He went to the Alchemist’s house.

The face of the disciple who came to deliver the message came to mind.

They hadn’t even had a proper conversation, but his eyes were hostile.

Why was that?

Many reasons came to mind. But among them, he hoped it was because something good was happening to the protagonist that would make someone jealous.

“Go inside.”

When he arrived at the Alchemist’s house, Belief pointed to the inside of the hallway.

He walked softly.

As before, he knocked on the door before entering.

The same scene as before unfolded.

Two knights in heavy armor and an alchemist sitting between them.

His gaze was thin yet ruthless.

He didn’t make the same mistake twice.

He hastily knelt.

He also bowed his head.

Perhaps because he behaved properly this time, the knight didn’t shout.

“Raise your head.”

As he slowly raised his head, he saw the alchemist’s face.

It was still hard to read his thoughts. He wondered if he could learn to do that with training.

“I heard you’ve done a lot for my daughter.”

“A lot?”

“You fought against the mercenaries. You battled goblins. You ran away with my daughter even after being offered to join the other side. Especially impressive was your use of Ice Spear.”

“That was a miracle.”

“I think so too. It was magic impossible for someone of your level, even if you died and came back to life. You’re just a low-level mage, far from even intermediate.”

The alchemist stared intently.

His gaze felt a little warmer. So, while it was still cold, there was a difference. It seemed to be thanks to Lorina speaking well of him.

“Do you desire anything from me?”

“Yes.”

“What do you desire?”

“Before that, I have a question.”

The knight flinched. But that was all.

“Speak.”

“Lorina said that the protagonist’s value would be worth a large gold coin.”

“That’s right.”

“And she also said that if one pays the alchemist a price, even if he doesn’t like it, he would have no choice but to give something of equal value. Is this true?”

Silence fell.

The Alchemist’s expression changed. It was a big change.

He knew how to completely hide his own expression. For it to change and show even a slight hint of emotion was proof of great agitation.

“It seems that child thought highly of you, to explain such a thing.”

“Then…”

“That’s right. You have a legitimate right to obtain that much value from me.”

His heart pounded.

Lorina’s value was indeed a great gold coin.

In other words, it meant he could receive a reward equivalent to 10 gold.

He truly hadn’t expected to receive it, so his mind went blank.

“What can I receive?”

“Anything I can give.”

The Alchemist extended his fist and spread three fingers.

“Money. A favor. An item. You just have to say which of these you want.”

“May I ask something I’m curious about?”

“Curious about what?”

“Yes.”

“What are you curious about?”

“Why did you abandon Lorina?”

Silence fell.

He regretted saying it.

It was hard to breathe. It hadn’t been like this even when the Goblins stormed in. He clutched his chest. Only then did the atmosphere ease.

It felt like he could finally breathe. After taking a long, deep breath, the Alchemist spoke.

“Is that the reward you want?”

He shook his head.

“It’s pure curiosity.”

He didn’t want to use a question as a reward.

It wasn’t going to help anyway, even if he found out. If the other person didn’t like it, he didn’t have to listen. But the other person smiled as if they liked the answer.

It seemed to be because it was an answer befitting a Mage. They said Mages were very curious.

“Justification.”

“Justification?”

“Nobles cannot wield power as they please just because they are strong. They need justification.”

“Is that the reason?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not sure.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand now. You will understand someday.”

Each of the Alchemist’s words seemed to have a hidden meaning.

But he didn’t understand.

If the Protagonist had been a Noble, he felt he would have understood. It was a pity.

That’s when it happened.

“Do you have feelings for Lorina?”

His heart pounded.

It was a sudden question.

In some ways, it was also an obvious question.

The Protagonist’s actions were risky.

It was something he would never have done otherwise. Doing it meant he had personal feelings.

More than anything, what he had just asked was tantamount to confessing his interest in Lorina.

He took a deep breath.

He didn’t know what to answer. He felt his body heating up.

He thought a positive answer might come out.

The Protagonist is a Mage.

Although he couldn’t compare to the Alchemist, there was something he had that the Alchemist didn’t.

That was potential.

Bruno had said the Protagonist was not great now, but he highly valued his potential.

He thought the Alchemist would be the same. Perhaps he might even approve of him marrying his daughter.

“Give up.”

But the moment his mouth opened again, his head cooled.

“Why is that?”

“Because your value is low.”

“I’m a Mage, though?”

“But you’re a commoner, and alone.”

“Is that reason enough to be lacking?”

“Of course. Marriage is the union of families.”

“Family?”

“If Lorina were to marry you, I would only gain one Mage. But with a young lord from a Noble family, I would also gain the help of that family.”

“Are you saying I lack background?”

“Do you think your value is greater than that of a Noble family?”

“That’s…”

He couldn’t give a definitive answer.

The Protagonist is a Mage.

He also took pride in that.

There was also what Bruno had said. He had said that Mages were not even seen in small territories.

Because of that, he had thought he might be able to get involved with a Noble’s daughter.

But that was a futile fantasy.

Nobles and commoners were different.

Commoners did look at what the family of their spouse-to-be did. But they tended to marry if they fell in love.

However, Nobles were different.

They invariably considered how much benefit it would bring to the Protagonist. They considered bloodline and origin. These were things the Protagonist did not have.

If it were an ordinary Village, he might have answered yes.

But his opponent was a Noble family.

No matter that the Protagonist was a Mage, if a Noble family was placed on the other side of the scale, the story changed.

As merely a low-ranking Mage, the Protagonist was no match.

“Perhaps. You used advanced Magic, after all. You might become a great Mage. If you just become an advanced Mage like me, it would be acceptable.”

“Are you saying you’ll allow it if I become a High Mage?”

“If you have the will to do so.”

The Alchemist’s words left room for possibility. And where there was possibility, there was hope.

“How can I become stronger?”

“That’s something you have to figure out yourself.”

The Alchemist wore a rare expression of bewilderment.

He seemed quite dumbfounded.

I scratched my head, feeling a bit awkward.

“Still, I thought you’d know. How did you reach that level?”

“The power of time. But if you want to surpass that and get stronger quickly, then engaging in battle is definitely the way.”

“Battle?”

“Didn’t you create Ice Spear during your battle with the Goblin? Just like that, in the space between life and death, Mages often break through walls. In your case, it seems to be temporary and very unusual, though.”

“Where should I go?”

“Haa…”

The Alchemist sighed.

He looked like a teacher dealing with a foolish student.

“Go to the Northern Faction.”

“The Northern Faction?”

“A war will break out there. Train yourself there. I’ll give you three years. If you reach at least Intermediate Mage within that period, I’ll seriously consider your relationship with my daughter.”

“Understood.”

“Finally, state your reward.”

I swallowed hard.

In truth, what I wanted to say was already decided.

“Would a Magic Staff be possible?”

“A Magic Staff?”

“Yes. I heard it’s very important for a Mage.”

“Hmm… Is that all you want?”

“Yes.”

“Good. If you wish. But the price is insufficient. I can only give you a low-quality staff.”

“That’s fine.”

His heart pounded.

At the same time, a thought occurred to him.

If a low-quality magic staff was around 10 gold, how much would a proper magic staff cost? He couldn’t even imagine.

The Alchemist had a Knight bring the item.

The Knight bowed and exited through the back door.

His building was on that side. It wasn’t a mansion, but it was the largest building in the outer castle. He thought he might be getting the item from there.

A moment later, the Knight reappeared. In his hand was a stick neatly wrapped in cloth.

The Alchemist offered it.

He instinctively knelt. It felt like he was being knighted.

“You don’t have to kneel.”

“Yes.”

He stood up and accepted it.

He didn’t forget to bow.

His hands trembled.

“Do you know what kind of help a magic staff provides?”

“No, I don’t.”

“And you asked for it anyway?”

“I heard it’s an essential item for mages.”

“Well, never mind. You’ll know when you use it.”

“I’ll know when I use it?”

“Even if you use the same magic, it will be distinctly different.”

“Even with a low-quality staff?”

“Of course. Do you know why that staff is so expensive?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Because it contains a Magic Stone.”

“A Magic Stone?”

“Magic Stones are very expensive. They are probabilistically obtained from very dangerous monsters. If you make magic tools with them, they are a great help to mages.”

“I see.”

He nodded his head.

He didn’t know how dangerous a monster had to be, but considering the value of a Magic Stone, he could imagine it.

It was an item worth gold coins.

It must have required taking such risks. He thought it might be something like the salamander he encountered in the forest.

The salamander he encountered then was so intimidating that he felt even if Bruno and all the mercenaries had attacked it, they would have lost.

Since it was made from a Magic Stone probabilistically obtained after catching such a strong monster, it seemed incredibly impressive. Looking at its price, he knew he couldn’t even dream of owning it.

“The magic staff I gave you contains a lowest-grade Magic Stone. Even that alone will be a great help to your magic.”

“How much help will it be?”

“Noticeably so. Go and try it out for yourself. That will be the fastest way to find out.”

The alchemist waved his hand.

He bowed several times before leaving.

On the way back, he had to try hard to suppress the urge to use it immediately.

‘He said I’d know once I tried it!’

He immediately ran to the inn and holed himself up in his room.

He was excited. He hadn’t been this excited even when he held Lorina’s hand.

He carefully unwrapped the cloth wrapped around the staff.

“Oh…!”

Then, the magic staff revealed itself.

It was made of wood that seemed to be carved from an old tree, emitting a subtle fragrance, and at its upper end, a black stone the size of a fist was embedded. This seemed to be the Magic Stone the alchemist mentioned.

As soon as he held it, he felt an immense sense of comfort. Just holding it made his stomach feel calm.

I tried casting the spell as it was.

The Alchemist said I would know once I used magic.

Indeed, there was a change when I used magic.

Seeing that, Rael gasped. It was more incredible than he had imagined.