World’s Cutest Alchemist

Luna gently stroked her crying friend’s hair as they stood there in silence. Her mind was racing a mile a minute, what could have happened in that sort amount of time?

Based on Bin’s outfit, was it something that happened in the tower? Luna concluded.

Her friend wore a leg pouch and dagger at her side, there’d be no reason to have gear equipped unless it was about the tower or a gate.

Though probably not the time, this was also Luna’s first time seeing Bin in her tower climbing outfit. She was surprised to see how simple it was—without the gear at her side, she’d mistake it for an outfit she’d wear on a date.

Quickly shaking off the out of place thoughts, Luna eventually spoke first,

“Come on, let’s go inside…” She said softly. They were still in the middle of the doorway after all.

Bin didn’t reply, only giving somewhat of a nod, keeping her head buried on Luna’s chest.

Luna gently led Bin inside, shutting the door behind them. Now, without fear of others seeing, she’d let Bin have all the time she wanted.

Luna patiently waited for Bin to let it all out while softly stroking the back of her head. She occasionally let out a few, “It’s okay, everything’s okay now.”s, while her mind conjured theories about what could have Bin so distraught.

Thankfully, Bin didn’t seem injured, there were no signs of wounds anywhere—other than the dirt on her knees and attire—so, she could rule that out.

The only other scenario that Luna could come up with was that a party member had died in front of her.

But, could someone really die on the 4th floor? There were so many strategies and guides nowadays that dying to mindless goblins simply didn’t seem possible. Especially if you’re with a team.

You’d have to be solo, wholly unprepared, and without a combat skill to die on the 4th floor.

It just didn’t seem plausible.

Luna hated that she didn’t know what happened. But, the only thing she could do was wait for Bin to calm down.

So, she let her mind run while gently comforting her friend.

…

After around half an hour, Bin finally loosened her grip around Luna’s back and slightly stepped back.

She kept her head down, not looking Luna in the eye and sniffled,

“S-sorry…” She mumbled.

“It’s okay,” Luna replied softly, “Are you feeling better now?” She asked.

“Mm…” Bin gave a half-answer, still looking towards the floor.

“Come on,” Luna took Bin’s hand, “Let’s sit down, first. Okay?”

Seeing Bin give another half-nod, she led her to the couch-bed in the gaming room. She knew how much Bin liked the bed and blanket and hoped for something familiar to give her some more comfort.

Bin sat down on her side of the bed and stared at the blanket while Luna sat next to her.

“Can you tell me what happened?” Luna asked.

Bin didn’t reply for a moment and sniffled, soon, her hand started to shake.

Luna noticed and quickly grabbed her shaking hand, stroking the back of it with her thumb, “It’s alright, I’m here.”

She didn’t say more, only waiting for Bin to speak.

After a few minutes of silence, Bin bit her lip before finally starting to speak,

“I’m sorry…” She mumbled in a low voice.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about.” Luna simply replied.

“Mm…” Bin let out before sighing, after another few moments she looked up and said with a forced cheerful tone, “I’m feeling better now, thank you.”

Luna saw that forced smile of her’s and pursed her lips, but she didn’t comment on it.

“Hehe…I’m just…so silly, aren’t I?” Bin said with a self-deprecating tone.

“You are very silly sometimes.” Luna replied.

Bin gave a half-baked smile before finally starting to explain,

“I nearly died in the tower today.”

Luna’s hand unconsciously gripped Bin’s tighter,

“What?” She said, her voice dropping a few semitones.

She immediately felt anger. Just how does a production-class nearly die on the 4th floor? Were her teammates sabotaging her? Did her team purposefully lead goblins to her? In what world would a production-class even be close to the monsters?

Luna noticed her hand gripping Bin’s tightly and immediately loosened,

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

“Hehe…It’s okay.” Bin sighed before continuing, “The tower…Took away my potions and weapons…I thought I was going to die…”

“…”

“…”

“Huh?” It took Luna few moments to register what Bin said, the tower took away her gear? That wasn’t a floor 4 mechanic, but a floor 5 one. That was the modifier: Itemless.

“You’re on floor 5?” Luna asked.

“Mm.” Bin nodded.

“I understand, that’d be scary, suddenly having nothing to defend yourself…But, how did you nearly die? Shouldn’t your teammates have dealt with the hobgoblin?”

“Huh?” Bin looked at Luna in the eye.

Luna stared back.

“Ah!” Eventually something seemed to click in Bin’s mind, “Have I never told you about it?” She tilted her head, “I’m solo.”

“…What?” Luna blinked a few times, the words repeating in her mind to make sure she didn’t mishear, “You’re solo?”

“Mm.” Bin nodded.

Luna’s mind blanked as she stared at the girl.

“I use potions—called dynokali potions—to clear floors. I didn’t know that the 5th floor would take them away and that I could forfeit floors…So…I really thought I was going to die.”

Luna eventually regained her scattered mind and took in Bin’s words.

Dynokali potions—she could have sworn she heard about those from somewhere, but she couldn’t remember where. Rather, what she locked onto was the fact that Bin didn’t know about the forfeiting function or the modifier.

“You didn’t know you could forfeit floors or about the modifier…?” Luna asked for confirmation.

“Mm…” Bin nodded, “I’m really silly, aren’t I?”

Two of the most basic functions of the tower, one’s that anyone who did even the slimmest bit of research could find out. Yet, Bin didn’t know about them?

“…What about the strategy guides? Did you not read any of them?”

“Hehe…” Bin nervously chuckled, “I read them for the first 4 floors…but then thought that they were a waste of time since all I do is throw a bomb at them enemy and skipped the 5th guide…”

Bin’s eyes nervously looked at Luna and away from her repeatedly.

Luna bit her tongue, stopping the words she was thinking from coming out and just gently stroked the back of Bin’s hand with her thumb.

Seeing that Luna wasn’t saying anything, Bin eventually settled her eyes on Luna’s with a smile.

“Bin—No, Stella…” Luna invoked her name for the first time, sending shivers down Stella’s spine, “I am going to yell at you later, when you’re feeling better.” She warned.

“Ah…” Stella let out. “…I don’t get off with a ‘sorry’?”

“…”

“…”

Luna suddenly remembered her words from earlier, “I’m sorry”. Were those words actually intended for this point all along?!

Seeing Stella’s fidgeting only furthered deepened this suspicion in her mind.

“You!” She let out but covered her mouth a second later, “No…Haah, calm. I’ll yell at you later, and you clearly already know what you did wrong.”

“Tsk.” Stella clicked her tongue.

“Did you just click your tongue!?” Luna eventually shouted at the girl who was no longer half-smiling, instead her usual, bright smile appeared on her face.

Indeed, a smiling Stella looked much better than a sad one.

…

Being with Luna really helped me a lot. Just being able to chat and joke with her had cleared away a lot of the lingering fear and anxiety I had.

Though, I am scared of that earful I’ll get later. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like she has any plan of starting that for today at least.

Luna still held my hand but I had no intention of mentioning it, her hand was soft and comforting.

After telling her about today, it felt like a burden had been lifted off my heart. And it came to me, that I had really never talked about the tower with Luna. It wasn’t intentional, as I had nothing to hide, but I didn’t think anything was worth mentioning other than the few rare materials I’ve found in the forest.

And hadn’t she asked about my potions before? I didn’t realize it until I was with Luna, but my dagger and pouch had returned to my side.

These darned things…They betray me and come back like nothing happened?

Fine, I’ll allow it since it was technically my fault.

But! Only for today.

Anyways, since I had my pouch with me, I could finally show Luna the potions I mentioned a while ago. Luckily, I just so happen to have a beautiful dynokali potion on me.

“One second.” I said, reaching for my pouch with my free hand.

I grabbed a grayish-orange potion and held it in front of her.

“Here you go.” I said.

Luna looked at it with widened eyes before trying to grab it.

She tried to release my hand from her grip to inspect the potion, but I grabbed it back, not allowing that. She sighed before inspecting the potion with her other hand.

“This is the potion you use to clear floors?” She asked.

“Mm.” I nodded, “Don’t open it.” I quickly said.

She tilted her head at me before finally pulling up the description.

Her eyes went wide and she visibly flinched, almost jumping up from the bed.

“W-w-what!?” She said with wide eyes. “W-Why do you have a bomb!?”

Her hands started to shake but she didn’t dare move abruptly in fear of the potion suddenly exploding.

“Hehe, that’s my dynokali potion. It’s my prized treasure.” I replied with a smile.

“D-dynokali…” Luna’s eyes went back to the description, “R-Raccoon?” She quickly shook her head and said, “T-Take it back! I don’t want it to explode!”

“It won’t explode unless you twist off the cap.” I said calmly.

“Eek! J-Just take it back already!”

“Okay.” I grabbed the potion and put it back in my pouch.

After the potion was in my pouch, Luna somewhat calmed down but she still seemed wary. She put her hand over her chest and let out a deep breath.

“You!” She glared, “Why do you have a bomb on you!?”

“Mm?” I tilted my head, “That’s just a potion. But, I didn’t know I had my leg pouch and dagger with me, I thought the tower took them away.”

“Ah…” Luna let out before closing her eyes and calming herself, “But! A potion that explodes is still a bomb!”

“Mm…Agree to disagree.”

“If it’s meant to blow up it’s a bomb!”

“Mm…The tower doesn’t think so, it clearly reads dynokali ‘potion’ if you look at the name.” I said, reaching for the pouch.

“Eek! No! Don’t pull it out!”

Hehe…Teasing her really makes me feel better.

“I was just fastening it.”

“You!” She glared.

“Hehe.”

“Do you have…any other potion in that pouch? One that doesn’t explode?”

“Mhm.” I nodded, “I’m reaching for the pouch…Don’t yell at me this time.” I teased.

She only continued to glare at me as I pulled out a gluetrap potion.

“This is a gluetrap potion.” I said, handing her the murky yellow potion.

She grabbed it warily before letting out a sigh of relief when the description didn’t read ‘explosive’.

“Becomes extremely sticky when exposed to air? A trap-based potion? D grade…Creator Raccoon…?” She trailed off before starting to stare at me.

“Mm?” I tilted my head.

“Raccoon?”

“Yes?” I asked.

“That alchemist who’s been famous recently?”

“Yes?”

“The one that’s been on the leaderboards for the first 4 floors?”

“Yes?”

“The Little Bomber?”

“…Yes…”

“You?”

“Yes.”

We stared at each other for a moment in silence.

“You’re a terrorist?”

“No!” I shouted.