“So this is the place?”
Looking up at the grandiose workshop in front of him, No Talk nodded in satisfaction.
Yeah, this level of fancy matched what you’d expect from a high-level alchemist.
As soon as he stepped inside, an alchemy apprentice came up to greet him.
After explaining his purpose, he was guided to the second floor’s reception room.
And there—he finally saw the person he’d come all this way to meet.
“Ugh… what now? I haven’t even finished my nap…”
A tiny girl yawned as she rubbed her eyes in annoyance.
She had just returned from Herentis and clearly hadn’t gotten much sleep.
No Talk blinked in disbelief.
For a moment, he genuinely began to think that maybe the whole “loli from the sky” thing wasn’t so far-fetched after all.
Because the “Master Alchemist” he was expecting turned out to be this sleepy, cute little girl in front of him.
Still, he quickly pulled himself together.
“Excuse me, are you Miss Tris?”
“What do you want, adventurer?”
Her tone wasn’t exactly welcoming—it didn’t take much to guess she was irritated about being disturbed.
“I heard you’re offering a quest that teaches alchemy. That’s what I’m here for.”
“Oh, that… yeah, I was kind of planning to do that…”
But for some reason, No Talk noticed that her expression suddenly became… hesitant.
Indeed, Tris’s eyes began to wander, like a child who’d done something wrong.
“Um… I really think you’d be better off not taking this quest.”
No Talk blinked again.
He’d never seen an NPC try to talk a player out of a quest.
Weren’t they supposed to just check if your conditions matched the requirements?
He figured the quest was just a tough one.
“Please, Miss Tris. No matter how hard it is, I’ll give it everything I’ve got!”
“…Maybe you really shouldn’t. I mean, it’s kind of… unfriendly for people like you.”
Tris tried to sound as gentle as possible, even though her conscience was screaming in the background.
She couldn’t exactly tell him the truth—especially not when she was under strict orders from the Demon Lord himself.
But to No Talk, her reluctance only felt like a test of willpower.
Which just made him even more determined.
“I won’t back down. Please entrust the quest to me!”
“…You’re really not going to regret this?”
“I won’t!”
“…Alright, then. But whatever happens, don’t blame me later, okay?”
Tris sighed and added under her breath, “Idiot. I literally warned you…”
But No Talk didn’t hear that part.
His eyes were glued to the system prompt that popped up in front of him.
System: Accept quest [Tris’s Beginner Alchemy Tutorial]?
Without hesitation, he slammed “Yes.”
With the quest now in hand, No Talk left the alchemy workshop and immediately got in touch with Starry Myth’s logistics manager, giving a rough summary of the hidden quest he’d received.
He was confident the higher-ups would know what to do.
Sure enough, the guild’s leadership was surprised at first, but after a quick internal discussion, they unanimously agreed to support him.
Members were dispatched to gather the rare items listed in the quest—expensive at this stage of the game, but nothing Starry Myth’s coffers couldn’t handle.
Before half a day had passed, No Talk met up with a rogue from the guild named TropicalFish in the rented alchemy room.
“Congrats, Big Bro No Talk! Once you finish this, you’ll be Starry Myth’s top alchemist!”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I just got lucky.” No Talk waved it off but got straight to the point.
“You brought everything?”
“Yep, it’s all here.”
TropicalFish initiated the trade, then leaned in curiously.
“So… what kind of quest lets you jump straight to apprentice-level alchemist?”
“I just happened to run into a Master Alchemist NPC who was offering an alchemy tutoring quest.”
“Whoa, seriously? Where’d you find her?”
Instantly, No Talk became wary.
“Some random alley in Faerns. I don’t remember exactly.”
“I see, so you really lucked out, huh?”
Knowing he wasn’t getting anything else, TropicalFish gave up the act.
“Well, everything’s delivered. I’ve got errands to run, but if you ever need anything, just say the word, Big Bro No Talk.”
“Appreciate it.”
They exchanged a few more pleasantries, but once TropicalFish left, No Talk’s expression turned cold.
“So… they’ve caught wind already.”
He’d expected as much.
In a big guild like Starry Myth, secrets didn’t stay secret for long—especially not something as huge as jumping ranks in a profession.
But that was all part of No Talk’s plan.
He didn’t just want power—he wanted prestige.
Only with both could he truly lock in his place as Starry Myth’s chief alchemist.
“Hah… as if you lot could compete with me.”
He had no intention of sharing the quest source.
As long as he kept it sealed off, no one else would even stand a chance.
What he hadn’t considered…
Was what the original sender of the mysterious mail really intended.
***
After leaving the Alchemist Association, TropicalFish made a quick report to the guild leaders—then spent some time loitering around the streets.
Eventually, he circled back to the Association—but this time, not to the same room.
Instead, he entered a different rented room, where Earthen Edge was already waiting and immediately came over.
“Did he say how he got the quest?”
“Nope. Guy’s super cautious. But I picked up a few hints.”
“Like what?” Earthen Edge pressed impatiently.
His position as one of Starry Myth’s rising alchemists was on the line, after all.
TropicalFish grabbed a nearby jug of purified water meant for potion-making and took a sip.
“He said it came from a Master Alchemist NPC. Didn’t give a location, but I’m guessing somewhere in Faerns.
Connecting the dots, my best bet is one of the alchemy workshops. You could try poking around.”
“Easy for you to say.”
Earthen Edge sighed.
“The capital of Orwin is huge. How many alleys are there? How many alchemy workshops? You want me to search every inch of Faerns?”
“Not my problem.” TropicalFish shrugged. He was just the intel guy.
Earthen Edge groaned and sat down, stewing in frustration.
Then, suddenly—something clicked.
“Wait… did you say she was a Master Alchemist?”
“Yeah? Why?”
Earthen Edge didn’t respond at first. He closed his eyes, trying to recall something.
“Yesterday, I was checking for quests at the Association. I remember seeing this little girl picking up a delivery task nearby.”
“…You damn lolicon,” TropicalFish muttered with disgust. “Was she cute?”
“Hell yeah. She even had cat ears—super adorable—wait, dammit, that’s not the point!”
Earthen Edge cleared his throat. “Anyway, no one usually takes those fetch quests, so I happened to remember her.”
“Just admit it. You’re just a creep with a thing for lolis,” TropicalFish sighed dramatically.
“Did you at least add her as a friend?”
“Piss off!” Earthen Edge shot back.
Still, TropicalFish’s teasing seemed to jog his memory further.
“…I think the quest giver’s name was… Tris.”
“So… you think it’s connected?”
“If I hadn’t gotten that mail this morning, I wouldn’t think so. But now…”
“Mail? What the hell are you talking about?”
TropicalFish looked completely lost.
Earthen Edge didn’t even bother explaining.
He stood up and pushed the door open.
“Just come with me.”
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