Herbs here, herbs there, and herbs all over the place. There were rare materials and ingredients everywhere, the marketplace painted green, red, blue, hold, and so much more. The people were abuzz, goods and items moved here and there.
It was yet another day, and the weekend is upon the world once again. There was no class in the academies, and so, the market was more crowded than usual, students and professors alike exploring the place to buy ingredients for their alchemy needs.
The merchants didn't let go of the opportunity either, taking out fresh items to display in order to attract customers. The Herb Market was competitive as ever, merchants calling towards customers and bargaining every now and then.
"No. I can't do that, Miss. If I go any lower than this, I will be the one losing money here! 300 kiels a bundle, nothing less!"
"Mmng... 3500 kiels for a dozen bundles! How about that?!" ［Yuna］
"Ugh...! Fine! 3500 kiels it is! That's a done deal!"
And amongst these bargains, Yuna was participating in one. She was quite the fierce one, barely budging an inch on her price. Even when the merchant was on the losing side, he had no other choice but to accept, otherwise, he might never be able to sell them until they expire. It was the best he could do.
In the end, Yuna bought 3 dozen bundles of herbs and paid the merchant, silver and bronze coins shimmering under the sky as she handed them over to the merchant. It was a wonderful trade, Yuna heading back with a satisfied smile on her face.
The young lady barely bargained with the merchants, but for the first time ever since, she decided to do so, successfully slashing down the prices in her first try. Both her charisma and feistiness was a hard combo to ignore.
"You sure look happy. So, how was your first bargain?" ［Grey］
"It was great! I saved 1,300 kiels from it! Aren't I amazing?" ［Yuna］
"Ohh～! That's amazing. You might have a talent for this." ［Grey］
"Right～? I suddenly feel like a real merchant!" ［Yuna］
Declared the young lady, puffing out her ample chest and beaming a proud smile. She was now brimming with confidence, ready to head to another shop and start bargaining once more, looking forward to how much money she could save.
Meanwhile, Grey could only look at her and smile a warm smile. He's always had his special eyes so he's never had a reason to bargain so much, only needing to look at the other party and determine that they were lying or not.
Still, seeing Yuna try a bit of bargaining was not a bad experience. In fact, he might even learn a thing or two from her, greatly satisfied knowing that she won't be bullied by veteran merchants if she ever ventures into the world of merchantry alone.
"Still, Yuna... Why did you suddenly start bargaining? You usually just buy them as long as the price seems reasonable. Is it because of the Academy?" ［Grey］
"The Academy, well, not exactly... It was Alea who taught me the basics of bargaining and how to gain the upper hand in negotiations." ［Yuna］
"Alea? Why so suddenly?" ［Grey］
"I'm not really sure... She just said it was good to learn it, otherwise, people might start taking advantage of me. And looking at it in retrospect.., I really did spend quite a lot of money on my alchemy, didn't I?" ［Yuna］
It wasn't just a lot, it was a mountain of money. Especially including all the auctions and events Yuna had participated in. She had lost millions of kiels, when she could have just found a better way to settle it. She was simply too carefree back then.
Though they have a ton of money, it still doesn't exempt them from the fact that they were being wasteful. It was best to save up every kiel they could, and make sure to spend it reasonably. They already are adults, after all.
"Oh, speaking of being taken advantage of... How are your classes? I heard that some people had been pulling dirty tricks on you." ［Grey］
"Ah, those... Well, they really were mean, but I can handle them." ［Yuna］
"Are you sure? You shouldn't tolerate bullying, you know? Just tell me when you want to teach them a lesson, I'll be sure to ingrain it to their bones." ［Grey］
"Grey, you sound scary when you talk like that." ［Yuna］
Replied Yuna, barely any worries in her eyes. The bullying and harassment has been going on for a couple days already, and it has only increased ever since, more and more tricks being pulled against her every single day.
There were pranks where they switched her vials, some times where her tools and items suddenly disappeared, sudden winds rushing at her, drawings and doodles in her desks, and many more. The typical harassment one would see in TV shows.
Of course, not a single one of these harassments worked on Yuna, her quickly and easily resolving things with a bit of magic. She even received more merit points after finishing the tasks with great handicaps, much to the perpetrators' dissatisfaction.
"And besides, they're just kids. Just leave them be for now, Grey. They're just kids doing childish things, you know?!" ［Yuna］
"Yuna, you do know that you're younger than most of them, right? And if we're talking about being childish, then... You would be at the top of the list, My Dear." ［Grey］
"W-What?! I'm not that childish!" ［Yuna］
"Oh, really? Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?" ［Grey］
But perhaps the biggest bully of them all was none other than her very own fiancé, always finding ways to poke fun at her. Grey teases the young lady both day and night, his slight chuckles ringing over Yuna's ears time and time again.
Of course, his "teasing" during the night was on a whole different level, making the young lady's face blush a feverish red color as he showers her as much affection as possible. He was a complete beast beyond redemption.
"So, what's the real reason?" ［Grey］
"Umm, well... That... I find it fun how they always fail their attempts. They actually look quite cute and pitiful when trying their best." ［Yuna］
"Wow... I didn't think my fiancée had a side like this..." ［Grey］
"H-Hey! What's with that tone?! You're teasing me again, aren't you?" ［Yuna］
Though perhaps the real reason why Yuna still didn't take any action was that she found it fun how the perpetrators still always fail their every attempt. It was like she was playing a game where she had to avoid getting cornered by the enemy.
It may be unorthodox and straight up insane, but Yun finds it very satisfying, making her days a bit more interesting when she's always up against the blackboard. It was a good way to switch up her pace and have a little bit of fun.
Also, the very obvious expressions Jermel and his entourage make every tIme whenever they fail is also quite fun to watch. Seeing them frown in dissatisfaction and clench their fists in anger was a sight to see. Yuna was surprisingly diabolical.
'Is my fiancé perhaps a sadist...?' ［Grey］
Thought Grey, cupping his chin ever so slightly all the while he looked at his cute and angelic fiancée. It seems like his teasing had once again influenced her, turning her personality a little twisted. He was a bit concerned, actually.
"Grey, you just thought of something rude just now, didn't you?" ［Yuna］
"I don't know what you're talking about, Milady." ［Grey］
"No! You clearly were thinking of something rude just now! Don't try to deny it! I can see it on your face!" ［Yuna］
"Maybe you just saw wrongly? It happens from time to time." ［Grey］
The shenanigans continued to unfold, and the two of them continued their buying of the herbs, Yuna bargaining fiercely with the merchants as if it was nobody's business. It was truly an absurd sight to behold, Grey buying a couple of ingredients for lunch.
There were some failures and successes, but overall, Yuna got a pretty good start. She saved over 15 thousand kiels in just a single shipping spree, gaining a large amount of experience in bargaining. She was a talent to behold.
All jokes aside, Grey and Yuna soon headed back towards Camellia Valley in order to put the ingredients to good use. Grey headed to the kitchen to cook, and Yuna in the Sanctuary while she brews potion after potion for the day.
BLUB BLUB BLUB BLUB
The flames danced in the wind and the solution boiled like water. Yuna was now concocting anesthesia for hunting down Mid-Rank beasts. It was an item potent enough to knock them out in a matter of seconds the moment they're hit,
Yuna turned up the heat even more and the liquid soon turned into vapor, leaving only sediments at the bottom of the flasks. The vapor soon underwent distillation, everything condensing back into a liquid inside the cooling chamber.
The liquid solution dripped down another flask, drop by drop, clear as can be with barely any scent to differentiate it from water. It was cool and very fluid, only a couple more steps left before it became something barely usable.
"Then add some Wartwood extracts... Heat it up again... And..." ［Yuna］
The young lady didn't waste any more time. As soon as the distilled liquid was ready, she immediately moved her hands and added a couple more things in the mix, soon changing the color of the clear solution into a slightly green liquid.
All that was needed was a bit of shaking and for the final touch, Yuna added some mana into the liquid, thickening it a little bit and making it glow ever so dimly. A bit more shaking later and the item was finally done.
Yuna then took out several tube vials and distributed the solutions to each of the vials. A total of 18 has been made, each of them eligible to be used even after 10 years of storing. Such magnificent potion with an amazing shelf life.
"Phew... That really was a lot..." ［Yuna］
"Oh, looks like you're finished already. Here, have some snacks," ［Grey］
"Ah, thank you! You're the best, Grey!" ［Yuna］
Grey soon arrived, bringing a tray in his hands. There were snacks and fruit juice to be seen, Yuna eyes lighting up brightly the moment she saw Grey. She quickly gave him a hug, then proceeding to eat some of the snacks the former brought.
"Mmn～! These are delicious, Grey! They're my favorites!" ［Yuna］
"Your favorites... Don't you say that with everything you eat?" ［Grey］
No, she wasn't just eating. She happily wolfed down the snacks and whilst wearing a bright smile. She has been too absolved in her work for several hours already, she completely to eat some snacks. Thankfully, Grey was there to save the day.
Of course, Yuna's concoctions weren't just the anesthetic items she just made, but a lot more. There were healing potions, revitalizing potions, beast repellants, calming creams, premium sleeping pills, and so much more.
In fact, there were already heaps and piles of items piled atop the tables, hundreds upon hundreds of vials present by the racks and ready to be used. Yuna has just made another batch, aiming to make a couple thousand before the end of the day,
"Mmn～! Those were some good snacks! I feel so much better now!" ［Yuna］
"Oh? You're going to work again, Yuna? Shouldn't you rest a little first?" ［Grey］
"No, it's okay. I still have a lot of energy in me! I need to finish all of them before my motivation runs out! I want to make some more!" ［Yuna］
Unlike usual, Yuna didn't savor her time as much while she was snacking and wolfed all of them down in just a matter of minutes. She soon headed back to her working area, a strong and vigorous flame of determination burning in her eyes.
Grey was quite a bit worried about how excited she was, but seeing her work so hard and play around with motivation was more than enough for him. He could only heave a sigh in resignation and cheer on his beloved.
"Then, good luck, Yuna. I know you can do it." ［Grey］
"Un! You can count on me!" ［Yuna］
Her eyes burning with delight, Yuna then proceeded with her usual alchemy. Now, she wasn't just making any normal items, she is making Superior-Grade items only alchemists of her caliber can manage to concoct.
Yuna took out a large number of magic plants and chaos quickly spewed in the whole laboratory. Though most magic plants act like normal ingredients after getting picked, some were still as feisty when they were still alive, still packing some fighting spirit,
FWOOOOOSHHH FWOOOOOSHHH BOOM BOOM BOOM
One magic in particular was very fierce. It was spitting out flames all over the place, hot enough to melt steel at a single touch. It was fierce enough that even Mid-Rankers would be in danger if they were too careless.
Thankfully, the items inside the laboratory were top-notch, not a single one damaged by the magic plant's lashing flames. Rather, they only looked more sparkly, looking as if they just underwent a fierce sterilization.
"Shut up already, will you?!" ［Yuna］
Of course, such flames were no match for the young lady. All she needed to do was smack the rampaging magic plant and it was quickly silenced, coughing a couple huffs and puffs of smoke as it endured the pain of Yuna's smacking.
It tried to fight back again, opening its flowers for a big one, but before it could even blast its flames, it was once again hit by a smack, and another, and one more. It was futile resistance, only receiving more pain the more it tried to struggle.
"Don't be so stubborn, Torchflower! You're going to be ground into powder anyway! Stop it before I beat you up even harder!" ［Yuna］
Fiercely announced the young lady as she shook the poor torchflower violently as can be. It was good that it doesn't have any real sentience or emotions, else it would surely be bawling right now, crying out injustice over unfair treatment.
In the end, the torchflower finally stopped struggling, losing its will to resist. It may not have true intelligence, but it instinctively knew that it would be hit the more it tries to defy the young lady. It was actually quite pitiful to watch.
"Haha... I sure have a fierce fiancée..." ［Grey］
"Hm? Did you say something just now, Grey?" ［Yuna］
"Nothing... I was just talking to myself." ［Grey］
The torchflower was processed by Yuna, turned into two materials. There were its extracts made by crushing its whole body finely and extracting the liquid contents using water magic. The rest was shredded using wind magic, turned to powder.
With the feisty part now done, Yuna soon continued with her work and took out a few more ingredients to compliment the torchflower materials she just processed. Most of them were also magic plants, all costing several thousands of kiels.
FIZZLE FIZZLE FIZZLE BOOM BOOM FWOOSH
The process of making the potion was not any less difficult either, violent explosions resounding in the air, harmful fumes oozing out of the cauldron, and liquids bubbling in extreme temperatures, sometimes scorching hot and other times freezing cold.
It was a process which needed extreme care and delicacy, a single mistake able to turn such precious materials into useless rubbish. At worst, the whole setup would explode in flames or produce a similarly catastrophic result.
"Hmmn～♪ Mmn～♪ Mhmmn～♪ Mmmn～♪" ［Yuna］
However, there was no need to fear anything with Yuna around. Her precision and control is beyond what is humanly possible, extreme acuity complimenting her quick and dexterous movements. She was even humming cheerfully to herself.
What would be an impossible challenge to alchemists her age was but an easy task for her. Her rhythm was beyond perfect and her form was perfect like a coordinator leading an orchestra, not wasting any bit of efficiency.
'Hahaha. She sure is having a lot of fun. I wonder how this scene would look in a portrait... Should I paint one later?' ［Grey］
In fact, she was so beautiful, Grey couldn't help but want to paint a portrait of Yuna while performing alchemy. The more he looked at Yuna, the more beautiful it became, a fantastical scene unfolding before his purple eyes.
SNAP SNAP SNAP SNAP
Of course, there was no way he would pass up on taking a couple pictures of the young lady. She would normally complain, but with her as focused as she is right now, she didn't even realize Grey was taking photos of her.
It was as beautiful as one would expect, worthy to be framed and proudly displayed in a museum. It was going to be added into Grey's "Yuna" album once again, a satisfied smile blooming on his face, looking like a fool.
"Well... I should probably get going now..." ［Grey］
Regrettably, Grey has some other things to do as well. He had just reached Tier-8 in enchanting not long ago, and it was time to try out his newfound skills on the items he forged with his blacksmithing skills.
Though not as much as Yuna, Grey was also quite fond of his blacksmithing and enchanting. His heart was getting pumped up just thinking of the possibilities of the items he could produce, itching to work his hands once again.
"Yuna, I'll be going now. I left a couple more snacks here. Make sure to eat whenever you take a break, alright?" ［Grey］
Grey said, but there were no responses to be heard. Yuna was still very focused with her work, seemingly lost in her own world. It was good that she was very hardworking but there are times when it felt a little worrying.
『Yuna, were you listening to me?』 ［Grey］
"A-Ah! Un! I will be cooking dinner later! I got it!" ［Yuna］
"That's not what I said, you know..." ［Grey］
Nope, she wasn't listening at all, jolting as if a ghost just jumpscared her. Of course, Grey only spoke to her when she was only observing and thinking of what to do, not causing any mishaps. Safety still comes first, after all.
"Haah... Forget about it. Just make sure to eat your snacks and not to overwork yourself. Take some breaks every once in a while, alright?" ［Grey］
"U-Un! I'll make sure to remember that!" ［Yuna］
"Don't just remember it, make sure to do it. I'll check on you later, and I don't want even a single speck of food left on your plate, understood?" ［Grey］
"Un! I'll wipe my plate clean for sure!" ［Yuna］
Or so she said, but with how excited she looked, Grey couldn't really trust her. All he could trust was her stomach and her gluttony. He could rest assured that she would eat at least a couple sandwiches and drink some water.
"Then, I'll be going ahead now. Just make sure to remember what I said. Oh, and you might want to hurry it up with your brewing. One flask is already bubbling." ［Grey］
"Ah! U-Un! I'll see you later～! I love you!" ［Yuna］
"Yeah, I love you too. Take care." ［Grey］
A sweet and sappy atmosphere brewing in the air, the lovers soon separated and headed their own places. Yuna stayed behind to conduct her alchemy, whilst Grey headed a distance away to start hammering the metals and materials.
Hammer strikes soon echoed in the air, accompanied with the scorching whistles of the flames and the thundering explosions from the laboratory. The clouds continued to drift in the sky, two figures wearing bright smiles on their beautiful faces.
...
CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK
Vials were shaken and liquids were poured. The solutions were concentrated and diluted, undergoing heat and cold as it changed from color to color, consistency varying with the passage of time, clearly fumes rising in the air.
A bespectacled man stood proud and facilitated the whole process. He moved with grace and majesty, not spilling a single drop and not making even a single mistake. His eyes, as clear as the sparkling lakes, peered into the vials with a gentle passion.
The whole process was soon over, a series of clinks and thuds echoing in the air as the man put down the glass vials. He flicked the switches and turned off the heat, a herbal and calming scent wafting through the whole room.
"Haah... This is quite the fearsome poison, isn't it?" ［Fran］
That man was none other than the Headmaster of Darius Academy, quite a puzzled look on his face as he tried out new formulas provided by the professorsー or rather, relayed by the professors. They were recipes made by the ever so cheerful Yuna.
Not only were they new and effective, they were also more cost-effective compared to the current formulas used by Alchemists. Some were even more potent than the current formulas, capable of revolutionizing the alchemy world...
No, with the concepts working behind the recipes, it is already revolutionizing the way people will think about alchemy. The moment they are released to the public, it would surely cause a massive wave of change throughout the whole world.
"New formulas, huh..." ［Fran］
The Headmaster already knew how fearsome Yuna's skills are, but it even surpassed his imagination. Her way of thinking is completely different from his, not having any fears to try out new and outrageous ideas. She was an alchemist amongst alchemists.
"Hahaha... Looks like I've gotten too old now. I really have to hand it over to the next generation already." ［Fran］
All he could do was laugh and look forward to the unknown future...
CHAPTER 375 END