The Guildmaster of the Alchemy Guild, Arte Roffelman
Arte Roffelman, the guildmaster of the Alchemy Guild, was overwhelmed with awe, feeling the convenience and power of using a human calculator as if it were her first time with a computer.
"This can be calculated in your head?"
"Yep."
"Wow, then how about this?"
"Here’s the answer."
Just input the problem, and the solution comes out instantly.
"Could you solve this one too...?"
"Well, that one’s beyond me—I don’t know alchemy."
"Then how long would it take to read this book?"
"If it’s not too difficult, maybe about a minute?"
Even for the intricate combinations and secrets of alchemy, once basic knowledge was fed and trained into him, he could give clear answers when asked.
My friend Hart really summoned a treasure. I’ve relied on her wisdom and insight from time to time, but this man is on another level. His utility is extraordinary.
And to think, this is him after being nerfed for some reason—how fast must his computational abilities have been at full capacity?
When opportunity knocks, you seize it.
Arte decided to outsource all the tricky problems she’d been wrestling with. This would advance alchemy by at least ten years.
She felt a mix of fear and awe. The world was moving forward right here, in this very place!
After about half a day of nonstop work, Arte was thoroughly impressed with the mad wizard’s performance and promised to provide the life-extending elixir. She pulled out a large cauldron and began mixing the ingredients.
The important calculations were all done by the human computer, the mad wizard. Arte just needed to handle the physical labor.
So there was even time for idle chat.
As she threw a screaming herb into the cauldron, Arte asked, "So, you and Hart—you said you're like fragments of each other? Originally one, but now two?"
"Yes, that’s what Daisy explained."
"Are you planning to take her back?"
"That’s the idea. But... things aren’t going exactly as I expected."
The mad wizard looked a bit perplexed. He had anticipated that the fragment might have developed its own consciousness, but actually encountering it...
"She seems to be living quite well. It’s not some façade to avoid the situation; she genuinely seems to care about all of you."
"I’m glad to hear that from you. Except for her insistence on putting ice in her coffee, she’s been a good person I’d like to get closer to."
"She doesn’t understand iced Americano...?"
"The coffee bean spirits will curse you for that."
Arte concluded the conversation about Hart briefly.
"It’s not my place to give opinions on a wizard reclaiming their familiar. It’s your decision, and I know I can’t force any choices on you."
If the mad wizard didn’t absorb Hart, there would be a tangible loss in computational power. It’s like giving up a part of oneself for someone else.
"..."
"But she’s my friend. She’s been an invaluable part of the Northern Duke’s household. It’d feel lonely if she disappeared. That’s all I’ll say."
What a direct attack on my conscience. The mad wizard smiled wryly.
Bubbling.
Arte stirred the boiling potion with a long ladle, tossing in exactly 2.3 medicinal frogs. The mad wizard, next to her, used tweezers to pick up a centipede, preparing to drop it in.
His expression cleared up as if he had made up his mind about Hart. Arte silently hoped his decision would spare her friend.
After a moment of quiet, the mad wizard asked about something that had been nagging at him since he saw it in the research materials.
"I noticed earlier. The captain of the capital knights, Kim Lulu... Did you create her?"
"Kim? Was that her name? Anyway, if you’re talking about the captain, yes, I did. The royal family commissioned me to create someone they could control."
"It looked like she needs regular maintenance. Was that an intentional design, like a leash?"
"Coincidence. It was more of a technical limitation. When I finished creating her, I found she was inherently unstable and had a short lifespan. So I just pitched it to the royals as a 'control mechanism.' You know her? You don’t look happy."
The mad wizard nodded. Kim Lulu—he had originally kidnapped her for fun during a session, but she had shown such admirable magical prowess that he couldn’t help but grow attached.
The idea of the clone knight captain’s short lifespan, and a weeping magical girl mourning her, was a painful scenario to imagine.
I have to prevent that.
"After we finish this, let’s make seven more elixirs."
"You’ve got a lot of people to give them to?"
"I’ve got to give one to Yuna and Yuri, one for Irid, one for Selvia, one for Kim Lulu, and I should probably save one for Alexon too... Actually, why not make about twenty and give them to everyone around me?"
"Are you supplying the ingredients through Specter? I’ll make five more, but after that, you’re on your own."
Thus began the mass production of life-extending elixirs for what could only be described as a benevolent terror campaign.
Half a day later.
With the bottles neatly packed and labeled, the mad wizard stretched, easing the stiffness in his muscles. His goal in the North was complete.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"Yes, thank you as well."
He made a clean, businesslike farewell to Arte and prepared to leave. After all, she was Hart’s friend, not his, so this much formality felt just right.
As he placed his foot on the doorframe and prepared to step out, a sudden surge of curiosity held him back.
It’s bad manners to ask another wizard or alchemist for their secrets. He had already absorbed a lot of her research and alchemical knowledge, but that had been part of a fair exchange.
Asking for more would be crossing a line.
But still...
Hesitating at the threshold, the mad wizard finally succumbed to his desire and opened his mouth, as though something pushed him from behind.
"Kim Lulu... Hasn’t she reached sublimation? How did you achieve that?"
"Oh, so that’s what you’ve been tap-dancing around for the last ten minutes?"
Honestly, who wouldn’t be curious?
If Arte had figured out a way to mass-produce someone like Kim Lulu, she could easily be crowned the next emperor of the New Empire.
How did she achieve something like sublimation?
The mad wizard had long lamented his failure to reach such heights and thought that maybe, just maybe, there was a hint to be found in Kim Lulu’s creation.
After a moment of thought, Arte responded straightforwardly. News of the mad wizard’s proximity to the Second Prince Irid was well-known, so she deemed it safe to share.
"The imperial family granted permission to use the Dragon Heart. It was a key factor in her creation."
"The Dragon Heart!"
"You’re reacting strongly... but I don’t know much about the specifics. All I did was tap into the magic generated by the Dragon Heart, and that alone produced the result. Even now, I’m still in awe of it."
Arte closed her eyes and recalled the past.
The imperial palace, where she had been commissioned by the elderly emperor to create a guardian knight for the empire. Deep within the palace, a black heart floated in the air.
A living artifact, the Dragon Heart, emanating enormous magical power just by existing.
All the materials had been prepared. The Dragon Heart granted Arte a flash of inspiration, and she performed alchemy as though possessed by something.
When she came to her senses, the work was complete. She had leaped through three whole days and was face-to-face with the finished result.
The gnawing hunger that made her feel like her stomach was sticking to her spine and the overwhelming fatigue that left her fingers barely functional had come immediately afterward. She hadn’t eaten or drunk anything during those three days.
Even now, when she looks back on it...
"It felt like a dream."
After farming the life-extending elixirs, I found myself alone with Hart on the mansion's second-floor balcony. She was leaning on the railing, staring at the snowy northern landscape.
The more I looked at her, the stranger I felt. Should I see her as a version of myself from a parallel world? Or is she just one of my creations, like everything else?
It didn’t really matter, I guess.
I tapped the ground lightly with my heel, announcing my presence. Hart turned around, wearing a light, relieved expression, though I could tell it was a mask.
With a bright smile, Hart spoke.
"Alright, I’ve said all my goodbyes. Now, go ahead and absorb me."
"Why would I absorb you?"
"Huh?"
"Eh?"
This person is just impossible to deal with.
Hart looked genuinely confused, her face marked by disbelief, before she calmed her expression and asked,
"...But shouldn’t I return?"
"Why are you being so cold and harsh? A couple of percentage points lost won’t kill me. If absorbing you makes me feel uneasy, it’ll just mess with my efficiency even more."
"You still have 'it' in your head, and there are dark wizards after you. You know how dangerous it is to be splitting your power in this situation..."
That’s only half the story.
Whether Hart stays or goes makes a bigger difference than it seems. Sure, Daisy could help me in an emergency, but the dynamics within the mansion are different.
With Hart working her charm both inside and outside the mansion, I could make not just Daisy but the entire Northern Duke’s household my allies.
Hart, however, remained skeptical.
"You think I’m stupid? Gaining back your lost computational power is more valuable than anything you could gain by leaving me here."
"Why is this guy so stubborn even when I’m offering freedom..."
"No one should have to suffer just for me to live."
Unnecessary stubbornness.
I crossed my arms and said what was on my mind.
"Look, our motto is a happy ending, right? If I can’t even manage to look after one of my own fragments, do you think I’m anywhere close to that?"
I’m not trying to make the whole world happy. But at the very least, I want my friends to live happy lives.
And I’m willing to act on that desire.
Besides, if you think about it, aren’t I my own best friend? This isn’t about making some noble sacrifice for others—it’s a small gift I’m giving to myself.
Sure, absorbing Hart might give me a short-term boost in computational power.
"But if I ever get desperate for computational power, I can come back and absorb you then. I’ll even give you a tearful farewell with your new friends."
"..."
Hart let out a small, exasperated laugh. After chuckling for a while, she suddenly spoke.
"Alright, fine. You deserve to be the original."
"What’s with the sudden change of heart?"
"We’ve been split into so many fragments that I wondered if there’s really a 'true original.' For a moment, I thought maybe I was the original. But now it’s clear. You’re the real one."
This brat. Is she trying to flatter me now that she thinks she’ll be spared?
Suspicious, I shot her a skeptical glance, but she just burst out laughing. I couldn’t make sense of it—was this some hormonal imbalance or something?
"Thank you."
"Enough with the mushy talk. We’re men. A bro fist will suffice."
"A man who cries every time Yuna scolds him... Sure, a 'real man,' huh?"
"That’s a classic case of spitting while lying down."
Thump.
We bumped fists, ending the conversation.
As a side note, Hart hadn’t noticed because she was too busy preparing for her 'final moment,' but when I explained the situation back in the mansion...
I distinctly saw Daisy’s eyes waver when I mentioned I had come to 'reclaim' Hart. His emotions froze over in an instant, but the look he gave was akin to a fan watching their favorite VTuber announce graduation.
Even the open-minded Northern Duke, who accepts everything regardless of gender, couldn’t help but waver at the thought of 'graduation'...
I could empathize with those feelings, so for the sake of manly friendship, I had no choice but to leave Hart behind. Live happily ever after with your favorite, Daisy.
With my business in the North concluded, I bade a casual farewell to Daisy, administered the elixir to Bennett’s sister, and packed up to head to the academy.
The last thing I saw before leaving the North was the second wife of the Duke crying, with Hart, looking awkward, trying to console her after their emotional farewell the night before.
Inside the carriage, I spoke to the group.
"Let’s stop by the capital."
"Huh?"
"Even though we’ve extended Bennett’s sister’s life, she’s still weak. We should pick up some more medicine and souvenirs. And also..."
I need to give Kim Lulu her elixir.
A Dessert Shop in the Imperial Capital, Crown Hall
Kim Lulu, the captain of the capital knights, had already finished three cups of tea when she suddenly shot up and loudly declared:
"Big brother! I’m going to the bathroom!"
"Don’t announce it! Lower your voice! And say it more like a proper young lady..."
"What else would I say? Anyway, I’m off! And Whitey, don’t steal my scone while I’m gone!"
"How about saying you’re off to pick flowers or something nice like that!"
Kim Lulu laughed brightly as she dashed off with exaggerated movements, fleeing from Odaesu, not forgetting to warn the white-haired girl (whom she had nicknamed 'Whitey') that she had recently taken in.
It seemed like a peaceful, ordinary day, as always.
But in truth, Kim Lulu was in a bit of a panic.
She could feel it rising within her, that sickening sensation, and the bitter smell of blood lingering at her nose. Her insides churned, and the world felt like it was spinning. She was used to pain, but this—this was a revolting kind of pain.
She barely managed to keep her expression from twisting into a grimace.
The young girl dashed not to the bathroom, but to a far-off alleyway. She staggered, using the wall for support, before...
"Ugh—!"
She vomited a torrent of dark, crimson blood.
The foul stench of tainted blood spread through the air. A clear sign that death was fast approaching.
Kim Lulu stared at the pool of blood with sunken eyes before summoning her magic. Blue light enveloped her hand, and then—
Sizzle—!
The pool of blood vanished, leaving behind only a faint scent of charred remains.
She had known.
Sublimation was a grand achievement. Even that ridiculously powerful old man hadn’t reached it until after he turned fifty. It wasn’t something a simple-minded girl like her should have achieved.
Kim Lulu also understood that everything comes at a price. In her case, it was her lifespan. Despite countless efforts—regular checkups, readjustments, medications—she had stretched her life as far as it could go.
Now, it was the end.
Kim Lulu muttered with a frown.
"Damn... Odaesu’s going to be sad..."
What the girl worried about in the face of death wasn’t her own fate, but the grief of those she would leave behind.
Odaesu had a much softer heart than people realized. If she died, he’d probably cry for three days and nights straight. The thought made her both happy and afraid.
She wanted Odaesu to think of her often, but she didn’t want him to spend those thoughts in tears. That’s why she’d hidden this truth for so long. But time marches on, uncaring.
"..."
It was time to prepare for her final goodbye.
Kim Lulu had resolved to part ways with the world.