Book 1 Chapter 362
362
A weekend morning that should have been peaceful.
The area around the second-year dormitory building was noisy with an unexpected commotion.
The culprit of the commotion was none other than the rumor about the love potion that spread throughout the entire second year yesterday.
Of course, when they first heard the rumor, all the students scoffed.
“A love potion? Where would something like that even exist?”
“Now, are such baseless rumors even circulating?”
Especially students from the Department of Magic showed a reaction of disbelief.
Elixirs are alchemy.
And the history of alchemy is the same as the history of magic.
Over a long period, countless mages have devoted themselves to alchemy.
Among them, there were countless individuals who attempted to create a ‘love potion’ that could win a person’s heart.
But no one succeeded.
However, the story that spread afterwards was enough to make all the students stir.
“I heard Karl made it with a recipe from an alchemy book he got as a reward for conquering in Lord Dweno’s world?”
“A recipe compounded by Lord Dweno?”
“Really…?”
Of all people, Dweno.
Especially the legendary great hero who created countless divine artifacts and ultimately left behind weapons to subjugate the primal calamity.
Even though it was backed by the claim that it was made with a recipe written in Dweno’s alchemy book, most people reacted with “No way…”
“Even so, I don’t think such content would be in Lord Dweno’s alchemy book.”
As Chloe, with a magic book tucked under her arm from early morning, shook her head and spoke, Celia, who was walking beside her, also nodded.
“That’s what I think too. I mean, for the God of Blacksmiths to make a love potion. It’s strange, isn’t it?”
The two close friends decided to go out to Lumeria City this weekend.
As they cheerfully chatted, they were about to leave the dormitory area.
“Where did he go!”
“He couldn’t have gone far! Find him!”
Excited voices were heard from afar.
When they turned their heads, they saw Noble’s female students frantically searching for something.
Celia and Chloe looked at each other.
Then they called out to a female student who was passing by, who had been in the same class in their first year.
“What are you looking for so desperately?”
“We’re looking for Karl!”
The female student who answered that hurriedly ran off to find Karl.
Seeing that, Celia made a strange expression.
‘All these kids are looking for Karl?’
There was only one reason why Noble students would be frantically looking for Karl right now.
‘The love potion.’
She had dismissed it as nonsense, but with so many people looking for Karl, she wondered, ‘No way…?’
It was then that Chloe also made a bewildered expression.
“Hey, if you get your hands on a love potion, who are you going to give it to?”
“Why are you even asking that!?”
“I’m curious! You want a love potion because you have someone you want to date, don’t you?”
Three female students passed by Celia and Chloe, conversing. They walked on, giggling and chatting happily.
“Me… I guess it would be Duran?”
“It was Duran after all!”
“Yeah. I mean, even his arrogant demeanor is cool! What about you?”
“I’m Abad! Just looking at him makes my heart feel warm!”
Listening to that conversation, Celia made an appalled expression.
“Are their eyes crooked? What’s so good about that self-centered scoundrel and greasy butter-boy?”
While Celia wore an expression of incomprehension, the female students who liked Abad and Duran sharply looked at the remaining female student.
“What about you?”
“Me… I guess it would be Leo? I mean, on the outside he’s still a pretty boy, but he’s incredibly mature. And manly too.”
The female student spoke shyly, smiling and seemingly embarrassed.
Hearing that story, Celia nodded.
“Well, he does have that side to him. Right, Chloe?”
Celia, who looked towards Chloe, flinched and trembled.
Before she knew it, all expression had vanished from Chloe’s face.
“Ch-Chloe?”
Chloe, with a face as cold as ice, was the Ice Queen herself.
“Celia, I’m sorry, but let’s postpone our outing today.”
“What?”
“As a student of the Department of Magic, I don’t think I can let this matter pass.”
“Ah, I understand. Shall I help too?”
“Would you?”
Chloe smiled faintly.
“We need to catch Karl and make sure he can’t make anything strange ever again.”
***
Rustle-
Karl, hidden in the bushes, was wearing a wry smile.
‘What a sudden misfortune this is, first thing in the morning.’
To be fervently chased by female students of the same year.
Of course, the reason he was being chased was probably the love potion Karl had made, but this kind of experience might be a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.
Of course, even so, he had no intention of being caught easily.
Because if he was caught, the love potion would surely be snatched from him.
‘Should I just throw it away? No, it’s too precious to do that.’
How much money did he pour into making this love potion?
‘I need to somehow break even, don’t I?’
His profit and loss calculations were quick.
‘If I could just meet Leo and ask for help…’
“Karl, what are you doing here?”
“Gasp?”
At the voice heard from beside him, Karl was startled and tried to jump.
“Ah! Found him!”
“There he is!”
“You got us discovered!”
Karl shouted and began to flee.
“Stop right there! By order of the student council, I’m arresting you as a possessor of illegal substances!”
Iliana also pursued Karl with furious determination.
Before long, there were even male students among those chasing Karl.
There were students who wanted the love potion, and even students who wanted to prevent it out of anxiety that the person they secretly loved might consume the love potion.
For various reasons, all the students frantically chased Karl.
Naturally, Karl, the weakest of the second-years, was quickly cornered.
“Hey! Calm down! If you get caught by the professors doing this, you’ll be in big trouble!”
Karl urgently shouted at the students.
‘No! Why isn’t the duty professor moving even with all this commotion… Wait. Professor Wren is on duty today, isn’t he?’
Karl, who had thought the duty professor would come to mediate the situation, realized Wren was on duty today and his face hardened.
Wren was the kind of person who would easily consider the situation an interesting magic experiment.
The fierce gazes of his second-year classmates fixed on Karl.
It was then that Karl swallowed dryly.
Whoosh-!
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew.
Whiz-! Thwack-!
“Gah?!”
A whip that suddenly flew wrapped around Karl’s neck.
Along with that, immense force grabbed Karl and soared high into the sky.
By the time Karl came to his senses, he was flying above Lumerun, riding on the back of a Wind Wyvern.
“I-I’m aliveeee!”
At Karl’s words, Eliza, who was sitting cross-legged on the Wind Wyvern’s back, filing her nails, glanced at Karl.
“Because of your pathetic potion, it’s been so noisy since Saturday morning that I couldn’t sleep.”
Eliza snapped at Karl with an irritated voice.
Karl looked at such Eliza and said,
“Sorry. I didn’t know things would get this big. Anyway, thanks for saving me.”
Karl let out a sigh of relief.
‘Honestly, with Eliza, I’m safe.’
It was hard to imagine proud and haughty Eliza coveting a love potion to give to a male student.
“A love potion, huh. If I give this to him, that arrogant Leo Flobe will worship me, right? That sounds interesting.”
“This isn’t a slave-making potion, you know? And where is Leo arrogant? You’re the arrogant one.”
“Hmph.”
At Karl’s remark, Eliza snorted.
And she curled up the corners of her lips.
“I’ll need a test subject.”
As Eliza, with half-closed eyes, looked at him, Karl made an awkward smile.
“Hey, no way, right? You’re not going to make me drink it, are you?”
“Consider it an honor to serve me.”
“I don’t need that kind of honor!”
It was when Karl was horrified.
Crrrrack-!
A sharp sound of ice was heard.
The Wind Wyvern opened its mouth and shot out a breath attack.
Boom-! Crack-!
The immensely compressed air breath shattered the huge ice spikes.
“Chloe Müller.”
“Chloeeee! You came to save me!”
Eliza curled up the corners of her lips, and Karl, with a moved expression, waved both arms and enthusiastically welcomed Chloe.
“Karl.”
“Huh?”
“Didn’t I tell you before that if you make something strange and break the school rules, I won’t forgive you?”
“Hey! W-wait!”
It was then that Karl was flustered by Chloe’s menacing aura.
“I’m sorry, but Karl Thomas has decided to present the love potion to me.”
“I never did that, you know?! Can you please stop talking like a gangster regularly extorting money?!”
“I’ll teach you a harsh lesson so you can never again misuse Lord Dweno’s alchemy book!”
Crrrrack-!
Chloe activated her magic to turn Karl into a frozen human.
Boom-!
“Gasp?!”
“The head of Glory dormitory interfering with a Noble student, are you prepared? Chloe Müller?”
Eliza wore a combative smile.
“The debt you incurred during the midterms, I’ll pay it back now.”
“Everyone, please calm down!”
It was when Karl let out a desperate cry.
Whoosh-!
A powerful gust of wind blew between Chloe and Eliza.
The gust of wind seemed to snatch Karl from the top of the Wind Wyvern, pulling him into the air.
Seeing that, Eliza’s eyes twitched.
“Beep-beep. Chase.”
At Eliza’s command, the Wind Wyvern was about to chase Karl.
Crrrrack-!
“You started the fight, didn’t you?”
Chloe gave a cold smile.
“Hmm.”
Eliza rested her chin in her hand.
“This will be interesting.”
Eliza also fully switched to battle mode.
Crash-bang-boom!
Mana and spiritual power raged in the air.
“I knew you’d cause trouble someday.”
Chelsea, who had Karl by the scruff of his neck, said in a pathetic voice.
“Chelsea! You really came to save me, right?!”
“Yeah. Get rid of that pathetic potion quickly, or hand it over to the student council.”
Looking at Chelsea speaking in a detached voice, Karl made a puzzled expression.
“Aren’t you tempted?”
“I am tempted, of course.”
Chelsea smiled faintly.
“But I vowed to pursue it with my own strength, didn’t I? A sweet dream for a moment wouldn’t be bad either, but. If I rely on other powers, it won’t be worth it, I think.”
“The youngest one acts the most adult.”
Karl let out a hollow laugh and took out a potion bottle from his pocket.
The golden potion was shining.
“I was planning to gain fame and make a fortune with this potion, but… This isn’t my skill, but Lord Dweno’s skill.”
Karl smiled bitterly.
“I’ll just dispose of it.”
“That’s a good idea.”
They were almost on the ground before they knew it.
It was then that Chelsea smiled faintly.
Whoosh-!
A strong gust of wind blew.
“Oh, I dropped it.”
“…Hey, you idiot! What do you mean ‘dropped it carelessly’!”
***
“A love potion?”
Behind Glory dormitory.
Leo, who had finished his morning training, made an incredulous expression.
“Yeah, they say it’s a potion from Lord Dweno’s alchemy book.”
Celia, who had come to tell Leo about the commotion that morning, nodded.
“Young Master Leo, here’s some water.”
Chen Xia, who was training with him, smiled and handed Leo a cup of water.
“Thanks.”
Leo took the cup and clicked his tongue.
‘Dweno, why did that perverted bastard leave such a vulgar thing recorded in his alchemy book?’
It was then that Leo made an incredulous expression.
Whiz- Splash-!
Just at the right moment, a small potion bottle that fell from the sky dropped into Leo’s water cup.
“What is it?”
“A potion bottle?”
Chen Xia and Celia opened their eyes wide.
Leo, with a ‘no way’ expression, retrieved the potion bottle from the cup, opened the lid, held it close to his nose, and sniffed it.
“Hey! Leo! Don’t drink that!”
“Brother Leo! Throw it away quickly!”
Chelsea and Karl’s urgent voices were heard from above.
Chloe and Eliza, who had been fighting wildly in the sky, also came close to the ground and noticed the sight.
Celia and Chen Xia’s eyes widened. And they stared in horror at Leo’s subsequent action.
He chuckled and poured the love potion into his mouth.