I reincarnated as a losing heroine, the hero’s childhood friend who lost to the main heroine, so I switched jobs to alchemist

Chapter 28: Alchemist Royal Master's (Assistant)

"As I already told you yesterday, Laura, you're going to be promoted to assistant today! Congratulations!"

I was summoned first thing in the morning, and he told me about my promotion.

If we take Kasper's words and check his face, it's something good.
From Royal Alchemist Master's apprentice to Royal Alchemist Master's Assistant.
Don't misunderstand me, it isn't like I'm not happy for it, it's just I just discovered that this position exists, and for being promoted, don't you need important particular achievements?

"No, um... what do you mean with assistant?"

The professor froze when noticing that I was really more surprised of knowing the position existed than for being promoted.
It was Arnold, who appeared at the door, the one that answered to me.

"Assistant of the Royal Alchemist Master, it's the highest title that an apprentice can get, even regular alchemists can't reach such position"

Why is he here? I was asking Mr. Kasper, and now he looks uncomfortable because he was cut before saying what he wanted.

"An assistant... did that even exist?"

"Only in special cases, when the contribution to the Kingdom a person did is too important to let it pass."

Speechless, I don't know what to say, he's telling that to me in such a natural tone.
Special case? The word makes me feel confused.

Mr. Kasper told me that I was a genius.
However, I don't think that I did something enough to be called a contribution to the Kingdom.

--In the first place, what are the duties of an assistant? That's what I want to hear more than anything else.

But sooner than I asked, Kasper opened his mouth, smiling bitterly at me, as I was not even trying to hide my puzzlement.

"The first person who got the title of assistant is Arnold, the second one is Laura... In all history of the Academy"

Mr Kasper looked at me and Arnold, several times, but Arnold didn't react.

"As you may know, in order to become a full-fledged royal alchemist Master, you have to undergo after at least two years of training. After two years of training as an apprentice, you'll be qualified to take the promotion exam."

Arnold stood next to Mr. Kasper, whose black eyes are still wandering around, like wanting to see the complete scene.

"That being said, a genius like you two don't need 3 nor 2 years of training, it didn't happen before. When an apprentice can make more than many alchemists with years of experience, it's considered a special case. Yup, the first one was this not-so-cute genius over here."

"Hahaha" Kasper laughed.
"Is it because of his personality that the image of a genius changed in the mind of many people, isn't it like that 'genius-kun'?"

Arnold is a genius, his talent and skills are first class, so this title was created for people like him, until there I understand. But I don't understand what has to do with me.
Suddenly, Arnold seriously talked to Mr. Kasper.

"You have to convince those stubborn old people to change the requirements for taking the promotion test, I told you already!! This is title, and the definition of a special case, was created as trick to please those old prideful professors, that don't admit that they're too old and their knowledge is lacking! Many students can't advance more just due to their old-fashioned ideas."

Then turning to me he said.

"Just this year, I was able to take the exam, and even so, there are many that oppose to recognize me, saying that I skipped a year. But that doesn't matter to me, what I'm doing now is trying to find talented apprentices and from the very beginning help them to grow without limits imposed by others. As you may know 'Apprentices' cannot prepare potions nor research projects without the presence of a professor, but if they become 'Assistants', they will be able to prepare new potions and study on their own. To summarize, the Assistant has many more opportunities of learning than an Apprentice"

"That's a malicious explanation... but well, is true."

Mr. Kasper does not deny his dissatisfaction with Arnold's too straightforward words but doesn't deny the true behind them.

Arnold's explanation is enough for anyone to understand what he went through and how the other professors dealt with the Special Exception No. 1.
From what he says, it'll cause troubles if they see you're too clever.
But that being said, the title in itself is a great honor and it sounds very helpful too, but it doesn't clarify my doubts, why me?
Mr Kasper seems to read my mind, because he explained.

"Next year, I'm sure Laura will be allowed to take the exam for Royal Alchemist Master and graduate, many people think so too. During the last demon attack, Laura's skills were recognized all across the Kingdom, the quality and quantity of the potions you prepared surpassed many Royal Alchemist Masters that worked at the Order for years."

He smiled when saw that my eyes were even wider open.

During the last attack?
It was probably when Vake lost his right eye - when a horde of demons appeared near the royal city.

Talking about that, I haven't met Vake again, all I know is that not only his right eye is injured, he suffered several major injuries, and his whole body was covered in demon venom.
Thus, for he to survive many recovery potions were used, they completely washed him with them, and even today he has to take several pills per day.
He doesn't get used to see with only one eye, which causes him to be very slow and a little clumsy with his movement.
That is why he refuses to receive visits because he doesn't want to be seen in such a miserable state.

"In addition to the speed which what you prepared the medicines, that even rivalize with Arnold's, the potency of recovery potions was something that in normal conditions normal alchemist can't do."

"How long have you been watching me...?"

"Oh no, I wasn't there. I was reported about your extraordinary job."

The unexpected reply flew instantly and I opened my eyes even wider.
How do you know all this if you weren't there?

Mr. Kasper gave me a precise answer, yes he can read my mind, I'm sure.

"For your work, many people recommended you for this title, from Arnold to Mister Olivelle."

Mr. Kasper said it so easily.
Without thinking, I let out a bewildered voice.

"Ehhhhh?!"

Arnold wants my help, ok I understand that, but recommending me is a different story.
Another person, Mr. Olivelle, used to compliment me for my desire to become an alchemist master, but he also reported to Mr. Kasper??! Along with praising the efficacy of my recovery medicine!

The genius who created the special case's title, and the vice commander of the Order. That's enough of a title, on its own.
However, why did he give me such important title without checking it with his own eyes first, is that alright? The only thing I did was to create more recovery medicines for the supply of the castle!

There is also the question of why they are promoting me at this time? Do they plan to ask me to work on a special project or it's just because they know my parents are worried about me in the village, so I can go to see them more easily?
While I still have a puzzled expression on my face but for different reasons, Mr. Kasper smiles brightly, showing his white teeth.

"It's amazing to discover that everybody praises you for a good reason and not only because you're a cute girl, isn't it? Lina also recommended you, she tested your potions before being delivered to the Order and many more people came to me, praising you that day. About me, there is no need to test them, since I tested the potion you did on the entrance exams I knew you were skilled, didn't I tell you? That the potion you created at that time had a potency I never saw before? Wow, you're a strange type of genius like Arnold after all!"

The easy-going way he talks, makes me feel relieved, they did not deliver my potions without previous checking, so my worries about causing paralysis to someone for having make a mistake were for nothing.

By the way, if Lina-senpai recommended my potions to Mr. Kasper does that mean she saved one and showed it to him later or when? In first place, I don't know in which moment she checked them.

Of course, I'm happy, but more than that, I'm embarrassed, Mr Kasper saw through me and knew that each time I received a praise I didn't really believe that it was because of something I deserved but just the people looking at me as a cute little girl.

"It-- It's-- I'm fast at burning the books' contents into my memory, that is all."

"No, it's called talent. Besides, Laura, you know the amount of fresh water and the timing of turning off the heat for each type of herb, everything perfectly, like a clock, such accuracy can't be reached just reading books, your body did the calculus nearly on its own even after preparing potions until getting exhausted, which mean you practiced until you body memorized all the movements and timings."

At Mr. Kasper's words, I glanced at him again in surprise.

--The timing. Accurate as a clock.

Well, it's true... I never noticed, but now my body does that on its own.
Maybe it's because he's complimenting me too much, but my cheeks turned red.

It is true that the amount of water and the timing of turning off the fire are different for each herb, but it's something I memorized with practice. When I started I was looking at the kettle while in one hand holding my book, probably after many tries and failures, I memorized it.
But for counting the seconds and minutes, without a clock and while doing many things at the same time, it means my body did it unconscious.

"Laura, you are a genius!!"

This time it was Chelsea. It's not that I don't know what to say, but I don't want to talk about it after all this time because, it will look like Mr. Kasper was right and I didn't believe in no one's praises.

As Mr. Kasper points out, perhaps my unnatural talent for alchemy is not just memory.
May I have been lucky enough to be born with a gift from the game's staff?!

Come to think of it, I've never failed at preparing potions.
My master even teased me about it being boring, I thought it was because I had an excellent memory, but I wonder now if I had other talents and just didn't notice before.

After Mr. Kasper's words, many other questions comes to mind.
Why do I so conveniently have only the necessary skills for alchemy? Especially this unnatural memory. Why is it so easy to memorize only the knowledge of medical herbs and not something else?

Master also told me that it was because of my talent.

This makes me so happy!
As an aspiring alchemist master, this is something I would never even wish for!

However, this memory, which is not displayed at all in other fields, is unnatural by any means.
And this time, he praised me for not just knowing the right timing, but for doing the same thing many times, like a mass production machine.
It was, from my perspective, unconscious.

Maybe I should be proud that I have the talent to do it.
However, how do I explain this unnatural talent? Did the original Laura have it? Was she supposed to become an alchemist master in some event that was later retired in the production stage?

--no, it's not. I have chosen this path of my own volition! I'm NOT the Laura Ampere of the game "The Last Brave", I'm my own person and I control my own life!

Mr. Kasper has been smiling for a while but now he looks at me serious, as I never saw him before.

"Again, Laura Ampere. I am promoting you to the position of Assistant of the Royal Alchemist Master, from today on. And--"

He cut off in the middle of the phrase, and looked at Arnold next to him.

At this point I think that I know what he's going to say, and the reason why Arnold appeared to this reunion.

"Your new professor will be Arnold Rocco"

This is a very opportune thing to happen, because that will allow us more freedom to look for the cure for Elvira.
Also, I won't need to ambush him each morning when he goes out of his room to talk to him.

It's a very convenient development, but it may be natural if you consider that we're the only 2 special cases.
Mr. Kasper is looking at Arnold with a face of "I'll be watching you", yes, he probably knows that Arnold, who has trouble communicating, isn't the professor ideal.

After I accepted and nodded my head, his expression lightened.

"Furthermore, I'm sorry for the suddenness of the situation but Laura..."

He then distorted his face and bowed down even more than usual.
From his attitude and words, I could predict that something less convenient would happen to me this time.
--Yes, I can see it coming.

"Although it's only for a short period of time, I'm going to ask you two to travel to the northern Platonovena.... tomorrow."

"...Huh?"

--I didn't expect a sudden order of travel... to the north!!

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