Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 43: Matthew King Henry and Allison
By the time the second semester arrived and students were assigned to their respective disciplines, Merlin and his classmates finally qualified to enter Steam and Stars for hands-on learning and creative experimentation.
The moment Merlin stepped into the alchemy workshop, a sudden flurry of movement caught his attention. A man, his hair an unkempt nest of tangles and his face smudged with soot, came charging toward him, clutching an assortment of glass bottles and jars.
“Hey! New kid, watch out! You almost stepped on my experiment notes!”
Startled, Merlin instinctively looked down and saw a vibrant, multicolored slime inching its way across the floor, seemingly desperate to escape the confines of the workshop.
The disheveled man snatched the little creature in one swift motion. Then, catching sight of Merlin, he squinted at him curiously. “Some young face, huh? First-year in Alchemy? What are you doing here?”
Merlin wasn’t surprised that the man could tell he was a freshman. He met the man’s gaze steadily. “I was sent by Professor Harrington. I’m here to see Senior Matthew King Henry.”
“Harrington, that old coot?” The man scratched his messy hair, looking somewhat bemused, and called out toward the distance.
“Matthew King Henry! Someone’s here for you—your teacher sent them!”
In the distance, beside a massive steam-forging hammer, a young man studied a sheet of alchemical schematics. Hearing his name, he turned and strode swiftly toward them.
Matthew King Henry was known for his deep intellect and relentless pursuit of knowledge. His short, jet-black hair was always meticulously combed, reflecting his meticulous nature. In his hands, he carried a thick leather-bound notebook, constantly filled with sketches, formulas, and insights.
“What does the teacher want with me?” Matthew asked directly, his penetrating eyes examining Merlin like still water, unreadable yet intense.
“It’s not Professor Harrington who sent me directly,” Merlin replied, “I asked him for help designing an alchemy kiln, and he recommended you.”
“That old coot Harrington?” The man muttered, but Henry merely clicked his tongue, taking the kiln blueprint from Merlin with careful attention. He didn’t fully believe the claim that a freshman would invoke a teacher’s name, yet the timing—right before finals—made the story plausible.
Henry had been slightly irritable recently; his own experiments were stuck in a frustrating rut. He hadn’t planned on helping Merlin. Yet the moment he looked at the kiln blueprint, saw the flawless magical rune circuits, he felt a spark of fascination.
“A brilliant concept!” Henry murmured, almost to himself, deeply engrossed in the design. He studied Merlin from head to toe.
It was then he realized this junior was unusually handsome—but that was hardly the point. He quickly returned to business. “Junior, who drew this schematic? Surely not that old fool Harrington—he’s not capable of this.”
Merlin, slightly surprised, realized that even Matthew King Henry considered this unnamed friend more skilled than his own teacher. “A friend of mine drew it. Senior Henry, can you actually forge this?”
Henry’s eyes lit up with fervor. “With such a detailed schematic, it’s practically a foolproof guide. There’s no way I can’t make it. I’ll take the job. By the way, junior, what’s your name?”
“Leo Merlin.”
Henry continued, “Merlin, how many kilns are you planning to forge?”
“About seven or eight… Actually, let’s make it ten.”
Ten?
Henry’s eyes sparkled. This was a major order! He immediately set aside his current work and shouted, “Allison! That damn girl, where are you?”
“Coming, coming, Henry! Don’t shout like that, you brute!”
From a pile of scattered papers, a young woman emerged at lightning speed. Her long chestnut hair tumbled messily down her back, her freckled face lively with an audacious spark in her eyes. She looked even more untidy than the man who had greeted Merlin, wearing a white lab coat over a cropped white top that left her midriff and shoulders exposed.
She wore black leather shorts, one leg clad in a fishnet stocking while the other was bare—an oddly charming, rebellious style.
“Allison, focus! We’ve got work!” Henry handed her the schematic.
She examined it with a whistle. “Whoa, this is impressive! Triple magical circuits, must forge this with runic steel, carve the rune pathways, lay a layer of lava stone beneath… and… high-grade magic crystals? Senior, this is a gold mine!”
While Henry appreciated the ingenious design and the pure intellectual challenge, Allison’s mind immediately went to logistics: materials, costs, profits.
“How much are we making from this? How many sets does the boss want?”
“Ten sets.”
“Ten?! Oh my heavens! This is a high-end jackpot! I’m taking it all!” Allison cackled gleefully.
Henry groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Idiot! The boss is right here, mind your manners!”
“Huh? So what if he is? I do the work. They used high-grade magic crystals—that means money isn’t an issue. Let’s see what kind of jackpot we’ve got…” Her gaze fell on Merlin, standing behind Henry, and she froze completely.
Half a second later, Allison bolted, barreling past a few startled assistants before slamming the dressing room door shut with a thud.
Merlin blinked, stunned by the spectacle. Henry covered his face, sheepish. “Junior Merlin, don’t worry. Since your teacher sent you, I won’t let Allison take advantage of you.”
“What are you talking about, Senior Henry? I’m not that kind of person.”
A crisp voice cut through, clear and composed. Merlin and Henry turned their heads to see a young woman approaching, radiating an aura of scholarly poise.
Allison had tamed her previously wild hair into a neat, smooth chestnut braid down her back. The freckles on her cheeks were now barely visible, her eyes, once lustrous with greed, now shone with curiosity and intelligence.
Her expression was soft, framed with a sweet smile that hinted at both profound understanding of the world and insatiable curiosity. Her robes were now simple and practical, dark and spotless, embroidered with her academy’s insignia, and the pockets were brimming with notebooks, quills, and various research tools.