Episode 317
Episode 317
"Are you perhaps angry?"
How could that be... I am the Helmet of Wisdom. My sole purpose is to provide wise answers to seekers, such trivial...
'He seems angry.'
Lee Han thought to himself.
People who ramble on like that are rarely not angry.
Of course, the Helmet of Wisdom was an artifact, but there was no rule saying it couldn't hold grudges.
"Hmm. Helmet of Wisdom... An artifact like you that possesses self-awareness and can answer questions once a month must be extremely rare, right?"
One could say that.
The Helmet of Wisdom answered with visible delight.
It finally seemed this young student had recognized its value.
The Helmet of Wisdom's purpose was to explore and accumulate all the world's knowledge.
To that end, it didn't matter how dangerous its owner became.
To pursue its purpose, the helmet's owner should depend on it and keep asking questions...
Yet this insolent student had tossed it into a pile of luggage and only picked it up after a long while.
Still, since he seemed to recognize its value now, it could forgive him.
"Thanks."
Wait... Why isn't he asking any questions? Since he can only do it once a month, shouldn't he ask as much as possible?
"Nope. It'd be a hassle when selling you."
Wha...!
Lee Han carefully wrapped the helmet and placed it inside a wooden box.
The thought of exchanging it along with the ring for silver coins filled him with boundless joy.
Yoner sighed as he saw Lee Han approaching from afar.
Watching his friend walk into the Valley of Darkness with no way to stop him was utterly disheartening.
"I warned you, right? Don't blame me later."
Yoner repeated anxiously several times.
The alchemy workshop of Yoanen Maykin, located in the guild district west of Granden City.
Among alchemists, it was infamous as the brutal hell of alchemy workshops.
A place where not a single mistake nor a second of waste was permitted.
Yoner had avoided this workshop ever since he'd clung to his sister's skirt as a child, visited out of curiosity, then fled crying in terror.
"Yoner. The only thing I'll say to you later is thank you."
"...Lee Han. I like silver coins too but... life might not be all about silver coins."
Yoner never imagined such absurd, embarrassing words would come from his own mouth.
"It's not all about silver coins. I know that. But life's easier with them."
"That's true."
Their personalities were too similar for Yoner to deny Lee Han's point. As Yoner unconsciously agreed, Lee Han opened the workshop door and stepped inside.
"Wai—"
Thud!
The first thing Lee Han saw upon entering was an alchemist pouring a potion onto another alchemist's face.
"You made trash. Get out. I have no need for the likes of you."
"Wh-what! Do you know where I've worked before saying that?! The Cheongsong Guild and the Classen Workshop...!!"
"I don't care where you worked. I only judge current skills. And you just wasted more of my time with useless talk."
Before the words even finished, a golem appeared. It grabbed the alchemist by both arms and threw them out the workshop door.
The alchemist who gave the order didn't even say "Back to work."
The other alchemists in the workshop didn't even glance up, completely focused on their tasks.
"Is this Einrogard?"
"That's what I've been telling you..."
Yoner said in a weakened voice.
He was worried he might lose a friend after the semester break.
Yoanen adjusted her amethyst glasses with a gloved hand and greeted them.
"Welcome. I've been waiting. You're earlier than our appointment time."
"Thinking about working at this famously prestigious workshop in the city made my heart race so much I couldn't wait."
"......"
Yoner looked at Lee Han with a complicated expression.
He knew his friend was good at flattery, but this was really...
The flattery seemed to work, as Yoanen's eyes softened behind her amethyst glasses.
"To already have such dedication despite being a lower-year student... No wonder your reputation precedes you."
"Thank you. Wait—what reputation are you referring to?"
"I heard you overwhelmingly defeated a mage from Baldrogard?"
"That rumor has some misunderstandings..."
"And that you subdued a basilisk at the imperial family's estate."
"Well, that part is true, but even then—"
"Also that you recently returned from vanquishing an evil Otherworld entity."
'Does this city have some kind of professors' bulletin board too?'
Lee Han shuddered at the terrifying efficiency of Granden City's social circles in sharing information, much like the professors at Einrogard.
Of course, having a reputation wasn't necessarily bad.
But a reputation that far exceeded one's actual abilities would only bring poison.
What if someone misunderstood him as "someone whose hobbies include reverse-summoning evil Otherworld entities or catching basilisks"?
Lee Han had already experienced that once at Einrogard. He had no desire for a repeat performance.
"You probably didn't actually slay an Otherworld being, right? Must be a miscommunication," Yoner said, coming to his defense with a puzzled expression.
Lee Han replied bitterly, "Actually, I did."
"...When?!"
"With those White Tiger Tower guys after we registered as adventurers. Those idiots kept pointlessly charging in, so—"
"......"
Yoner gave up on defending her friend.
At this point, it seemed less like Lee Han was unlucky and more like he was the architect of his own misfortune.
"There's no need to worry too much. The tasks in the workshop won't be that dangerous," Yoanen reassured.
"Really?" Yoner asked, her voice thick with concern.
It already felt like they were 30 minutes away from losing a friend.
"Of course. Think about it, Yoner. The alchemists working here are all exceptional with at least a decade of experience. No matter how talented someone is, they wouldn't immediately assign dangerous tasks to a first-year student."
"That's true..."
Yoner was slightly swayed by her sister's reasoning.
After all, no matter how talented Lee Han was, he hadn't yet learned all the intricate secrets of alchemy.
Lee Han, listening nearby, whispered to Yoner, "Hmm. Yoner, I really don't want to say this, but even someone unqualified can still be put to work."
Just like Professor Verdus, even if Lee Han's magical skills weren't up to par yet, he had one outstanding advantage—an immeasurably vast mana pool.
"So—"
"Ah, Yoner, could you deliver this letter to Madame Onet for me? She'd be delighted to see you after so long," Yoanen interjected, handing Yoner a letter.
Yoner took the letter, her face a mix of unease and worry as she glanced at Lee Han, as if fearing her friend might drop dead the moment she looked away.
"Go on. I'll be fine."
"...Be careful, Lee Han. Remember what I said earlier."
As Yoner closed the door behind her, Yoanen asked curiously, "May I ask what your friend said earlier?"
"She said life might not be all about silver coins."
"That doesn't sound like her at all."
Lee Han was slightly taken aback by her unwavering trust in her sister.
"Well, anyway... Now that she's gone, shall we begin?"
"Yes."
"Let's go."
Yoanen rose and began walking down the workshop corridor.
The complex scents wafting from every corner unmistakably marked this as an alchemist's workshop.
"Do you know where we are?"
"Master Maykin's workshop?"
"Correct."
Yoanen waved her staff, summoning ingredients from the cabinets.
Water filled the cauldron, and herbs were crushed above it. As the flames beneath the cauldron flared, heat rose.
"The potion we're making now is <Dobruk's Soul-Returning Elixir>. Have you heard of it?"
"I only know what kind of potion it is."
Professor Thunderstep was a mischievous person, but unlike some deranged vampire professor, he wasn't the type to threaten someone into brewing an impossible potion on the spot.
In that regard, <Dobruk's Soul-Returning Elixir> was a high-difficulty potion far beyond Lee Han's current level.
It required several spells Lee Han hadn't learned yet, and the ingredients and methods involved were far more complex...
"Knowing about it is already impressive. What you'll be assisting me with today is preparing and adding the main ingredient, Draphila, to this Soul-Returning Elixir. To put it simply, you'll be acting as my assistant."
At first glance, it sounded fairly simple, but Lee Han didn't let his guard down.
The world wasn't so generous as to hand out silver coins that easily.
"Is there anything I should be careful about when adding it?"
At Lee Han's question, Yoanen's eyes gleamed.
As expected of Einrogard's top student—he grasped things quickly even without detailed explanations.
"Prepare it according to this diagram. By the way, do you know the <Component Amplification> spell? I doubt you've learned it yet."
"If you teach me, I'll learn it."
"We're on a tight schedule today, so learn it within 30 minutes."
Yoanen was gradually revealing her quiet madness.
Had Yoner been here, she would've pleaded, "Please get a grip, sis, he's my friend!"
What kind of mage asks someone to learn a spell they've never seen before in just 30 minutes?
"Understood."
But Lee Han wasn't flustered or surprised.
He had already encountered far crazier people at Einrogard.
Yoanen briefly explained the wand movements, incantation, and the flow of mana.
"Think of it as an extension of the <Component Separation> spell—it should come naturally."
"I understand."
"Try it."
Lee Han swung his wand. And succeeded on the first attempt.
Yoanen was impressed.
She had expected it to take the full 30 minutes, but he had managed it in one go.
A sense of anticipation welled up—she had truly brought in a promising talent.
"Excellent."
"Thank you."
"Now, extract and amplify the liquid component from the Draphila."
This, too, seemed simple but was anything but.
Draphila was a plant whose liquid component was tightly bound within its roots—just extracting it was no ordinary feat.
If forced recklessly, the roots would crumble before the liquid could be extracted, leaving behind a messy mixture.
To accomplish this, one needed not only exceptional mana control but also a deep understanding and experience with the water element.
Crack!
With a sound like crumpling fabric, the liquid component was extracted from the Draphila.
Had there been other alchemists in the workshop, they would've been stunned.
No matter how talented, for a first-year student to already perform at this level...
But Yoanen shook her head.
"There are impurities in the component. You'll need to do it again."
This was the full-fledged madness Yoner had worried about.
Even if the other person achieved 99%, if they fell short by 1% of perfection, she would point it out and demand a redo.
Had other alchemists been present, they would've pleaded, "Lady Maykin, this is why you can't keep assistants—please calm down!" But unfortunately, there was no one else in the workshop right now.
"Understood."
Lee Han extracted the liquid again. Yoanen sighed regretfully.
"There's some waste in the extraction. You'll need to do it again."
"Alright."
"There was an issue with the amplification. Some degradation occurred—you'll need to redo it."
"No problem."
Normally, even after succeeding in such a high-difficulty process, being told to redo it over minor flaws would make anyone grit their teeth by the second attempt and storm out by the third.
But unfortunately, there wasn't a single sane person in this workshop right now.
"How about this?"
"Almost there. You'll need to redo—"
"Sure."
Yoner burst through the door, panting.
"I'm back! Nothing bad happened, right?!"
"Nothing much."
"We were just working smoothly."
Lee Han and Yoanen greeted her with serene smiles that silently asked, Why the fuss?
Yoner found their smiles strangely eerie.