Apparently my eyes have gone crazy.
I walked into Eliodarte's room and exchanged greetings with him, but I couldn't see him.

'My freeeeeeeeeeeeend!　I need you to sit down in that area and wait for me for a moment.　Let's just get this stupid job done now, maaaas!
Oh ... oh ... oh ...

Which area is that area?
Why is there another pile of what seems to be a failure when I should have cleaned it up a while ago........
Well, I'll manage to avoid it and sit on it........


What!　Chess!

I thought there was a small pile right next to where I sat, and there was a crushed chess piece there.
It's lying on the ground with only its face showing, and a small pile of failures has formed on top of it.

''Huh... haha!　Ta, thank you....
You okay?
'Oh may I have some water, please........... When I was cleaning up, a lot of it came down on my head and I couldn't move......... I knew I shouldn't clean up without sleep........



''Eriodart you can't leave it all to your apprentice as expected.......''
''Oh, no, this little mountain is mine......... My master recently started teaching me alchemy in earnest, so I was having fun, and I found myself in this situation.......
...you're like a brotherhood of men.
'I am ashamed to say...'

Chess puts his hands in front of him and bows his head in a bow.
I start cleaning up while listening to chess that there is nothing I can do if I don't deal with this pile first.
Well, if I do it, it's easy because I just throw it into the magic space once and then sort it out according to chess's instructions, but.............................but today is also a large amount.

'Oh ... my friend?　Why do you keep cleaning up, Dessie?
That's because it's too uncluttered...

I actually came here to thank you for the magic ball (magical ball), but is it okay to thank you for cleaning this up already.......

Considering that the desert was able to spend a comfortable time thanks to that thing, I can't even thank you for this level of help.

''Hmm........ So what's my friend doing here, Dejesuska?
'I'm here to thank you for the magic ball. You've been a great help.
Oh, that's not necessary, Daesu!　If it helped my friend, I'm glad it did too!
'No, no, I don't want to keep getting them. What do you think?　Let me give you back whatever you want, whether it's to help with your research or whatever you want.

Well, if it's something I can buy, it's something that even Eliodarto can buy, and if possible, if there's something that's troubling me, it would be ideal for me to do something about it.

It's a very good idea to be able to have a good time with them.

Eliodarte folds his hands and goes into thoughtfulness mode.
He starts mumbling something to himself, so he gestures to the chess player to check on him and tells him he's out of it, so he decides to wait until he comes up with something.

'Oh, by the way, you went to Lokak, didn't you?
'Yeah. Yeah.
I don't mean to be presumptuous, but if you have any, would you be willing to give me some gemstones in the rough?　I need to practice extracting ore from the raw material.
'Oh, fine, fine. I'll have some for Mizella and she'll be fine. It looks like you worked hard all night on chess that time, and you're still working hard, so it's just a souvenir.
'Wow!　Thank you!　Come to think of it, there's no Mizella today...

Chess looking around and behind me, though I should be able to recognize it at a glance.
It is cute as it wanders around, and long ears are swinging and dusty.
And when it is understood again that it is not there, the long ears are hanging down, and it is cute again to look disappointed.

'Oh. I asked him to come over, but he's ordering a lot of potions today. It's going to take some time yet, so say hello to Chess, and he looked disappointed.
'Oh..........Mizella is already working, right? She's working hard........ I have to work hard at chess too!

Chess clenched his fists with both hands and exhaled with a huff and a snort, full of spunk.
........I just hope I don't use up all that spunk in the remaining cleaning.

'But Eliodarte's still snarling, isn't he?
''Well this is still going to take some time. Oh, well then, while we're waiting, I need to ask you to do something for me.......
Hmm?
Well I was wondering if you could make a potion if you could...
'What?　Was he hurt?　I have a potion, though.
'Oh, no, no, no, no!　Well.........the success rate of potions doesn't increase....... If you don't mind, I'd like to refer you to it.......
"Reference?
Yes......... 　But these days it seems to be made with a known magic circle, so I can't get the hang of it.　I say....
'Uh....'

I think I'm going to say it.
Especially since Eliodarte seems to be a strong sensationist........
I tried and I got it!　Or something like that.

'I'm sorry to ask you for tips on quicksilver, could you please help me steal it with your eyes?'
'I don't mind, but you're Eliodarte's apprentice, right?　Would it be okay for someone else to teach it?
'That's okay. I said to my mentor, 'I don't know then! I said, 'My friend should be better at this than you are, Deyes!　You'll have to listen to it next time, Deyes! I was told that....
'Oh okay. Then I'll make it up as I explain it.
Okay ... please.

Chess lowers her head so that you can see her nipples properly.
When that happens, long ears are pointed at me, but I manage to suppress the urge to touch them and take out the mortar, pestle and ingredients.

''Come to think of it, I'm all about known magicians these days, too.
Oh is that still the case?
Well, it's a lot less time consuming and less error-prone.

That's what would happen if you can make a lot of them in a matter of seconds if you make them with a known magic circle or forgery (multi-copy) skill.
The only thing it consumes is MP that naturally recovers, and when we weigh it against time, it doesn't seem to matter that the MP consumption goes up.

'Then let's get started.'
Yes!

I put medicinal herbs in the mortar and grind them.
As soon as it starts to come together, crush it and rub it.
When the liquid starts to seep out of the medicinal herb, add water and press the pestle against the herb to squeeze out more ingredients.

''You're fast, aren't you.......
'Well, I'm sure you're not as far removed from our ways as Eliodarte is. I'll be doing it by hand when I teach Mizella, too.
''I see.......I still think it's better to polish off the medicinal body herbs sooner rather than later?''
'I don't know........ Personally, I think it's harder to degrade faster, but if you scrub it too quickly, I think it might change with heat....... So I guess I use water as a way to cool it down so it doesn't create heat.
I see...

He's talking, but Chess's eyes are focused on the mortar in my hand.
It's as if he's concentrating on my every move, watching me intently, trying to steal my every move.

"Then I'm going to put it in a test tube and finish it.
'Oh.......... Success as a matter of course......... By the way, what percentage of success is that?
'Hmm?　Basically, can't we make a mistake this way?

I've made some shoddy stuff, but I've never been able to make something like the 'medicinal body herb soup' that Mizzella basically made.
Only once was it made because I forgot to pour magic power into it.

''100 percent...!　
'Well, do you make a lot of money for a living?　Then it's time for chess. Let's find some improvements beside you.
'What?　Are you sure?
Yeah. Well, that's good to know. By the way, Mizera's been getting 40% better lately.
'4...............................great. I'm still at 20%......... Muu, I'll do my best!

I still like the idea of a rivalry.
It seems to inspire both Mizella and chess.
Well then, I guess I'll raise a good rivalry for Mizella.



Chess starts making potions and I teach them from the side.
I teach only the main points and cautions each time, but Chess listens to what I say firmly and puts it into practice.

"I see........is that how it works?
'Yes, yes. In the same way, pour your magic power in slowly to blend in.
''Like this......... Neither is it good enough to have a fixed amount, right?
"Get used to it. If you get to the point and get used to it, you'll be good at it.
'Yes.......... So........................
Yeah, you might want to squeeze a little more. I'm thinking the standard is when you have strands as fine as a hair.
Oh, I see.

Mm-hm.
You're a good, honest girl.
You do everything you're asked to do well and without fail.

Hmm...?　My friends?　What are you doing, Deyes?
Hm. Yeah, I noticed. I'm teaching Chess to make a potion, and, oh, is it safe for me to teach her?
I'd appreciate that, of course, but... hmm.
"...done!　It's done!　And it's a success!　Ah, Master. You've been watching........
Hmmm... How was my friend's teaching, Deyes?
'Yes, oh, it was easy to understand and remember.
Oh, yeah?　Then I have an idea of what I would like to ask of you, Deyes!
"Oh?

Something about a big smile on his face, Eliodarte.
But it's the big smile of a good old man, so it's not cute or exciting, but apparently he's come up with something.

'My friend!　I'd like you to be a temporary teacher at the 'King's Metropolitan Elsewhere Academy' in my place, Dejesus!
...a substitute teacher?
'So deyes!　Honestly, I'm not very good at teaching, which is why I'm in trouble, Daes!　Power of Attorney is written ma'aas, so please think of it as helping me, ma'aas!
'Hmm that's fine. If Eliodarte teaches at the academy, that means he's a student learning alchemy, right?　I think they're all expecting Eliodarte to come along, aren't they?

After all, he's the kingdom's top alchemist....

I don't think that's true.　They don't have much motivation, and they don't mind taking it easy. I'd like to see them motivated by my friends' teachings anyway.
Hmmm... all right. But I'll take a stroke from Eriodart, please?　It's not aimed at the school, it's aimed at the students.
Okay, yes!　That's about as good as it gets, Maas!

Well I'm not so sure about the future.
But since this is my reward, I'll do my job properly.
..........for now, we need to finish cleaning up the mess that is yet to be cleaned up.
Eliodarte is looking at me like he has time on his hands, but since it seems to take extra time if I help him, I left him alone.

On the way home, when I told Iris that I happened to meet her at the school, she laughed happily at me and said that she would show up at the school if she had time to do so, which was a superfluous statement.