Chapter 33 Back to Rizertia House
The next day, Firia came with her newly fresh skin.
When she came, many students noticed her changed. They were mesmerized by her.
"Thank you very much Alex" She ignored them and went to thank Alex.
"don't mind it miss Firia since we are....friend" Alex smiled awkwardly, he a bit confused with their current relationship and classified it as a friend.
Hearing this, Firia smiled joyfully.
The class ended, as usual, he trained together with Firia and Alicia.
Today the dean said he doesn't need to see him. So after saying goodbye to Firia, he went back with Alicia.
Alicia asked Alex to train again and Alex accept.
After a few hours, Alicia laid down on the floor and covered with bruises like yesterday. Alex gave her a peak-grade restoration pill which Alicia thank him again.
The next day, the ingredients for rank 1 pills arrived.
"Alex, you refine the body tempering pill, half of muscle refining pill, and all skin-refining pill. Since your refining speed was faster than mine, I will only take all restoration pill and half of muscle refining pill." The dean said.
He didn't choose to refine the body tempering pill, because Alex wanted to give away many peak-grade body tempering pills, so he didn't want to ruin the ingredients since Alex's probability to make peak-grade pill was much higher than him. He just secretly cursed that pure fire element that makes this difference huge.
Three weeks went by like usual.
Alex managed to make 121 peak-grade body tempering pills, 40 peak-grade muscle refining pill, and 15 peak-grade refining pill from all the ingredients. But for skin refining pill he only has refined half of the ingredients.
As for low-grade, mid-grade, and top-grade pills. He just gave it to the dean.
"Alex, next will be a grade ranking. You will be sent to the night forest to gain experience. The teachers will supervise everyone, so this event won't be dangerous. Just give you best, and kill many monsters."
"Yes, Princess already inform me about it"
"Well, that's good. And also for all the pills you give to me, I manage a good connection with the military with your body tempering pill, even generals and war minister have a high interest in this pill so they thank you for it. as for restoration pill, I sell half of them to the military, and half of them to adventurer guild to raise fund, since the adventurer has a higher demand for that kind of medicine, rather than military, since we are not in war. As for muscle refining, I still don't know where to sell them, but I think the military would have an interest for it, and for skin refining pill, many nobles lady will have crazy for this"
"I will leave it to teacher", he didn't listen when his teacher said 'we are not in war'. if he hears it, he might ask something like 'aren't we fighting the demon'.
"and also because of this, many know me becoming an alchemist, and of course you as my student too. Though you as an alchemist greater than me was only a few higher up know that, so you won't be targeted. Haiz... too great talent become a source of calamity"
"Thank you teacher"
"and five days from now, you will get two days off to prepare for grade ranking, you can use this chance to visit your home. Well, you can go back now. It's already late"
"Yes." Alex went back.
Alicia as usual reading book regarding ice magic.
"Princess. I want to give you something"
"What is it ?"
Alex took out seven body tempering pills.
"This is..."
"This is peak-grade body tempering pills, when you eat this you will get ten points STR each pill. And the limit using this is seven pills"
"Ah..." She surprised Alex gave these precious pills, as she knows if she eats all of them. she will get seventy points STR, which equals more than half points needed to rank upgrade.
"This was too precious" She wanted to reject it.
Alex shook his head "I already made many of them, I am still planning to give them to the grand duke, madam, princess Lea, Princess Mia, Firia, The king, and crown prince when we have days off later. I want to thank them for taking care of me."
She surprised Alex want to give many of these precious pills away. Alex has said this to her last time, she thinks he will just give one pill for each of them. she was moved with Alex's sincerity, even people that indirectly involve with Alex like her sister or crown prince will get them.
"I thank you on behalf of them." She bowed
"No no, I should be the one to thank you for taking care of me" Alex helped her up.
The two smiled at each other.
"And also..." Alex hesitated.
Noticing Alex hesitation, she said "It's okay just said it"
"I'm planning this pill too" he took out muscle refining pill and skin refining pill. "as Princess already knows, this is the skin-refining pill. And for this pill... this pill is the muscle refining pill. As the name said, it's to refine the muscle. Because of this pill, I managed to become rank 4 faster. But for this pill, it will give you much pain when this pill refines your muscle. So..."
"I want to take it" Alicia said with determination.
"but the pain is..." before Alex replied he was stopped.
"I want to take it, I want to get stronger. Seeing you getting too far ahead from me, pain me. I can't help you If I am weak, so I want to become stronger"
"I..." He was moved by her determination for him, so he gives a muscle refining pill to her. "How about princess takes the body tempering pills first, and take the muscle refining pill later. I will guard you"
"Alright" She nod. She eats body tempering pills one by one. She felt her strength greatly increase, now her strength alone was like rank 2 warriors even she was a rank 1 mage. The alchemist in the legend was this overpowered she thought.
After eating body tempering pills, she grabbed the muscle refining pill, she looked at Alex. Alex nodded his head. She prepared herself for the pain and eat this pill.
"Ah...." as soon as she eats the pill, she screamed. Even she already prepared for the pain, she didn't know the pain it gave was above her imagination.
"Ah... Alex" she screaming in pain
Alex worried, he gets closer to her. Suddenly he was hugged by her.
"Ah..." She screaming withstanding the pain as she hugged Alex. She unconsciously scratches Alex back when she hugs him. Alex back bleeds. Even when it's bleed Alex didn't have any sound, fearing she will get distract. He withstands the pain.
After half an hour, the pain subsided. Alicia laid down on the floor, she can't even move an inch of her finger. Her body was sore all over.
"A..lex" She tiredly called Alex. She recalled she wounded Alex's back with her nail.
"Princess just rests first, I'm alright" Alex reassured her.
After a while, Alex carried her with the princess carry. Alicia blushed.
"A..lex.." even though Alex often carry her like this, but it's when she asleep. So this is her first-time experience when she awake.
He carried her to bed, "Rest first, princess, tomorrow your body will get better"
"umm..." She muttered like a mosquito, her face was red like a tomato.
After putting her down, Alex pondering in his mind is he ready to take another relationship?. He didn't know his action just now makes Alicia only can sleep a few hours later. Sometimes she smiled, sometimes she blushed for a few hours. She didn't get a good sleep tonight. When Alex look at her in the morning, he shocked. There was a bag under her eyes.
He continued to refine the remaining skin-refining pills for the rest four days
"tomorrow you get the days off. And now with all the ingredients already used up, I will re-supply them after the event. Now you go back early to prepare for tomorrow."
"Yes, teacher" Alex brings 49 peak-grade body tempering pills, 10 peak-grade muscle refining pills, and 10 peak-grade skin-refining pills. As for the rest, he gives them to the dean.
For the last day, Alex and Alicia said goodbye to Firia. Alex gives her 7 body tempering pills and 1 muscle refining pill and 2 skin-refining pills, to her younger sister and her mother.
Firia shocked, Alex, give her so many pills, she thanked him by hugging him. But immediately separated by Alicia.
After class, they didn't do any practice anymore but soon get out of the academy.
In front of the academy, Grand duke and his butler already wait for them.
"Father" Alicia hugged grand duke.
"Haha... How is the academy? I miss you" he hugged back.
"I miss you too"
Then grand duke turned to Alex,
"How is the academy?"
Alex nod, "The academy is good, Teacher is nice too"
Grand duke nod, he knows 'teacher' in Alex's word is the dean. "Let's go back first"
Four of them go back to home, Alicia told them what happened in the academy. She also told them she will give a big surprise later in the house.
After they come back to the house, the madam, Lea, and Mia already waiting for them. the three of them noticing Alicia's skin become smoother. Even grand duke didn't notice. Well, maybe because they are a woman.
Alex greeted all of them. when they arrived at the house, it's already time for dinner. So they come to the dining room.
After eating, the grand duke asked Alicia what is this big surprise she talked about.
"I have the strength the same with rank 2 warrior" Alicia said.
Everyone astonished "but aren't you a mage?"
Alicia continued, "And I have mana equal to rank 3 mage", 'this is because body tempering pill and spiritual liquid that Alex give' she secretly said in her mind.
She dropped another bomb. Everyone was too shocked.
"is..this..true?" grand duke stuttered.
"Yes" Alicia smile.
"ahaha... this is very good. This is really a big surprise" Grand duke laughed. Everyone was happy with this development. But she suddenly said,
"But... this is only a surprise, not a big surprise"
Everyone gasped. They wait impatiently what this big surprise was.
Alicia looked at Alex, everyone followed her gaze and landed to Alex.
"I..." Alex took out the pills he had. "this is body tempering pills, muscle refining pill, and skin refining pill"
"You..." Grand duke shocked, even the three ladies shocked. They heard the dean make a connection with the military with this body refining pill, and as for skin refining pill. This pill was very famous for noble ladies. They shocked since the dean become an alchemist now.
But only grand duke know, Alex is even a more formidable alchemist than the dean.
There was a night, when the king suddenly visited him. He told the dean to become an alchemist, he told him about these two pills too. He was too happy with this news. But when he heard Alex is a more formidable alchemist than the dean, he can't get a good sleep for a few days.
The king too didn't get a good night's sleep for a few days. The dean suddenly informed him that he becomes an alchemist, those pills and Alex. So the king didn't want to suffer alone, so he visited grand duke to make him suffer the same as him.
"Yes, this body tempering pills can give 10 points of STR and the limit is seven pills. As for skin refining pills, everyone might already know. As for the example is me and Princess Alicia. And for this muscle refining pills, as the name suggest. It will refine your muscle, as for the specific effect. Princess Alicia will explain that."
"10 points?" Grand duke shocked, "I think even the commander only gets 7 points each pill?"
"That is a top-grade body tempering pill. As for this is peak-grade pills" Alex explain
"Top-grade? Peak-grade" Everyone confused.
"There are four grades for a pill. They are low-grade, mid-grade, top-grade, and peak-grade. The low-grade body tempering pill can give 1 point of STR, for low-grade pills they are basically a junk pill. As for mid-grade pill, they give 5 points of STR, and top-grade give 7 points, while peak-grade is the highest grade and give 10 points" This time, Alicia was the one who explained. Alex already explained this to her. So she wanted to brag her new knowledge.
"Then, what brother said as you are a better alchemist than your teacher is true?" Grand duke was too shocked about this.
"That's only because of my element" He modestly said.
"This skin-refining pill and muscle refining pill is also peak-grade." Alicia continued, "I myself also eat this"
Now is the time the three ladies shocked. The skin-refining pill will make your skin much better. After listening to Alicia's explanation, they know the higher the grade of this pill the higher its effect. So this skin-refining skill must be much better. At first, they confused, seeing grand duke warning them not to buy the pill for now. Even madam put a fight with the grand duke because of it. after that, they reluctantly agree to it. and now they know why grand duke warning them. because Alex will give them a better pill.
"For this skin-refining pill and muscle refining pill, people can only take one each. Taking anymore won't give you any effect again. And also take a precaution for this muscle refining pill, though the effect was great, the pain needs to endure was great too. After eating this pill I manage to get 40 points of DEX and AGI as well as 20 points in VIT" Alicia explained.
The three ladies sweat dropped hearing this. They relieved they listening to the grand duke that day.
Alicia gives 7 body tempering pills, one muscle refining pill, one skin-refining pill.
Alicia just now was like a wife bragging her husband's possession. But when grand duke looked at her, he smiled. He happy with this development seems like Alicia accepts heartily becoming Alex fiancee. He looked at Alex, he gratified.
Even madam whispering something to the grand duke. Though many can't hear it, Alex can.
"I'm sorry for what happened before, I should trust you, not fight you. So I will reward you tonight"
Alex speechless, he just pretended never hear it. but for the grand duke, he looked at Alex who looked like a savior for him.
Alicia explained, how to use for each pill to them, and they are retired for the day. Tonight many screams come from the mansion. Grand duke, madam, Mia, and Lea. Because they take muscle refining pill.