Chapter 32: 26

Chapter 4-26 : Career Counseling Ⅱ

 

「Umm… Let’s forget about your parents’ past, and let’s talk about your job.」(Sarasa)

「Yeah, haha…」(Lorea)

「Say, Lorea-chan, if there’s something you want to ask regarding your job, please don’t hesitate to ask me, okay?」(Sarasa)

「It was tough at first, but I love this job and I love being here with you, Iris-san, and Kate-san. Moreover, you pay me well. I have no complaints at all.」(Lorea)

「Really? I’m glad to hear that.」(Sarasa)

「It’s not about my job, but… I have something I want to say…」(Lorea)

「Oh? Then, can you tell me? If you’re going to continue working for me, then we will be together for a long time. You can always tell me if there’s something bugging you.」(Sarasa)

We have to help each other if we’re going to work together for a long time just like Master and Maria-san.

I do think that Lorea-chan will become a reliable store clerk like Maria-san in the future, so I want to help her grow.

Lorea-chan hesitated for a while but then she timidly told me what was on her mind.

「Back when I just started working here, I didn’t know anything about alchemists, but after seeing you working really hard to help people by making a lot of useful potions and artifacts, I… started to admire you…」(Lorea)

Saying that, Lorea-chan blushed a bit.

「Hehe, is that so?」(Sarasa)

「Umm, Sarasa-san, do you think I can become an alchemist like you? I know I’m too old to enter the school, but…」(Lorea)

Hee… So Lorea-chan wants to be an alchemist, huh…?

It makes me happy but… Just as she said, she’s too old to enter the Alchemist Training School.

Alchemist Training School entrance exams are supposed to be taken at the age of ten, but actually, the age verification is not that strict.

It’s basically an honor system, meaning that you can lie about your age.

If you look young enough, you can tell the exam supervisors that you’re ten years old even if you’re eleven years old or older.

Well, most children from aristocratic families might not be able to lie about their age since the government knows their families.

However, there’s no way that the government knows about the age of commoners’ children, especially the ones who live in rural areas like Lorea-chan.

But… Unfortunately for Lorea-chan, she…

「……」(Sarasa)

I silently shifted my gaze to Lorea-chan’s chest and shook my head.

「The age verification when you want to take the entrance exam is not that strict, but… I’m sorry. I don’t think you can fake your age…」(Sarasa)

Lorea-chan’s body doesn’t seem like the body of a ten-year-old girl. Especially her… chest.

Besides, she will turn fourteen soon, so she’s already an adult.

In the first place, in order to pass the entrance exam, you need to study hard for a few years. It’s not easy after all. Even someone like me needed to study since I was little.

Moreover, children of commoners don’t usually have time to study because they have to help their parents at home.

Lorea-chan is smart but even if she could take the entrance exam, she would need a lot of time to study.

Lorea-chan sighed with a sad face. It seems that she understands that it’s impossible for her to enter the school.

You are reading story The Novice Alchemist’s Store at novel35.com

「I see… As I thought… Hahh…」(Lorea)

「Don’t be sad. You can’t enter the school but you still have a chance to become an alchemist.」(Sarasa)

「Eh? Really?」(Lorea)

Lorea’s expression became brighter as she learned that she still had a chance.

「Yes. Actuallyー」(Sarasa)

I started explaining to her.

Graduating from the Alchemist Training School is not the only way to obtain an Alchemist License.

The government’s purpose in establishing the school is to educate people to become great alchemists from a young age, but of course, that’s not their main goal.

The government’s main goal is to increase the number of excellent alchemists in this kingdom.

However, the age restriction to enter the school negatively affected their goal, and to prevent that, they hold an alchemist exam once every few years for the public.

The requirements to take the exam are that you have to train under a full-fledged alchemist (at least an intermediate level alchemist, but usually an advanced level alchemist or higher) and receive a formal endorsement from them.

If you pass the exam, you will get an Alchemist License. However, passing this public exam is way harder than graduating from the Alchemist Training School.

After all, common people, especially those who don’t have knowledge about alchemy at all, will have to train very hard under a full-fledged alchemist for years in order to pass the exam.

Students of the Alchemist Training School spend their days studying from morning until night for five years in order to graduate. Unlike common people, they have a lot of time to study and knowledgeable teachers who teach them.

If you become a disciple of an alchemist, and that alchemist has a lot of free time to teach you, then you’re lucky.

However, most full-fledged alchemists are busy with their work, so they don’t have much time to teach their disciples. Therefore, it normally takes ten years or longer for common people to have enough knowledge to pass the public exam.

Still, even if you had trained under your master for ten years, you wouldn’t be able to beat those who graduated from the Alchemist Training School in terms of knowledge and skills.

The reason is there are almost no alchemists who are able to teach their disciples everything that is taught at school.

The teachers and professors at the Alchemist Training School teach their students a lot of things, even the things that are not directly related to alchemy, such as cooking, swordsmanship, woodworking, etc.

However, not many alchemists are good at those skills. They may be good at one or two things, but not all of them.

After listening to my explanation, Lorea-chan’s bright expression became a bit gloomy.

Uhh… I wanted to give her hope by telling her that she still has a chance but… is my explanation discouraging her instead…?

「…In other words, it’s nearly impossible for me to become an alchemist, huh…?」(Lorea)

「Lorea-chan, that’s not true. I believe it’s possible.」(Sarasa)

「Do you really think so…?」(Lorea)

「Of course. You are smart and able to learn things pretty quickly. It may take you ten years or more, but I can train you as long as you don’t give up.」(Sarasa)

I’m not a great person like Master, but I’m one of the top graduates from the Alchemist Training School. In other words, I have enough knowledge to teach Lorea-chan everything she needs to know to become an alchemist….. Probably.

「Th, that meansー!」(Lorea)

「Yup. I will make you my disciple. Let’s try our best together!」(Sarasa)

「Un!」(Lorea)

Lorea-chan replied to me with a dazzling smile.

Ahh~ I’ve never thought that I would have a cute disciple.

My life will get even busier but I think it’ll be fun.

You can find story with these keywords: The Novice Alchemist’s Store, Read The Novice Alchemist’s Store, The Novice Alchemist’s Store novel, The Novice Alchemist’s Store book, The Novice Alchemist’s Store story, The Novice Alchemist’s Store full, The Novice Alchemist’s Store Latest Chapter