Lan Qingyou was starting to feel a bit frantic.
She truly couldn't understand what Alisa was so obsessed with.
Was it simply because her family was a so-called lineage of occultists and alchemists that she needed the Emerald Tablet to justify her ancestors' legacy?
That seemed unnecessary, given they were from two different worlds.
“The Emerald Tablet originally belonged to the Aurelius family. I am simply trying to reclaim it.”
“If you agree, I can trade this 《Book of Alchemy Symbols》, handwritten by Professor Rome himself, as well as the successful research results I've achieved over the past year, in exchange for it.”
As she spoke, Alisa pulled out two small notebooks and waved them in front of Lan Qingyou.
However, Lan Qingyou's brain was already starting to overload.
Wait...
A magic item from another world, and a world-class one at that—and you're saying it belongs to a family from Blue Star?
No matter how she heard it, that sentence sounded bizarre.
“Fine. Why do you think we were transported here? Or rather, why do you think the will of Kalim chose our Blue Star?”
Seeing that Lan Qingyou didn't seem to understand, Alisa spoke more directly.
“Anchors!”
Lan Qingyou understood the other woman's meaning almost instantly.
“So you're saying the Aurelius family is actually made up of Kalim people who went to Blue Star from here?”
“No.”
“...”
Lan Qingyou, who had assumed her logical deduction was perfectly correct, never expected that answer.
The sudden shift nearly gave her mental whiplash.
“Then what is it?”
Lan Qingyou asked, unwilling to give up.
“The first head of the Aurelius family once saved a beggar. It is said that the beggar claimed to be from the Mana School and possessed the miraculous ability to turn stone into gold and red roses into blue ones. Consequently, our ancestor regarded him as a teacher and studied under him.”
“As the beggar was dying, he kept talking about the Emerald Tablet and World Items. That is why, in addition to our obsession with alchemy, the Aurelius family is obsessed with recovering this Emerald Tablet.”
Alisa recounted some of her family's history as if reminiscing.
“Ho-ho. Put that way, the Emerald Tablet could indeed be considered property of the Aurelius family, since it belonged to your teacher. However!”
“How can you prove that item belonged to that beggar? You have to realize that many alchemists at the time probably knew about World Items like that. It seems perfectly reasonable to me that he would speak of it as a final wish on his deathbed.”
Lan Qingyou raised her doubts.
Alisa simply spread her hands.
“That is why I chose this duel—or rather, this trade.”
Fine. She was being incredibly blunt.
Blunt to the point of being almost 'reasonable,' which made Lan Qingyou a bit uncomfortable.
“So, in the end, we still have to have a fight,”
Lan Qingyou couldn't help but sigh.
“After all, the Emerald Tablet belongs to you now. Even if I obtained it, I wouldn't be happy unless I won it through a real battle.”
“Is it that you wouldn't be happy, or that you wouldn't be satisfied?”
“Satisfied, I suppose.”
Alisa nodded, admitting her true feelings.
Lan Qingyou burst out laughing.
“Hahaha! Well, it sounds like we really have to show our true skills in this match then.”
“Indeed. I will give it my all as well. However, since we are going all out, as witches and alchemists, let's stop using those crude spells. How about we compete directly using our research results?”
“That's an interesting proposal. I accept.”
Lan Qingyou agreed to the new rule Alisa suddenly proposed without a second thought.
And so.
After receiving Lan Qingyou's response, Alisa nodded and turned to walk backward.
Lan Qingyou didn't take the opportunity to launch a sneak attack.
However, just as Alisa had walked about ten meters away—putting a total distance of about thirty meters between her and Lan Qingyou—she suddenly turned around and pointed a finger directly at Lan Qingyou.
Anyone who had seen the morning's matches knew this was Alisa's attacking stance.
But!
Lan Qingyou had already vanished from her original spot.
“I knew a guy like you wouldn't be up to any good proposing such a stupid rule!”
Then, Lan Qingyou's voice came from behind Alisa.
“What nonsense! All's fair in war!”
Shouting, Alisa turned around while jumping backward, raising both hands in the shape of pistols and 'firing' at Lan Qingyou in the air.
“Air-type magic? That's a rare magic system!”
Lan Qingyou pulled out a rectangular shield and held it in front of her.
This was a magic item called the Resilient Wall. Its primary function was to prevent explosions.
As a result, the air bullets hitting the shield didn't cause even the slightest ripple.
“Did you figure it out?”
Alisa raised an eyebrow while maintaining her attack.
“I guessed.”
“Fair enough. This category of magic isn't exactly hard to guess.”
“Right? That's why I'm curious. Where did you find it? I didn't see any rewards like that in the options.”
Lan Qingyou said with a casual grin from behind her shield.
“Do you think it's possible that this isn't some kind of magic, but simply a method of applying alchemy?”
“Material transformation?”
“Since wood, stone, and water can be transformed, then air can naturally be transformed as well.”
“That makes no sense. Where's your alchemy circle? Don't tell me some nonsense about it being drawn on your gloves or clothes.”
“Ha. Have you forgotten that I am from the Mana School?”
Alisa smiled with immense confidence.
This was the theoretical foundation of the Mana School; she had never expected a follower of the Material School to understand it.
“Didn't Rome fail to develop anything noteworthy?”
Lan Qingyou was astonished.
She knew that both Albert and Baham—two masters of alchemy and cartography—had asserted Nicolas Rome's failure.
Now, someone was telling her that they were using something researched by the Mana School.
How could she believe that?
“Yes! But I succeeded in my research!”
As if making a proclamation, Alisa's tone was incredibly firm.
“I see.”
Lan Qingyou nodded in acknowledgement.
This was likely the true source of Alisa's pride.
After all, taking a theory that predecessors had failed to break through, constructing it with one's own hands, and putting it into practice—anyone would feel a sense of pride and accomplishment from that.
But she could see that while Alisa was proud, she hadn't become arrogant.
Her emotional self-management was very stable.
Well... except for when someone suggested her research was wrong.
“Speaking of which, what is your research direction? I asked Professor Seymer earlier, but the guy wouldn't tell me.”
Rate on N.U.
