As expected, the alchemy lesson went pretty well. No one failed to make the potion, but a few wasted the materials so badly they could only fill a single vial, not any more.
Alice and Clea were unsurprisingly good, and just like Raelis, they produced perfect potions.
But so did Zeri, Raelis thought, turning toward her. She’s surprisingly good. But I guess her mother made her practice everything. Just like a doll.
Alchemy was pretty fun, and not hard at all. At least, this recipe wasn’t, anyway.
Soon enough, the students finished cleaning up, and just like that, the lesson ended.
"Good job, everyone. You’ve now learned how to make a basic Swiftness Potion. During the course of the week, I will show you alternatives to the recipe, something that produces a similar effect but uses completely different ingredients," Julian said with a smile.
"Most of those ingredients will be things you find on the battlefield, so whether it is bones, blood, or... you know... other stuff. It’ll be valuable, so do pay attention."
He clapped his hands once. "Class dismissed. Same time tomorrow. Oh, and you may keep a single potion for yourselves. Leave the rest here in the classroom. The academy will provide you with these potions the next time they’re necessary."
Just like that, the students dispersed.
"I’ll be heading out too. See you later, Raelis," Clea said and walked out of the classroom.
Shortly after, Zeri stood up and followed after Clea.
Just as she was about to step out of class, she shot Raelis one final smirk and left.
It seems like I have no choice but to get rid of her.
Once he finished his knife collection and reached the next rank of his Stealth Technique, he’d get rid of her.
Of course, if the opportunity presented itself, he would do it sooner.
Nevertheless, the class dispersed, and in the end, only Julian and Raelis remained.
"I know what you must be thinking, but it’s inevitable. You and Clea should’ve been a bit gentler because now you have the emperor’s pet on your ass," Julian remarked with a chuckle. With a wave of his hand, he closed the classroom door and sat back down.
"But I assume you knew this would happen, yes?" he asked.
"Sure," Raelis replied, rolling his eyes. "Because I totally expected Clea to rip out Zeri’s throat."
Julian chuckled. "Well, you two are alike in a way. You both hide under the guise of maturity, but in reality, you’re the most reckless people I’ve seen."
Raelis stared at him for a few moments, then got straight to the point.
"Are we going to train?"
"Then why did you call me?" Raelis asked with a sigh.
"Pleasantries. Obviously," Julian replied. "If we’re going to have a master-disciple relationship, then we must get to know each other, even if only a little bit. Don’t you think?"
After a few seconds, Raelis nodded. "I see... then can I call you Julian?"
"Go right ahead," Julian replied with a chuckle. "So then, Raelis, what exactly is your fighting style? Are you a mage, or are you an assassin?"
"Mainly assassin, though you could say I’m combining my techniques," Raelis said honestly. "But I feel like I’ve reached a bottleneck in Dagger combat. It seems like no matter how many times I swing my daggers, I don’t see any progress."
"That’s only natural," Julian commented. "Progress takes a long time, especially if your proficiency is at an already high level. From what I saw, the way you handle your daggers is splendid. All you’re missing is to refine your Dagger Art, and you’ll do just fine."
Raelis tilted his head. "Dagger Art?"
Nowhere in his father’s notes was there a technique like that.
"Hold on..." Julian’s eyes widened. "Are you telling me you’ve been using daggers without an art?"
"Fuck..." Julian leaned back in his chair. "Your foundation must be incredible then. Why don’t you ask the imperial family to give you dagger art?"
He paused. "Oh... right, my bad."
Raelis ignored that comment and nodded. "How does one get a Dagger Art, then?"
"Be rich." Julian raised a finger, then put it down. "But you’re not rich, so we’ll exclude that. The second option is to get it directly from an Assassin Sect. Or rather, an Assassin Family. Most of those people keep a Dagger Art they don’t use, so I’m sure you could convince someone to lend you one."
"An Assassin Family? Why don’t you ask me to run face-first into a blade instead?" Raelis scoffed. "I’ve heard how dangerous those families are. No way am I going near them."
"Gosh, don’t be a wuss," Julian said flatly. "They don’t kill guests on the spot. There is a set of trials that guests must go through, and if they succeed, then they may have an audience with the Head of the Assassin Family."
"But enough of that. I’ll teach you a Basic Dagger Art later," Julian cut himself off. "Let’s move on to Alchemy, shall we? How did you feel while you were brewing that potion?"
Raelis nodded in gratitude, then replied. "I was bored. The recipe was just too simple."
"Right?" Julian smiled. "It’s very simple, but getting the timing right on the first try is impressive. After all, once you brew a perfect potion, there is no going beyond that. The potion is complete, and you cannot get any more effects from it."
He leaned in slightly. "What I’m trying to say is that by creating such a potion on your first try, you could easily try to become an actual alchemist."
Raelis listened attentively, then let out a sigh and spoke. "Thanks for the offer, but while I think Alchemy is interesting—"
"Let me stop you there," Julian interjected. "While we’re alone, I want you to drop all formalities. Just act like we’re long-term friends. Oh, but don’t share too much personal stuff. I’m not interested in that stuff at all."