart.

Father delivered the talkative tonic to the king. Soon after, the royal capital was in an uproar over the arrest of a powerful noble on charges of attempted murder of the prince. The true culprits were a marquess and his daughter. The king had remained steady in his vow of monogamy and rejected the marquess’s attempts to make his daughter the second queen. Furious, the marquess and his daughter plotted together to eliminate the heir, Prince William. The investigation also discovered that the daughter had once conspired to poison Her Majesty as well out of resentment. Their noble titles were stripped and their lands seized, and the two of them were sentenced to death.

Although they were criminals who had tried to poison members of the royal family, it was still my potion that had condemned them. After I heard the rumors spreading through the capital, I sat alone in my room, hugging Leaf tightly in my arms and trembling.

I’d ensured the prince’s safety, just as I wanted. But at the same time, I was complicit in taking human lives, even if they were criminals. Leaf simply sat beside me, keeping me company.

I heard a knock at my door. “May I come in?” It was Father.

“Yes,” I answered. I sat up straight on my bed and smoothed out my clothes. Leaf hopped down to the floor to sit at my feet.

“I wondered if maybe you were upset.” Father came into my room and sat down on the bed beside me. As soon as he did, I hugged him tightly.

“Did I do the wrong thing?” I said in a trembling voice, my face buried in his chest. “I know they were criminals, but I’m the one who made the potion that led to their deaths. And now I’m scared of my own power…”

“Daisy, you didn’t do anything wrong. But that you feel that fear is a sign that you’ve grown,” he said, gently rubbing my back. “Everything in this world has two sides. This time, those two sides were life and death. Those with power have great influence—that goes for Alchemists and Mages alike.”

I looked up at him when he mentioned Mages.

“I, too, have felt afraid of my own power,” he continued. “There was a time during a mission when I had to capture a band of violent thieves. The spell I cast was too strong and one of the thieves died. I struggled with that; I didn’t know if I deserved to continue being a Mage.”

I listened quietly and intently.

“It’s true that great power can become a weapon. But that doesn’t mean you should be afraid to use it. That same power can protect others and bring happiness, just as you protected the prince.”

My eyes widened when I heard that.

“You’re still a child, Daisy. You have so much more time ahead of you. I want you to discover the world at your own pace. Learn from the people around you, and you’ll figure out the right way to use your power. Of course, I’ll always be here to help you however I can.” Father gently let go of me and placed a hand over my heart. “And when the time comes, you’ll find the answer right here,” he said with a soft smile.

That gentle smile and his warm words finally made me stop trembling, even managing a smile myself.

“Thanks, Father. I’ll try to take my time finding that answer.” As I smiled again, Leaf happily nuzzled his head against me, as if to say he was cheering me on too.

***

A short time later, the city was still abuzz with rumors when Father and I were summoned to the castle. We were led into a small room meant for private meetings. The king stood by the window, waiting for us.

“I asked you here today to apologize for bringing someone so young into such an ugly political struggle. However, thanks to you, I was able to secure the safety of my beloved family. Daisy, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Bright sunlight shone through the window where the king stood. Outside, I could see the queen, the young prince, and the princess taking a walk in the garden, smiling together among the beautiful flowers. The happy sound of their laughter softly drifted into the room.

The king turned to me and spoke. “It was all thanks to your potion, Daisy. I will grant any wish you may have, so long as it is within my power to do so. What would you ask?”

“Please promise me you will never order me to make such a potion again,” I said. “I am still very inexperienced. I agreed out of a sense of justice, but I made that potion without truly understanding what it meant, and without the judgment or resolve to handle the consequences.”

I knew it was bold to say such a thing to a king, but I’d only just begun to realize how little I understood about my power as an Alchemist, and how much I was still an inexperienced child. That was why I’d decided that I would never participate in such matters again.

Still, I couldn’t help but feel ashamed before the king and lowered my head.

“No one would blame a child so young,” he said. “So then, there’s nothing else you wish for?”

“When I turn ten, I would like to become an independent Alchemist and open my own workshop in the city. If you can make that happen for me, I don’t need anything else,” I answered quietly.

“Very well. I shall see to it that you have everything you need to establish your workshop. I will also send you suitable compensation for securing my family’s safety.”

“Thank you very much.”

Through this incident I’d realized how much I still needed to learn. Even though I was a naive child, I’d grown up, just a little.

The workshop I’d always dreamed of would be a place where I could learn more about the world, meet many kinds of people, and grow from those experiences.

With that in mind, I began to prepare for my independence.

Chapter 13:
Preparing for Opening Up Shop

TO OPEN A SHOP IN THIS KINGDOM, ONE HAD TO register with the commerce guild, which was managed by the government. The main requirement was that the person registering must be at least ten years old, so I still had two more years to go. I had plenty of time left, but I thought it would be good to prepare everything early.

Meanwhile, I needed to decide what kind of shop I wanted to run, who my target customers would be, the layout I wanted, how large a garden to maintain, and from there figure out what sort of property would suit me best. Once all that had been decided, I would start looking for the right location to open my shop.

The only issue was the budget—or so I thought until I calculated how much money I actually had. Then I was speechless.

This is way too much!

I could afford property in the most prestigious part of the capital with this sum and still have enough to buy all the equipment I wanted, even fancy, custom-made stuff. Well, I had asked Father to save for my independence, so I supposed it was fine to use it for that purpose.

As I sat in the sitting room scribbling notes and sorting through ideas, Miina came in.

“I’ve made a new type of Danish. Would you like to try some as an afternoon treat?” She offered me a small dish with two dainty square-shaped Danishes, just the right size to pick up between two fingers. They were topped with custard cream and fruit, one with apples glazed with cinnamon and the other one with peaches soaked in syrup.

“Wow, they’re adorable!” I clasped my hands in front of my chest, delighted.

Kate had just prepared tea and set out a finger bowl for me as well.

I picked up the Danish and took a bite. The crisp, flaky pastry gently crumbled, blending the smooth custard cream with the tender sweetness of the simmered peach. The cream melted together with the pastry in my mouth. I took another bite, polishing off the peach one.

“It’s delicious!” The sweet Danish received high marks from me.

“Oh, I’m so glad! I came up with it myself and made it all on my own!” Miina beamed, her smile blooming like a flower.

Huh? She did? “Did you roll out the butter by yourself, too?” That part should’ve been quite difficult for a little girl, as I remembered.

“Oh, I sliced the butter thin from the start!” she said with a bright smile. “That way I could manage it easily!”

Wow, that’s clever.

Incidentally, Minna had received the Occupation of Cook at her Baptism. I couldn’t help but wonder if Occupations granted by the gods also influenced things like creativity and skill development. Both Bob and Maria had gushed about Miina and how quickly her cooking skills were improving.

“Were you working on your future workshop, Miss Daisy?” Miina spoke politely, but her curiosity got the better of her.

“I am,” I said. “There’s still two years to go, but I thought I should start planning what kind of shop I want. Oh, since you’ll be coming with me, do you have any requests?” I’d already wanted to check with Miina on the kitchen’s specifications, so now was the perfect time to ask.

But her reply was quite unexpected.

“Um… Do you think it would be possible to have a bakery attached to the workshop?” she said, fidgeting nervously. “I really want more people to try these delicious breads you’ve created, Miss Daisy! People could buy some to take home, or hungry adventurers could eat there. I just thought that would be nice…”

Bread was something both nobles and commoners often baked at home. It didn’t tend to rise well, and it was always flat and didn’t taste very good. Bakeries didn’t really exist yet as a concept. But it sounds fun!

“A bakery, huh? That’s really original!” I said. “It could fill the whole neighborhood with the smell of freshly baked bread, don’t you think?”

The aroma alone might be enough to draw in more customers. Miina nodded enthusiastically.

“Would you sit next to me for a bit, Miina?” I patted the empty space on the sofa beside me.

“Excuse me, then.” She bowed politely and hesitantly sat down.

I pulled out my notebook and began to sketch. First, there was the workshop building. Customers would enter through the front door and order at the counter. I would need special shelves for storing potions, enchanted to prevent degradation. The lab in the back where I practiced Alchemy would have to be much bigger than my current lab. I’d need space for bookkeeping and accounting as well. And to the left, there could be an open area with a few tables and chairs for people to sit and eat fresh bread. There would be a shelf to display sample loaves and a separate, sanitary shelf for the actual goods customers could take home. That’s where Miina would work. Finally, the second floor would be our living quarters.

I did my best to draw it all clearly, although my art wasn’t the greatest. Tee-hee!

“Wow, it’s amazing!” Miina’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she gazed at the drawing, her fluffy tail wagging wildly against the sofa. “Ack!” She quickly pushed her tail down, flustered.

She’s so cute!

“The building will have to be bigger if we add a bakery,” I said. “The kitchen will need a large oven so that we can bake several loaves at once, and maybe a smaller one for our own personal meals. And with a bigger building comes a bigger backyard, so I could have a larger garden.” I turned toward Miina. “If we do add a bakery, that means you’ll need to study cooking and baking even more seriously. Is that all right with you?”

“Yes!” she answered cheerfully, her eyes sparkling.

On the other hand, I would need to start studying bookkeeping and business management if I was going to run a shop.

It’ll be a lot of work, I thought as I bit into the apple Danish.

***

One day when Father came home from work, he handed me a letter sealed in wax stamped with the royal crest.

“This is from His Majesty,” Father said. “Since the commerce guild operates under royal oversight in this kingdom, he’s making all the arrangements. He’s written you a letter of recommendation.”

Hmm, come to think of it, things were kind of awkward last time I saw the king.

I wanted to write him a thank-you letter, along with a little surprise to bring a smile to his face. With that thought in mind, I headed to the kitchen to find Miina.

“Hey, Miina. I was thinking of sending your new Danish recipe to the king as a gift. When do you think you could make some?”

Miina’s tail poofed up in surprise, growing large and bushy when she heard her Danish would be given to the king.

“Ack! To His Majesty?! If I can prioritize the Danishes over my other tasks, I could have them ready the morning after tomorrow at the earliest.” She glanced over at Bob, her boss.

Please, Bob! I’m counting on you!

“We can cover for her, Miss Daisy. We should be just fine,” Bob said, thumping his chest as if to say “Leave it to me!”

Maria nodded beside him in agreement.

“Thanks, everyone!” I said.

“How many should I prepare?” Miina asked.

I told her I’d like her to make enough for all four members of the royal family, so four or more—whatever quantity was easier for her to make.

The Danishes were ready right when Miina said they would be. She made eight in total, two for each member of the family. Just like last time, they were topped with custard cream and either cinnamon apples or glazed peaches. I wrote a letter of thanks and asked Father to deliver it with the treats when he went to work.

That evening when he came home, he told me the king had been delighted by the gift.

Yay! I’m so glad he liked it!

One weekday, not long after, Father took a day off so I could be introduced to the members of the commerce guild a little early. I wore my best dress and braided my hair, attaching the aquamarine and peridot ornament I’d received from Oliver, the merchant.

The commerce guild was located in a large, tall building on the city’s main street. Despite its size, the guild’s headquarters took up the entire thing. It made sense, though, if this was the organization that oversaw every shop operating in the kingdom. A lot of space was needed for that kind of work.

We went in through the main doors and headed for the reception desk inside.

“Welcome. How may I help you today?” the receptionist asked.

Father lifted me up so that the lady could see me over her desk. “I am Viscount Preslaria, and this is my daughter, Daisy. She’s planning on opening a shop in the city in the future, so we’ve come to introduce ourselves in advance.” He presented her with the sealed letter of recommendation from the king.

“Goodness, you’re opening a shop with the king’s personal recommendation?” she said. “I need to inform my superiors right away. Please have a seat on the sofa while you wait.” She returned the letter to Father, bowed, and excused herself.

We waited for a while until the receptionist returned. “Viscount Preslaria and Miss Daisy, the guildmaster will see you now. This way, please.” She led us to a door, but when it opened, it appeared to lead to an empty box that could only fit a few people.

“Are we supposed to wait inside that tiny room?” I asked, baffled.

“Oh, is this your first time using an elevator?” the receptionist asked with a kind smile. She must’ve been used to this kind of reaction. “Since our building is quite tall, we use a magical device called an ‘elevator’ to move between floors. It’s powered by mana stones.”

While she explained, she guided us inside and operated a device. I heard a quiet whirring noise, then we began to rise, and I felt a strange, light sensation in my feet.

“The meeting room is this way,” she said. Once we stepped out of the elevator, she led us to one of several doors, then knocked, opened it, and gestured us in.

Inside, a large, middle-aged man rose to greet us. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Viscount Preslaria and Miss Daisy. Thank you for—” Suddenly he paused, his eyes widening.

Wait a minute, he’s the merchant we rescued near Orkenia Plains! Father and I were both surprised to see a familiar face.

“You’re the ones who helped us on the plains! I am Oliver, master of the commerce guild. I’m so pleased to see you again! Please, take a seat!”

Father and I sat down in the chairs placed across from him.

“What a coincidence!” said Father. “I am Henry von Preslaria, and this is my daughter, Daisy. She wants to open an Alchemy workshop in two years when she’s old enough, and we came today to introduce ourselves in advance.” He handed Mr. Oliver the letter from the king.

“Pardon me.” Mr. Oliver politely took the letter, cut open the seal with a knife, and read it. He nodded thoughtfully when he finished. “I see. Miss Daisy here is already a skilled Alchemist with a proven record of selling potions to the kingdom, and now she wants to open a workshop in the city to make her products available to the public?” He looked up at me to confirm.

“Yes. I plan to sell mostly potions, but I’m also going to sell delicious soft, fluffy bread made using Alchemy.”

Mr. Oliver looked puzzled. “When I hear you say bread, I picture the flat, rather tasteless kind found in households. I’m surprised to hear that good bread can be made with Alchemy. It will certainly set your workshop apart from others if you’re going to sell baked goods as well; it adds a fresh, unique appeal.”

Then Mr. Oliver placed a book titled Regulations and a single sheet of paper labeled Preliminary Registration Application onto the desk.

“In your case, Miss Daisy, since you are not yet at the minimum age of ten, it is not possible to fully register at this time. However, you may still fill out the preliminary registration, which will give you prior approval from the guild for your future application. It costs a small fee to process, but once that is completed, you may move forward with your other preparations.”

I looked over at Father. It sounded like a good idea to pay the fee in advance so I could build a relationship with the commerce guild. If I were to put it in Father’s words, it would be “an investment in my future.” I tried to think like a grown-up for once, though I wasn’t sure I was using the word correctly.

I filled out the preliminary registration application with my name and address and the name of my guarantor (Father), then paid the required fee. With that, the paperwork was done.

Now that I had registered, Mr. Oliver leaned forward and brought up a new topic.

“By the way, the king’s letter of recommendation refers to Miss Daisy as a remarkable Alchemist. May I ask your advice on a certain personal matter?” He had a serious look in his eyes.

I once again looked to Father for his permission, and he nodded slightly. “What is it?” I asked.

“Well, it’s about my daughter’s leg.” Mr. Oliver explained that his daughter, Katya, had been bitten on her left ankle several years ago by a baby stone viper that was hiding in the grass. Everything below her ankle had been petrified ever since, and no treatment had worked. He had consulted many Alchemists and Physicians throughout the capital, but they had yet to find a way to reverse the petrification, and his daughter had just had to adapt to her condition.

“She wants to be a merchant, but because of her foot, she can’t move very easily,” Mr. Oliver said. “Also, she’s a young girl. Her condition could keep her from getting married. Lately she’s been so withdrawn, she stays cooped up inside all the time. I feel so sorry for her.” He buried his face in both hands.

“At this moment, I can’t promise that I’ll be able to cure her, but I’ll do my best to find something,” I said.

I wanted to figure out if it was even possible, at least. It felt cruel for a young girl to have to live with such a burden. If there was anything I could do to help, I wanted to try.

“Would three silver coins be enough payment for your research? If you think you can make a potion, we can discuss the cost of labor and materials then. Are those terms acceptable to you?”

I glanced at Father, and he didn’t seem to object.

“I accept,” I said, nodding.

“Thank you so much! From the bottom of my heart!” Mr. Oliver stood up and clasped my hands tightly in his. He then immediately apologized for being so familiar with a noble child.

I accepted the three silver coins and began my search for a cure for petrification.

***

Back in my room, I flipped through The Alchemy Handbook, looking for anything related to petrification. I found the right page and soon had several other reference books open around me.

However, the entry regarding petrification reversal looked very complicated. I frowned, letting out a sigh as I studied the list of ingredients. The materials included mandrake root and a petrification venom sac. The sac sounded like some kind of monster organ, but I had no idea how to obtain one. Other ingredients included a lodestone and a coil. I didn’t even know where to get a coil, but I knew it was made from a length of metal wire and shaped like a spiral.

Once the ingredients were gathered, one added the mandrake essence and the venom sac to the beaker, then placed the coil inside. Next, a lodestone was brought close to the coil, but not put inside the liquid. That process allowed for an invisible something to flow through the coil. By infusing mana into the lodestone, it would increase the amount of that something, and as a result, the mandrake essence and the petrification venom sac would react and create the potion.

But there were a lot of obstacles first.

The wire needed to make the coil was very expensive in our kingdom. Blacksmiths had to heat and hammer metal over and over to shape it into a long, thin strand. Only the very wealthy could afford it—sometimes it was used to make birdcages.

Then there were lodestones. Lodestones were a type of rock, occasionally found in mines, that had magnetic properties and could attract iron. It wasn’t easy to obtain, and certainly not something you’d use regularly.

There were so many things I didn’t know about the process, so I referenced not just The Alchemy Handbook, but every last book in our family’s library. It was difficult enough just to understand what I was reading, but the biggest problem was that I still wasn’t sure if I could even make it. Would I be able to control my mana without knowing what that mysterious something was, flowing through the coil?

I flopped onto the floral-patterned sheets of my bed. Leaf came to nuzzle at my side. Just having him there was comforting, but…

I don’t know if I can do this.

I gently hugged his soft body, letting his warmth soothe me for a little while.

“Thanks, Leaf.” I slowly sat up, petting him, then gathered up all my notes to discuss with Father.

“You really did your research, Daisy. I’m proud of you.”

I found him in the sitting room and showed him my notes. The weight of his hand as he patted my head and the pride in his voice warmed my anxiety-ridden heart.

“It looks like there are a few items on this list that will be difficult to obtain,” he continued. “Mr. Oliver is the commerce guildmaster, though; perhaps he has some ways to track down rare materials. Why don’t we invite him over to discuss?”

I nodded and agreed without hesitation. Father immediately dashed off a letter to Mr. Oliver to invite him to our home.

A few days later, Mr. Oliver came to visit, bringing with him an egg tart pastry called a dariole, which had been popular lately in the capital. He set it down on the table alongside the tea a maid had prepared. I sat on the sofa next to Father, while Mr. Oliver was across from us.

“I heard you found a cure for my daughter’s petrification. I can’t thank you enough. The reason you’ve invited me today is to discuss obtaining the rarer items you need for the potion, correct?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said. “I was hoping you might be able to help me find three ingredients in particular: petrification venom sac, metal wire, and a lodestone.” I handed Mr. Oliver a piece of paper, on which I’d written the names of the ingredients.

“I see,” said Mr. Oliver. “Well, they’re certainly not items I’d expect a young lady to have. I believe I can acquire a lodestone and metal wire through my contacts. As for the venom sac, since it is a monster organ, that may depend on timing. If there’s no stock available, we can commission the adventurers guild to acquire some. I’ll get to work right away procuring the ingredients and once they’re available, I’ll have them delivered to your house immediately.” He nodded and smiled.

Seeing him so confident filled me with relief, but there was one other thing I had to tell him.

“I’ve researched the materials, equipment, and the procedure. However, as I’ve never made this kind of potion before, I will likely have to figure it out through trial and error…” I trailed off hesitantly, looking down at my lap.

“How about this,” Mr. Oliver offered. “If you can make the potion and cure my daughter’s condition, I will pay you three gold coins. If it doesn’t work, I’ll pay you five silver coins for your time and effort. Is that all right?”

“You would pay me even if I fail?” I asked, baffled.

“Miss Daisy, if you intend to run a business someday, you must learn to accept money in exchange for your work. Even if the treatment doesn’t succeed, you will have devoted valuable time to my request. Your labor should be rightfully compensated.”

Mr. Oliver was a seasoned merchant, and I had learned yet another valuable lesson through my negotiations with him.

About a week later, all three ingredients I needed arrived: the lodestone, the petrification venom sac, and the wire.

The venom sac was the most dangerous. If the membrane ruptured, the venom inside would leak out, which would be disastrous. It was sealed inside a bottle, padded with cotton, and then wrapped in thick cloth for safety.

I definitely shouldn’t touch that with my bare hands. Imagine if I ended up getting petrified while trying to make a cure for petrification! That wouldn’t be very funny. Okay then, I need to figure out a way to handle it without touching it…

I crossed my arms and looked at the bottle, deep in thought. Then it struck me.

“Tweezers!” I yelled out loud, clapping my hands.

Right! The kind Father and Mother use for grooming! With those, I can hold the sac without touching it! It’s perfect! I need tweezers!

“Miss Daisy… What’s this about tweezers?” Kate happened to be passing by and peeked through the door, looking at me. After all, I’d just shouted “Tweezers!” in the middle of the sitting room. She looked a bit put off; that was the look that said, “Oh no, Miss Daisy is being strange again.”

I have feelings that can get hurt too, Kate!

“There’s something I need to handle during an experiment, but I can’t touch it with my hands,” I explained, blushing slightly. “So I thought tweezers would be perfect for the job.” I asked Kate if there were any spares.

“I believe we have some extras in storage,” she said. “I’ll get permission from Her Ladyship to lend you some. Please wait a moment.” Kate nodded before heading down the hallway to speak to Mother. Before long, she returned with a pair of tweezers in her hand.

“I have a message from Her Ladyship as well. She says, ‘Please refrain from suddenly yelling things like ‘Tweezers!’ if you are in the house.’”

Scolding delivered, Kate gave me the tweezers.

“She didn’t have to tell her…” I muttered, putting the tweezers into my box of supplies. I tucked the box under my arm and carried it off to the lab.

On the way there, I stopped by the garden and asked one of the red-petaled mandrakes for a root. She(?) happily popped out a few with a smile and handed them over with her leafy hands.

I wondered if mandrakes’ personalities depended on the flower. The blue ones seemed to be different from the red ones. Maybe the blue ones are boys and the red ones are girls? I thought with amusement as I made my way to my lab.

I stepped into the lab I’d been using since I was five. There’s only a year left before I leave this place… I thought, setting down the box and taking a seat.

Marcus had already prepared the distilled water as usual.

Time to get to work! I gave my cheeks a little slap for encouragement.

First, I needed to turn the wire into a coil. The Alchemy Handbook had a drawing of the shape I needed. I started by bending the wire around the middle, trying to make a spiral, but it ended up looking more crooked than coiled. I tried again, and while I managed to get a spiral this time, the loops were uneven.

Hmm. I wanted a nice, even coil about as thick as my finger.

I stared at my finger for a moment. Oh, I know!

I left the lab and went to look for Dan, the gardener. It was late autumn by now, and the garden was looking a bit bare. I found him raking up fallen leaves.

Incidentally, my little garden still looked like a spring garden thanks to the fairies, full of bright green leaves year-round.

“Hi, Dan! Thanks for your hard work,” I said.

Dan put down his rake and gave me a polite bow. “Hello there, Miss Daisy. Out for a stroll in this lonely old garden?” he asked, surrounded by dry, fallen leaves.

“Have you seen any straight, dry twigs about as thick as my thumb? I’d like one if you’ve seen any,” I asked, showing my thumb to him as an example.

“Well, there’s a pile of swept branches and leaves over there. Hang on just a second,” he said.

He knelt beside the mound of sticks and leaves, rummaging through it for something that could match my request. “How about this one?” he asked, handing me a smooth, broken twig about as thick as my finger. It was perfectly straight, with no knots to get in the way. It was just right!

“Yeah! This is exactly what I needed! Thanks, Dan!” I took the stick from him and thanked him as he grinned happily at me. Then I hurried back to my lab.

Once inside, I sat down at my workbench and laid out the twig and the wire. Then I carefully wound the wire around the stick. Yes! It’s working perfectly! The loops are so nice and even! When I’d made the spiral shape, I gently slid the twig out. Next, I bent the two ends of the wire into a U-shape so that the coiled part sat at the top like a handle. Now it would fit perfectly in the beaker.

I was finally ready to begin. Everything was prepared, and all that was left was to start the experiment.

I finely chopped up my mandrake roots and dropped them into a large beaker filled with distilled water. I placed it on the heater and brought the water to a boil, fully extracting the essence like when I’d made the powerful antidote potion.

Mandrake Essence

Classification: Potion Base

Quality: High

Status: The active ingredients have been fully extracted.

I cooled the beaker in a bowl of ice water created with a simple Water spell. Now I had to add the venom sac and coil, but if I messed up the flow of mana while activating it and it exploded, I’d be in big trouble. I was worried about the strength of the glass.

I placed the beaker into a slightly larger metal bucket for safety. Very carefully and gently, I lowered the venom sac into the mandrake essence using tweezers. The sac dissolved instantly, blending with the essence.

Petrification Cure???

Classification: Medicine, Toxin

Quality: Low (-3)

Status: The ingredients have only been combined. Do not touch. Very dangerous!

I definitely needed a lid for the reaction step. I rummaged through random odds and ends left in the corner of my lab and found half of the lid to a small wooden container. It had split cleanly in two, and the wood was still thick and solid. It was the perfect size to fit over the top of the bucket. I slipped the coiled wire into the cracked edge so that the spiral stuck out, then lowered the two U-shaped ends into the potion mixture, sealing the bucket with my makeshift lid.

I put on a pair of thick gloves just to be safe, then picked up the lodestone. I brought it slowly to one end of the coil and then pulled it away, repeating the process a few times. According to the book, this would create an invisible flow inside the wire.

I carefully infused mana into the lodestone, gradually boosting its magnetic pull as I worked. I very slowly continued the process. Honestly, I was terrified. My heart was pounding so loudly I could hear it in my ears.

After a while, there were no signs of an explosion, so I cautiously lifted the lid and peeked inside.

Petrification Cure?

Classification: Medicine, Toxin

Quality: Low (-2)

Status: The ingredients have begun to react slightly, slowly transforming into medicine. Still dangerous. Do not touch!

“Oh, it’s working!” Relief surged within me. I had been so terrified, I was beside myself.

I needed to take it slow and steady—safety first! If the reaction was occurring properly, all I had to do was keep going.

The whole afternoon I kept pouring mana into the lodestone, guiding its movement steadily and patiently. As evening fell, orange light filled the lab. I used Appraisal once again. I’d done it so many times already I’d lost track.

Petrification Cure

Classification: Medicine

Quality: High

Status: A medicinal potion that cures petrification. It must be applied evenly across all affected areas.

“I did it!” I threw my hands in the air triumphantly and leaned back to stare up at the run-down ceiling.

“That was so scary…”

I sat there in a daze for a while and then realized something.

“I should’ve asked for more pay because of how dangerous it was. I really need to be more careful when I negotiate contracts.” I sighed and strained the finished potion through a cloth, then poured it into a large bottle and sealed it.

“All right! Time to send an invitation to Mr. Oliver and his daughter!”

I cleaned up the lab, carefully took the potion bottle with me, and made my way back to the house.

That night after dinner, I sat with Father, who helped me write a proper invitation to Mr. Oliver to ask him to bring his daughter to visit us. Three days later, Mr. Oliver and his daughter Katya arrived at our home by carriage.

“I heard you’ve completed the potion to cure my daughter’s petrification!” Mr. Oliver looked overwhelmed with emotion.

One thing at a time, please!

Katya slowly stepped down from the carriage with a servant’s help. Once she was on the ground, she used a cane to help move around and came to stand by her father’s side.

“Hello, I’m Katya,” she said. “I was told you created a potion to treat my foot. Thank you for seeing me today.”

She bowed, her light blue pigtails slipping over her shoulders. She was taller than me and slender, with a sharp, strong look in her eyes.

Kate and I walked slowly at Katya’s side and led her to one of our smaller guest rooms. We had already set out the treatment potion, a basin, and a towel on a table in front of the sofa. There, we had her sit down.

In our culture, a lady’s bare feet were something to be kept hidden out of modesty. Since we would need to remove her socks, it felt improper to have a man in the room, even if that man was her father, so we asked Mr. Oliver to wait in a different parlor. Elly was attending him there.

“Miss Katya, I’m going to remove your left shoe and sock now,” Kate said, kneeling before her. She gently slipped off the sock and placed Katya’s foot into the basin. As a noble young lady, it would have been improper for me to touch the foot of a commoner girl even for treatment, and so Kate was assisting me.

“Katya, we’re going to apply the potion now,” I said. “Please let me know if it hurts or if it feels strange at all.”

Katya clenched her hands into fists in front of her chest. Whether it was from anticipation or anxiety, I didn’t know. Then she nodded.

Kate opened the bottle and began to pour the potion slowly over the petrified area below the ankle. As the liquid soaked into Katya’s hardened, stonelike skin, the dark color began to change. Kate scooped up the potion that trickled into the basin and reapplied it, making sure every inch of the affected area was thoroughly saturated.

“Let’s rub it in a bit to help it absorb better,” Kate said and began to gently massage the liquid into Katya’s petrified foot. Slowly, the dark gray skin began to lighten.

“It’s beginning to feel softer,” Kate said brightly.

“The color’s changing too!” Katya said, her face lighting up with hope.

Kate carefully rubbed each toe, and soon her fingertips were able to slip between Katya’s softening toes.

“My toes moved… They haven’t moved in nearly two years!” Tears welled up in Katya’s eyes. I couldn’t blame her for being happy. The skin of her foot had now turned a pale color.

Kate worked the potion higher to the top of her foot, then her ankle. As she continued massaging, Katya’s range of motion increased.

“I can move the top of my foot and even my ankle now!” Katya pressed her hands to her mouth, a tear rolling down her face. I handed her my handkerchief. She took it with a bow, dabbing at her eyes and wet cheeks.

Before long, her left foot was completely back to a normal, healthy color.

Kate checked each toe’s flexibility by moving them up and down, and then rotated her ankle in both directions. “Does anything feel strange?” she asked, looking up at Katya.

“No, not at all! I want to try standing now!” Katya said excitedly.

Kate smiled, gently lifting Katya’s leg from the basin and drying it with a towel. “I’ll help you. Let’s try standing you up.” She held out both hands and slowly helped Katya off the sofa.

Katya took one step and then another. The joints of her foot moved smoothly to support her movement.

“I can walk! I can move my foot! Oh, Miss Daisy!” Katya turned to me with a smile. “Thank you so much!” Suddenly, she let go of Kate’s hands and rushed toward me with her arms outstretched—but then she stumbled, falling into my arms. She wasn’t used to balancing on two feet again just yet.

“It’s still dangerous, so make sure you practice walking a bit more before you try to run,” I said, helping to steady her as she nodded.

Knowing that I was able to give someone back their freedom of movement filled my heart with happiness and satisfaction. Afterward, Katya sat back down while Kate helped her put on her sock and shoe. Then, we made our way to the parlor where Mr. Oliver waited.

Kate walked ahead of us and opened the door for Katya.

“Father! My leg is healed!” Katya said. “Once I’m used to walking again I won’t need a cane anymore!” Though she still needed her cane for balance, she walked more smoothly than before and approached her father to tell him the good news.

Mr. Oliver gave his daughter a big hug and began to cry.

“Thank you… Thank you so much!” Mr. Oliver said as he and Katya sat across from me in the parlor. Then he handed me a beautiful pouch. “Here is the fee I promised you. Please, take a look.”

I looked inside and found three gold coins, just like we’d agreed upon, but also something that felt like a card. When I took a closer look, I saw it was labeled with the words Temporary Membership Card.

“Yes, this is the amount we agreed upon,” I said. “And thank you for the membership card as well.” I put the items back into the pouch and slipped it into my pocket.

I reached down to pet Leaf’s soft fur as he slept quietly at my feet in his puppy form. He made sure to always stay close.

“The temporary card can also serve as a form of identification, so you should carry it with you regularly,” Katya said. “I heard you’re opening a workshop, Miss Daisy. How are your preparations coming?”

I looked up at her. “I have a general idea of what I want for the shop’s layout, but I haven’t gotten around to buying land or hiring a carpenter.” Honestly, I hadn’t made much progress at all.

“In that case, would you let me help you?” She clasped both hands in front of her, smiling brightly.

“If this is about thanking me for the potion, you really don’t need to…” Although the smile on her face told me it was more than that, it was still proper to decline at least once.

“No, that’s not it!” she said. “I am just really interested in your shop, Miss Daisy! I’m sorry, Father told me about it. You’re going to sell that soft, fluffy bread, right?” Her eyes were sparkling.

Mr. Oliver bowed his head slightly, apologizing for telling his daughter about the bread.

Oh, so that’s what it’s about.

“I’m really excited about the shop. And if you ever need any craftsmen, I can ask my father to put you in touch with someone. Please, I’d love to be part of your workshop team!”

Mr. Oliver placed both hands on Katya’s shoulders and leaned forward eagerly.

“It would be a valuable learning experience for her as well,” he said. “Her dream is to become an independent merchant someday. Please indulge her request.”

And just like that, I had a new partner for my workshop—a merchant’s daughter with light blue pigtails, two years older than me.

***

A few days later, Katya returned to our house for a meeting about the workshop. She still needed her cane, but she was getting more and more used to walking without it. It was a relief to see her improvement. I matched her slower pace as I led her to the parlor. Miina and Marcus were already waiting; they’d come early so I could introduce them to her.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Katya said. “I’m Katya, the daughter of a merchant. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Miss Daisy recently, and I will be helping her start her workshop.” She smiled and gave a polite bow.

“Katya, these two will be staff members working with me at the shop,” I said. “This is Miina, our cook and baker, and this is Marcus, my Alchemy assistant.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Katya,” they both said, bowing politely.

I hadn’t seen Marcus in a while, but he seemed more composed than before. He sat up straight, with no trace of the flustered boy he used to be. It was all thanks to Sebastian, to whom I sent my silent gratitude.

“Shall we sit down and talk?” I said, and we all took a seat together.

I laid out workshop plans Miina and I had drafted together earlier.

Katya looked at it and frowned. “A two-story building could be an issue. I think three stories would be better, with ladies living on one floor and gentlemen on the other. Even though you are young, Miss Daisy, you are still a noblewoman, so you must be mindful of appearances.”

“I hadn’t thought about that,” I said honestly. I mean, I didn’t even think of Marcus as a gentleman in that way.

“Miss Daisy, even if you are planning on keeping a shop, you are still of noble birth, so you must uphold certain standards.” Katya’s words made me feel a sharp pang. She kind of reminded me of a younger version of Kate.

On this particular day, Katya and I went to look at potential properties for the workshop. A real estate agent was giving us a tour, and we were now on our way to check out one of the candidates. Leaf was with us too, sleeping peacefully on my lap.

“Is this your familiar, Miss Daisy?” Katya asked curiously, looking at Leaf. “I’m surprised your parents let you go out without a bodyguard. Is he powerful?” She hesitantly reached out from across the seat to pet him.

“Yes. This is Leaf,” I said. “Normally he’s a giant wolf. He’s stronger than most bodyguards.”

Katya’s hand froze at the words “giant wolf.” Leaf cracked one eye open and looked at Katya, then shut it again like nothing happened. Katya pulled her hand away, but I stroked his fur instead. His tail swayed with contentment as I gently combed through his soft, fluffy fur.

As we chatted, the carriage came to a stop: we’d arrived at the first property. The carriage door opened and the real estate agent poked his head in. “Hello, ladies. We’ve arrived at our first stop.”

He helped us both out of the carriage.

“This parcel sits right on the border between the lower noble district and the business district,” he said as he unlocked the front door and showed us inside. “They’re just across the street from each other. It’s an ideal location for a business, because you can expect both nobles and commoners as clientele.” Leaf followed us inside too, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Now, this building is designed around a central courtyard, allowing a view from every roo—”

“No, this won’t do at all! The sun won’t reach the garden properly!” I interrupted him. With this configuration, the garden would only get sunlight part of the day. How would the fairies and the mandrakes thrive under those conditions?

“The garden?” the real estate agent repeated, his eyes widening with surprise.

Well, it wasn’t every day that a young noblewoman rejected a property based on the sunlight a garden would receive.

“Pardon me. You see, Miss Daisy grows her own medicinal herbs for her Alchemy work,” Katya explained smoothly to the baffled real estate agent on my behalf. “The garden will be stocked with herbs, so sunlight and ample space are very important.”

“Hrm, I see. In that case, then this property won’t do, will it?” He seemed to understand the situation and nodded, then fell silent.

Just then, the sound of the front door opening echoed throughout the room. Heavy footsteps pounded across the floor as three rough-looking men barged into the house.

“Sorry to interrupt ya, Mister,” one of them sneered. “But we’ve got business with these two fine young ladies here.” He started to walk closer to us.

Leaf, still in his puppy form, bared his tiny fangs, letting out a deep growl. The agent stepped in front of us protectively, pulling out a small dagger used for self-defense.

“Ah ha ha! Oh, come on. A puppy and a guy who’s trembling too much to hold his dagger? You don’t stand much of a chance,” one of the men snickered. The brutes drew knives from their jackets and moved closer.

“I bet they’ll fetch a decent ransom, and they’re so cute we could make even more sellin’ ’em off!”

Just as one of the men raised his knife, Leaf reverted to his original form as an enormous Fenrir. He let out a deep, thunderous growl, his fangs now thicker than a grown man’s finger.

“Huh?!” All three intruders froze at the sudden sight of the huge beast looming over them.

Leaf didn’t waste a moment. He lunged at the first man and sank his teeth into his arm, making him drop the knife. Then he charged into the man’s stomach, slamming him into the wall and knocking him unconscious.

Leaf spun around, darting behind the other two and using his sharp claws to slash through all four of their ankles. Their tendons severed, the men dropped to the floor with a dull crash.

“Young ladies! We need to leave and call the city guard! This way, quickly!” the real estate agent urged. He led us to the door, and since Katya still had some trouble moving, he apologized and scooped her into his arms. Leaf stayed behind to keep the criminals in check.

The agent unlocked the door and rushed outside to shout for the guards. Two arrived almost immediately, and the moment they heard the agent’s story, they rushed into the building. Just as they went inside, Leaf emerged in his puppy form. I pulled him up into my arms and whispered, “Thank you,” into his ear.

The brutes were quickly arrested and dragged off. They were charged with the attempted kidnapping of a noble’s daughter and the child of a prominent merchant’s family.

“Wow, you were right. He really is stronger than a bodyguard,” Katya murmured, looking at Leaf curled up in my arms before letting out a sigh of relief.

After that, we continued looking at properties, knowing we were safe with Leaf by our side. Finally, we came to one that caught my eye. It was a vacant lot near the northwest gates of the capital. There was a guard station nearby, and two guards were always posted even during closing hours, which made it a very safe location. It sat right on the border between the lower noble district and the business district. Not only that, but it was close to both my and Katya’s family homes. We couldn’t have asked for a better spot.

To sweeten the deal, the northwest gate saw constant traffic from adventurers and merchants heading to the dungeon city west of the capital, making it perfect for business. No one had bought the land yet because, despite its prime location, it was large and too expensive for most buyers. And no one wanted to split the land up for sale either, so the agent had been struggling for a solution.

“If you’ve got the funds, the best thing to do is buy the land outright so you can build your workshop exactly how you want it,” Katya said.

We’d spent the entire day looking at properties, and now the sun was setting. She looked satisfied as she gazed over the sunny plot.

I came up beside her and said, “Thank you.” I reached out and took her hand as we stood bathed in the setting sun. Our joined figures cast a long silhouette across the golden ground.

After I signed the purchase agreement for the land, the news reached the most powerful person in the kingdom.

“Ah, yes. That’s a fine choice of location. Expand the northwestern guard station and double the number of posted guards to four within the year,” said the king, issuing the order.

Chapter 14:
Our Whole Family!

EVERY DAY, I WAS BUSY WITH PREPARATIONS TO open my workshop with Katya’s help. We used a revised three-story building plan we had drawn together to discuss construction with our carpenter, then finalized a contract. I commissioned a custom spell from a magic shop for my medicine storage room, which used Space-Time magic to halt time itself, preventing degradation of the special effects of my potions.

Once construction began, I visited the site at least once a week to check on progress. When the kitchen on the first floor was done, I visited with Miina to confirm the layout and the size of the equipment and shelves we would need. Likewise, when the laboratory area was completed, I went with Marcus to arrange for lab stools and potion storage. Dan and Marcus helped me develop the new herb garden. I began to sow seeds and transplant seedlings from my old garden to ensure a smooth transition to the new one.

Somewhere amid those busy days, I turned nine years old. This would be my final year living at my family home, and I spent it diligently preparing for the future.

Spring passed, while the blackberries ripened in the forest behind the house. Then came summer, when the roses were in full bloom in the garden. Now it was fall, the season of harvest.

One evening, just as I was about to return to my room to go to bed, I spotted Father alone in the garden with his back turned toward the house. He looked so lonely in the darkness that I slipped into a warm jacket and went outside to join him. The chilly air caressed my hands and cheeks.

“Father.” I reached out and gently took hold of his nightshirt.

“The stars are so beautiful tonight,” he said, looking upward.

Countless stars twinkled in the deep indigo sky, as if they were in a competition to see which could shine the brightest. The moon was a faint, delicate crescent tonight.

Father knelt down and slipped his hands under my knees, easily lifting me into his arms to hold me in the crook of his elbow.

“When spring comes, you’ll be moving into your workshop, and Remus will head to the academy dormitory. The year after that, Dahlia will join him. The house will feel so lonely.”

Just like Father said, Remus would be turning twelve next spring and enrolling at the national academy for formal training as a Mage. And then Dahlia would attend the year after.

We siblings, all a year apart, would be leaving home one after the other.

“Children grow up far too quickly. I wish time would slow down.” His arms tightened around me. “When you were assigned Alchemist at your Baptism, I was worried about how I could best support you. But you took to it like a fish to water. You became an Alchemist favored by the king even while still a child, and now you’re about to go out on your own. I hardly get the chance to take care of you as your father anymore.”

A single shooting star streaked quietly across the sky, as if the heavens were weeping in place of my father who refused to cry.

“I’m sorry, Father,” I said. “I want to stay by your and Mother’s side too, but I want to live freely as an Alchemist just as much.” My heart ached and I buried my face against his shoulder.

“There’s nothing to apologize for, Daisy,” he assured me. “You should live your life as you please. Your potential is far too great to be confined within this estate. I want to be near you, but I have no desire to keep you from your potential. I said it before at your Baptism, remember? Mother and I will always support you as an Alchemist.” He gently stroked my hair as he spoke.

“I don’t think I want to sleep alone tonight, Father,” I said. “May I sleep with you and Mother in your bed?” I looked up, making a rare request. I just wanted a little more time in the warmth of his arms. I wasn’t quite ready to let go.

He smiled gently at me, his mouth reminding me of the crescent moon above. His adoring gaze softened even more.

“Of course. I’ll grant any request for my beloved daughter.” He kissed my forehead and carried me into the house. That night, I snuggled into Father and Mother’s bed, and we shared stories from when I was little. Then I fell asleep in my father’s warm embrace. It was one of the most precious nights of my life.

***

The next day, I sat across from Miina at the kitchen table. The two of us were plotting something.

“You want to create a dessert that your family will remember forever?” She tipped her head and thought for a while. Then she said, “Hang on a second,” and disappeared into the back of the kitchen before returning with a book. She flipped through it and explained how to make a thin cake. I couldn’t see how this plain looking sponge cake would be a memorable dessert at all; it didn’t even look that delicious.

But then she continued explaining her idea. “There’s a kind of batter you make by whipping eggs to make it fluffy. Then, if we bake a large sheet of it and layer it with cream…”

“Oh, Chantilly crème!” I said. “That sweet whipped cream made from cow’s milk and sugar! I’ve heard it’s delicious.”

“Let’s give it a try!” We looked at each other and grinned.

The next day, we tested the recipe.

First, we started with the batter. We set a mixing bowl over a bowl of warm water, cracked in the eggs, added sugar, and whisked it all together with a large fork until the mixture turned pale and thick. Whipping with a fork was very hard; I struggled to get the right consistency. Miina saw me having a hard time and stepped into help, using two forks with practiced ease. Next we sifted in flour and stirred it into the batter with a spatula until well mixed. Then, we added warm milk and melted butter and gently folded those in. We poured the batter into a greased baking dish and popped it into a preheated oven. We only made one large sheet since it was just a test, and we’d cut that into four layers later.

Next came the Chantilly crème. We opened the wooden casing of my large centrifuge and placed a glass container of milk inside, sealed it, and began to crank the handle. The glass container inside began to turn, separating the cream from the liquid. We repeated the process until we had enough cream for our recipe. Then we added sugar to the separated cream and transferred it to a bowl. Beneath that, we nested the bowl inside a slightly larger container filled with ice water, then began to whisk again, this time with forks, until we achieved stiff peaks.

That was our first test version. Miina had a clear image in her head of how she wanted the final product to look, so I left the assembly to her. She set down a layer of cake, spread a generous layer of Chantilly crème over it, then stacked another cake on top. Once the layers were built, she carefully trimmed off the edges to create an even square. Then she spread the remaining Chantilly crème all over the sides to finish the cake.

I couldn’t help but feel like it looked a little plain.

“I think it needs some sort of decoration on the top,” she said.

“I agree,” I said with a nod.

“Let’s try tasting it for now.” Miina cut the cake in half. We could see the alternating layers of cake and cream in the cut slice.

“Hmm, I’d like it to look a little more impressive,” she said, disappointed. Her tail drooped beneath her apron. She plated two slices of the cake and set out dessert forks.

I took a bite. The cake and crème melted in my mouth, smooth and light. It was very good, but…

“I think it needs a bit more contrast between the sweetness and texture,” I said.

Miina agreed.

“How about jam? We could strain blackcurrant jam to remove the seeds and spread it on the bottom cake layer,” I suggested.

“Oh, that would be a good contrast to the sweetness!” she said, nodding. “And let’s see…” She thought for a moment. “What if we use poached pear, since it’s autumn? We already have some preserved compote. Let’s try it!”

We put together a second test cake using blackcurrant jam and pear compote.

“It’s delicious!” we both declared.

Even the plain-looking sliced cake now had a lovely contrast between the vivid red of the blackcurrant and the soft color of the pear. The sweetness of the blackcurrant jam and pears added just the right flavors to break up the simplicity of the crème. Plus, the slightly crisp texture of the pear was a wonderful contrast as well.

“What should we do about the top? It needs a decoration,” I asked Miina.

She tipped her head to the side, just like I did. “What if we filled a piping bag with a dark-colored syrup and used it to write a message on top?” she suggested. “Maybe a blackcurrant sauce, so it doesn’t throw off the balance of flavors? That would certainly leave an impression!”

***

The day of the surprise was finally here.

“This is today’s dessert? It’s huge!” Father’s eyes widened with surprise as the servant wheeled in the cake on a cart.

“Oh, my! There’s something written on the top!” Mother said, leaning over to see.

Family is forever!

That was what I had written. Around the message we had placed several flower-shaped baked cookies. The writing wasn’t very neat, but even though the letters were a little clumsy, I’d poured all of my love for Father, Mother, Remus, and Dahlia into it.

“It’s Daisy’s handwriting!” Remus said with a smile.

“I’ve been feeling sad about spring coming,” Dahlia, who would be staying behind at home, said with a smile. “But somehow, seeing this makes me feel a little better.”

“Let’s cut the cake together as a family!” I suggested. I stood up and invited everyone over to join me. Father and I held the cake knife together and cut a slice for Mother.

“Remember when Daisy was so devastated that she didn’t become a Mage at her Baptism?” said Father. “She locked herself in her room and I didn’t know what to do. But when I showed her the alchemy equipment in my office, her eyes sparkled.”

“Well, they were so fascinating and shiny!” I said. “And there were three thick books filled with words I’d never seen before. It was all so exciting.”

Father was talking about the day when it all began. The day I discovered Alchemy. My first encounter with it hadn’t been pleasant, but thanks to the guidance of my parents it had become both my Occupation and my passion.

“Then there was that truth serum. That decision must have been hard on you, Daisy.”

“You were so worried at the time, Father. But looking back on it now, I realize it was a valuable experience.” That bitter memory was part of my journey as well. It was something I knew I’d have to think about further going forward.

Next, Mother and Remus cut a slice for Father.

“I still remember the taste of Daisy’s first potion. It was awful! You really should’ve tried it yourself first,” Remus said with a grin.

“I made a better one right after, just for you!” I said. “But the look on your face… Your expression must’ve changed like seven times in one second!” We all burst out laughing at the memory of my very first, extremely bitter potion.

“And then you caused an explosion that shattered the beaker while doing an experiment! You put Kate through the wringer too…” said Mother.

“Oh, Mother! It’s not like I caused that many explosions!”

Mother brought up the not-so-fond memory of that time I lost control of my mana and blew up my lab equipment. I puffed up my cheeks. Kate always went straight to her to tattle on me!

Then, Remus and Dahlia cut a slice for me.

“Remember how you used to join in our magic practice before your Baptism? You were never able to cast a spell, though.”

“But Daisy was the first of us to slay a monster! Remember, that killer rabbit?”

They both reminisced about how I used to sneak into their lessons, and how I fought a monster alone during my first foraging trip and came back in one piece.

“Don’t forget how you ran off onto the battlefield during that behemoth attack on the capital! Father was so furious when he found out! That was so reckless,” Remus teased.

“Hey, I couldn’t just sit around when I knew Father was fighting too! And he gave me a whole lecture afterward, so you don’t need to bring it up!”

Remus was talking about how I ran off to the front lines of battle to pass out potions when the capital was under attack. Father chuckled and patted my head gently. I remembered how he had bonked me very solidly on the head that day.

Next, my brother and I cut a slice for my sister.

“Thanks to Daisy, only our house and the royal family get to eat fluffy bread at dinner every night. I’m going to really miss that when I go away to the academy,” said Remus.

Finally, my sister and I sliced a piece for my brother.

“Make sure that bread mix keeps getting delivered to our house, okay? I refuse to go back to bad bread,” Dahlia said. “Maybe I’ll come home every weekend!”

I was pretty sure they would fall behind on their studies if they came home every weekend… Was that really a good idea?

As we shared memories and cut into the cake, Miina’s carefully crafted design crumbled away, and the message I’d written became a messy blur. But now that we had sliced the cake together, it felt all the more precious somehow.

My family enjoyed that cake more than anything else I’d ever made. And honestly, it was the most delicious thing I’d ever eaten.

Soon, fresh buds would sprout in our garden, the spring roses would bloom colorfully, and the day would come when two of the Preslaria children, myself included, would leave our family home.

I stood before my brand-new Alchemy workshop on the outskirts of the royal capital. Trees in full bloom lined the street, their petals swirling in the breeze as if blessing the grand opening of my shop.

I wondered what kind of people I would meet here. Would I come to understand the wide world? Would I become a true Alchemist?

As I stood there lost in thought, Leaf tugged on the hem of my dress with his mouth, as if to say, “Come on!”

I reached for the doorknob and opened it, stepping through the door.

Atelier Daisy

My new story was just beginning.

Afterword

HI, IT’S NICE TO MEET YOU! I’M YOCCO. FIRST of all, I want to thank everyone who purchased this book from the bottom of my heart. I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate everyone who supports me online every day.

I discovered the website Shousetsuka ni Narou through an anime adaptation of a story posted there, and after reading many other stories, I soon gave writing my own story a shot.

I was so grateful to have so many people read my story on the website, and one day, I received a message from the platform to offer to turn my work into a book. In the message, an editor named S. from Kadokawa Books spoke so enthusiastically about what they enjoyed about my story that I knew I wanted to work with them. Since then, S. has been very supportive throughout not only the publication process but also my struggles with the ongoing online serialization. I truly cannot thank them enough.

To Junsui-sensei, whose beautiful, detailed illustrations brought Daisy and the rest of the characters to colorful life, thank you! I have Daisy’s character design set as the wallpaper on my tablet. It gives me encouragement every day!

Finally, I know this book only exists because of the efforts of more people than I could ever name here. I’m grateful to every single person involved in the publication of this book. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

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The Tale of a Little Alchemist Blessed by the Spirits Vol 1

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1:
Baptism

Chapter 2:
Water

Chapter 3:
Let’s Make Potions!

Chapter 4:
Improving Potion Quality

Chapter 5:
My First Time Gathering Ingredients

Chapter 6:
My First Magic Training

Chapter 7:
Let’s Make More Potions!

Chapter 8:
My Sixth Birthday and New Friends

Chapter 9:
Let’s Make a Present!

Chapter 10:
My Seventh Birthday and New Friends

Interlude:
A Disturbance in the Southern Forest

Chapter 11:
Meeting the Nature Spirit King

Chapter 13:
Preparing for Opening Up Shop

Chapter 14:
Our Whole Family!

Afterword