Published at 16th of February 2024 2:23 pm

Chapter 2.20 Alchemical Demands

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Nox had heard that Professor Das delayed his return from the southern continent as much as possible, often arriving just before his first class of the semester. Nox wasn’t expecting to see the man for another week, if not more. He was eager to talk to the university’s head of alchemy. After all, Nox needed Professor Das’ approval to track the progress of his alchemy license.

Fortunately, Lillin had accompanied Nox to campus. She had developed a close friendship with Pudge—a life mage and their former neighbor—and missed him during their time away from the city. They were drinking buddies, after all. Nox caught the pair just as they were about to head to a tavern and retrieved a case of sample concoctions from Lillin’s spatial storage.

“Why don’t you find us once you’re done?” Lillin asked. A bottle of wine sat between her and Pudge.

“You know that I’ve got too much to do,” Nox replied, checking the container’s contents. It had everything but his new experimental brew. “Can I get a flask of the flame slime brew, please? It’s not a part of my adept qualification, but I reckon Professor Das will get a kick out of it.”

“You sure you can trust him?” Pudge asked. “I’ve never heard of him engaging in such stuff, but there was a case last year where a production department professor stole his students’ work.”

“Given all the help I’ve received from him, I doubt Professor Das would stoop so low. Either way, I’m not sharing my recipe or process. He’s only getting a demonstration. Pulling the brew off without Crystallize Essence will prove impossible. Only Diya and Kris know how it works.”

“Fair enough.”

Less than a week remained until the start of the new semester, and returning students, their servants, and porters littered the campus. The traffic heading toward the production department was so thick Nox struggled to progress. So, he slipped into the administration building for a quick detour and also to get a necessary errand out of the way.

After studying the spell for his latest planet and witnessing Nox’s use of it, Kris deemed his mastery was well beyond the scope of the Beginner Animation course. She suggested that Nox either apply for the intermediate course or go for something different. Nox agreed.

A short conversation and paperwork proved sufficient to change his course. Nox received his new timetable within five minutes.

6th to 8th Bell

8th to 10th Bell

10th to 12th Bell

12th to 1st Bell

1st to 3rd Bell

3rd to 5th Bell

Firstday

Introduction to Summoning and Familiars

Lunch

Advanced Dungeon Combat

Seconday

Live Spell Weaving

Lunch

Finesse Shaping

Thirday

Intermediate Dungeon Theory

Lunch

Advanced Dungeon Combat

Fourthday

Lunch

Finesse Shaping

Fifthday

Advanced Dungeon Combat

Sixthday

Break Day

Seventhday

Break Day

Given the shop’s demands, Nox thought it best to drop Beginner Artificing. The course would consume his entire Sixthday. Instead, he registered for Introduction to Summoning and Familiars.

Otis had proven invaluable for Nox’s survival. The little gremlin also protected Nox during his spirit walk. Nox loved Lillin but detested his reliance on her for safety and survival. Learning to grow and nurture Otis could potentially help him function without her. He didn’t plan on dedicating a planet ot summons and familiars yet, but if he discovered a way to connect it to his star, Nox would gladly reconsider.

A morning and two days off a week wasn’t nearly enough, but it would have to do. Nox needed to squeeze brewing and spell weaving into the time. He hoped that once the shop started functioning without him, the party could use the time to explore the dungeon under the city or hunt rifts around the city. The latter would prove challenging now that he couldn’t access House Oakheart’s longboat.

Nox also had his paperwork for the slime concoction checked. Once the staff deemed it different enough from Akash Das’ creation, they granted Nox a temporary patent on the work so far. They needed to check with the regular guild envoys to ensure no one on the continent had submitted anything similar over the past couple of months. He trusted the professor, but Nox felt more secure. Any work derived from it would now owe him a fraction of their profits and credit.

Once done in the administration building, Nox cut through its upper levels into the connected production department. Before reaching the main alchemy workshop, he needed to pass through the storage areas and a couple of artificing classrooms. It was a buzz with activity.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Almost a dozen young mages in aprons, protective glasses, and gloves moved briskly, carrying glass containers and crates and pushing barrel-laden trolleys. Many wore Artisans’ Arms, handling fleshy masses and raw essences. A couple blocked his path when Nox tried to enter.

“We’re dealing with hazardous materials,” one told him. “No entry without Professor Das’ approval.”

“Is he in there?” Nox asked.

The student nodded. He appeared no older than eighteen.

“Could you please get him for me, then?”

“No,” the younger man replied.

“How am I supposed to get his approval if I can’t meet with him?” Nox asked.

The young alchemists hesitantly glanced at one another. “You’ll just have to come back another time. We’re too busy right now.”

“Could you at least tell him Nox Ratra is here to see him? I’m working towards my adept license and need the professor’s approval.”

“I’m not your errand boy—”

“Hold on a moment.” The female alchemist said. She leaned close to her peer’s ear, and they exchanged brisk, whispered words. “I’ll talk to him. Stay here, please.”

Nox ended up waiting for a quarter of an hour before someone led him around the workshop’s perimeter to the door on the opposite side of the room. It led into Professor Das’ office. He sprayed Nox with a clear fluid before leaving the pair alone.

“It’s good to see you, bhai,” Professor Das said. “I’m afraid I don’t have a lot of time for small talk and pleasantries.”

“What’re you working on, professor?” Nox asked. “It’s crazy out there. I didn’t expect to see so many students back already.”

“They’re locals or temporary hires. There is a new variant of Nargle’s Pox ravaging the Imperium’s southern border. They begged the university for help. Their deep pockets forced Dean Oleg and me to cut our vacations short. Unless you’re here to offer me help, I’m afraid I don’t have a lot of time for you today.”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible. I’m opening my store tomorrow.” He handed the man an envelope. It contained an invitation to the store with twenty percent off for the first cosmetic, contraceptive, or healing brew purchased during opening week. Annabelle had come up with the idea. Even the nobility and rich found joy in sales and discounts. “I’d love it if you’d pop by when you have a moment.”

“I’ll try my best, bhai.” The professor spared the invitation a glance before returning his attention to the documents in front of him. “Was this only a social visit?”

“I wanted to update you on my progress toward adept and a favor,” Nox said. He opened his case and laid all of his samples out on the professor’s table.

“Did you complete the list?”

“Not quite, but I’m almost there. More importantly, I have an invention to share.”

“Invention?” The professor finally looked up from the stacks of contracts and journals in front of him. “If you come back next week—”

“Sentient Synapse Slayer served as the inspiration. So, I thought you’d take an interest in the creation.” He placed the luminous flask of flame slime between them. “Can’t you spare any time at all? The Edelweiss barony invested in its research and requested samples to deal with the myconid issue and Terrastalia-born crop blights.”

Professor Das sighed. “I can’t turn you away now. Terrastalia is the reason I only got to see my family for two weeks. Its rampage has birthed no less than three variants of this damned disease.” He leaned across the table, studying the container. “Do your demonstration.”

Nox did as requested. He retrieved an empty glass bowl from a neighboring shelf and placed it on one of the many side tables littering the office. First, Nox poured a cup’s worth into the container. Then he stirred it with Galvanising Touch. The magic set the orange fluid ablaze before turning it gelatinous. Professor Das jumped from his seat and rushed over when the luminous jelly expanded, contracted, and then did it again, moving like a slug up the bowl’s steep edges.

“Is that a real slime or emulated slime?”

“Real,” Nox replied. “As far as I can tell, at least.” He then explained the concoction’s purpose and what it had done to the myconids.

“Any adept alchemist can create a slime. But, you found a way to bond it with an essence and give it a complex purpose.” Professor Das sighed, sitting back on his chair. “You realize that’s something I’ve spent most of my career researching and failed?”

“I know you created the Synaptic Synapse Slayer. I wasn’t aware you attempted turning it into more.”

“Of course I did. My job as a research alchemist is to keep forever improving my creations.” Akash Das returned to his desk chair and slumped down in it. “This isn’t the work of a journeyman or adapt alchemist. By Yggdrasil’s roots, bhai, this is something experts struggle with. You wouldn’t be willing to share your research with me with you?”

“Perhaps after I have further improved the product and patented the complete version,” Nox said. “I just registered it with the admin and got a temporary one on my work so far.”

“Smart.” Akash Das said. He picked up the flask containing the remaining concoction and studied it closely. “This is incredible, though. At least show me any paperwork you have with you.” While Nox flipped through his research journal for his progress record, the professor turned his attention to the other containers. “It looks like you’ve completed most of the list. If I take your creation into consideration, this might just be enough to earn you an adept license.”

“Really?” Nox asked, eyes wide. He didn’t expect to reach the goal so soon. “An adept alchemist brand on my window will be amazing for business. Doubly so if I have it for opening.”

“Jamshed!” Professor Das called. A stout souther-continent man rushed into the room a couple of heartbeats later. He wore protective gear like the other alchemists. “Tell everyone not in the middle of anything to take a break for lunch. The rest can do the same once they’re done with whatever they have in their hands.”

“Yes, sir.” The man hovered, glancing between the squirming slime and the journal in Professor Das’ hands. Nox saw his eyes glimmer with silver light through the protective goggles. “Anything else, Professor?”

“Is there anything more you need?” The older man asked Nox.

“I need a couple of apprentices to run my store. If you’ve got any talented or dedicated hands—”

“Say no more. Get me the assistant applicants, Jamshed.” Professor Das smiled at Nox as his assistant dug through a filing cabinet. “You should’ve started with the request if you wanted my attention. These last few months have been hard on everyone. A good deal of students in the production department are commoners relying on grants and sponsorships to supplement whatever their families can afford to pay. Far too many talented students are withdrawing from classes or taking semesters off because they can’t afford to pay tuition.”

“Is that why your workshop is full of teenage assistants?” Nox asked.

Professor Das nodded. “Most of them are working directly for me or the university and saving money so they can reenroll next semester. Unfortunately, spaces are limited, and there are too many I’ve had to turn away or add to the waiting list because they applied too late.”

Jamshed returned with a stack of papers. Professor Das flicked through them and laid five sheets out in front of Nox. “Three of these are from the northern countryside. Terrastalia destroyed their homes and family farms, rendering them incapable of continuing their education. If they can’t find employment in the next couple of weeks, they won’t just miss the semester and struggle to save for the next, but they’ll need to leave the city, too. Or, they might end up in a hovel with the rest of the refugees.” The man paused and glanced at his assistant. “I don’t need anything more from you, Jamshed. You may leave.”

The assistant’s silver eyes ceased glowing. He nodded at Nox and retreated from the office. He disliked how Jamshed had attempted to study the journal using what was probably enhanced vision. Given the apprentice badge on the man’s lapel, Nox doubted he had reason to worry. At least he had the patents to protect himself.

“The remaining two aren’t in as dire straits, but they’re more accomplished and have held part-time roles in commercial alchemy workshops in the past,” the professor continued. “They’re from merchant families, and Terrastalia has caused their business’ to fail. They have homes to go to and might find employment in the future, but as we all know, job opportunities are scarce in the city.”

Nox studied the five resumes. The latter two individuals were indeed more experienced and decorated than the rest. They’d make Nox’s life considerably easier. “Which of them would you specifically recommend? I can’t afford to take on all of them.”

“They’re all favored students with talents and shortcomings. The more experienced would be the obvious picks. However, be wary of bad habits and techniques taught by past employers. Teaching them to do things how you prefer might prove challenging.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Nox said. “Thank you, professor.”

“You can rifle through the rest if you’d like. I’ll need a while to inspect all of your creations.”

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