novelonline Chapter 3925 Alchemy and Apprentice
Chapter 3925 Alchemy and Apprentice
Chapter 3925 Alchemy and Apprentice
"Creating life."
Upon hearing that the relic possessed this function, Shad immediately thought of the "moon egg" he had brought back from Mount Karas. He hadn't heard of the [Emerald Record], but if he had the chance to find it later, perhaps he could really try using the relic's power to "hatch the egg":
"The name of this relic is very similar to the name of the organization your mother belonged to."
Across the table, the delicate witch nodded gently. Her face was so white in the sunlight that it seemed to glow. Shad noticed that she ate very little.
"Yes, the Jade Alchemy Association is an organization of alchemists who are dedicated to finding the Jade Record in order to climb to the pinnacle of alchemy."
Rumor has it that the mother, a member of the organization, did indeed find the unknowable relic, or at least a crucial clue, but then something unforeseen happened. The pregnant mother was severely injured, and no one knows for sure if the relic ever truly appeared. Almost all of her companions died, their bodies transformed into a strange alchemical substance.
My mother wanted me to be born normally, so she held on and didn't die immediately. She passed away after I was born prematurely. My father was an ordinary man who took care of me for a few years, but he also passed away from grief when I was three years old. I was raised by relatives in the Astley family.
Large families face all sorts of problems, but fortunately, our family fared well. After all, due to my hereditary blood disease, our family was never large. Later, through connections left by my mother, relatives found a teacher to treat me when I was five years old. So, the teacher was already around the time I can remember.
She briefly told Shad about her past, and then recommended that Shad try the "Mushroom Stew with Veal," a dish made with local mountain cattle, which looked much more normal than the famous "Golden Grilled Fish" of Fatoumunst.
"If we can find that unknowable relic, the Jade Record, could it completely cure your illness?"
Shad then asked again, and the witch gave him a very gentle smile, then shook her head:
"His Excellency the Speaker had considered this method many years ago. But the relics could not be found, and my mother left no clues; and even if they were found, what then? That jade tablet had profoundly influenced my flesh and blood, cough cough, flesh and soul even before I was born. For the past twenty years, my growth and the enhancement of my strength have been inseparable from this power."
I think even if we find that relic, it will most likely be of little use to me.
After she finished speaking, she didn't give Xia De a chance to speak:
"Since you don't want to reveal your personal information for the time being, at least tell me your exact age, right?"
The witch continued:
"I am 26 years old this year, you should be a little younger than me."
This was the first time Shad had encountered a witch willing to reveal her age. As for the stranger's true age, both the [Chronicle of Time] and the magical "Manual of Fate" stated he was only two years old, but Shad dared not reveal that age:
"I am an orphan and lost my memories before becoming a Ring Sorcerer, so my exact age is uncertain, but I should be between 21 and 22 years old."
He actually said that two years ago.
"I have no family."
The witch across the table showed a pitying expression:
"Your life must have been very tough in the past, right?"
"Actually, it was alright. I was homeless for a while, and then my uncle took me in."
Shad blinked, feeling like he'd gone a bit off-topic:
"I mean, since the council can't find the [Jade Record] for the time being, what about the [Jade Alchemy Association]? Those two people just now came to you because of this relic, right?"
He continued to savor the food; the cook hired by the witch was truly excellent. Meanwhile, Vigo Astley frowned pitifully, clearly displeased by the organization her mother came from.
"My mother never told the Alchemist Guild when she married my father, who was the only son of the Astley family, so they didn't know my true identity. But over the years, they have been looking for me, believing that I hid the clues left by my mother, and even the relic. They are almost going crazy for that relic. Two years ago, in the autumn, they suffered a great loss in Topsk City, so they are even more eager to obtain the [Emerald Record]."
The incident two years ago was about the struggle for the "Sage's Gleaming Stone":
"I heard that the Jade Alchemy Association is considered a neutral organization?"
"Yes, their headquarters are in this city of scholars, and the Church of Creation has tacitly acknowledged their existence."
Although they couldn't find the Jade Record, they possessed methods to find powers related to it, and I was clearly among them. Before my physical condition deteriorated so much, I was able to evade their tracking. Just now, when you appeared in the library, I instinctively sensed a completely uncontrollable, powerful force deliberately approaching me, so I thought I was being tracked again. I didn't expect you weren't one of them.”
She said very sincerely:
"I'm sorry, I sincerely apologize again for my rash behavior just now. I will do my best to make it up to you."
"No, no, knowing the reason is enough. You've already explained it clearly."
Xia De put down his knife and immediately waved his hand:
"So how did they find us after we appeared in the outer city?"
“I overdid it with the spell, my power got out of control, and I passed out, which is why they came after me.”
She ate very little, and at this moment she wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief, and then coughed a few times.
The frail witch's eyes held a hint of sorrow:
"They only want to find me because of that relic. There's no grudge between us that I have to kill. My mother did indeed hide the information from the association back then, but that's a story from the previous generation, and I can't explain it clearly. So, thank you for only knocking them unconscious and not killing them."
I'll detain them for a brief interrogation and then issue a warning before releasing them in a few days. Those alchemists certainly won't find me again anytime soon, and knowing I have such a powerful companion like you, even if they track me down again, they probably won't dare to act rashly. Is that alright?
She sought Xia De's opinion because the two men were Xia De's prisoners.
Xia De had no objection:
"You can handle it yourself. I generally won't kill people unless their identities are clear."
Looking at the witch's preoccupied and melancholic appearance, he found it hard to say whether Claire faced greater troubles at the beginning of the year or her current predicament was more dire.
"You have such an 'enemy' in this area, why don't you seek help from the council?"
"I can handle them. It was just that some unexpected circumstances recently led them to discover my whereabouts."
The Great Witch of Chaos shook her head slightly, then asked Shad:
“Where do you live locally? If you'd like to stay in this house, I'd be happy to arrange a room for you. I'm not trying to take advantage of you, it's just that this house is so big, and it feels quite empty living alone by myself.”
Xia De felt as if he had said something similar, but he might not have:
“My situation is a bit special, and I don’t need a place to stay for the time being.”
The witch nodded slightly without asking any further questions. Shad then said:
"Although a complete cure for your illness is not possible for the time being, please accept my blood. You can't continue like this. Not only is your life affected, but if you encounter a similar situation again, it will probably be even worse. If you hate the smell of blood, I can make red wine from it, which can be stored for a long time."
But the witch still refused to do so:
"It's alright, my weakness is only temporary. After the year-end festival, the disturbances of fate triggered a chain reaction, causing a more violent oscillation in the balance of elements in the entire world, which is why it affected me. Now that the battle of fate on the southern island has ended, everything in the material world is returning to stability, and I should be able to recover some of my strength by then."
Shad wanted to try to persuade her further, but at that moment a voice came from outside the restaurant:
“Master, Miss Eve MacDonald is back.”
Shad sat down with his back to the door, and put down his knife and fork. The door was pushed open by a maid, and as Shad turned his head slightly, he saw a young woman in a white scholar's robe carrying a large stack of books as she walked in.
This girl was extremely tall, even comparable to the great witches. Considering she was merely a follower of witches, this figure was probably natural. But her most distinctive feature was her long rose-gold hair, a complex color that combined elegance and romance. However, according to Shad's understanding, normal people in this world would never have such hair color.
"Eve attempted to access the power of chaos in her early years, but lacking the talent, she only made a simple attempt, and the change in her hair color was the price she paid. Of course, she claimed to the outside world that it was the effect of dyeing her hair."
The witch introduced them to Shad, gesturing that he didn't need to stand up, and then introduced Miss Eve MacDonald, who had already arrived at the table:
“Eve, this is my friend, and also the source material provider for the Star Dewdrops that the council is supporting. He's temporarily visiting this city, and I don't want anyone else to know about it.”
"Yes, teacher, I understand."
The young woman holding the books nodded. She looked to be about the same age as Rita, slightly younger than Tifa. Her robe appeared to be a uniform from a local school, leading Shad to guess that she was still studying at university.
This young woman is at the sixth ring level, which is consistent with the level of most apprentices in this generation. Currently, the only seventh-ring witch apprentices are Matilda, the head maid of Moon Bay, and Stella, who was promoted after the Battle of Destiny. Miss Hayley Aurora, who was originally a seventh-ring, was promoted to eighth ring at the beginning of the month, according to Sylvie.
Of course, the highest-ranking apprentice is still Tifa with nine rings.
(End of this chapter)