Chapter 395: Potion Master

Chapter 395: Potion Master

For the next few days, Ren immersed himself in the art of Magic Weaving.

Although Audrey and Alicia were curious as to why Ren had suddenly become 'obsessed' with magic weaving, they dared not disturb him and could only keep their questions to themselves.

As Ren's experience in crafting 'Apprentice Robes' began to decrease, he considered visiting Jacqueline again to inquire about more advanced magic weaving patterns. However, he reconsidered, thinking it might not be appropriate.

After all, his rate of improvement was astonishing.

Moreover, it wouldn't be long before he might need to ask her for more patterns.

Instead of doing that, he decided to check the supply exchange for new resources.

Indeed, at the supply exchange, Ren exchanged 100 Contribution Points for a new magic weaving pattern – 'Cleansing Robe'.

Compared to the previous 'Apprentice Robe', the 'Cleansing Robe' was more challenging to craft but also of higher quality, barely reaching the level of intermediate magic tools.

The classification of magic tools was complex, taking into account factors such as the number, practicality, and power of zero-level spells, as well as crafting difficulty and rarity of materials.

Overall, this evaluation was similar to the five-dimensional charts Ren had seen in his previous life.

Additionally, Ren discovered that with his new core skill 'Focus', it was particularly effective when learning new magic weaving patterns.

After activating 'Focus', his thoughts became exceptionally clear, and his sewing was as if guided by divine assistance.

Some areas that would have required guidance from others were easily understood by Ren with a little thought.

After several attempts, the system notifications sounded:

【You have crafted the intermediate magic tool 'Cleansing Robe', and your understanding has increased!】

【You have learned a new skill – Cleansing Robe】

【Your skill in crafting Cleansing Robes has improved, gaining 10 experience points】

【You have successfully crafted an intermediate magic tool 'Cleansing Robe', earning 103 experience points in Magic Weaving】

In Ren's new mansion.

"Anna, try this," Ren said, handing a white wizard robe to Anna.

Anna's pretty face lit up with joy, her large eyes fixed on Ren as she asked, "Ren, is this for me?"

"Yes, this is the first intermediate magic tool I've crafted – the 'Cleansing Robe'," Ren explained with a smile.

"By infusing a small amount of mana, you can activate two zero-level spells, 'Dust Removal' and 'Decontamination,' keeping the robe clean and tidy at all times."

When Anna put it on, she found that not only were the two zero-level spells embedded in the robe very useful, but the entire Cleansing Robe fit her perfectly.

"Hmm, Ren, how did you know my size?"

"I took your measurements," Ren said, spreading his palms.

Ren's words immediately caused Anna's face to turn bright red. She gently tapped Ren's chest with her fist, and the two of them playfully teased each other for a while.

"Knock knock!"

A knock sounded at the study door.

Ren knew who it was without even looking.

"Come in!"

This time, Tatyia, dressed in a tall and straight general's uniform, accompanied Olenna.

The two women first looked at Anna's flushed face and then at the wrinkles on her white robe, their own faces turning slightly red.

Ren was really something.

In broad daylight.

Right here in the study.

"Ren, we'll leave you to it," they said, their expressions conveying a shared understanding.

"Ahem, please, take a seat," Ren coughed, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Sir Ren, we have come to discuss a matter with you."

"The Dram Family has expressed that the previous unfavorable incident was entirely due to Greenwood's personal actions. Now, even the butler Owen has been dismissed.

"They are willing to compensate you for your losses. The headquarters would like to know your opinion on this matter."

"The headquarters' opinion is my opinion," Ren replied, choosing a politically correct response after some thought.

Through his recent inquiries, he had come to understand the intricate web of relationships involved, including the conservatives and reformers, the various imperial noble houses' interests, and other underlying reasons.

Even the Dram Family had an Imperial Guardian backing them.

Of course, this didn't mean the matter would be dropped; the timing simply wasn't right yet.

From another perspective, even if Ren wanted to confront them directly, he would need the strength to overpower the Imperial Guardian with the title 'Raging Cloud'. Otherwise, he would be laughed at for being presumptuous.

As for the Imperial Guardian not intervening, there were preconditions for that as well.

If you attacked someone's family, it would be seen as a provocation towards the Imperial Guardian, and their retaliation would be considered reasonable.

Additionally, in Ren's view, he might not only have to face the Dram Family but also consider the intricate network of connections they had established over centuries.

And now, he was considered a part of the Imperial Reformist faction and a member of the Swordsman Headquarters, which meant his decisions would be amplified, and naturally, he would need to respect the opinions of General Augustus and Marshal Alfred.

"Lord Ren, thank you for your understanding and support of the Headquarters. We will strive to secure as many benefits for you as possible," Lady Tatyia said with a smile.

She naturally understood the meaning behind Ren's words.

Clearly, the powerful Lord Ren before her had a clear understanding of the situation.

Although this time, the Traditionalists were forced to make concessions in many aspects, it wouldn't be enough to cause them significant harm.

"By the way, Lady Tatyia, I'd like to ask, how did the Dram Family explain why they attacked me?"

"And what about the steward Owen? Since he was dismissed by the Dram Family, can we find him?"

At this moment, Lady Tatyia, the female lieutenant general, gave Ren a slightly peculiar look and said, "According to their explanation, Greenwood thought that your companion, Anna, was extremely beautiful, which led to the conflict between you."

Ren couldn't help but blink in surprise at these words, followed by a silent laugh.

Indeed, the Dram Family wouldn't tell the truth; they had concealed the fact that Anna was an elf.

It seemed that they either hadn't given up or had other reasons, such as not wanting to involve the people behind them.

"As for Steward Owen, we investigated these past few days, and it's as if he had evaporated. After leaving the Dram Family's mansion, there's been no trace of him. We suspect that he might no longer be in this world."

Ren nodded.

Indeed, it was difficult to find obvious loopholes in the affairs of an Imperial aristocratic family.

"By the way, what about the Noble Court and Harold's Isodre Academy?" Ren asked after a moment of thought.

"The Noble Court has already dealt with the matter. The young judge who was deceived by some people has been demoted, and as for Isodre Academy..."

"...Headquarters has sent a letter of inquiry, and their response is that Harold was also deceived and is a victim."

"He's also a victim?" Ren raised his eyebrows.

"Isodre Academy, as a large-scale academy, has limited influence from our Headquarters. Even if we mobilize high-level connections to suppress them, as long as they don't betray the Empire, logically, they won't suffer much loss."

"Moreover, if we do that, they might resent Lord Ren even more and use some secret means to deal with you."

"Of course, our current approach can't guarantee that they won't use secret means either, but the possibility is slightly lower."

"For you, it's best to remain vigilant when going out recently. If you're in the Imperial Capital, you basically don't need to worry."

Ren nodded, indicating his understanding.

Large-scale academies had relatively complete wizard lineages, strong overall strength, and even included Epic-level Empire Guardians within their ranks.

As long as they continued to serve the Empire, the Emperor himself wouldn't target them for minor issues.

However, from another perspective, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. When Ren's strength was sufficient, he could personally visit their academy for an exchange.

"Lord Ren, if there's nothing else, I'll be heading back to negotiate the compensation issue with the Dram Family."

"Alright, Lady Tatyia," Ren nodded with a smile.

"You're too kind, Lord Ren," Lady Tatyia said, nodding to Olenna before leaving.

---

Meanwhile, in the Seredil Plateau.

Isodre Academy Residence, Nirheim.

As a large-scale wizard academy, Isodre Academy's influence in Nirheim permeated every aspect. One could say that the establishment of Nirheim city primarily served the interests of Isodre Academy.

In the center of Nirheim, within a grand hall.

Several wizards clad in earth-yellow wizard robes were solemnly reporting to an elderly man surrounded by multiple earth element shields.

By Ren's side, a body, now properly prepared for burial, was laid on the ground. If Ren were present, he would instantly recognize it as the body of 'Carver' Harold, whom he had killed.

"Grandmaster, Harold's death was a result of his own actions. I, as an Imperial Guardian, cannot take action against an Imperial Swordsman."

"Additionally, do any of you think we have someone who can win with absolute certainty?"

"If so, I can agree to your request and send someone on behalf of Isodre Academy to duel this young man named Ren." The elder spoke in a deep voice.

"This..."

The group glanced at each other, unsure of what to say for a moment.

It was clear that none of them were a match for Harold, not even the legendary Harold. If they were to duel him, they would not only lose but also further damage the reputation of the Isodre Academy.

"Master, are we just going to let this go?" one of the wizards asked with a hint of reluctance.

The elder waved his hand, indicating that they could leave, and said, "I'll handle this matter."

After the others left, the elder pondered for a long time before heaving a deep sigh and speaking to a male wizard beside him, "Malcolm, contact the Tutkash Academy. We might need their help this time."

Upon hearing the name Tutkash, Malcolm's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly replied, "Yes, Master."

It was common knowledge that not all wizard academies within the Empire's territories followed the Empire's commands. There were still secret wizard academies, groups, and organizations that remained hidden.

The Tutkash Academy, primarily focused on necromancy, was one of them.

They were also located in the Serendil Plateau but mainly operated in the western part of the Plateau, near the Empire's westernmost territories.

However, over the past thousand years, they had been led astray by dark gods. Many wizards in the academy had reportedly turned to worshipping dark gods, in addition to their regular necromancy research.

---

Imperial Capital, Tamriel.

In the following days, invitations to banquets and balls from Dukes and Marquises were frequently delivered to Ren's mansion.

The original version is available on 69shu.com! 6=9+shu.com is the first to release this novel.

Many of these invitations came from conservative noble families, but even more were from progressive noble families.

Their intentions were obvious; they wanted to befriend this rising star, Ren.

However, Ren politely declined all the invitations.

If the beautiful Jennifer were here, he might have let her attend on his behalf. But for Ren himself, attending these social events would be a waste of time and energy at this critical juncture.

His current status was solely due to his own strength.

This was his foundation, not anything else.

Perhaps, when he reached the third level of Crystallization Wizardry and became a Dragon Vein Wizard, Ren would consider attending some social events.

At this moment, Ren had already leveled up his Magic Weaving Artisan (Extraordinary) from level 1 to level 7, gaining 6 attribute points and 6 skill points.

This left Ren with 20 remaining attribute points and 7 remaining skill points, while his Golden Skill Points remained unchanged at 95.

"7 skill points, 5 points short of 12."

"If I want to learn two Tier 3 Wizardries and quickly turn them into combat power, I'll need 24 skill points."

"Even if I can create a new advanced magic tool like the 'Breeze Long Robe,' it's still difficult to level up Magic Weaving Artisan beyond level 10. The gap to 24 skill points is too large."

"In that case, I'll have Olenna arrange something official, and I'll find time to visit the Royal Alchemist Association." Ren thought to himself.

In the evening, when Ren returned to his mansion, he found Anna chatting with a familiar figure he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Miss Alisa?"

"Lord Ren, it's so good to see you again."

"Lord Ren, if I hadn't heard that a genius had emerged at the Swordsman headquarters and defeated 'Carver' Harold, I wouldn't have known you were in the Imperial Capital!"

"And why didn't you contact me when you arrived in the Capital?" Alisa asked with a hint of reproach, seeing Ren appear.

"By the way, Lord Ren, where did you find this lovely girl? Miss Anna is truly delightful." Alisa said, holding Anna's hand.

Anna seemed at ease, and the two of them seemed to be getting along well.

"My apologies, Miss Alisa. I've been quite busy lately," Ren smiled and explained.

Seeing Alisa, Ren suddenly realized that he might not need Olenna to make official arrangements. After all, Alisa was an official researcher at the Royal Alchemist Academy.

After some small talk, Ren learned that Alisa's family, the Stuarts, was also a ducal family in the Imperial Capital.

"Oh, Lord Ren, are you also interested in potion making?"

"With your status as an Elite Swordsman, I can take you to the headquarters of the Royal Alchemist Association." Alisa readily agreed to Ren's request.

"How about tomorrow? I'll take you to the Association headquarters in the afternoon, and in the evening, you can bring Miss Anna to my place for dinner."

"I think my father would be very happy to see you too." Alisa invited.

"Thank you, Miss Alisa."

"Okay, then I'll trouble you. I should pay a visit to Ambassador Javier, whom I haven't seen in a long time," Ren agreed with a smile after a moment's thought.

The next afternoon of the next day.

Ren followed Alisa to the headquarters of the Royal Alchemist Association, located on the second ring of the Imperial Capital.

After checking the Swordsman credentials, they passed through the heavy stone doors, and what caught Ren's eye were more than a dozen three-meter-tall humanoid stone sculptures.

Lord Ren, these are all renowned alchemists in the history of the association."

"Over there is the Herb Cultivation Lab, and over there is the Laboratory." Alisa pointed to the two distinctive multi-story buildings on either side.

"Lord Ren, which one would you like to visit first?"

"Why don't we start with the Laboratory?" Ren suggested after a moment's thought.

Compared to herb cultivation, potion-making seemed to Ren to be more relevant to his future job change clues.

"Okay, Lord Ren, let's go and see Master Kalvella."

"Alright."

Soon, the two arrived at the entrance of a laboratory on the second floor. The door was slightly ajar, and through the crack, Ren could clearly see that the interior was a massive laboratory resembling a tiered classroom from his previous life.

Seven or eight robed alchemists were working on various concoctions at long tables.

At the innermost part of the laboratory, in a single room separated by transparent glass, an elderly man with a white goatee was holding a pipette and a flask, meticulously preparing a potion.

"Lord Ren, it seems like Master is making an advanced potion. Let's go and take a look." Alisa spoke with a hint of excitement.

Advanced potions?

This immediately reminded Ren of something.

When he entered the extraordinary tier, he had consumed an advanced potion.

Could it be that Master Kalvella was making that very potion? Ren's eyebrows rose in interest, and he quickly followed Alisa, stopping a few meters away from the glass wall to observe carefully.

"Lord Ren, this is the Shadow Panther Potion, Master's specialty." Alisa whispered an introduction.

A few minutes later, a system prompt suddenly appeared:

[Ding! Host detected contact with potion-making, triggering the Deadly Alchemist (Extraordinary) job change - Potion Master (Legendary)!]



[The prerequisites for the Potion Master (Legendary) job change are: 1. Level 5 or higher in an alchemy-related profession at the Extraordinary tier; 2. 30 or more points in Spirit; 3. Mastery of three or more advanced potions. Current conditions do not meet the requirements! Potion Master (Legendary) job change is not available!]



Seeing the system prompt, Ren couldn't help but smile.

"Finally, I've received the job change prompt. It wasn't easy." Ren sighed inwardly.

Back when he was in Meyster County, he had job-changed into a Deadly Alchemist (Extraordinary), but it wasn't until he arrived in the Imperial Capital, Tamriel, that he received the subsequent job change information.

"However, the formulas for three or more advanced potions might be difficult to obtain."

"But with the job change prompt, there's no rush to do it in the next day or two."

That evening, Ren brought Anna to the Stewart Family Mansion, where they dined with Javier and Alisa, enjoying a pleasant evening.

The next morning:

"Lord Ren, here is the summary of significant events that occurred in various regions of the Empire this week." Olena handed Ren a piece of intelligence.

After taking it, Ren began to read:

"In Westminster Province, the Cult of Limb Severing in Valis County has caused a massacre, resulting in nearly a thousand casualties. Currently, the Elite Swordsman division in Westminster is handling the situation."

"In Sava Province, the Steel Mane Wild Boar Tribe has been enchanted and launched attacks on multiple surrounding towns."

"In Mosel Province, the Ancient Mother Tree Sect has resurfaced and attacked the Empire's secret realm, the Dark Cavern, triggering a large number of ancient brutal beasts within the Dark Cavern to rampage through the surrounding towns. Currently..."

"..."

Ren couldn't help but wonder if the cults were receiving instructions from some divine entity, as their activities had become increasingly frequent.

A quick scan of the reports revealed that, aside from a few involving other races, most were related to cults, and within a short time, various cults had caused multiple massacres in the Empire's provinces!

"Could it be that we have no inside agents in the cults? If we only act after the incidents occur, the casualties will be significant." Ren frowned slightly.

"There are, but it's extremely difficult to achieve." Olena thought for a moment before speaking.

"The cult's initiation rituals are extremely meticulous, leaving almost no loopholes. Not to mention the bewitching mind-altering spells they use, which are akin to the effects of truth serums."

"Additionally, there are other forms of constraints. Even if an agent participates in multiple prayer ceremonies, their willpower may gradually weaken, leading to their eventual loss of self."

"And if a divine projection appears during a major ceremony, it becomes an insurmountable obstacle."

"I see." Ren nodded.

No wonder the Empire often learned about cult activities after the fact, or seemed a bit passive in their response. The problem originated from this.

The 'infiltration' method was, at the very least, ineffective against the cults.

"By the way, Lord Ren, this is regarding the dragon or dragonborn-related tasks you mentioned before."

"I've gathered and filtered some information. These are dragon-related creatures in various provinces that the local divisions couldn't handle. You can take a look."

Olena handed Ren a thick stack of documents with both hands.

"The ones at the top of the list are the most powerful dragon-related creatures, according to your criteria. However, I suggest you consider the second and third ones on the list." Olena said tactfully.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end