I who got fired from the S class adventure party worked as a support, want to have a slow life by becoming an alchemist - Chapter 23

Translator: NovelMultiverse

“…… Hey, hey, hey, hey, what can I do?”

Slay was amused when he saw the Duke’s daughter Frederica in front of him. It wasn’t that he was pressured by the intimidation of the drills on both sides. It was because he was confident that if he opened his mouth, he would have a rough time.

Slay hadn’t learned etiquette like many nobles. He was troubled by the roughness of his language and remained stifled, troubled by his first words.

”Excuse me ……. I haven’t introduced myself yet, have I? …… My name is Frederica, the fourth daughter of Lord Silas of Northfield. Henceforth, I hope you will be familiar with me.”

Frederica smiled and plucked at the hem of the skirt of her gothic dress and greeted reverently.

“Northfield. …… The Duke of the North? (If you ask me.”

The Four Dukes. In order to completely explain its origins, we have to go back to about five hundred years ago, when the Central Royal Family was established.

If I were to summarize, it was a prestigious family that had been given vast lands from the Central Kingdom in four directions, north, south, east, and west. The four dukes also served as a buffer and defense against neighboring countries and barbarian tribes.

Northfield, as the name suggests, refers to a region located in the northern part of the kingdom.

Slay had never visited the area, but he had heard that it was cool and comfortable during the summer months, but during the winter months, the winds blowing down from the mountainous region would cause strong cold waves and heavy snowfall.

And when he introduced himself as such, I felt that Frederica’s doll-like face had the characteristics of the Northfield region. They are considered to be particularly beautiful and handsome in their youth.

“…… For now, it’s bad to stay seated. I have to stand.”

Slay tried to move her chair fearfully, trying not to make a sound.

Perhaps distracted by this awkward movement, Chloe, the female escort next to Frederica, opened her mouth.

“Lord Slay. I hope you don’t mind the roughness of the situation here. Lady Frederica wishes to speak to you on an equal footing.”

I think it’s a passing concern, but Slay smiled bitterly at his words.

“…… I think there’s something about equality that’s just not possible.”

However, I was having trouble with even the first word, so I was grateful for Chloe’s helper.　

I suppose it means I don’t have to worry about my tone of voice if it’s a little strange. Then it seems to be manageable.

“Miss Frederica. …… I’m not grown up in a good way. I’ll apologize in advance for all sorts of rudeness.”

After saying a few words, Slay decided to start introducing himself.

“My name is …… Slay. As you know, I’m a commoner. Until now, I’ve been an adventurer. I’m thinking of becoming an alchemist as my second life.”　

“…… Oh, an adventurer.”

“Former adventurer. …… for about five years in the King’s Capital Central City. I’ve been a member of some well-known parties. …… Ah, thank you very much for your help earlier. You’re a lifesaver.”　　

After introducing himself and finishing his meal, Slay had to ask Frederica to tell him the story of his own adventure. It’s because it’s difficult to refuse a request to listen to a story if it’s insisted upon.

I’m not going to mention some of the real names because it’s a story within the kingdom, and I’ve refused to say that it’s a fictionalized version of the story.

“…… So, in the end, who was the culprit?”

“Yeah, the lord’s brother is actually the mastermind behind this. He was trying to drive a wedge between the people in the village and the lord behind the scenes.”

“…… brother. That was definitely suspicious. I think it’s quite common for people to appear to be good-natured, when in fact they are.”

“You know what you’re talking about. I’ve done it before. This could be anywhere.”

Seemingly a mismatch, the conversation between Slay, who was the lowest status among the candidates this time, and Frederica, who was probably the highest status, was surprisingly lively.

Slay didn’t know any etiquette, but more than that, Frederica was naïve. So, apparently, she was interested in this adventurer’s business.

I guess there were no adventurers around. I’ve never heard of anyone associated with the four dukes who lost their lives to adventurers.

However, even if there were, no one might call themselves the Four Dukes out of concern for the family’s reputation.

Being an adventurer is not a lofty earning that can be praised by anyone with no strings attached. There are some notorious men like Gantez in the mix at the top.

“…… There are some adventurers in the nobility, though. Henry is also the third son of a baronial family. …… My master of metamorphosis must have been a nobleman, too.”

Slay suddenly felt sentimental as he remembered his acquaintance, who was a close one in the party, and his now-deceased mentor.

The meeting in his hometown was the reason why Slay had decided to become an alchemist.

“That was an interesting adventure story, …… Slay, is there anything you’d like to ask me?”

In response to Frederica’s question with a smile, Slay deliberately pretended to think about it.

It’s not that I don’t have anything to ask at all. Rather, there was something I really wanted to ask since I saw her at first sight.　

“…… What I’m most curious about is how you make and maintain that drill-like haircut.”

The question never came out of Slay’s mouth.

Chloe is keeping a close eye on it. She said she was allowed to treat him as an equal, but there was still a limit.

“…… No, I can’t think of anything on the spur of the moment. It’s not a good idea to ask about the duke’s family here. Most importantly, it looks like we don’t have much time right now.”

I noticed that it was about fifteen minutes until the end of the break. In the blink of an eye, the break was coming to an end.

“Well, it’s about time. I’ve been meaning to ask …… Slay about it, but I’ve neglected to do so.”

“Did you think about asking me?”

“The final question of the writing process. I wanted to hear how Slay solved that difficult question.”

A conundrum that prevented him from getting a perfect score on the written test. The story was bouncing off the rails, but that was probably why Frederica had come to Slay.

But not so much a seed or a trick.

“…… Oh, that. All I can say is that it took me a long time to figure it out. Isn’t that the same with Miss Frederica?”

“Yes. And perhaps only you and I could solve it.”

It was certainly hard to imagine that I could solve that problem and drop it elsewhere.

“I guess the reason I was able to solve …… is because I knew I had to at least do a good job at writing.”

Slay muttered to himself without being particularly aware of it.

“Do you at least write?　…… I wonder if you aren’t confident in your practical skills.”

”Oh, no, I don’t think that’s a problem. In case you’re wondering, I’ve been certified by a skill certifier in the Adventurer’s Guild as a B-ranked Transformation Technique.”

At Slay’s words, Frederica showed a somewhat difficult face.

”The fact that it is certified B-ranked means that it can already be transformed into platinum. …… still a powerful enemy. I can’t lose this one.”

Frederica showed a glimpse of rivalry in her dialogue.

They were both perfect passers of the test. In that sense, it may have been a hostile inspection because they didn’t want to lose in the practical skills.