The Greatest Genius Alchemist Of All Time Wants To Retire

Chapter 4 – Graduation Ceremony –

Its the Graduation Ceremony. Today is March 20, 1994. It’s the graduation day of the Canovarian Alchemy Academy, and I’m walking around the campus wearing a black gown over a pure white cutter, black pants, and even a square cap.

As I’m heading towards the cathedral where the graduation ceremony will take place, I’m approached from behind.

「Ara?　Elle, are you alone?」

「Oh….Serena. It’s been a while….」

「That’s right. And I also heard that you’re going to be teaching part-time here at the Academy….」

「Strictly speaking, I’m working on setting up a workshop in the sidelines. Since, Fii’s been pestering me to work at the place she referred me to.」

「Well I can understand Alsfira-sensei’s struggle…..You tried to focus on selling that walking corn, didn’t you?」

「Of course. As expected, Serena you know me all too well」

While grinning, Serena sighs with a 「Haa…..」

Serena Brew. Her clothes are the same as mine, but her blonde hair is curled into a vertical roll. Well she’s a template Ojōsama(Lady) as usual.

Serena is also one of the three major noble families and is the eldest daughter of the Brew family. Incidentally, the three major noble families are the Medis, Brew and Barth families. All of them are famous for their alchemy, and just in case if you’re wondering, I’ve interacted with the direct lineage of these three families at this academy.

Well, even if I say so, it’s probably more accurate to say that I was given a difficult time….

Serena is one of them. When she first entered the school, she said, 「I don’t approve of peasants like you!」 And she was resentful of me.

She was frustrated that, in addition to coming from a farmer’s background, I was the youngest person ever to enter the school, and she even got more frustrated when she learned that I got perfect scores on both the paper and the practical skills on the entrance exam.

I was fed up with Serena, who was always following me around, but we had gotten along somewhat in the two years we’d known each other. This is because she seriously recognized my alchemy as the best ever.

At the end, my attitude changed after she said 「I lost…..」

Then, me, Serena and another one of us took the liberty of building a field at this school, and accidentally created the prototype “crawling carrots”, a prototype of “walking corn”. Honestly, this was part of my “World’s Best Farmer Project”.

And I have a personal agreement with Serena.

「Elle, you still remember that, don’t you?」

「You mean the agreement?」

「Yes. I will be a knight. A knight who can use alchemy will be valued and will become the pride of this country. And you will continue to accompany me as I improve my abilities….」

「And you’re going to help me with my project.」

「Hmm. If you still remember that, then it’s okay.」

Yes, we have a mutual interest in fulfilling our goals.

Selena still has a soft spot in her heart as an alchemist. Although she will graduate and become a gold grade alchemist, she is still not good at alchemy without an alchemy formation that I proposed. In combat, alchemy without an alchemy formation will become one of her greatest strengths. She couldn’t master it before graduation, but she still wants to train with me.

She said with empty eyes, but, well, she was a tsundere. I guess she doesn’t hate it. Selena’s name is already on the paper that I’ve already submitted, so don’t worry.

「Well then, I’ll be coming over to your house again. The snacks where delicious!」

「Well, if only occasionally. But be careful with my mother. She really wants me to marry you.」

「It’s okay. I’m not getting married until I’ve fulfilled my dream. I got a lot of work to do before I can spread my crops around the world!」

「Yeah…. please keep it that way forever…..」

「Okay, I’ll see you later. I’m going to get my picture taken by the press.」

「Yeah, I’ll see you later.」

With a polite bow, Serena left.

After all she is a nobleman’s daughter, too. I walked to the cathedral with that thought.

「….here?」

When I walk in, there’s not much of a crowd. It looks like I came too early, but oh well. I’m going to be reading a book anyways. When I’m about to read a book about crops that I had in my pocket, when I’m approached by someone.

「Shisho!　You’re early!」
(Shisho means teacher or master(the one who teaches)
「Ah….Fred? It’s been while.」

「Shisho, you’re going to be an part-time instructor. Congratulations, I’ll send you a gift from home. It’s a celebration for your employment.」

「Really?　Then I’ll go with the neighboring country’s crops. I’m going to set up my own independent agricultural lab you know. I’ll be researching other countries’ crops.」

「As you wish….but still, you’re early. Did your master get so impressed that she came early too?」
(decided to not replace master with shisho since it sounded wierd)
「No, I it’s just habit. Besides, I’ve got a meeting with Fii later. So I’ll just wait here.」

「I see. By the way, these two years went by in a flash. It took me eight years to graduate, but it only took shisho two years….. You truly are an amazing person.」

「It’s been a long time…. When we first met, you were just as hostile to me as Serena was…..」

「No no, that’s embarrassing.」

This guy who scratches his cheek is Fred Barth. He has short, cropped black hair and a well-built body. I’m on the tall side at 183″, but Fred is even taller at 186″.

And this guy is the second son of the Barth family, one of the three great noble families. This guy, just like Serena, started a fight with me. He said, 「Hmm, you’re just a kid. I’ll give you a twist」 and when I gave him a twist, he ended up called me shisho and somehow began to follow me.

Me, Selina and Fred. The three of us used to do a lot of stupid things together. But most of the time though, it was just me making crops in the school on my own that caused a panic. Although it was good thing I was a Blue Stellar, but the “Great Vegetable Rebellion Incident” was a situation that nearly got me expelled from school.

That was when I was finalizing my artificial intelligence research and gave the vegetables low intelligence on a whim. I didn’t think I could do it, but it actually work by accident. And the vegetables that gained intelligence were scattered throughout the school and went on a tyrannical rampage. I had to use the alchemy of space transfer to stop it…..but now I really miss it.

「As I recall, Fred was aiming to be…..」

「Like Serena, I chose to be a knight, Shisho. But I’ve mastered alchemy without an alchemy formation, so unlike her, I’m suddenly a full-fledged knight. I was notified the other day that I don’t have to through apprenticeship.」

「Well, that’s a reason for a celebration. What would you like as a gift?」

「No!　I’m afraid to tell you this but…. well…. I hate to say it, but since shisho is starting up a lab I want to help you with that….」

「Really?　Well, I’ve been having a hard time getting members together. Then I’d like you to help me out in your free time.」

「I’d really like to start a business with shisho, but I have my own family situation….」

「Isn’t that a noble’s duty?　I wont blame a noble’s obligation.」

「…..Shisho please keep up the good work」

「Yeah?」

As we were shaking hands, Fii suddenly showed up with a flash of light.

「Fii, isn’t it wrong to abuse space transfer?　You said it yourself, didn’t you?」

「Not today!　I’ve got a lot of work to do, so this is a exception. I’ll see you later Fred. I’m going to borrow Elle for a minute.」

「Yeah. It seems that your busy too. Please take care of Shisho.」

And so,This is how Fii and I would make the final arrangements for the graduation ceremony.

We come over backstage so we can go over the arrangements for the day.

「Okay…..you can do it if you try!　Put up a front as the greatest genius of all time and don’t touch the crops!　Do you remember what to answer?」

「Yeah, I remember perfectly what Fii told me. I wont forget anything.」

「Well there’s a party later today. So keep up your front. The three great noble families and royalty will be there and if they get put off, your crop project will be thrown out the window.」

「Its called “The World’s Best Farmer Project”.」

「Yeah, it could be disrupted. Keep your plans under wraps. At least until there’s more power in my hands. At this rate, the other nobles and royalty will crush you.」

「Hmm….power struggles are important. Well, all right. I’ll lay low for now. They say that a skilled hawk hides his claws…..so I’ll do my best to prepare when the day arrives….」

「Yeah….you can!　Today you are the greatest alchemist of all time, Elweed Willis. You’re not here today because you’re a crop idiot, are you?　Okay?　It’s your graduation ceremony until you get home, okay?」

「What’s with that elementary school field trip analogy?」

「It’s not a metaphor!　Even if it’s only because of your career path is a whole mess please don’t ask me. I have my limits. Okay?」

「Enough with the reminders. You can count on me, I’ll put up a front for you today. So stop call me a genius.」

I grinned, and Fii grinned, too.

That’s right. Today I’m the genius alchemist, Elweed Willis. Not a genius farmer.

I told myself that, as I went to the graduation ceremony.

———-§　§　§———-

「… phew, it’s over.」

I was outside with my diploma in hand taking a breather outside. The graduation ceremony was a huge success.At the end of the ceremony, I had the idea of lightly demonstrating my alchemy skill. A Cherry blossom blizzards appeared from the ceiling and then disappeared with a sparkle in the air, it was a fantastic sight. This was also a byproduct of the time I created it, but I’m glad I was able to reproduce it properly.

「Onii-chan!」

「Oh. Rize! And Neesan」

「You were here. Elle」

Rize and Mari-neesan, who are dressed in formal attire, came up to me. But, however,our parents are not with them.

「Where’s mom and dad?」

「The media caught them.So they probably won’t be able to come here for a while.」

「Is that so…..well thats troublesome.」

I shuffle around a bit, and suddenly Rize jumps on me.

「Onii-chan!　That was so cool!　Now you can be independent!」

「Yeah!　I’m the vegetable,and you’re the fruit!　And…..」

「And so the rest of us……that’s what I think.」

「Shisho!　We’ve been looking for you!」

And so Serena and Fred joined us. Fred is fine since he is polite to everyone here, but the problem is Rize and Serena.

「Ara ara?　Rize, are you getting shorter?　Is your chest still flat….. Ah!　So mine’s is growing while yours still looks relatively small!　Excuse me for this!　Oho ho ho ho ho!」

「…..the fat lady.」

「Hey! I don’t like that statement!」

「Same goes for you!　Your fooling people!　I’m onii-chan’s partner!　Okay!　It’s me!」

「Ara ara. Fufufu, well, go ahead and complain now, Rize.」

「Annoying!　Your so annoying!」

It seems the two of them are having a good time. They are like cat and dog, but that doesn’t mean they hate each other. Arguing with each other is another form of communication.

A refreshing breeze blows by. The weather is clear today, as if the heavens are blessing us. I pray that my life as a farmer will go well.

While praying for that…….. This March 20, 1994 of the Divine Calendar marks the day.

I to become the youngest ever to graduate from the Canovarian Alchemy Institute.