A dull explosion sounded from inside the door, followed by the crash of shattering glass and a burst of panicked screams.
Immediately after, the classroom door was blasted open by a wave of air mixed with green smoke, thick clouds billowing out!
“Cough, cough, cough!”
Lilian choked and staggered back two steps, not yet recovered when Camilla grabbed her and pulled her behind.
“Get back!”
Camilla’s voice suddenly turned stern. She traced a gesture in front of her with one hand, and a pale blue water screen instantly unfolded, blocking the onrushing smoke and flying shards.
Instant-cast Water Screen?
Lilian was secretly startled. This kind of response speed and spell control definitely wasn’t something a first-year slacker should have.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, thank you for protecting me.”
As the smoke gradually dispersed, Lilian saw the scene inside the classroom through the shimmering water curtain.
The only word to describe it was “disaster.”
The once neatly arranged lab benches were toppled, various colored potions flowing and mixing, painting bizarre abstract art across the floor. Shards of beakers and test tubes were everywhere, some still bubbling or emitting strange fumes. The air reeked of the burnt remains of multiple potion ingredients.
The Alchemy professor—a normally meticulous elderly scholar with graying hair—was now scrambling out from behind a fallen lab bench, his face smeared black and white, glasses askew, and part of his beard singed. He was coughing violently.
And Emma…
The flaxen-haired commoner girl sat on the floor some distance from the explosion’s center. She didn’t seem injured, but was clearly badly shaken.
“Miss Emma!”
Camilla immediately dismissed the water screen and rushed in first. She knelt by Emma’s side, gently patting her cheek.
“Wake up! Miss Emma! Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“C-Camilla…?”
Emma’s gaze finally focused. Recognizing who was speaking, she seemed to find her anchor, her tense nerves instantly relaxing as her eyes turned red.
“I… I’m fine… it’s just… suddenly…”
She rambled incoherently, clearly not fully recovered from the shock. Clinging tightly to Camilla, her body trembled uncontrollably.
Lilian followed Camilla into the wrecked classroom. After scanning the surroundings, she stammered out a question.
“What happened? Emma, Professor Bernard, are you two alright?”
Her voice succeeded in drawing everyone’s attention.
Professor Bernard finally straightened his glasses. Upon seeing Lilian, he revealed an embarrassed and apologetic smile.
“Your Highness Lilian? You… Ah, what a disgrace, there was a small mishap during the experiment…”
A small mishap? You call this a small mishap? Were you making alchemical bombs in here?!
Lilian’s mouth twitched uncontrollably, but she quickly composed her expression, maintaining a gentle and caring demeanor.
“As long as everyone’s alright, that’s what matters…”
She soothed them softly, then turned to Professor Bernard, who was still coughing, her tone perfectly blending concern and curiosity.
“Professor, what potion were you trying to make just now? Why did… such a big reaction occur?”
Professor Bernard tidied his scorched beard and sighed.
“Ah, we were trying to improve a Basic Mana Enhancement Potion formula. The traditional recipe is safe, but mediocre in effect and with low absorption. Emma suggested a promising improvement, and we adjusted the ratios of several auxiliary ingredients…”
He pointed to a puddle of mixed ice-blue and silvery-white residue on the floor.
“In theory, the idea was sound, but we may have underestimated the conflicts between different ingredients… and then…”
The old professor shook his head, full of regret and self-blame.
“It was my fault for not fully considering the chain reactions possible with material substitutions.”
“No, Professor, it was my recklessness…”
Emma finally let go of Camilla, wiping her eyes, her voice still choked.
“I insisted on trying that ratio…”
Camilla, who had been listening quietly, suddenly crouched down, dipped a finger into the not-yet-dried potion mixture on the floor, brought it to her nose, and sniffed. Then she spoke.
“The idea to use Ice Crystal Flower instead of Frost Grass wasn’t wrong. The issue wasn’t a chain reaction.”
“Hmm?”
Professor Bernard and Emma looked at her together.
“The problem was with the choice of Mana Carrier.”
Camilla stood up and casually picked up a small bottle of pale golden powder from a material rack that had managed to remain standing.
“You still used Dawn Flower Pollen as the Mana Carrier, right?”
“Yes, Dawn Flower Pollen is stable and has the best compatibility…”
“For most formulas, yes.”
Camilla interrupted Emma, shaking the bottle in her hand.
“But the wavelength of Cold Effect Mana released by Ice Crystal Flower differs subtly in Phase Difference from the Dawn Attribute Mana that Dawn Flower Pollen carries. In a high-temperature, high-pressure catalyzed environment, this causes intense Interference Oscillation, ultimately causing the mana structure to collapse.”
She glanced around at the devastation.
“Simply put, the formula’s concept wasn’t the problem—it was like using the wrong vehicle to transport goods, so the cargo started fighting and exploded en route.”
What’s this person even talking about?
Rimuru, lying in the satchel, was full of question marks, unable to understand a word his master was saying, but Professor Bernard’s eyes lit up, and he fell into deep thought.
“Phase Difference… Interference Oscillation… That’s it! How did I not realize this? Young lady, you’ve also researched Mana Spectrum in materials?”
“I know a little.”
Camilla modestly waved her hand.
“I saw a similar case in a… um, book.”
Lilian was inwardly shocked at this exchange. Mana Spectrum phase theory was high-level Alchemy, usually not covered until third year. To outsiders, this knowledge might as well be from another world.
Who is she really? Her understanding of alchemy was like that of a seasoned master guiding apprentices, yet her records showed she was of ordinary commoner birth… Had she been hiding her true abilities all along?
While Lilian’s thoughts raced, Camilla and Emma continued their discussion.
“Then… Camilla, do you have any suggestions?”
Emma asked with eager anticipation. After spending some time together, she had developed an almost blind trust in her friend’s abilities.
Camilla rested her chin, thinking for a moment. Her gaze swept over the material rack and settled on a small jar of silvery leaves.
“Try using Star Silver Leaf powder instead of Dawn Flower Pollen. Star Silver Leaf’s mana conduction is more neutral, so it fits and carries the Cold Effect Mana from Ice Crystal Flower better, preventing phase interference. Also, Star Silver Leaf itself has a slight mana conduction effect, which might further boost the potion’s absorption.”
“Star Silver Leaf?”
Professor Bernard hurried over to pick up the jar, checking the label carefully, then consulting his half-blown notebook, quickly doing calculations in his head.
“…Heavens! This is the optimal solution! How did I not think of this!”
He was so excited his beard trembled.
“Young lady! You’re a genius! This idea is simply brilliant!”
Emma also looked enlightened and full of admiration.
Camilla, on the other hand, didn’t seem to think she’d said anything remarkable. She glanced at the setting sun outside the window, patted her stomach, and muttered softly.
“The problem’s found, and the solution is here… So there’s nothing more for me here, right?”
Lilian keenly caught her muttering, thoughts spinning. She quickly stepped forward, face showing just the right mix of gratitude, awe, and a gentle request.
“Camilla, you’re amazing! You solved a problem that’s stumped Professor and Emma for so long… Um, if it’s not too much trouble, could you… spare a bit more time and check if there are any other potential issues in the new formula’s procedure? The explosion just now was truly frightening…”
Emma quickly looked at her with hopeful eyes.
“Yeah, Camilla, with your help, we’ll definitely have a smoother process!”
Professor Bernard nodded vigorously.
“Yes, yes! Young lady, help us see it through! And don’t worry, I’ll treat you to dinner for the time spent! Order anything you want from the third floor of the Academy dining hall!”
Camilla looked at the three pairs of expectant eyes, then remembered the professor’s promised meal. She hesitated, then finally sighed.
“…Alright, but let’s hurry. I’m really hungry.”