The First Commission
Wandering the streets, I chose to enter a moderately quiet shop rather than the largest one.
Since I had to ask what I needed to buy, I naturally wanted to avoid a busy place.
"Hello."
"Hmm?"
The middle-aged man reading a newspaper at the counter looked around before finally lowering his gaze to find me.
"Ah, welcome. Are you looking for something in particular?"
"I've taken a commission to escort a caravan to the Escart Empire, so I came to buy some things I'll need during the journey."
"Ah, I see. Shall I pick out a few essentials for you?"
"Yes, please."
"First..."
The shopkeeper looked at the staff slung across my back.
"Oh, you're a mage. In that case, you won't need sword-cleaning cloths or oil."
"Yes."
After that, he skillfully listed the items I would likely need.
Bandages and various ointments.
A lamp, oil, and flint.
A blanket, a tarp, a sleeping bag, and a cushion.
Quick-drying sandals and an all-purpose maintenance kit.
Low-grade mana stone dust, elemental catalysts, and so on.
There was also a portable water purification filter, a sturdy canteen, and rock salt.
I filtered out the things I didn't need for now.
"You can take out the mana stone dust and elemental catalysts."
"Indeed, if you are confident in your skills, you won't need such things."
"And I know how to start a fire."
"Even so, you still need fire-starting tools. Just in case you run out of mana."
"This looks like it might break easily. Do you have anything sturdier?"
"I'm afraid this is the best we have."
"Ah. I'll take one then. Thank you."
The lamp Aaron made remained perfectly intact even inside an exploding potion. Is a world without alchemy really this inconvenient?
Still, the argument that I should prepare for unexpected situations was convincing enough, so I kept the fire-starting tools.
"I really don't need the all-purpose maintenance kit."
"You might need to stitch yourself up if your skin gets torn. I'll throw this in for free, so you might as well keep one on hand."
"Oh. Thank you, I'll gladly take it then."
At this rate, there was nothing left to remove.
Honestly, I could have made something like a blanket myself, but I figured modifying an existing one would be faster and easier, so I just bought it.
After neatly packing my pile of purchases into my bag,
I looked around for food next.
"Dried fruit and jerky are definitely the safest bets. If you want to add a bit more, some soup ingredients and this would be excellent."
Following the soup ingredients, he handed me a glass jar filled with orange powder.
"What is this powder?"
"It's an all-purpose seasoning. It'll make any soup taste decent."
"Ah."
Simply put, it's ramen seasoning.
"I'll take this too, then. How many jars should I buy?"
"How many adventurers are in your party, and where are you heading?"
"Four of us are going to the Escart Empire."
"That's far. I don't know your exact travel schedule, but ten jars should be plenty."
"It won't be too little, right?"
"It's better to bring slightly less than you need."
When I stared at him with a look asking why, he explained with a warm smile.
"You have to get food from the other adventurers too. If you carry the burden all by yourself, you'll only end up feeling resentful."
"Oh. Then just ten jars, please."
Dried fruit, jerky, soup base powder, and the all-purpose seasoning.
Having finished my satisfying purchase, I strapped my backpack tight.
"Thank you."
"Thank you as well. May the blessings of the journey be with you on your path, adventurer."
"I wish the blessings of business upon you too, shopkeeper."
"Pardon? B-business... what?"
Leaving behind a cheerful farewell, I headed straight for the Autumn Hill Inn...
Or rather, I was about to, but then I turned back to the shop.
"Hello again."
"Uh... did you forget something?"
I pointed to the glass bottles displayed near the entrance.
"I was curious. What are these?"
"Ah, those are potions."
"Potions."
"Yes. Do you happen to need any?"
I stared quietly at the neatly arranged potions.
"Who made them?"
"Mages make them, of course."
"Non-alchemists make potions? How? Glass bottles made by non-alchemists must break easily, so how do you store them?"
"Excuse me...?"
Ah, right.
I'm supposed to be a mage right now.
"Just kidding. Do you happen to have any elixirs?"
"Hahaha, you really had me there. Something as precious as an elixir can't be bought even with money."
"Not even cheap elixirs?"
"I'm not sure if it's right to put such a word in front of 'elixir,' but yes. Even an elixir with poor effects is extremely rare. They say even the high and mighty nobles can't get their hands on them."
"Is it really that bad?"
"Of course. They say wars have been fought just to claim a single elixir. If you ever hear that an elixir has been found near where you are, you'd better run the other way."
The more I traveled the world, the more my master's grace seemed to grow to monumental proportions.
Just the ones I drank at the beginning numbered over fifty, and if I added the ones I occasionally drank over the next three years...
I gave up counting and nodded.
"I'll take one of each of these potions."
"Ah... these are quite expensive, though."
"It's fine."
I bought one of every single potion displayed in the shop.
I wonder what potions made by non-alchemists are like.
It seemed like it would be quite fun to study them on the way to the Escart Empire.
"Hello."
"...Who are you?"
"I'm Lulu."
"Lulu?"
The man stared at me with a strange look.
Realizing this probably wasn't the right place, I went to the next table and gave the same greeting.
"Hello, I'm Lulu."
"Lulu? Who is..."
A pot-bellied man rolled his eyes for a moment before jumping up.
"Ah! You must be the mage!"
Fortunately, I had found the right spot.
"Oh, welcome, welcome. I am Palmon Magnic, the leader of the Magnic Merchant Group."
"Yes, hello."
"We've scheduled our departure for tomorrow. Will that be alright?"
"Yes, that's fine."
"Ah, wonderful. If you haven't booked an inn yet, we can offer you a room here. How does that sound?"
"Yes, I'd like that."
"An excellent choice. Our inn is famous for its exceptionally delicious dinners. Since it's just about dinner time, you won't regret it."
The Autumn Hill Inn belonged to the Magnic Merchant Group.
Seeing that they operated such a large inn, it seemed the merchant group was of decent size.
"You will be staying in Room 201. Once dinner is ready, I will send a servant up. Please rest comfortably until then."
"Yes, thank you."
The inn room was cleaner than expected, yet somehow dirty.
Meaning the bedding was clean, but the surrounding environment was a bit untidy.
I suppose it was a difference I felt only because I had been living in Aaron's mansion.
Still, compared to the orphanage, it could be considered clean, so I'd give it about 56 out of 100 points.
Not long after, the merchant leader's servant came up and knocked on the door.
I went straight downstairs to eat the dinner Palmon had boasted about.
First, a beef chunk stew.
It was a dish with thick chunks of beef, potatoes, and herbs.
Next, white wheat bread and herb butter.
It was exactly what it looked like—just bread and butter.
Finally, smoked cheese and dried fruit.
Again, just cheese and fruit, nothing special to describe.
It's worse than I thought.
The people around me were eating with great relish, but it didn't suit my palate at all.
It was because Aaron's cooking had been too delicious.
Whether it was the lodging or the food,
my standards had risen too high from staying with Aaron.
Still, I have to adapt.
But I didn't grumble or complain.
Rather, couldn't one say that this kind of discomfort was the true romance of travel?
So, even if it wasn't delicious, tonight's dinner could still be called a satisfying meal.
The meal finally ended after I drank a cup of cold milk.
Right on cue, Palmon, the merchant leader, approached and spoke.
"We plan to depart tomorrow at five in the morning. It's a bit early, but it can't be helped if we want to reach the campsite in time..."
"Yes, that's fine. Thank you for the dinner. Good night."
For someone like me who used to wake up at four every morning, this was no trouble at all.
I was about to head straight to my room when I locked eyes with a group of three non-alchemists staring intently in my direction.
One woman and two men.
They had no horns or tails, their skin was human-colored, and they lacked furry ears. They weren't short, nor did they have long, pointed ears.
Pure-blooded human non-alchemists, by all appearances.
In that case, I didn't need to think hard to know who they were.
"Hello, I'm Lulu."
"Are you the mage they said was coming?"
"Yes, that should be me."
"Hmm, a human? Or a dwarf? A beastkin? Well, whatever you are, a mage is always welcome."
A man with a large scar on his face approached and offered his hand.
"I'm Gerik. Bronze rank. Nice to meet you."
Bronze meant he had passed the wooden plaque, ivory, and iron stages.
Above it were Silver, Gold, and Platinum, so he could be considered right in the middle of the adventurer ranks.
The Bronze-rank adventurer Gerik's hand was large and calloused.
I suppose this was what an adventurer's hand looked like.
What weapon did he use? A sword, perhaps?
I looked back and forth between his hand and mine before gently shaking it. It felt incredibly rough, just as it looked.
"I'm Lulu. My rank is Wood. Nice to meet you. And I'm a human, not a dwarf."
"Ah, my apologies."
"It's fine."
Next, a large, bald man approached with a hearty laugh and extended a hand the size of a pot lid.
"I'm Kairon! Good to meet you! I'm Bronze too!"
His hands looked far rougher than Gerik's.
However, while Gerik's hands seemed to have become that way from gripping weapons, Kairon's hands looked as though they had been shaped by striking things bare-handed.
When I shook his offered hand, it felt like a turtle's shell.
"I'm Lulu. Nice to meet you. I'm Wood rank."
The last non-alchemist to approach was a woman.
She wasn't very tall. Even though I was short, she was barely any taller than me.
But her chest was incredibly large. Maybe carrying those around was the reason she was so short.
"Hey."
"Hello."
Her tone was quite blunt.
"Sera."
"I'm Lulu."
She also offered a handshake.
I accepted her handshake without hesitation.
Her hand was softer than those of the two men.
Actually, Sera's hand felt no different from mine.
Soft and smooth.
Did that mean she didn't use a weapon?
"What kind of weapon do you use? I'm a mage, and I use a staff."
"...You're pretty unusual. I'm an archer."
"Ah."
Just as I shook her hand up and down and was about to let go,
Smack, smack.
A strange taste lingered in my mouth.
I feel like I've tasted this somewhere before.
Where? Where did I taste it?
Where else? Aaron's mansion, of course.
At the orphanage, I ate nothing but bread and watery soup every day. Sometimes there was soup made from boiling chicken bones, but it was mostly bread.
So this surprisingly decent taste was definitely something I had experienced after meeting Aaron.
"W-what are you doing?"
"Ah, sorry."
Without realizing it, I let go of Sera's hand, which I had been about to bring to my mouth. As I did, the taste in my mouth vanished.
I was so close.
If I could just put it in my mouth, I'd know for sure.
As I smacked my lips in disappointment, Sera narrowed her eyes and glared at me.
"You're really a mage, right?"
"That's how I'm registered for now."
"Registered? Are you sure about that?"
"The Adventurers' Guild recognized it too."
"Hmph... Well, fine. If the guild says so, then I guess you are."
Sera turned around with a huff.
"I'm going to sleep first. Don't be late tomorrow, you guys."
Gerik and Kairon just stared blankly at Sera as she walked away.
From that, I could tell that these three weren't originally a party.
Perhaps only Gerik and Kairon had traveled together.
The two of them were surely experienced adventurers.
If hands that rough didn't belong to veterans, then the world was truly an unfair place.
But what about Sera?
I couldn't tell. There was something strange about her.
"Ahem... We've been together since this morning, and she was just as prickly then. Since you're both girls, Lulu, maybe you'll get close quickly. I have a lot of questions for a mage, but we'll have more than enough time for that later. Shall we head in for the night?"
I nodded at Gerik's words.
"Yes, that sounds good."
It was already 11 PM.
It was about time to sleep.
"Good night, Mr. Gerik, Mr. Kairon, and Miss Sera."
"Yeah, good night to you too, Lulu."
"Sweet dreams, Lulu!"
Click.
The last click of a door closing belonged to Sera.
Feeling relieved that they seemed like decent people, I went into my room and lay down.
But not long after, I sat back up.
I felt like I wouldn't be able to sleep until I figured out what that taste on Sera's hand was.
I took out the alchemy ingredients I had packed in my bag one by one and began to chew on them.
While Lulu was munching on alchemy ingredients before finally succumbing to sleep and passing out,
Sera, lost in her own thoughts, still hadn't resolved her doubts.
...A mage?
Sera clenched and unclenched the hand she had shaken with Lulu, tilting her head.
Rather than a mage, she feels more like...
The word 'alchemist' popped into Sera's mind, but she quickly shook her head.
There was no way an alchemist would wander around so openly.
And of all places, her destination was the Escart Empire.
An alchemist walking on their own two feet into the country that hated alchemists more than anywhere else on the continent?
Unless they were completely insane, that was impossible.
Well, unless they had the Third Disaster backing them, had been trained by him, received his recognition, and were draped in artifacts he had transmuted.
But there's no way such an alchemist exists in this world.
That was simply absurd.
Besides, hadn't she said the guild recognized her?
Alchemy and magic were different. Anyone with even a basic knowledge of magic would easily tell them apart.
Of course, adventurers were fools who would cheer and call it magic even if they saw some shoddy trick. They were idiots who shouted in awe at effects produced by artifacts, calling it magic.
But the guild staff would definitely know.
So she must be a mage...
I'll just have to watch her when we fight monsters.
The other adventurers might not notice, but Sera could.
She was one of the very few people who could distinguish not only magic but also the phenomena manifested through alchemy.