CHAPTER 4

CROW, GIRL, AND ALCHEMIST(1)

The next day. Me and Erica went to the alchemist workshop. The plan we talked about yesterday is cleaning the alchemist workshop, for him to have better environment of course its not the servant who does the cleaning but Erica herself and she agreed. Don't underestimate Erica old man, in few seconds your workshop will turn into more messy.

Erica began working on cleaning, as expected Erica can't clean. Sometimes sound of stuff falling or broken can be heard. The old man on table woke up, but still pretending to be asleep. What're you doing old man never seen ojou-sama cleaning? If you let her continue cleaning, your workshop will be destroyed by her broom. Since he is watching Erica working let's keep quiet about it. Erica manage to clean everything after 5 hours, isn't it too long Erica.

‘You're done?’

“Huff, huff… no not yet, hey old man!”

“….. Go home.”

“What! I cleaned your place no you tell me to go home?”

“You're not cleaning but destroying, how many stuff have broken?”

“Eh?? One, two, three…”

“No need to count it, just obediently go home”

“You old drunkard, Let it go already! If your son or your wife seeing you like this, will they be happy?! The answer is No, they will be really sad!”

Good job Erica, give you thumbs up.

“Shut up! What do you know about them! Get out of here!”

The old man started throwing things, even his prized wine.

‘Erica, get out of here now!’

“Uhm, alright”

Erica placing me in her hand, then ran outside the workshop.

‘That's good word there as expected of me’

“No, no, it's because my acting skill is really good”

Let's go back to yesterday night.

‘Erica the plan is, first you must get a good impression’

“How do I do that?”

‘Easy, just clean his workshop, and you must do it yourself’

“Why can't I ask the servant do it?”

‘You can't, because you're ojou-same, by showing you're willing to clean his workshop, it show him your sincerity’

“That's right, okay I will do as you say.”

‘Second, you must get him angry.’

“Why? Isn't it bad?”

‘No it's not bad. You must mention his wife and son then he will get angry at you, don't say anything bad about his wife or son, say something bad about him.’

“What should I say?”

‘Hmm… Like this…’ (Go to the top)

“Hum, okay. What's next?”

‘Third, wait for next day, when he is angry, he most likely don't want to hear other people.’

“I see, what's next?”

‘Repeat the first to third step until he gave you a chance’

“What chance?”

‘Chance to prove yourself, and chance to open his heart.’

“Humu, Okay.”

‘Let's wait for his reaction tomorrow, for now want to tour the town?’

“Okay, hmm lets go to adventurer guild, it seems fun”

‘Right, let's go!’

Erica walking out the guild to the street, adventurer guild are located in middle of commoner district. Near the craftsman guild, so it didn't take too long to arrive there.

‘Should I be amazed or disappointed?’

“???”

‘Its normal! The building not too big yet not too small!’

“Of course, people don't have anything in adventurer guild except doing making and take a request or registration.”

‘I see, only request. I thought there are tavern or shop inside’

“If it's tavern it's behind us.”

‘Hmm? Hey Erica, there is bird person!’

“Yes, they are race called avian, they have a bird head with body like human and have wings.”

‘I wonder someday, I will become avian?’

“No! You can't! You're fine like this.”

‘Don't worry, I don't plan to become like that.’

“Alright. Let's go in”

Erica walked inside, and it's clean unlike what I thought, at the counter Some people are waiting to take request, some are making request.

‘Erica, let's see the request board.’

“Un.”

Erica walk in front of request board. The request notes are placed by rank, higher placed in high place, and lower rank placed on lower place. This board only from G rank until C rank.

‘Erica, there is another request board, let's see that’

“Un.”

Erica only nodded, then walk to another request board.

‘It's the same, why did they post it at different place? It's even not full yet’

“I wonder why?”

“Shall I explain it to you?”

Someone talking to Erica, a woman in her twenties with short brown hair.

“Who are you?”

“Ah, that's right. I'm the guild receptionist, now I'm on my break. but I see you walking here and there wearing a dress. So I guess she must coming here to see the guild.”

‘Woah, she's sharp.’

“What's difference between these two board? And where is the request ranked B to X?”

“The difference are this one is repeatable request, the other are one time request. Repeatable request is a quest from the guild that repeatable, since mostly are ingredient gathering. But there are also client making a repeatable request, and of course they have to set the time limit. A one time request is as the name saying, the client made one request the example is escorting, or gathering material or exterminate monster after the request completed, the request is gone. So that's why people mostly take an one time request since the reward is more than repeatable quest. As for request ranked B to X it's not posted since the difficulty is really hard even for veteran adventurer, if you want to do B to X request, just go directly to receptionist”

‘I see, it's like that.’

“Then how to become adventurer?”

“To become adventurer you at least must 13 years old and must past a test, your starting rank will be G the lowest one. For rank up its decided by the guild. If you are rank G and do many request you can rank up.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“That's interesting!”

‘Do you want to become adventurer Erica?’

“Yes I want. Kuro-chan you want to be adventurer too right?”

‘no I don't want. I'm afraid of dying.’

“Eh~, kuro-chan become adventurer too! Or do you want to be put into cage?”

‘But bird can't become an adventurer.’

“but you can always come with me right.”

‘Alright.’

“Hey, what is the test?”

“Ah, yes. The test is same for each profession, it's fighting with one of our instructor.”

“I will come back again. Thank you for the info.”

We walked out from guild and back to mansion.

The next day, is the same we go to old man terios workshop, and it's a mess again. Erica cleaning the workshop, while old man terios pretending to be asleep but he is watching Erica works, Erica still needs 5 hour to clean the workshop.

“Old man! Hey old man!”

“What??”

“Make me your apprentice!”

“No..and go home”

“Hah.. I really pity your wife and your son to get a lazy and weak old man like you their husband and son. If your wife and son see you like this now, what will they think? They will avoid you, when other people ask them who are you, they will answer you're just old drunkard, good for nothing!”

“Get out..”

“I'm still not done!”

“Get out!”

‘Erica that's enough, get out of here.’

“Okay, I will come back again old man!”

Outside the guild, Erica and I on her hand.

“Kuro-chan will this really work?”

‘I don't know, but we must try it. Erica I have new idea’

“What is it?”

‘You cook for him’

“Eh? Why?”

‘The way to capture man heart is through the stomach.’

Why did I sound like giving a girl love advice? But Erica foods should taste bad in the beginning, if someday she decide to cook for me without any experience in cooking I will died from food poisoning. And if let she cook for the old man first I can enjoy delicious foods afterwards!.

“Eh? What does it mean?”

‘It means she will receive your sincerity more through cooking and cleaning’

“So it is like that, alright let's try it”

That night at Erica room.

“Kuro-chan, here try the foods I made”

‘Eh? You made this food?’

Darn, I didn't know it will be like this. I miscalculated! Damn you old man terios if it's not for you, I won't become test subject!

“Kuro-chan, eat it all okay...”

Noo, Erica smile is more terrifying than the foods! Alright I give up.

‘O, okay’

It's stew, why stew? You should begin with easy course, like boiled egg or fried egg. Don't make a stew! Please make a grave for me if I died. 

‘I, I will eat it’

Hm? No taste? Let's try again. Huh? Still no taste? Wait.. Ugh.. Delayed effect! Since when your cooking has this kind of skill. Uoohh! My mouth is burning, my throat like on fire. What did you put inside Erica. Now it has rotten taste, what is this magical foods, good bye old man terios I will waiting for you at afterworld. I fainted right away.

The next day when I woke up, Erica is not at her room. Maybe she already go to old man terios place. Thinking that I immediately fly to old man terios workshop,  when I arrived Erica is there cleaning the workshop, it's a mess again. It seems the old man doing this on purpose, he still watching Erica. After her cleaning done, she brought a basket filled with food to the old man. I hide in nearby shelf.

“Old man, be grateful! Because I personally making your meal today.”

“What? You again? What is it this time… Food?”

The old put the foods in his mouth, rest in peace old man.

“Bleh! Did you taste it before? It's disgusting!”

Success! That's right old man I'm playing the good man, while you're playing the bad one.

“What?! I'm cooking for you, don't complain if it's bad!”

“It's bad, nothing more. Please learn from a cook before giving me the food you made.”

“Humph! You didn't have to tell me that.”

Erica then leave the workshop in angry. But I stayed behind, to see what the old man doing. Then she eat all the foods Erica brought, hahaha… So Erica succeed. Hm? What is he doing? He took out a parchment? A paper? And begin writing.

“To think she would cook food for me, jeez that kid. If she can pass the condition I will make her my apprentice.”

‘Hm? Condition?’

The old man then walking out the workshop, when he is gone I look at the paper, it's written the condition to become his apprentice.

‘Hoho, you cunning old man’

Then the old man comes back. 

Let's go to Erica, she is on her way to the mansion. She's going back, I wonder her mood become better? I arrived first to Erica room waiting for her, after a while she comes in.

“Kuro-chan, where were you today?”

‘Ah, Erica I'm sorry. Because you leave first I think you don't need my company. So I strolling the street.’

“I see, muhh…. The old man is so stubborn. He still not willing to make me his apprentice.”

‘It's okay Erica, I still have many plan. Did the cooking a success?’

“No, he tell me my food is disgusting! And what do you think kuro-chan?”

I just dug my grave, what should I do.. Option 1 answer honestly, option 2 lie to her, option 3 half truth half lie, option 4 run. Alright let's go with option 3.

‘The truth Erica, bird sense of taste is different than human. So I don't really know.’

“That's a lie.”

Oh, shit. She know! why are you so smart now when sometimes you're stupid Erica. Alright let's go with option one.

‘Alright, I'm sorry. It taste bad’

“Humph, I know it from the start, you fainted right away when eating my food.”

‘That, I'm sorry for deceiving you.’

“It's alright, it's my fault too.”

‘Then will you stop cooking?’

“No, I will make that old man acknowledge me!”

Burning aura emitted from Erica body, erica you're scary.