The Alchemist's Discrimination
I really do discriminate against people, huh.
“···You’re buying everything?”
Alkest asked me again, as if he thought he might have misheard. Seeing that shocked expression on his face for the first time made the corners of my mouth twitch upward without meaning to. Yeah, this must be a first for a customer like me.
“Yeah. I’ll buy every single thing here.”
“So I didn’t hear wrong after all······.”
When I repeated my declaration of buying out his entire stock, Alkest made a face that said he was genuinely at a loss. Then, with a small sigh, he picked up one of the items right in front of him.
“Do you know what this is?”
“That’s···.”
The object in Alkest’s hand was a silver nameplate engraved with the mark of a feather mixed with brown and purple hues. I was pretty sure it was made by mixing some kind of poison into a griffon feather as the base material… but what was its name again? It had been so long since I last saw it that the information didn’t come to me right away.
While I was briefly lost in thought, Alkest ran his fingers over the nameplate he had pulled out at some point and spoke.
“This item is called Wind Spirit. It’s crafted using griffon blood, Negar’s venom, and the shell of a crystal turtle as the base. On its own, it significantly boosts control and resistance over wind and poison attributes.”
Ah, right. Its name was Wind Spirit. At first glance, it seemed like an unremarkable shield. But when you considered the unique traits that emerged because Alkest had personally created it, it became more special than any other item.
“Look at the price. Even a single shield costs this much.”
Why did people call Alkest the greatest alchemist? The reason was simple: when you performed alchemy using only items he had made, the resulting product was guaranteed to be of even higher quality than the original material.
And that wasn’t all. Alchemy, by nature, wasn’t about creating something from nothing. It required equivalent exchange—you had to pay a price equal to the result you wanted. That was why all the materials used in alchemy normally disappeared after use, leaving only the final product behind. That was common sense.
But not with his stuff.
Items created by Alkest didn’t disappear even when used in alchemy. Every material remained intact while you still gained a new object. In other words, he had stepped beyond equivalent exchange and into the realm of true creation from nothing.
Of course, there was a limit to how many times each item could be used in alchemy, so if you wanted to go further, you’d have to visit him separately for repairs—a minor inconvenience.
I think one of these was a required material for crafting the Ring of Dawn, right?
Players had compiled lists of what results you could get depending on which materials were used. Among them, the item known as the Ring of Dawn was famous as a piece of equipment well-suited for close-combat holy knights—commonly called paladins—who used divine power.
“I did say I’d sell them at half price, but even so, this isn’t exactly a cheap amount. No matter how you look at it, buying all of these would cost···.”
Tap. Click-clack. Tap.
An abacus?
Alkest had pulled out an abacus from somewhere and was now busily moving his hands, calculating the total value of everything I intended to buy. I quietly looked around at the other items while he clicked away, and by the time his hands finally stopped, the amount I had to pay was so enormous it practically made me gasp out loud.
Hah, and this is after getting half off?
Even Cheonhwa Yuseol seemed shocked by the unexpected sum and shot Alkest a slight glare. No matter how outstanding the effects of the items were, she didn’t know their true value, so she probably thought this was way too expensive. Honestly, if I hadn’t known the real worth of Alkest’s creations, I would have reacted the same way.
“You really think these are worth that much?”
I had to show it. After all, to Alkest, I still needed to look like someone who didn’t know the true value of these items.
“Of course. My creations will prove their worth.”
“···I’m not some saint who blindly trusts the words of a stranger I’ve never met before. But I’m not stupid enough to overlook the value of a treasure either.”
“Hoo. Looks like you’ve got a pretty good eye.”
But that wasn’t the issue. Alkest still looked like he was wondering whether I could actually pay up, so I smiled lightly and displayed the amount he had quoted earlier.
“Don’t worry about the money.”
“···Are you a noble by any chance?”
“Sorry, but I don’t have a family name.”
I’m just Zeon. It was probably suspicious for someone who wasn’t even a noble to be carrying around this much cash. But Alkest didn’t ask any further questions. After all, I had shown him that I could pay the price he named.
“···Fine. I’ll sell the items to you.”
“Wise choice. I’ll transfer the money right away.”
Hah··· To think I’d witness such an enormous transaction out in the middle of some remote mountain path.
I held my watch up to the terminal Alkest pulled out and transferred the amount. Then I looked over the total of thirty-one items that now belonged to me. Wow, just looking at them already made me feel full. But unlike me, Cheonhwa Yuseol asked with a somewhat worried expression.
Disciple, how exactly do you plan to carry all of these?
What? That’s what you were worried about? I had already expected something like this.
“Alkest.”
“What is it?”
I pointed at the pile of items in front of me.
“You have something with spatial magic on it, right? I’ll buy that too.”
“I don’t know how you figured that out, but··· I’ll throw it in as a service. I can’t exactly refuse a big spender like you over one little thing.”
He handed me a backpack that had appeared in his hand, and without hesitation I started stuffing the items inside. As expected of a spatial bag, even though it was small, the items kept going in endlessly. Once everything was packed away and I slung it over my shoulder, I tilted my head because I couldn’t feel any weight at all.
“Hmm? This doesn’t feel heavy at all. What grade is it?”
“It’s something I made as a test, so I can’t say for sure, but I’d guess it’s around C-rank.”
“C-rank, huh. You’re really okay giving away something this good for free? You even sold everything at half price.”
Wouldn’t he be losing money at this rate? Alkest’s way of doing business—practically giving things away—felt completely different from what I remembered.
“Well, just think of it as a small gesture of goodwill for future good dealings.”
“Goodwill, you say······.”
“Just as you recognized the true value of my items, my alchemist’s intuition is telling me that I should build a good relationship with you going forward.”
“An alchemist’s intuition, huh······.”
You can trust those words. Alchemists, like dwarves, are all proud of their intuition and skill. They’re stubborn mules who believe their own knowledge is absolute. That’s the general evaluation of alchemists in the world.
Of course, Alkest is almost uniquely different among them. He constantly questions his own knowledge and is a man who would go anywhere if it meant gaining more. There’s even a rumor that the reason he looks so filthy right now is because he lived in the slums for several months before coming here.
“That concludes our transaction.”
“What are you going to do now? Will you help the classmate inside?”
The place Alkest pointed to was the gate that was leisurely dominating the surrounding space. Classmate, huh. The person who had gone inside was definitely Mir, so there was no need for me to help. Quite a few kobolds had already come out of the gate, so she probably wouldn’t have too much trouble.
“No, she’ll clear the gate easily without my help. I’m just going to head back.”
“Hoo. You sound like you know her quite well. Well then, let’s meet again sometime.”
“Yeah, see you next time.”
Now that the deal was safely finished, I turned around without hesitation and started down the mountain, hurrying back home before I ran into Mir.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
After Zeon left, Alkest was left alone, frequently checking the time on his pocket watch. He didn’t seem to care about his surroundings at all; he was clearly waiting for someone. Just who could he be waiting for?
Crackle. Crackle-crackle.
About ten minutes after Zeon had left, something strange began happening to the gate that had been quiet until now. The gate, which had been expanding its domain outward, slowly started to shrink. It became small enough for only one person to barely squeeze through. And just before it shrank any further, an Academy student emerged from it.
“Huu······.”
Mir stepped out of the gate, stretching her stiff body, and tilted her head as she looked around at the strangely messy surroundings.
“What the…?”
The area that had definitely been clean before she arrived was now completely stained red. And the fishy smell rising from it was unmistakably the scent of kobold blood that she had been smelling constantly inside the gate.
What happened here while I was clearing the gate?
But her questions were short-lived. The presence of Alkest caught her attention, and she quickly turned her head, remembering something far more important right now.
“Clear the gate within one hour. I honestly didn’t think it was actually possible.”
“So, does this mean I win?”
At Mir’s words, Alkest gave a small nod.
“Yes. You cleared it much faster than I expected. I have to keep my promise.”
Whoosh.
Just like he had done for Zeon, a long display shelf appeared in front of Alkest, along with various items.
“There. From now on, I’ll treat you as a customer. Go on, see if there’s anything here that catches your eye.”
Look left. Look right.
Mir scanned the items Alkest had brought out, then slightly scrunched up her face as if something didn’t sit right with her.
“This is all you have?”
“Is there some complaint?”
“Considering the fame and rumors that circulate about you, the quality here is just too low.”
“Haha, you’re asking the obvious.”
Alkest shook his head lightly, as if that had been the problem all along. He finally understood why the girl in front of him had such a sullen look on her face. It seemed she still didn’t realize what kind of customer she was, so he needed to make it clear.
“Listen well. You are nothing more than an ordinary customer with whom I have no prior connection. If you want better items, you’ll have to build trust with me through transactions.”
It was a response that felt overwhelmingly discriminatory compared to how he had treated Zeon.