How to Become an Alchemist
"Well...?"
At her answer, Seong-il let out a deep sigh with every ounce of his being and replied while putting on an act.
"'Are you crazy?' he said. Something about why on earth you'd let a woman inherit the family line."
"I was ready to give up, constantly overshadowed by a younger sibling who surpassed me in every way. But because she was a woman, I simply couldn't let it go. It was driving me insane, so I went to our great-uncle—the one the family had disowned—for advice."
"For reference, that man was a famous idler even in the East. He was known as the Flower Prince, a lover of romance, an artist, and a disowned young clan head to boot."
"Oddly enough, he was the only one who understood me. And he told me, 'If that's how it is, then just run away. Somewhere far away.'"
"I was stunned by how irresponsible it sounded, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. If I vanished, the position of young clan head would have no choice but to be forcibly passed to Eun-wol."
"After agonizing over his advice for several days, I went back to grandfather for one more suggestion. This time, he secretly handed me a single sealed letter. He claimed it was a treasure our ancestor from long ago hadn't been able to take with him."
"And after that… well, you already know the rest. I came here, enrolled in the academy with grandfather's help, received the Polke items, and now I plan to sell them."
'I've told so many lies lately that preparing and delivering them has gotten easy. So easy.'
Whether she sensed Seong-il's inner thoughts or not, Pirina had been completely absorbed in the tale like an audience listening to a grand epic. She spoke up.
"Hmm… That's quite an interesting story. If what you say is true, Master, I might be able to dispose of those items little by little."
"After all, it's been a very long time since the Polke church went missing. They're the kind of objects that curious collectors crave…"
"And if necessary, we could always melt down any gold or silver ritual tools and sell them without issue…"
She suddenly fixed her gaze on him and asked.
"Still, the Polke church was a rather infamous organization. No—beyond infamy, they were pure evil. Doesn't it bother your conscience that these are items they left behind?"
Seong-il smiled at her question.
"Our family cleaned up that trash in Nelke for everyone. What's there to feel guilty about? Has anything gone wrong in Nelke since they disappeared? If we'd left them alone, a massive bloodbath would have erupted and countless innocents would have died."
"Hmm… That's true."
After agreeing with Seong-il, she thought long and hard before speaking again.
"All right. If the items come with a story like that, it's worth trying. But of course, you'll pay my commission, right?"
"Obviously. How much do you want?"
Pirina answered, "Thirty percent. Since these are Polke relics, they're items that require extra caution because other churches might get suspicious."
"I considered asking for fifty percent at first, but since you could always return to the East and sell them in the worst-case scenario, I'm quoting the lowest margin. How does that sound?"
Seong-il nodded at her reasonable proposal.
"In that case… good. However."
"However…?"
Seong-il looked at Pirina's face and smiled.
"If you manage to dispose of the items without any problems, I'll give you an extra ten percent on top of the commission. It's yours."
"Huh…?"
Pirina looked utterly shocked, as if she hadn't expected the offer at all.
"Why the surprise? When my woman works for me, shouldn't I give her a reward like that?"
Pirina's eyes widened at his generous suggestion. She soon composed herself and spoke.
"Hmm… It seems I really do have a good eye for men. Hehe."
With a delighted expression, she began asking questions again.
"By the way… from the way you talk, it sounds like quite a large sum. With that much money, you don't plan to cut ties and just live comfortably back in the East…?"
"No. I'm not going back there. I'll settle down here, earn some money, and start my own family."
"Huh? Didn't you say you disliked being a clan head…?"
Seong-il smiled gently.
"Is that place the same as here? In the main family, even if you become the head, the elders and all those mother-in-law types pressure you constantly. You can't do anything without their approval."
"But here it's different. I can do whatever I want. So the story changes."
Pirina nodded in agreement.
"That does make sense. Still, you seem like you come from a powerful local noble clan. What will you do about your lowered status…?"
Thinking of Elisha, Seong-il answered.
"Ah… I'm thinking of catching an appropriate woman and swallowing her title."
"Hmm… My Master has quite the viper side to him, doesn't he…?"
"Hey. I may not look it, but I was once on track to become the successor of a clan. Don't underestimate me."
Pirina burst into laughter.
"Yes… that's right. I misspoke. In that spirit, I'd like to make you a proposal, Master. Care to hear it?"
"…?"
Pirina smiled sweetly.
"If your plans succeed and you establish your own family, how about taking me as your concubine?"
"What?! Are you out of your mind?"
"Of course. I'm completely serious."
Flustered, Seong-il asked, "Why me… no, leaving that aside, why ask to be a concubine instead of the main wife…?"
Pirina gave a self-mocking smile.
"Hoo… Even if I look like this, I know my place. A prostitute and thief born in the slums. Do you think a woman like me could meet a proper man?"
"If I did, I'd either end up in a shotgun marriage with some back-alley thug or become the concubine of a scheming opportunist. Or just live alone."
"But… Master seems pretty good, doesn't he? You have plenty of money, you have goals, and you seem to enjoy life. What do you think?"
Seong-il smiled.
"Well… if you're willing, I'd be grateful."
Pirina laughed brightly, moved closer, and stroked his face.
"Hoo… Oh my, how wonderful. Now I'm truly going to become Master's concubine? Hehe…"
After speaking, she gave him a deep kiss, then caressed his chest as she continued.
"In return… treat any children we have from the marriage as proper offspring, not illegitimate ones. Of course I won't covet the title. Just distribute the property fairly…"
Seong-il pulled her into his arms and whispered.
"Of course. In that spirit, Pirina, why don't you help me out while we're at it?"
"With what?"
Seong-il began explaining about Elisha—her background, her weaknesses, and why he needed to obtain her.
After listening for a long time, Pirina replied.
"So in short… you're going to get that debt-ridden noble lady Elisha, the heavenly orphan, completely in your grasp, devour her title, set up a workshop, and run a business…?"
"That's right."
"And… you're going to rape her, threaten her, drive her into despair, then dangle the carrot of paying off her debts and proposing a joint business to recruit her…?"
"Yes."
Having heard his plan, Pirina sighed.
"What kind of childish… no, leaving that aside, why go out of your way to rape her? Can't you just recruit her with money?"
"It's fun!"
"...."
Pirina stared at him with an expression of utter disbelief. After a long, dazed silence, she sighed again.
"Listening to you… I feel like I'm turning into an idiot, Master."
"Well, if it doesn't work out, we can always drop everything and run away to the East together. I have plenty of money. I'll take good care of you."
Pirina burst out laughing.
"Puhahahat. All right… If that's what you want. What should I help you with?"
At her words, Seong-il began requesting the items his plan would require, one by one.
The next day, while checking the delivered goods in the basement, Seong-il wore a satisfied expression.
"Ha… As expected of the thieves guild's second-in-command. To send everything so quickly and efficiently."
Following his request, Pirina had delivered various drugs—aphrodisiacs, stimulants—and torture implements.
"Hmm… How did they even know Elisha's clothing size?"
Amazingly, the thieves guild had sent outfits matching the exact sizes of the clothes Elisha usually wore, in several varieties: ordinary attire, maid uniforms, and highly revealing garments that prostitutes might wear.
"A memo…?"
Seong-il found a note tucked among the clothes, pulled it out, and began to read.
Enjoy it in moderation~
Seeing the curious message and the lipstick print, Seong-il guessed that Pirina herself must have sent the package.
"She's got excellent taste."
After finishing his inspection of the goods, Seong-il began making thorough preparations for Elisha's visit the following day.
"Seong-il! Hello!"
Around lunchtime, Elisha arrived at his workshop. Seong-il smiled and greeted her warmly. She handed him a small gift and stepped inside the house.
"Welcome."
Elisha looked around in admiration.
"Oh… You have a really nice house? Ah! Is that the currently highest-rated centrifuge…? Keck? And those are polishing tools from the Lupe workshop?!"
From the entrance onward, Elisha couldn't contain her gasps of awe and shock at the array of luxury alchemy equipment.
'M-my god… How much would all of this even cost?!'
Seong-il inwardly mocked her astonishment.
'I bought all of it for you, Elisha…'
Hiding those thoughts, he led her to the most secluded, perfectly soundproof room that served as both his bedroom and study.
"Hmm? Isn't it a little dark in here, Seong-il?"
"Yeah, it is. But this is the quietest spot, perfect for studying."
"Aha!"
Elisha accepted his excuse without the slightest suspicion. For her sake, he quietly took out a candle made with Devil's Temptation and lit it.
"It's still dark, so I'll brighten the room with this candle. That should help, right?"
"Ah! That's a good idea! You're such a genius!"
'…Why does "genius" come up here of all places?'
With a wry smile, Seong-il placed the Devil's Temptation candle in the center of the room. Praying that its effects would spread thoroughly, he began the tutoring session.
After some time had passed, he felt his own body gradually growing hot.
'Elisha should be feeling the effects soon as well.'
Once he sensed the drug taking hold, he secretly pushed the antidote hidden behind his molars forward with his tongue and quietly chewed it.
After swallowing the antidote, the intense arousal that had built up began to subside before long.
Now calm again, he subtly pressed his body against hers to arouse her while asking questions.
"Elisha, what exactly did this phrase mean again?"
Using the question as cover, he gently rubbed his hand along her arm. Elisha flinched and pulled away with an exaggerated movement.
"Is something wrong…?"
When he asked as if he didn't understand, Elisha answered in a flustered voice.
"Ah… it's nothing."
Though she said that, Seong-il began to notice that her sexual desire was rising and her senses were growing hypersensitive.
'Her face is bright red.'
As the classic symptoms of Devil's Temptation addiction appeared, he deliberately kept talking to make her inhale more of it, encouraging her to speak at length.
After talking for quite some time, Elisha spoke to him in a trembling voice.
"Se… Seong-il, isn't it a bit hot in here…?"
"Hot…? It's the afternoon during the change of seasons, so I actually find it a little chilly. Plus I have a slight cold, so opening the window might…"
Elisha replied, "I… I see. Then I'll try to endure it."
Looking at her, Seong-il asked, "Elisha, I have a personal question. May I ask?"
"…What is it?"
"Why are you so sensitive about money?"
"What…?!"
Elisha cried out in shock, as if her most painful secret had been exposed by his sudden question.
"D… did it seem that way?"
"Yes. Whenever the topic of money comes up, you react extremely sensitively."
After hesitating, Elisha answered.
"Actually… it's because I have some debt."
"How much…?"
Though irritated that he was probing her sore spot, the strangely rising excitement had softened her reason. Elisha held back her annoyance as best she could.
"It's… a lot."
"A lot?"
"Uh… yeah…"
When she tried to brush the question aside, Seong-il sneered.
"Still, ten thousand gold isn't exactly 'a lot,' is it…?"
"?!"
Shocked by the sudden revelation of the truth, Elisha's eyes widened as she glared at him.
"You… you… how did you—"
"Ah, I was curious about you, so I looked into it a little."
In an enraged tone, Elisha snapped, "How dare you dig into a lady's background?"
"You promised Edward you'd repay the full amount within five years, right?"
"!"
Elisha wore a horrified expression at how much he knew and fell silent.
Seong-il continued mockingly.
"Think you'll manage?"
"..."
"Heh heh… If it's too hard, shall I lend it to you?"
Enraged by his taunting, Elisha shouted at him.
"Did you call me here today just to mock and ridicule me?! How dare you—"
"Mock? Does it sound like a joke? Shall I lend it right now?"
"...?!"
Unable to read his intentions, she stared at him blankly.
"Why… why are you suddenly saying things like that…?"
"Well… let's say I'm interested in your body?"
When Seong-il spoke words that harassed her, Elisha finally reached her limit. She swung her palm and slapped his cheek.
Yet Seong-il casually caught her hand and twisted it.
"Kyak…! L-let go of me!"