Part 72: Chapter 10-8: Gifts and Growth

Part 10-8: Gifts and Growth

The reputation of our atelier has improved again. I think maybe we’re ready to take the next exam…


The Rank A Exam

Well, let’s get going! Let’s see what Mireille has in store for us this time!

Interesting. Your reputation has grown quite a lot. I think you might be ready for the test. What do you think? Do you want to try the next Promotion Test?

Please, Mireille!

Very well. It’s time for you to take the A Rank exam. This won’t be easy! Prepare yourselves!



R-References? The kind you need for the Certification Exam?

That’s right. The kind that only a certified alchemist can write. You will need three of them. In other words, complete this test and you’ll be qualified to take the Certification Exam, too.

I see. Which means it isn’t going to be easy! Gulp!

Tell us, Mireille. How many certified alchemists are there in Merveille right now?

Ilmeria, Firis, Sophie. Oh, and Roger. You can get your recommendations from any of them. …Even Roger, of course. You need three of them - that’s the only condition. Good luck, girls!

Alright! Three letters, four certified alchemists in town… Where to start…

Hmm… why don’t we start with Dad?

Alright! Hehe, good thing Mireille doesn’t have any problems with us taking the nepotism route…


A Gift for Honnete

A letter of recommendation? What are you talking about? This is all a bit sudden!

Hahaha. It’s about the Promotion Test. Mireille wants three letters of recommendation from certified alchemists - just like what you went through to get your certification!

Interesting. Quite the tough task! But I know you’ve got what it takes. If you complete the task I’m about to give you, I’ll write you the letter!

Yes! Thank you, Dad! What’s your task, then?

Hehehe… Simple! You just need to use your alchemy to do something nice for Honnete.

Something nice? That’s all? This sounds super suspicious to me!

I’m doing all of this out of pure love for my sweet girls! Honestly!

Uwah, you’re making it worse, Dad!

Just hold on a moment. Let me see… “Dear Honnete”…



You laughed! You just laughed! You’re planning something, I know it!

No, I’m not! Now go, get moving!

Uwah, I have a really bad feeling about all this. We should proceed with caution!

Right. First off, being paper girls for Mom…


The Neverending Diary



Uwah, you’re smiling too! This must be some crazy hard task he’s set for us!

No, that’s not it. I was just impressed that you’ve reached this point already. Now, for the something nice you have to do for me… I want a diary that will never run out of pages.

Wh… What? Why?

I’ve always loved keeping diaries, but I can’t get any paper in here! There’s no paper left I can write on, either. So I want a diary that will never run out.

Uwah! Dad definitely gave you that idea, didn’t he? That’s not fair!



I can’t believe you two! But very well. We just have to make that for you, right?

That’s right! One that’s easy to write in and really cute too, alright?

Your wish is our command, Mom!

Home we go! To make Mom’s wish reality!



Hmm… something like this should work! A lot of Zettel goes without saying… plus a Golden Tree Leaf, some more elixir, and some hidden power…

And, of course, the most important ingredient: a wish to give only the best to Mom!



There, it’s done! A diary that adds more pages as you turn them!

Phew! I didn’t think it was possible to begin with, but it all worked out.



…We never told you what Mom asked us for! You really did set this all up!

Gyah! I… I suddenly just want to see Honnete! Let’s head into the painting, shall we? Haha… hahaha… Hahahahaaaa!

Dad can be such a dummy! I guess it can’t be helped, though. This was an exam.

Let’s go after him, then. After all… We need to give the diary to Mom.


Intervention



Look, Roger! This is incredible. I can write as much as I like!

Haha. You seem very pleased!

Of course! It’s a gift from my own two perfect treasures! It almost seems like a waste to write in it… Maybe I’ll frame it and hang it on the wall!

What! After all the trouble we went to? We even made the paper super easy to write on!

Haha, I’m just joking. I’ll make good use of it. Thank you, girls.

No problem. We poured our hearts into it, so keep it close to you, Mom.

Finally, after all this time, we got to do something nice for you! Finally…!

Ah…! Roger! Your letter!

What? Hold on. They still need to do at least two more things…

No, they don’t! You asked them to do something good for me, and they did. This is it!





Roger’s Reference received.

Wow… Is this really okay?

Hmm… Yes, it should be fine. Your average alchemist couldn’t make that diary. Making that is enough for a recommendation letter for the exam. …None of my tougher tasks required.

I’m listening!

…If I push my luck any harder, Honnete is going to have my head… Girls, you pass!

That’s right. You’ve passed with flying colors! I guarantee your skills!

Haha, thanks, Mom! See you again soon!

That’s one of three! Hmm… let’s go to Ilmeria’s as soon as we’re home. She’s just up the street from us, after all!


Tedium From Teach

Why so formal? If you’ve got something to say, spit it out!

Uwah, I was just trying to match the occasion! Anyway… drumroll, please… we’ve finally reached the A Rank exam! And Mireille wants letters of recommendation, like the ones we would need for the Certification Exam!

I see. A letter of recommendation… As a certified alchemist, I can certainly do that. But being able to, and actually doing it, are two different things. I can’t just hand one over.

What! You aren’t going to give us a recommendation at all?

Is that what I said? You have to earn it, is what I meant! If you want my recommendation, you need to show me, your teacher, how much you have grown!

Grown? I think I have gotten a bit taller, recently?



Hahaha, of course you do. But how exactly can we show you that?

I’ve got that covered too. You just need to complete the tasks I’m about to give you. If you can do that, you’ll have proven how much progress you’ve made and I’ll give you the letter.

Very well. I just hope you’re ready to see how much we’ve improved, Ilmeria!

More than ready. Here’s your first task: bring me some neutralizer. As much as you can. More than you can carry.

That much?!

Even more! Now go and get to work!



Teach wants ten flasks of Rainbow Neutralizer, and we can make about three per synthesis. But I know how we can speed this up…



Ah! Using one of Backen’s Bromides as a Catalyst can let us make an extra two! So we just have to do this twice, instead of four times!

Yup! …And we finished before we even knew it! Now for the actual hard part…


Strength of Body and Mind

Phew! This is surely enough, right?

I think so. The number and the quality both look good. How was it? Difficult? A right royal pain?

Well, if I had to pick one… the second?

If you had to pick one… That takes care of the first test, anyway.

W-What, it does? How come?



Uwah. I think you’re right.

Grunt work is a part of being an alchemist. You understand that, and worked through it. That means you’ve passed the first test. It seems you really have grown.

I see. Hehe, glad that you can see it!

It’s too soon to get complacent, though. You’ve only completed the very first of the tasks. Now, for the second one: I need you to defeat the monster that you will find at this location.

We just have to defeat it? Haha, that’ll be easy then!

You think so? Well, here’s your instructions! Off you go and do it, then.

Alright! Spring-green Odahlia, and… hey!



Looks like it. Hold on, though, isn’t this the place where Ilmeria stepped in and saved us?

Hahaha, you’re right! That seems like so long ago now.

We needed all the saving we could get, back then. Let’s show her that isn’t the case anymore!



Eat this!



Left one for you, Lydie! Am I generous or what?

Hyah!





Phew. We won!

Yep. We must have gotten quite a bit stronger!



Ilmeria! You were watching the whole time?

Yes, I saw the whole thing. Very different from the panicked pair I encountered here. You faced your foe head on and took them down. You really have become so strong.

Ilmeria!

That takes care of the second test. Come and see my at my atelier again. I’ll give you the final test then. Bye-bye!

Off she goes… Do you think she’s accepted our progress?

A little, yes. But we aren’t finished yet. We need to complete her final task as well! So straight to her atelier, first thing in the morning…


The Task That Started It All

This one’s a doozy: “Pour everything you’ve got into making some Dream Paintbrushes”! No cutting corners. Everything you’ve got! From material selection to synthesis, 150% or nothing!

Very well. We accept this final task!

We’ll show you what we can do, Ilmeria! Get ready to get your mind blown!

Big words, little lady. I look forward to seeing just how much you’ve improved.



Can you believe it, Lydie? Making Dream Paintbrushes… that’s the exam we botched our first time around, a failure that really made us look for a mentor… and that’s how we found Ilmeria!

And now, over a year later and with much more experience under our belts, we’re going to earn her letter of recommendation with the best Dream Paintbrushes she’s ever seen… we’ve really come full circle!



Yawn… well, that’s that! Let’s show our teacher what we can do, once again!

Ilmeria! Hehehe…

Now, you two… show me what you are truly capable of!



Ilmeria, we’ve done it!

Haha… hahaha! These are wonderful! I can’t find a single thing to fault you on!



Ilmeria’s Reference received.

Wow, your recommendation! Thank you so much, Ilmeria!

No need to thank me. You earned it by completing the tasks I gave you! Teacher, students… such labels don’t matter. Alchemists to alchemists, I acknowledge you. I expect even bigger things from you in the future, girls!

We’ll do our best! This recommendation means the world to us!

D-Don’t get too soppy over it, you’ll make me blush!

Heheh, sorry Ilmeria!

You really have grown so much, though. I’m not sure you even need a teacher anymore…

I wouldn’t say that! We still can’t match you.

Lydie’s right. You’ll be our mentor until the day we finally, finally prove ourselves superior!



Ah! It’s on now! We’re going to surpass you, like, tomorrow! No, today! Drop your guard and we’ll surpass you by this evening!

Haha, give it a try. You’ll find a tough goal to reach! Anyway, you’ve gotten your recommendation, so run along. Go and study some more. If you truly plan on surpassing me, that’s how you’ll do it.

Yes, you’re right! That’s what we’ll do, then!

Heheh! See you later, Ilmeria!

…I can’t lose to them, either. Time to get back into Twelve Successive Syntheses…!

So we’ve gotten two recommendations now. One from Dad, and the other from Ilmeria.

That leaves Firis and Sophie, in the tent. But since they’re both there, anyway… why don’t we just get both of their recommendations?

We might as well! And you know Mireille… she’ll reward us for going above and beyond!

Right! Off to the tent, off to the tent!