"You have been keeping my arm!?"
I shouted while pointing toward the glass cylinder.
"What kind of perverted hobby is that!?"
"Keep your voice down." She frowned back at me, looking unimpressed. "It is for study, and I really don't see the problem considering you somehow managed to regrow a new one."
"Study what exactly?" I said, moving closer until I was standing right in front of the cylinder, the sight of my own preserved flesh making my stomach churn.
"We discussed it before. Your mutation. The fact that you are different from... others around you." Her eyes shifted toward the floating arm. "I am using the blood sample from your arm to collect… information."
Hmm... Is that really all it is?
My eyes moved away from the grotesque jar and toward the complex, computer-like magic tool she had been working on.
"So, I believe you have been using that magic tool to analyze it? How does it even work?" I asked, pointing toward the glowing screen as my curiosity began to override my initial disgust.
She closed her eyes for a moment, her face twisting as if merely explaining this was exhausting.
Then she let out a slow breath and pointed toward the cylinder containing my arm.
"That is suspension liquid with preservation properties. The surrounding glass takes in eidolons—I mean, information—from the arm and uses these tubes to feed it to the machine. The Analytical system here—"
"What can this system do?" I asked hurriedly.
"...Information can be input and stored within Memory. It is capable of solving complex calculations and equations. Commands and configured instructions may also be implemented." She gestured toward the glowing screen. "For example, I currently have it collecting your physical and genetic information, while filtering out standard human properties to isolate uncommon characteristics."
So basically an early computer.
Not as advanced as the modern ones from my old world, but still far beyond what I expected to find here.
I walked toward the large control panel.
The buttons were nearly the size of my hands.
It had letters, numbers, and arithmetic symbols. Teacher pointed out which one acted as a backspace, a small space button, an enter key, and the arrow keys used to navigate between lines.
As my fingers brushed over the controls, countless ideas surfaced in my mind.
There's so much room for improvement...
"Can you teach me magic engineering, too?" I said, looking up at her with the best puppy eyes and the innocent face I could muster.
"Do not make me repeat myself. Become a master alchemist first, then I will teach you magic engineering."
"Hmph, stingy," I muttered to myself. Then I cleared my throat, "...There is something else I would like you to do for me." As I spoke, I pulled a bundle of cloth out of my pouch and carefully opened it. "Can you fix it?"
At the sight of Granny's broken spaff, Teacher's eyes widened slightly.
"This..."
She picked up the damaged headpiece and slowly rolled it between her fingers, a look of unexpected nostalgia softening her gaze.
"Can you fix it?" I asked again. "Granny's birthday is in two months. I think this would be a nice surprise."
"...I will see what I can do." She took the bundle from me and turned slightly. "Blue." At her call, the puppet, who had been standing silently until now, walked closer. Teacher handed the bundle to her, and without a word Blue left the room.
"Come along," she said, walking toward the door, and I followed right behind her.
"I assume you have not neglected the books I gave you?" she asked as we walked through the hallway.
"I have been reading them. The wording is pretty heavy, but I can keep up." I scratched my head lightly. "Oh, and speaking of books..."
I pulled out the old leather notebook I had taken earlier.
"I found this. It is full of earth-based spells. What do you think?" I asked while handing it over.
She opened the book and slowly flipped through several pages.
A faint trace of curiosity appeared on her face.
"How intriguing..." she murmured while continuing to turn the pages. "Where did you come across this?"
"It came from Mother's pouch, but I doubt it's she who wrote any of this," I answered.
"I see." She returned the book with a faintly approving look. "It is far better than most of the literary drivel people consume. Read it carefully, and consult me if you don't understand anything."
She suddenly looks in a good mood.
Did she like the book that much?
We entered another room.
It was completely empty except for a single desk and chair placed in the center.
Teacher walked ahead and placed a piece of paper. I could tell what it was… Another Mock Exam.
This makes the seventh test she has given me.
Still, I guess it was a good thing. Granny once told me the passing score for the Master Alchemist exam was eighty-five out of one hundred, a score difficult enough that even she had only managed eighty-nine.
According to Teacher, this room replicated the actual exam environment. A squared room with nothing in it, but I could feel the hum of all sorts of blocking spells layered into the walls.
I took my seat and started reading the paper. Suddenly, a blue dome appeared around me, and I couldn't see past its shimmering surface.
Does this also happen in the official exam?
Ignoring it, I focused on the questions.
And surprisingly... It felt a little too easy.
An alchemist extracts venom from a Frostfang Serpent to create a freezing toxin. Instead of producing paralysis and frostbite, the final concoction merely numbs pain and lowers body temperature slightly.
Question:
Explain how the venom lost its toxic properties during refinement.
What mistake most likely occurred during extraction?
Answer:
The alchemist most likely overheated the venom during purification. It is highly unstable under heat and evaporates first during refinement. Once removed, only the harmless cooling properties remain.
I moved to the next question, my pen scratching against the paper as I focused.
Question:
An alchemist attempts to anchor a fire elemental stone into a steel gauntlet but the metal becomes brittle and shatters during the first mana infusion.
Why did the metal fail to contain the fire elemental mana?
Answer:
The alchemist failed to perform a proper cooling quench with oil after tempering the steel. Because the metal was not balanced for high-frequency mana conductivity, the fire mana caused rapid expansion, leading to structural fatigue and failure.
Alright, so far so good. Next…
A researcher creates a plant-growth elixir using:
Worldroot SapBeast BloodSunflare Pollen
The potion successfully accelerates crop growth, but after several weeks the plants become aggressive, drain mana from nearby creatures, and develop moving roots.
Question:
Identify the source of corruption and explain why the mutation occurred.
Answer:
The corruption originated from improperly refined Beast Blood.
Beast Blood contains, Vital essence and Instinctual mana with survival impulses
When combined with Worldroot Sap, which amplifies life-force, the instinctive traits within the blood were transferred into the plants.
Sunflare Pollen accelerated reproduction and mana circulation, worsening mutation speed.
The plants essentially developed primitive predatory behavior.
Though it was not stated which beast's blood was used… This should be the best answer. The real difficulty should start from here.
One by one, I completed every question I could.
After only Aethelhum knew how much time had passed, I finally looked up at the blue dome surrounding me.
Hmm... am I supposed to wait until time runs out?
My eyes lowered toward the answer sheet again.
I had already checked everything twice, and I genuinely didn't think I could improve anything else.
Suddenly, the dome disappeared, revealing Teacher and Blue facing each other. "Three hours have passed," Teacher stated coolly.
Blue walked closer and took the answer sheet from my hands, her eyes rapidly moving across the pages.
"Were you here for the last three hours?" I asked, still feeling the mental fatigue of the marathon I had just completed.
"Please, I am not so unoccupied as to spend hours waiting idly." Teacher replied flatly. " Your experience within the spell lasted three hours, but externally for us, it amounted to a mere three minutes."
Huh?
"So... that dome thing is not part of the actual exam?" I asked.
"No, it is not. However, according to what Ellie informed me, there are still three invigilators present within the room to supervise the examinees." She paused slightly. "To clarify, three invigilators for every single examinee."
Examinees...
How many people are going to take the exam with me?
"Evaluation completed," Blue declared, her voice devoid of any warmth. "Score: 83/100."
"What?" I stood up instantly. "That cannot be!"
I turned toward Teacher.
"She must have made a mistake. It should be ninety at least."
Teacher gave me a sharp side-eye and snatched the sheet from Blue, turning the pages with mounting frustration.
She let out a long, tired sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
"...True. It should have been ninety, if..."
Her hand suddenly shot out and grabbed my cheek, pulling it viciously.
"If you did not make spelling mistakes!"
"Swelling kristakes???" I cried out.
"It is Thalmyrzaqiel, not Thalmyzaqiel! Drakharveth, not Drakkarveth!" she shouted while pulling harder. "What kind of future Master Alchemist makes spelling mistakes, hmm? Do you understand a single incorrect letter can invalidate an entire answer?"
"Swowwyyy!!!" I somehow managed to choke out.
"Hmph."
She let go, and my poor cheek snapped back into place with a stinging sensation.
A total devil.
"...Ignoring the idiotic mistakes, the answers themselves are direct and structured well. Even the equations are balanced neatly." She glanced down at the paper again. "Had this been ninety, it would likely have been the highest score you have achieved so far."
Ugh...
I should have checked more than twice.
Maybe trying to take the Master Alchemist exam this early was a mistake.
Should I wait another year...?
Her hand gripped around my face, forcing me to look up.
"What were you just thinking?" she asked, her brow furrowing deeply.
"N-nothing."
The words left me almost automatically under her burning stare.
She let go forcefully, making me tumble back into the chair.
"Listen carefully, and do attempt to remember this."
She lifted the question paper with visible disdain.
"Beyond the opening section, these questions are filled with problems even alchemists possessing over a decade of experience would struggle to answer. So stop making that expression."
Her stare grew noticeably more severe.
"You stand well above the vast majority of this crowd. Learn to take pride in that fact. Develop at least a semblance of confidence instead of wallowing in self-pity."
A faint look of irritation crossed her face.
"Frankly, it is exhausting to witness."
For some reason, my eyes moved down to the floor, "...I understand."
I heard her scoff, clearly still irritated by my earlier display of doubt.
"Get up. We are leaving."
I quickly followed the instruction, pushing myself up from the chair. The moment my feet touched the floor, the scenery around us changed.
We stood now in what looked like a greenhouse as I looked at the high tilted glass roofs from which sunlight spilled on the greenery surrounding us.
Teacher started walking, and I followed silently, though my pulse began to quicken. I was taken aback, seriously taken aback, because this place was packed with rare plants that only thrived under the most strict and severe conditions.
Are we still in her personal space?
"...I heard you can't ride a horse." Teacher asked as she came to a stop, "Choose one of these."
I followed her sight and a little farther from us stood a small tree under it's shade, surrounding the trunk sat what looked like eggs, half the size of me, great looking for omelete.
Drake eggs?
My eyes moved back to themt. They were supposed to be very hard to find, let alone acquire and… she has so many of them. More confusing was I couldn't understand why she was being so generous, especially after the lecture she had just given me.
"...Can I know why you are giving one of them to me?" I asked hesitatingly, half-expecting a trick.
She crossed her arms, "... Though you are rough around edges in many areas, but your progress isn't bad. Think of them as a little reward from me."
Huh, even she has a heart.
As my eyes moved to the eggs.
But...
"If you want to give me something, you rather give me a wand or sword which can handle my mana. Zayn is bringing me an egg anyways."
"Talk about ungrateful." Teacher shook her head as she turns towards me with a frown.
"I can give you a wand, but there's a great wand waiting for you at the 'Festival of Wands' which you will be going to in a few months. As for swords, It's not my area of speciality so I can't make one for you."
Festival of Wands is still three months away in the same month as the Master Alchemist exam. It will be a busy month, but Zayn said he will be taking me to the festival, originally it was supposed to be mother...
My chest tightened slightly at the thought.
"Whatever that Zayn person will bring you can't be better than this." Teacher said, gesturing forward.
"Alright," I said, seeing no reason to doubt her. If something here was truly better, Zayn shouldn't have any reason to complain.
We walked closer, and I circled the tree, taking a long, careful look at each different colored egg. I finally stopped next to the teacher again, feeling the weight of the choice.
"...Which one should I pick?" I asked, unable to decide between the vibrant patterns.
"My recommendation would be the Crimson Streak," she said, pointing a slender finger.
I looked at the red egg in front of me, which was intricately patterned with deep green marks.
"That is the one Zayn said he would bring," I said, remembering his exact words.
"No surprise. It is the rarest and one of the strongest species of Drake. It is a good pick, but beyond just the species, it is about compatibility. Try reaching out with your mana, if any of them responds, that is the one for you."
I did as instructed, raised my hand and let mana out of my palm making it reach out to the eggs, then to my surprise the eggs started reacting immediately, greedily absorbing my mana. Just as Teacher had suggested, the Crimson Streak was pulling at my mana with significant intensity.
But the strongest pull on my mana came from… up?
My head slowly tilted upward.
There, tangled between the thick branches near the top of the tree, rested another egg… A black egg with golden patterns.
"Teacher, what—" I stopped talking as I saw a smile spread across teacher's face.
"How intriguing." She said, her smile just widening.
As she holds out her hand, the black egg appears in her hand. "As expected, this is the strongest reaction I have seen from it." She said, her eyes fixed on the egg.
Like I thought, she wasn't being generous at all. She called me here for her own selfish experimental reasons.
"Will you tell me what is going on here?" I asked, my brow furrowing in irritation.
"You see, when an egg has fully matured, a trainer only needs to pour their mana into it for three to four days, maybe seven or eight at most. This one didn't wake up even after fifteen, so I eventually gave up. But... then I thought if I let someone with special mana try their hand at it," she explained with an amused, knowing smile.
"Are you sure there isn't some kind of internal problem?" I looked at the egg suspiciously.
"I also thought that since I found it in a time dungeon eighty years ago, but upon various checkups, I could never find anything wrong with it."
A time dungeon?
"So have you made your decision?"
Even though she said it, she leaned in holding out the black egg looking at me with eyes sparkling with anticipation.
She really is obsessed with seeing how this turns out. I'm just a lab rat to her, but a curious cute and handsome lab rat.
Letting out a weary sigh, I reached out. "I will be taking this one."
"Good. Good." She nodded, passing the egg into my arms. . "If it doesn't work out, feel free to come here and exchange it."
Doesn't hurt to try. There's still time since Zayn's arrival, if nothing comes out I will take the egg he will bring.
I adjusted the egg carefully in my arms.
Up close, the shell looked even stranger.
The golden patterns weren't random at all. They twisted around the shell like flowing streams, occasionally giving off a faint glow whenever my mana touched them.
"...Just to be sure... A dragon won't come out of it, right?" I asked, looking at the odd egg.
At that she sniggered.
"I have already confirmed the creature's biology and it's impossible for a Drake to evolve into a dragon. That's like saying a horse starts walking and talking like a human."
That's a relief. Zayn said raising a dragon is really a pain in ass both mentally and financially.
"But remember, you will have to pour mana into it continuously without stopping."
Her words landed hard with confusion.
"Huh?"
Continuously? Like, without a break?
And so started the grueling task of pouring mana into the egg without stopping.
Day One(09-08-1241)
"Huh? You are carrying it again?" Uncle raised a brow as I trudged past him
"... Bold of you to assume I let it go." I said feeling a little sleepy.
I tightened my arms around the black egg and let out a yawn as mana continued to flow into it.
Day Two(09-09-1241)
"...So you haven't stopped pouring mana in the last two days?" Granny asked, her voice tinged with concern as she set down the delicate leaves for my original invention.
I didn't have the strength to lift my head. With my face pressed firmly against the hard surface of the alchemy table, I simply nodded as I continued pouring mana into the egg from my feet as it rested on the ground.
Day four(09-11-1241)
"Young lord, we need to clean you in front," Emma said, her voice soft as her tender fingers wrapped around my shoulders.
I looked at the other maids surrounding the tub and raised the egg high up.
"Here you go."
The maids shared an unsure look, hovering around me with hesitation, but they eventually stepped forward and continued with the bath.
Day Eight(09-15-1241)
"...Young lord, we can skip training for today," Tavian said, slightly lowering his wooden sword.. "You look tired and..." At the end of his sentence, his eyes moved to the egg I had carefully wrapped and secured against my back.
"I am fine," I said firmly, my voice cracking slightly from the effort while I mentally forced my mana to keep flowing toward my back to the egg. "Let's continue."
Tavian looked unconvinced.
Honestly, so was I.
Why do my legs feel this heavy...?
Still, skipping training because of exhaustion felt pathetic.
Tavian slowly raised his sword again.
"... Very well."
Day Tenth(09-17-1241)
"... I am dying."
I slowly uncorked a potion bottle and poured it into my mouth. As it reached within me, I felt my mana recovering by bits. My body collapsed back onto the soft bed, but one of my hands remained firmly planted on the egg, pouring mana into it.
"How much more do you want? This is the first time in my life I have actually come close to emptying my soul crucible."
Obviously, no response came from the egg. It just sat there eating up my mana like a bottomless void.
Then a growl came.
I looked to my side and saw Baloo climbing up onto the bed. He moved closer, resting his head against my stomach.
I smiled as I ruffled his hair.
"You might get another friend to play with soon."
Baloo let out another low sound and stared at the black egg suspiciously.
"... Yeah, I don't trust it either." I muttered.
The golden patterns along the shell glowed faintly once more, a regular occurrence.
Baloo immediately lifted his head.
A soft rumble escaped his throat.
"What? Jealous?" I asked lazily.
He shoved his face harder against my stomach in response.
I laughed quietly.
My eyes moved to the ceiling.
"... Today is special, you know." I said, my voice barely a whisper, feeling an ache of nostalgia. "Today is the day I opened my eyes for the first time in this world. Exactly two years."
In a way, it makes today my birthday in this world.
So much has happened in these last two years. Awakening, getting kidnapped, Salamanders, Black Iron Human, Uncle returning, reaching Gamma stage, Time dungeon with Unending Demon, Mother...
Just like that orange-headed girl said, there were plenty of bad things that happened, but among them, there were lots of good things, too.
The people I met, the things I accomplished. They are important… Important enough not to forget.
It's been so long, I wonder how she is doing...
A sound of knocking reached my ears. I instantly sat up and looked at the source, which was the window.
"Faux?"
No, he would have just come in.
Picking up the egg, I moved closer to see the same orange creature.
"What are YOU doing here?" I asked, my voice edged with irritation.
At the sound of my voice, the creature shrank and quivered.
It looks way too cute when it is scared…
After opening the window, I let it inside.
"So, why are you here now?"
A 'Pu' sound left its mouth, and a letter appeared out of thin air. The creature held it out to me with its tiny hands.
The envelope was light orange with beautiful engravings. It didn't take a genius to figure out exactly who it was from.
I carefully opened the letter and a fragrant scent filled the air.
"Hiii~ Sieg. Did you miss me?
I am sorry for disappearing like that. Knowing Sieg, I am sure you already understand why I left without saying goodbye.
I hope Nidrik, James, and cute little Erina are doing well. What happened must have been difficult for them, but knowing those three, I am sure they will bounce back just fine.
I will not be able to see you for some time, but I promise I will come again soon.
So take care until then ♪
Yours one and only,
Perpetua"
Good. At least I know she is doing fine.
Still, a bitter smirk tugged at my lips as I read the names. Nidrik, Jame, and Erina get called cute?
My lips twitched.
"I am the one who fought with everything," I muttered to myself. "Shouldn't you at least be asking me how I am doing?"
"Sieg, how are you?"
With those words, a warm breath brushed against my ear, sending a jolt of pure electricity down my spine.
"UWAH!"
I scrambled off the bed, clutching the egg against my chest in a desperate bid to keep it from slipping out of my hands.
I spun around as my heart beat increased.
"Did I surprise you?" She giggled, sitting on my bed, lounging back with the grace of someone who had never left.
Her eyes sparkling with mischief as she smoothed out the sheets.
"I am back." She gave me a playful wink and a casual wave of her hand.
"Perpetua?"