Chapter 133 – 39. Cryolite Fragments (2)
“You mean my help…?”
Eirin asked me curiously. She even watched Ai Lin move the cryolite to the atelier.
But I haven’t yet explained what I’m going to do with it.
“You do know that this cryolite is an offering for His Majesty, right?”
“That’s right. Because the envoys from Essenmund came directly for that.”
I unfolded the cloth covering the cryolite. Then, the cryolite the size of a small championship trophy sprinkled brilliant light.
An ice-like jewel crystal with an aqua-blue tinge. A soft chill emanated from all around him. Eirin watched for a while, stunned.
“Crystals of cryolite…Could be this big.”
Eirin was not something I had never seen before, as it was a specialty of Essenmund. However, a cryolite of this size would never be common.
‘That’s why Marshal Wilhelm is raising it as a tribute to the emperor.’
Things that cannot be valued arbitrarily. Sending such a valuable item.
It must have meant an apology for the big disrespect committed by her grandson, Yulian, at the ball at the Imperial Palace last winter.
Even if he is a puppet emperor. Because he was the one and only lord for the loyal Wilhelm.
Also, since I was the fiancé of the Emperor’s sister, Lilia, such a political arrangement was also included.
A thing of great value in many ways.
So even if I delegated the representative of the delegation and presented this object, I could give the emperor some satisfaction.
But I was thinking of getting my hands on this cryolite more.
‘It’s not enough with mediocre rewards. Things that money can buy have no value to me.’
For a higher level of reward.
I was very pleased with the tribute, so I had to impress the emperor so that he would grant me any request.
I put my thoughts together and told Eirin.
“Are you saying you’re sculpting a new cryolite? However, cryolite is as hard as diamond. It might be a very difficult task for such a large size…”
It was. I was thinking of sculpting this cryolite.
It was obvious why Ei-Lin muttered her words.
Because if you touch it, you could ruin the already perfect beauty of the cryolite.
“So I need your help. You not only have an eye for art, but you also have excellent art skills.”
“No. My skills aren’t that great…”
“I recognize your skills. So I hope you don’t say things like that.”
Eirin was silent for a moment.
And it took on a light blush that I couldn’t notice unless it was me. My maid was subtly weak against my compliments.
“But His Majesty’s birthday banquet is this Saturday. Even if you can conceive to some extent, how can you…”
“You don’t have to worry about that either. Because I plan to use alchemy. And if it is a special mineral like cryolite. Rather than physical fragments, transformation through alchemy would be more correct.”
Eirin didn’t even think about that, so she put on a surprised expression.
“Alchemy… I see. You’ve been studying alchemy for a while. There must have been a way.”
It was because, through Professor Elmeyer, he had learned about the transformation technique of cryolite to some extent.
But that’s why she knows that it’s never easy to make a cryolite statue even with alchemy.
‘Especially like that cryolite crystal. As the size increases, the amount and parameters of the formula become more complex.’
The three elements of water, wind and earth.
To create a shape elaborate enough to sculpt there. It might have been a difficult task for a Pantheon second-year cadet.
‘But again, it doesn’t have to be very elaborate.’
The key is to be satisfied only with the emperor’s heart. Being a puppet and an ordinary petit bourgeois in content, it was easy to find the point of his satisfaction.
So, as long as the calculation work for the necessary spells is done properly. The cryolite fragment I envisioned was quite possible.
And I knew a very useful human calculator to help me with the alchemical calculations.
“Anyway, I can do anything about alchemy. Eirin, you can take care of the sculpture, the sketch of the statue. The detailed images and details I have compiled in this paper.”
Eirin accepted the paper I held out. She answered.
“All right. Young master. We will do our best to follow your instructions.”
If it was Eirin, there was no doubt. I left her with sketches of her statue and headed to Loi Agwan, where she had her afternoon training.
***
Combat End, Loia Hall.
There, at the parade ground, cadets in combat uniforms were vigorously swinging their swords.
“It’s sparring, but focus more like a real battle! There are also students who have already mastered the first skill of each swordsmanship. It means to be more active!”
“Yeah! Instructor!”
Strict instructor. Darren’s shouts filled the parade ground.
Instructor Darren was walking around, glaring fiercely at the sparring pairs. My sparring opponent is always Lucia.
Darren came towards the two of us.
“A not too bad pair. Julian’s Lion Heart Sword is a powerful swordsmanship that values the power of swordsmanship. In fact, he draws out his sword strikes well according to the description of his swordsmanship. And Lucia, since you changed your swordsmanship to a quicksword, your swordsmanship has become sharper. We will be good counters to each other.”
Lucia took my advice and changed her style to a speedy quicksword. And since then, he has maintained that style and has been receiving favorable reviews from Instructor Darren, who is strict.
“But if both of them are indecisive, it’s like exposing their weaknesses endlessly. So it’s good for the two of you to stare at each other’s weaknesses during this time. That will be the core and goal of Dalian.”
With that said, Darren pointed out one more fact.
“And Lucia. You rather lack the strength than Yulian, whose mana awakening was very late. There is a prejudice that sword techniques that value speed require relatively less strength. But absolutely not!”
“All right! Instructor!”
“Actually because of its lack of history. Isn’t Yulian dodging all of your sword attacks? Of course, it would have been thanks to Yulian’s skills. In any case, it was unacceptable for a swordsman who uses mana to neglect the task of refining mana. It would be better to put more effort into mana training.”
“Yes, Instructor!”
Lucia answered in a loud voice. And Instructor Darren said to me as he left his seat.
“Yulian and… Hmm. I can do it just like this. Then, start sparring again!”
A blunt expression and a calm tone.
However, the fact that Darren, the tiger instructor, said such a thing was close to praise. In fact, my growth tax was very steep.
Lucia said.
“More… I’ll have to put more effort into training.”
His voice was muffled. Of course, because the opponent was me, her shortcomings were more noticeable.
‘Lucia’s undersword. I avoided them all.’
Although it was surprisingly quick sword attack. It seemed very slow to me who had grown up through actual combat.
Of course, it’s not that Lucia’s skills aren’t that great.
As expected, I’m not up to the passing score at the moment to be the dealer for my party. In fact, Instructor Darren had pinpointed Lucia’s weakness.
“History… If I don’t spend more time on mana practice…”
A tired face. And the expression that inadvertently became dead eyes was unusual.
Impoverished player Lucia. Like any other main character, he is full of talent. It was never easy to train and earn a living at the same time.
‘Still, the fact that I entered the Pantheon like this is itself. It’s an incredible talent.’
It was different from other cadets who had been steadily training their swords in places like family swordsmanship or swordsmanship guilds.
Lucia was born in the back streets of the slums. She has been learning swordsmanship at random since she was a child so she has to survive.
She was, and so was she when she became Baron May’s adopted daughter. The May family was not a samurai family. Even so, Lucia desperately honed that random swordsmanship.
All of her obsession was driven by her resentment towards her own father, Duke Pedro. Looking forward to the day when she will one day put the sword to her own father’s throat. What she sharpened her swordsmanship.
Her promiscuous swordsmanship alone was enough to get her into the Pantheon. She couldn’t fake blood.
‘Pedro de Orhain… He’s not the main villain of Part 2 for nothing.’
As the master of the Knights of Sentiac, he was another Grand Master next to Marquis Wilhelm. There are only three Grand Masters in the Empire. He could not doubt its skill.
Lucia perfectly resembles her father’s talent.
“I don’t think Instructor Darren was wrong. Mana seniority is important to a swordsman.”
“Yes… Instructor is right.”
“For now, finish the sparring. There is still time for training.”
I crossed swords with Lucia again. However, Lucia’s swordsmanship, which had already consumed a considerable amount of mana, was not sharp at all.
So while she was exchanging swords, she was able to carry on her thoughts with ease.
‘Also. Lucia can’t do it with the current mana training method.’
Of course, Lucia did not learn how to perform mana, which the Sentiac Knights, the strongest in the south, learned. She is an abandoned illegitimate child. And her daughter, whom Duke Pedro had forgotten even existed, was Lucia.
The mana training method that Lucia was using now was also an ordinary technique learned from a retired mercenary in a back alley.
With that tenacity, though, he surpassed the 2nd rank. It was a training method that had limitations beyond that.
On the other hand, the mana training method I use is the customary training method of the Midnight Sun Knights. If you practice consistently, you can see great results. It was a practice that was famous for its purity and high efficiency.
‘Of course, the reason I’ve already reached the 3rd rank is thanks to the elixir and bloodline.’
Yulian was only late in mana awakening.
Marquis Wilhelm, full of love for his grandson. He has been drinking all kinds of precious elixirs since he was young.
And recently, he even consumed another precious elixir, the aura of the heart of a Snow Wyvern.
Even among Reinhardt’s pure-bloods, he was blessed with a special body. That’s why I ran all the way to the 3rd level without any problems. In many ways, the conditions were different from Lucia.
But even I had my limits. It is not possible to quickly reach this level with only the traditional training method. However, the time given to me is very short.
‘Within half a year. I need to have the skills to attack the imperial-level witch nest.’
So both for me and for Lucia. It means that a new mana skill is needed.
I was already moving for it.
The reward from the emperor will make that possible. I said to Lucia.
“Lucia. If you don’t mind, would you like to hear my suggestion? Just in time, my Dalian master left for Essenmund. I need someone new to fight against in my mansion.”
At that, Lucia stared at me.
***
Next day.
I did not miss the lecture on alchemy on Tuesday and participated in it.
“…So the most basic driving principle of alchemy is perception, resonance, and transformation. You guys know it because you memorized it. In fact, understanding it requires constant exploration and practice at each stage. To bear in mind. Next time, I’ll have to explain to you the more advanced stages of perception of matter. For now, until here. Cadet representative!”
At Professor Elmeyer’s words, Chloe rose from her seat. Following Chloe’s command, the cadets greeted Professor Elmayer.
“Thank you for your effort. Professor!”
As befits the aristocratic atmosphere of the alchemy sect, everyone who concluded the lecture was dignified.
And this time I didn’t fall asleep. Still, Chloe’s eyes were quite languid. I told her
“Chloe. The rudeness you committed last time. Didn’t I tell you that you asked me for forgiveness?”
The rudeness of calling my name while talking in my sleep. I mentioned the rudeness of using me as an opponent of intrigue.
Chloe herself would do anything to reflect on that rudeness, she said. It was time for her to keep her word.
‘I’m sure I wouldn’t have forgotten that soon.’
Chloe seems to want to be involved with me in many ways. Her eyes lit up at my words. For an instant, it seemed that all sleepiness had escaped.
“Of course. Of course I remember. The people of Aitern Corporation do not make empty promises.”
“Then, is there a lecture after this?”
“Do not have! This is the end of Professor Elmeyer’s lecture.”
“Good. Then go with me to my atelier. Sometimes I need your help.”
Chloe’s eyes became even more sinister. My atelier. The last time I signed a contract with Cecilia. Because it was also the place where she and Chloe had sexual intercourse.
“Whoops. Atelier… That’s right. Count Julian is also an ordinary aristocrat at times like this. Are you going to have some time alone with the two of us again?”
“Hmm. It’s not wrong.”
“Oh. You don’t have to be shy. Because I know what you mean.”
I think I’m a bit misunderstood. It didn’t matter to me.
I put her in my wagon and headed to her atelier together.
