Chapter 128: Taking the Teacher Home

Mackey began to tremble all over. Just moments ago, after he had launched that fireball, he had been wondering who had restrained him. The overwhelming pressure had left him unable to summon even the slightest thought of resistance. Thus, despite having suffered such a humiliating loss, he had not dared curse the person who had attacked him, for anyone bold enough to act so recklessly against him within the Alchemy Guild was certainly no ordinary person.

Now he finally understood. Not only was that person no ordinary man—he had very likely been the Guildmaster himself.

“Did the Guildmaster hear everything I said and see everything I did just now?”

At the thought, Mackey began to tremble even more violently.

At that moment, Deacon Gisford waved his hand, and several employees of the Alchemy Guild approached Mackey. Without saying a word, they removed the spatial ring from his finger. It was a piece of equipment issued by the Alchemy Guild to every deacon. Since Mackey had been stripped of his position, the ring naturally had to be reclaimed. They then seized him and dragged him toward the exit.

“I—I want to see the Guildmaster! Deacon Gisford, I want to explain everything to him. I swear that from now on I’ll devote myself wholeheartedly to serving the Alchemy Guild…”

Mackey suddenly clutched tightly at Gisford’s robes and began babbling hysterically. Over the years, he had used his authority as a deacon to obtain countless benefits, while offending just as many people. He could already imagine what sort of revenge they would take against him once his downfall became known.

Deacon Gisford cast Mackey a look of disgust. Over the years, Mackey had thrown his weight around within the Alchemy Guild. Though the two of them were both deacons, Mackey had the Vice Guildmaster supporting him and had always ordered Gisford about at will. With no influential backing of his own, Gisford had been forced to swallow his resentment. Seeing Mackey in such a state now, he could not help feeling immensely satisfied.

“Save your breath. The Guildmaster left long ago. He doesn’t have time to see you. Take him away!”

The employees of the Alchemy Guild had long since grown to hate Mackey as well. At Gisford’s command, they dragged him out like a dead dog.

Meanwhile, a tempest was raging within Roland.

“The Guildmaster… Was it really the Guildmaster who acted just now, immobilizing that fireball and preventing my alchemical array from being destroyed? Was he the legendary Thomas, the man renowned for centuries throughout Porter Academy, the one who entered the Mithius Temple, held high positions in both the Holy Church of Light and the Alchemy Guild, and was himself a necromancer?”

As Roland thought of the man’s dazzling titles one after another, excitement rose in his heart. He and that legendary figure had just been standing so close to each other—and it was even possible that Thomas himself had intervened to save his alchemical array from destruction.

“Strange…”

Ever since returning from the Maya Mountains, Roland had been cultivating as a martial artist, an alchemist, and a practitioner of spatial energy. Since Kuss could offer him little assistance in any of those fields, he had spent most of his time inside the White Stone, and his communication with Roland had become far less frequent. Now, however, his voice suddenly sounded in Roland’s mind.

“What is it, Uncle Kuss?” Roland asked in confusion.

“That fellow who helped you just now is very strange. His cultivation may not be particularly high, but there’s an uncanny aura about him!” Kuss murmured.

“Uncanny…”

If that man truly was the Guildmaster of the Alchemy Guild, Roland would not have been overly surprised by anything unusual about him. After all, he was Thomas.

Nearby, Teacher Monroe and Simoni were sighing with emotion as well. Although Simoni was the son of Vice Guildmaster Cervantes and had visited the Alchemy Guild many times, he had never once seen the elusive Guildmaster. Upon hearing that the man had already left the guild, he could not help feeling somewhat disappointed.

But then he slapped Roland hard on the shoulder and laughed. “You little rascal, who would have thought your alchemy would have advanced so much? You actually refined three five-star high-grade potions in one go!”

Teacher Monroe’s eyes shone with brilliance. She was even more impressed by her student’s remarkable achievement in refining those high-grade potions.

Afterward, Deacon Gisford once again apologized to Roland and the other two on behalf of the Alchemy Guild, then persuaded the surrounding spectators to disperse. Seeing that the guild had dealt with Mackey fairly enough, everyone’s anger finally subsided, and they returned to their respective places to queue.

It turned out that the queue in the center of the Alchemy Guild’s main hall was for registering for the Alchemy Tournament, while the area on the right was for purchasing advanced alchemical materials. After chatting with Deacon Gisford for a few more moments, Roland and the others joined the lines for both places. They registered in turn and purchased the advanced materials they needed.

What left Roland somewhat frustrated was that the purchase of six-star alchemical materials was subject to restrictions. At most, one could buy only three portions per week. For someone urgently seeking to improve his potion alchemy, this was no more than a drop in the bucket. As a result, he looked forward even more eagerly to the Alchemy Tournament six months later. If he could win a respectable ranking there, the rewards of advanced materials would be substantial.

Once they had finished taking care of everything, their visit to the Alchemy Guild came to an end. Simoni bid them farewell and happily returned to the Cervantes Alchemy Shop. He was eager to tell his father the wonderful news that he had become a member of the Alchemy Guild.

“Roland, thank you. Without you, I could never have become a member of the Alchemy Guild this time, and I would have had no chance to participate in the Alchemy Tournament. This was a wish I made when I first became an alchemist. If I missed this tournament, then at my age I would have no opportunity left afterward!”

As soon as they stepped out of the hall, Teacher Monroe turned to Roland and gazed at him gratefully with her beautiful eyes.

“Teacher, there’s no need to be so polite with your student,” Roland said with an embarrassed scratch of his head and a sheepish grin.

He had only been able to help her because his potion alchemy had already reached the level of a six-star low-grade alchemist. Otherwise, there would have been nothing he could do.

Hearing this, Monroe’s face blossomed into a radiant smile.

“All right, then. I’ll remember it in my heart. Come, let’s return to the academy together.”

“Teacher, I’m sorry, but I need to visit the Chuen Church to see my parents and younger brother. I’m afraid I can’t go back with you.”

Since his family lived at the Chuen Church in the imperial capital, Roland visited them there whenever he came to the city.

“The Chuen Church? Isn’t that a healing church? Why would they be living there?” Monroe asked, somewhat puzzled.

Roland then told her about his younger brother Little Hawke’s crippled leg. Unexpectedly, after hearing the story, Teacher Monroe insisted on accompanying him to the Chuen Church to see his brother.

“Thank you, Teacher,” Roland said gratefully, touched by her concern for his younger brother.

“Roland, there’s no need to be so polite with your teacher!”

Monroe deliberately mimicked his tone from earlier, and the two of them looked at each other before bursting into laughter.

They said little along the way. When Roland and Monroe arrived at the Chuen Church, Gejir had just seen Roland enter with a young woman of astonishing beauty at his side. He froze for a moment, then quickly recovered and greeted them cheerfully.

“Roland, is this one of your classmates from the academy? Come in, come in!”

Although Teacher Monroe was considerably older than Roland, she had taken excellent care of herself and looked no more than a young woman in her twenties. No wonder Gejir had mistaken her for one of Roland’s classmates.

“Er… Father, this is our teacher, Monroe.”

Seeing Monroe’s flushed face, Roland hurriedly explained.

“I’m sorry, Teacher Monroe. Please, come in.”

Gejir gave an embarrassed smile and ushered Monroe into the room.

When Isha saw that they had a guest, she quickly rose and invited Monroe to sit down.

“Roland, is this Little Hawke? He’s adorable!”

Seeing the frail boy seated in a wheelchair, Monroe asked the question as she took out the many delicious fruits she had bought along the way.

“Wow, so many delicious things! Thank you, beautiful big sister!”

Little Hawke’s large eyes lit up at the sight of the mound of fruit before him.

Being called “big sister” filled Monroe with delight. Although she looked very young, she was actually no longer young, and she yearned intensely for youth. First Gejir had mistaken her for Roland’s classmate, and now Little Hawke was calling her “big sister.” She was thoroughly pleased.

“You all chat for a while. I’ll go prepare dinner.”

After exchanging a few words with them, Isha smiled and headed toward the kitchen.

“Aunt Isha, let me help you cook.”

Although Monroe was Roland’s teacher, she lowered herself by a generation and addressed Isha as “aunt.”

Isha politely declined at first, but when she saw that Monroe insisted on helping, she allowed her to come along.

As Monroe and Isha entered the kitchen, the usually taciturn Gejir quietly approached Roland. He pointed toward the kitchen and whispered, “Roland, I think Teacher Monroe is excellent. She may be a few years older than you, but she’s outstanding in every way—her appearance, figure, and bearing. Besides, women a few years older know how to care for a man. You’ve got very good taste!”

As he spoke, Gejir gave Roland a hearty thumbs-up.