"Look at him. He always looks like he's planning something, and he probably is. He doesn't even pay attention to the professor. And he doesn't try to make friends or clear up the rumors."
Elias turned toward the two gossipers and gave them a slow, deliberate smile. They recoiled and quickly shifted their attention back to the professor. With a quiet sigh, Elias rested his head on his desk again.
People always seemed to forget he could hear them.
He sat up and glanced at the board. This was his nap class. There was no need to pay attention—it was alchemy, and he probably knew more than the professor. The man had already tried to embarrass him a few times, but nothing had worked. So Elias had decided this class was better used for extra sleep.
"Ah, Elias has finally decided to join us in the land of the conscious. Now, please answer a question for me."
Elias looked to his right and noticed an unfamiliar face—an observer. That explained why the professor was acting nicer than usual.
"What ingredients, and in what ratios, are required to make a Heartbeat Elixir?"
Elias sighed and looked up. He caught the expression in the professor's eyes and frowned. They didn't exactly get along, but the man had never reported him for sleeping in class. Helping him this once seemed fair enough. Besides, Elias was pretty sure only a handful of students here would even know the answer.
"Let's see... A Heartbeat Elixir requires three parts phoenix bloom petals, two parts crystallized bloodroot sap, one part powdered griffin bone, two parts pulseberry extract, half a part of wyrm's breath—and optionally, the alchemist's own blood for a slight boost in effectiveness."
He could see the gleam in the professor's eyes. The Heartbeat Elixir wasn't common knowledge, and Elias was certain it wasn't something covered in a first-year alchemy class. The professor would no doubt use this moment to pass Elias off as his prized student—an excuse to flaunt his own teaching skills. He was clearly angling for some kind of bonus.
"Textbook accurate! My star pupil. I knew I was right to take you under my wing. I'll even excuse your naps—clearly, you've been working extra hard."
Elias smiled faintly and turned his attention back to the wall, letting his mind wander while answering the other questions the professor tossed his way. After two long hours, class finally ended, and the students began to file out. Just as Elias reached the doorway, someone grabbed him and shoved him against the wall.
The culprit was a tall girl, just a head taller than him, and for some reason, she looked annoyed.
"It's Elias, right? Help me study for our upcoming alchemy exams. I need to pass or I'll lose my school allowance."
Elias raised his hands and turned his head to the side, clearly uncomfortable being touched.
"Why on earth would I do that? Ask someone else for help. I'm no good at teaching anyway."
The girl rested her arm on his shoulder and gave a confident smile.
"I would ask someone else, but warrior and mage students aren't exactly compatible."
Elias frowned. That logic made no sense.
"Last I checked, I'm a mage student. I'm in the alchemy track. Why'd you even sign up for alchemy if you're no good at it? And more importantly, I don't even know who you are."
She let him go and took a step back, confusion written all over her face.
"You mean to tell me I've been sitting in front of you for nearly six months, having actual conversations where my name was definitely used, responding during roll call, and you don't even know my name?"
Elias straightened his uniform.
"Don't feel too special. I don't know anyone's name. I can barely remember Professor Obel's. Now, please, go ask someone else. This was my last class today, and I have important things to do. Or better yet, go beg the counselor to transfer you to something more fitting for a thick-headed oaf of a woman such as yourself."
He slipped past her while she was still stunned and made his way back to his room.
He had lied, of course. He had memorized the names of every student in every class. Not because he cared, but because he couldn't help it. Just hearing something once was usually enough. He even knew most of their favorite colors, foods, and hobbies. His mind was full of useless information he never asked for.
The girl who had accosted him was Arya Heart, daughter of Roderick Heart. She was just as mentally inept as her father, though Elias had to admit she was incredibly strong. If they hadn't still been inside a school building, he probably would have been beaten like a dog.
She would definitely come looking for him again soon, so he decided to make use of the time. He packed up a few things he needed and headed to the school's alchemy lab.
Lethal poisons were forbidden, of course, but there was a practical exam coming up. He figured he could at least prepare by brewing a few paralytic poisons and some general-purpose combat tonics. He considered using his artificing skills as well, but student-made equipment was strictly prohibited for safety reasons.
The alchemy lab was quiet at this hour, save for the gentle bubbling of unattended cauldrons and the faint hum of cooling glyphs. Elias took his usual spot in the far corner, where the light from the windows was clean and the likelihood of interruptions was low.
He set down his satchel, tied back his sleeves, and slipped on his dragonhide gloves. The moment his hands touched the tools, his posture relaxed. His fingers moved with practiced precision, and a quiet, nearly inaudible laugh escaped his lips. He never smiled in class, but here—alone, working—he couldn't help himself.
Paralytic poisons came first.He began with viper's fang extract, measured to the drop. A few drops of nightshade oil followed, turning the mixture a murky green. He stirred slowly, eyes sharp, as he added a sliver of stormroot, careful not to overdo it. Once thickened over a blue flame, he funneled the poison into black-glass vials and sealed them with wax and rune. As he labeled each one, another soft laugh slipped out of him.
Next were the fire tonics.He filled five reinforced glass spheres with alchemical gel, then added powdered salamander scale and liquid hellbark resin. A copper ignition rune was dropped into each. The moment the spell-gel took hold and shimmered with inner light, his eyes narrowed with quiet satisfaction. He sealed them carefully, pressing a warming glyph into each cap.
He didn't speak, didn't hum, but the corners of his mouth twitched slightly as he placed them neatly in a row.
Then, the ice tonics.This batch required more care. He chilled the gel with frost lotus extract and snow-wraith ichor, stirring just enough to blend the two without triggering a freeze reaction. He held each glass orb in place with tongs as he etched the frost runes into their crystal cores, whispering the stabilizing spell with a steady tone. His breath formed faint clouds in the suddenly cold air, and as he set the final sphere down, he gave a small chuckle and rubbed his hands together to warm them.
Onto the regeneration potions.He ground phoenix bloom petals into a glowing paste, mixed it with troll marrow serum, and added a trace amount of his own blood. Heated and filtered twice, the potion turned a soft golden hue. Elias worked in silence, his concentration absolute, but when the mixture turned out exactly as intended, he let out another soft, brief laugh and moved on without pause.
Finally, the stamina restoratives.These were quick and efficient. He blended sunfruit pulp with spiritroot concentrate and powdered mana crystals. The liquid sparked faintly in its flask, pulsing with energy. He corked each bottle, double-checked the seals, and wiped the rim of the funnel with a cloth before setting it aside.
Elias cleaned his station thoroughly, then loaded his creations into a reinforced satchel, organized and secure. He exhaled slowly as he finished, and for a moment he just stood there, letting the quiet linger. His gloved hand brushed across the table once more before he turned to leave.
As Elias was leaving, a slow, sarcastic clap echoed from behind him.
"Wow. What a performance. Are you sure you're not some string-pulling villain? The laughing, the hand rubbing... Should I be scared?"
Elias turned at the sound of the voice and grimaced. He hadn't realized anyone else was in the room. Of course, it had to be the one person he liked the least.
"What are you doing here, Amelia? You don't take any alchemy classes."
Amelia stepped forward with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"You know exactly why I'm here. The moment Arya said she couldn't find you, I knew you'd be in this lab."
Elias smirked.
"Wow. I guess the smart are doomed to be tracked down by war-brained sword swingers. How did that troll convince you to be her lackey?"
Amelia's smile dropped.
"I'm not her lackey. I'm her friend. And I don't appreciate you insulting her. This is why no one likes you, Elias. You push everyone away. You're rude for no reason."
Elias let out a mocking laugh.
"I don't need friends, and I don't need people to like me. I'm perfectly content with how things are. Can you say the same? I'm going to graduate, become a court alchemist, inherit my house, and turn it into the greatest alchemist family in the empire. I'll be as rich as the king of thieves."
Amelia rolled her eyes.
"Whatever you say, Crowe. Just don't mess with my friends, or I'll make you a eunuch."
Elias widened his eyes in mock fear.
"I'm so afraid."
He walked to the exit and paused at the doorway.
"Try anything with me, and you'll die. I mean that. No one will even know how it happened."
He gave her a flat, unreadable look before disappearing down the hall.
He wasn't joking. He didn't consider himself a villain, but his hands were far from clean.