Teacher by day, Farmer by passion-Chapter 192: Alchemy lecture [3]

Emilia stood up, her hands slightly trembling but her eyes gleamed with determination.

"I'd like to give it a try, Professor," she said.

Ace looked at her,

a smile creeping into his lips. He gave a soft clap, the sound echoing in the quiet room.

"Applause for bravery," he said with a faint smirk.

As Emilia walked toward the platform, heart pounding, she could've sworn she heard Ace murmur under his breath, "Ah, the sacrificial lamb has arrived."

She paused, blinking in confusion and looked up, but all she saw was his gentle smile, so calm and polite it made her heart scream danger.

"Well? What are you looking at me for?" Ace asked, his tone dry but amused.

"Admiring me won't help you refine the pill."

The class burst into laughter, the tension lifting slightly as Emilia's face flushed scarlet. She looked down, trying to steady her breathing.

Next, taking a few long, deep breath, to calm the flurry of nerves fluttering in her chest she straightened herself up.

The cauldron stood in front of her like a silent judge, and the pale blue spiritual flame was still lit beneath it.

She closed her eyes for a moment, centering herself. I can do this. I already studied this. It'll be fine,

just like I practiced..

*huff*

Opening her eyes, she reached for the first herb with a steady thread of spiritual energy, mimicking the way Ace had done it earlier.

The herb floated gently in the air, wobbling slightly, but steadied as she exhaled slowly.

The moment it touched the flame, the fire shifted color, deeper blue, then slowly toward violet.

The cauldron started to hiss

while the flame began to shiver in place.

Emilia gritted her teeth. Her energy pulsed too hard, trying to dominate the fire instead of harmonizing.

Ace tilted his head slightly, watching without interfering.

"Listen to it," he said calmly. "Don't command the flame, send the flame an invitation."

Emilia nodded subtly, adjusting her flow of energy. The flame calmed, steadying into a soft violet hue.

One down.

She reached for the second herb. This one was more temperamental. As soon as it hovered near the cauldron, the fire flared wildly.

Emilia's pulse spiked. She bit her lip and instinctively tried to force the flame into submission.

A sudden snap! of heat lashed out. The cauldron began to rattle, and a few students were already leanIng back in alarm.

Ace raised an eyebrow.

"I said listen, not scold," he murmured.

Emilia swallowed her pride and fear, then slowly retracted her energy, softened it.

She imagined her fire not as a tool, but as a partner. A dance, not a duel.

The flame flickered, then responded, shifting gently as the herb merged in.

Gasps echoed in the room.

Only one herb remained. The last one!

Her breathing was shallow now, her forehead damp with sweat. But she didn't hesitate. The third herb rose, gleaming faintly with spiritual energy.

She let it hang for a heartbeat longer than needed, feeling her spirit align. Intent, not command. Unity, not obedience.

Then she dropped it in.

As soon as she did, the flame surged in power and the cauldron started to hum!

Violet deepened to indigo, the air thrumming with soft resonance.

Inside the cauldron, the mixture stabilized, glowing gently.

Ace watched the reaction, then gave a slow nod.

After a few more moments, Emilia cut the flame and stepped back, swaying slightly, but still standing.

She looked at him, breathless. "Did… did it work?"

Ace stepped forward, examined the contents with a flick of his sleeve, and nodded.

"It's crude," he said, tone clinical. "The pill isn't complete. But it's stable. You didn't make cooked medicine. It's low grade body strnghthing pill."

Then he added, with a trace of something like respect in his voice, "You have already made progress."

The class sat in stunned silence, and then, slow, hesitant applause filled the room.

Ace turned to the others.

"Well? Who wants to go next?"

As the applause died down, another chair scraped against the stone floor.

A girl stood up.

Her expression was calm, confident and almost serene. There was no nervous fidgeting, no second-guessing glance.

She simply moved forward, each step measured, graceful, and firm.

Ace watched her silently, arms folded behind his back.

The girl didn't speak as she approached the cauldron.

She merely looked down at it, then inhaled slowly, her spiritual energy circulating with precision.

With practiced ease, she reignited the flame. A clear, sky-blue fire burst to life beneath the cauldron, steady and elegant, as if it were responding to a familiar master.

From the herb table, ahe picked up her ingredients in one smooth motion, One

herb in her right hand, two in her left.

She didn't add them all at once, but neither did she hesitate.

One by one, the herbs dropped into the cauldron, her spiritual energy syncing with the fire in perfect rhythm.

There was no flares nor any rattles.

Only the gentle, melodic hum of spiritual energy in harmony.

The flame shifted from blue to deep purple, flickering gold at the edges.

Gasps echoed through the room as they watched in excitement.

Even Ace's eyes narrowed slightly.

"She's definitely done this before…" he muttered under his breath.

Within minutes, the mixture inside the cauldron bubbled, condensed, and released a fragrant mist.

Her fingers formed seals in mid-air, steady and accurate, compressing the pill essence with expert timing.

Ding!

A single, flawless pill popped into the air, glowing faintly with gold veins winding along its surface, a high-grade Body Strengthening Pill.

The students leaned forward, stunned.

Then—

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Five more pills jumped out of the cauldron, landing neatly on the table beside the first.

Mid-grade. No cracks. No impurities.

Six pills total. One high-grade, five mid-grade.

The girl stepped back, wiping her hands with a small cloth, then looked calmly toward Ace.

He stared at the pills, silent for a moment.

"Name?" he asked, already knowing it.

"Clara," she replied, standing tall.

"Level?"

"Level 2 Alchemist."