Part 23: Chapter 5-1: The Budding Alchemy Hub

Part 5-1: The Budding Alchemy Hub


Their Place in the Hub



Rumors? About the prettiest sisters in the city? Ah, I’m so embarrassed! Pretty, you said?

Stop sleep talking! Go splash some water on your face and wake up. I’m talking about your Atelier Ranking! The streets are abuzz with your exploits! The talented twins who are quickly making a name for themselves!

Wow, that’s great! All our hard work has paid off!

Okay, don’t drop your guard now. We’re aiming for the top, and we’re not there yet!

Keep your heads on, that’s right. Many people still have a reputation higher than yours. Ilmeria, Firis, and a guy called Alt, all have very high ranks.

Alt? I don’t think we’ve met him.

No need to worry about other people. You just keep going at your pace.

Off he goes… wait, who’s knocking?

Hey, is that a customer? Come on in!



Uwah, a Puni! What’s it doing at our atelier? Hold on, I think it’s delivering that letter?



I don’t want to keep on calling you to the castle, so I’m sending you the next Promotion Test conditions. Good luck with them! To my dear twins, from Mireille.”



Puni-puni!

Hmm, the requirements look pretty similar. We need to raise our reputation to take the exam.

Very well! It’s time to aim for E Rank!

Oh, there’s more in this envelope… a subsidy of 2000 Coll, and a certificate saying we’re allowed to travel to Braisewest. The badlands west of the city.



Oh! Lydie! We have Ertona Crystals now, and we’ve kept Pamela waiting long enough on the Goblet!



Quite a good job, if I say so myself… Ah! The power of foresight tells me that Ilmeria is about to arrive!

Huh? What’s brought this on so suddenly? You can’t be…


Enhancing Agents

S-She really did turn up! Sue, that was amazing!

Hahah! I’ve got a handle on the way our teacher acts now!

W-What does that mean? I’m not sure what I’ve done, but it feels like a defeat… In any case, are you ready for my lecture?

Ah, of course! Please go ahead.

Very well. Ahem. This time I’m going to teach you about a special item to enhance your synthesis!



Enhancing Agents can change the color of components you’ve put into the cauldron.

Ah! I think that’s what the Water Crystals we found in the Luminous Ice Grotto can do!

That’s not all! Some enhancing agents can change an entire ingredient’s components to a particular color, and some very rare ones can even allow you to reuse an ingredient! You know what this means for synthesis, right?

That sounds incredible… it can let us synthesize powerful items that we couldn’t make before!

That’s right! But they can only be used once per synthesis, so choose carefully. That’s everything. Did you get all that?

Yes! Mixing in a special item allows for even more stupendous synthesis!

Hold on, Sue. That sounds a lot like what you said last time.

No, it isn’t. I said “incredible” before. This time I said “stupendous”! We learned different stuff, so I said something different! I’m not recycling comments over here!

Alright, alright, I’m sorry! I take that back.

Hahaha. I’m sure it all makes sense in your head somewhere, Sue. In any case, this is a vital technique in order to reach the next level of alchemy. Make sure you remember it well. That’s my lecture for today. Bye-bye!

Ilmeria leaves.

What?! My hunch… was completely wrong?

How do you… oh. That was a real loud roar from your belly…



Hahaha, so it was just your empty tummy telling you Ilmeria was coming?

Ahaha… I’ll make do with something else for now. First thing in the morning tomorrow! Goblet delivery!

The next morning, the twins go to the church, where they find…


Connections Made and Missed

Ah, almighty lord~!
I give you thanks again today~!

Hahah! Why the singing, Sister Grace? Did something good happen?

Hehe… The church gathering was a great success! I’m still all excited about that, I suppose! You making all that paper was a big part of it, too. Thank you so much.

Hold on? It’s over?

Yes, a while ago… Ah!

Sister Grace! That’s not fair! You didn’t invite us!

That’s right. We helped to get it ready and everything! I was looking forward to that!

A-Ahem… I need to get back to work!

You can’t run from this! You’d better get another one set up, pronto!

And this time, we’re getting an invitation!

I understand, I understand! I am truly sorry! Next time I will make sure to let you know. I’m already making my plans.

Ooh! What’s it going to be next time?

Hehe, a puppet show! I’m going to use some handmade puppets to put on a performance!

Wow! That sounds like fun, too!

Sister Grace! We’ll help you again, with whatever you need! We’ll help you so much, you’ll have to invite us!

Y-You don’t need to go quite that far, girls… I’m going to invite you this time, don’t worry!

Hahaha, I was just kidding. We’ll help you either way, don’t worry.

It must be hard getting all of that ready on your own. Just let us know what you need.

Thank you. In which case, can you find me some of the cloth I need to make the puppets?

Cloth? What kind of cloth do you need?

Well, it should stand out! Be really eye-catching! Aside from that, I have no requests.

Very well! Just you wait and see, Sister Grace! We’ll bring the best cloth we can find!

Good, thank you. This brings the next church gathering one step closer!

Hmm, Sue, you know, we have some pretty high-quality cloth in storage.



Yeah. I suppose we can let go of it.

Sister Grace. We’ve got the cloth here for you to make the puppets.

Thank you. Ah, it’s just as high quality as your paper! Wonderful! I’ll be able to make some wonderful puppets with this.

Can I ask something? Can you even sew?



Uwah! I was just wondering! Sorry!

Anyway. Look forward to the show, girls. I have some experience with puppetry. You will see some wonderful puppets and a wonderful story! I can promise you a performer like no other performer can provide! Hahaha!

Alright, alright, just make sure you invite us this time!

That’s right, you’d better not forget again! Never again!

You’re really not going to forgive me for that, are you? Don’t worry, just be a little more patient!



I’m glad that Sister Grace has something else lined up for us! But let’s not forget why we came here this morning.

Pamela! Get Chloe and Ines as well!

Ah, what a lovely goblet! Thank you, both of you!



They’ve made this lovely new goblet, so be sure not to break it again, understand? I’m sorry for being so hard on you before.

Thank you!

Uwah, hey! No hugging on church grounds!

I’m so happy!

Hehehe!

Thank goodness for that. Another case closed!

It looks that way.

Ah, Sister Grace! Hello!

Hello. Pamela really is a wonderful nun, isn’t she? Covering for others’ failures, improving relationships while solving the issue… She comes across as kind of an airhead, and it can be very deceptive. But she’s rather clever indeed.

Hahaha! It might be rude to say “actually”, but she’s actually very reliable!

I guess so. She just comes across as not all there sometimes!

Which is just something that makes her so special.

Right… Eeek! What was that?! It sounds like something just broke!

Ines! Not again!

I-I-It wasn’t me this time! Not me!



Ah!

Don’t tell me, Pamela?

Hehe! Sorry!

What?! Pamela, what just happened?

I’m sorry… My hand just slipped!

Maybe we can just make it stick together with something? Do you think that might work?

It makes her special, alright!

Hahaha, yeah… That’s it for our involvement in this, I think!

Still, though… Pamela really is something special, isn’t she, Sue?

Hey, girls. I’ve got something I want to ask. Is there something that I don’t have in stock that you would like to see in the shop?

Hmm, nothing really comes to mind… What about you, Sue?



What was that? “Mom’s”?

Ah! I’m sorry! Pamela! Pamela’s shop!

Hahaha! Sue, you put your foot in your mouth this time!

Uwah! I can’t believe I just said that…

Hehe. I sort of can understand why, though… Pamela is so kind, and she smells nice too… She’s like a mom.



Oh my! That makes me very happy! Lydie! Sue! You can call me “Mom” as much as you like! Go ahead, give it a try! Call me Mom!

Very well… Ahem. Mom!

Mom! Ah, it sounds better than I thought.

I’m right here, girls! Yes, I quite like the sound of that!

Maybe we’ll call you Mom every now and then?

Say, Mommy dearest… Can you also give us a discount?

Hehehe! Not a chance!

Bah! Anyway, we’re done here.

The twins are passing through the Garden of Merk, where they see…


Sisterly Bonds

It’s fine, it’s fine. Go ahead!

Hello, both of you. What are you doing?

I was just giving Firis her allowance!

And I was just turning it down. I’m not a child anymore! Liane was trying to give me almost all of her earnings! You worked so hard to earn it all. You should use it for yourself.

You seem to have the wrong idea. I am using this for exactly what I want! Giving it to you, Firis! That’s all!

Ugh… She just won’t listen…

Haha! You really do love Firis, don’t you, Liane?

Of course I do! I can’t live without her! I can’t wait to see her in the morning! I eat lunch while thinking all about her! In the evening, I think about her some more! And even when I dream, it’s all about her! Loving Firis! That is my life! That is my everything!



Let them look! They mean nothing in the face of my love for you!

That’s how you’re going to be, huh? In which case… I didn’t want to do this, but… Be quiet or I won’t talk to you again today.

…ngh!

Hahaha! Liane, you’re too easy!

Hehe. You two are very close, aren’t you?

Yeah! She has her quirks, but I love Liane too.

Firis! I’m so happy, Firis!

And there we go again… That’s it for today, Liane, sorry!

Firis walks off.



Hehe, the two of them are so close! We can’t lose to them, can we?

Right!



Wait, Lydie… what are you doing?

Liane has more rare books for us! And I almost feel bad for her after she got shown up by Firis like that…

Ah… ahahaha… I know better than to try and stop you from buying books…

They contain recipes for gems! You oughta love those, Sue! So let’s go home and read up.

…

…Oh, that’s where they live, huh? Thanks!


The Thunder God of Yore

Hello, Firis! Hold on? Did we tell you where to find our atelier?

Nope, Ilmeria told me. There’s something I want to ask you both.

Ask ahead, then!

Tell me, if you can. Are there any legends about thunder in this region?

About thunder? Let me see…



That sounds promising! Can you tell me about it?

Sure. Long ago, there was a raging god named Falgior, who razed this area with the power of lightning.

Eventually, a hero and an alchemist worked together to seal Falgior away in a painting.

The Thunder God Falgior, an alchemist, and sealing a god in a painting?

Everyone living in Adalet knows this story. It’s very famous.

Hahaha! Parents even tell their kids they’ll set the Thunder God on them if they don’t behave! I always thought it was just a fairytale, though. I’ve no idea if it’s real.

No worries. Thanks for telling me. Here’s a little something, a thank you gift!



Strength Meat received.

You think? That’s one meal for me. Hehe, I hope you enjoy it!

Firis leaves.

T-This is one meal?

Hahaha! I wonder why she wanted to talk about lightning all of a sudden, though?



Now, time to read up!

Read “Encyclopedia of Gems Vol.1”.
Learned Raw Granate recipe.
Learned Raw Smaragd recipe.
Learned Raw Jet recipe.
Read "Encyclopedia of Gems Vol.2”.
Learned Raw Sapphire recipe.
Learned Raw Ruby recipe.
Learned Raw Diamonds recipe.

Later that day…


Strides Made and To Be Made

There, that should do it!

Hmmm… You know, Lydie, you’re getting pretty good at alchemy.

You think so?

Yeah. You don’t get the neutralizers wrong anymore, or tip the cauldron over in a panic…

You know what, you’re right. The same goes for you though, Sue! You don’t get the heat wrong anymore, and you don’t break any flasks anymore either.

Yeah, you’re right. I think I’m finally getting a hang of the basics.

Hahaha, you’re right. We’re definitely improving. But we’ve still a long way to go! Come on then, Sue! Let’s aim even higher!