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Chapter 231: Royal Supplies
🕑 Added 2024-09-23 03:49:00 +0000 UTCThe air was filled with a faint scent of alchemical potions.
Rhett controlled the wind element to disperse the odor out of the window.
Mandy, looking at Henke and Felix sitting together, arched his eyebrows and smiled, saying, "Earl Rhett, I didn’t expect to find two such outstanding alchemists in this remote part of the southwestern border. Their level is comparable to the standard in the royal palace."
"The standard in the royal palace? That’s quite a high evaluation," Rhett thought, surprised. The royal palace wasn't just any place—those who made it there had to be talented alchemists.
Rhett knew well that Henke and Felix were talented, but to call them geniuses would be a stretch. Their achievements were not only due to their dedication and the solid foundation they had built but also because of the tremendous help from the alchemy manuals Rhett had "borrowed" from Masters Aesad and Nilu using his Real Simulation ability.
Since distributing those alchemy manuals to his subordinates, the skills of his alchemists had improved rapidly, with Henke and Felix making the most significant progress.
"Hehe, thank you for the compliment," Rhett smiled and then asked, "You’ve seen their alchemical processes. If there are any shortcomings, I hope you can guide them."
Mandy nodded. "Of course, I will guide them well in the days to come, but now may not be the right time."
"That’s fine. There’s plenty of time. Let me show you to your rooms first," Rhett replied, leading Mandy and the others away.
As Rhett and the three alchemists left the central conference room, the remaining six people whispered excitedly, discussing the arrival of the three mid-level alchemists. They were thrilled and curious—who would have thought that their lord had such influence? After all, recruiting even one mid-level alchemist was several times more difficult than recruiting a Magus, and yet their lord had brought in three at once, including a rare alchemical equipment specialist.
"Hernan, you’re in luck!" Tyles slapped the shoulder of the person next to him with a playful grin. "Aren’t you a fire-element Magus? Now you have the chance to learn alchemical equipment crafting from Master Maruna. Don’t let this opportunity slip by!"
Hernan and Philos had both joined during the early days of Dark Eagle City and had been living in the Alchemy Tower for over a year now.
Hernan, the one Tyles had slapped on the shoulder, scratched his red hair, his honest appearance somewhat resembling Tuck’s. Excitedly, he asked, "Really? I can learn alchemical equipment crafting from Master Maruna?"
"Of course! Father brought these three alchemists here to improve our alchemical skills. And here’s another thing: these three alchemists will only be staying at the Alchemy Tower for five years. So, make the most of this opportunity," Tyles advised, holding a deep red potion bottle that he had just brewed.
"Especially you, Hernan. You’re the only fire-element Magus here, so don’t miss this chance!" Tyles pointed at Hernan. For some reason, though he had been indifferent to Hernan before, ever since their last outdoor excursion, he had developed a newfound affection for him.
"Haha, I’ll ask Master Maruna about it the next time I see him," Hernan chuckled.
Tyles nodded with satisfaction. "Yes, if you become an alchemical equipment specialist, you’ll be a rare talent in Dark Eagle City. You’d better do well!"
Upon hearing this, Unika and Philos looked envious, subconsciously feeling that alchemical equipment specialists were extraordinary.
Henke and Felix, on the other hand, remained unmoved. They had been deeply focused on alchemical potion-making for years. Even though they were also fire-element Magi, it wasn’t feasible for them to switch professions now.
Moreover, although alchemical equipment crafting had a higher threshold, its difficulty wasn’t much greater than potion-making. It also required talent, dedication, and a significant investment of time and effort.
The most crucial point was that while alchemical equipment specialists were rare, they could only forge equipment. In contrast, the potions made by alchemical potion makers could directly enhance one’s power!
This alone made alchemical potion makers an indispensable part of any growing force.
After chatting for a while, the six gradually left the central conference room.
Henke and Felix returned to Henke’s room.
Henke sat down on a soft chair, looking curiously at Felix. "It seems like you have something to say?"
They were brothers, and Henke could sense from Felix’s gaze and subtle actions that he had something on his mind.
Felix didn’t hide it. His expression turned serious as he nodded. "Henke, I’ve seen that Mandy before, in the royal city!"
"You’ve seen him?" Henke’s eyes flashed with surprise but quickly returned to calmness. "That’s not surprising. There are many alchemists in the royal city, and it’s reasonable that Lord Rhett would bring some from there."
Felix shook his head. "No, they’re not ordinary alchemists. A few years ago, I personally witnessed the leader of the organization I was with greet Mandy with great respect, which shows that his status is exceptionally high!"
Henke was shocked. "It seems the three alchemists that Lord Rhett brought in are top-tier!"
"Definitely!" Felix nodded solemnly, then added with admiration, "Our lord is truly remarkable. Mid-level alchemists are highly sought after by marquises and even dukes, yet Lord Rhett managed to bring in three of them at once."
Henke wholeheartedly agreed, his expression turning enthusiastic. "We must seize this opportunity to learn from them. Not everyone gets such good conditions!"
"Exactly!" Felix’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
Having spent many years in the royal city, Felix knew the importance of mentorship. It was far more efficient than learning on one’s own.
In the royal city, he hadn’t had the chance to receive guidance from such distinguished individuals. But now, after joining Earl Rhett’s forces, he had obtained that opportunity with ease.
At that moment, Felix couldn’t help but feel fortunate. He had to admit that in life, sometimes choices matter more than effort. A single decision could lead to vastly different outcomes.
If he had stayed in the royal city and not joined Dark Eagle City, what good would a few more years of hard work have done?
Now, after joining Dark Eagle City, he had not only studied from two alchemy manuals left by masters but also had the prospect of receiving direct mentorship. These experiences would save him decades of detours!
"Henke, I think we should prepare some gifts for our three new mentors," Felix suggested after some thought.
"That makes sense. But we can’t give just anything. What do you think we should offer?" Henke mused.
"Let me think about it…"
After settling the three new alchemists, Rhett went to Tyles’s room. Mina was in the study, engrossed in a book, oblivious to the outside world. She had become a devoted fan of Rhett’s novels, barely able to tear herself away!
Tyles, on the other hand, was carrying two large packages wrapped in wind elements. His eyes gleamed with excitement as he exclaimed, "Father, my goodness, where did you get so many magical plant seeds and alchemical potions? And all these magic books—every level from one to nine!"
As Tyles spoke, he looked at his father with eyes full of admiration. From his childhood to now, his father had always been great and omnipotent!
Rhett, in turn, smiled mysteriously, further convincing Tyles of his father’s extraordinary abilities.
Tyles began pulling out numerous sealed bags from the large packages. Each one was bulging, clearly filled with seeds.
"I’ve done a rough count. There are over a hundred high-grade magical plant seeds, more than three thousand mid-grade seeds, and tens of thousands of low-grade ones!" Tyles’s voice was full of excitement.
His excitement stemmed from the large number of mid- and high-grade magical plant seeds. These seeds were vital resources, and it was usually difficult to buy them in large quantities each year. Now, with such a vast supply arriving at once, their family’s magical plant cultivation fields would expand dramatically!
Compared to Tyles, Rhett remained calm. After all, this was from the royal palace. If they had only given a few hundred seeds, it would have been far too stingy.
However, Rhett was still pleased. Tyles was right—this would indeed allow their family’s magical plant cultivation fields to grow significantly.
From now on, there would be no shortage of magical plants for the alchemists, allowing them to practice and research to their heart’s content.
Rhett opened each bag and personally checked the seeds. The distribution of seeds for different elements was roughly equal.
Though Rhett felt it was a bit unfortunate that there weren’t more earth and water element seeds, overall, the quantity was sufficient. No need to pursue more of those specific seeds—everything they had was already enough. With the current scale, they could gradually expand over time.
"Tyles, I have a task for you. Go find Henke and Felix later and plant these seeds in the cultivation fields. I’ll handle the blessing of the spirits in a few days," Rhett said, patting Tyles on the head with a smile.
"Huh?" Tyles’s face fell. These magical plant seeds were no small matter. Reluctantly, he agreed, "Alright, Father."
Since the simulation had confirmed that Felix wouldn’t reveal the existence of spirits, Rhett felt secure in sharing that secret with him. As a result, Felix had free access to the magical plant cultivation fields.
"I’d better go find them now…" Tyles sighed and headed out.
With only Mina left in the room, Rhett decided it wasn’t appropriate to stay, so he followed Tyles out.
Having handled all his affairs, Rhett made his way back to the estate and returned to the castle to focus on understanding the mysteries of the elements.
Given that the three new alchemists would only be in the territory for five years, it might be difficult to train a mid-level alchemist during that time. Henke and Felix were both unlikely to reach the rank of Magus in five years.
However, if they could solidify the skills of low-level alchemists, it would ensure that most of his transcendents were taken care of. The 80/20 rule applied to transcendents as well—there would always be fewer strong ones, while low-level transcendents remained the majority.
Every mid-level or even high-level transcendent had to pass through the low-level stage, which provided a sufficient buffer of time.
"Good morning, Earl Rhett."
The next day, Karina visited Rhett as promised.
Her main purpose was to express her gratitude and strengthen their relationship.
She, too, was aligned with the Third Prince’s faction and had subtly learned of Rhett’s connection with Horgus. From this perspective, they were on the same side.
"Earl Rhett, I wasn’t sure what to bring you as a gift, but I heard that your second son is quite fond of painting and has some talent in that area," Karina said as she took a colorful book with a swirling design from her bag. "This is a painting manual—just a little something from me. It might be of some help to your son."
Rhett took the book and carefully examined it. The instructions were incredibly detailed, even down to the way one should hold a brush, accompanied by illustrations demonstrating various techniques. It wasn’t something just anyone could do!
"It looks fantastic. I’ll thank you on behalf of Rayleigh, Ms. Karina," Rhett said with a smile.
"It’s nothing compared to finding my mentor," Karina replied modestly, shaking her head with a warm smile.
The two chatted for over half an hour.
"Earl Rhett, there are still many murals in the royal palace that I need to oversee. Before leaving, I’ve already postponed my return until early next year. I can’t delay any longer, so I must say goodbye," Karina apologized.
"You’re right; work is important. When I next visit the royal city, let’s meet again," Rhett replied, rising to see her off.
"Oh, that’s a promise then. I’ll be waiting for you in the royal city," Karina said with a charming smile as she picked up her bag and headed out.
Rhett followed her, seeing her off all the way to the estate’s gate before parting.
As he watched Karina’s figure fade into the distance, Rhett returned to the castle, heading straight to his room. Closing his eyes, he immersed himself once more in the mysteries of the elements.
Through his understanding of what lies beyond the Saint Realm, Rhett knew that achieving mastery in all elemental mysteries might be the key to breaking through. Though this had not been confirmed, even if it wasn’t the case, deepening his comprehension could only be beneficial. It would greatly enhance his combat power!
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