Chapter 125

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Volume 1 + Chapter 125: Tea Cups

The female protagonist’s old habits are back, huh? Tch, typical!

Winnie, standing by and watching Aesphyra’s flirtatious demeanor, crossed his arms with a look of disdain and disgust on his face.

However, in the original story, Mirexia and Aesphyra were originally a pair, so it was somewhat understandable. The key issue was that this girl couldn’t resist clinging to any beautiful girl she saw, always trying to flirt with them.

Winnie couldn’t help but wonder what kind of upbringing had led to this kind of behavior.

Seeing that there was nothing for her to do here, as it was just a reunion between acquaintances, the senior student prepared to leave. But before she did, she gave Winnie a meaningful look.

Well, it couldn’t be helped. It seemed his reputation was indeed quite bad. It hadn’t been long since he made a fool of himself at that banquet, and his usual harassment of Mirexia was no secret. So, naturally, most students from the kingdom didn’t have a favorable impression of him, especially when he got close to Mirexia. Their first thought was that this guy was about to start another round of relentless pursuit of Princess Mirexia.

“Long time no see, Aesphyra,” Mirexia responded with a calm smile, nodding slightly towards Winnie.

Mirexia always maintained this unflappable demeanor. Perhaps it was because she had lost her mother at a young age and had been groomed early on to assist the king in state affairs, which had instilled in her a maturity beyond her years. Among her peers, she always seemed the most composed, making the previously love-struck Winnie look like a five-year-old in comparison.

Winnie found this normal and had grown accustomed to Mirexia’s nature. He knew she was someone who hated evil and was straightforward, always prioritizing her duties over personal feelings.

It was hard to imagine how the Aesphyra in the game had managed to win her over and make her fall in love. Honestly, after inheriting memories of Mirexia from this life and understanding her personality, he really didn’t think someone so career-driven and seemingly uninterested in romance could ever fall in love.

Not just falling in love, but even something as unlikely as grass growing on a rock.

Winnie found Mirexia’s work-centric lifestyle terrifying just to observe. If he had to live like that, he wouldn’t last a day. Yet Mirexia had been living this way since childhood and had grown accustomed to it.

Although he had no desire for such a life, it didn’t stop him from having a favorable impression of Mirexia. He didn’t want to become like her, but he couldn’t help but admire her. Regardless of morality, even a completely neutral person would prefer to be friends with someone as pure-hearted as Mirexia.

Of course, this favor wasn’t romantic in nature.

Winnie could tell that Mirexia only saw him as a friend and childhood companion. Even though this friend had once been immature and often caused her trouble, now that he had turned over a new leaf, he was still her friend.

Winnie also only saw Mirexia as a friend. Among the many female protagonists, Mirexia was one of the few he hoped to develop a deep friendship with.

Honestly, people with her personality were best suited for friendship.

Therefore, Winnie’s desire to win Mirexia’s favor and help her wasn’t solely about boosting his own reputation. He genuinely thought Mirexia was a good person and wanted to be her friend.

“Congratulations to both of you on successfully joining the student council,” Mirexia said, her gaze sweeping over the two, a faint smile on her lips. “Did you two plan to join the student council together?”

“President, you must be mistaken. How could I possibly have discussed this with her?” Winnie replied, glancing at Aesphyra and pursing his lips.

“Dear Mirexia, you only invited me, right? Everyone else must be extra,” Aesphyra said, ignoring Winnie and smiling sweetly at Mirexia.

“Tch, really think you’re something special, huh?” Winnie muttered under his breath, turning his gaze away.

“No, I invited both of you,” Mirexia said, not catching the underlying meaning in Aesphyra’s words.

“The midterm exams are approaching, and all students of Carillian Academy will be sent to hunt monsters as part of their evaluation. The student council’s current task is to ensure the students’ safety and allocate resources accordingly.”

“Since both of you have joined the student council, I hope you can help me brainstorm some ideas,” Mirexia added.

“Hunting monsters? Is it still in the same location as previous years, at Reiswyn?” Winnie asked.

“Yes, same as before. This year’s monster hunt will be led by the Church of Radiance.”

“Tch, why is it always them?” Winnie muttered. Honestly, unless absolutely necessary, he didn’t want to see those bishops with their dried orange peel-like faces.

Seeing them pretend to be friendly while clearly despising him was enough to shorten his lifespan by a few years.

“In that case, Mirexia dear, have you decided on the activity areas for each grade?” Aesphyra asked, adopting a serious expression.

“Not yet. We’re still testing the strength of the monsters in each area,” Mirexia replied. “This testing can’t have any errors, or it could lead to students facing monsters of mismatched strength, which would be dangerous.”

“That’s true, but Mirexia dear, relying solely on manual testing in Reiswyn isn’t very efficient or accurate, is it?” Aesphyra asked.

“True, but that’s always been the method for testing monster levels in each area. Due to the varying pollution levels in Reiswyn each year, the strength of the monsters that awaken there also varies greatly.”

“Exactly. Reiswyn generates monsters of corresponding strength based on the pollution level of the soil. And this so-called pollution is actually a curse cast by the Demon God Pillar on the Terraria land, a form of magic. So, we can roughly determine the strength of monsters in an area by measuring the magical energy in the soil,” Aesphyra explained.

It had to be said, when it came to serious work, Aesphyra’s attitude and competence were impeccable.

“That’s true, but the issue of how to measure the strength of the magical curse in the soil has never been resolved,” Mirexia responded.

“Well, I might be able to help with that,” Aesphyra said with a smile. “If there were a potion that could be dropped on the soil and change color based on the magical energy within, wouldn’t that be much more convenient?”

“Is there such a magical potion? I mean, I’ve never heard of it,” Mirexia said, both surprised and skeptical.

“Well, I learned about this potion from a damaged ancient tome. I’ve tested it many times myself, and it’s very effective. It might be useful for this midterm exam, Mirexia dear.”

“An ancient tome?!” Mirexia was filled with astonishment. If a renowned alchemist had said this, she might have believed it, but Aesphyra was too young.

It wasn’t that Mirexia didn’t trust her friend, but she couldn’t gamble with the safety of so many students.

Even if Aesphyra had indeed stumbled upon an ancient alchemical tome in the wild, given her limited experience with alchemy, could she really perfectly recreate the potion from the damaged tome?

“Of course, Mirexia dear, you can test it. And I’m not saying this potion can completely replace manual testing. It should be used in conjunction with manual testing, reducing the number of manual tests and cross-verifying the results,” Aesphyra explained.

“I see. If it can indeed be useful, it would be a great help, Aesphyra.”

“Then, Aesphyra, does this ancient recipe need to be kept secret?” Mirexia’s meaning was clear. She would keep it confidential for Aesphyra, as such knowledge in the wrong hands could lead to trouble for her.

After all, one can’t guard against thieves forever.

“In that case, could you publicly attribute this to the academy’s own research, Mirexia dear?” Aesphyra asked with a smile. “Afterward, I’ll contribute this alchemical recipe to the academy as a gift, but please keep me anonymous. Just say it was submitted by an unknown student.”

As the saying goes, it’s not the thief at the door you should fear, but the one who’s been watching you all along.

Aesphyra had no intention of profiting from this recipe.

Winnie was stunned.

Either he was too narrow-minded, or he was just used to being poor.

Whether Aesphyra had come up with this recipe or found it in an ancient tome, a unique alchemical recipe licensed to a renowned alchemy workshop could make someone incredibly wealthy.

And Aesphyra just gave it away?

Was she really that carefree with money?

This suggested that Aesphyra’s wealth was so vast that she didn’t care about such things. Perhaps she knew many lost alchemical recipes, and with her talent, she might have even created many improved versions herself. This one might be the least useful.

Winnie swallowed hard, staring at Aesphyra.

He felt he had underestimated the protagonist’s true worth.

The things that fell from the protagonist’s hands were mountains that ordinary people could never hope to climb.

“I understand, Aesphyra. Thank you for everything you’re doing for the academy. I’ll handle it accordingly,” Mirexia said, knowing Aesphyra wanted to avoid trouble. Her admiration for Aesphyra soared.

Such selfless dedication to the students’ safety, indifferent to fame and fortune, was something Mirexia deeply respected.

Damn.

Winnie was dumbfounded.

To win a smile from Mirexia, she had just given away an ancient alchemical recipe for free?

Aesphyra, you…

With such grand gestures, it’s no wonder you have a harem.

Who could possibly compete with her in terms of extravagance?

The conversation between Aesphyra and Mirexia continued. Originally, Mirexia had only intended for Winnie and Aesphyra to come and learn, but Aesphyra’s expertise was so high that Mirexia found herself discussing many ideas with her, seeking improvements.

When experts converse, mere mortals can’t intervene.

Winnie could only remain silent, acting as a bystander.

One was a regressed individual with memories of a past life, and the other was a princess who had been managing state affairs since childhood. For an ordinary person like Winnie to try and keep up with their conversation was asking too much.

He felt that even uttering a single punctuation mark and interrupting them would be doing Mirexia a disservice.

Sensing Winnie’s awkwardness, Mirexia naturally couldn’t ignore it. To make him feel included, she encouraged him to speak up, asking him simple questions and giving him thoughtful feedback.

However, whenever he spoke, Aesphyra couldn’t help but chuckle. Of course, it was a kind-hearted laugh, full of goodwill, like a mischievous little fairy.

But Winnie knew that the kindness was only because Mirexia was present. This girl was definitely doing it on purpose!

Aesphyra, is this your way of getting back at me?

Winnie felt he must have owed Aesphyra something in a past life, otherwise why would he always end up looking foolish around her?

Tch, if only Aesphyra didn’t have such high virtue, he’d definitely teach her a lesson, the infamous playboy of the capital!

After finishing their work, the three sat down for tea.

Winnie looked at the exquisite white porcelain tea set in the student council. Just by the material, he could tell it was a luxury he could never afford in his lifetime. The intricate carvings on the set seemed to have hollowed-out crystalline patterns that shimmered faintly under the crystal chandelier.

“President, is this tea set enchanted?” Winnie asked curiously.

“Yes, the student council’s tea set is enchanted. The patterns on the cups can emit a glow,” Mirexia replied.

“Wow, that’s impressive! Can it glow? Can we see it?” Winnie examined the white porcelain cup with golden patterns in his hand.

“Huh.” Hearing Winnie’s question, Aesphyra couldn’t help but chuckle again.

What now, Aesphyra? What are you laughing at this time?

Everything I do makes you laugh. I’ve had enough of you, you know?

“Aesphyra, can you tell me what you’re laughing at?” Winnie really wanted to say, “What the hell are you laughing at?” but with Mirexia present, he held back, only thinking it in his mind.

“Winnie, if the patterns on your cup start glowing, you should be careful,” Aesphyra said with a smile.

“What do you mean?” Winnie was confused.

“Do you think the enchantment on this tea set is just for decoration?” Aesphyra asked, resting her chin on her hand.

“If the patterns on your cup light up, it only means one thing, someone has tampered with your drink.”

“You mean…”

“The patterns on these cups aren’t just for show. They’re designed to detect if the drink contains any alchemical substances.”

With that, Winnie understood. These cups were meant to prevent poisoning. After all, there was no need to guard against harmless alchemical substances, so naturally, they were meant to detect poison.

“Although this technology isn’t perfect yet, it can detect most alchemical substances, including almost all known poisons,” Aesphyra explained.