Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 947
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 947
The alchemists working in Yoanen Meikin’s workshop sometimes made a mistake.
They thought that while Yoanen was the mad owner of the workshop, they themselves were very normal and rational alchemists.
But as one could see just by looking at Einroguard, it was best to be suspicious of people who got along well with mad individuals.
They often harbored madness of their own inside!
Compared to Yoanen, they were relatively normal, but when it came to alchemy, the workshop alchemists became sufficiently mad characters as well.
“Find it first no matter what. Before the alchemists from other workshops!”
“It would be good to visit other workshops entirely. We need to explore what they know.”
“That’s a good idea. Did you bring the invisibility potion?”
The workshop alchemists immediately thought of using invisibility potions to infiltrate.
Invisibility potions easily solved various problems that alchemists could face, and infiltrating other workshops was one of them.
“Oh!”
The workshop alchemists who came outside discovered clothing from another workshop and sent wary glances.
Those who emerged from the alley ahead were people working in the alchemy workshop under Prince Bogajun.
“That’s an ominous coincidence for a coincidence.”
“Shh. Let’s probe their true intentions.”
While they whispered, the alchemists under Bogajun approached.
“Good day. Have you perhaps heard rumors about special flame root?”
“…”
“…Wh-what is that?”
The workshop alchemists managed their expressions as much as possible and pretended not to know.
The alchemists under Bogajun, who knew nothing, spoke with extremely excited voices.
“It seems a very special flame root has entered Granden City this time! According to rumors, someone secured one that a Red Dragon directly grew on lava…”
‘Does that make sense?’
The workshop alchemists inwardly found it absurd.
Of course, the properties of the flame root they had seen were indeed very strong.
Since it had power several times stronger than ordinary flame root, using this would not only amplify potion effects but also make rare potions that would normally be difficult to create possible.
But even so, the possibility that a Red Dragon directly grew it on lava was slim.
First of all, how would one steal such a thing? A dragon’s greed wasn’t something a mere herb gatherer could overcome.
‘No wait. That’s not what’s important right now.’
“I see. Then are you also thinking of finding and obtaining that reagent?”
“Of course. His Highness the Prince would be pleased as well.”
“Hmm. I’m not quite sure about it, could you explain in detail while having a drink?”
“Pardon? That’s not difficult, but…”
“I heard new liquor came out at 【All Sorts of Schemes Inn】. Let’s go.”
“【The Vigilante of Granden】! I wanted to try it, this works out well!”
The wicked workshop alchemists smiled sinisterly at the thought of defeating their competitors with grape potions and barley potions.
‘The reagent is ours!’
* * *
Lee Han and his friends each went around visiting places that might sell reagents.
Like someone dreaming of becoming Granden City’s greatest merchant in the future, Lee Han had no intention of selling carelessly.
He could sell at street stalls or back alleys, but in that case it would end as a one-time thing.
If he found decent sales channels and built trust, wouldn’t he be able to use them again when such situations arose in the future?
But there were two things Lee Han hadn’t anticipated.
One was that places in Granden City where one could purchase alchemy materials were more demanding than expected.
It wasn’t easy for students who couldn’t use their Einroguard status or other identities to sell recklessly.
-We already have contracted places. Sorry.
-We only purchase reagents from places recognized by the 【Paragranum】 guild.
And the other was that rumors about Gonadaltes, no, Stedal Nago were still hot.
-What? Reagents from the Nago family? The family of that Stedal Nago?
-Then that’s a different story. I’d like to see them. Could you bring the reagents?
Places that had reacted negatively showed great interest upon hearing the Nago family name.
Wasn’t it the family of the mage who had become the biggest topic in Granden City recently?
They couldn’t help but be interested when that family was trying to supply reagents. Moreover, flame root supplies had been lacking recently.
“I never thought the alias would be used like this…”
“Even the Principal probably didn’t know.”
Yoner muttered. Lee Han matched his pace beside him and asked.
“There won’t be any problems when they check the reagents, right?”
“Mm… It should probably be fine. Making appointments is difficult, but once we get to reagent verification, there’s actually not much that can go wrong.”
Since renowned workshops purchased reagents from already verified places, they rarely accepted new proposals.
Conversely, the fact that they asked to bring something once meant they were showing strong interest.
If the reagent quality turned out worse than expected, things could get complicated, but the flame root Lee Han’s group had prepared was very good. There was little possibility of problems arising.
“Several alchemists will attend to check quality, conduct some tests, then discuss prices and make contracts.”
“Are you sure we don’t need to visit Yoanen’s workshop?”
“My sister won’t work. As I said, her eye is extraordinary. For things like this, it’s better to go with someone more lenient.”
Having frequented his family’s alchemy workshop since childhood, Yoner knew well about such reagent purchases.
From the seller’s perspective, buyers who lacked discerning eyes and were sensitive to trends or rumors, paying more than necessary prices, were advantageous.
Yoanen could be called the worst buyer in that regard.
Starting with her discerning eye, she absolutely never made unnecessary expenditures…
“I think Prince Bogajun’s workshop would be good. I heard they have plenty of gold coins and care a lot about appearances.”
“Yoner. You’re going to be the next Imperial Finance Minister. Then let’s go there.”
“…”
Lee Han was thinking of proceeding with this regularly if things went well.
Purchase discarded reagents, then restore them with the Insane Doppelganger’s wisdom and sell them.
If done well, it could become a much more stable income source than unstable requests.
“Certainly… it requires a lot of work, but I think all the second years could do this together.”
Yoner agreed (though he didn’t agree to becoming Granden City’s greatest merchant).
This reagent sales could become a better income source than expected. For students struggling with magic research funds, it would feel like rain in a drought.
There was the disadvantage that it required more work than expected.
While it sounded simple when summarized, the preparation, management, and verification required in each process were quite demanding.
But considering the second years’ unity, that was solvable. Just call them over and have everyone do it together.
‘Ah. Mana is also a problem. But that shouldn’t matter much.’
Actually, mana was a bigger problem than labor, but he wasn’t even thinking about that.
In front of his friend from the Wardanaz family beside him, it was too trivial a problem.
“How is your research going these days?”
“It’s difficult, but thinking about third or fourth year, I need to prepare from now…”
At Yoner’s words, Lee Han looked at his friend as if he was proud to death.
If only a certain Ga student or a certain Ang student would learn even half of that planning ability, the Einroguard student average would rise greatly!
“But did you know the Meikin family’s secret wish?”
“No. I don’t know that much.”
Old families inevitably developed various secrets and hidden wishes.
Magic and knowledge known only to family members, and goals.
“Hmm. Then try guessing once.”
Yoner playfully threw a riddle at his friend.
Could this genius of the Wardanaz family guess the secret wish of the family Yoner was interested in, based only on the clues he’d seen so far?
“Mm… It’s not restoring the lost recipe for 【The Meikin Family’s Legendary Tart】, is it?”
“…Of course not. No, how do you know that!?”
Yoner was shocked.
Since the Meikin family had a long history and excelled in alchemy, they had achieved outstanding accomplishments in various fields.
Desserts like 【Meikin Family’s Sweet Plate Chocolate】 and 【Meikin Family’s Magical Chocolate Eclairs】 still boast their fame throughout the Empire even now.
However, there was a recipe lost in that process – the 【Meikin Family’s Legendary Tart】.
According to legend, it could appease even an enraged Great Demon or Spirit King, so it was certainly not an ordinary dessert but some extraordinary potion or substance. However, this story was too old and lacked clues, so even within the Meikin Family, few people took serious interest in it.
When there were many other secrets and hidden techniques available, why would they bother searching for such a thing?
“I looked through some old books thinking it might be something profitable since it was a lost recipe from the past. But the more I looked, the more it seemed like a magical potion rather than a mass-producible dessert.”
“…I suppose so…”
Trembling at his unnecessarily capable friend’s hidden depths, Yoner slowly explained.
“What I’m interested in is a different lost item. Do you know about 【The Meikin Family’s Cauldron】? You probably don’t know…”
“Are you talking about that cauldron that endlessly produces treasures?”
“…”
Yoner had heard rumors that the Wardanaz Family possessed all kinds of old books and grimoires, but he was once again shocked at how well Lee Han knew stories that were almost forgotten even within his own family.
Come to think of it, he could guess why Lee Han knew about this too.
“Y-yes. That’s right. Of course, since so much time has passed, it’s probably been exaggerated to some degree, but there’s a part we can infer from this, right?”
“Duplication.”
His friend with curly red hair nodded. Indeed, conversations with people at a matching magical level were enjoyable.
That Ga- bastard would immediately think of snacks or mage cards even after hearing this story…
“Right. Magic of material duplication. Of course, it wouldn’t be infinite and would have strong limitations, but it’s definitely a fragment of that magic. That’s what I’m interested in.”
Since complete material duplication magic was nearly impossible, 【The Meikin Family’s Cauldron】 likely achieved it in a limited way.
Yoner’s goal was to recreate even a part of the secrets and principles that cauldron possessed. Even that much would be a sufficiently remarkable achievement.
“There it is.”
While talking and walking, the workshop of the alchemists working under Prince Bogajun came into view.
Indeed, as Yoner had said, wealth flowed thickly from the workshop’s exterior appearance.
Unlike other workshop buildings in the guild district, there were luxurious signs using gold and silver, and even crystal-decorated balance scales.
“Doesn’t anyone steal those?”
“Shh. They’ve been stolen a few times. Don’t say things like that once we’re inside. Let’s go.”
The two knocked on the workshop door and revealed the Nago Family name to the employee.
The employee was startled and then ran off saying he would relay the message inside.
“They say they’ll meet with you now. Please come in!”
Lee Han and Yoner exchanged meaningful glances and nodded.
It was a much more enthusiastic response than other places. The signs were good.
Click-
As they entered the reception room and sat down, the door soon opened. Familiar-faced alchemists entered through the opened door.
It was Yoanen and her subordinate alchemists. Though disguised, Yoner’s complexion turned pale.
“Yoner?”
“!”
Surprisingly, Yoanen immediately recognized her brother’s disguise.
Though he had moderately changed his features, her flawless observation skills immediately caught the familiarity unique to blood relations.
Yoanen infused mana into the amethyst glasses she usually wore, seeing through her brother’s disguise. It was indeed Yoner.
“Then that person must be…”
“I’m Gainando.”
“Judging by the intelligence I can sense, you’re definitely not Sir Gainando. You must be Sir Wardanaz, right?”
“…Yes… that’s correct.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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