Chapter 70: You Did Well

Korova led the two sisters to a relatively quiet corridor outside the infirmary.

Outside the window lay the tranquil afternoon academy garden, a world away from the clamor of the arena and the tension of the medical room just moments ago.

“You performed well, Ophelia,” Korova said, turning around and tilting her head back to look up at Ophelia, who was significantly taller. She wore a beaming smile. “Clean, decisive, and excellent control. You didn’t cause any unnecessary serious injuries. That Horn… even without the forbidden drug, his strength is top-tier among the third-years. Your ability to resolve it so quickly proves that I, the Student Council President, didn’t choose the wrong person.”

Ophelia gave a slight nod in response, but her gaze fell upon the stuffed rabbit in Korova’s arms, as if the doll were far more interesting than the Headmistress’s praise.

Korova didn’t mind. She shifted her gaze toward Camilla, her emerald eyes curving into crescents, though a glimmer of inquiry flickered deep within them.

“However… while I was clearing the stage, I found some… very interesting things, in addition to the traces of Frost and battle aura.” She spoke slowly, her fingers unconsciously pinching the rabbit doll’s ears. “A few very minute, unknown alchemical components, and a tiny bit of… well, magic residue belonging to a slime. Though it was deliberately concealed, it couldn’t escape my eyes.”

Korova leaned in a little closer, lowering her voice with curiosity. “Camilla, you did it, right? When Horn was about to collapse, you used some method to deliver something into his body that neutralized the Black Bone medicine, preventing the drug from burning away the rest of his life.”

Camilla’s heart skipped a beat.

‘Indeed, she found out… After all, the Headmistress is a 9th Tier Summoner with incredibly sharp perception.’

For a moment, she even worried whether her identity as a succubus would be seen through.

“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Camilla hesitated. Should she admit it? If she did, how would she explain the source of the medicine and her own sharp judgment? If she didn’t, the Headmistress had clearly already made up her mind.

Ophelia also turned to look at Camilla, her ice-blue eyes filled with inquiry, but there was no suspicion — only concern.

Finally, Camilla nodded and whispered, “It… it was me. I couldn’t just watch him burn himself to death. That kind of forbidden drug is too dangerous.”

“Holy cow! It really was you!”

Korova clutched her rabbit and jumped back several steps in surprise. She then looked Camilla up and down as if she were observing a rare, exotic beast.

The two sides stared at each other awkwardly. A few seconds later, Camilla said with a dark expression, “You played me?”

“I suppose so… My bunny found a bit of pink substance similar to slime residue on the stage, so when I saw you, I thought I’d tease you a bit. I didn’t expect — I really didn’t expect it to actually be your doing! Well done! Well done!”

Korova began to clap, her face showing unshielded admiration.

“Protecting a classmate’s life, taking decisive action at the critical moment, and using such subtle and ingenious methods — this is exactly how a student of my Mystra Academy should act. You’re much better than those idiots who only know how to fight and act tough, or even abuse forbidden drugs!”

“Um, thank you for the praise, Headmistress. It was only what I should have done…” Camilla responded with a smile, but it looked more strained than a crying face.

Ophelia looked thoughtful and patted Camilla’s shoulder. “As expected of my sister.”

“But that neutralizing agent… its formula is quite obscure. It’s definitely not the common stuff found in the academy library. Can you tell me where you learned it? Or which alchemist gave you the potion?” Korova asked curiously.

Here it comes… Camilla’s scalp felt a bit numb. She had long anticipated this question. She steadied herself and tried to make her expression look natural.

“It… it was taught to me by an old alchemist in my hometown. His name was… Aminos. Yes, Aminos. My health wasn’t very good when I was a child, and while he was preparing medicine for me, he would occasionally tell me about obscure alchemical knowledge, including the characteristics of certain forbidden drugs and how to deal with them. This time, seeing Senior Horn’s condition was very similar to the symptoms he described, I tried to mix a bit of a soothing agent using the method he taught me!”

“Aminos?” Korova repeated the name, a thoughtful look flashing in her emerald eyes. “That’s a name I’ve never heard before… To be able to teach a student with your insight and skill, he must be a hidden master. I’d really like to meet him if there’s ever a chance.”

She seemed to mention it only in passing and didn’t pry further, which allowed Camilla to breathe a secret sigh of relief.

On the side, Ophelia had a subtle expression.

‘My sister’s alchemy? As an older sister who grew up in the same house as Camilla, I know perfectly well that most of her alchemy knowledge was self-taught from books and trial and error. When did an “old alchemist from our hometown” suddenly pop up?’

‘The only regular professional in our entire village is our father. The old grandpa next door can make a few types of herbal medicine, but when it comes to alchemy, ten of him wouldn’t even equal Emma.’

However, seeing Camilla’s slightly nervous eyes, Ophelia chose to remain silent. Her sister had secrets, she knew that. As long as those secrets didn’t hurt Camilla, she wouldn’t press her.

“In that case…” Korova nodded, no longer asking about the mysterious alchemist. Instead, she rubbed her hands together enthusiastically. “Um, Camilla, do you have any more of that soothing agent? Or would it be convenient to reveal the recipe? Although the academy has standard methods for dealing with energy riots, ones as precise and fast-acting against Black Bone medicine as yours are quite rare. I’d like to keep some on hand, just in case! We can discuss a fair price!”

Camilla hadn’t expected the Headmistress to ask for it directly. After a moment of hesitation, she pulled a small glass bottle from her satchel. It still contained about one-third of a pale gold, viscous liquid.

“The recipe… that teacher didn’t permit me to share it. However, I still have some of the finished product. Its main effect is to temporarily calm the berserk energy and buy time for treatment. It cannot completely detoxify or repair the damage. Follow-up formal treatment is still necessary.”

“That’s enough, that’s enough!”

Korova happily took the small bottle as if she were receiving a piece of candy and held it up to the light. “Good stuff! I’ll use this bottle as a sample. Later, I’ll have Bernard… oh, speaking of Bernard.”

The moment she spoke, hurried footsteps echoed from the other end of the corridor. Professor Bernard came jogging over, his face looking rather grim, clutching several recording sheets in his hand.

“Teacher!” he called out anxiously. “That boy has woken up, so I quickly asked him where the bottle of Black Bone medicine came from. He said he bought that strengthening potion three days ago at an anonymous stall in the black market on the outskirts of the academy. The seller claimed it was the latest military stimulant and absolutely safe. Because he was desperate to prove himself in this challenge, he…”

“The black market? An anonymous stall?” The smile on Korova’s face faded, and her emerald eyes narrowed slightly. “What a coincidence. Keep investigating on your end. Have Flora follow up on Horn’s treatment and subsequent analysis. I want the most detailed report possible on the specific ingredients of that potion.”

“Yes.” Bernard nodded and jogged away.

“Keep it up~”

After waving goodbye to her student, Korova turned around. Holding the rabbit doll in one hand and the bottle of pale gold medicine in the other, she gave Ophelia and Camilla a brilliant smile.

“There shouldn’t be anything else for us here. Let’s go. I’ll take you to my precious collection room to pick out gifts. This is the compensation I promised, and I won’t go back on my word.”