Chapter 64

Chapter 64
Chapter 64: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

“Aaah!”

I still haven’t grasped the fundamental mechanics at all.

Even so, the two solutions blended seamlessly into a clear, brownish shade.

Bubble, bubble.

Yet that distinct bubbling tone persisted unchanged.

Lion had laid out the entire process right before my eyes without holding anything back, but…

“Well, thanks for your help. I’ll finish this up now.”

“Ah, yes!”

Freya stepped backward, keeping her eyes fixed on Lion’s concluding steps.

The mixture inside the cauldron transitioned rapidly from dense and viscous back to a fluid, water-like consistency.

The procedure evidently demanded considerable exertion, as Lion’s forearm visibly trembled.

And right at the instant the liquid clarified once more.

Lion swiftly decanted the contents of the pot into the distiller and murmured softly.

“Extract.”

Fwaaat!

The apparatus emitted a brief flash, and a reddish-brown, translucent fluid began to cascade into the vial!

“Good.”

Lion retrieved the newly crafted potion, swirling it from side to side just as he had earlier with the spirit water concentrate.

As he did, tiny bubbles surfaced, and the elixir shifted hues with every motion.

It turned clear, then transitioned to reddish-brown, before settling back into a deep brown.

‘It was adequate on its own, but something was still missing.’

Namely.

Lion produced the water spirit stone, which he had reserved until now, and dropped it straight into the mixture.

“Eeeek!”

Freya, who had been staring blankly at the finished product, let out an involuntary gasp.

Even considering it’s a spirit stone, why toss a rock directly into a completed potion…?

“Huh? Uhh?”

Yet, it appeared not just any spirit stone would suffice.

The stone Lion introduced wedged itself precisely in the center of the vial, functioning much like a sieve!

“Master, why did you add that?”

“Well, I wanted to experiment with incorporating all four elements, you see?”

More accurately, it was to encase the other volatile elements within the water spirit stone to bring them into balance, but.

Delivering a detailed breakdown… would only multiply the questions regarding how Lion possessed such knowledge in the first place.

‘And Freya will figure it out eventually if she keeps practicing.’

Regardless, Lion examined the finalized spirit water with evident contentment.

『Lion’s Special Spirit Water (★★★)』

* A draft suitable for both spirit masters and spirits alike!
* Ideal for nurturing a young spirit’s vitality and serving as a nourishing treat for their masters!
* The effervescence, resembling falling stars upon consumption, provides exceptional digestive support.

『Created a Potion Like No Other in the World!』

『Unlocked the ‘Lost Puzzle (1)’ achievement!』

『Gained 3,500 Shillings.』

Because he had forged something entirely unprecedented rather than relying on a pre-existing formula, a novel achievement manifested.

Yet that was not the end of it!

『Ascended to Master Status and Guided a Disciple onto a Fresh Path.』

『Received the ‘Disciple’s Progress’ bonus, yielding extra experience points!』

『Alchemy Proficiency has advanced to Skilled Lv.3.』

“Oho!”

An advancement straight from Skilled!

This is a substantial leap.

The gap in the experience meter was vast when comparing a few minor stage increases at Apprentice versus Skilled.

Where mastering an Apprentice rank might demand brewing a hundred drafts, Skilled required at least tenfold that amount.

Yet thanks to the ‘Disciple’s Progress’ modifier, the bonus experience bridged the gap…

‘Taking on a disciple might not be such a bad arrangement after all.’

If the system offered perks like this, the endeavor was well justified.

As Lion alternated his gaze between the vial and the system interface, these thoughts crossed his mind.

“……Amazing.”

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been startled.

It became crystal clear that my master’s alchemy operated on a plane I could never hope to reach.

Even while participating directly, posing every question that came to mind, and receiving patient answers, I remained utterly clueless.

Consequently, I couldn’t even venture a guess as to what realm my master inhabited.

On the flip side, I had a much clearer read on the spirit master aspect.

For one, spirits possessed distinct hierarchies, and my master had established communication with high-tier entities instantaneously. If he chose to pursue this path further… at the absolute minimum…

‘He could likely forge contracts with the highest-grade spirits.’

He might even summon ancient entities that traditionally required the combined efforts of Elders within specialized environments.

The apex of mastery itself.

I became convinced that Lion Asteri’s potential could easily target that summit.

And alchemy?

‘I can’t even perceive the boundary.’

What could possibly constitute the zenith of alchemy?

Crafting the legendary Elixir carried by the Hero half a century ago?

Or brewing a virulent poison potent enough to contaminate an entire river with a single drop?

That had initially been Freya’s ultimate vision of the craft.

Yet…

I began to suspect that wasn’t the half of it.

Perhaps he was capable of effortlessly materializing far greater wonders.

Such grand expectations took root in my mind.

‘Someone of that caliber is my master…’

This was a breakthrough secured through a string of sheer coincidences.

Even if our master-disciple bond was technically temporary for now.

It was an opportunity I had to grasp with both hands.

One of the rare chances afforded in a lifetime.

No, this might well be the singular opportunity of a lifetime!

Freya turned toward Lion and lowered her head in a profound bow.

“You are incredible, Master! I pledge to serve you with all my heart from this day forward!”

“Huh?”

Lion, snapped back to reality from the intoxicating glow of his experience gains, blinked in confusion.

‘Did I actually teach that well?’

In truth, I hadn’t done much of anything.

It mostly boiled down to, ‘Here, do it like this, or like that.’

Why can’t they manage this much?

…I had worried I was failing as an irresponsible, genius-type mentor.

“As you just witnessed, I’m not exactly gifted when it comes to instruction.”

“It’s more than enough. I just need to absorb whatever I can!”

“I’ll likely keep teaching you in this exact same manner, though?”

“If you’re willing to teach me, no! Even if you just let me watch… no, no! Even if you only check in on me occasionally, that’s more than enough, so please take me on as your formal disciple!”

Well… if she desired it with that level of desperation.

‘It’s definitely not just for the experience points.’

Honestly, who wouldn’t relish having someone praise them so fervently right by their side?

Though the start had felt a bit awkward, everything had smoothed out nicely.

“Very well. I’ll be counting on you, then.”

“Thank you…!!”

Freya appeared genuinely overcome, her wide eyes shimmering with tears as she poured out her gratitude…

“Oops.”

Regrettably, Lion’s quarters were currently so choked with dense clouds that visibility was practically zero.

Lion gathered the finished drafts and stepped out into the corridor.

“First off, let’s distribute these potions.”

“Yes!”

Freya puffed out her chest and immediately set off with brisk steps.

—

“How dare you commit such an act of discourtesy on your very first day!”

“S-Sorry… Ugh!”

“Is it truly that difficult to engage in proper diplomatic exchange? Good grief! I can practically hear the dignity of the elves crumbling to dust all the way out here…”

Embrogh was utterly dumbfounded by the latest report.

Had these people brought this level of chaos purely because they were given a bit of leeway?

‘No, no, that’s not how it usually works.’

Under normal circumstances.

An incident of this scale within the Elf Country would have been swiftly neutralized.

With ample medicines and spirit stones at hand, calming the agitated entities first, severing the summons, and forcing the culprits to run ten laps around the forest perimeter would have fixed everything.

Except right now.

Spirit stones were entirely absent.

‘And even if they existed, they’d belong to that Half-Elf.’

Embrogh massaged his throbbing temples.

Given the current predicament, there was no alternative. They had no choice but to swallow their pride, endure the embarrassment, and wait for the storm to blow over.

At the very least, it was a relief that the high-level entities hadn’t gone berserk.

Had that occurred…

‘The damage wouldn’t stop at mere weather anomalies like this…’

A full-scale tempest would have torn through the Asteri household.

In that scenario, all diplomatic ties and Lion himself would be finished.

Furthermore, he shuddered to think how the Elder Elves would react.

Embrogh shivered involuntarily.

While the Elder was typically mild-mannered and cheerful, once provoked, they pursued matters to the bitter end.

That stubborn resolve was precisely why they had once marched directly into an all-out war against the Demon Race alongside the king.

“…Sigh.”

No, dwelling on hypotheticals was a luxury he couldn’t afford right now.

Embrogh shook his head briskly and demanded.

“How many entities are currently creating active disturbances?”

“Five low-grade spirits, one Sylph, and one Undine.”

“Order their respective contractors to terminate the summons immediately.”

“Pardon?”

“B-but if they do that…”

Forcibly severing a summon in an unfamiliar environment could cause a contractor to lose their bonded entity entirely.

Moreover, if the spiritual bond wasn’t yet firmly established, the entity might vanish forever.

“If we leave things as they are, those clouds will engulf the entire village. Should that happen, even if the Asteri family attempts to hush it up, the Human Empire will be forced to intervene.”

Naturally, such an extreme outcome was unlikely.

The master of this domain was none other than Petrick Asteri.

However, Embrogh remained oblivious to the delicate political power dynamics governing human society.

Consequently, he was resorting to drastic measures.

“…”

And the accompanying elves were similarly ignorant of those realities.

“It can’t be helped.”

Embrogh muttered with a bitter grimace.

He was, after all, an elf who held a profound affection for spirits.

His entire career was driven by a passion for nurturing the next generation of spirit masters.

Even so, any entanglement with the Human Empire had to be averted at all costs.

The elf who comprehended Embrogh’s underlying intentions closed his eyes tightly and dipped his head.

“Understood. I will instruct the masters of the Sylph and Undine to release their summons…”

*Creeeak!*

Before he could even complete the sentence.

The heavy, sealed door swung inward with a groan.

“Ah, you’re all gathered here.”

“…!”

And the figure who stepped across the threshold was none other than Lion Asteri.

‘This complicates matters.’

It wasn’t as though Lion’s presence was unwelcome.

In fact, under normal circumstances, they should have been thrilled by his proactive interest… but.

The timing was atrocious.

Besides, they had just reached a painful decision.

Even Embrogh was struggling with the burden, let alone the junior elves.

There was a distinct risk that the mounting frustration might be misdirected at the innocent Lion. He needed to be ushered away promptly.

“Lion, we deeply appreciate your visit, but the present circumstances are rather…”

“That’s precisely why I’m here.”

“What do you mean?”

“How many individuals are currently present in this room?”

As Lion flicked his hand outward…

“…!”

A collection of low-tier wind spirits pooled their energy, instantly parting the dense cloud cover to unveil the surrounding view!

“W-What is this!”

“Hoo.”

Despite the gravity of the crisis, the elves’ jaws dropped as they witnessed firsthand the staggering depth of a human’s spirit affinity.

Meanwhile, having gauged the exact head count within the room, Lion began distributing the vials.

“It’s nothing extravagant, but I believe consuming this will make you feel considerably better. It functions as both a restorative draught and a digestive aid.”

“…Look, Lion, we appreciate your thoughtfulness under the circumstances, but unfortunately, even if the spirit masters recover their stamina, the spirits themselves won’t regain their senses anytime soon.”

“I’m well aware.”

“You know?”

“Freya filled me in.”

Only then did Freya step fully into Embrogh’s field of view.

“Then why on earth did you tell us to drink this right now?”

When confronted with the question, looking genuinely perplexed, Lion merely offered a faint smile.

“The incident has already transpired, so please, just drink it—even if you harbor your doubts.”