Alchemists' Association

"Hmm... Where is the Alchemists' Association?"

"It's in the south. Most of the association headquarters are located there."

"Let's head to the south then. Are there any other associations?"

"Yes, the Merchants' Association, the Alchemists' Association, and the Mage Association."

"Is there no Adventurers' Association?"

"There is, but it's not in the south. It's in the North Gate area."

"...Why is that?"

If they were all associations, why was the Adventurers' Association placed in the North Gate?

"Because..." Hilda hesitated, stopping herself from speaking further.

Sake, on the other hand, was the type to not care about such things and spoke up bluntly.

"Haha, Your Highness, those adventurers are a bunch of ill-mannered lot. 'Adventurer' is just a nice way of putting it; they're basically no different from top-tier bandits. The south is where the noble lords live, so why would they let them set up shop there?"

When Sake was in prison, his clothes were tattered and patched, looking quite pathetic.

Now he looked much more spirited, possessing the majestic aura of a beastman.

Perhaps because his pay had increased, his fur was glossy, his clothes were neat, and even his old teeth had become pearly white.

With good teeth comes a good appetite, making everything he ate taste delicious.

And on those bull horns, a pink ribbon was tied into a bow.

Wait, a bow!?

"Pfft! Cough... Sake, what... what is that?"

Sake chuckled deeply, a blast of hot air snorting from his large nostrils.

He looked quite proud of himself.

"Hmph~ Jealous? I wouldn't give it to you even if you are the Saintess. My daughter tied this for me, and I'm going to wear it for the rest of my life!"

For the rest of his... life?

A tauren warrior, covered in muscle, with a pair of sharp horns nearly fifty centimeters long... and a pink bow tied to them?

And it was even sparkly?

Are you trying to laugh your enemies to death?

I turned to look at Hilda, whose face was also full of helplessness.

"I already tried to convince him to take it off earlier, but Sake's temper... is exactly what you'd expect from his race."

"Sake, take it off immediately. It's embarrassing!"

"No!"

"...I'll give you a gold coin. Take it off!"

"Two!"

"Two it is! Just take it off!"

If you're not embarrassed to wear a pink bow on your head, I'm embarrassed to be seen with you!

Sake grumbled as he reluctantly removed the pink bow from his head.

"You agreed so fast, I should've asked for more."

Pfft!

He reached out a hand, his palm twice the size of my head, and held it before my eyes.

"Hehe, thank you for your patronage."

"..."

I gave him a speechless look and pulled two gold coins from my pouch, placing them in his palm.

I could still hear his deep, booming voice muttering quietly behind me.

"I didn't make Her Highness angry, did I?"

Two gold coins aren't enough for me to hold a grudge against you.

I stepped out onto the main street, greeted by a bustling scene of people coming and going.

Carriages traveled down the center of the road, moving slowly under the weight of whatever heavy cargo they carried.

Street vendors lined both sides, mostly selling black bread, fruit, and other foodstuffs.

Occasionally, someone would stop to haggle with a shopkeeper.

They would argue until they were red in the face over whether a pound of something should cost nine copper coins or ten.

It was only at this moment that I realized just how many different races lived in Brilliant City.

Although humans were the majority, many half-beasts, beastmen, elves, and dwarves walked the same streets. Most of the people around them didn't even cast a discriminatory glance.

This proved that Brilliant City was very accepting of outsiders.

Perhaps because they were at war with the demon race year-round, everyone shared a common enemy. And the enemy of my enemy is, naturally, a friend.

"Miss, would you like to buy some raisins?"

As I was walking, a very sharp, dry, and exceptionally unpleasant voice suddenly came from beside me.

The voice sounded like someone who hadn't had a drink of water in three days and was forcing the words out of their constricted throat.

Before I knew it, a creature had appeared by my feet. He was dark green all over, with a sharp nose that extended down to his chin like a knife. He had a thin body, stood barely a meter tall, was neatly dressed, and was looking at me with a flattering expression.

"A gnome?"

The moment I said those words, the gnome's expression soured, though it wasn't particularly pleasant to begin with.

"Now look here, miss. I am a person too. Even if I'm not human, I'm a person with self-esteem. How can you just call me by my race?"

His sharp, raspy voice made my brow furrow involuntarily.

However, he was right. Calling him by his race was indeed quite rude.

"I am truly sorry, sir. That was my mistake."

"Mhm~ As long as you know!"

The gnome responded in that strange voice, nodding with satisfaction.

Then, he took the basket off his back. Inside were small parcels wrapped in clean kraft paper, clearly sorted with care.

"Miss, since you know you were rude and I've gone to the trouble of forgiving you, it would be quite unreasonable not to buy a pack, wouldn't it?"

As he spoke, he took a pack from the basket and opened it.

Inside the kraft paper were clean raisins that complemented the color of his skin perfectly.

They were both green.

Still, his choice of words was all wrong. Can you use 'gone to the trouble' to describe 'forgiving' someone?

Despite that, he still managed to make me feel a hint of amusement.

"Fine. Since you put it that way, I'll buy a pack."

"Twenty copper coins. Thank you for your patronage."

Unexpectedly, as soon as the words left his mouth, the old bull behind me spoke up.

"Hey! Little guy, what kind of raisins are worth twenty copper coins for such a small amount?"

"Huh? A beastman?"

The gnome was so short that he hadn't noticed Sake following behind us.

Sake, however, put on a look of extreme distress, clutching his chest and let out a low howl.

"Ah! You've hurt my self-esteem! This won't do; you have to compensate me with two packs!"

Using the man's own logic against him, the gnome never expected to be scammed by a tauren, a race known for being 'honest and simple'.

Before the gnome could even react, Sake's massive hand reached into the basket, picked out the two largest packs of raisins, and stuffed them into his tunic.

"These two packs will be your compensation to me!"

"I... I..."

The gnome stood dazed for a long time, his finger trembling as he pointed at Sake.

"I... I have never seen such a thick-skinned tauren!"

The old bull wiped his nose, looking completely smug.

"And I've never seen a gnome as scammy as you!"

Seeing that Sake and the gnome were about to go at it, I quickly stepped in.

"Alright, Sake, stand down."

"Miss, I just think you're too easy to fool. What kind of junk is this to be worth twenty copper coins? There's barely a few ounces here. At this price, I could eat seven or eight silver coins' worth in one sitting!"

I rolled my eyes at Sake, then looked at the gnome who was shaking with rage before turning to Nara.

"Give this gentleman fifty copper coins."

After that, I turned back to the gnome.

"Mr. Gnome, my subordinate was rude. As his superior, I am naturally responsible. However, these raisins are indeed quite expensive. How about this? I will give you fifty copper coins for these three packs of raisins, and the rest will be my apology to you. What do you think?"

The gnome's face was dark. His already dark green skin looked even darker now.

"Hmph! At least you're sensible!"

The gnome snatched the coin pouch and opened it to look at the fifty copper coins inside.

He weighed them in his hand to estimate the amount. Not bothering to count them individually, he swung his basket onto his back and walked away.

I shook my head helplessly and turned back to glare at Sake.

However, he was incredibly thick-skinned and completely ignored my glare, pulling the two packs of raisins from his tunic and handing them to me.

"Here~ I'm giving them to you."

"You eat them. This one pack is enough for me."

"Hehe~ Thank you for the reward, miss. Then I won't be polite~"

Sake opened a paper pack. It probably weighed about three or four ounces, but with one bite of his massive mouth, both packs of raisins vanished.

I shook my head helplessly, opened the paper pack in my hand, and divided it into three portions. I gave one to Hilda, one to Nara, and kept one for myself.

Hilda accepted it respectfully, and Nara took hers with a look of pure joy.

I suppose it's because the food in the Temple is somewhat restricted, with a set menu of what can and cannot be eaten every day.

It's hard to get treats like this, which is why Nara is so happy.

Speaking of which, snacks in this era are indeed quite cheap.

"Sake, what is the usual price for raisins like these?"

"My wife does all the grocery shopping, so I don't know~ But they definitely aren't this expensive!"

Sake didn't know the exact price, but he was certain they weren't that costly.

So, I turned my gaze to Nara.

Nara quickly responded.

"Miss, during this season, normal raisins usually cost around twenty copper coins per pound. The price will go up in two months, but it will definitely not exceed forty copper coins per pound."

Twenty coins a pound. There could only be one reason why they were so cheap.

"Are there specific regions in the Kingdom of the Moon that grow grapes?"

"Yes, in the nearby Wine City."

Nara's answer was direct, and it made me realize why the raisins were so cheap.

Because they were close by, there weren't many transportation costs, making them affordable.

I nodded and didn't dwell on the issue further. Everything would have to wait until the transportation problem was solved.

There was no rush for now.

Accompanied by Hilda, Nara, and Sake, the four of us continued toward the Alchemists' Association.

The further south we went, the more developed the town became. More and more high-walled estates appeared, and the area gradually grew quiet, losing the noisy bustle of the market.

Occasionally, a vendor would pass by pushing a wooden cart filled with wine, meat, fruit, and grain, but these people didn't shout their wares.

They moved with purpose toward the back gates of the various estates.

Hilda kindly explained the situation to me.

"Miss, those are food orders for the various nobles. Fresh food is delivered every day, just as it is at the Temple."

We walked for another hour or so.

However, the Alchemists' Association was clearly still quite far away.

Brilliant City was massive. Even a whole day wouldn't be enough to walk from the south end to the north end.

The unfamiliar scenery along the way was starting to look the same.

This is so boring~

"Hilda, how much longer until we reach the Alchemists' Association?"

"Miss, I estimate... another two hours of walking."

I should have taken the carriage!

I really brought this on myself!

I was starting to regret not taking a vehicle.

Perhaps noticing my mood, Hilda offered a suggestion.

"Miss, how about... I go find a carriage?"

"Can you find one here?"

I looked at Hilda in surprise, and she nodded.

"This is a residential area for nobles. There are many carriages nearby specifically waiting for noble use. Although they don't compare to yours, they are still usable."

"Then, Hilda, I'll leave it to you."

"Yes."

Hilda nodded and quickly turned toward a nearby corner. Before long, she returned with a carriage.

Once inside the carriage, I finally felt a sense of relief and leaned back against the seat.

Sake was too massive to fit inside, so he ran alongside the carriage, keeping pace with us.

Finally, after another half hour, a massive sign and a three-story building came into view in the distance.

"Miss, that is the Alchemists' Association."

"Mhm."

I looked at the giant sign, and the image of the association's president, the elf Camilla, came to mind.

At the time, she had gone all out to help me, even mobilizing every alchemist in the association to help Brilliant City recover.

My visit today was partly to show my gratitude.

Of course, besides that, I had other questions to ask.

The Alchemists' Association.

Most of the people inside wore long robes over their formal attire, and many wore glasses.

Among them were half-beasts, humans, and elves.

Because of the long lifespans of elves, their knowledge was vast and complex. Compared to magic, which had its limits, alchemy was the profession best suited for them.

"Hello there. Are you here to order some alchemy materials? Or..."

As soon as we stepped through the door, a young girl approached from the counter.

A glamorous little fox-girl with fox ears on her head and a fluffy red tail behind her appeared before my eyes.

"..."

So cute!

...

Disclosed Information:

Beastmen

Depending on the differences between various animals, they possess different reproductive capabilities and individual attribute values.

Breeding within the same race has a chance of resulting in atavism, turning the offspring into a beast, though their attributes and abilities far exceed those of ordinary wild animals.

Breeding with other races has a chance of producing half-beasts, who carry a small number of beastman characteristics.

Tauren

A major branch of the beastmen, ranked sixth among the beastman races. They have strong reproductive capabilities, typically having three to five offspring with their own race and one to two with other races.

Individuals are powerful and massive in size. Adult male tauren average two and a half meters in height and weigh two tons. They are brave and warlike, serving as the core combat force of the beastmen.

Even the Lion-Tiger tribe is reluctant to provoke a mature individual.