Episode 296
Episode 296
"Let's go! Time to show off our skills!"
The alchemist said with a face full of determination.
Lee Han hesitated slightly before asking.
"Um... I actually wanted to meet Yoner of the Maykin Family..."
"Ah! Perfect timing. The person evaluating us today is none other than Yoner of the Maykin Family. Just follow me."
Hearing the alchemist's words, Lee Han brightened up.
He'd felt bad about interrupting the busy Maykin Family members to call them over, but according to the alchemist, it seemed he could meet Yoner just by going along like this.
Ratford tilted his head in confusion.
"Lord Wardanaz. I don't understand... Isn't Lord Maykin a first-year like us? I know he's exceptional in alchemy, but is he really qualified to evaluate newly created potions?"
"That's a fair point. Perhaps other alchemists from his family will be advising him?"
Noble families often pooled achievements to boost their heirs' reputations.
If family alchemists provided counsel while evaluations were conducted under Yoner's name, it wouldn't be particularly surprising.
"I see. Noble families truly are fascinating."
"Right? These are all things worth learning for future use, Ratford."
"Thank you... Huh?"
Ratford looked puzzled.
Future use for what?
'Is he telling me to steal something?'
"Basic ingredients on the left, additional ingredients in front! If you require special materials, leave a note on the right! Request any alchemical tools you need separately! Causing major accidents inside will make you liable for damages, so call for a supervisor if you feel uncertain!"
The Maykin Family servant rattled off instructions like a rapid-fire chant.
His face clearly showed the desperation of someone who needed to finish this task quickly and move to the next.
"Wait. Aren't you nobility? Why are you here?"
Only then did the servant notice Lee Han and Ratford's attire and flustered.
Nobles shouldn't need to wait in line with the commoners gathered before the mansion.
They could simply send someone under their family name to arrange a private meeting.
The alchemist interjected sternly.
"Even nobles must wait if they come empty-handed."
"What kind of...? Never mind, understood. Call if you need anything!"
The servant decided it was better to leave them be rather than risk further rudeness by meddling.
Staying quiet always kept you safely in the middle.
"Now. Shall we begin?"
The alchemist grinned at Lee Han.
Until moments ago, they'd been companions with the same goal—now they were practically competitors.
"When will the Maykin Family member arrive?"
"They'll come once we finish the potion, won't they?"
Lee Han pondered briefly.
Things were getting complicated. Maybe he should go out now, stop a servant, and explain there'd been some misunderstanding.
'Hmm. That would just make things awkward.'
But doing so might land everyone—from the gatekeeper to the servant who guided them—in an uncomfortable position.
Failing to properly receive a noble guest was a serious offense, and someone would have to take responsibility to save face.
"Ratford. I think we should have revealed our status back at the main gate."
"......"
Ratford stared at Lee Han as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Seriously...!
"So that was the right move after all? No, something felt off! You're from the Wardanaz Family..."
"Exactly. Everyone was lining up, so I just naturally joined the queue."
"If we'd announced ourselves when entering..."
"That alchemist started shouting first, so I missed the chance. Though it probably would've caused a commotion anyway."
Lee Han scratched his cheek before making a decision.
"Let's just make the potion and call Yoner. Once we meet him, we can quietly sort this out."
"Understood."
"Heh. Finally made up your mind, have you? What potion will you make?"
"Low-grade stamina recovery potion."
"I'll be making a low-grade stamina recovery potion."
"?!"
The alchemist Kaljunin was taken aback by their words.
This was a precious opportunity to be evaluated by the Maykin family.
Under normal circumstances, even crafting his most extraordinary original potion at 120% perfection wouldn't be enough—so why this?
"Will that be acceptable?"
Ratford looked at Lee Han as if asking how to respond.
But for Lee Han, who had been brutally trained at Einrogard, this situation was as natural as breathing.
"Sometimes the most fundamental things can be the most magnificent."
"The most fundamental things...the most magnificent?"
"If there were two alchemists—one who's made a single potion a thousand times, and another who's made a thousand potions once each—which do you think would be more skilled?"
"...!"
Kaljunin felt as if lightning had struck him.
That...actually made sense.
'Is that so? Have I been harboring unnecessary greed?'
Kaljunin had been agonizing over how to showcase more than his actual capabilities.
But upon reflection, that was simply overambition.
The Maykin family's outstanding alchemists would undoubtedly see through such pretentiousness.
"I see...!"
Kaljunin nodded deeply, having gained profound insight.
Rather than forcing himself to make a potion he lacked confidence in, perhaps it was better to demonstrate what he truly excelled at.
Ratford whispered with an impressed expression:
"That explanation just now...it was truly moving."
"Really? But I just threw it out casually, so don't take it too seriously."
"......"
The three alchemists began busily preparing the potion.
With lively sounds, they chopped ingredients, ground them in stone mortars, boiled water over flames beneath cauldrons, and swung their wands while chanting spells...
"The color seems a bit cloudy? Boil it for another minute."
"Understood."
Ratford responded, then suddenly frowned in realization.
"But this isn't actually an exam, is it?"
"Since we're doing it anyway, might as well do it well. It's not like studying benefits anyone else, right?"
"Y-yes, that's true."
Feeling the calm madness unique to the top student, Ratford shivered slightly.
'So this is the mindset needed to be first in the year,' he thought.
Yoanen Maykin carefully wiped his amethyst glasses before putting them back on.
Then he asked a servant:
"They're in the waiting room now?"
"Yes. All three of them."
"How did they seem?"
"I-I wouldn't dare presume to evaluate, but...ah, two seemed to be of noble birth."
"Ohhh?"
Yoanen ran his fingers through his red hair and asked again:
"Which families?"
"They seemed like nobles..."
"Then why wait in the visitors' room?"
"...I'm not certain about that either."
Seeing the servant's flustered expression, Yoanen didn't press further.
Well, if the guests chose to wait, what could the servant possibly say about it?
"Perhaps they wished to be evaluated on merit rather than family name?"
"Ah! That might indeed be the case."
"An admirable attitude. Let's go."
"Are you sure? You should probably get more rest..."
"One hour of sleep per day is sufficient for a person."
"......"
The servant followed hesitantly, thinking 'Is this really okay?'
Entering the waiting room, Yoanen headed straight for the guest workshop.
As he stepped inside, the alchemists inside rose to greet him. Yoanen gestured for them to remain at ease and immediately examined the potion.
"Why this Olivine Potion rather than something new? It's not particularly difficult to make, is it?"
Kaljunin answered nervously:
"Originally, I intended to present my own original potion. But upon reflection, I realized it would be better to show you a potion I can make perfectly rather than force an imperfect creation."
"I see. Good that there's no pointless pretentiousness here. Well considered."
"Thank you!"
"Next..."
Yoanen was slightly taken aback when he saw the next potion.
"Even if it's a potion you can make well, isn't this one a bit too simple?"
"Well..."
Before Lee Han could even finish speaking, Yoanen opened the vial's lid and examined the potion.
And then he was astonished.
'This...?'
The <Low-Grade Stamina Recovery Potion> was so famous that there were dozens of known recipes for it.
It was the kind of potion even those who hadn't studied alchemy would attempt to make based on rumors and common knowledge.
But of course, having many recipes didn't mean the quality was the same. The more variations there were, the more the quality varied wildly.
And this <Low-Grade Stamina Recovery Potion> was truly exceptional.
A refined recipe, the skill of an outstanding alchemist, and...
'Just how much mana was poured into this?'
Alchemy wasn't just about adding ingredients precisely. The more complex the recipe, the more a mage's magic was required.
An outstanding alchemist had to be an outstanding mage as well.
But this potion contained several times more mana than others.
It was clear that the mage had pushed their mana to the absolute limit without disrupting the potion's balance.
A level of mana control bordering on artistry.
"No need to deliberate on this one. Passed. What do you want?"
Yoanen lifted his gaze from the potion and turned his head.
Then he noticed the two young students looking at him with slightly bewildered expressions.
"Um, could you call Yoner, please?"
"...??!"
When someone who looked unmistakably like Yoner's older sister rather than Yoner herself entered, Lee Han turned to Kaljunin and asked,
"I thought Yoner of the Maykin Family was doing the evaluations?"
"Ah... My apologies. I must have been nervous and mistaken. It was Yoanen, you see."
"......"
If this were Einrogard, he would've thrown a punch right then, but unfortunately, they were outside the academy.
Lee Han suppressed his irritation and waited for Yoanen's potion evaluation.
"...No need to deliberate on this one. Passed. What do you want?"
"Um, could you call Yoner, please?"
Yoanen was startled, then belatedly collected himself.
"Are you perhaps Yoner's friend? An Einrogard student?"
"Yes."
"You're... nobility, correct?"
"That's right."
"And yet you still wanted a proper evaluation?"
Yoanen looked at Lee Han with an admiring expression.
Lee Han answered firmly.
"No."
"No?"
Lee Han briefly explained what had happened since arriving at the estate's main gate.
Yoanen responded with an apologetic expression.
"I'm truly sorry. No matter how busy the estate is, it's unacceptable to neglect my sibling's friend like this."
"It's not your fault. I made a mistake."
"Thank you for being considerate of the servants. They're all dear to us."
Yoanen was deeply impressed by Lee Han's thoughtfulness.
It was rare for someone from a noble family to show such consideration for another family's servants.
"Which family are you from?"
"Ah. It seems today is particularly busy."
Lee Han deftly sidestepped the question.
When the name of the Wardanaz family was mentioned, people's reactions usually split into two.
One was respect, as the foremost magical noble house of the Empire.
The other was fear, as the Empire's infamous mad mage family.
Since he hadn't even met Yoner yet, he didn't want to gamble on a fifty-fifty chance.
"Today? No. Today we actually have relatively few guests."
"Huh? But there were people outside the estate..."
"On busy days, you might have to wait a full day just to get inside."
Lee Han was impressed.
The Maykin Family was undoubtedly even wealthier than he'd imagined.
"It's a family rule. Since we never know what kind of talent might visit, we must give everyone our best hospitality. After all, we've had truly exceptional people come this way, haven't we?"
"Not at all."
Yoanen looked even more pleased at Lee Han's modest response.
It seemed his sibling had made a good friend.
He'd been worried that taking care of that foolish imperial cousin might have prevented them from making decent connections.
"Ah, right. So which family are you from? I didn't catch your answer earlier."
"...The Wardanaz Family."
"Which one?"
"The Wardanaz Family."
"......"