Are You Going to Break off the Engagement and Expel Me at the Same Time? ~I’m an Alchemist Who’s End

Chapter 8: Friendly people, friendly city

Various dishes are lined up on the table.

Everyone claps their hands and says “Itadakimasu” together.

I take a bite from the plate closest to me, and the deliciousness spreads.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to eat in a relaxed atmosphere.

“Thomas, are there other people working at the house?”

“No. Just the people who are here now.”

“I see.”

The three people who greeted me, the father and daughter-in-law and the knight of the guard.

There are no other servants, and they are the only ones who manage the house.

It must be very difficult.

Compared to the noble houses in the capital, the house is small, but too large to be inhabited by just a few people.

Even for a frontier lord, he seems to have few retainers.

As I considered asking, Thomas remarked.

“Do you think there are too few?”

“Well, yes …”

“Not too many. But there’s enough. A small noble family like ours, even in the middle of nowhere, has people to serve. And that’s a blessing. And it’s not so bad, you know. Because there are so few of us, we get to know each other better and we’re closer, so it’s easier to talk to each other.”

“I see.”

That’s why all five of them are good friends.

The relationship between a master and a servant is hierarchical, no matter how you frame it.

That’s natural, and no one would think that’s strange.

But there are still people who feel the gap, the frustration of having a wall between them.

That doesn’t seem to be the case between them.

One of the reasons is what he just said to me.

“I’m looking forward to getting to know them.”

“Amelia will get along soon.”

“Thank you.”

I bet that would be so much fun every day.

Says Shun.

“Both of you. Don’t talk too much.”

“Right. We’d better eat it before it runs out.”

“Yes!”

It’s so much fun.

When was the last time?

When was the last time I sat at the table with someone like this?

◇◇◇

The next day.

I look up and see a cloudless blue sky.

The temperature was good and the wind was light and pleasant.

Thomas took me on a tour of the property.

We walk out of the house together and he looks up at the sky as we walk.

“It’s an exceptionally beautiful day today…”

“It really is a beautiful day.”

“Yes. Maybe the sky was just trying to impress Amelia.”

“That’s… You’re exaggerating.”

We walked while talking about trivial things and reached the town a little further from the house.

Yesterday, I was able to watch the town from the carriage for a while.

Again, I think there is a big difference from the towns in and around the royal capital.

Not only the scale, but also the atmosphere is different.

If you were to ask me if there is a lot going on in the city, I would say it is normal.

It is rather a quiet, calm and peaceful city.

And…

“Good morning, my Lord!”

“Good morning. Are you at work?”

“Yes. It’s a beautiful day, as you can see. You have to work extra hard on days like this.”

“That’s true. We don’t know when the weather will get better. But don’t overdo it, okay? Your child isn’t even born yet, is he?”

“Raising a child is hard, no matter how many times you’ve done it.”

A lord and his people make small talk.

It’s not a common sight.

Not just in the house, but among the people.

Because we’re in the middle of nowhere?

No, maybe it’s just here.

I think this area, Thomas, is special.

“Speaking of which, who’s your friend? I don’t think I’ve ever seen her before.”

“Oh, she just arrived here yesterday. Amelia, the alchemist who will be working for us.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Amelia.”

“Oh, I see. So you’re an alchemist! It’s great to have an alchemist in this town, too.”

There are no doctors in this town.

If you got sick, you had to take a carriage to the nearest bigger town.

The trip would take a very long time.

It would be very difficult if someone had a serious illness.

That is one of the worries of the people.

“Everyone will be happy. Thank you very much, Master Alchemist.”

“No. I will do my best to fulfill your expectations.

It is a strange feeling to be thanked for something you have not yet done.

Then we talked some more and Thomas continued his tour of the estate.

Having circled the town, we are now heading out of town.

Mostly wilderness, trees, rivers, meadow-like hills.

It is a place where you can feel the freshness of the air.

“Today it is calm, but unlike in King’s Landing, the four seasons change quickly here. For this reason, it is difficult to grow crops and we have to be careful of natural disasters. There are many things I want you to do for me.”

“Leave it to me! I’ll do everything I can.”

He showed me around for just one day.

My conversations with people in the city lasted a few minutes.

And even then, there was a warmth and comfort that flowed through me.

When we finished the tour and returned to the house, Thomas asked me.

“How was it? My territory, or rather my town.”

“Friendly. It was very friendly. The people, the town …”

“I see. Do you like it?”

“Yes! Very much!”

That’s why I want to do what I can.

I’m sure I will.

I’m sure I’ll enjoy my days at this estate and love it even more than I do now.

I want to protect the place I love.

To do that, I would be willing to take on any job.