20 Master Arenea And Char-senpai
...Where did you hide all of your money?!...
...Wahhh!...
...Stop crying and tell me the names of your friends who are also involved in this!...
...Wahhh!...
...If you don't stop crying and don't tell me everything, I'm gonna force you to drink this stupid prank perfume of yours!...
...WAHHH!!!...
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"Gyahhh!!!...
...Huff!...Huff!...Huff!...Huff!...
...So it's just a dream."
I woke up screaming from dreaming a nightmare.
That dream is not about the Memory-Fragment of the 2nd-World fictional stories. It's a nightmare of what happened to me after I got caught by Misaki-sensei during the Stinky-Perfume incident.
I was punished, interrogated, executed/humiliated not only by Misaki-sensei but also by my parents.
They told me that they were so worried because other adventurers were still looking for the progenitor of Stinky-Perfume and that I would be brought to those Kings and Queens if they captured me.
I was really in a tight spot back then but Misaki-sensei bailed me out using her connection to the Adventurers Guild. I don't know what she did exactly but the quest for my capture has been removed. However, that didn't end there.
Since I didn't tell Misaki-sensei where I hid all of the money that the ZakuSyndicate had earned and who were the other members, I was forced to wear that Stinky-Perfume for three month and I was punished and was forced to work in the Adventurers Guild, in Master Arenea's shop, and the Orphanage for almost a year. They forced me to work without even a single coin of payment.
Anyway, that nightmare was probably triggered by those rumors that I heard these last few days.
It's already been a week since the Guild Master and the Guild Inspectors got hanged on their feet. Thankfully Misaki-sensei didn't hang me as well.
In that week, rumors have spread that among the three fools... I mean among the Guild Master and the Guild Inspectors, only the Guild Master managed to get out of Misaki-sensei's office and Mr. Gregg and Mr. Borris were never seen again.
Of course, that's not true... probably. It's not like Misaki-sensei would do that kind of thing because she was mad about the unreasonable cover-up quest that the three of them had planned.
Anyway, we spent that week doing simple Copper-Rank quests to gather more funds for the upcoming Adventurers Admission Exam.
From gathering medicinal herbs in the forest around our town to haunting edible Rank-1 monsters like Horned-Board and Crazy-Rabbit. And together with the 3L Gold coins reward from the cover-up quest plus our group's savings, we have gathered a total amount of 12L Gold coins for our funds.
The average monthly income of an ordinary working person in our town is more or less around 2L Gold coins. Considering the three of us managed to earn a half year's worth of income in only three months since we started saving our money, I think we did great.
Although, I'm not sure if that would be enough for all the expenses we need for our preparations.
After Mifumi-sama and Felin arrive in my room like they always do, our group is now discussing our plan for the last week of preparation before the Adventurers Admission Exam.
Our first topic is what to do with the additional reward that we got from the cover-up quest.
"Since we have the Monster-Core of the Rank-2 Light-Eater monster as part of the reward, we could sell it to get more funds for the Exam."
"You won't use it, Mifumi-sama?"
"I don't have an Attribute for Dark-Element so it won't be compatible with me, Felin-chan."
"Then Vier should make something of it."
"I still don't have any idea about what kind of Mana-Tech or Magic-Item I can make with this, Felin."
"Let's keep it! I know Vier can do something amazing with it."
"Okay. Thanks, Felin."
Our second topic is what we need to buy using our funds.
"We don't have to buy food and daily necessities yet. It's still too early for those, so let's buy potions and antidotes first. It's not like there will be a shortage before the Exam but it's better to buy and stock up now."
"Then let's go to Master Arenea's shop and order our potions and antidotes. I also need to pick up some potions that I ordered from her."
"Let's also buy new weapons."
"Then let's ask Master Berlin if he got any new weapons for you, Felin."
"Mhm!"
"And for Mifumi-sama's Monster-Core, do you think they're selling some at the town's open market?"
"It's rare to find a good Monster-Core in there so let's just ask the Guild if we could enter the Auction House."
"Okay, but let's still look at the open market later. We might find something good there."
Our third topic is the most important of all. After all, we won't be able to take the Exam if we don't do something about it.
"Don't forget our Adventurers-Party name, Vier-chan. We need to give it or Heleen-san will get mad again and she won't submit our Exam form."
"Don't worry, Mifumi-sama. After thinking for a few days, I finally have a good name for our Adventurers-Party."
"Then let's head out now!"
""Okay!!""
After leaving my house, our group is now headed for Master Arenea's shop which is located in the western part of our town.
While we're walking, we're talking about Master Arenea.
Master Aranea is a High-Rank Alchemist and a kin of the Deamon-Arachne race. She can easily make those High-Level potions and antidotes which are sold at her shop. She's also one of the teachers at the Adventurers School.
"Aranea-sensei's eyes are cool, she should show it more to others."
"Every child of this town will be scared of her if she does that, Felin-chan. You're the only one who didn't get scared when we first saw her eyes."
"Having four pupils in both of her eyes shows that she is a real kin of the Deamon-Arachne race."
Master Arenea's eyes are always closed at most times. But somehow, I think she can see more compared to when her eyes are open. It's weird but maybe it's a trait among the Deamon-Arachne.
"Did Arenea-sensei get a new apprentice to replace your position, Vier-chan?"
"I don't think Master Arenea is looking for a new apprentice to help in her shop. Besides, Char-senpai is still there to help Master Arenea."
"Mhm! I saw Haughty-oneesan the other day."
Master Arenea takes me as her apprentice after the Stinky-Perfume incident.
I'm not sure what's her reason for that. It's not like I have any special talent for making High-Level potions or antidotes. Even the Stinky-Perfume can't be considered a potion, that's why I called it perfume. The only reason I can think of is that Master Arenea is monitoring me in place of Misaki-sensei.
Well, I learned a lot from Master Arenea so I should thank Misaki-sensei for that.
After walking for a while, we arrived at Master Arenea's shop. We enter and find Char-senpai working at the shop counter.
"Good morning Char-senpai."
"Good morning Charlotte-san."
"Good morning Haughty-oneesan."
...SLAM!!!...
"""Ekkk!!!"""
Sheesh... That surprised the three of us. Don't slam your hands to the countertop like that. You will break it again, Char-senpai...
"You, brat!!!..."
"""Ehh???""""
"How dare you show your face here after not showing up at work for more than a week!"
"What do you mean, Char-senpai?"
"Because I have to replace you on days you're supposed to work in the shop, I now have less time to spend with Master!... You will pay for this, brat!!!..."
"But I told Master Arenea that I can't work anymore because of the Exam."
"You can't work anymore? What are you saying?... You, ungrateful brat!!!..."
"Ehh?"
"I only accepted you as Master's second apprentice so there will be someone to work at the shop and I can spend more time with Master. But now you're telling me you can't work anymore!... You, shameless brat!!!..."
"What's a shameless brat, Mifumi-sama?"
"Please forget that word, Felin-chan."
"Hmmm?"
"Second? But I'm the third and you're the second, Char-senpai. Then there's the first apprentice called Ms. Penelope, right?"
"Shut up! I don't know who that person is! I'm the first and only true apprentice of Master... huh?... Gyahhhh!!!!"
Before Char-senpai can finish what she is saying, hundreds of white spider-weds appear from the ceiling then move towards and warp around her then pull her up, suspending her mid-air like how a spider-like monster would hang its victims.
"Haughty-oneesan got hanged again!"
"Shut up, you brat! I'm...hum!... hum!..."
"Sheesh, you are saying bad things about Pen-kun again, right Char-kun?"
"Hum!!!... Hummmm!!!..."
"Arenea-sensei, Charlotte-san won't be able to breathe if you cover her face like that."
"Don't worry, Mifumi-kun. Char-kun is a kin of the Deamon-Elder race, she won't die even if I left her like that for a day, right Vier-kun?"
"Master Arenea, please don't be that strict on Char-senpai."
"Let's leave her like that for a while and head down into the Laboratory to have a chat."
Since Char-senpai is in that state, no one will be able to serve the customers who will come to buy at the shop. But we don't need to worry about that since the locals in town know that if they enter the shop and see Char-senpai like that, it only means that the shop will be closed for the rest of the day.
Anyway, I wonder why Char-senpai doesn't know about me stopping my work at Master Arenea's shop.
"Master Arenea, did you forget to tell Char-senpai that I won't be able to work at the shop because of the Exam?"
"Huh? Of course not, I didn't forget to tell her."
"Then why did she act like that? It is unlike her to easily forget things."
"Maybe she didn't listen to what Arenea-sensei said. Charlotte-san acts weird like that sometimes."
"Haughty-oneesan always acts weird, Mifumi-sama."
"Listen everyone. I didn't forget to tell her about Vier-kun, rather I made sure not to tell her about it."
"Ehh?... Why did you do that Master Arenea?"
"Because it will be funnier like that!"
Master Arenea said that with a cheerful expression like it's the obvious thing to do in that kind of situation.
Sheesh... Why is Master Arenea always like this? She's always trying to make fun of others for her entertainment.
Anyway, the inside of Master Arenea's Laboratory is quite bizarre. There were jars containing monster parts filled with preserving liquid, more jars filled with obviously dangerous concoctions, and there was the special room that we built for some experiments.
This is not a proper place to sit at the table and have a chat so it's quite unusual that Master Arenea brought us here.
"Just leave the list of potions and antidotes that you need, I will ask Char-kun to gather it all and send it to your house later. I will add all of it to your tab so your group can pay anytime you want. Also, you can pick up the special potions you requested from me."
"Thank you, Master Arenea. But don't forget about it okay? We need those for the Exam."
While Master Arenea and I are sitting at the table, Mifumi-sama and Felin are looking curiously around the Laboratory. After all, it's their first time being here.
"Arenea-sensei, is there something inside the other room? We can hear some weird sounds coming from there."
"Mifumi-sama! It sounds like crawling insects-like monsters."
"Ohh! You guessed it right, Felin-kun."
Upon hearing that, Mifumi-sama's expression immediately became anxious.
"Why do you have insects-like monsters under your shop, Arenea-sensei? What if they break the walls and hide under the town? They could multiply and spread under our ground!"
"Relax, Mifumi-kun. The walls, ceiling, and floor were made by Berlin-san using a special Mana-Steel. There's no way those insect-type monsters can break it. And if they ever break it, I will just pull them out from the hole they're hiding in."
"That's right, Mifumi-sama! There's no need to panic, and there's no need for anyone to know about this."
"Wait!... Is this another work of yours, Vier-chan?"
"Vier, you're doing weird things again?"
...SLAM!!!...
"Both of you are right! Vier-kun plans all of this!"
Upon that remark, I look at Master Arenea with a stunned expression.
"What?..."
"What do you think Misaki-san would do if she learned about this?"
"Gyahhhh!!!!!..... What are you saying, Master... Wait!... Is that why you suddenly invite Felin and Mifumi-sama into your Laboratory?"
"Of course! Imagine how funny it would be if Misaki-san learned that Vier-kun is finally hatching and breeding monsters! Especially insect-type monsters under the town... Pfft!!!... Hahaha!!!..."
"Vier-chan! You know it's forbidden to bring insect-type monster eggs inside the town!"
"That's bad, Vier. The Guard Mister will be mad at you."
"But you approve of this plan, Master Arenea. You even help me in smuggling the monster's eggs inside the town."
"Sheesh... Don't worry Vier-kun..."
"Master Arenea..."
"I can talk my way out to Misaki-san, but can you do that?"
"Ehh?"
"Pfft!!!... Hahaha!!!..."
"Gyahhhh!!!!!..."
It's not like we're doing something bad here.
What's inside the special room made from Aurichalcum Mana-Steel are small poisonous insect-like monsters, around 30 centimeters in length. They're all small since Master Arenea and I hatched those monsters from their eggs so they're all still young.
If those monsters are left inside the Dungeon it would only take them a few days to grow their full size, around 2 meters or 3 meters in length, but outside the Dungeon it will probably take less than a month.
What we're trying to accomplish here is something like what I have seen in my dreams of Memory-Fragment.
In that story, one of the bad guys captured the spirit-like friend of this one Apprentice and put him inside a jar together with the other spirit-like monsters.
I think the dad guy's goal is for those spirit-like monsters to devour each other so that the last surviving one will absorb all the spirit-like monsters to gain more power then it will be controlled by the bad guy.
But when the bad guy opened the jar, it turned out that the last surviving spirit-like monster was the Apprentice's friend.
Well, there are a lot of amazing things that happened in that story like how the Apprentice tries to save his friends by beating the bad guys one by one, or when he suddenly gives his power to his Master, then his Master beats all the bad guys all at once.
But honestly, the most amazing thing is the emotions of how much the Apprentice trusts his Master and how much the Master cares for his Apprentice. Unlike this one Master of mine who considers, me being punished by Misaki-sensei, to be funny.
Anyway, what I'm hoping to happen is for the last surviving monster to develop a poison that is so powerful it can neutralize other poisons.
Then Master Arenea can Extract that poison and Refine it to become something like an All-Cure-Antidote.
However, even after explaining all of that, Mifumi-sama is still mad at me.
"If you want to do something like that, do it outside the town, Vier-chan!"
"But it needs to be monitored almost every day. Master Arenea can't be outside the town and monitors it every day... Wait!... Master!... Did you reject the part where we place the room outside the town because of this?!"
"Pfft!..... Of course... Not... Vier-kun..."
"Liar!..."
"Pfftt!!!... Hahaha!!!..."
"Gyahhhh!!!!....."
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***PoruShark Writer's Note***
Here are the characters' concept designs for the Master Arenea and Char-senpai .
Look at the comments.
•Arenea
•Charlotte
