Chapter 1 The Royal Academy

The location of the Luying Royal Academy is in the Quentin District, north of the Rocovallen River, where the wealthy congregate.

There is a vast group of classical Gothic garden buildings there, which is the main campus of the academy.

Because the ball last night didn't leave any hidden dangers, Soren and Shabina didn't have to worry about being targeted, so they took a luxury car to the north.

It wasn't that Soren didn't want to ride a more convenient steam motorcycle, but motorcycles are forbidden in the wealthy area in the north.

Those motorcycles that look cool to the gangs are just cheap means of transportation used by the lower class in the eyes of the rich, dangerous and vulgar.

After the car drove across the Lyndon Iron Bridge spanning the Rocovallen River, the road conditions and environment here immediately became completely different.

Soren looked at the scenery outside the window in the carriage.

The streets are clean and tidy, and classical-style buildings can be seen everywhere.

Completely different from the civilian area of the southern city, where steam machinery is everywhere, this place almost completely retains the ancient style of Lyndon hundreds of years ago.

There are few pedestrians on the streets in the wealthy districts, but they are either rich or noble.

The only means of transportation are various luxury cars, bicycles, and carriages with noble coats of arms.

Royal female mounted police officers ride big black horses on patrol in every block, heroic and compelling.

It looks backward, but it reveals luxury everywhere.

The street trees are thick, broad-leaved sycamore trees costing tens of thousands of Lisos each, there are always delicate and bright flowers in the roadside flower beds, and no one picks up the shining gold and silver coins in the fountain wishing pool. Even the pigeons here are rare species of Saintly White-feathered pigeons. They are proud and beautiful, have their own territory circles, and will never hang out or mate with ordinary pigeons...

In the carriage, Shabina introduced to Soren: "The wealthy area of Lyndon is like this. The nobles almost refuse to use anything new. In their eyes, the more ancient objects are used, the more they can reflect the ancient heritage of a family. Some guys can't wait to hang the mummies of their ancestors from hundreds of years ago in the carriages to show off the purity of their noble bloodline..."

After a pause, she added: "It's that group of stubborn old guys who want to hold on to power all the time, and they are also afraid of change. That's why Luying is so much more backward than Marfa, and the gap is getting bigger and bigger."

Soren listened, his brow slightly raised, and chuckled.

At this time, the car drove past a street corner, the view suddenly widened, and a magnificent group of buildings appeared in the far distance.

Shabina pointed to the white city wall in the distance, with some sapphire blue spires emerging from the top of the building complex, and said: "That is the castle where the Bona royal family lives - Friedrich Palace."

Although Soren had heard of it, it was the first time he had seen it with his own eyes.

The building in front of him is indeed very beautiful.

Grand, magnificent, exquisite, sacred, majestic...

All the beautiful words that can describe royal buildings are not an exaggeration to use on it.

Thinking that in another month or so, he would have to go to the palace as "Fick" and receive the empress's betrothal blessing with that Miss Yekaterina, Soren suddenly became less interested in this building.

What's more, it is now certain that Outer God believers have infiltrated the royal family.

There is also an unknown Big Boss in this palace.

...

Not long after, the car drove all the way to Academy Street, and then saw the gate of Luying Royal Academy.

The Royal Academy does not prohibit outsiders from entering, provided you are a nobleman.

Shabina's car has the family crest of her "Count Demacula", and the vehicle went all the way unimpeded, driving to the academy's dormitory area.

This place is as beautiful as a garden, and the buildings are hidden in the lush trees. The luxurious two-story villas with wine-red roofs are the student dormitories.

Soren and Shabina got out of the car.

Although the explosive genius Jike is nominally his disciple, in fact, the master and apprentice have not spent much time together.

Moreover, since the farewell in Blizzard City, Soren has never contacted him again.

So he didn't know anything about Jike's current situation.

The two strolled along the tree-lined road, and Soren talked about his experience of accepting Jike as his disciple.

After listening, Shabina also sighed: "Master, you took in a disciple before, but I haven't heard you mention it. As your maid and information officer, I feel very derelict in my duty."

Soren smiled and didn't care, and said: "It was also a coincidence that I accepted Jike as a disciple before. His experience is also quite tragic. His father was killed by his stepmother, and his family was ruined. I don't want him to be implicated by my troubles again..."

This is also what he deliberately didn't say.

At that time, his own situation was not good either. He was being hunted down by the Regardie family, and he also caused a lot of commotion in the North Sea.

It is not necessarily a good thing for Jike to have such a teacher.

So he has been letting him develop on his own.

Now that he has the conditions, and he happens to be coming to the Royal Academy to find notes, he naturally wants to come and see him.

...

Soren only heard that Jike had successfully entered his dream Royal Academy, but he didn't know any other information.

Calculating the time, he should be a second-year student.

But the Luying Royal Academy is the largest alchemy academy in the entire empire, with more than 50,000 students.

Even the dormitory area is frighteningly large, and it is definitely not realistic to find him slowly.

Soren went directly to the dormitory administrator. When he asked, the administrator actually said that there was no student named "Jike James" in the second-year dormitory?

This was a big oolong.

Walking out of the dormitory area, Shabina looked at Soren's puzzled expression and asked, "Could it be that he enrolled a year late and is now a first-year student?"

Soren also found it strange, and analyzed: "It shouldn't be. Jike's level of alchemy knowledge at the time should be enough to pass the entrance examination of the Royal Academy."

Thinking about it, he also felt that Shabina was right. It was possible that some reason caused Jike to enroll late.

The two planned to go to the new students' dormitory area to ask.

The Royal Academy has a very good environment, full of singing birds and fragrant flowers everywhere.

Anyway, it was still early, so the two of them leisurely strolled around the campus.

Along the way, they encountered many students wearing Royal Academy uniforms. Each of them was in their prime, heroic and high-spirited, and their young faces were full of vigor.

Those who can study here are either rich or noble. No matter what their talent is, from the moment they are born, they are destined to be the future "big shots" of the Luying Empire.

Walking and walking, the two happened to meet several students with second-year marks on their school uniforms.

Thinking about it, Soren went straight up and asked, "Excuse me, students, have you heard of a second-year student named 'Jike James'? He should be from the Pharmacy Academy."

Unexpectedly, it was such a coincidence that these people actually knew about him.

"We are from the second-year Pharmacy Academy. We haven't heard of 'Jike James'..."

"Jike? Oh, my God! Could it be that madman who studies bombs? Hasn't that guy been expelled yet?"

"He seems to be our classmate, but...that guy hasn't been to class for a long time, right? I heard that after he blew up half of the laboratory last time, the academy didn't allow him to do such dangerous pharmaceutical experiments in the laboratory, let alone do experiments in the dormitory. I haven't seen him for a long time..."

"Oh, that guy is really a madman. It is estimated that he is the only guy in the history of our Royal Academy who has blown up the pharmacy laboratory three times. Last time, I don't know what dangerous thing he was tinkering with. The burning flame couldn't be extinguished, and it almost affected the entire experimental area. That deserved guy also blew off a few fingers..."

"When you say that, I seem to have a little impression. Is Jike the only guy in our class who got a perfect score on the dangerous pharmaceutical science assessment?"

"Yes, it's him, a poor guy from a tanner's family! I also heard that the academy won't let him pay for blowing up the teaching building, but he shamelessly refuses to drop out of school. Now he lives with the lowly gardeners and servants. It seems that he is still doing his dangerous experiments..."

"..."

Soren listened as everyone talked about their classmate with the labels of "mystery", "madness", and "terrorist".

He immediately confirmed that this Jike was his disciple, the bomb genius!

Shabina, who was beside him, looked strange as she listened to the descriptions in the mouths of those students. What a special disciple her master had recruited?

Because they said they were here to find Jike, Soren and the two were also despised by those little nobles.

Thinking that some poor relatives came to visit.

Soren didn't care.

Fortunately, he has now received definite news. He breathed a sigh of relief and muttered to himself: "So he lives in the service area. No wonder I couldn't find him in the dormitory."

Jike is just the child of a merchant family, so naturally he is not in the eyes of these little nobles.

Although they are all students of the Royal Academy, there is also a chain of contempt.

That is, noble students are superior to those commoner students who rely on their own efforts to get in.

After all, no matter how excellent a commoner student is, the best job they can find after graduation is to work for the major companies controlled by the nobles.

This class separation has continued for thousands of years in Lyndon and is almost impossible to break.

...

Now that they knew the direction, Soren and the two followed the signs, left the dormitory area, and walked around the dormitory area to the secluded lakeside behind.

Although the Royal Academy's park-like campus is scenic, it also requires a large number of servants and handymen to take care of it.

Next to the lakeside planted with many water lilies, there are several low buildings, which is the academy's service area.

Soren looked at the few old small buildings and guessed where Jike should be at a glance.

One of the small buildings had obvious scorch marks and was out of place with the surrounding houses.

The two walked over, but before they got close, they saw a strange green flame suddenly窜窜ing from the house.

The servants living next door seemed to be used to it. They ran out when they heard the noise and were about to put out the fire.

"Quickly fetch water! That guy Jike has set the house on fire again!"

"Don't use water! He said green flames can't be put out with water. Wait for the fire to burn out by itself!"

"Oh, my God, I hope Jike doesn't burn himself."

"..."

Soren listened to the servants' conversation, his eyes full of black lines.

Thick smoke, green fire, the movement is not too big.

At this moment, a guy wearing a gas mask ran out of the house in a hurry.

As he ran, he cheered: "Hahaha...I succeeded! My white phosphorus bomb formula experiment was finally successful!"

The servants next door seemed to have a good relationship with Jike. They poured cold water on him earnestly.

"Hey, Jike, you have to be careful. If you make such a big commotion again, the academy will really kick you out."

"That's right, be more low-key. Look at the smoke you've made. The whole academy can probably see it now."

"..."

Hearing this, the young man wearing a gas mask bowed repeatedly and apologized to everyone: "I'm sorry, everyone, there was a problem with the ventilation equipment, which caused trouble for everyone. I will pay more attention next time."

As he spoke, he lifted his gas mask, revealing his excited face.

But upon closer inspection, his half of his face had obvious burn scars. This made his otherwise handsome and sunny young man look a bit hideous and terrifying.

But Soren could still recognize that the intact half of his face was that of his disciple, Jike.

Jike also seemed to notice the two outsiders who had been watching by the lake for a while.

A black-skirted lady with an extraordinary temperament and a gentleman wearing a hat.

He wondered why anyone would come to the service area. He didn't want to pay attention and was about to plunge into his still-smoking laboratory.

But suddenly, Jike recalled for a moment and instinctively felt that the smiling gentleman's face looked familiar.

He woke up suddenly, recognized the person, and shouted excitedly: "Teacher?!"

Soren smiled and nodded from afar, "Jike, long time no see."

...

Finding that he had not mistaken the person, Jike ran over excitedly.

As soon as they met, he respectfully gave a teacher-student salute: "Teacher! It really is you!"

He had not forgotten that if it were not for his teacher's appreciation, he would have died in Blizzard City in the Northern Lands. Without his teacher's guidance, it would have been impossible for him to successfully enter the Royal Academy.

This was the most important person in his life after his father was killed by that poisonous woman.

After Blizzard City, there was no news of him. He didn't expect to see him again in the academy!

Oh, it's like a dream!

After saluting, Jike looked at the beautiful lady with a wide-brimmed hat who was intimately hooking his arm, and guessed: "Teacher...is this the teacher's wife?"

No matter who it was, since she was an elder, he naturally had to salute.

As he spoke, he also bowed to Shabina as he would to an elder.

"This..."

Soren smiled and didn't know how to introduce Shabina.

It was okay to call her that, but it wasn't quite accurate.

Shabina understood immediately and cleverly resolved this awkward moment. She praised Jike with a beautiful, smiling gaze: "How sweet."

She seemed quite happy to hear this title, but immediately changed the subject and said: "But I'm not your 'teacher's wife'. I'm your teacher's good friend."

Jike seemed to understand, but he also said respectfully, "Hello, Madam."

Shabina smiled and nodded, then took out a golden pocket watch that she had prepared long ago, and said, "This is a gift for you."

Soren's disciple, although I'm not his teacher's wife, I'm also a very close elder.

For the first meeting, etiquette is still essential.

As she spoke, she also said a blessing, "As an excellent alchemist, I hope you can accurately grasp every moment of your life in the future."

"Ah...this..."

Jike looked at the pocket watch and recognized at a glance that it was of great value.

This hand-made pocket watch from "Wandafi Clock Shop" is one of the most beloved luxury brands of nobles. Each one is worth at least hundreds of thousands of Lisos.

This lady just gave it away?

Although he knew that this was a gift from an elder, it was too precious!

Even when his family was at its richest, his father had never worn such an expensive pocket watch.

Jike looked a little flattered and looked at Soren for help.

Soren didn't expect Shabina to be so attentive and even prepared a meeting gift for his disciple. He smiled and said, "Accept it."

Jike heard this and dared to accept it, saying with a complicated tone, "Thank you, Madam."

...

When Jike reached out to take the pocket watch, Soren also saw that there was something wrong with his left hand hidden.

It was blown off, leaving only two finger stumps.

He asked, "Jike, were your hand and face injured in a laboratory accident?"

Jike was a little embarrassed that his teacher saw his predicament, and replied: "Yes, Teacher. Before, because I was not familiar with the experiment, I miscalculated some reaction data of the new materials, and then it caused an explosion..."

Having heard some gossip from Jike's classmates before, Soren also knew that his disciple was not in a good situation in the academy.

However, he didn't say much, just glanced at it lightly and said, "It's not a big problem. I still have some [Activating Silver] in my hand. I'll make a mechanical prosthesis for you later, which won't affect your future life. As for the burns on your face, this can be solved with [Advanced Cell Activation Potion], it's not a big problem either."

Jike was stunned when he heard this, and complex emotions flashed in his eyes: gratitude, joy, and surprise.

But after a moment, he was relieved. Since his teacher's friend could casually give away a meeting gift worth hundreds of thousands, the problem of his broken limbs, which he felt helpless to recover, was naturally not a big problem in his teacher's eyes.

In the end, he only said one sentence: "Thank you, Teacher."

Although Jike still doesn't know where his teacher came from, from the moment they met, Soren gave him a strong sense of trust.

After meeting, Jike remembered something and asked, "By the way, Teacher, why did you come to the Royal Academy?"

Soren said directly: "I have something to do at the academy. I came to see how you are doing."

As he spoke, he thought of what those students had said before and asked with concern: "Before, I met some of your classmates and heard that you haven't been to class for a long time recently. Did you encounter anything? Also, why are you living here?"

Although he knew that the Royal Academy was not friendly to commoner students.

But since he had taken this disciple, he naturally didn't want to see him being treated unfairly.

Hearing the question, a trace of embarrassment could not be concealed in Jike's expression, and he stammered: "Teacher, I..."

No matter how he looked at it, he, as a disciple, had ended up like this, which made his teacher lose face.

But Jike still mustered up the courage and explained: "In the first year of enrollment, I had already learned the four-year courses of the academy. Explosives is a very unpopular branch in pharmaceutics. Luying's mechanical military industry is backward, and the corresponding subject is also very unpopular. In the academy, explosives is not valued by the academy at all. So this semester, I have been mostly checking information in the library and then doing experiments..."

Soren heard the helplessness in Jike's tone and did not speak.

He also knew that this was the truth.

Pharmaceutics is indeed one of the basic subjects in alchemy.

But explosives is indeed unpopular.

Traditional alchemists' impression of gunpowder is still stuck on bullets and cannons. Naturally, they look down on this low-level alchemy product. Especially in the Luying Royal Academy, a traditional alchemy holy land, it is even less valued.

Jike looked embarrassed again and continued: "As for why I live here...it's because...it's because I caused several explosions in the laboratory before, which had a great impact on the academy, and the losses were also very large. Then it was also inconvenient to do some dangerous experiments in the dormitory, so I moved here..."

Soren listened silently, his brow furrowed slightly.

What his disciple said was the truth, but he lightly brushed over some situations.

This is a noble academy, and commoner students will definitely be ostracized by their classmates.

Especially students without money.

Soren looked at Jike's gas mask, which was so old that it was about to rot, and he couldn't bear to replace it, so he knew that his situation was dire.

He directly stated Jike's difficulties and asked, "Have you spent all your family's savings?"

Jike felt very embarrassed, but finally nodded: "Yes. Although the academy's materials are very cheap, the explosives formula experiment requires a lot of materials and equipment. I have spent all the savings from my father's sale of fur before his death..."

His tone was very self-blaming, as if it was because of his squandering that he had caused such an embarrassing situation.

But looking at his teacher's calm and concerned expression, Jike finally said the grievances in his heart that he had never told anyone: "I don't want to give up. Because the academy has Luying's best library, the cheapest material supply, the best experimental equipment... Once I drop out of school, there will be no chance for all of this again. So... so... I live here. Although it's not very good, at least I can continue to stay in the academy..."

In a word, he has no money.

The Royal Academy has top-notch educational resources that no other alchemy academy in the Luying Empire can compare with.

Although it is full of ridicule and cold eyes, Jike's love for alchemy makes him unwilling to give up this only path of study.

So he can only shamelessly stay in the academy, even if he lives with the servants that his classmates look down on, he doesn't care.

Hearing these words,

A flash of crystal light flashed in Shabina's beautiful eyes.

Soren's expression didn't change much. After listening, he just said lightly: "Let the past be the past. Since I'm here, you can concentrate on studying the explosives that you like. As for everything else, I've got it."

Hearing this sonorous "I've got it", Jike was struck by lightning and stood there dumbfounded, "I...I..."

After a moment, as if the clouds had cleared and the sun had risen, the haze in his eyes suddenly dissipated, and the light gradually rose.

From the first day he stepped into the Royal Academy, he had never felt so excited as he did now.

That was the warmth and confidence that Jike, who had been alone since his father's death, had never felt before.

He finally realized that he had a powerful teacher as his backing!

Soren didn't say much, and said lightly: "Tidy up the laboratory, let's go shopping in the academy."

Hearing this, Jike's slightly hideous face after the burn showed a very serious expression, "Okay!"

...

Not long after, Jike tidied up his laboratory.

He followed Soren and Shabina, strolling on the campus.

After chatting a few words, Soren also found that his disciple was indeed living a very aggrieved life.

Studying alchemists is very expensive, which is even more evident in the "pharmaceutics" subject.

And the most expensive is the pharmaceutical apprentice.

Every qualified pharmacist must be piled up with a huge amount of materials.

This could have been barely supported by Jike's originally wealthy merchant family. But his father died, and the family no longer had a sustainable source of income. A large number of experimental consumables have exhausted all the savings.

So now in the academy, he can only scrape together various things, earn credits, and do hard labor to get some rewards. He even has to pick up the scraps and discarded materials discarded by other students in the laboratory to support his experiments.

Even eating now has to put down his dignity.

However, he didn't feel bitter, because the firm belief in his heart has always been adhered to.

Soren listened to those experiences, and the taste in his heart was slightly mixed.

Jike has a tragic life experience, but these hardships have now become the increasingly tenacious qualities in him, gradually exuding an excellent light.

Soren thinks this is a good thing.

He didn't say much on this topic, and instead asked: "By the way, Jike, what were you studying before? I mean the green flame..."

As soon as he talked about the experiment, Jike's eyes lit up immediately.

He excitedly introduced his achievements: "Oh! Teacher, that is a special combustion-supporting formula used by ancient dwarves for forging, called [White Phosphorus Combustion-Supporting Agent]. This is an ancient formula that I found in the library, and I finally deciphered it. But because it is an ancient formula, many materials are missing, and then I want to try to change it and create the [Phosphide Immortal Bullet]. It's the kind of bomb that can't be put out no matter what, until it burns the target completely..."

Speaking of this, his eyes were only full of enthusiasm for explosives, "Teacher, my preliminary experiment has been successful! As long as there are enough materials for the experiment, I will soon be able to manufacture that kind of finished bomb!"

Hearing this, Soren nodded and did not hesitate to praise him: "You have done very well."

"Really?"

Jike seemed to be getting affirmation from others for the first time, and his face turned red with excitement, "Teacher also thinks my research is very good?"

"Yes."

Soren affirmed again: "Explosives is a subject with unlimited potential. It is not inferior to any subject in alchemy."

Speaking of this, he looked at Jike's eager eyes and encouraged: "Keep up the good work. When your dream comes true, you will definitely be like a bright star in the night sky, and this world will see your most dazzling light."

"Yes! Yes!"

Jike seemed to be greatly encouraged, and tears glistened in his excited eyes: "I know...I know! Even if the whole world doesn't understand, Teacher, you will definitely understand my ideas!"

This sentence is like walking alone in the dark and suddenly seeing a guiding light!

That kind of excitement is hard to describe.

Once in Blizzard City, it was because of Soren's encouragement that he strengthened his career path to become a [Gunpowder Master] in the future, instead of becoming a dentist or a lawyer.

He excitedly shared his career plans: "Teacher, you know, many people look down on [Gunpowder Master] professionals and explosives. They think that it can only be used in low-level alchemy formulas in the low-level professional field. But in fact, they are wrong! Their understanding of human explosion is too narrow! We can't limit explosion to explosives. Some special energy release processes can also be called explosion, such as the energy release of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes...and when some substances change their state, there will also be a terrifying energy explosion phenomenon! That is also the direction I have been researching. Even those people don't know that, theoretically, as long as a few hundred kilograms of special explosives can blow up the entire Lyndon! That level of explosion...is the most perfect art in my heart!"

"..."

When Soren heard Jike describe those scenes, he suddenly felt...very familiar.

Explosion is art?

In the end, geniuses are all fanatics.