The Herb King

When the Red Pill Fire appeared on top of her palm, the three Level 4 Espers stared at her in amazement. This girl already has the qualification to become a Level 1 Alchemist! The only thing left for her to do to be recognized as an Alchemist is by passing the Alchemy Examination. And with Aethelwolf supporting her, it was only a matter of time before she would get her license as an Alchemist.

"It seems like Sir Aethelwolf also has discerning eyes. He even spotted a rare talent like you. Actually, we've been keeping tabs on you, but we never knew that you have the talent to become an Alchemist." Julius smiled kindly at Janrose.

"Indeed. Other than His Highness Prince Christopher, you are the only one below the age of eighteen that has successfully summoned a Pill Fire." Duke Baron chuckled lightly.

Janrose also knew about Prince Christopher. He is an eight-year-old prodigy that shocked the whole empire! He is now a Level 1 Esper and a newly promoted Alchemist. He is still young and he has a lot of room for growth. With Lord Karman being his teacher, his journey as an Alchemist is destined to be smooth sailing.

"Lord Baron, how could I be compared to His Highness? I only managed to summon my Pill Fire because of Sir Aethelwolf's teachings." Janrose shook her head calmly.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

They all stopped talking and turned their heads curiously at the door.

"Come inside." Emperor Ragnar instructed.

The one who entered the VIP room is Jericho Rayden, the family head of the Rayden Household.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!" Jericho smiled as he cupped his fists. As a Level 4 Esper, there was no need for him to bow or kneel to the emperor. It was a small privilege given only to the strongest warriors of the Leone Empire.

When Julius saw him, his eyes narrowed into slits. Jericho noticed his sharp gaze and chuckled softly. There seemed to be invisible sparks between their gazes.

Duke Baron remained silent as he watched the two old men enter into a staring contest. He quickly thought of a way to calm the tension and after a moment of thinking, his eyes lit up. 'Sigh. I wanted to keep this under wraps and only tell His Majesty about it, but I think I have to tell it now. These two old tigers might start fighting here if I don't do something...' He thought to himself bitterly.

"Take your seat first, Jericho." Emperor Ragnar muttered as he removed his gaze from them.

Jericho ignored Julius who was glaring at him and sat down beside the emperor. "Your Majesty, I hope you don't mind my unannounced visit. I came here to spectate the battle event and I heard that there are a lot of young talents."

Emperor Ragnar smiled and nodded his head. "You missed out on a lot of things, Jericho. You only arrived after Janrose's match. Too bad." The emperor stared at Janrose as he said this.

Hm?

Jericho finally noticed the young girl who was sitting nervously behind them. He was confused by the emperor's attitude towards her. "Your Majesty, this young lady is?"

"Janrose Yanez, a peak stage Level 1 Esper and a Level 1 Alchemist." Emperor Ragnar also didn't want Jericho to start a fight with Julius so he was trying to occupy the old man. Luckily, Aethelwolf's student was here and she was the perfect candidate to shift Jericho's focus.

Jericho looked at Janrose in surprise. "Eh? A Level 1 Alchemist? How rare!"

"I still don't know how to make 1st-Grade pills and I haven't gotten my license. I can only summon my Pill Fire." Janrose hurriedly explained when she noticed the attention shifting back to her.

Baron inwardly heaved a sigh of relief when he saw this. 'It looks like there is no need for me to interfere...'

"This young girl is Aethelwolf's student. I don't think she'll need a lot of time to get her license under Aethelwolf's tutelage." Emperor Ragnar was speaking the truth. In fact, he believed that Aethelwolf was more proficient in Alchemy than Karman.

'Aethelwolf's student?!' Jericho's eyes widened when he heard this and his casual attitude changed. This girl might know where Aethelwolf was since he is his student.

"Miss Janrose, are you really Sir Aethelwolf's student?" Jericho stared at her deeply.

Janrose nodded her head in reply.

"Then do you know where he is?" Jericho asked. He felt a bit ashamed since he was in the presence of his enemy. He didn't want to show weakness to anyone, but Aethelwolf's matter is urgent.

Before Janrose could reply, Julius suddenly spoke in a mocking tone. "Oh? I wonder why you are looking for Sir Aethelwolf, Jericho? Could it be that you somehow provoked him?"

Janrose's expression changed and she looked warily at Jericho. 'Is this Sir Aethelwolf's enemy?'

When Jericho saw the hostile look that Janrose was giving her, he turned his gaze at Julius and snorted at him. If the emperor wasn't here, he would have already beaten up this old man.

'This old bastard really gets on my nerves! Fuck!' Jericho cursed in his heart.

Duke Baron's eyes twitched. It looks like the two old men are about to fight. He sighed and immediately faked a cough. "Ehem! Your Majesty, I almost forgot. I actually visited here for an important matter. It is related to the safety of Lion City..."

Julius and Jericho who were about to square up immediately turned their gazes to Baron when they heard this.

Emperor Ragnar thought that Duke Baron was merely trying to prevent the two old men from fighting, so he chuckled lightly. "Speak freely, Baron."

Baron's expression suddenly turned solemn as he said. "We discovered an unknown individual flying away from Lion City. His destination is unclear and we have no other information about him. Your Majesty, only Level 5 Espers are capable of flight and this person seems to have taken off from the capital."

"What?!"