For years, Tharvis had been searching for various formulas, even trying to mix them himself, in order to create an inexpensive potion.

His goal was simple: to make something that even poor people could use.

Unfortunately, all his efforts had been in vain. To this day, he still has not succeeded, leaving him frustrated and depressed.

But now, the formula he had been searching for all these years lay right in front of him.

What's more, the person who gave it to him was Merlin—someone he never expected to do such a thing.

Seeing Tharvis's bewilderment, Merlin chuckled softly and explained, "That is indeed the formula. I got it from a friend. Of course, I can't guarantee that it's one hundred percent correct, but I'm sure you can verify it, right?"

Naturally, he couldn't tell Tharvis that he had obtained the formula from the system.

Although claiming it came from a friend sounded cliché and was clearly a lie, it was the most effective way to prevent further questions.

Tharvis nodded enthusiastically. "Don't worry, young master. I'll do it! And judging from the composition of the ingredients, I'm sure it's one hundred percent effective!"

The combination of ingredients was perfect. There were no conflicting properties; on the contrary, they formed a harmony that complemented each other.

He felt foolish for not having seen something so simple earlier.

"Good!" Merlin nodded in satisfaction. "When will you try it? Coincidentally, I have a friend whose daughter has been exposed to the epidemic. If she is used as a test subject, the results will be clearly visible."

Nivis had long been infected with blackpox, and her condition had already reached a severe stage.

Therefore, she was the perfect subject to be the first to test the potion.

"Actually, I wanted to go see Master Leona first. However, since you've already gone to the trouble of bringing the formula, I'll concoct it now. Would you like to watch, Young Master?" Tharvis looked at Merlin excitedly.

Merlin pondered for a moment before nodding slightly. "If it doesn't bother you, I'd like to. As it happens, for this month, we new students don't have anything important to do. Classes haven't started yet, and there are no major activities."

One of the privileges of being in the first wave was having a month's head start to adapt to the academy environment.

They could also take unofficial lessons from professors, though this naturally required the professor's consent.

"Then come with me to my room."

With that, Tharvis stood up and led Merlin to his room.

…

In her room, Catrine sat cross-legged. She closed her eyes and brought her palms together.

Seconds passed before the girl finally opened her beautiful blue eyes, clear like the sky.

"I miss Brother Merlin so much," she muttered sadly.

At first, she had thought that when she returned home, her brother would appear and hug her with a happy smile.

Sadly, she was too late. Her brother had left a few days earlier, filling her heart with regret for returning home so late.

If only she had arrived a few days earlier, she and her brother could have met.

But she knew it was too late now.

There was nothing she could do but wait for news from her mother and father about whether she would be able to enter the academy.

Chirp!

The sound of birds chirping came from beside her. When she turned her head, she saw Sylvia—her guardian spirit.

Unlike four years ago, when she had just formed a contract with her, Sylvia was now much stronger.

With a single chirp, she could freeze an area within a radius of hundreds of meters.

In addition, she was able to fight opponents far stronger than herself.

Catrine wasn't too surprised. After all, Sylvia was a five-star guardian spirit. Her power was undoubtedly terrifying.

"What's wrong, Sylvia? Do you want to go out?" Catrine asked softly.

Sylvia perched on her shoulder, then affectionately rubbed her head against Catrine's cheek.

Chirp! Chirp!

The little bird hopped around, chirping sadly.

Catrine's expression darkened as she let out a long sigh.

"So, it's not just me—you miss Brother Merlin too, huh?"

Two years ago, her brother often fed Sylvia all kinds of delicious food. That was why Sylvia had become so attached to him.

Moreover, when Catrine decided to train with her master, Sylvia had cried several times and asked to see Merlin.

"Don't worry. Later, Father and Mother will definitely bring us good news. So just wait, okay?" She reassured Sylvia while gently stroking her small face.

Sylvia only nodded, wriggling coquettishly.

Just then, the sound of footsteps came from outside. Moments later, Maya walked in with a joyful expression.

"Young Lady Catrine, I bring good news!"

Catrine was startled and quickly stood up.

"What is it, Maya?" she asked excitedly.

Maya stepped inside and cheerfully patted her on the shoulder.

"Just now, Lord Ardhis received news from the Head of the Academy, Linda, regarding your quota to enter the academy. Do you know what the good news is?"

Catrine's heart raced as she clenched her fists tightly.

"What is it?"

Maya giggled and replied, "You can enter through the normal route next month!"

"Really?" Catrine's eyes sparkled with joy. "So I can really enter the academy together with Brother Merlin?"

"Yes!" Maya nodded slightly. "But don't tell Lord Ardhis, okay? I actually saw the letter on his desk by accident while cleaning his room."

Her face turned slightly red with embarrassment.

Catrine chuckled softly and waved her right hand.

"It's okay. Thank you, Maya."

"You're welcome, young lady." Maya smiled back.

Since her return, Catrine had rarely smiled because of her sadness over being separated from her brother.

Maya noticed this, which was why she had been so happy when she saw the letter on Ardhis's desk earlier.

'Hopefully, Young Lady Catrine can look after and help the Young Master there,' she whispered softly.

...

In Tharvis's alchemy room, Merlin stood calmly, his gaze fixed on Tharvis as he carried out the alchemy process.

"Four years have passed, and the boy who once did alchemy with nothing but a pot and a stove has grown into such a remarkable figure. Destiny is truly amazing," he muttered.

Without his intervention, Tharvis would not have been able to reach this point. It wasn't arrogance—it was simply the truth.

Even in the novel, Tharvis entered the academy at an almost adult age, around fourteen or fifteen.

However, in this world, he entered the academy at the proper age, allowing his growth to be both complete and well-balanced.

Minute after minute passed, and the process was not as spectacular as Merlin had expected.

Tharvis added the ingredients one by one while carefully controlling the temperature.

Coincidentally, the ingredients were cheap and easy to obtain, so they were available in the alchemy department's warehouse.

"System, do you have a scroll or something that can turn me into a genius alchemist?" Merlin asked jokingly.

"[Master, do you think this is a fantasy world? You're not talented enough for that, so give up,]" the system replied helplessly.

Merlin: "…"

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