“So, Camilla, what exactly did you pick?”
The next day in the academy cafeteria, Lilian and Emma flanked Camilla on either side, their eyes filled with curiosity.
“Hmph, it’s a secret~”
Camilla elongated her tone playfully, clutching her bag to her chest with an expression that clearly said she had no intention of telling them. Ever since returning from the dean’s collection room, she had maintained this mysterious attitude.
“Aw… tell us!”
In a rare display of courage, Emma reached out and gently tugged on Camilla’s sleeve, her large eyes blinking. Because she was leaning in so close, a clean scent of soap wafted into Camilla’s nose. Although her hairstyle looked a bit messy, Emma was actually quite fastidious about her personal hygiene.
“Yes, we’re all very curious,” Lilian added as she leaned in closer. Her long, water-blue hair fell over her shoulders, and her face held a gentle yet playful smile. As a princess, she always carried a faint scent — a mixture of expensive incense and fresh herbs that was both elegant and reassuring.
“The dean’s collection room must have many amazing things. What did you choose? A weapon? Armor? Or some rare materials?”
The two girls nearly had Camilla pinned between them. Emma even tried to mimic a description she had read in a novel once, clumsily shaking Camilla’s arm while whispering.
“Please… just tell us…”
Camilla found herself unable to withstand this rare display of pouting, especially since the usually gentle and dignified Lilian now wore a serious “I’m not leaving until you tell me” expression.
“…Fine, fine. I’ll show you.”
She sighed helplessly and carefully withdrew a flat object wrapped in dark velvet from her bag. Untying the cord and unfolding the cloth, she revealed several yellowed, ancient pages with frayed edges.
The material of the pages was neither parchment nor paper, possessing a strange texture. They were densely packed with illegible, bizarre characters that seemed to constantly twist and shift. Between the lines were complex geometric shapes and diagrams of transmutation circles.
“This is…”
Emma’s eyes widened instantly.
“A fragment of the Emerald Tablet? The legendary one?”
As a well-read future sage, she clearly recognized the item’s origin and could not help but cover her mouth with her hand.
“The Emerald Tablet?” Lilian’s expression also turned to one of surprise. “The one said to be written by the gods themselves and completed during the Age of Myth? The supreme scripture of alchemy? I heard the full text was lost long ago and only fragments remain… Camilla, you chose this?”
In the real world, the Emerald Tablet consisted of only a few cryptic maxims. However, in the land of Tarola, the Emerald Tablet was an ancient book recording the pinnacle of alchemy. It was composed of three volumes: Nigredo, Albedo, and Rubedo, symbolizing the three steps of refining the Philosopher’s Stone.
The origins of the evil alchemist organization, the Eye of Truth, were closely linked to the Nigredo volume. Their leader, The Immortal, had obtained an indestructible body through the forbidden arts contained within it.
Yet he remained unsatisfied, constantly attempting to collect all the fragments of the Emerald Tablet to refine the true “Philosopher’s Stone” and become the “God” of the new world.
Camilla nodded, carefully spreading the fragment on the table.
In the eyes of Lilian and Emma, those characters were as elusive as living creatures. Looking at them for too long even caused dizziness, as if they were staring directly at something they were not meant to see.
But Camilla could read the meaning clearly — in her eyes, those twisting characters were unmistakably neat, square characters. Moreover, they were in standard Chinese Regular Script.
**[Albedo Volume • Chapter Three: Refinement and Sublimation of the Essence of Life…]**
**[… Using a pure soul as a guide and harmonizing the extremes of the seven elements, one may touch the taboo of life creation…]**
Of course, she would not say this out loud. As for how Camilla discovered this… that went back to before the creation of the Cain Chamber of Commerce.
“Emma is right. It is a fragment of the Emerald Tablet.” Camilla pointed to a blurred sigil in the corner of the page. “Look here. Based on this mark, it should be part of the Albedo volume.”
“My goodness… this is so precious!”
Emma’s face flushed with excitement, though her eyes held a hint of confusion. “But Camilla, it’s said that the text on the Emerald Tablet exists in a ‘chaotic state’ with no fixed interpretation. Every alchemist sees a different revelation, and it’s incredibly difficult to decipher… Many alchemists in history spent their entire lives just to understand one or two formulas or theories from a few pages. If you chose this… do you intend to transfer to the Alchemy Department?”
Lilian also looked at Camilla, her pale gold eyes reflecting the same question. “As far as I know, the difficulty of deciphering the Emerald Tablet is extremely high. Even the master alchemists employed by the royal family can only make slow progress. Even though your knowledge of alchemy is vast, choosing this specifically as compensation… do you have some special plan?”
Camilla had prepared her excuse long ago. She gave an embarrassed smile and scratched her cheek.
“Actually… it’s mostly because alchemists make so much money! Think about it, if I can someday decipher one or two lost high-level formulas from this, wouldn’t I strike it rich?”
The reason sounded both practical and very much in line with Camilla’s style. Lilian and Emma exchanged a look, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
“Just… for the money?” Lilian couldn’t help but confirm.
“Yeah! Why else?” Camilla nodded vigorously, her gaze appearing very “sincere.”
Naturally, the real reason went far beyond that. The fact that she could read the Emerald Tablet meant she might possess the only complete set of ancient alchemy knowledge in this world. This knowledge was not just wealth; it was power, a trump card, and a potential means to deal with various future crises.
Especially now, she still carried the mysterious “contract” and the hidden danger of the silver markings left by Lilith. However, there was no need to mention any of that.
Lilian looked at Camilla’s “sincere” expression, remained silent for a few seconds, and then suddenly chuckled softly.
“Fine, since it’s your choice… However, if you really plan to delve deep into the study of the Emerald Tablet, I can provide some help with funding and resources. The royal family has several research projects and grant programs for ancient documents. I can help you apply.”
“Really? That would be great!” Camilla’s eyes lit up.
With Lilian, a princess, backing her, many things would be much more convenient. Furthermore, she truly did need resources to carry out her next steps.
“By the way, Lilian,” Camilla said, striking while the iron was hot. “There’s one more thing I’d like to ask. Can I use the academy’s alchemy lab? Ideally one that’s well-equipped. I want to try refining a potion.”
“Refining a potion?” Lilian was a bit surprised but quickly nodded. “Of course. The academy’s alchemy labs are open to students as long as they have a professor’s approval or a slip from the student council. I can write you a temporary permit right now. But… what kind of potion do you want to make?”
“Is it a formula taught by that Professor Aminos?” Emma asked, leaning in curiously.
The smile on Camilla’s face stiffened for a fraction of a second before returning to normal.
“Ah… yeah, something like that. It’s a potion to assist with meditation and stabilize mental energy. I feel like I might need it lately…”
She brushed past the question vaguely. ‘The real purpose of that potion,’ she thought, ‘is to try and suppress those increasingly obvious silver markings on my lower abdomen.’
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