The head of the Eschenbach family, Thore Eschenbach, is an alchemist. His daughter, Saki Eschenbach, is an apprentice alchemist.

Alchemy is the study of creating precious metals such as gold from base metals such as lead. From a broader perspective, it is the art of discovering the essence of matter and creating new substances.

However, as time went by, the contents of the study changed, and it became a field of study corresponding to the so-called today.

On the other hand, there are still those who try to smelt gold or create homunculus.

However, the mainstream has shifted to . The difference from that of the modern earth would be the magical intervention.

"Saki-sama, it is time for your meal.

Laughton, a servant of the Eschenbach family, calls out from outside the laboratory.

"............"

But no answer comes back. Determined, Lawton opens the door to the laboratory.

"......!"

Lawton recoils at the strange smell.

In the center of the lab was a steel plate covered with yellow powder, under which a fire was burning. Saki is crouched on the floor near it.

"Saki-sama!"

Lawton stopped breathing, jumped into the room, ran out of the room with Saki in his arms, and closed the door.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Saki is breathing hard. She seems to be conscious somehow.

Lawton watched her for about five minutes, but when he noticed that Saki's breathing had returned to normal, he said to her, "Saki-sama!

"Saki-sama!　What on earth are you doing?

He shouted at her loudly, his words filled with reproach. One wrong move and she could have died.

"Oh, oh, I'm sorry, Lawton. It's funny how the petals decolorize when you ...... dip them in the sulfur-burning smoke."

Sulfurous acid gas ...... is decolorized by the reducing action of sulfur dioxide, but sulfurous acid gas is also toxic. It is a toxic gas that, if inhaled, can cause death in the worst case, as the lungs become unable to breathe.

The laboratory, which was thought to be filled with the poisonous gas, was finally made usable after two days of ventilation by breaking the windows.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Mr. Esse, I have something rare for you..."

A farmer with a bucket knocked on the door.

Esse" is an abbreviation for the Eschenbach family, as the neighbors all call them.

"Hmm?　Which one is it?"

Saki opened the door and looked in. The farmer puts a bucket in front of her.

"This is it. A rare stone from the lake.

It was a nearly transparent stone, slightly crooked and rectangular. There were several of them in the box.

"I cracked them and cracked them and cracked them and cracked them and cracked them and cracked them.

"Well, that's interesting. Let's buy some.

Saki said, and carelessly offered three silver coins from his pocket. The farmer took them with great joy and left the bucket behind.

"Hmmm...when I break them like this, ...... oh, they really break in the same shape!　This is interesting."

Saki casually put the broken stone on an open book.

The book was written by Saki's father, Thore Eschenbach, and was called .

The book, which Saki had written to supplement the family income, had become a bestseller in alchemy, and from time to time a part of the proceeds came to the Eschenbach family.

The silver coins Saki pulled out of her pocket earlier were a part of it.

Aside from that, Saki was so surprised when she saw the stone on the table that she almost jumped out of her chair.

She was so surprised that she jumped out of her chair, because through the nearly transparent stone, she could see the letters underneath, but they were double-layered.

"What is this?　This stone has the effect of increasing the number of things!

For the next whole day, Saki worked on the stone without sleep or food, but in the end he could not figure out anything, and finally he fell asleep on his worktable.

"Miss!"

Garut, a servant, opened the door and rushed in to help Saki up.

"Hmm, I'm sleepy......, I'm hungry......, I want to eat something......."

Galt sighs.

"Do you want to sleep or eat, please clarify ......."

* * * *

"My name is Lorna, it's nice to meet you."

A girl of 17,8 years old bows politely. She is the new servant of the Eschenbach family.

"I'm Saki. Nice to meet you, Lorna."

Saki was now a girl, but she had been a man's servant before, so Saki was more relaxed and took more care of her. ...... at first. But now she was .......

"Wake up, Saki-sama! It's almost noon!"

"Hmmm, let me sleep a little longer and stay up until ...... dawn. ......"

Staying up late and sleeping until noon is a good thing.

"Saki-sama!　You haven't eaten yet!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry... I was just curious about this stone...

What are you talking about?　I put it on the side for lunch. And it's already night."

I forgot to eat and I was so engrossed in my research...

"Lorna, I'm sorry. I don't have any money this month. ......"

"Oh, no, not again. This is the second month in a row that you haven't been paid, since last month.

"I'm really sorry. You should get paid next month."

Lorna looked worried as she looked at Saki apologizing.

I'm sorry.

"Hmmm, I wonder if this liquid could be used for paint?"

A black sticky liquid in a tub. It is said to be sap, brought by a traveling merchant who heard a rumor about the Eschenbach family.

The merchant said that he had an eye for unusual things.

I scooped up a little bit of it with a spatula and smeared it on the board. It seems to be sticky, but I was able to spread it thinly. This means that the coating is thin.

"I guess a little amount will cover a large area," said Saki.

The next day, and the day after that, the black sap showed no sign of drying. When she poked it with her finger, it became sticky and stringy.

On the third occasion, Saki accidentally scratched her cheek with her finger. She wiped it with a cloth in a hurry, but her face started itching that night.

"Hmm, it's itchy. What's wrong with me?"

Unable to resist, I scratched it, and the itch would subside, but after a while it would itch again. I couldn't go back to sleep after such a long time.

"Miss, it's morning ......!

Lorna's eyes widened when she came to wake Saki up. The right half of Saki's face was swollen and blistered in places.

Blood was also seeping from where she had scratched him, and it looked horrific.

"Kyaaaah!

Lorna screamed, but you can't blame her.

"Oh, that feels so good!"

The itch subsided a little as Lorna applied a wet towel to it to cool it down.

But Lorna wouldn't go near Saki. She thinks Saki's face is swollen and that she has some kind of disease.

Lorna then expresses her resignation.

"Thank you for your help."

"Hey Lorna, would you reconsider?"

No, I'm at my wits end. Saki, please take care of yourself. Please take care of yourself, Saki-sama, and give my best regards to your husband.

Lorna bowed deeply and walked away without looking back.

"...... Oh dear, is this your third, or is it your fourth?　Or was it the fourth?　It's a problem when the servants don't stay at all. ......

This was three days before Aal was completed.