Chapter 46: Chapter 46: How Much!? What’s The Price?! (4)

“I-I’m sorry! Let’s pretend you didn’t hear that! Um… I will think about it a bit…!”

What?

Why was I rejected?

“What’s the problem? Was the amount insufficient?”

First, he took out an additional 300 gold from the inventory.

A total of 600 gold.

If he gave her this amount monthly, it would be 7,200 gold in a year, and it signified that he intended to support Faye’s remaining three years at the academy with a total of 21,600 gold.

It also cost 20,000 gold to win the bid for Carla. That should be more than enough.

“Ugh…”

Faye wobbled as if dizzy in front of the gold amount that doubled in an instant.

However, she barely managed to regain her composure and shook her head again.

“No, it’s not about the amount! It’s surprising that you’re willing to give me 600 gold every month, but I still don’t think this is right…”

“Be honest. How much do you need? Or do you want something other than money?”

“It’s really not about that!”

A sigh naturally escaped in response to Faye’s unexpectedly firm stance.

Right. Wasn’t there more than enough gold anyway?

“Fine… 1,000 gold per month! Any more would be excessive. You know that too, right?”

“A-A thousand gold?! That’s scary! What are you planning to have me do with a thousand gold…?!”

What else? Obviously, alchemy.

Starting with various potions, he planned to ask her to make all sorts of consumables necessary for dungeon raiding.

Even though Faye was whining in this small workshop, she should still be able to produce high-level potions at this point.

Once she successfully brewed alchemy potions after her personal research, he planned to entrust her with a lot of equipment.

The quality might be a little lacking at first, but as her skill level builds up, she will start to produce artisan-grade equipment.

And artisan-grade equipment wasn’t something you could get just because you had the money, so even if I sponsored 1,000 gold per month, I’d quickly recover the initial cost and more.

While dabbling in various alchemy, there would come a moment when I’d reach the truth of alchemy.

At that time, I should ask her to create a staff embedded with the Philosopher’s Stone.

Effectively, I planned to have her in charge of all the production lines for the party I led.

But if Faye reacted this way, all plans would be back to square one.

For some reason, seeing Faye tremble while hugging herself stirred something in me.

No, come to think of it, this was absurd.

Why did I have to engage in this fuss?

If she didn’t take this money, would I die?!

In the end, unable to bear the frustration of ‘more money’ not being enough, I grabbed Faye’s shoulders and shook her vigorously.

“How much?! How much will it take?!”

“Eek!”

Faye shook helplessly while being gripped by me.

Her already messy hair became even more disheveled, and her chest, which she couldn’t cover in time, also jiggled dynamically.

But none of that is important to me right now.

“How much for you to become exclusive to me?!”

“M-Money isn’t everything in the world, Junior…!”

What…? Money wasn’t everything in the world?

That couldn’t be!

Then, what did it make me, who relied solely on my inventory balance and was about to throw money around?!

Driven by pride welling up from deep within, I turned to look at Carla, who was next to me.

“Carla!”

“Eek! Yes, Master!”

Carla, who was making a dumb expression, quickly wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth.

It was as if she was watching some enthralling morning drama.

What was this…?

No, that wasn’t the important thing right now.

“Do you also think that money isn’t everything in the world? Really?!”

“Uh… Yes. Money isn’t everything.”

I couldn’t believe it!

Even Carla, whom I trusted, thought this way!

Betrayal and sadness momentarily brought tears to my eyes, but then Carla added with a wide smile,

“Because Master is everything in the world! Gold can’t even compare!”

“Ca-Carla…!”

Overwhelmed with emotion, I roughly pushed Faye aside and vigorously patted Carla’s head.

“Who told you to say such beautiful words? Huh? Who?”

“Hehe…”

“Bring your chin over here too!”

“Here you go!”

I tickled her up to her chin, filled with care, and Carla wore a purely happy smile.

“Heek… What did you have to endure to become like that… Will I become like that, too…?”

Faye mumbled something from behind, but I didn’t hear her properly because I was tickling Carla’s chin.

It was probably not important.

After cooling my overheated head for a while and adoring Carla…

“Master, Master.”

Carla, who looked like a puppy wagging its tail, pulled her chin back and asked me,

“If you just suddenly say you’ll sponsor me, how will that work? You have to specify the conditions.”

“Huh? Haven’t I already?”

“You just said to use it as I like and prioritize what Master wants.”

“That should be enough.”

“That’s not enough.”

Carla responded, making an ‘X’ shape with her index fingers in front of her chest and shaking her head.

“Did Master specify exactly what you want from Faye?”

“What else would I want from an alchemist besides alchemy?”

I couldn’t exactly ask her to tank in the dungeon.

“Heh? You didn’t say you wanted it given to you. You said you wanted it made for you?”

Faye tilted her head with a blank expression.

Why was she finding it so strange? Weren’t they the same?

“Uh, huh. You still haven’t caught on. So, Master, what’s the first thing you would ask Faye to do?”

“Make auxiliary potions for the upcoming dungeon practice. I have enough healing potions, but I’m short on auxiliary ones. It’s not enough for all the party members, even if we combine it with scrolls.”

“…Do you plan to do to your party members what you did to me?”

“Well, it worked, didn’t it?”

Carla shrugged her shoulders and touched her stomach, making a face that suggested she was jealous.

Ah! Speedrunning came with its own price!

Faye, who was listening to our conversation, interrupted with a flustered voice,

“W-Wait a minute, Junior. You were planning to have me make potions?”

“Yes. Right now, the only thing Faye can actually make is potions. After a month or so, even the first-year students in Class A are supposed to go dungeon practicing. I thought we’d use it then.”

“You’re not asking for a baby?”

“…?”

Wasn’t the risk of screwing up human transmutation the same in this world too?

That’s why there was the Philosopher’s Stone in H&A but not a Homunculus…

While continually tilting her head, Faye realized that there was another way to make a baby other than alchemy.

“Ah.”

Could it be that she thought of my sponsorship offer like those typical sponsorship proposals from the past?

“No, what gave you that idea?!”

“Ah!”

I screamed involuntarily, and Faye started to shake as if she were scared.

Soon after, she gathered her courage and started to explain her reasons one by one.

“Well, you were trying to play maid and dog games in front of my workshop! Take it outside!”

“That misunderstanding was cleared up, wasn’t it? It was just Carla suggesting you might have some serious flaws, Faye, and that you should think it over again.”

“Normally, people would just persuade or quietly command, right? Now that I think about it, you can even give forced commands to Carla, who seems like your slave.”

“Well, yes, but…”

I would prefer not to give Carla forced commands if possible.

But as I hesitated to explain further,

“See? You just wanted to touch my butt! You’re a pervert! A pervert!”

“Even if that’s the case, there’s no way I would offer that kind of sponsorship to Faye!”

“You were staring right at my chest!”

“That’s unavoidable! It’s instinct! It’s Faye, who was born with such inappropriate breasts, who’s in the wrong! I really came because I need your alchemy skills!”

I pleaded my case earnestly, but for some reason, Faye looked gloomy.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to lie.”

“No, it’s not a lie…”

“I know… I’m bad at explaining things… I thought you understood, which made me happy, so I said a lot, but you didn’t understand a thing, did you?”

“Um… Well…”

To be honest, I couldn’t understand what she was saying. I lacked knowledge of alchemy, but more than that, she was too disorganized.

“Moreover… You’re not the first person to see my research… I’ve talked about it with other people, too. But they all said it was nonsense and told me to just make potions…”

Faye’s voice trembled slightly as she spoke.

“Even a short while ago, I got a sponsorship offer from an outsider in that sense… I refused, of course, but it made me feel like nobody was interested in my research anymore… Ah.”

I could intuitively sense it.

This was it.

What Faye had unknowingly revealed. This emotional depth was not something one would share with a person they just met today.

It could be the reason that led to Faye’s downfall.

“Sigh…”

I couldn’t just blurt out ‘sponsorship’ or ‘more money’ recklessly as before. So, I chose my words more carefully this time.

“You’re right. I honestly didn’t understand a word you were saying. I don’t really know much about alchemy to begin with.”

“Then, why? Why did you say you’d sponsor me? Tell me honestly… It’s not really for that reason, is it?”

Her attitude was almost desperate.

For a moment, I recalled when I first saw Faye’s ending route. How a woman with no self-esteem became a renowned alchemist.

With the help of my exceptional memory, I reviewed all those scenes once more.

Then I slowly opened my eyes and began to speak,

“That’s cool, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“I may not know much about alchemy, but I do know its essence is about change.”

Even though I didn’t know much about realistic alchemy since alchemy in H&A was in a mini-game format… There was one thing I was certain of.

Extraction, purification, and transformation.

These three processes make up alchemy.

“In the past, Paracelsus, the great alchemist, was said to have created the Philosopher’s Stone, a material that could transform into anything and trigger any reaction.”

The alchemist Paracelsus only existed in the context of the game.

In this world, it was claimed that the very first great alchemist, who existed in the past, argued that the essence of alchemy was change.

Therefore, if the conditions were met, alchemy could become omnipotent.

“Is it absurd to think of a weapon as complete from the get-go? How is that weapon even made? By melting iron, hammering it, and sharpening it? By carving wood, attaching a catalyst, and casting magic?”

I sighed heavily and shook my head.

“A sword or a staff is also just the result of specific ingredients undergoing ‘change’. If you have the right materials and techniques, there’s nothing you can’t do with alchemy. The concept of omnipotent alchemy sounds so amazing.”

“But do you really think I can do that? To be honest, I’ve only managed to maintain mediocre results and haven’t achieved anything remarkable. There’s a reason I’ve never received any interest or sponsorship…”

“Exactly. However, I know.”

I knew that Faye would go beyond enhancing equipment and even synthesize the Philosopher’s Stone someday.

Of course, it wasn’t an easy path. The sub-quests in Faye’s route were quite challenging.

But.

As long as I remember that dazzling golden illustration, I could say it with confidence.

“I believe in you.”

“…What?”

“I can’t go into details, but I believe that you can achieve even greater things, Faye.”

“……”

Faye looked at me with a blank expression, so I extended my hand for a handshake.

“So consider this an investment. If you accept my sponsorship, you’ll be exclusively working for me for life, prioritizing whatever I ask you to do. Even if you become a great alchemist.”

“I… A great alchemist…?”

Faye looked back and forth between my face and hand, clearly struggling to believe it. I nodded affirmatively.

“You can. Because I will make it so.”

“……”

Faye grasped my hand as if entranced.

“I’ve made my choice. I hope I won’t regret this.”

“I won’t disappoint you either, I promise!”

Faye nodded her head energetically, perhaps a bit too much.

Due to the vigorous nodding, my eyes involuntarily fell downward.

“……”

“……”

“Senior, is it possible…”

“No, not happening, no matter how much you sponsor me!”

Faye, who normally would have covered her chest with her arms reflexively, was still shaking hands with me.

And a handshake wasn’t something that could be undone by one party alone.

“Squish.”

“Ah.”

Sweet.

I unwittingly nodded, feeling the soft sensation enveloping my hand.

Indeed.

I think I now understand why Fei could create the Philosopher’s Stone.

The truth was right here.