The next morning, as the sun rose with unprecedented cheerfulness—please forgive the somewhat meaningless metaphor—Duwei was enjoying a sunlit breakfast when someone came to visit him.
It was none other than that... deceptive sorcerer, Sorskya.
After everyone assumed that Duwei had been kidnapped, Sorskya had endured considerable pressure. He was the only mage left by Duwei's side, yet there were no signs of any battle on his person!
Everyone had been injured, except for him, who was unscathed!
Sorskya had borne the heavy burden of his comrades' suspicion.
To be honest… he himself felt rather embarrassed, remembering how he had fainted in fear at the mere mention of the title "Eighth-Level Mage" before the battle even began.
But wasn't it justified? You ask a First-Level mage (with a fabricated qualification) to face an Eighth-Level mage in direct combat.
That's not called a duel; that's called murder!
"Oh, my little master, I am so delighted to see you return safe and sound…" As soon as he entered the study, Sorskya instantly plastered a smile on his face.
Bang!
In response, Duwei's foot sent the sorcerer sprawling to the ground.
Duwei eyed him with narrowed eyes and chuckled darkly, "My dear Sorskya… I'm not nearly as pleased to see you as you are to see me."
Sorskya clambered to his feet, awkwardly adjusting his hat. "...My little master…"
"Every time I think of how you behaved that day, I can't help but feel utterly embarrassed." Duwei's face darkened. "My magical advisor, Mr. Sorskya, you actually fainted before even engaging in battle… Your courage is even smaller than a rabbit's!"
That day, Sorskya was the last person left beside Duwei, yet this disgraceful fellow did nothing of use and simply passed out! It nearly drove Duwei to the brink of madness!
"My heavens! The opponent was an Eighth-Level mage! Eighth-Level!! Master Duwei!" Sorskya defended himself, "I'm just a First-Level mage, and in reality, my true power is no stronger than an apprentice's! You know this very well… Did you truly think I could withstand an Eighth-Level mage?"
"Then you shouldn't have fainted. That was beyond shameful!" Duwei shook his head. "As your employer, I am deeply disappointed in you… By the way, where have you been these past few days?"
"I… I took a few people south and moved some things from my laboratory," Sorskya replied, slightly mollifying Duwei.
"You moved your laboratory?" Duwei raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Aren't you afraid I might not return? Without me, do you think this family would still accept you?"
Sorskya, with no other option, told the truth… He had received word that the young master of the Roland family had been found and had rushed back accordingly.
"Oh, is that so… So, if I hadn't returned, you would have planned to flee, would you?" Duwei looked at the sly man. "Taking with you the 'spoils' I gave you that day, I presume?"
Sorskya fell silent.
"Alright, bring them out," Duwei said, referring to the items he had 'extracted' from Vivian.
Almost instinctively, Duwei felt that these "Vivian's things" were something he didn't want to hand over to anyone. He intended to keep them for himself.
Sorskya, a little anxious, spoke, "Master Duwei… you're not a mage. These items only have value in the hands of a mage…"
Not willing to give them up?
Duwei snorted. He glanced at the closed door of the study, smiled faintly, and raised his hand in a subtle gesture.
Whoosh!
The flames of the candles on either side flickered once more, and a few embers shot toward Duwei's palm, instantly coalescing into a fireball!
Sorskya's eyes went wide. "Magic? My heavens, you can use magic now?!"
"Do you think I'm performing a trick? This is the method an Eighth-Level mage taught me!" Duwei sneered. "Hand them over."
"May I keep a small magic crystal?" Sorskya hesitated. "Just a small one… I need a good-quality crystal to store fire-elemental energy for my experiments…"
Duwei said nothing, merely opening his hand.
Sorskya, resigned, handed over the bag with a deep sigh.
"Enough with the sighing, my magical advisor," Duwei said, now holding Vivian's things, feeling a slight sense of satisfaction. "The items you desire will be yours soon. I guarantee it."
"A mid-grade magic crystal costs at least several hundred gold coins," Sorskya commented knowingly, as Duwei's current predicament was common knowledge—his house arrest and the suspension of his allowance had spread throughout the castle.
"Don't worry, the gold will come. And it will come soon," Duwei reassured him, unconcerned.
The plan to rob the pirates was already in motion, and substantial profits would follow soon enough… Not to mention, don't forget the hidden chamber beneath the study, filled with the treasures Semel had left behind.
"By the way, Sorskya, come with me. I'll show you your new laboratory! It's just outside the castle, in the woods!"
As they left the study, the old butler arrived to see Duwei. Duwei pointed to a pile of burnt ashes on the floor and said with a grin, "My dear butler… I'm so sorry, last night while reading, I don't know what happened, but the painting on the wall fell down and landed right on a candelabra… and it burned up. I suppose you'll have the servants clean it up, won't you?"
The old butler stared blankly at the empty space on the wall where the painting had hung, then glanced at the ashes on the floor.
Good heavens… That was an antique!
The words "prodigal" turned over in the butler's mind, though he dared not speak them aloud. He simply bit his lip and reluctantly agreed.
Duwei, nonchalantly, led Sorskya out of the study and toward the woods beside the castle.
In the depths of the forest, by the creek, the wooden building had already been completed.
A three-story wooden structure, looking sturdy and well-built with high-quality materials.
"Are you satisfied? From now on, this will be our magic laboratory… our laboratory!"
As they entered the first floor of the small building, a large hall awaited, with basic furniture already in place, including a large table for working as Duwei had requested. Shelves lined with glassware, various jars, bottles, and even a few crystal stones were neatly arranged.The second floor housed a row of iron cabinets, used to store various raw materials.
The third floor, however, was Duwei's domain. A spacious terrace had been left for him, specifically designed for the observation of celestial phenomena.
Duwei had even prepared to craft his own astronomical telescope to place there.
"Are you satisfied?" Duwei asked, smiling as he looked at Sorskya.
Sorskya's expression was one of delight. "This is excellent! Such a large space—there's more than enough room for me to conduct numerous experiments!"
Duwei smiled and led him to the back of the small building, pointing to the plants spread out before them.
These were some of the most basic materials in the field of magical alchemy… Naturally, many magical ingredients were beyond Duwei's reach, unavailable for purchase in town's shops. They could only occasionally be obtained from adventurer teams or the Mage's Guild.
However, the Mage's Guild was not open to the public. Only those with mage credentials could purchase items from it.
"I've gathered the basic plants… as for the others, we'll have to procure them from the Mage's Guild. This is something only you can handle, as you well know the guild's rules. As for the money… don't worry, we'll have it. Soon enough, we'll have plenty of gold," Duwei reassured him.
Sorskya glanced silently at the plants before him.
He was already extremely satisfied!
To ordinary people, a mage's experiments were essentially "money burning!"
Those precious materials could easily be destroyed or rendered useless in a single failed experiment.
In the past, Sorskya hadn't had the means to afford such materials for his experiments. Most of the supplies he had gathered were either "secretly accumulated" from his former teacher, or earned through working for adventuring teams or collecting magic cores from magical beasts.
Now, with the promise of support from this young noble, he no longer had to worry about money. He could freely engage in the experiments he truly wanted to pursue!
Duwei still held high expectations for Sorskya.
The fact that this man had discovered a method for simulating magic… he truly was a genius! Who knew what other remarkable discoveries he might make if he continued his research?
"Oh, by the way, let me see what you've brought back from your laboratory in the south!"
In contrast to Duwei's new laboratory, the items Sorskya had brought were far more modest.
He had brought only a few bottles and jars… half of which were crudely made from terracotta. Clearly, this financially-strapped mage had been unable to afford the fine glassware.
Inside these jars were the various magical elements Sorskya had extracted… primarily fire elements.
In other words, the "yellow powder" that Sorskya had referred to.
Duwei's interest was piqued by the fire element.
With Sorskya's permission, he carefully opened one of the jars and saw the "yellow powder" inside!
At the first sight of the powder and the familiar scent that wafted up… Duwei froze.
He couldn't help but reach out with two fingers to pinch a small amount and bring it closer to his nose for a sniff…
"This is the 'fire element' you've extracted?" Duwei turned his head, looking at Sorskya with a serious expression.
"…Yes," Sorskya answered.
Suppressing his excitement, Duwei spoke slowly. "How fast can you refine this substance?"
"Well," Sorskya thought for a moment, calculating, "it depends on the raw materials. The primary ingredient is fire scale grass powder. However, it requires six rounds of refining, and the process must be done very carefully—there can't be any fire nearby… I once nearly got burned to death in an accident."
"What if I provide you with ample materials?"
Sorskya considered this for a while, then made an estimate: "If I have enough materials, I think I could produce three bottles a day."
Three bottles?
The jars Sorskya referred to were roughly the size of beer bottles in Duwei's previous world.
Three bottles a day… that's a decent speed.
Duwei stifled a laugh and suddenly pulled Sorskya into a tight embrace. "My magical advisor, I am very pleased with your fire element… I'll raise your salary! Once I have the money! Hahaha…"
After a moment, Duwei lowered his voice. "Listen, this formula for the fire element must remain absolutely confidential! Do you understand?"
"Of course!" Sorskya quickly replied.
For now, the laboratory would be Sorskya's domain. Duwei left him there, busy arranging the jars, bottles, and crude tools—large pots, refining vessels, and burners—he had brought along.
Duwei stepped outside on his own.
The two servants who had followed him watched their young master, who was grinning from ear to ear.
As Duwei walked a good distance away, he finally could no longer contain his emotions and burst into a hearty laugh.
His laughter was filled with joy and surprise, as if an endless stream of gold coins had suddenly fallen from the sky, filling only his pockets!
"Hahahaha… fire elements? This is clearly fire medicine! Hahaha, I actually have fire medicine now!!"