CH 1

“…999, 1000. Alright, today’s quota is done! And it’s not even noon yet, so I’m going to spend the afternoon doing research…”

I say as I check the bottles of distilled water I created with my rapid transmutation.

Distilled water is used to make various potions, but also to transmute magic creatures. It’s an indispensable ingredient.

Its quality also has a lot of influence over the quality of the final transmuted product. My distilled water is special in that I mix magic energy uniformly, making it very high quality.

And there are a thousand bottles in front of me. The alchemist association goes through them in one day.

“Hey Master Rust. Master Rust!”

A grating voice calls my name.

“…Do you need anything here Master Rihalzam?”

I answer as a middle aged man approaches me. This man with a bit of a foolish expression on his face is an alchemist of the arms transmutation department.

“What kind of answer is that? That’s why you basic research department people… Forget it, the president is calling you gufuh.”

He says before laughing in a creepy way.

Rihalzam is always trying to start arguments with me any chance he gets. He’s very proud of being a part of the arms department that makes so much money, and he’s always complaining about my basic research department’s budget.

He’s in a very good mood today, which is actually a bad sign, but I can’t ignore the president when he calls me. I have no choice but to head to his office like Rihalzam says.

“Hmph. People who are supposed to do chores should just do them and stay quiet.”

He mumbles as I leave. He then takes the distilled water I transmuted like he owns the place.

◆◇

“We are cutting the basic research department’s budget.”

Says the president while throwing me a piece of paper.

Apparently this is the next term’s budget. When I look at this paper I feel my vision turning dark.

“Z-zero!?”

“Hmph. The basic research department shows no actual results, it simply assists the other departments. It’s only natural to distribute its budget to the ones who actually make money.”

“But then…”

I try to protest, but the president talks over me.

“Enough! The basic research department is now disbanded! You will be doing spade work for other departments from now on. Good grief, you should be thankful you even have a job here at all. Got it? Go back to work!”

He says while pointing to the door.

After hearing this, I realize there’s no point in arguing.

The budget and personnel have been shrinking ever since this man became president.

It’s true that at a glance it looks like the basic research department isn’t producing results, but I can proudly say that none of the products we have developed recently would have succeeded without it.

All of them need high quality ingredients, and I’m the one preparing them.

But now that the basic research department has been disbanded, I know that there is no point in talking to the current president.

No, I’ve known for a while that he sees this department as nothing more than something that is only good for random chores.

With the next term’s budget in my hand, I dejectedly return to my laboratory and sit down. I look around with gloom in my face, as I think that I’m probably going to be thrown out of this room soon.

And then, I hear the ringing that signals there is an incoming message. It’s the latest telecommunications device.

“This was also provided by the basic research department…”

I mumble as I take a look at the parchment.

“Kalin? Now that takes me back. I haven’t seen her since we graduated from the academy. I’m pretty sure she became a knight and did very well in the last war. Let’s see…”

It’s a letter from an old friend from the academy. I start reading it while feeling nostalgic.

We were in different departments, but we met by chance and got along very well. She was no different than a male friend, and we did a lot of silly things together.

“Eh, Kalin is receiving a dominion in a borderland? I heard she did great, but that’s incredible. And… She wants me to help develop it…”

I have two papers in front of me.

One is the budget, which makes me picture a future where I will be doing nothing but chores for the rest of my life. The other is a parchment filled with an unwritten future. Looking at it instantly reminds me of Kalin’s mischievous smile from when we were in the academy.

“…I guess I’ll quit.”