Read my new story (CaveLeather)
Game of Thrones: The Sword King
Game of Thrones: From Deserter to Power
Game of Thrones: King of Harrenhal— Garth Greenhand Stat Panel
Lucien found a spot in the stands. His gaze swept over the competitors still battling away at their benches, but his mind had already drifted to what came next.
Once today's round wraps up, the only thing left is the Free Transmutation section. I need to polish the final details on the Magical Communication Notebooks...
Yeah, I should head to the library after this.
He'd seen most of the scenic spots during his few days at Beauxbatons, but the place he frequented most was still that library. As one of the three great European schools, Beauxbatons' collection—both in volume and breadth—had certainly not disappointed him.
It was a pity that half a month wasn't nearly enough time to make a dent in those shelves.
In the future, though...
A whimsical idea suddenly floated into his mind: Why not apply for teaching positions at magic schools all over the world after graduation?
He could teach, read through their libraries, and once he'd finished one, move on to the next. It would be the perfect way to combine traveling the world with devouring knowledge.
Or maybe there was some kind of cloning magic? Drop a duplicate in every region... that would definitely skyrocket his learning efficiency...
As Lucien's imagination ran wild, time slipped away.
Madame Maxime checked the magical clock. When the hand clicked onto the designated mark, her booming, crystal-clear voice resonated through the hall once more:
"Time is up. All competitors, please cease your work and step away from your alchemy stations."
On stage, the competitors immediately halted their movements.
Aside from the Durmstrang student who'd suffered that mid-match mishap and had to remake a component—who looked a bit rushed—everyone else looked relatively composed. Most had plenty of time and were just performing final checks and stabilization.
The professors' evaluation and scoring proceeded quickly. The criteria for the Micro-Climate Phial were straightforward: the variety and stability of the simulated climates.
There was no suspense. Lucien's submission, with its indisputably superior quality, earned a perfect score of thirty points.
With that, three stages of the Tri-School Alchemy Tournament were complete: two written exams (20 points each) and one assigned practical task (30 points).
Lucien had swept all three with perfect scores, leaving him with a lead so massive he was practically in a league of his own.
Madame Maxime then announced the rules for the final and longest stage:
"Next is the 'Free Transmutation' round. Each competitor will be assigned an independent alchemy laboratory. No one other than the competitor is permitted entry. The rooms have been enchanted to ensure the transmutation process remains completely undisturbed..."
The competitors would have a full week to independently create an alchemy artifact of their own choosing.
Beauxbatons would no longer provide materials; everything required had to be sourced by the competitors themselves.
Alchemy and Potions were disciplines capable of generating immense value, but studying them required significant upfront investment.
To put it bluntly: you have to burn money to make money.
The ability to acquire suitable, rare raw materials was, in itself, a reflection of a master Alchemist or Potioneer's comprehensive capabilities.
This week would be a test not just of technical skill, but of resource management.
"One week from today, all projects will undergo a unified evaluation. At that time, in addition to ourselves," Madame Maxime gestured to the professors beside her, "we will invite several renowned, universally recognized Alchemy Masters to serve as guest judges. This ensures that works of varying types and philosophies receive an objective and fair assessment."
For the assigned task with the Micro-Climate Phial, the standards were uniform, so the school professors were sufficient. But Free Transmutation allowed for wild creativity with no standardized yardstick. Bringing in a broader, authoritative third-party panel was undoubtedly the best way to guarantee fairness and legitimacy.
With the rules announced, reactions among the competitors varied.
However, the burning desire to fight for the "Championship" had faded from most of their faces.
With a "monster" like Lucien sitting on three perfect scores—a practically crushing lead—the question of who would take first place was no longer a mystery.
They might as well treat Second Place as the new First. At least that was something they could still fight for!