Chapter 84

When Felice and Albert returned home after finishing their third day of training and presented the fruits they bought with their first wage, Samantha embraced them with a smile.

Claude also gently smiling, but his smile turned into a scheming one after receiving Robert’s report.

(Parker-san, run away!)

(What is he going to do? I want to see~)

Seeing such Claude, Felice was worried for Parker and Albert was trembling in excitement, but because they got tired after working with an unfamiliar person, they went to bed earlier than usual.

On the next day, the scheduled pharmaceutics lesson on the fourth day was taught by the elves Lucas and Clare who work as pharmacists.

「We will be in charge of your pharmaceutics lessons. Best regards」

「It will be our first time teaching, so please ask if you find something hard to understand, okay?」

「「We will be in your care!」」

Lucas and Clare had nervous expressions, but seeing Felice’s and Albert’s smiles, they unconsciously relaxed.

「We heard that you two don’t know anything about medicinal plants, so let’s learn the varieties first」

「Some medicinal plants resemble each other, but they have different effects, so memorize them properly, okay?」

「「Yes!」」

「Ah! That reminds me, you two have the『Appraisal』skill, right?」

「We do」

「Yes. Would it be better to use it?」

「No, it would be better not to use it. Of course, using the skill isn’t a bad thing, but sometimes, it’s better to be able to appraise without using the skill」

「Why is that?」

「In skills, there are those that anyone can obtain and those that many can’t. Skills from『Appraisal』system are convenient skills that many can’t obtain, so those who possess them are easily targeted by others」

「Hmm. So it would be better not to use it in the public」

「That’s correct. It’s fine to use it, but you should be aware of your surroundings」

「I understand」

「Got it」

「Well then, let’s begin」

After that, Lucas and Clare explained about medicinal and poisonous plants while showing the real things.

Among them, there were medicinal plants that resembled poisonous plants, so they were taught how to distinguish them from the small details, and then received a test to chose the correct one from the two.

However, while Albert was choosing the medicinal plants, Felice was choosing the poisonous plants every time for some reason.

Felice’s eyebrows gradually sunk and at the end, she was on the verge of tears.

「Uu…… why is it all poisonous plants?」

「Felice, there’s no need to cry. Everyone’s like that at the beginning」

「That’s right. Look, try properly comparing the edges of the leaves as taught before. While only faintly, the leaves of the poisonous one are red at the edges, aren’t they?」

「It’s really faint, so it’s fine to slowly observe at first」

「Yes. So Al can see this, huh? That’s amazing~」

「Eh? …… Ah~….. well」

When Felice said so enviously, Al averted his gaze for some reason.

「Al…… why are you looking away?」

「Do you perhaps have another method of distinguishing it?」

「Is that so? Then, tell us please. We would like to know about it as well」

「No~ it’s not like that, but. It’s ――」

Felice stared at the mumbling Albert with scornful eyes while Lucas and Clare asked again in wonder.

「「「Eh?」」」

「Therefore…… I can for some reason tell」

「「「For some reason?」」」

「Right. Medicinal plants give “good for the body” feeling and poisonous plants give “bad for the body” feeling?」

「”Good for the body”」

「”Bad for the body”」

「Al, you are too abstract. In the first place」

「「「As if we understand from that!」」」

When Lucas, Clare, and Felice shouted, Albert tried to explain while troubled.

「Eh~? Look, the medicinal plants are…… smooth and silky! Sparkly! -like, the poisonous plants give off…… hmm…… gloomy! Or flabby! feeling」

「No, I don’t understand!?」

「Rather, were you listening to our explanation?」

「I was!」

「Considering all that, you can’t put it to practice, huh」

「But, they are silky, smooth, sparkly, gloomy, and flabby before I can distinguish them, so it can’t be helped!」

「Is that perhaps a natural instinct?」

「Well, in a way, it’s an important sense」

「Isn’t Albert fine with that?」

「Aren’t you somehow too heartless!?」

While Albert was receiving a shock from Clare’s words, Lucas spoke to Felice as if nothing happened.

「Now then Felice, let’s try again」

「Yes~」

「…… Feli~」

Clare gave a big bag to Albert who was looking at Felice who wasn’t caring about him at all and looking at him with a grudge.

「Albert, try dividing the medicinal and poisonous plants in this bag」

「…… Alright」

When Albert received the bag and did as told, Lucas and Clare exchanged glances and nodded in silence.

(Our planned work will disappear upon returning)

(Let’s do this from now on!)

The focusing Felice didn’t notice the two were excited by the unexpected harvest.

Albert quickly finished sorting out the plants and reached for a bag he wasn’t told to touch.

And then, an accident happened.

――Dokka~n!

A loud noise echoed across the mansion centering around the cla.s.sroom.

A few minutes later, what Riley and Olivia who rushed over to the room saw was Lucas and Clare standing still in dumbfoundment, Felice who stiffened from fright, and Albert who broke in a cold sweat with his mouth cramped.

Fortunately, Albert promptly formed a barrier, so there was no injury, but the room got destroyed.

「There doesn’t seem to be any injuries」

「Olivia, please go and report. I will start putting things in order first」

「Alright. I will bring a few people」

The two started moving as if nothing happened and Riley called to the four before starting tidying up.

「I will tidy the things up, so please move out」

「…… Why are you so calm?」

「Wouldn’t you normally ask what happened?」

「From the looks of it, the cause is Albert, right? It doesn’t seem like it was intentional this time though」

「You can tell?」

「I can. Besides, I’m already used to things like this」

「「Used……」」

「This place has been occupied by magicians for generations…… it’s the Faust House after all」

「「Is that so……」」

(Albert isn’t the reason he got used to it)

(It’s the Faust House, huh)

While the two were making difficult expressions after hearing Riley’s words, Albert approached them while leading Felice by hand.

「Riley, it’s not “this time” but it wasn’t intentional “this time as well” you know?」

「………… You are right」

「What was with the pause!?」

While Albert and Riley had such exchange, Felice unconsciously muttered.

「Always doing stupid――」

「Feli?」

「Hii!」

Smiling with eyes that weren’t laughing, Felice tried to retreat while shaking her head, but she couldn’t escape because her hand was firmly held.

Feeling sorry for the pitiful-looking Felice, Riley asked Albert a question.

「What have you done――what did you do this time, Albert-sama?」

「Riley, you can’t hide your true meaning. No matter what you say, I just finished sorting out the bag I was asked to sort out, so when I thought of sorting out the next one too, it became like that」

Hearing Albert’s words, Clare panicked and asked.

「H, hey that bag, wasn’t it tied by a red string?」

「Right, right, that bag」

When Albert answered Clare’s question, Lucas and Clare apologetically spoke up while making “as I thought” expressions.

「…… If that’s the case then it’s our responsibility this time」

「That’s right. It’s not Albert’s fault」

「「「???」」」

When Felice, Albert, and Riley tilted their heads, Lucas explained.

「There was『Magic absorbing gra.s.s』in the bag tied with a red string」

「「Magic absorbing gra.s.s?」」

「If I’m not mistaken, it’s a medicinal plant raised with magical power, right? Why did that explode?」

「As you said, the magic absorbing gra.s.s is raised with magical power. Normally, it would be absorbing from the ground since being a root, but once gathered, it will absorb the magical power of the one who picked it up, and its absorption quant.i.ty will considerably increase」

「If those with weak magical power touch it, they will collapse. That’s why it’s handled while wearing gloves. It’s our bad for not telling you guys not to touch that bag」

「But, Al didn’t collapse」

「I exploded~」

「Most likely, the absorbed magical power exceeded the maximum tolerance level」

「It’s also our first time seeing an explosion from that」

「Hee~, in other words…… I wasn’t at fault this time!」

「That’s right…… this time」

「Riley? You seem to want to add something?」

「Just your imagination!」

Riley’s muttering was properly heard by Albert and just when he was approaching Riley with a grin, Olivia returned with several servants.

「Sorry for taking so long. Now then, let’s clean up. Oh my, Riley, your cleaning hasn’t advanced a single bit?」

「Sorry. I was inquiring about the cause of the explosion」

「Cause, is it? I’m sure it was Albert-sama anywa- Ahem!…… What happened?」

「Even Olivia!?」

「That’s not it, Olivia! The magic absorbing gra.s.s has become full of Al’s magical power and threw up…… or not, it exploded!」

「Yes?」

Felice tried to explain on Albert’s behalf, but Olivia without understanding.

「It’s correct, it’s not correct」

「Isn’t the meaning the same?」

「Feli, are you hungry?」

「It’s soon time for the lunch after all」

「Uu~」

Felice face turned red after Albert and other tsukkomi’d her, so Lucas explained instead while patting her head.

After that, they cleaned up with everyone and after explaining the situation to Samantha and seeing the two off, Samantha spoke up.

「Hey, hey, may I ask you something?」

「What is it? Okaasama」

「What’s the matter? Okaasama」

When Felice and Albert turned towards Samantha, she asked what was on her mind after listening to the story.

「Why did you not use『Restoration』to put the room in order?」

「「Eh?」」

「I mean, that magic is a magic which “restores” things, right?」

「「Un」」

「If you have “restored” the room, you wouldn’t have to clean it by yourself, right?」

「「Ah!」」

The two have completely forgotten about that magic until reminded by Samantha, so they looked at her in dumbfoundment.

Samantha giggled at the two while poking their foreheads.

「Even though you are usually so levelheaded, you are sillies in strange places, aren’t you?」

「「Haha……」」

On the contrary to Samantha who was having fun, the two dropped their shoulders with faint laughs.

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