CH 31

Adai nervously stayed.

Renault and Sarah turned their heads every step they took and left the castle with worried expressions.

After a few people remained.

No longer pretending to be serious, Xia Zuoyi leaned back and relaxed on the chair, shaking his feet leisurely, then took the paper from Udit.

He said, “Adai Ben, the information you asked the recorder to fill before is to identify herbs. You used to be an apprentice of an alchemist, and you studied a little about pharmacology…Do you know how to make medicine?”

Adai nodded, “Know a little, Lord Earl.” 

Hearing this, Xia Zuoyi ordered his servant to bring a basket of plants that had been prepared and set up utensils on the table to make medicine or ointments.

He saw Adai’s perplexed look so he said, “There are some herbs in the basket, as well as common plants.”

“You need to select the herbs in it and make the herbs you know into a kind of medicine or ointment. Unlimited quantity. It’s a test for you. Start now.”

Adai stepped forward slightly nervously, “Yes, Lord Earl.”

Adai seemed to understand the intention of Lord Earl.     

—The reason why he did this should have something to do with the master alchemist…

If he could be appreciated by the alchemist, Renault and Sarah might live a more relaxed life.

After thinking about it, Adai took a deep breath and began to devote himself to screening.

After a while, he placed the selected herbs on the table but hesitated a little before starting making them…

There are indeed herbs that Adai knows, but most of them are picked out by feeling…If he can make more medicine, maybe it will be easier to get the approval and affirmation of that alchemist.

However, he remembered that his former teacher once said that there was no problem in using some herbal medicines alone, but if they were boiled together and given to patients, they would have bad consequences.

Such as vomiting, abdominal pain, etc.

If you don’t understand the medicinal properties of herbs, don’t try it lightly.

Adai put the herbs he didn’t know aside and then concentrated on making the more familiar medicine.

After watching the process of selecting herbs and making them, Xia Zuoyi held his face and commented on it in his heart.

The plants selected by Adai from the basket are indeed herbs, but they are not complete.

There were still some herbs in the basket that he didn’t notice.

In addition, Adai uses a single selection of herbs to make potions, his movements are a little rusty. But his shortcomings do not hide his merits—he has a good grasp of the usage and dosage of herbs.

In general, Adai’s performance has been much better than what Xia Zuoyi had previously expected.

“Lord Earl, the medicine is done.” Adai said.

Udit took the potion in his hand and handed it to Xia Zuoyi.

Xia Zuoyi, “This medicine can treat insomnia. It has the effect of calming the nerves and making people fall asleep faster, right?”

Adai was surprised when he heard the words.

He involuntarily asked, “How did Lord Earl know?”

Xia Zuoyi, “Naturally, it’s because I can make it too. What’s so surprising? Close your mouth.”

Adai closed his mouth. 

Xia Zuoyi touched his little white chin and said, “You can go now. When you go back, remember to tell your friends that you will stay in the castle as an alchemist’s assistant from now on.”

“An assistant is not as good as an apprentice.”

“I’ll see how you perform. And after a one-month probation period, I will consider whether to convert you into an apprentice.”

Adai was pleasantly surprised, “Thank you! Lord Earl.”

He didn’t see where the alchemist was, so he thought that tomorrow was the time to officially meet him.

After that, Adai left the castle under the guidance of a servant.

…

Renault and Sarah were relieved to see him come back safely.

Adai told them that he will stay in the castle as an alchemist’s assistant.

“Wissas is not too far from Fort Comoy. Lord Earl said that I will be given a day’s rest in seven days. Don’t worry, I will come back often.”

“Also…Although Cory Moya and his group have been assigned by Lord Earl to mine stone, it’s difficult to guarantee that there would be no more people with bad ideas here…” 

“Renault, Sarah, if you are in danger, immediately go to the soldiers patrolling the city. I don’t think they will ignore it…The earl doesn’t look like a bad person either.”

Sarah nodded obediently.

Renault, “Take care of yourself, too.”

Adai, “Yeah.” 

The next day.

Adai followed the soldiers to the castle.

Udit led him to the stairs leading to the attic, “Go up. Lord Earl is waiting for you in the alchemy laboratory.”

Adai hesitated, “Butler Udit, please wait a moment…Is Lord Earl a student of the master alchemist?”

Udit smiled, “You’ll know when you go up.”

After speaking, he turned and left.

Adai stood there scratching his head. He whispered, “It should be… After all, the earl could see at a glance the effect of the potion I made yesterday.”

Adai climbed the stairs leading to the attic.

The slightly old wooden floor made a slight “creak” sound under his feet. After stepping on the last step, turning the aisle in front should be the room where lord earl was.

There are no windows installed in this passage.

The walls on both sides are inlaid with metal candle holders, trident style, in which the weak fire is slowly burning, illuminating a small area.

Something dark seems to be hiding motionless in the corner ahead.

Adai, however, did not notice.

When he was about to walk to the corner, the dark ball suddenly jumped up and rushed towards him fiercely…     

“Aw!”

“Ah—” 

Adai’s eyes widened in horror. He was too scared to speak, his head blank. He tripped and fell to the ground.

How and why is there a tiger in the castle?!

After Briquette came out, he turned around in mid-air, the thick four claws landed gently and silently on the ground, and the tip of his tail rolled up happily.

“Ao, ao.” 

Briquette took two steps back and lowered his body facing Adai again, looking ready to go.

This is a signal to attack people.

Adai involuntarily backed away…

“Briquette.”

Just then.

He heard the voice of lord earl, then he saw the black tiger in front of him raising his ears and lying on the ground, looking cute and honest.

Adai couldn’t help looking up.

Lord earl was walking slowly towards him, with a tiger about half a person tall beside him.

This is a smooth and graceful white tiger with beautiful fur and patterns.

Adai couldn’t help but turn his head in a daze. Except for the color, the two tigers looked alike.

Xia Zuoyi felt a headache and helplessness.

An ordinary tiger usually reaches adulthood at the age of two to three, the later adulthood will be longer, followed by the period when the tiger is the strongest, and its weight and muscle will increase greatly.

The last is old age.

Briquette and Snowball given to him by 098 are not ordinary tigers. They have a long lifespan and will become very big in adulthood.

But their adulthood is no different from ordinary tigers, they’re also two to three years old.

Now Briquette and Snowball have entered a rapid growth stage. They grow almost every day. The height of their upright limbs has exceeded Xia Zuoyi’s waist.

And the personality of the two tigers is obvious.

Briquette is becoming more and more lively and mischievous. He likes to run around and suddenly jump out to frighten people.

Snowball appeared to be more stable and quiet, would often accompany Xia Zuoyi on weekdays, and is lazy to move.

Xia Zuoyi walked beside Briquette, tugged one of his ears, and said, “I told you not to hide here to scare people. Why don’t you listen?”

“There is no meat at noon today. You’ll have a good memory if you’re hungry.” 

“Ao, ao ao.”

Briquette softly squeezed into Xia Zuoyi’s arms and acted like a baby, but in the next second, he was patted by Snowball with his paws and biting Briquette’s ears to keep him away.

The two of them almost fought each other on Xia Zuoyi, making him stand unsteadily.

Finally, he drove them all away to find Udit.

“You come with me.” Xia Zuoyi said to Adai.

Adai covered his madly beating chest because of shock, nodded, and followed behind.

Xia Zuoyi opened the door and led him into the alchemy laboratory, “Today is your first day as an assistant. If you don’t know or are not familiar with the equipment, please ask me. I’ll give you time to remember the position of each piece of equipment. In the future, you’d better not make mistakes and mess things up.”

“Yes, Lord Earl.”

Adai couldn’t help looking around the facilities in the room in amazement. He hesitated after, then asked, “Lord Earl, may I ask, is the master alchemist here?”

Xia Zuoyi turned his head in wonder, “What master alchemist?”

Adai, “The one who made the ointment…”

He explained what had happened in the forest before.

Xia Zuoyi suddenly said, “I made the ointment. The alchemist you’re talking about is me.”

Adai opened his mouth uncontrollably, and said dully, “Wh, what…”

The expression on his face can’t help changing, no doubt because of the unexpected facts, so his heart suffered a great impact.

Xia Zuoyi thought for a while and said, “My father was an alchemist. He left a copy of the “Alchemy Manual” before he died.”

There’s not much to say, it’s all on his brain.

Adai finally murmured, “So it’s like this…”

Before he came to the castle, he had made enough mental preparation that he might meet an eccentric alchemist… but he didn’t expect that… this person turned out to be Lord Earl.

Adai then quickly sorted out his thoughts and began to get familiar with the various facilities of the alchemy laboratory.

Three days later.

Xia Zuoyi asked him to familiarize himself with the detailed process of making papyrus. When he came back, he needed to study new experiments.

He said, “The raw material for the production of papyrus is the stems of sedge…After the sedge is treated, the paper that can be written on can be obtained.”

“But the paper is fragile and will easily break when turned.”

“Do you think other plants can produce a new kind of paper if they are processed by some methods?”

Adai hesitated, “I think…probably it’s possible, but Lord Earl, it will be difficult…”

Xia Zuoyi, “There is nothing difficult in the world. As long as you aren’t willing to give up, try again.”

With me, what are you afraid of?

Translator’s Note:

OMG, I actually forgot to update!! I forgot the date and I was shocked when my grandma asked me when will I do our laundry (I do that every Sunday) and I said on Sunday and she said it’s already Sunday like whut?? I didn’t believe her so I checked the calendar and yep, I missed updating on Friday. Anyway, there’s a bonus chapter after this XD.

Also, I just updated Chapter 30 in End of Century and I kind of said that I will triple the update next time to celebrate and I just remembered that I hadn’t celebrated the 30th chapter in this story so I decided to triple the update today!! Are you happy?? Because I am!! HAHAHAH. Consider this as a party, guys~~