Book 1 Chapter 361
361
“Senior Kal!”
“Hello.”
Kal, who had come out of his personal workshop, showed a welcoming expression as he saw Juen and Luke, who had come to visit him.
“Oh! Juen, Luke. What brings you here?”
“We came because we wanted to have dinner with Senior Kal after a long time. Please treat us to a meal!”
Juen said with sparkling eyes and an endearing voice.
Kal smiled brightly as he looked at Juen.
“Shall we?”
Eliza, who was sitting in the dormitory garden filing her nails, chuckled as she watched Kal laugh, “Hahahaha-”.
“He’s happy without even knowing he’s been taken advantage of.”
Eliza looked at Kal with her characteristic disdainful gaze.
“It must be really tough taking care of a mentee who’s too good for you, Kal Thomas.”
“What did you say?”
Eliza glanced at Juen, who was provoked by her sarcasm, and said.
“I don’t think I said anything wrong, Juen Torbina.”
Juen and Luke flinched at Eliza’s chilly voice.
Though somewhat overshadowed by Leo, Eliza was also originally a strong candidate for class representative.
The best golden generation in Rumerne history.
She was a student strong enough to be not only the undisputed class representative but also the student council president, had she been in a different generation.
First-years, still green, would often be terrified just by meeting Eliza’s cool gaze.
“Why is our dorm president in a bad mood again, acting like a bad senior threatening juniors and extorting money?”
Kal interjected slyly.
“Are you treating the successor of the Hergin family like a delinquent?”
“You are a delinquent. Bossing your classmates around. Not even listening to classes properly is being a delinquent.”
Eliza flared up.
“If you don’t want to be called that, why don’t you stop threatening my mentee?”
Kal stood in front of Juen and Luke and said.
“Se-Senior Kal.”
Juen looked at Kal’s back with a slightly touched expression.
“Juen is definitely a mentee who’s too good for me.”
“No way! Senior Kal is a great mentor!”
“Thank you. And I’ve never thought I was taken advantage of.”
Eliza looked at Kal as if amused.
‘He’s acting like a senior quite plausibly in front of his juniors.’
“Because Juen pays for all the expensive stuff!”
“……”
“Juen is the daughter of the Southern Magic Tower Master! She’s the daughter of a super-rich family! She’s an amazing junior who knows how to buy food for a poor senior!”
Juen’s face turned cold, and Eliza sighed deeply.
“I feel like a fool for thinking he showed some senior dignity.”
“And she’s also so generous that she’s satisfied with getting campus food! Right, Ju— *cough*!”
Juen unhesitatingly punched Kal in the side.
“Let’s go! Luke!”
Luke, flustered, helped Kal up as Juen walked away, her face bright red and fuming.
“Se-Senior, are you okay?”
“I-I’m okay. Can you help me up?”
“Yes.”
Luke effortlessly lifted Kal and chased after Juen.
“You’re strong.”
Luke gave an awkward smile at Kal’s compliment.
“Are you mad? Are you mad?”
“I don’t know!”
“Aw. Cheer up.”
Kal chuckled.
“I did that because I thought if you upset Eliza, your school life would unnecessarily become difficult. Normally, protecting you as a mentor is best, but… I can’t stop Eliza. That was my best just now.”
Kal smiled bitterly.
“No matter what, don’t put yourself down. I think Senior Kal is the best mentor.”
Juen made an angry expression.
“I cannot tolerate my chosen mentor belittling himself.”
“Thank you. You’re the only one. In that sense, I’ll treat you to something delicious today!”
Eliza, who had been listening to their conversation from afar, blew on her nails and muttered.
“Looking at that… having a mentee might not have been so bad.”
It was the first time she had felt regret or disappointment about not having a mentee.
It was when Eliza was forming a slightly bitter smile.
“And don’t dislike Eliza too much. If you treat her with respect as a senior, she’ll be good to you. She’s not the type to hold grudges about these things.”
“Hmph, what arrogant talk.”
Eliza snorted, but she felt good.
“And she’s also a bit unfortunate, you know. As you know, not a single first-year wanted Eliza as a mentor. Well, even I wouldn’t have wanted Eliza as a mentor. Hahahaha!”
*Thwack!*
Eliza pulled out a whip from her pocket and snapped it taut.
A murderous glint flickered in her eyes.
“He’s dead.”
A moment later, Kal’s desperate scream echoed.
***
“Love potion?!”
Juen looked surprised by Kal’s words on their way back to the dorm after dinner.
“No, there’s no way such a mythical potion could exist!”
Kal grinned as he looked at Juen, who had an incredulous expression.
“It’s a potion listed in none other than Master Dwenno’s alchemy book. It can’t be a lie, can it?”
“M-Master Dwenno’s alchemy book?”
Juen’s eyes widened at Kal’s words.
‘Right, come to think of it, Senior Kal got Master Dwenno’s alchemy book before.’
“That’s really amazing.”
“Indeed, it’s really amazing.”
“Huh?”
Juen and Luke were startled by the voice from beside them.
“Hi, Chelsea.”
As Kal greeted her, Juen and Luke also hastily greeted her.
“Hello, Senior Chelsea.”
“Mm. Hello.”
Chelsea waved to Juen and Luke, then crossed her arms and spoke to Kal.
“You got dragged to the student council before for making some weird potion. And now you’re making something weird again?”
“Hey, it’s a potion made by Master Dwenno, calling it weird is too much.”
Kal shrugged.
“The effect only lasts for about a day at most, you know?”
“A day?”
Chelsea tilted her head.
“Yeah. And like you said, I got dragged to the student council and had a rough time before, so would I really try something silly like selling it?”
“Then?”
“It’s for publicity.”
Kal grinned.
“Think about it. An alchemist who made a legendary love potion! *Kyah*! That means my future after graduation is set!”
“Can you even graduate?”
“Can’t you fix your habit of suddenly digging into my sore spots? Anyway!”
Kal wore a triumphant expression.
“I’ll submit the love potion to the student council tomorrow. The student council would never allow me to sell such a potion! I just need the title of having made a love potion! So you two! Spread the rumor that I made a love potion!”
Chelsea crossed her arms and gave a bored look as she watched Kal burst into laughter.
“Pathetic.”
‘A love potion, huh.’
Despite her nonchalant reaction, Chelsea felt a strange sensation.
It was definitely an exciting word for an adolescent girl.
The next day was the weekend.
Kal opened his door to go for breakfast and flinched instantly.
Noble’s female students were standing in front of Kal’s door.
“Wha, what is it? First thing in the morning.”
“Kal.”
A female student from Noble’s magic department said with a serious face.
“Sell me the love potion.”
“What?”
Kal looked stunned by the sudden words of the female student.
The story about the love potion had spread throughout the entire second year.
“No! Sell it to me!”
“I won’t complain even if it’s not as effective as expected!”
“How much do you want for it!”
“Don’t sell it to her!”
Starting with the magic department’s female student, all the female students began to reach out to Kal, vying with each other.
Seeing this, Kal was terrified and went back into his room, closing the door.
Even as he closed the door, he had to push away the female students trying to enter the room with difficulty.
*Click-! Clack!*
“Kal! Open the door!”
“I said sell it!”
*Bang bang bang-!*
When he locked the door, the Noble female students began to pound on it.
Kal’s face turned white.
“Hey! If you buy this recklessly and give it to someone, you’ll get caught by the student council!”
Kal shouted urgently.
“You said the effect only lasts a day anyway!”
“We’ll just get scolded a little!”
“Hey! I’ll get scolded too!”
Kal shouted, but the female students didn’t listen.
Seeing this, Kal’s face turned white.
Kal had overlooked the magical power that the phrase ‘love potion’ conveyed to adolescent boys and girls.
Especially since Rumerne was a place where male and female students of the same age gathered to study.
Naturally, it was a space where romantic feelings were bound to sprout.
Of course, just like any place where young men and women gather, seeing couples at Rumerne was not difficult.
The problem was that there were trees that were absolutely unattainable in Rumerne!
Unclimbable trees, so to speak.
‘There are two in our dorm alone! Avad and Duran!’
Family-wise.
Skill-wise.
Even appearance-wise.
They were the most popular second-years, receiving letters and gifts from female students almost every day!
But despite their popularity, no one had ever heard of Avad or Duran receiving a confession.
In a way, it was natural.
It would have been strange to fight a battle with a predetermined outcome.
They must have largely given up on romance and only harbored their feelings.
But what if there was a love potion?
Even if it was only for a day, it was possible to dream a sweet dream!
Normally, they would have scoffed.
Rumerne students weren’t fools.
‘But what if it’s a love potion listed in the alchemy book of the great hero, Master Dwenno?’
There was no law saying there wouldn’t be students willing to risk disciplinary action!
‘I… I think I caused trouble.’
If this potion actually worked, there was a high possibility that both the person who used it and the person who made it would be punished.
Kal recalled the time he was dragged to the student council before.
‘If you’re caught making and selling another strange potion, you’d better be prepared.’
Kal shivered, recalling the cold gazes of the seniors.
“Let’s force it open.”
“Yeah, it’s whoever gets their hands on it first.”
Murderous voices could be heard from beyond the door.
Kal, his face pale, put the bottle containing the golden liquid from his desk into his arms.
‘Run.’
And he opened the window and dared to escape.
What did it matter if entering and exiting through the window incurred demerit points?
‘It’s better than getting dragged to the student council!’
If they heard the commotion, the professor on duty would surely notice the disturbance and come.
He just needed to avoid being caught until then.
‘Who was the professor on duty today?’
***
“Love potion?”
The rumor that spread among the second-years quickly reached the professor on duty.
On weekends, professors often left Rumerne to have their own time.
Still, a professor on duty remained to manage the students in case of emergencies.
They even had the authority to summon other professors to the school in an emergency.
Normally, even if a disturbance occurred, it would be quickly resolved.
“A love potion, huh.”
The professor on duty, Ren, stroked his chin after receiving the report.
“Student Kal has truly made something remarkable!”
Anna sighed, looking at Ren, whose eyes were shining.
“I will quickly confiscate the potion from Student Kal, lest the students do anything foolish.”
It was when Anna was about to leave the professor’s office.
“Wait a moment, Associate Professor Anna.”
“Yes?”
Tina, an elf with gray hair and deep dark circles, stopped Associate Professor Anna.
“I think this is quite an interesting experiment.”
Anna covered her face at Tina’s words.
Tina Tingel, a visiting professor at Rumerne.
Anna knew her personality all too well.
A mad scientist.
She was an elf who wouldn’t rest until she had dissected and experimented with anything that piqued her curiosity.
For Tina, a love potion and those who consumed it would surely be very interesting subjects of research.
‘No, this human is the same way!’
Anna sighed deeply, looking at Ren, who had an expression similar to Tina’s.
Looking at the two professors, mad about magic, Anna said.
“If we confiscate it, we can conduct experiments on its effects as much as we want!”
“If that happens, we’ll be experimenting under restricted circumstances!”
Ren shouted.
“A love potion! My student has created such an absurd item that only exists in stories! It’s a miracle of magic! Shouldn’t we thoroughly test the extent of its effects!”
“You crazy human! What kind of professor experiments on students!”
Associate Professor Anna shouted, feeling her blood run cold.
But there was no one on Associate Professor Anna’s side here.
“I agree with Professor Ren.”
“As expected, Professor Tina and I are on the same wavelength.”
‘Who was that person who used to call Leo a villainous pointy-ear who couldn’t walk the same path when sending him as an exchange student to Seirun?’
Anna could only look up at the ceiling and lament, watching the two professors, blinded by magic experiments.
Even if she went to stop them alone, Ren would surely hold her back.
‘I’ll have to write another incident report today.’
Today, she was the only one suffering.