Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Alchemist Zenep

After the departure of the master and servant from the Anemesis family, ‘Lake Shield’ became much quieter inside. Some guests, after listening to the alchemy apprentice’s explanation, became interested and started asking about prices and haggling. Eventually, they made several transactions.

As other guests left, it was nearing noon. The lunchtime lull brought some quiet to the store. Lolan Hill was not in a hurry; she calmly observed the new weapons’ construction, alchemy techniques, and design philosophies. She only started conversing with the shopkeeper when fewer people were around.

Weapons of silver grade were useless to her. Her weapons, crafted purely from crimson magic power, could rival those of gold grade. Although they couldn’t last long, they were very convenient in combat and didn’t require carrying them around. They could even be extravagantly thrown to explode.

However, war was never entirely decided by one person’s strength. Winning was easy, but maintaining security, suppressing unrest, and organizing production afterward required a disciplined group of excellent warriors.

Initially, the apprentice was somewhat dismissive, thinking that this mysterious guest was just curious due to lack of experience. But as their conversation deepened, his expression grew serious.

It was undeniable that Lolan Hill knew little about contemporary technologies, but many alchemy principles were universal. Her extensive knowledge, inherited from the Mercury Dynasty, gave her a high standard. She often asked core questions about alchemy that left the apprentice struggling. He had only studied alchemy for five years and did not understand many things thoroughly, so he gradually found it hard to answer her questions.

This was akin to someone in middle age learning various physical and chemical knowledge. They might understand what’s taught in textbooks, but they wouldn’t know why these materials are organized in a certain way, which ones are important, and why some methods are used instead of others. Besides successful cases, they wouldn’t know about the failures in history.

These details weren’t necessary for students because their time was limited. However, as they grew and aimed for mastery, understanding these aspects became essential. It helped them comprehend how technology developed to its current state and why history took certain paths over others.

“Alright, Lavais, you go back to your work. I’ll handle this lady’s questions.”

At this moment, a middle-aged man with black hair entered the shop. He wore a pure black robe with no other decorations. His face and appearance were meticulously clean. Upon hearing the conversation between Lolan Hill and the apprentice, he walked over, patting the apprentice’s shoulder, then turned to the hooded guest.

“Master Zenep, you’re back.” The apprentice turned to greet his mentor before returning to the cashier position with a hint of embarrassment.

“Miss, although I’m not sure which school of thought you belong to, I can tell you have a deep understanding of alchemy. Why don’t we go upstairs for a while? I’m also quite curious about technologies outside Rourna.”

Lolan Hill, engrossed in the alchemy discussion, only now noticed the shop owner had returned.

“Sure, I’ll observe this alchemist. He seems to have Sequence 6 strength and isn’t too dangerous.”

—

After settling in the second-floor study, the apprentice brought up two cups of black tea.

Zenep sat beside the tea table, observing the mysterious guest. She wore a predominantly black robe with gray edges and lines, her face hidden under a hood, making her difficult to discern clearly. Her gray bound boots outlined the shape of her calves, indicating she had a slender build.

“Are you from Vergha, Miss?” he asked.

“No, I’ve only recently come to Vergha. Before that, I lived in seclusion in the forest with my teacher.”

“Living in seclusion suggests your teacher is a learned person.”

“Yes, my teacher is someone I greatly respect.”

She genuinely meant it. She admired Tinasah, the great witch, for her steadfast beliefs and dedication to knowledge.

They continued discussing alchemy and enjoyed each other’s company. Despite his limited abilities and controversies among peers, Zenep was indeed a master in alchemy. Coming to Vergha was partly to seek refuge and a fresh, free environment.

“It seems Miss Lolan Hill’s teacher must be a classical alchemy master.”

“Classical school?”

The girl tilted her head in confusion.

“Yes, it refers to the early days of Oz Country or the Second Era. The classical school excelled at using naturally extraordinary ingredients as alchemy materials, such as the trunks, fruits, and juices of extraordinary plants, or the scales, cores, blood, and bones of extraordinary demons. These natural materials were easy to process and often produced items with magical effects, which were very popular at the time.”

“What about now?”

“Now, the classical school is less common. With humans rising, many dangerous extraordinary demons were hunted down, and extraordinary plants grow too slowly for humans, who don’t have elves’ lifespan. Thus, most alchemy creations today use metals, gems, and artificial materials.”

“While the effects might not match the classical school, the materials are easier to find,” Zenep explained.

“If you’re interested in modern alchemy, you can study at Rourna’s academy. Though it’s not as good as Emanas, there are teachers if you pay enough.”

“Even in the Alchemy and Mage Kingdom, the knowledge transmission isn’t as good as Emanas?” the girl asked curiously.

“Yes, other mages of Rourna might deny it, but I know it’s true because I was once a student at Emanas. Unfortunately, it’s not something to be proud of. Due to personal reasons, I dropped out halfway and didn’t graduate fully.”

“If I really graduated from there, you wouldn’t see me sitting here, as I would have become one of the leaders of Rourna by now,” Zenep said, lifting his teacup to drink.

“But there’s no ‘if.’ Due to my disgraceful dropout, I can only be a marginal figure in Rourna now,” he said slowly, setting down the cup with a mix of nostalgia and regret.

(End of Chapter)