Chapter 24
"Mother above."
Watching Elise's latest brewing technique, Gwenaeris couldn't hold back the murmur.
With her height, she only had to lower her gaze slightly to take in Elise's entire process.
Elise hadn't touched the scales, the clamps, or a single measuring tool.
Just like an elf, she was using spirit energy to sense the inner life of the plants, then selecting each ingredient according to the changes within that energy.
The finished brew was nearly flawless.
Elise was no longer measuring by textbook standards. She was taking exactly what the potion required.
The spiritual quality of the ingredients matched the formula perfectly, so the potion came out perfect as well.
This was what a potion master was supposed to be.
What Gwenaeris couldn't understand was why Elise had suddenly gained that gift.
For a human to develop such an ability—shouldn't it take years of practice? Shouldn't they need to become a Third-tier caster before even brushing that level?
Without Third-tier spirit energy, how could a human sense the subtle spiritual shifts inside plant life?
And Elise had not possessed this ability before.
Had the Mother suddenly favored her?
But wasn't Elise blessed by the God of Light?
Gwenaeris's mind raced. Her entire view of human potioncraft was beginning to crack.
"Lady Gwenaeris," Elise said, feeling thoroughly refreshed.
She had endured several days of cold looks.
Now that [Potioncraft] had reached LV4 and granted her [Perception of Medicinal Property Changes], she naturally had to "seek guidance" from this proud elven lady.
"Go ahead," Gwenaeris said.
She had no idea what Elise was scheming. Her opinion of the girl had transformed completely, and her attitude had softened along with it.
"I have a few questions," Elise said, picking up several mineral and animal-based potion materials.
Gwenaeris frowned slightly, but agreed.
"The [Breath Draught] my teacher developed requires loamworms," Elise said. "Regarding their medicinal properties..."
She began asking about animal-based potion materials.
Gwenaeris's expression darkened.
She could tell Elise was needling her on purpose. Still, animal-based materials did fall within the scope of their exchange.
And since Elise had asked about changes in medicinal properties, Gwenaeris naturally understood them.
Very well.
Did this girl think elves' keen perception stopped at plant spirits?
Wrong.
Elves were sensitive to the spirituality of all living things. Plants were simply closest to them.
Besides, Gwenaeris was a Third-tier Magister. Of course she understood the medicinal changes within animal-based materials.
"Elves usually use loamworms that died naturally," Gwenaeris said.
From selection to treatment to final preparation, she explained everything with perfect clarity.
[Potioncraft skill experience +3.]
[Potioncraft skill experience +5.]
System prompts kept flickering before Elise's eyes.
She had failed to stump Gwenaeris—but the skill experience was more than worth it.
More importantly, as the exchange went on, Elise could clearly feel Gwenaeris's attitude shifting.
At first, Gwenaeris seemed to suspect Elise had merely stumbled into a flash of inspiration, so her tone softened a little.
Then she realized Elise genuinely understood the subject, and their discussion began to flow.
By the end, Gwenaeris discovered that Elise did more than understand. In certain areas involving First-tier mineral and animal materials, her comprehension had already outstripped the limits of her transcendent rank.
Some of Elise's insights even filled gaps in Gwenaeris's own potioncraft framework.
By the latter half of the conversation, even Gwenaeris felt dazed.
At some point, Helena had stopped brewing. She stood quietly to the side, listening to Elise and Gwenaeris talk.
Helena listened, absorbed what she could, and prayed silently, over and over.
Light above.
Thank you for letting me become Elise's teacher.
You are the radiance that illuminates all things.
As a Senior High Cleric, Helena had only one thought.
What did I ever do to deserve this?
A student like Elise should have been claimed by a legendary powerhouse the moment her talent emerged.
How had the Church allowed her to study under a "mere" High Cleric?
Because Helena was so rattled by Elise's pace of progress, she nearly jumped out of her seat when Elise mentioned to Gwenaeris that she meant to join the new-city campaign.
"Elise! You plan to help build the new city?" Helena's eyes went wide.
By then, the three of them had moved to the workshop's sitting area.
Elise knew both teachers valued her deeply. She knew her decision would be questioned.
But this was her own transcendent path.
She was a transmigrator.
She had awakened a system.
Her spell skills needed real combat to level faster.
So when Helena cried out, Elise only nodded calmly.
"The God of Light has shown me that I should go to the frontier. My talent is suited to exploration."
"No. You are suited to the Academy of Light. One day, you will become an Archbishop..." Helena's words tumbled out in a rush.
Gwenaeris sat quietly nearby, watching the two of them with open curiosity.
As one of the famously home-loving elves known across Aurelia, Gwenaeris had never enjoyed leaving her people's forests.
She couldn't fathom why Elise would choose the dangers of frontier city-building when a peaceful life lay wide open before her.
Why?
It was dangerous.
"Teacher, even if I become a Fourth-tier Exalted Cleric—even a legendary powerhouse—I will still have to fight." Elise's tone was firm. "I have that talent."
All her system skills could be roughly divided into combat spells and everything else.
Skills like [Potioncraft] and [Light Theology] could be raised steadily through study.
But spell skills like [Holy Light] and [Holy Light Arrow] needed combat to gain experience.
She could stay at the Academy of Light and live in safety.
And then what?
The next four hundred years would bring an unprecedented Convergence of Planes.
Hellspawn and otherworldly beings from countless planes would descend on Aurelia. If she became an Academy-track Awakened with weak combat power, then the higher her rank climbed, the less secure she would feel.
Only by advancing both sides at once could she truly protect herself.
Potions, she would brew with her own hands.
Spells, she would sharpen in battle.
Down the road, she could even pick up alchemy and other skills, forging herself into an all-purpose Awakened.
Then, whatever came, she would always have a way to survive.
And once her combat power reached a certain threshold, she would have the standing to speak her mind. No one stronger could push her into things she hated.
She looked at Helena with complete seriousness.
Helena held her gaze.
Slowly, she realized Elise was not going to waver.
"Elise, the condition is that you advance to High Cleric first," Helena said with a sigh. Then her voice turned solemn. "You must be Second-tier. You must be able to protect yourself."
"I will," Elise said.
She took that just as seriously.
Gwenaeris, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly spoke.
"Why not ask Archbishop Norias for help? He is an Archbishop of both Light and Fate. He can assist you."
Elise turned toward the elven powerhouse.
Gwenaeris gave her a small smile and offered the hint.
"The Fourth-tier Fate spell, [Gift of Fate]. It can help you. However... you will have to pay a small price."
"What price?"
Elise knew little about the Third and Fourth tiers. She hadn't imagined Fourth-tier powerhouses held abilities like that.
As a Senior Third-tier Magister, however, Gwenaeris understood exactly how formidable the Church of Light's Fourth-tier Archbishops could be.
She composed herself and answered sincerely.
"Once you receive fate's gift, you must bring about the future that fate reveals—within the allotted time."
Elise fell silent.
There was a deal that good?
Bring about the future fate reveals, within the allotted time?
Translated into Earth terms, that meant one thing.
She had to repay the loan.
And Elise had a system.
Repaying "transcendent loans" was exactly what she was best at.