After enjoying a delightful dinner at Erica's house, Raine and his companions expressed their gratitude and returned to their home, where they took a bath and went to bed.

The next day, Raine reported to the branch office for work and conducted a final check on the magic stones.

“How does it look?” Erica asked.

“There shouldn't be any problems. They won’t have any reason to complain now,” Raine replied confidently.

As expected of Raine, while he might not be the most socially adept, his skills were impeccable.

“Shall we head to the barracks then?” Erica suggested.

“Yes, but I’ll need you to come with me,” Raine replied.

“Understood,” Erica nodded.

After placing the wooden box containing the magic stones into a dimensional space using spatial magic, Raine and Erica left the branch office and made their way to the barracks.

“Sorry to drag you along, Erica,” Raine said as they walked.

“It’s fine, I’m happy to come with you,” Erica responded with a smile.

In reality, Raine could have gone on his own, but he wasn’t entirely confident about the situation. He was well aware that he wasn’t well-liked, and while he could accept being disliked, he realized that his reputation might directly affect the branch office’s standing. Considering this, he decided it would be better to let the amicable and approachable Erica take the lead.

“I need you to handle the talking, Erica. If the Major comes out, I’ll take over,” Raine instructed.

It wouldn’t matter if Raine was disliked by the Major. The Major already seemed to dislike him and would probably blow a fuse the moment Raine handed him the invoice.

“Got it,” Erica agreed.

As they discussed their plan, they arrived at the barracks. Erica led the way inside, heading straight to the reception desk.

“Lutz!” Erica called out to Lutz, who was behind the counter. Noticing them, Lutz came over.

“Oh, Erica, and Raine. What brings you here? Was the three-day deadline too much after all?” Lutz asked.

“No, Raine here has already completed the work. We're here for the delivery,” Erica explained.

“What?” Lutz tilted his head in confusion. Raine then took the wooden box out of the dimensional space and placed it on the counter.

“Here's the delivery receipt. Please verify it,” Raine said, setting all the boxes down and handing Lutz the receipt.

“Seriously? It’s all done already?” Lutz asked, astonished.

“Raine is an exceptional alchemist, after all,” Erica added with a nod.

“Yes, exactly,” Raine said with a proud smile.

“Well... okay, I’ll check everything,” Lutz replied, still a bit surprised. He began inspecting the magic stones one by one against the delivery receipt.

“Hey, there’s an appraisal seal on this receipt?” Lutz noted.

“I did the appraisal myself. I also have the qualifications as an appraiser,” Raine explained.

Without appraising and guaranteeing their quality, Raine knew there was no telling what kind of accusations might come their way.

“That’s impressive... Okay, there are indeed 100 magic stones here... Could you wait a moment?” Lutz said as he finished the count, then headed to the back room.

“Erica, step back. The Major is coming out,” Raine warned.

“Got it,” Erica replied, taking a step back. As she did, the door at the back opened, and the Major appeared, walking toward them with Lutz. Just like before, the Major walked with an air of arrogance, his arms folded behind his back, but he seemed to be in a foul mood. Not the kind of attitude one would expect towards someone who fulfilled a three-day emergency request in just two days.

“I heard from Lutz that you’ve come to deliver, but surely there must be some mistake?” the Major said, standing across the counter from Raine with a mocking expression.

“No mistake, sir. We’ve completed the delivery of 100 magic stones, as requested,” Raine stated calmly.

“Impossible... it’s only been two days since the order,” the Major retorted.

“It’s very much possible. As you can see, everything is here, and Lutz has verified it,” Raine responded, keeping his composure.

Upon hearing this, the Major's brow furrowed even more. “Did you buy them?”

“Excuse me? What do you mean by that?” Raine asked, feigning ignorance.

“You didn’t have time to prepare them in three days, so you must have bought them from the market, right?” the Major accused.

“Why would we take a loss like that? Depending on the quality, a single magic stone can go for around 100,000 in the market. We'd be operating at a huge loss,” Raine explained, his voice steady.

“That’s the only explanation that makes sense,” the Major insisted.

“Think what you will. The fact remains that we delivered the requested items within the deadline. Here is the invoice,” Raine said, handing the invoice to the Major.

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“Five million Els...? That’s outrageous!” the Major shouted, slamming the invoice down on the counter, causing the soldiers and staff nearby to flinch.

“It’s a fair price,” Raine maintained.

“Don’t be ridiculous! The standard price for magic stones is around 10,000 Els each! That makes it 1,000,000 for 100 stones! Why is it five times that amount?” the Major demanded, clearly agitated.

“That’s the standard rate under normal conditions. And those are the lower prices set by the guild. This was an emergency request, and you, Major, admitted it was an unreasonable three-day deadline. Naturally, the price increases. We mentioned this beforehand,” Raine explained.

“You...! Lutz, are these really magic stones?” the Major barked.

“Yes, they are indeed magic stones, and the delivery receipt even has an appraisal seal,” Lutz confirmed.

“Let me see it!” the Major snapped, snatching the receipt from Lutz and reading it.

“Hey... The appraiser’s name on this receipt is yours,” the Major said, glaring at Raine.

“I did the appraisal myself,” Raine replied calmly.

“Are you kidding me? Anyone could forge something like this!” the Major shouted, his frustration evident.

“Major, you must retract that statement immediately. I hold a certified appraiser qualification, recognized by His Majesty the King. Insulting this is a serious offense,” Raine declared firmly.

The qualification of an appraiser, like that of an alchemist, is a national certification. It is proof, under the name of His Majesty, of one's skill level. It’s unacceptable for a nobleman and someone of the rank of Major to criticize it, even if a commoner might.

“Tch! I was just joking! Still, five million Els is too much!” the Major begrudgingly corrected himself.

“You were the ones who set the three-day deadline without prior consultation. As I mentioned before, if this were a private deal, the price would be even higher,” Raine reminded him.

“Damn it... How did you manage to prepare all this? No mere tenth-tier alchemist could do this! I suspect foul play!” the Major exclaimed, his voice filled with suspicion.

“What does it matter if there was foul play? That doesn’t concern you,” Raine retorted.

“Major, I am a certified third-tier national alchemist. For me, this is a simple task,” Raine stated.

“T-third tier?! That’s a lie!” the Major shouted in disbelief.

“It’s true,” Raine calmly responded. He pulled out a necklace from the dimensional space that served as his certification and showed it to the Major.

“A golden eagle...” the Major murmured, recognizing the symbol.

An alchemist’s certification is represented by an eagle necklace. Those from tenth to seventh tier wear bronze, sixth to fourth tier wear silver, and those in third tier or higher wear gold.

“Just so you know, this was personally bestowed by His Majesty. To doubt it would be unacceptable,” Raine explained.

Alchemists of the third tier or higher receive their certification directly from His Majesty, so questioning it is akin to doubting the King himself—a grave offense. A false accusation would carry even harsher consequences.

“Why is a third-tier alchemist assigned to a branch office that's nearly collapsing...?” the Major muttered, bewildered.

“Because I was demoted. Not that I’d ever admit it,” Raine thought to himself.

“In any case, I’ll leave the invoice here. If you wish to file for a reduction, please go through the proper channels. Your superior and our branch chief can discuss it,” Raine said as he placed the invoice on the counter.

“There’s no need for that,” a voice from behind interrupted.

When Raine turned around, an elderly man in a white military uniform stood at the main entrance. With a dignified Kaiser mustache, he looked like someone of considerable rank.

“Colonel!” the Major exclaimed.

Upon hearing this, every soldier present saluted, and even the clerks who had been sitting hurriedly stood up and saluted. The elderly man walked briskly with a good posture and stood before Erica and Raine.

“You must be from the Alchemist Guild. I am Karl-Heinz Wedel, a Colonel,” the man introduced himself.

“A Colonel... the top of the Liet Army,” Raine thought.

“I am Raine Alexander from the Liet branch of the Alchemist Guild,” Raine introduced himself.

“And I am Erica Lintner, also from the Liet branch,” Erica added hastily.

“I have been informed of the recent request by Chief Langheim,” the Colonel said.

“So, the

chief has prepared accordingly,” Raine thought.

“Is that so? Would you like to file for a reduction? I can relay that request to the chief,” Raine offered.

“No need. We will pay the invoice amount as is,” the Colonel stated firmly.

“But, Colonel... that's...” the Major stammered, clearly rattled.

“The magic stones were urgently needed, weren't they? Then this can’t be helped. Lutz, process the payment to the Guild,” the Colonel ordered.

“Yes, sir!” Lutz saluted.

“But, Major, what is this emergency?” the Colonel asked, turning to the Major.

“Uh, well, it’s...” the Major stuttered, unable to provide a clear answer.

“Hmm... Is it something you can't tell the lower ranks? Come to my office later,” the Colonel instructed.

“Y-yes, sir...” the Major replied, clearly shaken.

“Oh dear... Of course, the Colonel has realized what’s going on. Not that I care,” Raine thought.

“Erica, the job’s done. Let's head back,” Raine said.

“Huh? Oh, yes,” Erica replied, and they began walking towards the main entrance.

“Wait a moment,” the Colonel called out just as Raine was about to open the door. Raine turned around to face him.

“What is it? We’re quite busy ourselves,” Raine said, maintaining his calm demeanor. Helen, who was perched on his shoulder, tapped his back with her tail to stay out of sight, while Erica tugged at his sleeve.

“My apologies. I actually have a job I'd like to request,” the Colonel said.

“Oh, a job request,” Raine thought.

“What kind of job?” Raine asked.

“I would like you to craft a sword,” the Colonel stated.

“A sword?” Raine asked, slightly surprised.

Why not just go to a weaponsmith? Raine wondered.

“Is that not possible?” the Colonel asked.

“It is, but why request it from the Alchemist Guild?” Raine questioned.

I’ll say it again—go to a weaponsmith, Raine thought.

“I’ve heard that Raine, the third-tier national alchemist, is one of the best in the capital. I’d like to see that skill for myself,” the Colonel explained.

Are you mocking me? Raine thought.

“One of the best? One finger is enough to count that number,” Raine replied sarcastically.

“You seem quite confident...” the Colonel noted.

“Confident? It’s a fact. Those so-called second and first-tiers are nothing but—” Raine began, but Helen cut him off.

“Raine, let’s keep it down,” Helen advised.

“My apologies. I understand you want to commission a sword. What kind of sword are you looking for?” Raine asked, refocusing on the task.

“Well... I have a friend’s celebration in the capital next month. It’s a gift for that occasion. I’d like at least a C-rank magic sword,” the Colonel explained.

I'm starting to hate the word "promotion," Raine thought.

“There’s one thing I need you to understand,” Raine said.

“And what is that?” the Colonel inquired.

“I can guarantee the quality, and I’ll provide an appraisal certificate. However, I cannot do any decorative work. I completely lack any aesthetic sense,” Raine admitted.

Gifts like a sword often come with elaborate decorations on the sheath or hilt. But Raine was terrible at that sort of thing.

“I will arrange for those details with another craftsman. What I need from you is the blade itself,” the Colonel explained.

“In that case, there’s no problem. What’s the deadline?” Raine asked.

“I’d like it within two weeks,” the Colonel replied.

Plenty of time, Raine thought. I can work on it gradually while keeping an eye on Erica’s ingot.

“Understood. Do you need an estimate?” Raine inquired.

“No, the commission fee is 5 million Els,” the Colonel stated.

That’s quite a lot... Raine thought. I was planning to quote 3 million for a C-rank sword.

“Does 5 million Els mean a C-rank sword will suffice?” Raine asked, and the Colonel squinted his eyes.

“If you can make it B-rank, I’ll pay 8 million,” the Colonel offered.

“I see...” Raine said, considering the offer.

B-rank it is, then, Raine thought.

“...And if you can make it A-rank, I’ll offer 10... no, 15 million Els,” the Colonel added.

“Understood. Then, I’ll get started on it. Excuse us,” Raine said.

“Excuse us...” Erica echoed, and they both gave a slight nod before leaving the barracks.