Under the shade of a massive tree—thick enough that three adults would need to link arms to encircle it—two figures, one tall and one tiny, sat side by side against the trunk.
After a long, exhausting effort, Ron had finally coaxed the little girl out of her tears.
And from her own lips, he finally heard her name:
—Nancy.
She wasn't a noble.
According to her, she had been admitted into the Royal Noble Academy purely through exceptional talent, and she was currently enrolled in the Alchemist Department, a small branch within the magic system.
Based on Ron's understanding, alchemy was essentially material research.
Curious, he asked,
"Then can you turn stone into gold?"
Nancy sniffed, her crying stopped, and she pouted.
"No! Alchemy studies the properties of materials. We can extract, purify, harmonize components… but we can't change the fundamental nature of a substance. Every Alchemist knows that."
Ron felt a wave of regret.
So the dream of infinite gold coins was shattered just like that…
He glanced at Nancy—still upset—then reached over and gently patted her head.
After all the coaxing earlier, she already understood that Ron was a noble who'd come to the academy on official business, had simply gotten lost, and wasn't a threat.
"Hmph! Don't pat my head! I'm already eighteen—older than you!"
She swatted his hand away with indignation.
Seeing Ron completely unfazed, she blinked in confusion.
"You're… not surprised?"
"Surprised by what?" Ron asked innocently.
Nancy froze.
"…Nothing. I'm not talking to you anymore."
She stood up to leave, but Ron's voice came from behind:
"Where are you going? You still haven't told me how to get out of here."
Ron naturally followed.
"Why are you following me?! You ate my bread and didn't compensate me, so now I have to go find food!"
Ron stepped up beside her.
"How about this—take me out of the academy, and I'll treat you to a full meal. You can choose anything you want. Deal?"
Nancy clearly wavered… but was also wary of being tricked.
Ron smiled gently.
"I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Ron Arnold, soon-to-be Baron, and lord of Arnold Territory. You don't have to worry—I have no reason to deceive you."
Then he added casually:
"If you're still unsure, you can bring your friends along."
Nancy's expression stiffened.
Then she briskly turned away.
"…Let's go. I'll take you out."
Ron's eyes flashed with subtle amusement.
He had just confirmed another important detail—
She had no friends.
The Meal
Nancy led Ron out of the academy and to a nearby restaurant. Once seated, Ron let Nancy order whatever she wanted.
Before the food arrived, he started a casual conversation.
"That bread earlier tasted great. You made it yourself? Doesn't the academy have a cafeteria?"
Nancy puffed her cheeks in annoyance.
"I don't like the cafeteria food. It's expensive and not tasty at all. Mine is better."
Made…?
Ron paused.
Could that bread have been an alchemical product?
He leaned forward, smiling kindly.
"Alchemy can do something like that? That's amazing."
Then, shifting into probing mode, he asked lightly,
"Actually, I've always been interested in alchemy. But I've never had the chance to see it up close."
Just as Ron watched her expression—
He abruptly changed the subject.
"Oh right—why were you eating in the tree?"
Nancy stiffened instantly.
"Eh? T-That?"
She quickly stammered,
"There's no special reason! Since you're interested in alchemy, I'll talk about that instead!"
Ron smiled inwardly.
Her frantic change of topic said everything.
She wasn't eating alone because she liked to.
She was eating alone because she had no one to eat with, and likely avoided others intentionally.
His eyes drifted toward the bird feather earrings at her ears—mysterious, faintly glowing.
He suspected there was more to her isolation than simple shyness.
Nancy cleared her throat and began explaining seriously:
"Alchemists study the structure and properties of materials: ores, plants, insects, parts of magical beasts… everything. We analyze their properties, then harmonize and solidify them."
"The new product created—that is the purpose of alchemy."
When discussing her field, she transformed completely—calm, composed, scholarly.
"For example, the bread you ate earlier was made by mixing wheat and sweet cane in a precise ratio. It's sweeter than regular bread."
Ron stared at her.
So she was baking bread with alchemy.
This girl…
He didn't know whether to laugh or admire her.
But most importantly—
Her thinking wasn't rigid.
That was extremely good news.
Earlier, when Ron had caught her, he had accidentally touched her. And at that moment, he'd checked her character card.
The result shocked him.
[Nancy — Character Card]
[Silver One-Star]
[Nancy]
[Affection: 47 (Fear)]
Trait 1: King of Scraps (Blue)
King of Scraps (Blue):Existence is value. Anything can be useful, as long as you have a discerning eye and nimble hands.
Blue quality.
The same tier as Hadley.
Apart from himself, blue was the highest quality he had ever seen.
Ron's mind immediately jumped to a possibility:
Bring her back to Arnold Territory.
An alchemist with a blue-tier trait…
This kind of talent was priceless.
But he couldn't rush.
Winning over someone like her required time and heart.
They finished lunch in a surprisingly pleasant atmosphere. Ron personally escorted Nancy back to the academy.
Before she disappeared behind the gate, Ron discreetly checked her affection again:
[Affection: 52 (Acquaintance)]
A five-point increase.
Not bad at all—over 50 already meant positive feelings.
"I'll treat you to another big meal next time!" Ron shouted as she walked away.
He didn't give her a chance to refuse.
After that, he wandered aimlessly.
Sig and the others were busy with their tasks, and Ron didn't feel like returning to the inn yet.
Glancing at the sky—it was just past noon.
Plenty of time to stroll.
Meanwhile — Sig's Dilemma
Elsewhere, Sig stared at the shop displays, face twisted in agony.
"What do little girls like… toys? Dresses? Pastries?"
To him, this wasn't a task—this was punishment.
During the Black Crow attack, he—despite being the only Second-Tier Knight—failed to protect the Lord.
During the escort to the capital, it was Viscount Gordon's thirteen knights who carried the responsibility, not them.
Along the entire journey, he felt increasingly useless.
Am I even worthy of being a Guardian Knight?
Can I truly protect the Lord in the future?
He tightened his grip on his sword hilt—hard enough to make it creak.
Crack!
A heavy hand struck his shoulder. Sig spun around, ready to snap—until he saw who it was.
"…Thomas."
Thomas snorted and pointed ahead.
"She's drawing clothes over there. Don't worry—I won't neglect the Lord's orders. What about you? Still haven't chosen?"
"Not yet. Don't bother me."
Thomas didn't get angry.
He stared at Sig for a moment, then said calmly:
"You feel like the Lord no longer trusts you… don't you?"
Sig's eyes widened.
"H-How could you—!? No! Don't talk nonsense!"
Thomas ignored the denial.
"You still don't understand the deeper meaning behind the Lord assigning you to choose a gift for Miss Mellitoria."
Sig froze.
{i will rewrite this novel right now it is rushed work and cant work on it right now because well exams are having fun fu*king me over} though if u by it from patreon i will email u the rewritten verson after its done as well
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