Ana said with a laugh and a condition, “Don’t call me master!” Despite that, she agreed to teach me her area of expertise. The day after our dinner, in the calm evening at the shop, Marcus was called by Ana and he brought back a few old alchemy books and tools like an alchemy pot on a cart and arranged them in a still spacious workshop.
It happened that night while I was about to go to sleep, sitting on my bed and trying to cover myself with a blanket. My room was illuminated by green light.
“Long time no see, Daisy.”
Leaf, who was hiding inside the blanket with me, came out and sat obediently when the King of Green Spirits appeared. He gently stroked my cheek with his palm and said, “It seems you’ve found a good master, Daisy.” I enjoyed the feeling of his hand on my cheek and closed my eyes for a moment.
“On this milestone of your life, I will give you a gift as a blessing from me. Daisy, hold out your hands.” I extended both of my palms as he instructed.
The King of Green Spirits placed three round gems emitting a gentle light on my hands. “In addition, I will improve your “Appraisal” skill a little to help you in the future.” Then his large hands covered my eyelids. “Goodbye,” he said and disappeared.
I tried using “Appraisal” and something strange happened.
[Spirit King’s Guardian Stone]
Type: Gem/Material
Quality: Top-grade
Details: A gem that holds all the power of protection. It cannot demonstrate its power as it is. It improves corrosion resistance when mixed with metal.
Feeling: I want to become an accessory by mixing with metal.
“What’s with the feelings of inanimate objects?” My “Appraisal” skill came with an odd option.
◆
“…Ana, are you here?” The next day, I visited Ana’s shop.
“Oh my, it’s rare for Daisy to come and see me. Is something the matter?” She popped her head out from behind the counter.
“Well, I kind of obtained something valuable and I want to consult with you about how to use it.” I took out the “Spirit King’s Guardian Stone” from my pocket and showed it to Ana.
“Oh my, I have never seen this gem before. It emits a gentle yet strong aura.”
“This gem is called the ‘Spirit King’s Guardian Stone,’ and it seems to hold a great power of protection. However, it cannot demonstrate its power as it is, and it seems to want to become an accessory by mixing with metal…” I explained, but Ana stopped me, seeming unable to keep up with my explanation.
“No, no, wait Daisy. Why do you understand the name and properties of this jewel and speak as if you understand its feelings? Do you want to become an accessory as well?”
“Oops, I forgot to explain to you that I have the skill of [Appraisal]. As someone seeking guidance from my teacher, it’s necessary to explain my abilities. So I explained that I have the [Appraisal] skill and, as an added bonus, I can also see the feelings of objects.”
“Having the [Appraisal] skill alone is enough to serve the country, and there are probably only a handful of people in the country who possess it. To top it off, being a ‘[Alchemist]’ with the [Appraisal] skill is an exceptional talent! And being able to sense the feelings of materials and how they want to be processed… No, this is amazing!”
She seemed so surprised that she said she wanted to drink water and brought a pitcher and a cup, pouring herself a sip.
“This is good. If we team up with ’that girl,’ she could make something really interesting.”
She muttered something, but who was ’that girl’?
“Ana-san?”
I tentatively called out to Ana-san.
“No, don’t worry about it. It’s because of something on my end. By the way, do the feelings of that jewel always say the same thing when you look at it?”
“No, I still don’t know that much.”
“Well, let’s try it out.”
She muttered, “Come over here for a moment,” and led me to the workshop.
Ana-san opened a cabinet at her feet and took out several metal ingots, lining them up.
“I know it’s a long shot, but I thought maybe the message of these ‘feelings’ would change when you get close to the metal. Could you take a look? For me, when I bring two things with good compatibility close together, I can see a stronger aura. But with Daisy’s [Appraisal], I thought she might be able to understand it even better.”
…There are people with talents other than [Appraisal]. Amazing.
“First, let’s try gold.”
“This one’s okay, but it says it feels unremarkable…”
…What does ‘unremarkable’ mean?
“Hmm, looks good. Then let’s try silver.”
“It says it feels like it’s being gently embraced by me. I love it ♡…”
…Wait, is it a love-struck girl!?
“Oh, it seems to have good compatibility. Next is platinum.”
“I don’t like the cool and beautiful vibe.”
…Is it just a matter of preference?
“Oh, it’s not to your liking?” Ana-san seemed to have given up on reading the ‘feelings’. She has a high level of adaptability.
“Next is a metal for decorative purposes, not actually used for accessories…iron.”
“That’s impossible!”
“Mithril.”
“I keep telling you, I want to be an accessory!”
“Adamantite.”
“That’s not it!”
“Orichalcum.”
“…What are you trying to make me into? (tears)”
…We made the jewel cry…
“Hmm, since it’s a protective stone, it seems that silver, which has the power of protection against evil, is the best match.”
