CHAPTER 58: GRIM NEWS ARRIVES

Nothing is ever truly stagnant.

The flow of time is ever constant, and so my life in the Academy has continued alongside the steady march of progress.

Our Spring Term is slowly coming to a close, with the exams slowly rearing their ugly heads.

Despite this, many students have bright expressions on their faces and excited attitudes. After all, once the exams are over, we get to experience an entire month of summer break.

Naturally, I look forward to this as well.

A break is something I desperately need, especially with how eventful my life has gotten.

I have managed to hold on for this long, only resting every now and then, but let me tell you... It isn’t easy. This life is simply too much.

While having all of these thoughts go through my mind, I sit amidst fellow students for our final Alchemy Class for the Term. Our Professor shows us a treat, a sort of sneak peek into what we will be learning in the next term and in further years to come.

"As you are all aware, the catalysts for any alchemical reaction are Special Resources. Regular materials have no effects at all on any alchemical concoction, and can instead hamper the process and coagulate to form impurities in the brew..." As her voice trails in the class, I nod in silent agreement.

Indeed! Her words are true.

Regular materials and herbs are used to make foods, drinks, medicines, or other kinds of concoctions. However, when it comes to Alchemical brews—in essence, Potions—what is required is Special Resources.

People who add regular materials to the brew are merely adulterating the product and reducing its efficiency. This causes it to have impurities, which can worsen the side effects of taking the Potion or create new side effects.

However, despite this being mainstream knowledge among Alchemists, many of them still do it.

Why?

Well, it is simply less expensive.

Adding regular materials increases the volume of the alchemical brew; hence, it is a cheaper production method. Naturally, the effects won’t be as effective as purer Potions, but it will certainly be more affordable to purchasers.

Most Potions available in the market actually have some measure of adulteration.

The standard purity test when it comes to Potions usually ranges from 30 to 50 Percent. That means regular Potions are made up of fifty to seventy percent of normal materials, hence they are full of impurities.

The higher the purity of a Potion, the more expensive it will be.

But, of course, the cost is worth it.

It’s just that most people can’t afford something like that.

’I believe the Grade 3 Potion in the Aditi Household only has about 41 percent Purity. Yet, it is an important Heirloom that is only inferior to the family’s C Grade Armament...’ I sigh to myself, but a smile remains on my face.

My family’s situation is pretty normal, so I’m not even embarrassed by the thought.

There are hardly Potions on the market with up to 70 percent Purity, and that is the limit for commercially available Potions. Higher Purity Potions are reserved for the High Nobility and Royals, which once again points to the inequality of society.

But, I have long understood this.

Reflecting on such matters now is of no real use, so I decide to remove my mind from these thoughts and simply watch the Professor’s demonstration.

"Today... I’m going to show you something interesting." Her eyes brighten up as she explains with immense passion. "A Grade 2 Potion with 90 percent Purity!"

’What?!’

My eyes nearly bulge.

I have never laid eyes on a Potion with more than 70 Percent Purity before—even in my past life.

As such, my interest is instantly piqued.

Looking around me, it’s easy to tell that I’m not the only one.

The Professor smirks after seeing the energy from the crowd, and she swiftly arranges materials on a desk she had already prepared beforehand. At the center of the desk is a pitch-black pot that has the appearance of a mortar.

The pot is incredibly thick, and it is placed directly on top of what resembles a flat disk.

But I know what it is.

It’s an Armament—one of the few miscellaneous types.

It has only one purpose, and that is to create all manner of flames based on the materials used to generate the heat. It is most popular among Alchemists, and there are quite a lot of models depending on the kind of materials it can process.

Our Professor is currently using a very high-grade Model that can even brew a Grade 3 Potion.

Such a thing isn’t widely available on the market.

I suppose it goes to show the resourcefulness of this Academy.

I heard that a Professor has even used an even better model to brew a Grade 5 Potion one time in class. However, this incident happened long before I enrolled in this Academy, so I am unaware of the full details.

It could even be a rumor, for all I know.

Regardless, Alchemists use these plates for an easier brewing experience.

There are Alchemists who use other methods, or simply generate the flames directly through burning the materials necessary, but this is by far the safest and most popular option.

It also guarantees a higher success rate.

Once the fire starts, the incredibly thick black pot begins to simmer, releasing misty air from its inner region. Heat fills the classroom almost immediately.

Then—

"Watch carefully. I’ll only be doing this once, and I certainly won’t be telling you the step-by-step process or the ingredients I’ll be using. This is just an experience I want you all to have."

Of course!

My eyes brighten up as I watch our Lecturer begin to mix in all kinds of ingredients into the pot, using certain quantities, waiting for a certain amount of time, and so on.

Pretty much all the ingredients she uses are Special Resources.

I even recognize some of them.

Our Kingdom’s signature Green Shade Sand is among the ingredients, but there are also others that are either gotten from Magivores or imported from foreign Kingdoms.

A lot of Rank 1 Special Resources are added to the brew, but I also see a few Rank 2 apart from the Green Shade Sand getting mixed in as well.

For one, she adds a fragment of Tears of the Mountain, a clear, water-drop-shaped crystal forming in dripping cavern walls. Then there’s also the Sunpetal Bloom—a bright golden flower found in open plains basking in sunlight, dense in solar energy.

A mix of chill and warmth permeates the classroom, and I sit down watching the magical scene.

Sparks of all kinds of colors burst from the pot, and mists of all manner of hues seep out, creating a pleasant fragrance. At times, rumbling sounds, like that of thunder, would echo from the pot, and during other moments, we would hear screeching noises.

At some point, there were whispers, too.

All manner of effects keep radiating from the process as our Professor astutely mixes the ingredients and presents this fantastical view to everyone.

The miraculous sight creates a feeling of grandeur within me, and I feel blessed.

"Amazing..." I whisper to myself.

The entire process lasts for almost thirty minutes, but none of us even notices the passage of time.

It all felt like a single moment.

By the time the process is done brewing, she raises the pot and pours the concoction into a transparent flask, revealing its bluish yellow hue to the class.

The Potion glows with incredible light, and sparkles rise from within it, almost like it contains miniature fireflies. The floating dusts of light are actually its trace elements, and the sight is reminiscent of an Armament’s emission of its energy signature.

Since they are both made from Special Resources, it makes sense that they ooze trace elements.

’It’s so pure!’ My eyes widen in amazement.

Just looking at the Potion’s bright luster and how much trace energy it is leaking out, I can tell that it’s very high-end. I can’t discern the details, because we haven’t been taught that yet... but this is certainly higher than 70 percent in purity.

’The Professor must be right...’ A broad smile forms on my face. ’It’s really a Grade 2 Potion with 90 percent purity.’

"This is Grade 2 Emberheart Potion. Its ability is to drastically increase body warmth and give it a noticeable resistance to cold. The side effects are sweating and dehydration, but thanks to this Potion’s high purity, the chances of experiencing it is low. Even if you do, it’ll be after consuming several vials, and the effects will be negligible at best unless you overdose." Our Professor explains, tilting her glasses as is her habit when she is glad.

I smile at this quirky personality of hers.

The thing is, I actually have a close relationship with this woman, as well as most of the other Professors whose courses I offer. I am quite popular among the staff in this Academy, and that’s because I perform excellently in all their courses, I ask as well as answer questions in class, and after lectures, I often visit my Professors for more guidance.

Most know me by name, and likewise, I have made sure to know all of their names.

Among them, I also have my favorites. This lady, Miss Beatrice, is certainly a kind and great teacher, but she doesn’t even come close to my best Professors.

"Can I ask a question, Miss Beatrice?" One of the students raises their hand to ask a question, and she nods immediately, excited to elaborate on the topic of the Potion. That passion in her eyes, it truly displays the joy she has from what she does.

As an Educator and an Alchemist, her life truly is a wonderful one.

I laugh.

It truly pleases me when I see people like this.

"Why is it only 90 percent in Purity? I was keenly watching the process, and you didn’t even add any normal ingredients. Shouldn’t it have been a hundred, or at least close to 99 percent?"

I glance at the boy who asked the question.

It’s one of the few members of the High Nobility who actually takes study seriously.

Noah Louis—the son of a Baron.

Just like our Professor, he also uses glasses and has dark brown hair. I heard the two are related, but I haven’t been able to confirm if that rumor is true.

Especially since I heard another rumor that he has a crush on Miss Beatrice.

Which of those rumors is true?

Could it actually be... both? No way, I refuse to believe that.

Regarding his question, though, I have an answer to it. However, instead of me explaining everything, I’ll let our Professor have this one.

"Oh? You think I didn’t add any regular ingredients? Well, in a way you are right... But you’re also wrong, you see." Once again, she tilts her glasses and grins broadly. "Look around you, there are all kinds of impurities everywhere. The very air we breathe contains particles invisible to the naked eye. When performing Alchemy, some of these particles will undoubtedly seep into the mixture and coagulate to form impurities."

"Is there no way to prevent that?"

"I’m getting there, Noah... relax." Professor Beatrice smiles at the impatient boy.

"A-ah!" Offering a sheepish smile, he glances away and scratches his hair. "My apologies... Please proceed."

Some of the students laugh, and I simply watch in silence.

Judging by the pink hues on his face, it seems he feels rather embarrassed. Does he really like our Professor that way, or could it simply be due to the humiliation he just experienced?

Whatever... not my business.

"There are certain methods to isolate the alchemical process from these interferences, and there are secret techniques used to get rid of impurities to achieve higher purity rates. All manner of means exist, but they are far too advanced to be shown in this class. Plus, I’m not too skilled to demonstrate some of them safely in a classroom like this as well, which is why the best result I could have possibly achieved was a Potion of 90 percent purity. Do you understand now?"

"Y-yes! Thank you, Miss Beatrice!"

"You’re very welcome... Noah." Somehow, the way Miss Beatrice speaks Noah’s name and also smiles at him makes me shiver mildly.

It reminds me of the fond way Selena has been referring to me lately.

’Could it be...?’ My eyes widen as I stare at both Noah and Miss Beatrice, my brain nearly exploding at the possibilities.

Noah Louis is a Baron’s son, and some rumors have it that Miss Beatrice is only from the Lower Nobility. They are both adults as well.

If Noah truly desires this woman, he could arrange for something to happen.

Likewise, Miss Beatrice could have noticed the boy’s infatuation and is trying to seduce him, since that would mean climbing up the social ladder if something official were to happen.

Miss Beatrice is only in her mid to late twenties, and she is quite attractive... so it could work out.

But—

’Is it that easy to ascend in the status quo?’ I nearly scoff at the idea. ’How naive...’

Noah’s family would definitely want him to marry into an equally powerful or more powerful family in order to secure their social standing and strengthen their bond with powerful Households within the High Nobility.

This is simply how it is.

It is more common for Knight Households to marry into Lower Nobility houses and vice versa than for one to cross such a threshold and marry into High Nobility.

Marriage between members of the Low Nobility and High Nobility is simply too rare.

’Such forbidden romance... how fascinating.’ I muse to myself, realizing that all of these thoughts of mine could simply be the result of delusions.

It’s more likely that Noah and Miss Beatrice merely have a simple student-teacher relationship with no undertones to their interactions at all. All of these could simply exist in my dirty, old, and frankly perverted mind.

My imagination has run too wild.

**********

Classes eventually came to a close, and exams began in earnest.

I did my best and visited a lot of my lecturers during this period. Many of my favorite teachers, like Professor Klein Mornantte, Professor Seraphina Lindester, and most importantly... Professor Anna Randalorion really helped me out during this period.

Professor Anna is actually the niece of the current King and Korrin’s aunt. I learned from him that she has actually been the one helping me behind the scenes when I faced the Earl’s oppression, and she is the sole reason I wasn’t expelled after being framed by the Earl. Even before I got to know her, she was already one of my favorite people in the Academy.

Just like Earl Klaus Gerondester and Earl Balric Wolfshade, she is also a Dean in the Academy.

She is the Dean of the History and Academia Department, my personal favorite one, with the second being the Sciences and Natural Philosophy Department.

Having such a powerful figure behind certainly has its perks, and I can tell she’s very fond of me.

Honestly, if I were ever to consider romance, it would be with someone like her.

A mature woman who looks out for her juniors and doesn’t bully them.

She is in her early thirties and also a member of the Royal Family, though, so I know there’s no chance of things working out between us. I’m not someone who sets unrealistic expectations for myself, so I haven’t even given the matter much thought.

I’d still like to be her friend, though.

Right now, she’s like a mentor to me, but I can see us approaching the friendship territory.

Hehe... if we can get a little closer, it wouldn’t be too bad at all. Being friends with someone in the Royal Family, especially someone as great as Lady Anna Randalorion, isn’t a bad idea at all.

Oh well! Time will tell, I suppose.

In any case, the exams came and went without much issue.

I waited in the Academy to see the results and also sort out some affairs while preparing to go see my Uncle, since I still haven’t heard anything from him—or from my contact who promised to reach out to him for me.

The situation has gotten too suspicious for me to ignore.

After finalizing most of my preparations and waiting for my results, I finally received a letter from my uncle.

Finally! After over a year, that man finally wrote to me!

At long last—

"Huh...?" Just when I began to wonder what Uncle Damon wrote to me, and why he hadn’t sent anything for so long, I am faced with something appalling.

A grim surprise that takes me by storm and completely demolishes the exciting atmosphere.

My hands shake uncontrollably, causing the letter to slip out of my feeble grip. It gently drops to the ground as I feel my heart plummet due to the rush of emotions coursing through every facet of my body.

With trembling lips, I mutter the last words I read from the letter.

"... Uncle is dead."

[A/N: The Plot will be moving forward faster now. To those who have been patient on this journey and reached this point... congratulations! I believe things will become exponentially more interesting from this moment on.]