feel indebted!"
"You monster!" Solus scolded him harshly. "Stop playing with the feelings of those close to
you. I understand when you do it to complete strangers, since there is no trust between you.
But that was just cruel." ¨C
Feeling guilty, Lith consoled Selia for a while, and gave her the same treatment his parents
had received that morning, removing all the accumulated damage and knots that over a
decade of hunting incidents had inflicted to her body.
It only made her more grateful and loving, which in turn made Solus even more angry,
scolding him all the way back home.
Later that evening, he gave one ring to each family member. Needless to say, the dinner got
delayed half an hour because they would not stop making things appear and disappear, like
kids with a new toy.
Nana had to wait until the next morning to get her own.
"I know is not much, compared to what you lost, Master. But it's all I can do at the moment."
Mindful about what had happened the previous night, Lith avoided stirring the heart of his
mentor.
"Not much? Stop being stupid, young spirit. You have no idea what does it mean for me." She
looked at it like it was a lost son.
"No Forgemaster ever accepted to sell me one of these, no matter the sum I offered. They
were too scared sullying their reputation. I hope that once you graduate, you'll not change
your mind and take me as your first client.
There is so much I still want to get back."
"It would be my honour."
Nana hugged him, holding back her tears.
"What's wrong with these people? I got more hugs by strangers in these two days than in
twelve frigging years!" He thought.
"Shut up and get hugged!" Solus commanded. ¨C
After leaving Nana and Tista to their patients, it was time to deliver the last one.
Count Lark was very happy to see him, Lith could almost see stars in his eyes while he was
staring at the present.
"Thank you so much, Lith. Having one of my proteges joining one of the six great academies is
already a dream that comes true. But you managing to make one of these after just one
month, goes beyond my wildest expectations."
"I just wanted to show you my gratitude. Without your help and perseverance, I would have
stubbornly continued with the home-schooling, missing so many opportunities."
Lark patted Lith's shoulder, adjusting his monocle.
"There no need to dig up past mistakes. There are more recent events that I would like to
share with you. For example, recently the Court and the Mage Association have finally
deliberated about Headmistress Linnea's decision about you and Nana."
He made a dramatic pause, wanting to keep his guest on edge.
"And?" Lith prompted him to continue, taking bait, line and sinker.
"They deemed her decision reckless, overstepping the boundaries of a Headmaster's
authority. Her rulings have been revoked, and being the one that presented the appeal, I was
bestowed the title of Knight of the Griffon as a reward."
"What is it?"
"It's just an honorific title, thanks the gods, with no lands attached. Basically, I'm not
considered a local nuisance anymore but a benefactor of the Kingdom. The most important
benefit, is that when I request a hearing from the Court, it takes much less time now."
"How recently, exactly?"
"About two weeks ago. Why?"
"Good to know." Lith sighed in relief. "If it all happened after the mock exam, it would mean
that I'm overdoing things. I absolutely need to avoid standing out too much. So far so good." ¨C
"No reason, just curious. What about Linnea? What happened to her?"
"Glad you asked." Lark had a smug grin, cleaning invisible dust from his monocle with a
handkerchief.
"At first, she was just reprimanded. It doesn't seem much, but believe me, for someone with
an oversized ego is huge hit.
Then she suffered the same fate from the previous Headmaster from the White Griffon. She
has been relieved from her duty, and replaced by someone younger and more open minded."
"Is that a big thing?" Lith asked, being completely ignorant about mages' internal affairs.
"It's enormous. Headmaster is supposed to be like a noble title, lifelong. Being forcefully
removed like that is the equivalent of marking her as a failure. She will never hold an
important position again.
Is not as bad as what happened to Nana, but it's the next worst thing."
"Aren't they afraid she could defect the kingdom?"
"And go where?" Lark scoffed. "Sure, she can sell her academy's secrets, but that's it. No one
would want someone deemed detrimental by her own country. She could get riches, but she
has no need for money.
No one will give her status and power back."
Lith almost felt bad for her. Being rejected by her academy was the best present that any
mage of commoner origins may ask. Without Linjos and his policy, even a Ballot would have
been of limited use.
People like him or Quylla would have been likely forced to quit.
"And when did this happen?"
"About two days ago. Seems someone aced his mock exam." Lark winked at him.
"Dammit, I opened my mind-mouth too soon! The Queen is too decisive, couldn't have let
her resign by her own will with an excuse? What if she tries to get back at Nana? Or me?" ¨C
Lith inwardly cursed.
Lark seemed to read his mind, promptly easing his worries.
"Rest assured, they would not take unnecessary risks. If the Court and the Association shamed
her like that, was to set an example.
I wouldn't be surprised if in a few months, when the investigations are finished, she would
choose to disappear from the public scene. As in forever." Another wink.
"That's a nice way to say she will be killed because deemed more dangerous than useful. I
must be really careful not suffering the same fate. Being part of the political system is a
double-edged sword. If I get involved too deep, they will not let me go.
They'll use my family to turn me in a dog on a leash." ¨C
"Thank you very much, Lark." They knew each other long enough to avoid honorifics when
alone.
"Sorry if I keep bothering you but, any news about my lost brother?" Lith had been true to his
word, and made the Count keep tabs on Orpal, preparing to deal with him in case he ever
decided to return.
"There is not much to add." Lark shook his head. "After getting into the orphanage, he was
renamed Meln. As per your request, I moved him in an institution at the edges of the County,
to make harder for him to get back in case of escape.
He had quite a hard life, from what I know. As soon as he became sixteen, he joined the
military. Has been honourably discharged after two years. After that, he left Lustria County
and never came back."
"Two years of military service." Lith thought. "Enough to earn merits, get rid of the disowned
brand and start a new life from scratch as a free man." ¨C
"I'll keep an eye out for him. What do you want me to do, in case he returns?"
"If he has no ill will, then just contact me as soon as you can. Otherwise, I must ask you to do
the same thing you would for your own family."
"Worry not!" Lark offered him his hand, and Lith promptly shook it.
"If I smell the slightest sign of trouble, I'll make sure he will never bother you ever again!"
Chapter 92 Solus¡¯ Surprise 2
Author's Note: I have renamed Master potionist in Alchemists, sounds much better imo
* * *
After a bit of chit-chat, the Count was forced to return to his daily routine. He had to manage
both his and the fief that once belonged to her late wife's family. Even with the help of his
children, it was still a mammoth task.
He knew very little of the neighbouring Milla County, and most of the old retainers where
either corrupt or untrustworthy, resenting the Lark household for what had happened to their
previous Lord.
Even after four years, there was still a lot to do and a lack of loyal personnel.
Lark had resolved to split the Counties, giving Lustria to his son, and the Ghishal's lands to his
daughter. That way, both had the opportunity to make their spouses marry in the Lark
household, allowing them a much ample choice.
Lith could not believe that both the Count's children would have an arranged marriage, while
Rena had been able to spend her life with the man she loved. Nobles had an easier life, but
even that came with a price tag.
Their personal life had to be sacrificed in the name of the responsibilities that their title
involved.
Having still a couple of hours before having to return home, at Solus' insistence Lith went back
to the withered zone, allowing Solus to take once more her proto tower form.
"That was mean on your side, you know?"
"What did I do wrong this time?" He sighed.
"I said that we have two labs, yet you didn't even glance at the alchemic one. Not even once."
"Maybe because I have no idea how a Master Alchemist works? It could be a room filled gold
bars or candy canes, I could not make head or tails anyway."
This time, Lith entered the second door, right in the alchemic lab.
It was different from the Forgemaster room; it was full of stills and small bottles. There were a
lot of glass jars, each with its own tag, marking the ingredient they were supposed to hold.
Yet just like the day before, everyone of them was empty. Lith walked among the jars, some
were for trivial things like wood shavings or metal beads, while others were labelled with
exotic monsters or magical creatures body parts.
Fur, claws, horns, everything seemed to have a use for Alchemists.
"Impressive." Lith admitted after examining what seemed like a production line.
"But I still don't get it!"
"Fine! Let me give you a recap of the first lesson."
Suddenly Lith found himself in Solus' memories, surrounded by ghost-like shapes that he
supposed were students attending the lesson. It seemed Solus hadn't paid them much
attention, they were so blurred to be unrecognizable.
The Professor, instead, appeared so real that Lith would have not be surprised if he turned
towards him and asked what the heck he was doing there.
"Hello, my dear students. My name is Peln Reflaar, and I'll teach you everything you'll ever
need to know about the art of alchemy."
He was a man in his early thirties, about 1.75 meters (5'9") high, with short blond hair and
grey eyes. He also had perfect teeth, white enough that Lith almost expected him to shoot
laser beams every time he smiled.
The tight-fitting clothes revealed a fit muscular body, full of vigour and energy. He was by far
the most handsome man Lith had ever seen.
"Some of you, may have heard that an Alchemist is the cheap copy of a Forgemaster.
Alas, that's not entirely false, but it's not true either. The reason because the two classes are
scheduled together, is because I am not going to lie to you. I won't sugarcoat any aspect of
this job.
So, if at any time you want to leave and join the Forgemastering course, you can do it."
After a second, since no one was moving, Reflaar continued talking.
"First of all, you have to know that I am new to this job. The old Professor, like his
Forgemaster colleague, had almost managed to make this class die. Alchemists already have a
poor reputation, couple that with a belligerent fool, and you get a recipe for a disaster.
Most students choose their specialization courses based on what their parents want or what
their heroes do. Do you remember a story with a valiant Alchemist as a protagonist? Well, me
neither.
The crafting department has always been the ugly duckling of magic, and I don't see it
changing in the near future. At least legendary rings, weapons and armours had to be
enchanted, so albeit with a secondary role, Forgemasters appear in those stories.
That leaves us completely out of the picture, to the point that many don't even know of our
existence. At this point, many should be asking themselves: 'what am I doing here?' or 'why
should I take this class?'."
His dramatic pause worked, Lith was eager for an explanation.
"The answer lies here." Reflaar opened his left hand, revealing what it resembled an orange
flavoured jelly bean. After letting the students take a good look of it, he backstepped a bit
before throwing it against the far end of the wall at his back.
As soon as it hit the wall, the jelly bean exploded, releasing raging flames. Only the class'
safety measures allowed the students to remain unscathed by both noise and heat.
"That, my students, was a tier three Fireball." Without letting them recover from the shock,
he took out a wand, and with a flicker of his wrist lightnings crashed one after the other
against the wall in the same spot the fireball had struck.
"And those were tier three Lightnings, all cast in rapid succession from a magic wand, with no
casting time or mana consumption."
Reflaar then took a pause, allowing them to understand what he was saying.
"As I told you before, I'm not going to lie to you. Being an Alchemist is an amazing job. Where
Forgemasters are like artists, spending lots of time and energy on every single one of their
creations, we Alchemists are like bakers.
The fruits of our endeavours are not made to last, cannot be passed down through
generations. They must be prepared quickly, in huge batches and for an affordable price,
saving countless lives every single day.
While laymen just sort us crafters based on our products, calling Forgemasters 'permanents'
and us 'consumables', I see our jobs in a completely different light. Forgemasters work to
build a better future, but Alchemists are the ones nurturing the present.
All that you are going to learn here, makes the difference on every single battlefield, be it a
skirmish or a war. Healing potions are vital for soldiers alone on the front lines.
A handful of fireball seeds can turn a battalion into ashes or, if planted by hand, secure a
perimeter."
"That's true! They can be used to create a minefield!" Lith exclaimed.
"The great advantage of alchemy over forgemastering, is that anyone, even non magicians
can proficiently use the things we create, not to mention the price is much lower.
On the other hand, though, a magical item is forever, an alchemical one cannot be recharged.
Another big difference between the two disciplines, is that alchemical spells require relatively
low mana, so each one of you will be able whip up quite a few things before
needing to rest.
Questions?"
"What use do ingredients have?" Asked a seemingly female voice.
"Good point! You see, while tier one can be bottled up as they are, from tier two and up, a
focus is needed for spells to retain their potency.
For example, the fireball seed I used earlier requires fur of a fire using magical beast, a
Phoenix Rose or any other ingredient with a high fire affinity. The most valuable ingredients
have all been found with a trial and error process, so feel free to experiment on your own.
Next question."
"I've seen in the Prize Hall physical enhancement potions. Why I have never heard about such
spells? And why those potions have side effects?" Said a male voice.
"That's an excellent one. The problem with such spells is twofold. First, their cast time is
absurdly long. The best Alchemist can cast one of them in around one minute, and their effect
lasts only for three minutes."
"One minute?!" Lith was flabbergasted. "Then they are useless!"
"That makes them useless in real battle." Raflaar's memory confirmed Lith's assumption.
"That's why it's much better bottle them up and save them for a later use.
Remember, Alchemy is the art of always been prepared. With enough time, one of us can
have access to the equivalent of several mages' worth of spells.
As for the side effects, injecting someone else's mana in your body is akin to poison. Even tier
one physical enhancement spells require ingredients to mitigate such effects. They are the
most expensive and useful potions for a mage.
That's why the Prize Hall only sells the tier one kind. To avoid students wasting points and
focusing more on the permanent magical tools. Alchemy is easier to find, and more
importantly, to afford.
Those of you that do not belong to really rich noble families, would not be able to afford
magical items for a long time, without the points system. Any more questions?"
Students asked for explanations one after the other. Lith wasn't that interested in the finest
details, so made Solus fast forward until the Professor gave a demonstration of an alchemic
spell.
He stood in front of what looked like a huge separating funnel, connected with several glass
A True Genius Worries Page 8
