Wizard Alchemist

Chapter 736 Secret Meeting of Reclusive Cultivators (4-in-1)

"queen?"

Roy was secretly puzzled.

Soon after, Queen Vasilisa entered, surrounded by her maids.

Her blonde hair was adorned with a tasseled headband, her snow-white dress was studded with star-like rhinestones, and her eyes were emerald green, like jade.

What's even more striking are its long, pointed ears, suggesting it might be an elf or a mermaid.

A faint sense of allure washed over him, instantly startling Roy.

"Charisma?"

While it falls far short of the effect of "The Beauty of Roses," in this low-magic world, it can be described as breathtakingly beautiful, making it an absolutely extraordinary presence.

Isn't this much more exciting than any princess?
Roy immediately shifted his attention from the "little swan" to the Queen, and gracefully bowed in greeting.

"I haven't disturbed you, have I?"

Vasilisa asked with a light laugh.

Roy said, "Not at all. The Queen's presence is a great support for my work."

Vasilisa said, "Although Serafina is not my biological daughter, I have always treated her as my own. I will leave the rest to you."

She seemed to have come specifically for Serafina's apprenticeship, asking Roy some questions and offering words of encouragement.

Then came the "reward".

"Consider these portions of mithril, along with the jewelry, as a gift for becoming an apprentice..."

There's nothing good in this small place, but a few portions of mithril are worth several thousand magic stones.

In a low-magic world, this was considered a decent gift, and Roy accepted it without hesitation.

Upon seeing this, Serafina pouted, seemingly not liking the queen.

She was indeed not the other party's biological daughter, because she was not the king's first wife, but a queen who came to power later.

……

Soon after.

In the palace on the other side.

Roy sat down and asked, "Serafina, although you haven't become Lord Symarko's apprentice, you should have already started to learn meditation training and have a certain foundation, right?"

"Yes, teacher."

"Then I'll give you some 'Books of Wizards' first. You can read them to learn the runes of our wizards' will, and then try to visualize them in your mind."

Once you can reflect all 24 Will Runes, you'll reach the advanced apprentice stage.

"I've heard that we'll be learning how to materialize mental energy!"

Serafina snapped out of her earlier emotions and was eager to make a statement.

"Not bad, it seems you do have some basic knowledge."

Roy nodded in satisfaction.

The junior apprentices start by learning to read and write, but they haven't even learned all the letters and pinyin yet.

They are unlikely to teach students like that.

That wasn't magical enlightenment, but rather the content of secular enlightenment.

Serafina needs to be at least at the intermediate apprentice level, and with her good talent and abundant resources, she can basically be guaranteed to reach the advanced level.

"However, what I will teach you then is not ordinary witchcraft, but my unique Luo family alchemy alchemy array!"

You master alchemy through transmutation circles and create the Philosopher's Stone yourself.

If you can successfully do this, I will then teach you how to advance further and become a full-fledged wizard!

Afterward, Roy gave a brief but detailed explanation of the apprentice, wizard, and so on, and then gave her a magic crystal ball containing a lot of learning materials, beginning his hands-off teaching style.

This is not because he is irresponsible or misleading, but because he believes that the ability to learn independently is a fundamental ability for becoming a spellcaster.

Often, all the teacher needs to do is provide enough materials, offer guidance at crucial moments, and answer questions.

Just like in my previous life, I started junior high school at age 12 and took the college entrance exam at age 18. That was popular education for the general public.

It's best for gifted children to start primary school at age 4 and university at age 14, so that they graduate at the prime of their youth at age 18, which is suitable for further study.

The torch he is passing on here is not just to Serafina alone. Time is tight and the task is heavy, so cultivating self-learning ability is essential.

Moreover, Roy didn't completely abandon her; he found an opportunity to bring Nisa out of the mage's mansion.

“You are a princess too, you should have a way of dealing with princesses. I’ll leave that little brat to you.”

"What! I don't have that much free time!"

Nisha has been focused on figuring out "Secret Source Mindset" lately and has no intention of helping him take care of the children.

But despite his objections, Roy still arranged for her to go.

……

half a month later.

3 month 25 day.

In the city of Kaipan, in an inconspicuous, ordinary house.

A dozen or so magic apprentices, all dressed in uniform gray robes and masked to conceal their faces and physical features, entered the secret gathering place of the "Truth Seekers."

Around a weathered oak table that had stood for some years, people sat and examined each other by the dim candlelight.

After the elected "chief apprentice" roughly confirmed the number of people and their respective items, he closed the door and activated the hidden rune array.

The room was small, and with the candles burning, the air was inevitably a bit stuffy.

However, the smell of herbs and parchment scrolls was pleasant, and everyone had gotten used to it, so they didn't find it unpleasant.

The ceramic incense burner in the corner slowly emitted pale green smoke, a "dust-removing incense" used to prevent the accumulation of magic and the presence of too much human presence.

"Will the 'Doctor' personally give the lecture today?"

The seminar was not yet scheduled to begin, and several apprentice monks, slightly excited, discussed the inside information they had learned earlier.

"According to the rumors, that's indeed the case..."

"That's wonderful! There are differences between mentors too. I heard from the other mentors that he's a great mage, far surpassing them!"

"Great Mage, that sounds incredibly powerful..."

"It seems that many of those esteemed figures were captured by the Temple in the Kingdom of Lux, and the gatherings have been canceled multiple times..."

"With the doctor's appearance, could it mean we can resume our weekly gathering?"

After an unknown amount of time, several runes lit up one after another on the wooden door of the hut.

But in a moment, it turned into blue light.

The group breathed a sigh of relief as the discussion ended.

Sure enough, not long after.

The apprentice on guard outside opened the door and led in Symako and a figure shrouded in a shadow cloak, then closed the door and went back out to stand guard.

Upon seeing this, everyone stood up at the same time.

But Symarko turned to the people he had brought and introduced them, "Gentlemen, this is His Excellency the 'Professor' from Akademia."

His voice was solemn as he approached the front of the long oak table and solemnly introduced it.

"He is exceptionally skilled in alchemy and can provide many treasures for exchange. At the same time, he also offers services to answer questions."

The crowd applauded in welcome.

Simako pressed his palm down and said, "However, this time, we are mainly here for observation and research."

Now, let's proceed with the seminar as usual..."

******
"Observation and research..."

The magic apprentices exchanged curious glances.

To their surprise, despite the bright candlelight, they couldn't make out the face of the person who was standing right next to them.

Beneath the shadowy cloak, a layer of flowing mist seemed to shroud his face.

This "professor" is none other than Roy.

He sat down on a small wooden stool not far behind Symako, his right hand, gloved with mithril, peeking out from under his cloak, holding a stack of parchment that looked like manuscripts.

As expected, he remained a spectator from beginning to end, without saying a single word.

"Your Excellency, my recent studies have left me with some questions."

Soon, everyone put aside their distracting thoughts and began to speak in turn according to their seating order.

Those who are just beginning to learn in the magical world are usually called "apprentices" or "trainee wizards".

Among them, apprentices are more emphasized as practitioners of the Witch Tower or secret gatherings like the one currently taking place, while novice mages are graduates nearing graduation from magic academies.

In such a setting, the identity of an apprentice is more prominent.

Moreover, Roy soon discovered that the two families had indeed joined forces.

It's not just about standardizing the terminology.

The cultivation process seems to have integrated "will runes" and "mark meditation method", unifying them into the mystery of spiritual cultivation.

The wizards and sorcerers of this world divide meditation into three levels: outer, middle, and inner. Each level roughly corresponds to the manifestation progress of eight runes.

Once the full illumination is achieved, one has formally entered the apprenticeship and entered the advanced apprenticeship stage.

The teaching materials and methods used by both sides are almost identical, a fact that was already evident during the time at the Witch Tower.

Only after successfully advancing and reaching a formal rank will one begin to face a real question: whether to join the forces of a wizard or a mage.

Both parties agreed to eliminate cutthroat competition and to develop their businesses based on their own abilities.

Regardless of how long this situation can last, at least for now, under the pressure from the Temple, the relationship is still quite harmonious.

……

"So? What are your thoughts after hearing their questions?"

Once everyone had finished speaking at the long table, they entered a period of free discussion and learning exchange. Symako then privately sent a message.

Roy said, "Their foundation is a bit weak, but they are all good apprentices."

"Magical knowledge is hard-won for them, and their inner drive is still quite strong," said Simako.

Roy said, "This is completely different from the motivation to stand out in the Witch Tower."

Sumako smiled slyly: "To be honest, don't be angry, but some of the systems on your wizarding side are really too barbaric."

Learning is inherently a demanding task that requires strong intrinsic motivation; forcing it will only backfire.

"So you came up with this 'waiting for the rabbit to run into the tree stump' method, hiding the secret mark in a book and waiting for someone destined to discover it?"

Roy shook his head.

"That's incredibly inefficient."

"Admittedly, this efficiency is indeed very low."

But over time, little by little, it adds up.

Moreover, don't you think this is perfect for secret gatherings of 'truth seekers'?

Intrinsic motivation is also a form of selection; our arcane experiments show that the success rate of such apprentices is as high as 10%.

The conversation was almost over, and the apprentices' exchange and discussion came to an end.

Next, we move on to the third and final part of the gathering: resource trading.

Besides meditation and constructing spell models, they also need worldly wealth or resources required for cultivation.

Roy thought for a moment and decided to open a personal shop exclusively for these "truth seekers".

Gold, jewels, blood mercury, magical metals, all sorts of materials...

There are also various small items for healing, stealth, combat, and support.

And most importantly, some introductory knowledge of alchemy, simple potion preparation, and chemical knowledge.

He didn't intend to make any money from such transactions, thus making the goods cheap and of good quality.

The crowd was dazzled by the sight, but then they all became excited, as if it were New Year's Day.

"Gold and jewelry so cheap, worldly wealth!"

"And these things called liquid nitrogen and liquid hydrogen are actually materials that can simulate super-low temperatures and combustion explosions!"

"Chlorine...the method for refining radium salts!"

Simako was stunned.

"Your list of transactions is quite extensive!"

……

In the end, Roy successfully completed the research and returned to Duke Street with Symako.

Since the temple had not yet expanded to this area, there were naturally no incidents of "chavas" or "internal traitors causing the suspension of studies."

But they also didn't hold any public events, all in preparation for that day.

In fact, to rehearse the high-pressure tactics of the Knights Templar's night patrols and the Inquisition's arrests, the two high-ranking mages obediently walked, secretly moving through alleys and other such places behind houses.

"As you can see, the structure of the secret learning organization is roughly like this..."

The core layer consists of 'mentors', who are formal mages or wizards who have mastered advanced occult knowledge.

They were responsible for selecting members, imparting knowledge, and presiding over gatherings and resisting temple searches.

The middle level consists of 'apprentices,' who are also 'truth seekers.'

The qualified members, after passing the tests, are divided into different research directions, such as runes, astrology, herbalism, elemental magic, and spellcasting.

Each group is led by a core member who serves as the 'mentor' and is responsible for arranging regular gatherings.

The lower level is the periphery, including informants and logistical support, the organization's intelligence network, etc.

They are generally composed of low-level professionals such as tavern owners, prostitutes, and scribes, who are responsible for passing on intelligence. There are also ostensibly devout believers who use their legal identities to cover up for the organization and collect information on the temple's search activities. There are also merchants, nobles, and others who provide venues.

Regarding supplies, black market merchants provided forbidden books and magical materials, while funeral service workers smuggled in human bones and other spellcasting materials.

Before Roy came here, he already knew a little about this from the information he had collected.

But it was only through Syrmako's explanation that he truly understood the complexities of such secret learning organizations, such as "hermitages."

"In practice, it is common for gatherings to be disrupted and people to be arrested."

Therefore, spellcasters often transmit knowledge orally or in encrypted form, and write key content in metaphorical terms, making it difficult to decipher even if it is seized.

After reading it, one will be rendered immobile by the "Snake Pattern Seal".

"Hypnotic imprinting" that puts readers into a trance-like state.

"Explosive Rune" causes damage when read.

A "sealing emblem" that protects doors or cabinets from damage when opened.

Once triggered, it unleashes a "Flame Mark" that deals area-of-effect fire damage.

Even the tradition of spellcasters liking to write fairy tales or fables...

That's where it all came from.

This is quite similar to the nursery rhymes I knew in my previous life.

******
The Temple's countermeasures were also classic.

For example, sending "witch hunters" to infiltrate the streets to listen for unusual remarks, "the old pastor is watching you."

They tracked down those who frequently went out at night, searched their homes, and confiscated and destroyed banned books, among other things.

In some worlds, or at certain times, arrestees are even publicly executed, with burning at the stake serving as a deterrent.

"Perhaps we could carry the church's banner and conduct scientific research in the name of God..."

Science is meant to better demonstrate God's creation of the world; evolution and creationism are meant to prove God's power, and so on.

Magic can also be disguised as divine magic…

Roy offered some of his own insights.

Sumako agreed, “These methods are indeed useful in ordinary circumstances outside of the witch hunt era. However, once the Inquisition evolves into the extreme form of heresy trials, this method of semi-public confrontation becomes ineffective.”

"And you were wrong about one thing just now: divine arts are forbidden to be studied. No matter what name you use, you will be violating a taboo!"

"Oh?"

Roy paused for a moment, then began to think seriously.

"It seems that the key is still secrecy, but at the same time we must ensure communication and joint progress."

"Yes, the flow of information and supplies has always been of paramount importance to the development of underground organizations."

Churches and temples typically have methods to monitor magical communications, as ordinary communication techniques are easily leaked or tracked.

This cannot be solved by simply switching to scientific telegrams, because it falls under the category of divination!

Having understood these points, you should also agree on why it's necessary to start from the upper aristocracy.

Secular forces can indeed effectively organize human and material resources.

It's easier to slip through the cracks at aristocratic gatherings or other business transactions.

We often make a fuss about things in church scriptures, like writing runes with magic potions.

but……

"If only there were a safer and more convenient way."

He does not mean that.

Roy pondered this thoughtfully.

Perhaps my alchemy skills could come in handy in such a situation?
……

After returning to 42 Duke Street, Roy began to try it out.

He's thinking more about the magical crystal ball used for communication, and the coded messages and spells used to spread knowledge.

The library within the Wizard Tower, as well as the various talents he has mastered through his alchemical abilities, all have corresponding underlying principles.

He considered first etching conductive patterns on the inner layer of the crystal ball, and then coating the outer layer with a silver film treated with alchemical agents.

The ciphertext was instead written with ink made from metal powder and magical solvent, which preserved the magical properties while ensuring information security.

"But these are essentially similar to radio encryption communication methods, and there is still a possibility of them being intercepted..."

Is it possible to switch to wired connections?

No, it doesn't seem that simple!
If possible, ancient wizards and sorcerers would have adopted it long ago.

Their wisdom should not be underestimated.

This fixed-line method is not only troublesome and costly to build, but also not very effective...

Because spells such as oracles and prophecies do not follow the rules of radio wave detection.

Ultimately, it's still a matter of divine intervention!

He quickly realized that clever tricks and minor improvements were not very meaningful.

Moreover, as a high-level wizard, there is no need for me to get involved in these trivial matters; let those "truth seekers" handle it.

If we have to talk about any strategy, it must be an open strategy.

It's the kind of thing that's openly discussed and that even the church can't stop.

Roy took out the girl's skull and arranged the golden quill, parchment, and other items.

"Celine, help me generate the article..."

Book Title: How to Get Rich

Subtitle: Professor Teaches You How to Make Big Money—The Wealth Code from Classical Alchemy to Modern Chemistry.

The content should include numerous practical alchemical wealth-building solutions, guiding the development of related technologies from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages.

Interspersed with real-life examples of alchemists accumulating wealth throughout history.

The technical specifications lean towards traditional alchemy methods, with a chemical approach.

Dangerous operations must be warned against, and content prohibited by the temple must be avoided to reduce the risk of violations.

Avoid using any sensitive words such as 'magic,' 'mysticism,' or 'witchcraft,' and all means of getting rich must be carried out within the existing legal framework and religious rules.

All alchemical recipes must be based on scriptures, religious stories, and original documents.

Praise God more, thank God for His blessings, and use the Goddess of Wealth and Mother Earth as a shield.

Writing books and establishing theories is undoubtedly the best way to disseminate knowledge.

However, not every book could be safely published under the rule of the Temple.

Only by focusing on the core needs of humanity can something endure.

Roy recalled some exemplary figures from his past life, and after much thought, he concluded that it still came down to...

Forget it, I can't write pornographic books.

It still has to be success literature, teaching people how to make money!
……

"Malachite is heated with charcoal, and the temperature in the clay furnace reaches 1100℃ to obtain copper ingots containing impurities, which are then repeatedly hammered and purified..."

Praise be to Mother Earth, who bestowed upon us copper mines as a means to wealth.

Method 1: Potassium amalgam reduction of anhydrous aluminum chloride; Improvement: Reduction of aluminum chloride with metallic sodium.

Re-electrolytic aluminum method: First, the bauxite is crushed, and alumina is dissolved with caustic soda. Then, it is decomposed by electrolysis in a 960℃ electrolytic cell...

Appendix: Potassium and sodium production methods, natural carbide series connection device...

The goddess of wealth teaches us that aluminum products are more precious than ordinary gold; they are 'the emperor's gold'...

"Hey, if you write this, I won't be sleepy anymore!"

More than half a month later.

43 Duke Street.

At the home of the monk Simakor.

Roy visited Symarco with his latest masterpiece, asking him to preview it first.

As a result, even the great master found it fascinating.

"Can the Temple ban such books?"

Roy humbly sought advice.

"I write this kind of book mainly for noble lords."

This also included folk chemists, alchemists, sorcerers, scholars, and craftsmen.

"Ban? How can we ban it?"
This is used to teach people how to mine, smelt, and get rich. At most, it is forbidden for the clergy within the church to read it, so as to prevent them from being corrupted.

To forcibly prohibit it would be to go against the nobles, the artisans, and even against the Earth Mother Goddess and the Goddess of Wealth.

Moreover, don't clergy need to get rich?
They came from noble families, landowners, and knights, and also owned mines and craftsmen.

A veneer of prohibition is possible, but it will certainly circulate widely behind the scenes; that's the source of its vitality.

"Then I'm relieved. This kind of book should be able to stand the test of time?"

"If the package can be passed down for a long time, then magical knowledge can be mixed into it through steganography and steganography."

At the same time, these secular things can also guide people to break free from the constraints of the temple…

Syrmac praised it highly.

******
Symarko's admiration for Roy was genuine, and the route itself wasn't actually that hard to come up with.

They had actually made similar things before, but none were as detailed and comprehensive as this one!
Because of his alchemical talent, Roy had a solid grasp of various knowledge and wrote it down in a down-to-earth manner.

This is somewhat similar to a popular science article, which requires a certain level of knowledge.

Therefore, "valuable knowledge" is not so easy to discard.

"Then I'm relieved. If this method works, I can write another book, 'How to Win the Heart of a Noblewoman'."

"Ok?"

Symarko raised his head, looking bewildered.

If he, like Litos the Jewel Fish, could express his feelings through emoticons, he would probably be blowing bubbles and looking completely bewildered right now.

What is this ghost?

"I will add some magic potion and perfume-making secrets to it."

Roy explained.

"And the craftsmanship of jewelry making."

"Oh, right, you're good at this."

Simako rubbed his forehead.

"However, if I were His Majesty or another nobleman, I would certainly be wary of you after seeing this."

This book is much more likely to be banned!

"Hahahaha!"

Roy laughed.

He really hadn't thought about that.

"However, what does the book written by the 'professor' have to do with me, Kirick?"
Even if someone has to be arrested, it should be a 'professor'.

Symarko looked at him speechlessly.

"What you said does make some sense!"

After returning home, Roy followed this line of thought and compiled and organized more books.

"Postpartum Care for Mares" actually contains hidden content such as "riding techniques" and "summoning celestial warhorses".

"72 Ways to Tame a Cat" actually contains secret techniques for summoning magical pets and "summoning magic".

"The Complete Housewife's Cookbook" contains hidden knowledge of herbal toxicology and detoxification techniques, as well as some physical enhancement drugs.

"The Guide to Grape Growing and Winemaking" hides blood magic and Nicomancia's health regimen.

"The Clockmaker's Mechanical Principles" contains information on the creation and repair of various mechanical devices and alchemical golems.

……

Roy is not well-established in Eglis, so he does not yet have the capacity for publication and distribution.

But Symako and the mages were different.

He has some noble influence under his command who can help with the distribution.

For safety reasons, he suggested that Roy relinquish his authorship and publish the article under various names.

They only make secret markings on parts that are hidden and only those with extraordinary abilities can perceive.

This is actually the common practice.

The books that ordinary people see are completely different from the books that truth seekers see.

Not everyone can see the real content; only about one or two out of every hundred books have been overwritten with magic ink and belong to the category of "magical books".

That's when there's a need for signatures and tags.

Roy readily accepted this advice and published his works in accordance with this approach.

"Books are indeed the ladder of human progress!"

The truth seekers at the secret gathering soon saw the newly released book and began to collect and read it.

Among them, "How to Get Rich" and "How to Win the Heart of a Noblewoman" are the most important works.

Leaving aside the 1% chance that it might contain hidden magical knowledge, the remaining 99% of the publicly published parts are all insightful and valuable knowledge, more precious than gold!

Roy even mixed in a small amount of magic stone refining techniques to help them increase their profit margin!
"Woooo..."

"The professor is really... I'm so upset!"

"He's really teaching something!"

As Roy learned, the "truth seekers" came from diverse backgrounds, with varying origins, circumstances, and family situations.

Among them were ordinary people, intellectuals, craftsmen, artisans, children of the bourgeoisie, and nobles and knights.

However, as long as people live in the material world, most will still have a desire for wealth and fame, and will still have the ambition to make the country strong and the people prosperous.

Symarko once gave an example of a brilliant genius from a commoner background who, through his musical talent, gained the tutelage of a renowned teacher, entered high society, and was successful in all aspects of life, even managing to curry favor with a princess of a certain kingdom.

They have now smuggled themselves into Achinira and become true arcanists.

Moreover, it is said that this person is exceptionally talented and has published numerous important papers, making him a strong candidate for legendary enlightenment.

But those are rare exceptions, the lucky ones.

Favored by the world's will, blessed with a legendary destiny, protected by the protagonist's halo...

The vast majority of hermits came from poor families, and the burdens of secular life alone were enough to keep them out of the door to upward social mobility.

They couldn't afford the tuition to become apprentices, so they had little chance of getting close to high society.

Various magical knowledge and resources often need to be obtained by risking one's life.

At this time, with Professor Roy teaching people real skills, they became wealthy and rose through the ranks rapidly.

It was like the dawn breaking in their bleak lives.

……

Before we knew it, a short period of time had passed.

Roy corrected Princess Serafina's homework in person at his residence.

The little swan looked on with satisfaction at having answered every question correctly, then slightly raised her fair neck, waiting for praise.

In return, Roy only gave a lukewarm comment: "It's alright."

"Nisa, it's getting late. You should escort her back to the palace."

The little swan's expression immediately fell, and she pouted slightly, looking somewhat dissatisfied.

"teacher……"

"Okay, let's go, let's go."

Nisha said somewhat impatiently.

Princess syndrome is such a hassle, and she hates it the most.

Roy smiled to himself. He was worldly-wise and had even raised Freya himself, so how could he not see through the little swan's little scheme?
Roy casually picked up a stack of manuscripts from the side.

"It seems the basic questions were too easy and not suitable for you."

These are new practice questions; go back and do them carefully.

"Hmm? The Secret Scrolls of Kirick?"

Serafina's eyes widened at the first glance.

She suddenly had a bad feeling and immediately became obedient.

A few hours later, it was noon.

Roy quietly left the mansion and took Freya with him.

The streets of Kaipan at noon were no longer as bustling as they were at midday, as pedestrians were sparse and vendors were packing up their stalls one after another.

Roy and Freya boarded the carriage that had been prepared in advance and headed west of the city.

Before long, they arrived at an inconspicuous warehouse.

A middle-aged man dressed in splendid clothes, looking like a wealthy businessman, came over, his face showing a mixture of respect and excitement.

“Lecturer Tajer from Akademia welcomes Your Excellency, Professor.”

This is an underground study group similar to the last secret meeting.

However, they are the seekers of truth on the wizards' side, and are managed by the official wizards of Akademia.

Tajer is the "mentor" of Kaipang City.

(End of this chapter)