After a day of rest, Celia’s fever finally subsided.
Celia now sat on a lounge chair, holding a glass of her favorite soda with ice cubes clinking inside.
Thinking back to yesterday—when she had clung to Elent, sobbing about being afraid of loneliness because of her fever—she felt like she’d reached a low point in her life.
To wash away last night’s weak impression, Celia decided to restore her dignity starting today.
Her plan was simple: she would order the Hero around with an air of authority.
“Elent.” Celia did her best to lower her voice, making it sound as imposing as possible.
“What do you need, Miss Priest?”
“Go get me another chunk of ice. A big one. These little shards don’t have enough punch.”
“Understood!”
Elent turned and dashed toward the Alchemical Freezer.
Watching the boy’s busy figure, Celia felt quite satisfied.
Very good. As long as she kept up this aloof posture, the fragile image from yesterday would soon be forgotten.
After Elent brought back the ice, he didn’t leave. Instead, he stood there, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
“Is there something you want?”
“Um, Miss Priest, the FUFU you kept calling for yesterday… who exactly is that?”
It had come at last.
Admit it was a stuffed toy?
Absolutely not.
If the Hero found out that she relied on plush toys in private, what little dignity she had left would collapse completely.
She had to make something up.
“FUFU, huh…”
Celia spoke in the tone of someone recalling an old comrade.
“He used to be a good partner of mine.”
“A partner?”
“That’s right. He’s silent and stoic, covered in muscle. No matter what danger I faced, just holding him made me feel incomparably safe.”
That wasn’t exactly a lie, since FUFU really didn’t talk, the stuffing was certainly firm, and hugging it really did feel secure.
Who could refuse a cute FUFU plushie?
But to Elent’s ears, this sounded completely different.
Silent, muscular, comforting to embrace.
An image of a stern, burly man flashed through Elent’s mind.
So that’s the type Miss Priest likes?
“So where is he now? Is he stronger than me?”
“He’s ten thousand times stronger than you. As for where he is, he was left in the past.”
Left in that world called Earth.
Elent fell silent.
A vanished, mighty muscleman that Miss Priest still remembered so fondly.
That was simply an unbeatable rival.
But…
“I’ll do my best. Someday, I’ll be stronger than that guy called FUFU, and make you feel even safer!”
Suddenly, Elent clenched his fists, eyes burning with determination.
“Huh?”
Just as Celia was about to ask what nonsense the kid was imagining this time, a spatial ripple swept out from the direction of the Church’s main hall, followed by a suffocating sense of oppression.
Celia had only ever felt this sensation from one person.
“Strong?”
An old, hoarse voice echoed through the courtyard.
“Just you? A brat who can’t even stand firm in the basic sword stance?”
The glass in Celia’s hand slipped to the ground and shattered.
“T-Teacher?!”
An elderly man in a bishop’s robe stepped forward.
Theoretical titan of the Church, former Inquisition mentor, and Celia’s strict instructor—Bishop Kosuren.
“So it seems these two or three months of exile have been quite pleasant for you.”
Celia shot up from the lounge chair and immediately knelt on the ground.
Kosuren strode up to Celia, looking down at his pupil.
“Not only have you learned to spill precious alchemical potions on the floor, but you’ve also learned to brag to random men.”
Kosuren sneered.
“Teacher, I was wrong!” Celia dared not lift her head.
Dignity or whatever—let it all go to hell at this moment.
Off to the side, Elent was stunned.
The powerful, mysterious, always unflappable Miss Priest was now trembling like a student caught misbehaving.
“Who are you?” Elent, though shocked, couldn’t help but reach for his sword when he saw an outsider bullying Celia.
“Stop, idiot!”
Celia’s glare immediately stopped Elent’s suicidal impulse.
“This is my teacher, Bishop Kosuren!”
Kosuren paid Elent no mind, instead turning his gaze to the kitchen cabinet.
It was the Alchemical Freezer Celia had spent a fortune on.
But in Kosuren’s eyes, it was just evidence of a crime.
“Celia.”
Kosuren’s voice sounded as usual, but the chill within made Celia shudder.
“Explain. Why did you buy such a useless metal box?”
Celia’s mind spun rapidly.
Tell the truth? That she bought it just to drink iced cola?
If she said that, her teacher would definitely hang her up and beat her, and the freezer would be confiscated for sure.
No way!
“It’s… it’s laboratory equipment!”
“Laboratory equipment?” Kosuren narrowed his eyes.
“That’s right!” Celia pointed at the freezer and rattled off, “Teacher, you once said Saint Celery exhibits different effects in extreme cold. This is special alchemical equipment I had made to study Saint Celery at low temperatures!”
“Extreme cold?” Kosuren raised an eyebrow. Clearly, Celia’s words had piqued his interest.
“Then what was that black liquid you were drinking? It gives off a dark aura. Celia, have you fallen to researching black magic?”
Killing intent.
Murderous intent from Kosuren locked onto Celia.
If she couldn’t answer well, this really could turn into a cleansing of the sect.
“I’m innocent, Teacher!”
Celia pulled out another unopened bottle of her beloved soda, raising it high above her head like she was offering a sacred sacrifice.
“This isn’t a black magic potion! It’s a concoction I’ve worked hard to develop—the Thunder Holy Elixir!”
“Thunder Holy Elixir?”
“That’s right! Drinking this potion refreshes the mind, dispels fatigue, and grants a temporary affinity for lightning!”
Celia spoke with such righteousness she nearly convinced herself.
Kosuren stared at the bottle’s bubbling contents, and did indeed sense traces of lightning element within.
“If I find out you’re lying, you know the consequences.”
Kosuren picked up the soda and took a sip. The moment it touched his tongue, countless bubbles exploded across his palate, and a cool, tingling sensation raced down his throat, shooting straight to his mind.
Kosuren’s eyes went wide.
“Th-this!”
Such a sensation, such a soul-cleansing shock—this was a total revolution in alchemy!
“Hic—”
Kosuren clapped a hand over his mouth, but a long caramel-scented belch still escaped.
“……”
The courtyard fell into silence.
“Stimulating the brain with lightning elements, then supplementing energy with sugar—it’s crude, but effective.”
Kosuren looked at his kneeling pupil, his tone suddenly complicated.
“Celia, you really are a genius.”
“Lazy and unruly, but your talent never declines.”
Celia slumped weakly to the ground, letting out a long sigh of relief.
Crisis averted.
“Thank you for the praise, Teacher.”
“So since you’ve passed inspection, does that mean…”
That you’ll leave now?
“No. The concept behind this potion is remarkable, but it’s still unfinished.”
“Since you’ve achieved this much, as your teacher, how could I possibly look the other way?”
Kosuren showed a kindly smile.
But in Celia’s eyes, that “kindly” smile was no different from a devil’s.
“I’ve decided to stay and personally guide you until you perfect this Thunder Holy Elixir.”
“From now on, except for eating and sleeping, you’re not allowed to stop experimenting.”
“…Ah?”
oh dear.