Lilian put down her water cup, folding her hands atop the table as her pale golden eyes fixed on Camilla, her expression growing more earnest.
“I’ve been trying to make a basic potion to enhance my summoned beast Xiao Yin’s physical potential lately. I’d like to ask for your help, Camilla. If you’re free this afternoon, could you… come by my Private Residence? I’ve already prepared the materials, and I have the Potion Formula framework. I just need you to help adjust a few details.”
After speaking, she quietly watched Camilla, waiting for her response.
Lilian’s intention was obvious—she was trying to win her over. Originally, she’d only seen Camilla as a stepping stone to get closer to Ophelia. But after spending time together, she was surprised to find that Camilla was a hidden genius herself.
So, what to do next was simple. Only children make choices; Lilian wanted it all! She would win over the elder sister and the younger sister as well. That was the healthy way.
Otherwise, she could never compare to her imperial brother.
Feeling the heat of Lilian’s gaze, Camilla didn’t answer immediately. She stabbed the last piece of potato in her stew and put it in her mouth, chewing slowly while her mind raced.
Hmm, this sounds like the alchemist storyline from the original… But why come to me? Well, my “sister” here is clueless about alchemy… Still, there’s plenty of materials… That actually sounds pretty good?
“Alright.”
Camilla replied, figuring she could use this chance to mooch some rare ingredients and brew a potion to boost Limulu’s potential.
Although she didn’t expect Limulu to get any amazing results in the upcoming practical tests, that didn’t stop her from wanting to raise her first summoned beast. After all, the little guy really did seem eager to grow stronger.
Besides, getting on good terms with the future Empress was never a bad thing—she’d be a huge ally later on. Since her “older sister” was dead set on walking the single path, Camilla would prepare a backup for her.
“That’s wonderful! My place is not far from the academy, about fifteen minutes by carriage.”
Lilian’s eyes lit up.
Ten minutes later, the three of them left the cafeteria. Camilla followed Lilian toward the academy’s main gate, while Emma parted ways with them to attend class at the Magic Tower.
Lilian didn’t try to make Emma stay; in her eyes, Emma was just an ordinary commoner student, not worth the effort to win over.
What surprised Camilla was that Lilian didn’t call for a public academy carriage. Instead, she walked directly to a black carriage parked not far from the school gate.
The carriage wasn’t lavish, but its craftsmanship was meticulous. On the side was a subtle crest—a simplified version of the Imperial Family Crest.
Two people stood beside the carriage, a man and a woman, both dressed in dark casual wear, standing straight with sharp eyes. As Lilian approached, they gave a slight bow.
“Your Highness.”
“These two are my guards, Lei and Shuang,” Lilian introduced simply. “They’ll escort us to my residence.”
At least fifth-tier.
Camilla sized up their strength internally, sneaking an extra glance at the woman named Shuang.
Hello, backstab big sister.
“Let’s go.”
Lilian didn’t notice Camilla’s strange look and was the first to board the carriage.
The interior was more spacious than it appeared from outside. The seats were covered with soft cushions, and a small table had fixed cup holders to prevent spills. In the corner was even a miniature cold-storage magic array with a few bottles of drinks inside.
The carriage set off smoothly. Through the window, Camilla watched as the academy gates faded into the distance and the buildings on both sides of the street slid by.
The streets of the magic city were very clean and crowded with pedestrians. Occasionally, patrol guards could be seen. Compared to yesterday, the patrols were noticeably more frequent today.
“The parliament’s actions last night really had an effect.”
Lilian followed her gaze outside.
“The atmosphere on the streets is totally different today.”
Camilla replied with a noncommittal “Mm,” not saying much.
The carriage crossed several main streets and entered a relatively quiet residential area. The buildings here were more refined, the courtyards larger—clearly the wealthy district. The headquarters of the Cain Merchant Guild was also nearby.
The carriage stopped in front of a three-story white stone building. The wrought iron gate swung open, revealing a garden with neatly trimmed shrubs and a few flowering trees. A stone path led up to the main house.
“This is my temporary residence in the magic city.”
Lilian got out and explained.
“Usually, only a few servants are here. Most of the time, I stay in the academy dormitory.”
Truly “temporary”—Camilla glanced at the corner of the garden, where two carriages, covered with dust sheets, had obviously not been moved in ages.
Inside, the décor was simple yet elegant. Lilian led Camilla straight to a room at the back of the first floor.
When she opened the door, Camilla raised an eyebrow.
It was a small Alchemical Laboratory. In the center stood a wide stone worktable, upon which were arrayed standard alchemical tools—crucibles, flasks, measuring cylinders, scales—all gleamingly clean. The shelves along the wall were lined with hundreds of glass bottles filled with powders, liquids, and crystalline materials of every color.
“The materials are here.”
Lilian walked to the worktable and took out a sheet of parchment from a drawer.
“And here’s the Potion Formula I put together.”
Camilla glanced over the parchment.
The formula’s concept was basically correct, but a few key steps were out of order. It would work, but not optimally.
“We can try, but I’ll need to see your summoned beast first, to understand its exact situation.”
“Of course.”
Lilian nodded and went to a door on the other side of the laboratory, gently pushing it open.
Beyond the door was a much larger room that looked like an indoor training ground. The floor was padded, a few training dummies stood against the wall, and in the center a creature was resting.
At first glance, Camilla understood why Lilian called it “Xiao Yin.”
It was a draconic beast about two meters long, with a slender body covered in silvery-white scales that gleamed with a gentle metallic luster under the room’s light. Its head was elegantly shaped, eyes pure amber, half-lidded and lazily watching the newcomers.
“Dragonblood Lineage.”
Camilla said quietly.
This was a rare beast in the game, possessing a trace of true dragon blood. While not the most powerful among beasts of its rank, its potential was great and its intelligence was high.
The Vivarana Empire had a Guardian Divine Dragon that had lived for thousands of years. Only emperors could form a contract with it, while other members of the imperial family could only contract with its offspring.
Xiao Yin was also one of the Guardian Divine Dragon’s offspring, but not pureblooded—a hybrid born from the Divine Dragon and another beast, just like its owner, not much favored.
At the sound of Camilla’s voice, Xiao Yin lifted its head and stared at her for a few seconds, then slowly stood and walked over gracefully.
Lilian reached out and stroked its head. The Dragonblood Lineage rumbled in its throat, sounding like a giant cat.
“Xiao Yin is very smart and understands most commands, but its growth has clearly slowed down over the past year. Its scales have dulled a bit. Professor Bernard said its bloodline potential may not be fully awakened.”
Camilla stepped closer to observe the beast carefully. Its scales were indeed less lustrous than in the records, and its size was slightly smaller than Dragonblood Lineages of the same age.
She reached out. The Dragonblood Lineage didn’t shy away, allowing her to touch the scales on its neck.
“Hmm, I have a rough idea of what the problem is.”
Even though she actually had no idea, with her grasp of the original plot, Camilla replied without hesitation.