Merlin walked out with a satisfied look on his face. Finally, he could ask for what he wanted most—to go on a date with Linda.

It had been four years since their last date, and the distance between them had made another one impossible.

Merlin was confident that even without mentioning her promise, Linda would likely agree—though with a bit of drama and persuasion.

Still, he preferred to use her promise to avoid any fuss.

"All right, let's go to the alchemy department. I need to meet Tharvis and give him this recipe immediately," he muttered.

Without hesitation, he walked downstairs and headed toward the alchemy department.

…

"Hah… failed again. So frustrating!"

Inside the alchemy room, a tall fifteen-year-old boy muttered irritably.

He stared at the alchemy tube in front of him, which was bubbling bright red—a clear sign that his experiment had completely failed.

The ingredients he had used were expensive, and he felt guilty wasting them.

"I hope Master Leona doesn't scold me," he muttered with a wry smile.

He tidied his messy desk and then began recording the results of his experiments for the day.

Despite the failure, he had gained a lot of knowledge from the experiment. At least, it wasn't a complete waste.

"By the way… I just remembered something. Four days ago, the new students were supposed to arrive," he whispered, surprised. "Could it be… that Young Master Merlin is already at the academy?"

Because of the appearance of the Sky Wing Crack, the academy had entered a period of closure.

The new students who were meant to enroll two years ago had to wait until this year to finally enter—joining both the previous generation and this year's newcomers.

"It looks like I'll have to go ask the master about this," he muttered.

He had been holed up in this room for five days, completely unaware of the happenings outside.

Tharvis decided to take a shower first to freshen up. Once he was done, he changed his clothes and stepped out.

The alchemy department wasn't very crowded, as few students had a true talent for alchemy.

Moreover, most of his peers and seniors had long since graduated.

With nowhere else to go, he had chosen to stay at the academy to hone his skills and push his alchemy knowledge to the peak.

Just then, a thirteen-year-old girl came running toward him, her face flushed and showing clear signs of exhaustion.

"Senior, you're finally out! I have news for you," she said breathlessly.

"News? What is it, Nina?" he asked.

The girl, Nina, straightened up and replied earnestly, "There's a new student named Merlin Clay. He's come here to meet you."

Tharvis froze in surprise. He patted the girl on the shoulder and commanded, "Take me to him!"

Nina nodded immediately and led him to where Merlin was waiting.

***

Merlin waited calmly in a special room prepared for guests.

A cup of tea and some snacks sat on the table in front of him.

He sipped his tea, observing the room with curiosity.

"The alchemy department is really something," he muttered.

Even the waiting room carried an alchemy theme.

A large tube stood at the end of the room, with several smaller tubes neatly arranged on a nearby table.

Alchemists' cloaks hung in order, and the air carried a faint medicinal scent, as if deliberately sprayed.

Footsteps echoed from the door. Merlin turned to see a tall teenager with a strikingly handsome face walking in.

"Young Master Merlin! It really is you!" Tharvis exclaimed joyfully.

Merlin smiled, stood, and opened his arms.

They embraced, letting out years of long-suppressed longing.

Tharvis had grown taller than Merlin remembered, though he was still a few inches shorter than Merlin, who was already much bigger than other children his age.

After releasing their embrace, they looked at each other and smiled.

"You're much taller now, young master—even taller than me," Tharvis remarked.

He remembered Merlin being barely shoulder-height.

Who would have thought that in just four years, the boy would surpass him?

"Pfft! You too, Tharvis. Look at you—healthy and fit. If I hadn't seen you four years ago with my own eyes, I'd have doubted you were the same person," Merlin joked.

Tharvis couldn't help but laugh. "Thanks for the compliment, Young Master. Please, have a seat first."

Merlin nodded and sat back down, while Tharvis took the sofa across from him.

They began with light conversation, asking each other how they'd been.

Merlin shared stories of his journey, and Tharvis did the same.

Gradually, they caught up and understood each other's situations until finally, they reached the main topic.

"By the way, why did you come looking for me, young master?" Tharvis asked curiously, taking a sip of his tea.

It wasn't that he wasn't happy to see Merlin—he knew himself well enough.

The boy in front of him wouldn't come without a clear purpose.

Merlin wasn't surprised by Tharvis's sharp mind. On the contrary, it would have been strange if he were still as naive as he had been four years ago.

"I'll get straight to the point. You know about the Blackpox epidemic, right?" Merlin's expression turned serious.

"The Blackpox epidemic?" Tharvis froze for a moment. His expression darkened as he nodded slowly. "Of course I know about it. It's a major problem among alchemists. Even now, there's no affordable and effective remedy."

He let out a deep sigh and shook his head slightly.

One of his goals had been to create a potion that anyone could afford.

He didn't want poor or ordinary people dying simply because of the epidemic.

After all, he came from a lower-class background and knew how prohibitively expensive the potions on the market were.

Then, he suddenly realized something and looked at Merlin in confusion.

"Why are you asking that, young master? Don't tell me…"

A bold guess flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it.

'That… that's impossible, isn't it?'

Just as the denial formed in his thoughts, Merlin pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to him.

"Read this. I'm sure it will surprise you."

Thump!

Tharvis's heart raced. He stared at the paper, breathing heavily.

'No… it can't be. But… what if it's true?'

He swallowed hard, struggling to keep his panic and nerves in check.

Finally, he took the paper and began to read its contents.

In that instant, his mind went blank, as if every thought had been ripped away in a single moment.

"This… this is really the formula!"

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