Chapter 269. From Pulling Weeds to an Herb Garden (2)
“I feel like I am about to cry.”
“We are actually doing sothing other than pulling weeds in an herb garden!”
“Is this real? It is not a dream, right?”
The first-year alchemy majors spoke in excited voices.
Each of them held a container filled to the brim with fertilizer.
After spending the entire first sester doing nothing but pulling weeds, their eyes were now full of joy at the thought that they could finally cultivate an herb garden.
“All right. Once you have finished spreading fertilizer in the low-grade herb garden, we will move on to the interdiate herb garden. This will be your first ti going there, first-years, correct?”
Starting from the interdiate herb garden, it was an unknown area accessible only to academy alchemy majors.
Professor Cailin led the students to stand before a massive iron gate.
“Open.”
At the sa ti as his incantation, the entrance opened.
Beyond the iron gate lay a peaceful herb garden surrounded by tall walls and iron fencing, so well maintained that the first-years could not help but gasp in admiration.
“Wow, how much is all of this worth?”
“This is insane. It is like relocating the entire Marcellent herb market!”
“Huh? I have only seen that one in books!”
It was exactly the kind of herb garden every alchemy major dread of seeing at least once.
Rare herbs swayed their fresh leaves as if welcoming them.
Especially to alchemy majors who handled ingredients daily, every single herb looked like money itself.
“Frost Forget--not! Is it not two gold per root at current prices?”
“I have seen it go up to two and a half.”
Its value was on an entirely different level compared to the low-grade herb garden.
As if he had expected their reaction, Professor Cailin explained the precautions for the interdiate herb garden.
“So of the herbs here will wither just from being brushed, so be careful. And just in case, let say this. You all know what happens if you get caught stealing, right?”
No sooner had Professor Cailin finished speaking than flying golems revealed themselves.
WHIIIR.
The first-years, who had suffered under constant surveillance by flying golems whenever they pulled weeds, felt chills run down their spines at the sound of them approaching.
“Flying golems again?”
“They really are persistent.”
“But those things… do they not look like they have evolved sohow?”
Now that they ntioned it, they did look far more vicious than the flying golems they had seen in the low-grade herb garden.
When he saw that the students had noticed, Cailin spoke with a wicked smile.
“You caught on. Every herb here sells for at least one gold more per root. I specifically asked the principal to assign these new-model golems to properly guard valuable herbs, so unless you want to lose a wrist, be careful.”
At Professor Cailin’s words, which treated the students as potential herb thieves, Leon clicked his tongue inwardly.
‘Tsk. Unless soone were desperate for money, who would do sothing so vulgar…?’
Unlike the first sester, they were not even distributing ingredients based on how many weeds were pulled, so there was no reason to steal in the first place.
However, contrary to Leon’s thoughts, soone nearby quietly let out a sigh.
“Hoo… As expected of Professor Cailin. I thought he might go a little easy on us.”
It was said in a tone that suggested the speaker had plans if only the professor had been lenient.
The voice felt irritating, and sure enough, it belonged to Radel.
Leon firmly closed his mouth and turned his head away.
There was no need to get involved with that guy.
No matter what he said or what he did.
Leon would no longer pay him any attention.
Yet even as he tried to ignore it, suspicious sounds kept reaching his ears.
“Tunia, you rember what I gave you earlier.”
“Oh, that?”
“Yes, that.”
That?
Leon tried not to listen to the conversation between Radel and Tunia, but their whispering nearby made it hard to avoid.
“…Do not tell you are going to use that now?”
“I knew you would catch on. Can you do it?”
“Of course. As long as we have that Golden Centenary Herb over there…”
“Right. We can even add an energizing effect to the hangover cure.”
“Then we have to make this work.”
It was a conversation filled with tension and resolve.
Without realizing it, Leon stole a glance at them.
As expected, Radel’s eyes were brimming with vitality.
At a glance, it was clear he was plotting sothing suspicious.
‘So he plans to do sothing even if the professor does not go easy on him.’
Leon saw through Radel’s intentions but pretended not to notice.
He had resolved not to create any situation that would entangle him with Radel in any way.
He had no intention of being dragged along by that guy ever again.
***
‘Thank you, Senior Anesha!’
Radel offered deep thanks to Senior Anesha in his heart.
‘You rember the potion you bought from before, right? It would be good to bring it to the next alchemy class.’
As expected, there had been a reason behind her words.
Senior Anesha must have secretly developed those potions for monts like this.
Radel quickly identified the location of the Golden Centenary Herb.
It was a rare ingredient obtainable only through natural gathering.
He had heard it was one of the herbs that were especially difficult to cultivate artificially.
Yet it was growing in abundance in Professor Cailin’s interdiate herb garden.
If not for Senior Anesha, he would have missed this opportunity to obtain such a precious material.
“Then let us begin. Up to furrow number five, use the red fertilizer here. Up to furrow number ten, use the green fertilizer. And up to fifteen—”
The first-years scattered to spread the fertilizers Professor Cailin had designated for each section.
WHIIIR.
Flying golems flew among the students.
They were there to catch any potential herb thieves.
The mont the golems detected even the slightest irregularity, a beam was fired.
ZZING!
CRACKLE!
“Aaagh!”
Along with the sound of flesh burning, soone dropped the herb they had been holding.
Professor Cailin shrugged and gestured with his hand.
“Why are you holding an herb? I clearly told you to apply fertilizer only. Take him away.”
A flying golem flew over, retrieved the herb, and escorted the student away.
When the student who had tried to steal an herb failed, an invisible tension spread through the herb garden.
Leon, too, sensed that sothing was off and hardened his expression.
What exactly was this place…?
Leon found it difficult to accept, but it was obvious that all the other students except himself had their eyes on the herb garden.
To think that students attending the Empire’s finest magic academy would harbor such unsightly thoughts.
Were the alchemy majors strange, or was he the strange one?
He muttered as if incredulous.
“…This is absurd.”
Yet no reply ca.
‘Of course, Your Highness is right, and those fools are wrong!’
‘They are far too foolish to be compared to a noble prince!’
The followers who always shouted unconditional agreent at his side.
Leon realized that the voices he should have been hearing were absent.
Once he noticed that, a strange sense of liberation washed over him.
‘What am I even thinking right now…?’
As Leon stood in confusion, soone brushed past him lightly.
“Oh, sorry.”
The person bowed their head in apology and returned to their task.
Looking closely, Leon saw that one hand held a fertilizer container while the other gripped a potion.
SWISH!
As fertilizer was spread with the potion mixed in, the herbs vanished from sight for a brief mont.
Without missing that brief opening, the person moved their hand.
Leon openly checked the face of the one uprooting herbs and let out a groan.
“You…!”
“Oh? It was you, Leon. I did not see you because I was concentrating.”
Radel, who had already dug up several herbs and tucked them into his clothes, gave Leon an awkward smile.
He even asked for understanding.
“The mont soone gets taken away is when the flying golems are the least vigilant. You get it, right?”
As if understanding had anything to do with it.
In other words, he was blatantly looting herbs while another classmate was being escorted away.
Just then, as if he had noticed Radel’s actions, Professor Cailin was walking over in their direction.
Leon’s eyes glead quietly as he anticipated what was about to happen.
“Radel, are you busy right now?”
Professor Cailin asked.
Radel replied with a perfectly calm expression, as if nothing had happened.
“Not at all. I was simply applying fertilizer.”
“Hm… You spread it very evenly, just as I explained.”
“Yes. Your explanation was clear, Professor, so I quickly got the hang of it.”
“Good. Very good.”
However, what Leon expected did not happen.
Instead, Professor Cailin rubbed his hands together as he looked at Radel and said,
“Just hypothetically. If you were to participate in the alchemy major booth… Ahem, I an, for the upcoming autumn festival…”
“You an the academy autumn festival?”
“Yes, that. I think you would do an excellent job running an alchemy booth.”
“Thank you for thinking so highly of , Professor.”
Seeing that Radel’s response was favorable, Professor Cailin began to get to the point.
“Of course, the first-years will naturally do well, but events like this need soone willing to take responsibility. So if you are willing, Radel… I was thinking perhaps you could open an item shop using materials from the interdiate herb garden.”
Radel realized what the professor was getting at.
He recalled what the seniors had told him during the grade representative eting.
‘They might soon casually bring up the topic of choosing a booth.’
So this was it.
Moreover, Radel had already heard similar words from Professor Marianne regarding the festival.
‘I trust that you know which booth you should choose.’
Summoning Magic and Alchemy.
Even though the festival preparation period had not yet begun, two professors from different majors had already raised the issue.
Just as the seniors had predicted.
Radel appreciated the professor’s offer, but in his heart was the dream of the Supre Deity 3-piece set.
To achieve that, he needed to open an Integrated Major booth, not one tied to a single major.
‘To do that, I will have to persuade Leon.’
Radel made a vague reply that he would think about it and stepped away.
Leon, who had overheard the conversation with Professor Cailin, had already left with an uncomfortable expression.
It would be troubleso if Leon misunderstood and thought Radel had chosen the alchemy booth.
Fortunately, Leon could be seen spreading fertilizer on the other side.
“Leon! Let us talk for a mont.”
As Radel approached, Leon’s face stiffened automatically.
He was trying to ignore Radel to avoid getting involved, yet they kept crossing paths.
As a result, Leon had learned a great deal of unnecessary information.
How cunning that guy was, and how shaless.
And how much the professor wanted that obnoxious fellow.
Why would he make such an offer?
Anyone could see that Leon himself was far superior to that fool.
Leon could not accept it.
His Magic Power was diocre, and he was still a half-baked magician who could not even properly use magic. Why him…?
And yet, unbelievably, this was reality.
His insides boiled with frustration.
“Leon, where are you going? I said I just want to talk for a mont.”
“Do not co any closer.”
“No, really, it will only take a second—”
BANG!
The fertilizer container that slipped from Leon’s hand hit the ground and rolled away.
“…I told you not to co any closer.”
The mont the atmosphere turned cold, the air itself seed to freeze.
“Is Radel Silvert Cretian here?”
Soone had co looking for Radel.
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