Ultimate Alchemy
Helos was certain she wasn’t mistaken.
Even after living in this world for ten years, those perfectly straight strokes instantly awakened memories deep within her mind.
When she opened to the first page and saw an incredibly familiar portrait, she slammed the book shut with a bang.
Was it… just an illusion?
The girl blinked, then carefully opened it again.
When the Ciallo~(∠·w<)~* printed with the goddess’s face appeared before her eyes once more, the folds of her brain seemed to suddenly smooth out.
But this time, there was an extra line of handwriting below:
【If you’re reading this sentence, it means you’ve already seen it — Goddess.】
【This is the second Ability I left you, but if you didn’t notice it… just pretend I never gave it to you.】
“?”
Helos stared blankly at the words, a huge question mark forming above her head.
So, when she reincarnated into this world, she actually had a cheat?
Then all the hardships she endured these past years—what were they for?
【Consider it because you have a strong endurance.】
Suddenly, another line of text appeared in the book.
Damn you, goddess!!!
【Aha~ Took you this long to find this book? I shoved it into your cradle ten years ago, you know~】
…You mean this book was right beside me the moment I was born?
【Exactly.】
Helos took a deep breath, veins bulging on her forehead.
Now she suddenly understood why this book had appeared in her father’s Forbidden Book Room.
You—
The girl’s molars ground together with a crunch, curses accumulated from past lives rolling in her throat.
But she forcefully swallowed the second half of the curse.
【Uh, though the process was a bit twisted, at least the outcome is good~】
The text continued appearing on the page, 【Don’t move, I’m about to grant you this Ability now.】
A blinding golden light suddenly exploded, countless runes pouring out from the book.
Helos instinctively tried to let go, but found a whirlpool forming between her palm and the pages.
The entire chamber distorted and twisted in the intense light, the floating words diving into her temples like living creatures—
The girl felt a burst of blinding white light before her eyes as endless unfamiliar knowledge flooded her mind like a torrent.
Her temples throbbed violently, as if thousands of silver needles were twisting inside her skull.
Helos’ knees buckled, and she collapsed forward like a marionette with cut strings.
“Miss Helos!”
Julius dashed forward, arms snapping out to catch the limp girl.
Her body was lighter than expected, silver hair spilling over his arms like a piece of dulled silk.
The strange book slipped from her fingers, falling to the floor with a sharp “clap,” its golden light extinguishing in an instant and dispersing into dust.
But the boy paid no mind—he scooped Helos into his arms, holding her horizontally.
Her forehead burned hot, long eyelashes trembling constantly, faint murmurs slipping from her lips.
Julius gritted his teeth and shoved open the hidden door leading to the corridor with his shoulder.
The dragging sound echoed clearly in the empty hallway.
Panting, sweat dripping from his chin onto Helos’ clothes, Julius kicked open the door to Helos’ Workshop at full speed.
Sunlight poured through the windows, shining on a few crude wooden crates.
Julius carefully set her down, his fingers accidentally brushing her neck—her pulse racing at an abnormal speed.
Cold sweat slid down the boy’s back, soaking the shirt beneath his uniform.
“So… what do we do now…?”
The boy muttered to himself, unconsciously clutching the hem of his clothes, the fabric bunching tightly in his palm.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over him, and a low, authoritative voice spoke from behind:
“Let me.”
At the sound, Julius shuddered.
He spun around abruptly, his knee banging hard against the edge of a crate.
Backlit by sunlight, the figure of Duke Olivias—Eisende Olivia—stood behind him like a drawn sword.
Sunlight illuminated his golden hair, and his blue eyes, identical to Eleanor’s, glowed coldly.
“D-Duke… I…”
Julius’ words caught in his throat as the duke raised his long hand, silencing him before he could explain.
Eisende stepped forward silently, his boots making no sound on the floor.
As the duke approached Helos, the air suddenly rippled like water.
Julius widened his eyes—it wasn’t an illusion. A nearly transparent Magic Barrier formed around Eisende, flowing like mist in moonlight, faintly glowing.
Eisende bent down, extending a finger to gently touch Helos’ brow, a soft light flickering at his fingertip.
In that moment, Julius seemed to see countless tiny runes flowing between them.
After confirming his daughter was alright, Eisende withdrew his hand.
As he pulled back, the glow on the barrier flared wildly for a moment, then quickly returned to calm.
His gaze shifted to Julius, making the boy instinctively straighten his back.
The duke’s eyes scanned him like a scalpel, examining his uniform, his sword, finally resting on the slightly crooked Holy Knight Squire Emblem pinned to his chest.
The duke’s brows lifted just slightly—the man known in the magic world for his cold ruthlessness now showed a flash of a complex expression Julius couldn’t decipher.
Eisende scrutinized the boy before him as if verifying something incredible. “Is your body feeling any discomfort?”
Julius swallowed hard.
“N-No.”
The duke’s gaze lingered on Julius for several seconds before he suddenly lifted a hand to cup his chin.
The workshop fell into a brief silence, only Helos’ faint breathing remaining.
Finally, the duke just shook his head lightly and turned toward the door:
“This time… I will not pursue the matter of your trespassing into the Forbidden Book Room.
“I hope you fulfill your duties properly and do not disgrace your teacher.”
“Your Grace!”
Julius stepped forward half a pace, his voice ringing clearly through the empty workshop, “Miss Helos… will she be alright?”
Eisende stopped in his tracks.
He did not turn around, but Julius saw his fingers twitch slightly at his side.
“You care for her?”
The duke’s voice was colder than the hardest winter ice.
The boy clenched his fists tightly. “She is your daughter after all, but why do you…”
“No reason.”
Eisende slightly tilted his head; shadows obscured his face, making it hard for the boy to read his expression.
“Because from the moment she was born, I never had any expectations for this child.”
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