Chapter 33 - Alchemy Department (2)
A few days had passed since I'd charmed—no, recruited—Professor Rodellini. In that time, I'd learned something: the Alchemy Department had quite a few like-minded folks. The simplest reason? We shared a lot in common. Basically, there were two types of students who came to the Alchemy Department. Those lured by the dream of turning stone into gold, and those genuinely fascinated by alchemy itself. And what they all had in common? They were broke.
Alchemy was an expensive pursuit, and the results weren't always practical, so naturally, anyone involved tended to end up poor. Even Professor Rodellini was on the better end of the spectrum, with fewer days of going hungry than most. Most students were either low nobility or outright commoners, driven by pure academic passion while scraping by financially. Naturally, I fit right in, so the initial wariness from day one vanished quickly, and things had been smooth sailing ever since.
To celebrate, everyone in the department was gathered in the backyard of the workshop right now.
"Potatoes... we have potatoes...!"
"If we dig up this many at once, fill up a colander... that's a day or two of meals sorted...!"
"Free food! Free food...! Aizen's bestowing free grub on us!"
There was a potato patch in the back that I'd made on a whim. Back in Arclight Territory, my days were basically potato-harvesting duty, so I was pretty confident in growing them. Sure, there were bad memories tied to the Arclights, but nothing to do with potatoes themselves—so seeing them didn't stir up any gloom. And the reason I grew them was simple.
"Saves money, right?"
What I'd gained from the Arclight family was magic training through potato digging and how to farm. The spells I'd learned there were now producing excellent food. It'd be impossible for me to eat all the potatoes from this patch alone anyway, so I'd end up discarding a bunch. Better to share them, especially as a bonding gift for the department students—which was why they'd all swarmed here the moment I suggested digging some up. Even Professor Rodellini was at the front, colander in hand.
"Alright, let's start!"
"Everyone, dig diligently and help Aizen clear out his stock!"
With that oh-so-noble justification, Professor Rodellini dove in first, and soon the entire department was feverishly unearthing potatoes.
Mina watched them with a mix of pity and narrowed eyes.
"My french fry ingredients."
"...You were planning to dig from my field and sell them?"
"Your field? This is my land."
Mina's retort was sharp, but it was just a merchant's instinct kicking in—annoyed that people were taking produce from her property without permission. She'd been too busy after arriving to touch it, but apparently, she'd planned to make a little side cash using the potato recipes I'd sold in Phoenix County. Still, she seemed overly sensitive about it.
Something must've pissed her off recently.
Figuring something had rubbed her the wrong way right before she got here, I looked away from Mina for a moment. She handled caravan business and got sudden offers all the time, so it wouldn't be weird if something happened without us knowing. A bit more thought, and she'd realize she wasn't losing out at all.
The plot came with the warehouse we bought for the workshop, and the leftover scrap of land was awkwardly sized—too tricky for much else—so I'd turned it into a field. No matter how much they dug, it wouldn't be a huge amount. It was basically my personal pantry: when mealtime hit during work and there was nothing to eat, I'd pop over, grab one, brush off the dirt, steam it, and chow down.
"They're gonna sprout if left too long anyway, ruining their market value. Might as well think of it as freebies you're tossing."
"True, but don't you need the sprouted ones?"
"Haven't needed to use those yet."
Mina looked baffled as she spoke, and I just shrugged.
It wasn't that I needed them so much as I'd made them as a potential resource. No use for them yet, so no big deal. Meanwhile, Noel—who'd been watching the alchemy students dig with Erica, a awkward smile on her face—turned to me.
"Aizen's fine with it, and Mina's not stopping them, so I'm just standing by... but is this really okay? They're going at it like they're plowing the whole field under..."
"I planted a ton here, so there's plenty even I haven't gotten to."
Especially since the field's a mess after my Phoenix County trip—having them tidy it up was actually a favor. A while later, the students—who knew they couldn't store them forever—hugged their hauls and started trickling away. Even Professor Rodellini left grinning, muttering about saved meal costs. Erica, unable to say it outright, phrased it as politely as possible.
"The Alchemy Department folks are, um, really thrifty!"
"Bunch of paupers."
Mina sighed. By then, I'd finished my Arclight-style farming: magically uprooting the rest, selecting the good seed potatoes, and replanting them. Mina turned to me.
"How's the Alchemy Department?"
"Paradise."
I answered without hesitation, and Mina, Noel, and Erica all gave surprised looks. Mina's expression shifted.
"I heard the whole department's been pulling all-nighters to develop a new alloy lately."
"That's just one thing. Tons of other useful tech too. I'm learning all sorts and applying it everywhere."
I was having a blast experimenting on my Cyclops in the workshop—applying alchemy techniques to see what stuck or needed tweaks. The one from the Phoenix County battle hadn't been properly repaired yet (needed to pull data first), which actually made it convenient for testing new stuff. In short, alchemy tech translated directly to golem tech. Mina knew that, so her jabs were half-joking, never serious.
"Still, get some sleep, Aizen."
"And eat proper meals. Not just potatoes every time?"
Noel and Erica fussed over me. I appreciated the concern, really...
"But it's fun."
Being able to dive into what I loved made even sleep feel like wasted time. They knew nagging wouldn't work, so they just gave wry smiles.
"Fine, but I'm beat today. Plant the potatoes and crash."
One day off wouldn't hurt. Noel and Erica brightened up, and Mina grinned.
"Then let's eat together today."
"Come to think of it, Aizen's never used the academy cafeteria, right? How about we go now? I'd love to treat you."
Noel jumped in right after.
"The academy hires famous kingdom chefs, so the food's great. Quality for the price is solid—perfect chance..."
"Cafeteria's better for desserts, I think. For stamina, meat's the way..."
"For Aizen, a cost-effective spot would help long-term."
They couldn't agree on a single menu. The women exchanged glances, conversing with eyes alone. Things were about to heat up when...
"If it's dinner, I'd suggest holding off."
Professor Reina had appeared behind us without a sound. We all jumped—no presence at all—and turned.
"I didn't do anything wrong."
"I've reached the level of suppressing my aura to catch you punks, but chill—it's not that."
She popped a pill from her pocket, stronger than the last by the look of it, grumbling about not messing up in the first place. Then, quietly:
"Sorry to interrupt this rare student-like scene from you four, but Aizen, you need to head to the academy's reception room. Saintess Mina too."
Calling Mina as well meant it wasn't just about me. My gut said it was big.
"What is it, Professor?"
Maybe sensing my seriousness, Reina spoke slowly.
"The palace sent someone. They want to discuss the contract between you and Saintess Mina."
As expected. It'd come eventually.