ALL NOVEL Chapter 179
179. Every Play Must Come To An End, Isn’t It?
The journey was smooth, but the return was instant.
With the teleportation gate installed, we could return anytime. This led us to extend our stay beyond the original plan.
Thanks to Muten’s arrangements, we were granted a residence to live in. However, I’d appreciate it if people from Golden Dawn would stop coming daily, claiming “testing purposes,” and piling work in front of Kyle.
The people from Mizuho also took turns visiting Golden Dawn. Representatives of the Three Families even met with Kyle’s brother, Zaid, who was in charge during Kyle’s absence.
Although not yet public information, the frequent exchanges between the upper echelons of both factions have hinted to the general populace that trade is about to commence.
What started as trivial rumors have led to real actions: Mizuho has distributed moisture evaporation agents to salt-field workers for experiments, tasked construction officers to study alchemical hardening stones, and supplied some samurai with legendary-grade stamina potions.
On the Golden Dawn side, chefs received a white salt different from rock salt, high-purity gold ingots were introduced to the commercial guild, and rare two-legged birds were transported to ranches.
Particularly in Golden Dawn, where the existence of the teleportation gate to the royal capital is well-known, merchants have already started maneuvering. Similarly, sharp-eared merchants in Mizuho are eagerly gathering information.
Amidst this, the Maugaria Kingdom’s embassy was established, further invigorating Mizuho’s city as near-confirmed news spread.
For clarity, the “establishment” of the embassy wasn’t a new construction but rather the designation of a nearby estate as the embassy.
We currently reside in that embassy, merely staying until its full operation begins.
Naturally, the candidate for the resident ambassador and their staff have been working alongside us.
Unfortunately, Myrna was sent back to Golden Dawn via the teleportation gate and, under Zaid’s supervision, returned to her academy life.
However, she often comes over for dinner.
Apparently, Zaid scolded her quite harshly, leaving her in a foul mood, so dining here might also serve as her way to unwind.
She seems to have grown quite fond of Mizuho cuisine. Well, so have I, so I can’t blame her.
Kyle and Zaid warned her that if her studies were neglected, they wouldn’t grant her access to the teleportation gate. As a result, she’s been more diligent in her studies than ever, which is a relief.
Meanwhile, Jitaro spends most of his time in Mizuho.
While it’s understandable given his role as one of Kyle’s bodyguards, the Holy Knights are already rotating shifts for Kyle’s protection, so he could return if he wanted to.
Eva, intrigued by Mizuho’s unique magical practices, has been engrossed in borrowed books, working from a desk in the corner of the office as part of her guard duties.
Curious, I ask Eva a question.
“By the way, what are Camille and Marilyn up to?”
Eva lifts her head, closes her grimoire, and stretches her shoulders, seemingly stiff from intense focus.
“Camille is training with Nobuna-sama’s subordinate, Chiyome. Since they both bear the same rare kunoichi emblem, she’s learning a lot from her.”
“I see. Having a mentor must be reassuring.”
Chiyome, being a direct subordinate of Nobuna, is undoubtedly highly skilled.
As a feline beastkin, she’s incredibly agile, which complements Camille’s light armor style.
The biggest difference between them, though, is…well, never mind.
“Marilyn has been frequenting the clinic, assisting with patient care. Apparently, some people have started calling her a goddess, and she’s a bit overwhelmed by it.”
“Ah, I’ve heard that rumor too…”
Word had it that the samurai in Mizuho were calling Marilyn the Goddess.
Though, what I heard was “Goddess of…uh…you know.”
I get it, but they should really stop.
There’s another rumor that sketches of Marilyn have become popular underground, depicting her in somewhat bold attire.
Mizuho seems to have its fair share of peculiar gentlemen.
Jitaro has been frantically trying to get his hands on one of these sketches. If he does, I’ll take a look myself.
…Of course, just to ensure it adheres to public decency! Nothing more!
“Well, if anyone starts flirting with Marilyn, I’ll deal with them.”
“Surprisingly, that doesn’t seem to be happening. She’s asked for handshakes, but even then, people queue up politely. It’s hard to tell if these people are gentlemen or just…something else.”
“Agreed.”
I find myself nodding deeply.
Eva’s gaze shifts as if probing me, but I choose to ignore it.
“Nobuna-sama seemed disappointed that Myrna-sama had to leave.”
“Yeah, she cared for her like a younger sister. Myrna was sad about it too.”
It was rare for Myrna to grow attached to anyone outside our group.
Then again, lately, she’s been more proactive in interacting with others.
When I first met Myrna, she was shy and often hid behind Kyle.
Somewhere along the way, she changed into someone who forges ahead, not overly concerned about inconveniencing others.
It’s a change I’m happy to see. Even if she makes mistakes, I’m committed to supporting her wholeheartedly.
“Well, I’ll get back to alchemy. Let me know if anything comes up.”
“Got it.”
I head to the alchemy room prepared in one of the estate’s rooms. Returning to the production guild in Golden Dawn was considered, but the distance from the guild to the teleportation gate made it impractical for emergencies.
A few Mizuho alchemists assist me as apprentices. Mizuho had proposed this with a “what-if-they-agree” attitude, but after consulting with Jabil-sensei, I decided to accept their help.
With some exceptions, I’ve been teaching them as much alchemy as I know. While working with older individuals feels a bit awkward, they’re eager to learn and show no complaints.
My goal—and that of Kyle, Van, and Jabil-sensei—is for humanity to unite, defeat the monsters, and survive.
That’s why we share the necessary techniques without reservation.
…Sadly, the forceful alchemy of the Twilight Alchemist emblem and Jabil-sensei’s extraordinary skills are beyond imitation.
To be blunt, Mizuho’s alchemists are far below even the lowest level of Jabil-sensei’s disciples.
They weren’t even aware of the academic conferences held every few years in the Empire and had been practicing in isolation.
Given such circumstances, they’re eagerly absorbing the professor’s methods, which use easily obtainable materials.
For now, our goal is to produce high-quality stamina potions.
For reference, “high-quality” ranks fifth on a ten-tier scale, and was once considered top-tier before the advent of legendary-grade potions.
Thus, our busy yet enjoyable days continued…
Perhaps we had grown too accustomed to peace.
A small nation south of Mizuho Divine Kingdom fell overnight to a monster stampede.
The news spread like wildfire across Mizuho, reminding us all:
This world is still under the dominion of monsters.
— End of Volume 6 —