Chapter 94

Chapter 94
## Chapter 94: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

Freya tilted her head, confusion written all over her expression.

“Teacher, isn’t this combination… supposed to not go together?”

“It is.”

It is?

At Lion’s direct response, Freya turned her head sideways like an owl trying to get a better look.

Lion tried to brush off her curious gaze and turned his attention back to the pot.

The process was going entirely according to plan.

The spirit stone, thoroughly coated in viscous sap, was precisely what he had intended to use.

The roots of the Flame Herb possessed a potent fire attribute, and they paired naturally with the Fire Spirit Stone.

The two components complimented each other effectively.

To be exact, the presence of the spirit stone neutralized the dangerous volatility of the Flame Herb.

* Caution: Explosion when gathering!

Lion recalled the warning message he had encountered when he first harvested the plant.

The Flame Herb was a volatile specimen capable of detonating like a explosive device if handled incorrectly, with the primary danger concentrated entirely in the root system.

‘This thing is practically a bundle of gunpowder.’

The heat radiating from the leaves could trigger the roots to blow, turning the whole plant into dynamite!

Naturally, knowing this risk, he had painstakingly harvested only the roots.

Lion retrieved his mortar, placing the lid back on top for a brief moment.

“Hick.”

Freya instinctively backed away from the pot.

Yet…

‘It’s completely quiet…?’

Naturally, since nothing was being actively heated, there was no sound at all.

That was quite different from the loud bubbling noises produced when they brewed spirit water and base solutions earlier.

“Hmm.”

Could the teacher actually be failing this attempt?

‘Right. Even someone as skilled as the teacher makes mistakes sometimes.’

Freya nodded thoughtfully to herself, already trying to figure out how to respond so her teacher wouldn’t feel embarrassed.

Lion noticed Freya’s hesitant demeanor but chose to stay silent.

She would understand everything once she saw the final result.

After a short while had passed…

Ssk.

Lion stood back up and lifted the lid.

Instantly, a refreshing fragrance wafted into the air!

It carried the soothing quality of an aromatherapy scent, blended with a raw, earthy, grassy aroma…

It was an intriguing scent that naturally drew one closer.

Freya hurriedly jotted down notes in her journal before lifting her head to sniff the unusual fragrance.

The Salamander resting near Nature also poked its head out, blinking curiously at the surroundings.

With a calm expression, Lion lifted the spirit stone out of the container.

The spirit stone, which had previously radiated a distinctive aura, now resembled an ordinary, dull rock.

Every last trace of elemental energy had been completely drained from it.

“Whoa. How did you do that?”

It had simply been a spirit stone and a clump of plant sap.

They were supposed to be completely incompatible!

Yet now, the two substances had fused seamlessly, almost as if showing off their new form.

“Freya. What typically happens to old spirit stones in the Elf Country?”

Old spirit stones?

‘Well, they generally get reabsorbed by the surrounding wilderness… Oh!’

At last, Freya began to grasp what Lion was attempting to achieve.

“Don’t tell me…!”

“Doesn’t this strike you as an effective nutrient supplement?”

Freya nodded enthusiastically.

If a raw spirit stone were buried directly, its concentration of power would be overwhelmingly intense, acting as a fatal poison to a Flame Herb trying to adapt to a completely new environment.

You know how plants often wither if you dump too much fertilizer on them all at once, right?

It was based on the exact same principle.

So what would happen if the energy was blended with familiar root sap beforehand?

The soil, rich in water elements, would become infused with the fire energy required for the Flame Herb to thrive, providing a steady, measured stream of nutrients—a double benefit.

‘He calculated all of this in advance?’

Freya’s jaw dropped in sheer disbelief.

She already knew her teacher possessed extensive knowledge regarding spirit stones, but applying their intrinsic properties in such a creative manner was an entirely different level of mastery.

Besides, hadn’t they only acquired a spirit stone very recently?

Even Freya, who had spent her life surrounded by countless spirit stones in the Elf Country, had never once considered such an approach.

Using alchemy to gently return the natural energy trapped inside a spirit stone back to the ecosystem.

Her teacher was genuinely incredible!

“It appears to have turned out quite well.”

Unfazed by Freya’s awestruck stare, Lion poured the thick, viscous liquid into a glass bottle.

『 Plant Nutrient – Fire (★★) 』

* Can be utilized to nourish fire-element flora. Revitalizes withered roots and even severed stems!
* Minimizes environmental shock when transplanting to new locations.

Just as anticipated.

An exceptional nutrient supplement had been successfully created.

Lion picked up the bottle and poured the mixture directly into the trench Freya had dug.

The moment it made contact with the earth, the nutrient was absorbed rapidly, just like water sinking into dry ground.

Following that, he placed a vibrant Flame Herb into the spot, carefully adjusting the soil so its delicate vertical roots wouldn’t snap.

Then…

Fwaaah!

The leaves, which had previously looked pale and scorched like burnt charcoal, shed their powdery exterior and flared into a brilliant display!

It was a complete success.

“Wow!”

Freya clapped her hands in delight as she watched the leaves shimmer in the rising heat waves.

“It worked!”

“Indeed. That’s a huge relief.”

Lion spoke calmly, though his gaze remained fixed intently on the Flame Herb.

He figured that providing the ideal nutrient would yield even more pronounced growth.

And true to his expectations.

“Huh?”

The Flame Herb began to expand far beyond its usual size on the snowy mountain peaks.

The stems shot upward visibly, and vibrant flower buds formed at their tips!

At last…

Paaah!

Delicate petals, glowing with colors reminiscent of dancing flames, burst into full bloom.

It was a staggering display of growth!

‘If it continues to flourish like this, I’ll be able to harvest a few later.’

A Flame Herb complete with blossoms.

It would undoubtedly serve as a superior ingredient for high-grade potions.

For the moment, however, finishing the hot spring for Rikschel and his family took precedence, so he decided to leave the plant alone for a while.

“It’s so beautiful…!”

Freya stared at the glowing petals with her mouth hanging open. It looked as though tiny flames from a match had transformed into living petals.

It was far more striking and mesmerizing than any ordinary flower she had ever laid eyes on.

“Oh, right!”

This wasn’t the time to get distracted.

Wasn’t the teacher planning to perform a Nature Transmutation next?

Wouldn’t that mean the water should have changed by now?

She wanted to check it right away.

Acting on impulse before she could think, she dipped the tip of her finger into the spring water.

‘Huh?’

Freya looked slightly baffled.

The water was still quite cold!

Of course, it had warmed up slightly due to the residual energy from the Flame Herb…

The chilly water had merely turned a bit lukewarm.

This certainly couldn’t be classified as a successful Nature Transmutation yet.

‘Is there more to it than this?’

As she wondered what her teacher’s next move would be, a sharp sound cut through the air.

Kkwaang!

“Eek!”

Startled, she turned her head and saw her teacher shattering a smooth boulder!

And he was using the very same pickaxe she had used to dig the dirt just a short while ago!

“T-Teacher?”

“Hoo. The stone around here is rather stubborn.”

Lion ignored his disciple’s anxious call and continued his work without missing a beat.

In fact, he looked far too concentrated to even register her voice.

At that moment, Lion’s mind was racing through calculations.

The architectural layout of the spring, the exact distance to the Flame Herb, and the precise placement for the connecting channels were all being computed automatically.

‘I just need to carve out a narrow channel.’

While observing the hot springs belonging to the Byrdentis household, Lion had identified two absolute necessities.

A Flame Herb to elevate the water temperature.

And a medium capable of linking everything together seamlessly.

That medium would be none other than the hot spring luminous ore.

‘If I mine enough luminous ore, I can tie the whole system together perfectly.’

The entire hot spring project had only been feasible because of this specific luminous ore.

The reasoning became obvious when one remembered why the “Flowing Tears,” the raw source of luminous ore, ranked among elite crafting ingredients.

It possessed a mana conductivity far superior to standard magic stones!

Furthermore, the luminous ore formed from those crystallized tears inherited that exact same exceptional property.

‘If I map the connections correctly, this will definitely work.’

Laying down the luminous ore in the precise spots was far more crucial than simply planting the Flame Herb.

Fortunately…

Whether due to his knowledge of the recipe or the lingering instincts of alchemy, Lion could clearly visualize the exact locations where installations were required.

That was a huge relief.

‘I initially figured it might turn into a grueling ordeal.’

Of course, since the designated work area wasn’t small, he would likely need to camp out and spend a couple of days right here.

‘That way, the timing will line up nicely with Rikschel’s arrival.’

To any outside observer, constructing a fully functional hot spring in a mere two days would seem astonishingly fast.

“Freya.”

“Yes, Teacher!”

“I’ll be busy digging out the stone channels from here on, so feel free to head back if you’re getting bored.”

“…In that case, should I go grab some rations and a sleeping bag?”

Understanding Lion’s work habits well, Freya focused on being helpful rather than nagging him to take a break.

‘He must be thinking of his family again.’

To be honest, Freya couldn’t fully relate to that kind of intense domestic devotion yet.

As a half-elf, she tended to be fairly independent by nature.

Even so, because it was something her teacher held so dearly, she wanted to understand.

‘Does he care about them hundreds of times more than he cares about me?’

She thought vaguely to herself.

“I’d appreciate that.”

“Got it! Leave it to me!”

Freya jumped up immediately and sprinted off.

“……!”

The Salamander, which hadn’t quite attuned to Freya’s frantic pace yet, scrambled after her in a desperate, sweat-inducing rush.

During the brief quiet that followed, Lion resumed his labor.

First, he chiseled out precise grooves into the rock at designated intervals.

“Hoo.”

Wiping sweat from his brow amidst the radiant heat of the Flame Herb, Lion walked back over to the alchemy pot.

A portion of the nutrient mixture still remained inside.

‘I might as well use this up completely.’

Lion reignited the fire beneath the pot.

His goal was to reduce the remaining mixture until it formed a thick, adhesive paste.

While the concoction simmered down, Lion returned to pickaxing the stone channels and eventually took a break to eat the meal Freya had brought back.

By then, a full day had already slipped by!

“Huttt…!”

Freya flinched at the intense wave of heat radiating through the air and retreated a short distance back toward the tree line.

‘It got this hot in just that amount of time?’

Standing near the site felt like stepping directly inside a blacksmith’s workshop.

The fierce heat combined with the surrounding humidity created an overwhelming blanket of warmth.

“I can handle the rest of the heavy lifting from here if you want to stay back.”

Of course, working in this environment without proper gear would normally be punishing.

“Are… are you holding up okay?!”

“This much is nothing.”

Thanks in part to his travel attire crafted from “Benevolent Love” material, Lion could endure the high temperatures without issue.

He simply treated it like visiting a traditional sauna, which made the intense warmth quite manageable.

Besides, the nearby spring water remained pleasantly lukewarm, offering a quick way to cool down.

Kkwaang!

Crash!

By the time Lion finished chiseling out the final stone channel, the sun had set on the second day.

“It’s certainly more pleasant once the sun goes down.”

As night descended, the intense radiation from the flora seemed to soften, bringing the ambient temperature down to a comfortable level.

Accompanied by a cool breeze drifting in intermittently from the forest, the atmosphere was ideal.

By then, the Flame Herb nutrient paste had also reduced completely, turning into a thick, moldable putty that could easily be shaped by hand.

Lion pulled out a pouch of luminous ore powder from his inventory.

He held the fine dust in one palm and a small hammer in the other.

Then…

Thwack!

He proceeded to pound the luminous ore—which was already ground down quite finely—until it turned into an ultra-fine powder!

He struck it with such care that a single puff of wind could scatter the particles away.

“All right, time for the next step…”

Lion tipped the pulverized luminous ore into the pot, kneading it thoroughly with his hands like bread dough until it formed a unified mixture.

As the plant sap and ore dust blended together, the substance transformed into a sticky, glowing clay.

『 Asteri Luminous Ore Clay (★★) 』

* Luminous ore mixed with an unusual botanical extract to form a cohesive clay.
* No conventional application listed. Why was such a high-grade process used for this?
* Appears exceptionally well-suited for sealing gaps and joints.

“Hmm. It turned out just right.”

—

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