Chapter 831: The Pioneer Award
Chapter 831: The Pioneer Award
Albert felt that he had just closed his eyes when the urgent knocking on the door woke him up.
Groggily, he opened his eyes and instinctively reached for his wand on the bedside table, muttering softly, "Damn it, what time is it now?"
Mr. Serra had mentioned the need to get up early today, but not this early; it was still pitch-dark outside the window.
He yawned again, and the wand in his hand trembled slightly, causing a glowing orb to detach and hover above his head, instantly dispelling the darkness in the room.
"Is it time to leave already?" Isabelle asked sleepily.
The rapid knocking on the door sounded again.
Albert glanced at the peep mirror on the bedside table; the magic alarm showed no response, indicating that there was likely no danger nearby. He replied to the person outside the door, "We're awake. We'll be down shortly."
While the peep mirror was unreliable, Albert had to admit that it was somewhat useful. At the very least, it could provide them with some advance warning.
If only he could combine the detection and warning functions of the peep mirror with the tracking spell to create a warning radar; that would be ideal.
Unfortunately, Albert's expertise in alchemy was limited, and he had not yet found a way to make it work. Sometimes, it was quite challenging to get magical items to perform overly complex tasks.
He stretched lazily, threw off the thin blanket, and got out of bed. He covered another yawn and began to get dressed, still half-asleep.
"Why are you staring at me?" Albert asked after he finished dressing and noticed Isabelle gazing at him blankly.
"Do you need help getting dressed?"
As he spoke, he reached for Isabelle's clothes and moved to help her undress.
"Get your hands off me!" Isabelle swatted Albert's hands away. She seemed to be still asleep and looked quite tired.
It was understandable, as it was difficult to sleep in an unfamiliar place, and she had barely slept before being woken up. Not losing her temper was already quite polite of her.
"Haven't I already taken all your advantages?" Albert smiled as he walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face, hoping to fully wake himself up.
As for seeing a beautiful woman change clothes, it wasn't his first time.
"If you're feeling too tired, you don't have to go. You can rest here at the bar," Albert said, poking his head out of the bathroom to Isabelle.
"No, I'm fine," she replied.
After Albert finished washing up, Isabelle had also gotten dressed. By the time they went downstairs together, ten minutes had passed.
Many people were waiting in the bar, and it was clear that most of them were in a less-than-pleasant mood. They yawned and sipped hot tea that the bartender had distributed.
Since the International Alchemy Conference was being held at the Alchemy Research Center, and the entrance to the Center was located at the Sphinx, the alchemists attending the conference had to go in batches to avoid attracting Muggle attention by having a large number of wizards appearing near the Sphinx, a well-known tourist attraction.
That was why they had to set off so early.
"Why can't we just use Disapparition to go directly to the International Alchemy Conference venue?" Valeria complained softly as she sipped the hot tea provided by the bar. "Don't they know that lack of sleep is a woman's worst enemy?"
"It's normal for the Alchemy Research Center to prohibit Disapparition; it's to prevent invasions," Katherine said, understanding the reasoning behind it, similar to how most countries' Ministries of Magic also prohibited Disapparition.
"So what? The anti-Apparition wards don't stop house-elves," Valeria pouted. "But I really wonder what the organizers are thinking. If we go there now, are we just going to stand there and nap?"
Yes, due to the lack of sleep, most of the contestants looked exhausted and were in no mood to participate in the International Alchemy Conference. Moreover, they hadn't even had breakfast yet; they couldn't compete on an empty stomach.
"There will be enough space for you to sit and rest over there, and plenty of free food will be provided, so you don't have to worry," Nicholas said. This wasn't his first time attending the International Alchemy Conference, so he was familiar with the setup.
At that moment, a male wizard shouted to the crowd, "Those attending the International Alchemy Conference, please gather over here. We're about to depart, so hurry up and assemble."
"Let's go, too!"
Nicholas led the group toward the crowded crowd.
They were then informed that they had to Disapparate in batches.
Albert and the others held hands and Disapparated, appearing near the Sphinx. They saw flickering lights in the darkness.
The desert at night was a bit chilly, and Albert shivered as the cool breeze blew by.
They walked toward the source of the light and arrived at the side of the Sphinx, where a cloaked wizard spoke briefly with Mr. Serra before gesturing for them to pass through the smooth wall of the Sphinx, similar to how they entered Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Inside the Sphinx was a large hall, and a male wizard checked their admission tickets at the entrance.
He inserted the tickets into the back of a golden Sphinx statue's head and then pulled them out from the statue's mouth before returning them to Albert.
"Okay, you may proceed. Your display case is number 51."
The so-called display case was a glass table, similar to the golden jewelry displays from Albert's previous life. Behind each table was an employee of the Alchemy Research Center who checked the participants' admission tickets and, after registration, placed the Mandrake wine and Flying Ointment into display case number 51, along with a piece of parchment introducing their effects.
"Let's go find a place to rest first," Albert said, covering a yawn as he led the group to the rest area at the side of the hall.
There was also a counter here that provided free breakfast and drinks, and several house-elves were busy preparing meat pies for the attendees.
They stuffed various fillings into freshly baked pies, and most of the people present were nibbling on these pies, filling the air with a delicious aroma.
While they rested, Nicholas took the opportunity to share some insider information about the International Alchemy Conference.
Many of the so-called alchemy results displayed in the cases were actually useless half-finished products, and some were even fake, exaggerated, or inferior products.
However, everyone turned a blind eye to this, or else there wouldn't be so many "alchemy results" on display.
Of course, counterfeit and inferior half-finished products were not allowed to participate in the competition.
But every year, there were a few unlucky newcomers who exposed these lies.
The claim of over a hundred participants was just for show; most people were here to communicate, network, and build connections. The actual number of people truly participating in the International Alchemy Conference could probably be counted on one hand.
The so-called Cairo International Alchemy Conference Pioneer Contribution Gold Award was even less valuable.
If it had been fifty years ago, the stature of the International Alchemy Conference would have been quite high, with fierce competition every time. But later, as people delved deeper into alchemy, breakthroughs became fewer, and the rewards for participating didn't quite measure up. So, many participants simply chose to showcase their findings without entering the competition.
Although the Pioneer Contribution Gold Award wasn't given out every session, Albert's Flying Ointment had a very high probability of winning, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
However, Albert himself didn't pay much attention to this. He was currently perusing a new task he had just triggered.
Medal Collector:
Since you're already attending the International Alchemy Conference, why not go a step further and nab the gold award? Although not many people desire it, it's still a medal, and it can make you more famous.
Reward: 5000 experience, 2000 galleons, Alchemy +1, Magic World Reputation +1000.
It didn't seem as enticing as the Barnabus Finkley Outstanding Spellcasting Award, but the medal was decent. He could always choose to claim the Alchemy +1 reward later when his Alchemy level was higher.
Nonetheless, the task description was just as Nicholas had said—not many people were interested in the award. While 2,000 galleons was a substantial sum, it paled in comparison to the exclusive business opportunities that came with groundbreaking alchemy findings.
"I met up with some old friends earlier and told them about you. That bunch of guys is quite curious and wants to meet you." After taking a tour, Mr. Serra brought Albert to visit his close elderly friends.
Although Mr. Serra intended for Albert to get to know them, he also took the opportunity to show him off. As Mr. Serra introduced Albert, he seemed to be telling them, "Look, this is my outstanding student."
Seeing the elderly wizards' astonished, envious, and admiring gazes, Mr. Serra felt that the unpleasant mood from waking up early had been swept away.
"This is Mopsus." Mr. Serra introduced a Greek man to Albert, "This is Albert Anderson, a junior of Mog McDougal."
The alchemist named Mopsus paused for a moment, then reassessed Albert. He nodded and smiled friendly before introducing his son, Jason, to Albert.
Jason was a few years younger than Albert, and his English was quite poor. Albert winced at his broken English and decided to switch to Greek.
As for Mr. Serra's introduction, Albert had a hunch about the identity of the man before him.
"Your Greek is amazing!" Jason exclaimed, taken aback by Albert's seamless language switch.
"Those folks are always so outstanding." Mopsus recalled how McDougal had also spoken fluent Greek when they first met.
"Are you grooming Jason to be your successor?" Mr. Serra asked Mopsus in English.
"Yes, Jason is quite talented, and he loves alchemy. I'm bringing him out to broaden his horizons." Mopsus naturally wouldn't entrust Fly Powder's interests to anyone else; grooming his son as the successor was the best choice.
"What about him? I recall he's good at potions." Mopsus remembered who Albert Anderson was.
The cheating incident at the Magic School Potions Championship had caused a minor uproar in the Greek wizarding community, and recently, this young man had also won the Barnabus Finkley Outstanding Spellcasting Award. To be honest, that award carried more weight than the current Pioneer Contribution Gold Award.
"He's also skilled in alchemy." Mr. Serra said meaningfully.
"Is he here to participate in the International Alchemy Conference?" Mopsus asked, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"Yes, and he's likely to win the Pioneer Contribution Gold Award." Mr. Serra was quite confident in Albert; there weren't many young participants this time. "If you go and take a look at Exhibit 51, I'm sure you'll be in for a surprise."
After a brief introduction, Mr. Serra led Albert away, leaving Mopsus dumbfounded.
An underage wizard winning three international awards?
It felt like a dream.
"Who is that man?" Jason asked Mopsus, "He's really amazing."
"Indeed, he's an exceptional fellow. You'll be dealing with him in the future." Mopsus smiled at his son, "Come, let's go take a look at his alchemical findings."
"He's participating in the exhibition?" Jason was even more astonished.
"Yes, and he intends to enter the competition. He's quite likely to win the Pioneer Contribution Gold Award." Mopsus didn't think Mr. Serra needed to lie or boast; the aura surrounding Albert seemed to dim the impact of any exaggeration.
However, Mopsus realized he had underestimated Albert's capabilities. Exhibit 51 was crowded, and when he saw the introduction of the Mandrake Wine, his jaw dropped.
If it truly had that effect, no, with that young man's arrogance, he certainly wouldn't be fabricating it.
Mopsus felt he should probably go and chat with him. Suddenly, a voice echoed through the hall, interrupting his train of thought. It was Hermes, the president of the Alchemy Research Center, who had begun his opening speech.
The old man rambled on for an hour, mainly introducing the International Alchemy Conference and the competition process to the participating alchemists from various countries.
He was a rather unimpressive old man, droning on as the entire hall barely paid attention. Everyone chatted amongst themselves.
In fact, they could have simply printed the International Alchemy Conference process on paper and distributed it for reading, shortening the opening speech to a few minutes.
When someone finally started clapping, everyone else breathed a sigh of relief and joined in.
And so, the International Alchemy Conference officially began. The first segment was for alchemists to showcase their findings, and those interested could sign up to compete.
Of course, the findings of those intending to compete would undergo strict scrutiny by the organizers. Participants had to register, undergo on-site inspections, provide detailed information, and have their data verified by the Alchemy Research Center, which would then assist in processing related patents.
As for determining the award winners, a panel of five professional judges and three veteran alchemy masters would cast their votes.
(End of Chapter)
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