Volume 1 Chapter 3 I Can't Ignore a Girl Like This
"So, that means... Mr. Ryuuji is no longer a member of <Berserk>, huh..."
"Yeah, that's right. Just like Ms. Lene earlier, I was told by the party leader, Guy, to leave the party for selfish reasons. Unfortunately, it seems my My Affinity Skill was practically worthless in his eyes. Given that, I guess I have to accept it."
I replied to the still awkward Lene while sipping slowly from the ale in my mug.
She, cutely, was drinking milk.
It seems the idea that elves can't eat animal-derived things is a bit dubious.
Speaking of which, did 'teacher' eat meat too?
"Oh, you can just call me Lene."
"Huh? Then I'll just go with Ryuuji."
"No, I'm younger."
"You care about that, huh, being an elf?"
"That's exactly because I'm an elf."
Elves seem to be strict about age hierarchies.
Well, I can understand what she's saying.
"By the way, that girl was saying Lene is useless or something, but you're a Third Rank adventurer, right? If you were useless, I don't think you could have made it that far."
Generally, adventurers are expected to handle rough situations.
Since the ability to cope with that is required, even craftsmen like us have some means to fight.
So, there's no way we who are at Third Rank are useless.
If you're an enchanter or an alchemist, you're a profession that manipulates magical power.
She also has a staff hanging on the bag she set down on the chair, so she probably has abilities as a magician too.
I'm the same way.
"...Sure enough, I am a Third Rank adventurer. But still... for Marie, I was just seen as useless, that's all."
I gazed up at the ceiling with distant eyes.
Lene seemed to have already reached a state of resignation.
I wonder what she plans to do from here.
"If you don't mind, could you show me one of your potions? You said earlier that it can also be used for attacks, right?"
"Ah, sure. That's fine."
Suddenly, my interest piqued, and when I asked, she easily agreed.
I had the feeling of wanting to see it as a craftsman.
She then lifted her cloak and looked at the potion strapped to her belt, gently placing a long, slender vial filled with a clear pink liquid on the table while saying, "How about this...?"
The lid had a pin inserted, so it seemed you would remove the pin before throwing it to use.
I've heard about such tools from 'sensei' before.
"Oh, it's okay to touch the bottle, but please don't touch the lid or the pin."
"Ah, got it."
So I used <Identification> magic to investigate the nature of the vial placed before me.
This <Identification> is an ability given only to those affiliated with guilds like enchanters or alchemists; it's a magic that determines what sort of abilities an object possesses.
"A bomb... no, it has the effect of igniting flames. The range is about a one-meter radius. The power and duration are..."
Having deduced that much, I froze.
Hey, isn't this amazing?
The duration and output of the flames are incredible, right?
The range is narrow, but if I'm not mistaken, it might be even more powerful than Suzu's magic... No, without a doubt, in terms of power and duration, it's stronger than Suzu's magic, which is said to be used by a genius magician.
I suspect that it has nearly 4 times the duration and output of a magic with the same effect.
That woman, Marie, apparently couldn't understand how talented the elf sitting right in front of her was, and she let her go.
What a foolish thing to do.
"Um...?"
"Ah, yeah, sorry."
I snapped back to reality when I noticed Lene looking at me, presumably curious about why I was frozen.
Although she's not crying anymore, her lovely eyes are puffy, which is sad.
"...Got it, thank you. I understand that this explosive is incredibly amazing."
"Incredibly? Really...?"
Lene seems a bit perplexed by my evaluation and furrows her brow in confusion.
It seems she doesn't quite realize how exceptional she is.
"Well, if we're talking about power and duration, it's stronger than the magic that a magician in 'Berserk' uses."
"Eh, no way... That can't be true."
Lene shows a wry smile at my excessive praise, but unfortunately, it's not flattery.
Besides, I'm not good with flattery.
However, with that in mind... it seems a waste to leave her just like this.
Also, it's a bit dangerous to leave her on her own without her knowing a proper evaluation of herself.
In that case, maybe involving her in the plan I was considering earlier would be quite interesting.
"...Hey, this is a bit of a talk, but could you listen?"
"Eh? Yes, what is it?"
"How about we team up? The 2 of us."
"Team up... you mean? Like a party...?"
My clumsy words made Lene tilt her head.
Well, both of us are adventurers, even if just a little.
When it comes to teaming up, it means forming a party, right?
However, teaming up isn't just about forming a party.
I've come to know how great her creations are.
And I've realized that she doesn't understand it herself.
If I left her alone here, she might face the same fate from those who take alchemy lightly again.
As a fellow craftsman, that would be unbearable.
"It's not just about forming a party; I've fallen in love with your works as a craftsman. So, how about we set up a workshop together and show the world how incredible an enchanter and an alchemist can be?"
"Huh..."
Looking completely taken aback by the unexpected proposal, Lene blinked rapidly and, for some reason, turned red and looked down.
"M-my... works... and you want to set up a workshop together...?"
"Yeah, honestly, I think this is an amazing potion. I guarantee it. Plus, if you team up with me, we can make it even better. Try adding some enhancement magic to the bottle; it will increase its effectiveness."
For example, with this explosive powder, if I tinker with the lid and apply wind magic with <Whirlwind>, I could trigger it right after pulling the pin, amplifying the flames' intensity.
Alchemy and enhancement magic combined offer infinite possibilities.
"...Alright, I'll also show you the magic stones I've enhanced, but they aren't fair. How about this one and that one?"
I pulled out 3 magic stones from my magic bag: <Magic Stone of Adamant>, <Magic Stone of Permafrost>, and <Magic Stone of Sealing>, placing them quietly on the table.
Each one is a masterpiece that no ordinary enchanter could create.
To be honest, I have other works that could be called my greatest masterpieces, but I can't carelessly showcase them.
"Wow... is this a magic stone? It feels like an incredibly large gem..."
"We need to cut it well for it to work. Try using <Identification>. This <Magic Stone of Adamant> over here is..."
While listening to my explanation, the emerald green eyes that were just shedding tears earlier seemed to reflect a glimmer of hope for an unseen future.
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