Chapter 289

Chapter 289: Colorful Juice

On the last day of their brief holiday, the school had arranged nothing for the students but free time.

To thank Florasia, Lolan Hill invited her good friend over to her home in the evening. It was actually her first time hosting a guest actively; in this lifetime, only Tides occasionally visited her, and she always brought her own food.

Lolan Hill wasn’t well-versed in the detailed etiquette of entertaining nobles. After pulling Florasia out of the house, she felt a bit nervous, fearing that she might not have done a good job. She wished Chelsea were there; the head maid from the Verdant Empire was incredibly versatile and seemed capable of handling any situation.

Fortunately, Florasia wasn’t someone who demanded elaborate etiquette. She hadn’t thought much about it; she simply listened to Lolan Hill say they would go to her place to eat. What intrigued her more was where Lohil lived, hidden so discreetly.

Two girls in white dresses slowly descended from the sky. They landed in a quiet alley within the Temple Academy, where the cobblestones, slightly greenish in hue, paved the street. Occasionally, melted snow dripped from the eaves of the houses, splashing onto the blades of grass growing in the cracks.

Lohil took out a key and inserted it into the lock of the iron gate, turning it with a click. The gate opened with a slight pull.

“This is it,” Lohil led Florasia inside, then closed the gate again. The cold iron bars stuck to her hands in winter.

Entering the small courtyard, there was a small patch of emerald grass in front, with several large bluish stones laid among the grass leading to the oak door.

The cottage had only one floor, with the hall in front and the bedroom at the back. On the side were the kitchen, bathroom, storeroom, and other rooms.

“Is Lohil living here?” Florasia looked around curiously. Although the room wasn’t big, the furnishings were cozy. Next to the light blue curtains was a small desk, on which lay a few books, a pen holder, ink, candlesticks, and beside it, two chairs, one of which had a small bear plush toy. Inside the hall, near the wall, was a fireplace, with iron plates on both sides that could be closed. This fireplace was used in both the bedroom and the hall, though mainly in the hall.

In front of the fireplace was a large square carpet, gray with a soft texture, on which sat a small coffee table and two sofas, with several light green cushions on the sofa. On the other side of the room was a wall cabinet, filled with cups and other utensils.

The overall style was quite simple, with warm tones. If it were for ordinary people, it would be normal, but in Florasia’s eyes, it lacked some of the liveliness expected of a young lady, except for the small bear plush toy. Upon reflection, she realized she was also quite accustomed to it; if she moved into such a house, she probably wouldn’t change much either.

Although Florasia came from a good background, she wasn’t particularly picky.

The person was quite amiable, which was similar to Lolan Hill. As long as the living environment was clean and tidy, and not too noisy, they could adapt.

Although they pursued beauty, they were not overly demanding of their surroundings, displaying a kind of大方 (generosity) that allowed them to go with the flow.

“What flavor does Florasia prefer?”

Lolan Hill invited the blonde-haired blue-eyed young lady to sit down and brought two empty cups to the coffee table, then lit the fireplace, bringing warmth.

“Prefers sweetness, but not too cloying,” Florasia looked at the empty cups, filled with curiosity.

“Alright.”

Lolan Hill picked out a light red grape with a hint of orange and placed it in Florasia’s cup, then took a deep blue grape and put it in her own cup, adding clear water and a vial of Golden Moon Potion. With a bit of magic, she dissolved the grapes, causing a gentle breeze to swirl and mix the liquid in the cups before letting it settle.

A blue ice flower slowly appeared on the surface of the water in the cup, and a layer of faint white frost formed on the cup’s surface.

Watching Loil’s operation and the addition of the potion, Florasia wasn’t worried about this friend harming her; instead, she watched with great interest.

“There you go~”

Loil slowly pushed the cup over. The liquid inside had separated into layers, with the bottom being a captivating light red, the middle a rich orange-yellow, and the top a light blue and almost transparent color. A floating ice flower emitted a slight white vapor, releasing a subtle cold fragrance.

“What is this?” Florasia picked up the cup and took a small sip, feeling a burst of icy sweetness in her mouth.

“This is a delicious drink that can make Florasia fall into a deep sleep,” Lolan Hill winked and said with a smile.

“Really?” Florasia clearly didn’t believe it. She was a Natural Sequence Extraordinary Being, and with her family’s background, she wasn’t some naive beginner who knew nothing about poisons.

After savoring the taste, a special magic slowly integrated into her body, making her senses more acute and her control over her extraordinary core more effortless, as if the world became clearer and more real.

As she slowly drank the beverage, the final light red juice entered her mouth, bringing a sense of soulful relief and healing from within.

Only then did Florasia realize how much this seemingly simple drink contained and how much thought had gone into it.

“Loil.”

“What is it?” Lolan Hill sipped from her cup and responded softly.

“This must be very valuable, right?” Given Florasia’s background, she naturally understood the value of this mixed extraordinary potion juice.

Not to mention the extremely rare soul-healing juice, even the potion that improved her senses and enhanced her magical control was incredibly precious. As the daughter of the Landsworth family, she had only ever taken two other potions with similar effects.

At the age of ten, and again at sixteen during her coming-of-age ceremony.

This was only possible because she was a top-ranking noble of the Cangcui Empire, with an excellent family background and birth. Other lesser nobles might never dare to dream of it; it would be rare for them even to have the chance to use a golden-tier extraordinary potion once in their lifetime. Let alone such a perfect pearl-tier potion, which was almost equivalent in value to a typical coral-tier potion.

It should be noted that the pinnacle of extraordinary potions is the crystal tier, which roughly corresponds to a Sequence 8 existence. However, such things have appeared very few times throughout history due to scarce materials and difficult refinement processes, making coral-tier extraordinary potions the highest achievable in the present era.

The vast territory of the Cangcui Empire, with its four ducal families and the Rose Royal House, has approximately sixty top-tier nobles among each generation. Providing two coral-tier potions to each person would already be the limit of regular supply.

To advance further, one must strive and earn through achievements, so there is competition even among the top-tier nobles, albeit not as intense as those below them, simply because their starting points are too high, making it hard for others to understand or relate.

Florasia’s exceptional talent, combined with the assistance of extraordinary potions, allowed her to reach the strength of a Sequence 6 pearl-tier at Sequence 4, which is already considered the mark of an exceptionally rare genius. To put this in perspective, Griffin Duke’s eldest son, Jielanen, who is currently at Sequence 5, has only reached the high rank of the pearl-tier.

This is why the royal family has shown interest in proposing marriage to the Landsworth family, hoping she could become the crown princess. However, the current head of the Landsworth family has not given a clear response to this proposal, so it remains temporarily shelved, keeping it as mere speculation rather than a confirmed fact.

Perhaps this is where the difference between nobles and commoners lies. Rachel, due to her average talent, hopes to marry an outstanding youth early on to lead a stable life. In contrast, Florasia’s exceptional talent caught the royal family’s attention, and they wish to make her the crown princess.

Children from commoner backgrounds gain significant freedom through their strength, whereas children from noble families may gain more freedom if they lack talent.

“Thank you, Lohil.”

In the candlelit room, Lohil brought in a copper pot from the kitchen, one she had crafted during her holiday. She placed it on the coffee table and lit the charcoal underneath, cooking a winter-themed hotpot in the room.

Though it wasn’t a refined meal, without servants and others around, Florasia felt more relaxed.

Outside, snowflakes were drifting down again. The two girls sat beside the steaming small pot, cooking what they liked, occasionally chatting about campus life, finding comfort and peace in the moment.

Thanks to CloudDreamer, I don’t want to take anything, A Sword Journey, O金色旋律O, thank you for your support~

The second-year life is about to begin, and true competition within the academy and inter-class battles will also commence. Stay tuned!

(End of Chapter)