Chapter 5: A New Encounter

From here, the continuation of the short story begins.

Three months had already passed since Lieselotte realized she had been reincarnated into the world of that manga and served divorce papers to her unfaithful husband.

With investment from her friend Amanda, Lieselotte finally opened the shop she had long dreamed of here in Carter, the imperial capital of the Madeucas Empire.

It was the alchemist workshop “Atelier Liese,” where magical tools and potions were manufactured and sold.

A lot had happened during these three months.

Starting with searching for a property, then rushing through the hectic moving process, she somehow managed to open the shop.

However, day after day passed without a single customer.

Her only source of income was the work Amanda occasionally passed along to her.

But that was only natural.

In the imperial capital, the world’s largest commercial city, there were countless long-established magic tool shops.

A small shop opened by an unknown newcomer alchemist would naturally start out like this.

Then came the Hydra incident that struck the adventurers.

After fulfilling a massive urgent order that came through Amanda’s company and delivering special potions created with Flamel-style Alchemy, everything changed.

The reputation of “Atelier Liese,” which had previously been completely deserted, spread rapidly among adventurers.

And that was how things had reached the present.

The refreshing scent of mint mixed with the sweet fragrance of chamomile gently tickled her nose.

Just as Lieselotte was about to begin tidying up her workbench, the bell at the entrance rang with a clear chime.

The person who opened the heavy oak door and stepped inside was an unfamiliar young man.

His tall, well-proportioned body was wrapped in the luxurious uniform of the Madeucas Empire’s proud Magic Knight Order.

Behind his intellectual silver-rimmed glasses were calm and gentle gray eyes.

“Please forgive this sudden visit.”

“Are you the master of this atelier?”

“Yes.”

“That is correct.”

“My name is Lieselotte.”

The young man bowed gracefully with the refined and elegant manner of a noble rather than a soldier.

The faint sound of his uniform brushing against itself echoed softly through the quiet room.

His voice was pleasant to hear, and with his natural communication skills, he gave no reason for a first-time meeting to feel wary.

Lieselotte blinked several times and welcomed him inside.

“It is an honor to meet you, Lady Lieselotte.”

“My name is Klaus von Carter, lieutenant colonel and vice commander of the Magic Knight Order.”

‘Klaus von Carter…’

‘The Carter family is one of the three great noble houses of the former empire.’

‘If I remember correctly, they are a marquis family.’

‘And Klaus… he’s the genius who rose to the position of vice commander of the Magic Knight Order at such a young age.’

‘Why would someone like that come here?’

Even as she thought that, Lieselotte continued speaking politely as a shopkeeper.

“What business does the vice commander of the knight order have with me?”

Klaus lowered his head deeply and spoke in a sincere tone.

“Today, I came to express my heartfelt gratitude.”

“The other day, my subordinates collapsed from the deadly poison of a hydra on the front lines.”

It seemed that not only adventurers but also the Magic Knight Order had been dispatched during the hydra subjugation.

“I heard about that from Amanda.”

“Everyone was safe, weren’t they?”

“Yes.”

“Thanks to the special potions you supplied to the guild, not a single death occurred.”

Lieselotte let out a breath of relief from the bottom of her heart.

Then her eyes sparkled brightly, as if a tail were happily wagging behind her.

“The extraordinary purity of those potions and their perfect magical composition.”

“I could tell at a glance they were not the work of an ordinary alchemist.”

“Oh my.”

“You can tell?”

“It is not a technique based on existing skills.”

“It is a supreme art that reconstructs matter from its very foundation.”

“It is truly a work of art.”

Klaus had accurately perceived the true essence of Lieselotte’s technique.

He was completely different from her former husband, who only used her talent while looking down on her.

Seeing Klaus show deep understanding of alchemy and genuine respect, Lieselotte felt warmth slowly spreading in her chest.

“I am truly delighted to meet an alchemist with such skill.”

“That is why I have a request I would like to discuss with you.”

“A request?”

Klaus straightened his posture and looked directly at Lieselotte.

“Would you lend your strength to our knight order?”

“We would like you to supply us with potions on a regular basis.”

It was a proposal for a major exclusive contract backed by the nation itself.

The fact that her alchemy was properly recognized and could help the knights who protected the country made Lieselotte’s face light up instantly.

“Yes!”

“I would be delighted to accept.”

She answered immediately in a lively voice, her expression shining brightly.

It was the innocent and charming smile of someone who had completely freed herself from the past where she existed only as a disposable rival and now simply loved alchemy.

Receiving that completely unguarded smile head-on, Klaus found himself momentarily speechless.

Hearing the sound of his heart suddenly pounding in his chest, his cheeks faintly turned red.

“I look forward to working with you, Lord Klaus.”

“Y-yes.”

“The feeling is mutual.”

“I look forward to working with you for a long time.”

Klaus quietly adjusted his glasses as if trying to compose himself and returned a calm and gentle smile.

Between the two who recognized each other’s talents, the quiet beginning of a new love and a brilliant future had just arrived.