Chapter 50: Chapter 48 Good Students are Rewarded Chapter 50: Chapter 48 Good Students are Rewarded “This trip was quite a scare but no actual danger,” Lucien sighed softly after returning to his laboratory. It was then that he truly relaxed, knowing that with Nolian’s death, at least he wouldn’t constantly feel a dagger pressing against his back while he was out on missions.
However, Lucien couldn’t help but feel somewhat helpless because his gains from this trip were much less than he had anticipated, a lot less, in fact.
“Nolian was ruthless enough,” Lucien shook his head. From Nolian’s three students, he had managed to collect items totaling no more than 100 Magic Stones. Although it’s possible they didn’t carry all their possessions with them, these Wizard Apprentices dressed in ‘beggars’ outfits’ most likely didn’t have much to accumulate.
This also indicated that Nolian probably didn’t shy away from exploiting his students extensively. Most of the value created by these students was likely appropriated into Nolian’s own reserves.
“But now I can’t get my hands on Nolian’s reserves!” Lucien took a deep breath, yet he couldn’t suppress a tinge of helplessness in his heart and cursed Nolian, who had already passed away, once again in his mind.
After venting his emotions, Lucien took out the silver alchemical pendant that had been severely deformed by the explosion. With a thought, and using the esteem value, a report about the silver pendant soon appeared on the system panel.
[Item]: Damaged Storage Pendant
[Category]: Witch Tool·Storage Device
[Materials]: Mithril, Space Crystal Stone, Gudong Bird’s Eyeball
[Description]: A storage pendant damaged by an explosion. Due to severe damage to the internal witchcraft patterns, it is no longer possible to repair, and the internal storage space is in a semi-collapsed state… If it is disassembled using alchemical practices, it’s likely that some of the items inside could be retrieved.
[Details]: …
“Huh…” Lucien slowly exhaled and slowly rubbed his temples with his right hand.
“If it were an average Third-level Wizard Apprentice, even if they managed to kill you, they would suffer a great loss, and find their gains pitiful while tallying their spoils,” Lucien said lightly, setting aside his personal grievances with Nolian, feeling some admiration for Nolian’s ruthlessness and cunning at that moment.
“However, if I want to extract the items inside, I still need to learn some knowledge of alchemy,” Lucien squinted, “unless… unless I find an alchemist and have him follow the step-by-step method on the appraisal list to dismantle this storage pendant.”
Lucien dismissed the second solution just after the thought emerged in his mind.
After all, he couldn’t explain why he knew about these processing techniques.
“It seems that I need to learn some alchemical knowledge when I have time,” Lucien planned in his mind. At that moment, the door to the laboratory was gently pushed open, and Carly’s small figure slowly moved against the wall into the laboratory.
Lucien glanced at Carly, who might as well have had “I’m invisible” written on her forehead, put away the damaged storage pendant, picked up a crumpled piece of scrap paper from the wastebasket, balled it up, and accurately hit Carly on the head.
“Ouch…” Carly covered her head, then looked at Lucien with a pitiful gaze, as though she had just been hit hard rather than with a light paper ball.
“Stop playing around,” Lucien snorted lightly as he looked at Carly, “Tell me, do you understand what went wrong this time?”
“I… I shouldn’t have sneaked along…” Carly answered honestly, but in her heart, she felt a slight thrill for having been able to help her mentor Lucien. If there was another chance, Carly was sure she would do it again.
Lucien took a deep breath.
He listened to Carly’s perfunctory, and completely insincere self-criticism and felt helpless.
“Do you know that with your current strength, if you encounter other Wizard Apprentices outside, you would basically be delivering Magic Stones to them?” Lucien massaged his temples, his voice involuntarily rising slightly.
Carly lowered her head, silent. After hesitating a moment, she slowly extended her left hand, revealing her palm.
Lucien’s lips moved, and he saw Carly close her eyes in resignation.
“Huff…” Lucien slowly exhaled the air from his mouth, yet remained silent.
As Carly waited for a while, she did not feel the expected pain in her palm and slowly opened her eyes, looking at Lucien with some confusion.
Lucien couldn’t help but smile kindly, “Don’t worry, I don’t think this problem is particularly serious, no need to slap your hand.”
Carly blinked.
“I’ll reward you with a copy of ‘Lucien 3000,'” Lucien said to Carly, smiling as he pulled out a book as thick as a brick.
“Master Lucien…maybe you should just hit me instead…” Carly, looking at the workbook Lucien had taken out, finally showed a hint of dominated fear on her face.
She stretched her small hand forward, trying to make Lucien change his mind.
“However, although your trip was risky, you did help me a great deal,” Lucien abruptly shifted the topic, turning to Carly.
Carly blinked, her face turning a bit rosy.
“No, no way…” She wriggled slightly, seemingly embarrassed by the praise.
[Your student Carly admires you deeply, reverence +5]
Lucien looked at Carly, whose expressions didn’t match her feelings, and his lips twitched slightly, but he still flipped his hand and a small pouch appeared in it.
“Following the principle of equivalent exchange, this is your reward for this time. Not much, twenty Magic Stones,” Lucien tossed the small pouch of Magic Stones to Carly.
Carly hurriedly caught it, but because she subconsciously let go of the thick workbook, it fell to the ground, hitting her foot and making her eyes watery.
“Master Lucien, can I not have the Magic Stones or this reward?” Carly looked at Lucien with pitiful eyes.
“I have high hopes for you,” Lucien said, patting Carly’s shoulder contentedly, feeling like he had finally found the right way to handle this little one.
…
“Indeed, a good student can’t be molded through punishment, but through rewards,” Lucien watched Carly, who was now hunched over a desk, absorbing knowledge like a little sponge, and couldn’t help but smile.
“Lord Lucien.” Just as Lucien took out the equipment to prepare potions, there was a respectful call from outside his laboratory.