NOVPUB
Chapter 214: Officially an Alchemist
They emerged from the room under the watchful eyes of many onlookers. The three grandmaster alchemists had been inside the room for over three days, and this was the first time they had come out. Following them were a young man and a young woman, leaving the crowd wondering about their identities.
The three grandmasters appeared to be escorting them as they made their way to the upper floor. Those who had previously seen Aldrian buying a beginner’s book felt as though they were dreaming. Who was this young man, that even the grandmasters of the association would personally escort him?
Many people murmured among themselves, speculating about what had happened and questioning Aldrian’s identity to warrant the privilege of meeting with the three grandmasters of the Association. Ignoring the chatter, Aldrian and the others continued walking toward the topmost floor of the building. As Aldrian ascended, he observed the various sections on each floor, noticing that the higher floors held increasingly valuable items.
Upon reaching the highest floor, Aldrian sensed the sparse presence of people, likely only those closely associated with the three grandmasters. He was then led to a luxurious room typically reserved for receiving VIP guests. Aldrian and Eleine took seats opposite the three grandmasters. Moments later, a variety of snacks and drinks were served before their conversation began.
"So, Aldrian, as I mentioned, I will grant you the 10-star badge, which you can wear as soon as you leave this room. Regarding the official documents to register you as an alchemist of the association, leave that to me. All I need is your name, which you’ve already provided. As for the rest, you can verify it with this. Of course, this is just a formality—if you’d prefer not to, I’ll handle it myself," Marco said, taking out the Orb of Origin, which had a similar function to the one used by the Forgeheart Imperial Family.
Aldrian glanced at the orb for a moment before letting out a bitter smile.
"I’d rather not use the Orb of Origin, Senior," he said. "Let’s just say I have... special circumstances when it comes to anything that measures aspects of myself."
The three grandmasters wore puzzled expressions, but before they could respond, Eleine spoke up, her voice tinged with concern.
"My younger brother has unique circumstances with any artifact that attempts to measure him. If you don’t want the Orb of Origin to be destroyed, I suggest you refrain from checking him with it." 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝖕𝖚𝖇.𝖈𝔬𝔪
Now, the three elders were genuinely curious about Aldrian’s circumstances. Could he truly destroy this modified Orb of Origin, which could even assess the age and potential of Emperor-stage cultivators?
"If you’re curious about what might happen, I’ll entertain you, but don’t blame me if the Orb of Origin gets destroyed, Seniors." Aldrian said.
After a moment of contemplation, their curiosity got the better of them, and they decided to proceed with checking Aldrian. The mystery surrounding him was too tempting to ignore.
"If that’s the case, then there’s no need to worry about a destroyed item. We can simply order another from the Forgeheart Kingdom," Marco said confidently.
Such was one of their personality as grandmaster alchemists—their curiosity knew no bounds. And, as had been experienced by everyone who attempted to measure Aldrian, the moment the Orb of Origin was used, a blinding golden light filled the room, followed by the orb’s complete destruction. The three grandmasters could only stare in shock at the remnants of the artifact.
They were stunned, experiencing something they had never encountered before. Their eyes shifted between the shattered Orb of Origin and Aldrian, struggling to process what had just happened. From their perspective, even the Orb of Origin was unable to measure his talent or potential.
And then, the revelation hit them—Aldrian was at the peak of the Earl stage at just 15 years old?! The sheer absurdity of it left them on the verge of fainting. Even the most celebrated genius in the empire, the first prince—who was said to have started cultivating at the age of 12—had only reached the Low Baron stage at the same age.
Had Aldrian been cultivating since he was in his mother’s womb? As they thought about his origin, they almost wanted to facepalm in frustration. In their excitement, they had completely forgotten to ask about his parents or family.
"My parents left me and my elder sister when I was a child, so I don’t really know much about my origin," Aldrian said when they asked.
The grandmasters accepted his answer without question. His elder sister showed no reaction either, so they decided to leave it at that.
After the process and a brief hour of conversation, the three grandmasters finally handed Aldrian the 10-star badge and the official robes of the Alchemist Association. Aldrian gladly accepted them, and not long after, he and Eleine excused themselves and left the Association. Once the two had been gone for some time, the three grandmasters exchanged looks.
"What a peculiar young man. Today has truly been a shocking day. First, I felt a disturbance in one of the concoction rooms, and then to think there was something like the 6-stripe pills... it still baffles me. What do you think?" Marco asked the other two.
"True, he’s truly a greatest genius of all time. There’s no doubt about that. Also, that golden light that shone from the Orb of Origin is something I’ve never felt in my life," Aberin said.
"Same here. I’ve never met someone like Aldrian. He seems mysterious, and he can’t be grasped by common sense," Maria added. "However, regarding his origin, I think he was lying to us."
Marco and Aberin nodded in agreement, both sharing Maria’s suspicion about Aldrian’s origin.
"I think he’s trying to hide his origin by concealing his parents’ identity. The most noticeable thing for me is his ’elder sister.’ Even though she tried to hide it, I can sense an aura from the Rivas family on her," Marco said.
"True. So, does that mean he has some connection to the Rivas family?" Aberin asked, pondering the idea.
"If he’s somehow related to them, the status of the Rivas family that already soaring high, will rise even higher, like a phoenix. I think even the imperial family will be alarmed by this," Maria offered her opinion. In the end, all of this was just their speculation, with no concrete proof.
"Anyway, the Association Master is visiting the imperial palace, right? Why is he meeting with the imperial family at this time?" Aberin asked.
"I don’t know, but it seems he’s been visiting the imperial palace more often recently," Marco said.
While the three elders continued talking among themselves, Aldrian and Eleine were already outside the headquarters. The people who saw them could only watch with curious gazes, but none dared approach them directly. Someone capable of attracting the attention of the three grandmasters was not someone they could casually approach or offend.
In the middle of their walk, Eleine spoke to Aldrian through voice transmission.
"Your operation was a success, young master. Now, what are you going to do next?"
"I’ll stay here for a while. It wouldn’t be wise to rush telling them about the traitors. Not only would it raise suspicion, but it could also alert the traitors. We still don’t know who the traitors are. Even if we do find out, we can’t just kill them, especially if they’re high-ranking members of the Association. We need proof to justify our actions," Aldrian answered.
"Do you also suspect the three grandmasters?" Eleine asked again.
"Of course. As long as there’s no definite proof, they’re included on my list of suspects. Even if they seem innocent on the outside, we still don’t know their full activities."
They continued walking until they finally returned to the Diamond Inn. They hadn’t expected to be away for three days, but they were still glad that Aldrian’s objective had been achieved.
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Inside the imperial palace hallway of the Doria empire, an alchemist in a robe walked alongside a young man dressed in the imperial family’s attire. The alchemist wore a 10-star badge on his chest, his face like a wise old man. As for the young man, his handsome and sharp features drew the attention of anyone who saw him, his elegant attire only adding to his charisma. At that moment, they seemed to be engaged in conversation.
"I feel bad for you, having to come to the palace, teacher. You don’t have to come here; I should be the one visiting the Association," the young man said.
"No, your highness, it’s I who wanted to meet you. I know you’ve been busy after returning from the frontline, so you don’t need to tire yourself by coming to the Association," the old man replied.
"Sigh, you’re right, teacher. This war is truly bizarre. We don’t know what those devil bastards are thinking. They seemed to be winning, but then suddenly retreated without achieving anything. And then there’s the mysterious person who can face so many devils and liberate towns under their control in the Rivas Grand Duchy. Many things have happened recently, and there’s also the problem of spies in our ranks. We’re truly in a bind right now."
The old man nodded in understanding.
"What a chaotic situation, your highness. I guess that’s why the first prince still hasn’t returned, even after the devils retreated. His majesty seems to have assigned the first prince another task to ensure there are no problems."
