Chapter 106: Helena’s Sudden Announcement

Chapter 106: Chapter 106: Helena’s Sudden Announcement

Rune fragments possessed remarkable power, and this one would be particularly useful if he invested it in Mira.

Not only could it strengthen her abilities, but his system might also return additional rewards through its multiplier effect.

An opportunity like this was too good to pass up.

"That shouldn’t be a problem, General Quill," Xavier replied promptly.

"I’ll do my best to arrange the elixirs, though you’ll need to give me a little time."

He did not currently have ten Lesser Enlightenment Pills available, but gathering that quantity would not be particularly difficult.

With a few days of preparation, he was confident he could meet her request.

The higher grade elixirs were another matter.

He did possess a 7th-Grade Great Enlightenment Pill, but he had already decided to reserve it for his own cultivation.

As for the Saint Purification Pill, he had once owned one, only to use it to treat the devastating injury Mira had suffered when her Celestial Core was forcibly removed. He could not simply produce another one on demand.

Fortunately, Victoria had offered several alternatives, giving him some flexibility in fulfilling the deal.

"Very well." Victoria seemed satisfied with his answer. She took out a personal business card and handed it to him.

"Here’s my direct number. Contact me once you’ve gathered the elixirs, and we’ll settle the remaining details."

"I will," Xavier said, accepting the card and carefully storing the ice type rune fragment in his spatial ring.

With their agreement settled, there was little else to discuss. After chatting briefly with Victoria and Samuel, he left Stormvale Martial Academy and headed home.

* * *

Once Xavier had gone, Victoria and Samuel remained in the office.

Rather than immediately turning their attention to the investigation into the Lindsay family, Samuel brought up the young alchemist they had just met.

"General Quill, do you genuinely believe Mr. X can produce 7th-Grade elixirs?" he asked.

His curiosity was understandable. Throughout the Dragon Kingdom, alchemists capable of refining 7th-Grade elixirs were exceedingly rare.

Such individuals stood at the pinnacle of the profession and were regarded as grandmasters in their own right.

Yet Mr. X appeared to be barely in his twenties. Even allowing for extraordinary talent, Samuel found it difficult to imagine someone so young possessing the skill required to refine elixirs of that level.

Victoria understood his doubts. Her request was not motivated by curiosity or a desire to collect rare treasures.

She had a pressing reason to obtain the two types of elixirs.

Two years earlier, during her battle against a 5th-Tier demon general on the western frontier, she had been struck by a powerful curse.

Although she had survived the encounter and severely wounded her opponent, the curse had left a lasting effect on her cultivation.

It had effectively blocked her path to further advancement.

For someone who had reached the peak of the Star Sea Realm at such a young age, this was an enormous setback.

Victoria had spent the past two years searching for a way to remove the curse, but none of her efforts had succeeded.

The Saint Purification Pill was widely regarded as one of the most effective remedies for curses.

A 7th-Grade elixir of that kind might finally free her from the affliction and allow her to resume her pursuit of the Divine Power Realm.

Higher grade elixirs existed in theory, but 8th-Grade alchemy remained an exceptionally difficult frontier.

In the hundred years since the beginning of the Spiritual Calendar, only a handful of people had reportedly managed to refine an 8th-Grade elixir successfully.

The field was still poorly understood, and there was no certainty that an 8th-Grade elixir would offer a better solution to her particular problem.

For Victoria, a 7th-Grade Saint Purification Pill was her most promising option.

Unfortunately, despite her strength, reputation, and military connections, she had been unable to obtain one in the two years since the battle.

That was why she had approached Mr. X.

"There’s something unusual about him," Victoria said thoughtfully.

"He’s already capable of producing 6th-Grade elixirs at his age. If he continues developing at this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes an alchemy grandmaster within a few years." She paused, her expression turning serious.

"I’d rather establish a good relationship with him now than wait until everyone recognizes his abilities. Even if he can’t provide the 7th-Grade elixirs I’m looking for, ten or more Lesser Enlightenment Pills would still be extremely valuable to me."

Samuel considered her words and nodded.

"I agree," he said.

"Someone who can refine 6th-Grade elixirs while still so young clearly has exceptional potential. If he continues progressing, becoming a grandmaster may only be a matter of time."

Neither of them could be certain that Xavier would fulfill Victoria’s request, but both believed maintaining a relationship with him was worthwhile.

Once their discussion about Mr. X ended, they turned their attention to the more urgent matter: the Lindsay family.

With the family deeply rooted in Valemont’s political, commercial, and martial circles, investigating its activities would require careful coordination.

A reckless approach could alert the very people they were trying to expose.

For now, they would have to proceed methodically.

* * *

By the time Xavier returned to the villa at Arcadia Academy, it was already six in the evening.

The moment he stepped inside, the aroma of freshly prepared food greeted him.

Helena had filled the dining table with an impressive spread of dishes, leaving little room for anything else.

"Xavier, you’re back!" she called cheerfully.

Xavier looked at the table and could not help smiling.

"Auntie, you’ve cooked enough to feed an entire family again," he said. "I told you not to tire yourself out."

"It’s no trouble," Helena replied.

"I’m home all day anyway. What else am I supposed to do?"

Xavier felt a genuine warmth in his chest.

After spending the entire day dealing with dangerous situations and complicated matters, returning to a home where a hot meal awaited him was a simple pleasure he had come to appreciate.

Over the past two days, Helena had taken care of almost every household chore, leaving him and Mira free to focus on their cultivation.

He could not have asked for a more considerate mother in law.

There was, however, one small complication. Helena had practically taken over all of Mira’s time.

Now that Xavier had healed his wife’s abdominal injury, he had hoped they might finally enjoy some private time together as a married couple.

Unfortunately, with his mother in law constantly nearby, he had little opportunity to get closer to Mira.

He could only wait patiently for the right moment.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, Helena spoke again.

"Xavier, I’ve already discussed something with Minister Bush," she said.

"I’ve decided to join the Extraordinary Division, and I’ll move into their residential quarters tomorrow."

Xavier looked up in surprise.

"You’re moving out?" he asked. "Auntie, why? There’s plenty of room here. You don’t have to leave."

The villa provided by Arcadia Academy had two floors, so accommodating another person was hardly a problem.

He had never considered Helena’s presence an inconvenience and had no desire to send her away.

Helena shook her head.

"I’ve made up my mind," she said. "There’s no need to argue about it."

She did not elaborate, but her decision was not entirely unexpected.

Having spent the past two days living with her daughter and son in law, she understood that young married couples needed their own space.

She was also aware of how much Xavier had already done for Mira, from providing valuable cultivation resources to helping her recover from her injuries.

She could not keep accepting his generosity while occupying their home indefinitely.

Joining the Extraordinary Division would give her a place of her own, while allowing her to remain under Samuel’s protection.

She had already settled the arrangements with him, and there was little reason to reconsider them.

Before Xavier could persuade her otherwise, a familiar voice rang out from the entrance.

"Honey, Mom, I’m home!"

Mira walked into the villa in high spirits. Her face was bright with happiness, and she headed straight toward Xavier.

"Honey, I won first place in the Barley Cup!" she said. "Do you know what I received as my reward?"

She was clearly eager to share the details of her victory, but Xavier’s response quickly dampened her excitement.

"Congratulations, sweetheart," he said.

"But before we talk about your reward, could you help me persuade Auntie to stay? She says she’s moving out tomorrow."

Mira’s smile disappeared.

"What? Mom, where are you going? Why are you moving out?" she asked, hurrying over to Helena and taking hold of her arm, looking genuinely distressed.

Helena sighed helplessly.

"I’ve already discussed everything with Minister Bush," she said. "I’ll be joining the Extraordinary Division and moving into their residential quarters tomorrow."

She explained her reasons again, but neither Mira nor Xavier seemed willing to accept them.

Seeing that they were about to protest, Helena gently patted her daughter’s hand.

"Don’t worry about me," she said. "I’ll be perfectly fine there. Minister Bush has treated me very well, and he hasn’t assigned me any demanding duties. Most of my work will be administrative, so I’ll have plenty of free time to visit you." Her expression softened as she looked at the young couple.

"You two should focus on building your lives together. Keep cultivating, of course, but don’t spend every waking moment thinking about martial arts and other serious matters."

Then she added, entirely without embarrassment, "And don’t forget that you’re husband and wife. You should think about having a child soon. I’d love to help look after my grandchild and enjoy a little family happiness."

Mira’s face turned bright red in an instant.

"Mom!" she protested.

She could not believe her mother had brought up such a subject so casually, especially with Xavier standing right beside her.

Xavier, meanwhile, felt his heart stir at Helena’s suggestion. For once, his mother in law had said something he wholeheartedly agreed with.

If only things could proceed as smoothly as she hoped.

"Let’s eat before everything gets cold. The food won’t taste nearly as good otherwise!"

The three of them settled down to enjoy a warm, satisfying dinner together.

Helena had spent most of her life managing the household, so her cooking skills were far better than either Xavier’s or Mira’s.

Every dish looked delicious and smelled even better, making it difficult for the young couple to resist. By the time they finished, both had eaten their fill.

Fortunately, in an age when martial arts cultivation was widespread, maintaining a good figure was hardly difficult.

As long as a martial artist trained regularly, eating a little more than usual would not make much difference.

After dinner, Mira helped her mother clean up the dishes.

By the time she returned to the living room, she had finally recovered from the embarrassment caused by Helena’s earlier teasing.

"Honey, this is the reward I received for winning first place in the Barley Cup," she said. "You’ve given me so many valuable things, so you have to accept these."

Mira took out her prizes and placed them in front of Xavier.

Among them were a 5th-Grade Spirit-Activating Elixir, a piece of 5th-Grade soft armor, and a mid grade spirit stone.

She had also received two martial arts manuals: the Golden Body Protection Technique and the True Essence Mending Heaven Technique, along with some cultivation insights.

The Golden Body Protection Technique was one of the official rewards for winning the competition.

The True Essence Mending Heaven Technique, however, was different.

Mira had specifically requested it from Samuel Bush, and he had finally handed it over to her earlier that day. It was the most prized martial arts manual left behind by the renowned martial arts master Snr Kim.

It had also been one of the key incentives Samuel had offered when trying to recruit Mira into the Extraordinary Division.

Now that she had obtained it, she wanted to share everything with her husband.

In Mira’s eyes, Xavier was already a Body Tempering Realm martial artist who had taken his first steps along the path of cultivation.

These two techniques would be useful to him, especially if he wanted to strengthen his foundations.

"Honey, I’ll accept the elixir and spirit stone, but you should keep the rest," Xavier said with a smile.

"Especially these two manuals. I’m not particularly interested in practicing either of them."

He was being completely honest. Although both manuals were 5th-Grade martial arts techniques, they offered little that could tempt him to spend time mastering them.

Before Mira could argue, Xavier reached into his spatial ring and took out a large collection of elixirs.

"You’ve given me some good things, so I should give you something in return," he said.

"These are 4th and 5th-Grade elixirs that will help with your cultivation. Take them, along with the spirit stones."

He placed the elixirs before Mira. Every elixir he had taken out was 4th-Grade or higher, and most had come from the spoils he had collected from Pat Marty’s spatial ring.

He had been occupied with other matters the previous day, but now that the Barley Cup was over, he finally had time to make another investment in his wife.

Mira stared at the pile before her.

There were more than twenty 4th-Grade elixirs, six 5th-Grade elixirs, and even a rune fragment among the items Xavier had given her.

The corners of her mouth twitched as her shoulders slumped slightly.

Only then did she realize just how insignificant her competition rewards were compared with what her husband had accumulated.

She had proudly brought him her prizes, only for him to casually produce a collection worth far more.

Still, Mira did not refuse his gifts.

She had grown accustomed to Xavier’s generosity, even if she sometimes struggled to keep up with it. Instead, she made another silent promise to herself.

No matter how strong her husband became, she would do everything in her power to protect him as well.

* * *

Once he returned to his room, Xavier immediately checked the system notifications that had accumulated in his mind.