"I don’t possess such keen insight or the leisure. I simply feel that this Alchemy Apprentice is just a Magic Apprentice, nothing more. With a physique and strength that his fellow apprentices could easily subdue, it’s rather laughable to think he alone could steal the Century Aroma, create the potion right under everyone’s noses, and then successfully conclude a deal with the Drow."
At this, David chuckled, glanced back at his two Drow slaves with a smile, and said, "From my ’Drow followers,’ I’ve learned a bit about the Drow’s societal structure and their ways. Even if this apprentice could sohow accomplish all the preceding tasks, that final step—dealing with the Drow—is absolutely beyond him. Because typically, foolish young n like him—dreaming of striking it rich in the Gloomy Region without strength, powerful backing, or control over resources—usually et an untily end. Even if one is lucky enough to reach a Drow stronghold, he’d likely be stripped bare by any passing Drow and used for breeding until he’s nothing but dregs. So, fundantally, this whole scenario is highly improbable."
Having regained his composure, Attilicia, though sowhat uncomfortable with the crude term ’breeding’ David had used, felt it was his duty as a father to encourage his son’s accomplishnts. He clapped his hands cheerfully and said, "Well done. An excellent and calm logical deduction."
It’s also very much in the style of us Silver Dragons, he thought, even exhibiting an extraordinary perception, an almost intuitive sense that transcends calm and rational thinking.
He hadn’t expected such an unintentional taunt and ntal blow from his son:
"Uh, isn’t this discrepancy obvious at a glance? I thought you were testing . Oh, I get it... You’ve seed a bit distracted from the start. Could it be that there’s genuinely a problem between you and the Duke of Silver? If you don’t mind, feel free to talk about it. Perhaps I can analyze the situation and offer so advice."
Attilicia nearly choked, feeling as if he might suffer a brain hemorrhage from this series of stinging words. "COUGH, COUGH, COUGH! Don’t talk nonsense. My relationship with Mirillian is pure, not the filth and wretchedness you imagine."
Of course, he understood he was sowhat out of sorts, but since when was it a son’s place to teach his father how to woo won? The very notion felt awkward to hear.
"A pure relationship?" David imdiately adopted the expression of an old man utterly bewildered by a smartphone.
If I didn’t know your genders, David thought, your behavior back in the Silver Fortress was like a scene straight out of a Mary Sue novel titled ’The Overbearing Duke Falls for Little Old , the Sheep.’
"How can you question the private relationship between Mirillian and like this..." Priest Attilicia’s face flushed with anger. Yet, because he was so strikingly beautiful, he seed to exude an even more alluring charm, like an area-of-effect enchantnt spell. It caused everyone, including David, regardless of gender or race, to wear an enchanted ’ooh’ expression.
Priest Attilicia, with his abundant experience in such matters, directly and adeptly cast a Sacred Light Exorcism. Instantly, everyone snapped back to reality, sowhat forgetting what had just occurred. The scene was as if a n in Black mory eraser had just CLICKED.
David imdiately found [Greed] and a half-ford "lust" surfacing in his thoughts. He instinctively wanted to trace back the previous mories, only to be tily interrupted by Priest Attilicia: "Now is not the ti to discuss these things. You’re right; relying on just one apprentice and the few underlings present, it’s impossible to complete the trade chain with the Drow. There must be more undiscovered corruption. I must report this to the Duke of Silver imdiately."
As he spoke, he plucked a Century Aroma petal and began to write on it with Magic Power. Then, he casually summoned a Magic Animal ssenger owl, which clutched the petal-letter and HOOTED as it flew towards the Silver Fortress.
Seeing this, the other apprentices who had harbored a sliver of hope collapsed in despair, trembling all over. In contrast, the apprentice who had been beaten earlier, but could now be considered to have redeed himself, showed a relieved expression and looked gratefully at David. However, David, preoccupied with other matters, completely ignored him.
"Let’s go! Co with and let’s check the workshop for any clues."
With such a severe case of widespread corruption and collusion with the Drow having surfaced, Priest Attilicia no longer bothered with procedural formalities and strode towards the Alchemy Workshop. He completely missed the ’plan succeeded’ smile on his son David’s face. David squinted, swayed his tail, and followed him into the seemingly simple yet intricate Alchemy Workshop.
As Priest Attilicia pushed open the heavy oak door, a peculiar fragrance—a mixture of herbs, ores, and alchemical reagents—wafted out. It was a calming, refreshing, and subtly mysterious scent. Even through the High Elves’ Mystlock, an Elf apprentice just beginning to explore magic could clearly sense the magical elents and their trajectories here.
Inside the workshop, the lighting was ideal. Under [Astrological Control], abundant sunlight filtered softly through the skylights, bathing the entire workspace in a warm halo.
Behind the workstation of the captured Alchemist supervisor, there was an obviously crudely carved yet still majestic mural: It depicted their chief deity Corellon Larethian. Beneath His visage was the World Tree, and Yllanthes Nirithrav, the creator deity of the Elves, who protected and nourished the ecological balance of the Elven world. They seed to watch over and bless every Elf working within the workshop.
David followed Priest Attilicia past rows of ceramic crucibles, filtration pipettes, and various Alchemical Tools of all shapes and sizes. Hundreds of Alchemy Apprentices worked intently and focused around Alchemists, circling the fires. They wore velvet robes, their heads fitted with precision observation goggles, enabling them to accurately observe the mingling of Century Aroma pollen with Magic Power and the transformation of each drop of potion. Their techniques were skilled and precise, accompanied by mysterious alchemical chants and practiced, almost chanical, casting gestures. Every movent flowed like a dance.
Even during the brief intervals in their precise potion-making, they managed to offer a graceful and dignified bow to the approaching Priest Attilicia:
"Teacher Attilicia!"
"Master Attilicia!"
David, who had initially held so prejudice against it, viewing it as a small workshop, couldn’t help but be sowhat shaken by this scene, which seed to intertwine art with assembly-line efficiency. Everything here sowhat exceeded his initial expectations. The pure greed in his eyes for the money from smuggling gradually gave way to curiosity and a desire to explore the profound magical and alchemical knowledge before him.
[Greed]
"Wait, what did those Alchemists call him just now? Teacher?" David looked as if he had made an even more shocking discovery.
Just as David was regarding Priest Attilicia’s retreating figure with newfound respect, Priest Attilicia, who had gone straight to the supervisor’s office, after a flurry of rummaging and employing various detection, restoration, and other magical procedures, quickly found the clues he sought in the alchemy handbooks the supervisor took ho weekly. Then, with practiced ease, he summoned several key Alchemists and a few apprentices for questioning one by one.
Seemingly relieved that the scale of corruption wasn’t as severe as he had anticipated, he finally relaxed. After writing another letter to be sent to the Duke of Silver, his gaze returned to David, who was ’curiously’ observing everything around him. How could he fail to notice his own son’s almost greedy ’curiosity’ towards alchemy?
Good, he mused. A thirst for knowledge—when it cos to that, only greed is the most comndable quality!
"What? You want to learn? I’ll teach you," Priest Attilicia said, feeling that he might finally have sothing appropriate to teach his son. As it happened, the supervisor of the Alchemy Workshop had just been removed. Furthermore, entrusted by Elf King Ailiando, Attilicia often had to travel to perform [Astrological Control], and the Hall of Justice also relied on him daily. In the short term, it seed there was no one more trustworthy than his own son to take charge.
As for his son being a complete novice? He’s my son, a Silver Dragon of the sa Swietlanden bloodline as ! Under my tutelage, an Alchemy Grandmaster, shouldn’t his progress be incredibly swift? Surpassing these foolish Elves should be a breeze! If Priest Attilicia also possessed the sa [Arrogance] Authority as David, his own would probably have skyrocketed to pierce the heavens by now.
"Dare I ask, are you also...?" David asked, lifting his tail like a student who had discovered a little secret.
In front of his son, Priest Attilicia finally stood up straight for once and smiled proudly: "I have been entrusted by Duchess Mirillian Elizabeth of the Silver Wheel, to temporarily oversee this Alchemy Workshop as its Alchemy Grandmaster and highest authority. Duchess Mirillian’s private magic consultant. And, the inventor of the Sobering Potion."
"..." David was indeed shaken—once, twice, thrice—his Dragon form quivering violently. Ultimately, he displayed a look of admiration that greatly pleased Priest Attilicia, then bowed respectfully and said, "Teacher Attilicia, please, you must teach the true path of alchemy!"
Happiness had co so suddenly. This was no longer a matter of being handed a pillow when sleepy or a pie falling from the sky. It was, damn it, like craving a feast and having a fat mouse jump right into your grain silo!
At the sa ti, he couldn’t help but inwardly scoff: Then why the hell were you putting on such airs of lofty detachnt for so long! If it hadn’t been for this incident, I reckon I’d still be oblivious to this wolf in sheep’s clothing’s disguise!
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