Alchemy is Correct

On the way to the cottage.
Eunu, who had been moving forward with magical power detection constantly activated, suddenly flinched as if he had detected something unusual.
“There’s a creature coming out of the cottage. The form is… a young child?”
“A young child?”
If there was a young child in the cottage, it could be considered a family hiding in the mountains.
But something seemed strange.
“But the magical power I’m sensing is unusual…? The position I’m sensing it from is a bit strange though…”
Magical power detection reveals many things.
Those sensitive to magical power might notice this detection, but since it provides so much more information, magical power detection was one of the essential tasks to perform when entering a dimensional gate.
And one of the most important things was that it responds to the same magical power.
Everyone’s expressions hardened at Eunu’s words.
“… Everyone on alert.”
If the magical power was strong enough to make Eunu break out in cold sweat, it wouldn’t be an ordinary being.
Just as they were thinking this.
Kuugugugu!
“…! Everyone fall back!”
At Gangchul’s shout, everyone stepped back.
Kwagwagwagagak!
The ground of the path ahead of them transformed like spikes and surged toward them like a wave at tremendous speed.
As the rear guard retreated, Gangchul stepped forward and struck the ground with his great shield imbued with magical power.
“Hrngh!”
Energy emanating from the great shield formed a massive barrier that stood against the twisting, surging earth.
Kuugugung!
Gangchul broke out in cold sweat at the tremendous destructive power pounding against his shield.
“What an incredible magic…”
“It’s not magic.”
“…?!”
Kuugugung!
The distorted terrain had somehow become a massive wall blocking their way.
Wolhwa looked up in the direction the voice had come from.
And there…
Sitting on top of the formed wall with her legs dangling, a young girl was looking down at them.
Light green hair reminiscent of leaves attached to branches, long pointed ears, and a small, pudgy appearance with baby fat still on her cheeks.
The clothes she wore were somewhat like a magician’s but different from a magician.
There was no characteristic robe or pointed hat.
She was a young elf wearing clothes that resembled those of a scholar.
“Go back. This is my land.”
‘This is… the common language?’
Continental common language.
It was a language used by otherworldly races who had crossed S-rank dimensional gates, so communication was possible.
Wolhwa calmed herself before speaking.
“Wait. Could we talk for a bit?”
The girl slightly frowned at Wolhwa’s words.
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Do you perhaps need help?”
At those words, the girl’s eyes widened.
It wasn’t something that should be said in this situation.
Anyone listening would ask if she was crazy.
But Wolhwa could be certain.
‘It’s this child.’
She could be certain that this girl was the reason this dimensional gate had opened,
that she was the reason their world and this world were connected.
“…”
After silently looking down at them for a while, the girl opened her mouth slightly.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re here anyway.”
“… That’s something we can’t know without seeing for ourselves.”
“No. The people of this world absolutely… no matter what, cannot solve this problem.”
Hearing those words, Wolhwa was completely certain.
That they needed to solve the problem this child had.
“It might be hard to believe, but we’re not people from this world.”
“…?!”
“We’re people from another world who crossed over from a place called Earth. If it’s hard to believe, I can prove it. [How about Korean?], or [What about English?]”
There were many ways to give credence to the claim that they came from another world, such as showing items that don’t exist in this world.
However, she knew it was crazy to suddenly appear before people living in a world with strange attire and weapons and ask them to believe they were from another world.
Wolhwa felt her insides burning up.
‘Please believe us…’
While outwardly trying to appear confident, inwardly she prayed over and over that this nonsensical persuasion would work.
After some time had passed like that.
The girl, who had been silent with her head bowed for a while, moved.
The transformed ground returned to its original state, and the girl who landed on the ground looked up at Wolhwa.
“Is that… true?”
“Y-yes… that we came from another world?”
“No, that you came from Earth. Since you can speak Korean, it seems true though.”
Wolhwa’s eyes widened at those words.
The fact that she responded to the keyword ‘Earth’ specifically meant one thing.
“Could it be… you too…?”
“… We might need to talk a bit. Follow me.”
Adding a chilling warning that she wouldn’t let them off if they tried anything funny, the girl started walking.
Thud thud
Of course, despite the chilling warning, both her voice and her footsteps were the typical pitter-patter of a young child…
“Ahem…”
Wolhwa watched the child’s back for a while before subtly averting her gaze.
It was due to her uncharacteristic fondness for cute things.
She wasn’t the only one.
“That just now… must be magic, right? It’s insane… I’ve never seen such earth magic before…!”
“She said it wasn’t magic though?”
“Huh?! How could that not be magic?!”
Eunyoung cleaned her ear with her pinky finger at Eunu’s outcry.
As someone who wasn’t a magician, she couldn’t quite understand what her brother was saying.
Rather, her attention was more drawn to the elf girl walking in front of them.
‘She’s cute… I want to hug her…’
Along with her inner thoughts full of desire.
‘What kind of quest could it be…’
‘It’s definitely magic… I want to ask what kind of spell it is…’
‘My shield…’
They moved their feet, following the elf girl while revealing their desires and despair.

“It’s over there.”
The place the girl pointed to was a small cottage.
The girl, who entered the cottage, casually mentioned that it was fine to come in with shoes on, then moved further inside.
“… Ah.”
Upon entering, Wolhwa could see a woman lying on a bed.
The image of a woman barely surviving with an IV drip crudely made, with an emaciated face.
The strange thing was that she was lying stiffly in a formal position, and she was looking at them with a gentle gaze without even being able to turn her head towards them.

Are you visitors?
The guild members were surprised by her bright expression, contrary to her emaciated appearance.
Above all, they were surprised that she created letters by moving magical power.
Although they didn’t know why they could read the letters, that wasn’t important right now.
“I told you not to use alchemy.”
“…”
Even though her facial muscles were completely stiff, her eyes still looked at the girl kindly and smiled.
“I’d like to stay with you longer, but I don’t have time. I’ll be back soon.”
After saying that, the girl got up and left the room.
Closing the door and turning to look at them, the girl looked up at Wolhwa and spoke.
“Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Also called Lou Gehrig’s disease.”
“…”
“That’s the name of the disease eating away at Elrina. You know it, right?”
A disease famous as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Who wouldn’t know it?
It was a rare disease with an extremely poor prognosis.
“She doesn’t have much time left. I tried to cure the disease, but it was impossible.”
Only then did Wolhwa understand what the girl wanted to ask for.
“… I’m sorry, but even in our world, there’s no medicine that can completely cure that disease yet.”
“I didn’t expect there to be anyway. How could there be a developed medicine for a disease whose cause is still unknown?”
Although she was speaking as if it didn’t matter, Wolhwa could tell.
That she had hoped a little… after all.
The girl swallowed her feelings of disappointment, despair, and sadness as she moved her feet.
“… But there is a way.”
“A way?”
“You’re from Earth, right?”
At first, she couldn’t believe it.
But seeing how she spoke as if she knew about Earth from the beginning, she couldn’t help but believe.
That this elf girl in front of them was originally from Earth.
But considering the dimensional gate, it wasn’t strange.
If there are those who cross over from other worlds to Earth, why can’t the reverse happen?
It’s possible that an elf girl living on Earth crossed over to this side.
How high could the probability be of getting caught up in a small dimensional gate that connects to another world, not a disaster-type but a quest-type, and not even an S-rank gate?
But there was no other way to explain it.
“Among our guild’s magical tools, we have one that can stop time for things placed inside it.”
“N-noona?!”
“Are you serious?!”
“Guild Master Wolhwa…”
The guild members listening behind were shocked.
“…?!”
The girl’s eyes also widened at Wolhwa’s words.
“It’s been proven through experiments that it’s fine even if a person goes in, so it’s okay. With this, I’m sure we can stop the progression of the disease.”
Time can be bought.
Even just that would be a great help to the girl who was desperately short on time.
“It’s certainly a tempting offer. But…”
The girl formed what appeared to be a magical circle with her magical power.
“What are you thinking?”
“Of course… it would be hard to believe.”
“If you think about it the other way around, you’d understand.”
It was certainly suspicious enough to show such goodwill to someone you’ve just met.
Wolhwa nodded as if she understood.
“If I say I want to help… it would be hard to believe. Alright, I’ll be direct.”
Then, as if she had made up her mind, she extended her hand to the girl.
“Join our guild. Of course, we won’t restrict your life. You can freely engage in activities. I promise to provide you with sufficient salary. Instead…”
The girl in front of her was a treasure.
Wolhwa could be certain.
That strange magic that kneaded the vast earth at will, her appearance and atmosphere different from ordinary elves.
The master of an S-rank dimensional gate.
Everything was shouting to bring the girl in.
“Just help us when we need it.”
The condition seemed radical on the surface, but upon careful consideration, the phrase “help when needed” was incredibly ambiguous.
Couldn’t they ask for help with annoying and not very important matters?
“Only when it’s important?”
This was crucial.
Wolhwa gave a dry laugh at the girl’s sharp question.
Though she looked very young on the outside, she was admirably wise.
To identify the loophole in her condition in such a short time.
For her part, it was something she had said without much thought to give the girl as much freedom as possible, but it was definitely a condition that could be abused in that way.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to test you… Yes, you just need to help when it’s an important matter. I promise to share all information as well.”
In fact, this was an unfair contract that was too favorable to the girl.
However…
Wolhwa silently looked back at the door.
A sister continuing her battle with illness and a child trying to treat that sister.
Though she wasn’t sure of their relationship, they must be precious to each other.
While there was a desire to bring in talent, there was a greater desire to help the girl.
That was all.
“… I accept.”
After contemplating for a long time, the girl accepted.
“My name is Silvia.”
Silvia introduced herself.
Looking around at those she would be working with from now on.