Chapter 34: Alchemy Woes and a Witch’s Heart Mystery

Classes were dismissed.

Granny Dou exited the classroom, her face wreathed in smiles, and proceeded to file for reimbursement for the day’s teaching materials.

Meanwhile, I returned to my seat.

The complexity of crafting the incense far exceeded my expectations. Mastering the precise ratios of thirty-two extraordinary materials was not something I could achieve overnight.

After all, I had only just begun to learn the technique of extracting extraordinary energy, and my proficiency was still lacking. For now, I could only commit the instructions to memory and revisit them later.

My immediate priority was to enhance my strength; the cultivation of my meditation technique also needed to be placed on the agenda.

As for alchemy, it seemed unlikely to yield any significant profit in the near future. Moreover, improving my skills would demand a considerable investment of credits—no, a colossal amount of credits! The price of extraordinary materials was far from negligible.

A single failure meant a complete loss of investment.

Nevertheless, alchemy would undoubtedly prove invaluable in the future. Granny Dou, after all, held a favorable impression of me, perceiving me as an alchemy prodigy, and would surely provide greater assistance later on.

This was the essence of gaining an initial advantage, which then led to further advantages.

Kereiya, grinning mischievously from the side, piped up, “Oh! Our alchemy prodigy has returned? So, how was it? I’ve been eagerly awaiting the incense you’d concoct!”

“It was simply too difficult; I couldn’t comprehend any of it,” I admitted, my expression contorted in genuine distress. “I barely even grasped the basic fundamentals.”

“It’s fine, really. While alchemy is important, you don’t necessarily have to master it completely,” Kereiya said, sounding as if a weight had lifted from her shoulders. “It wouldn’t be fair if you had such exceptional meditation talent *and* incredible alchemy talent. So, you must apply yourself diligently! I’ll surely be coming to you for guidance later. How does the saying go? ‘Please take care of me in the future~’”

“Mm-hm,” I nodded, signifying my agreement.

“I’m off now. I’m meeting a friend for dinner, and then we’re going to check out some incense.”

“Hmm, wait,” I said, nodding, as a thought suddenly occurred to me.

“What is it?”

“The price of incense can be a bit inflated. Remember to bargain when you buy it; purchasing at full price would be too much of a loss,” I advised kindly. After all, an item originally worth over 200 credits being sold for more than 600 was undeniably a rip-off.

“Got it! See ya!”

After watching Kereiya depart, I found myself alone once more. There were, after all, only a handful of people I could truly converse with.

As for Air, she was still deep in meditation.

Perhaps it was just a misconception, but it felt as though she had already completed the refinement of her spiritual energy. Though invisible, spiritual energy could certainly be sensed.

She had been holding the Witch’s Heart in her hand for quite some time now.

She might be attempting to resonate with the Witch’s Heart, but did it really take this long? I didn’t recall it taking me quite so long.

Driven by a flicker of curiosity, I approached quietly, taking care not to make a sound. It wouldn’t do to disturb her.

During class earlier, Granny Dou seemed to have employed some soundproofing measures. Otherwise, the shattering sound of the materials in my hands might have startled quite a few people.

In any case, with evening approaching, I planned to grab dinner and then head back to my dorm. I would ask the senior student at the materials shop how much incense she could sell me at a discount from the original price. If it wasn’t a significant amount, I’d simply use it myself or, at most, sell it at cost to a few acquaintances to maintain good relations.

It was then that I suddenly noticed a faint gleam emanating from Air’s Witch’s Heart! Golden specks of light began to materialize within its depths.

Having prior experience, I was keenly aware of what this meant. ‘Oh~ so our class president is about to resonate with the Witch’s Heart, too?’ I thought. This was for the best; all eyes in the class would be drawn to her, and fewer people would pay attention to me.

But swiftly, the golden specks within the Witch’s Heart subtly faded, growing dim.

Faded?

My eyes widened, filled with both confusion and disbelief. Could resonance actually fail?

At that moment, Air stirred. She opened her eyes, her gaze darting away with a hint of embarrassment, for she had felt her spiritual energy repelled by the Witch’s Heart!

However, sensing that someone was watching her, she quickly composed herself.

“Oh? Ren? What brings you over here? I apologize for letting you witness such a sight; it seems my talent truly isn’t up to par.”

“Air… Sister,” I began softly, a touch of shyness coloring my expression, “Don’t rush; haste makes waste. If you’ve encountered any issues, I might be able to help you.”

“You’re right,” Air conceded. Hearing herself addressed as “Air Sister” instantly brought a sense of comfort, and she felt that this junior student was truly thoughtful. Yet, the thought that he was a genius who had already completed his Witch’s Heart resonance brought a pang of discomfort, though she wouldn’t show it. Besides, she did have some questions. “Ren, when you were resonating, did the Witch’s Heart ever repel your spiritual energy? How did you deal with that?”

“Repel spiritual energy?” I asked, a hint of curiosity in my voice. ‘The Witch’s Heart repels spiritual energy? I never encountered that,’ I thought. ‘To me, it felt like a magnet, drawing me in instantly.’ “This… I apologize, but I may not have experienced such a situation. Can you perceive the Witch’s Heart’s ‘feelings’? Was it merely repelling, or was the Witch’s Heart actively resisting?”

I gently prodded my Witch’s Heart. It responded, circling me playfully before settling into my palm. “After I resonated with the Witch’s Heart, it felt like an extension of myself, a profound connection of understanding. Logically, there shouldn’t be any resistance, should there?”

“Is that so?” Air murmured, pressing a hand to her forehead as if battling a headache.

I looked at Air, then back at my own Witch’s Heart, and a thought suddenly struck me. “By the way, Air Sister, do you inwardly resist becoming a Witch? I mean, truly, in your heart?”

“Resist? Are you suggesting the Witch’s Heart is repelling me because I’m inwardly resisting becoming a Witch?” Air was sharp; with just a hint, she grasped the possibility. After all, she possessed angelic blood, and angels were an extraordinary race. If she hadn’t been left with no other choice, why would she ever become a Witch?

The angelic race was highly exclusive. Even those with half-angelic blood were ostracized by other angels within their own kind, let alone a mixed-blood like her, possessing only a trace of the lineage.

It was a miracle she had even awakened her bloodline.

“Mm… roughly that’s what I mean… perhaps,” I nodded. If this theory held true, then resonating with the Witch’s Heart might filter out nearly all males!

It seemed the words I’d spoken to those other boys earlier had accidentally hit the mark.

“Thank you,” Air said to me with a gentle smile, “I’ll try again once I’ve recovered and adjusted my mindset. Thank you.” Her infectious aura, I had to admit, made her words all the more pleasant to receive.

“No need to thank me. I’m going to grab dinner now. Goodbye, Air Sister.”

“Goodbye.”

With our conversation concluded, I prepared to head to the cafeteria for a meal.

Thus, I once again frequented this particular food stall. I had a feeling that after a few more visits, the serving auntie would recognize me—the white-haired boy who always ordered the three-credit dish.