Chapter 274: The Unevenness of Life

Ariel returned to her own room.

She opened the door.

Darkness.

Her expression didn’t change in the least, as though she was already used to this kind of dark.

She fumbled around in her bosom for a while /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ and finally pulled out... a candle.

A plain candle.

Only half left.

With a snap of her fingers, Ariel lit it. The crooked little candle even bore traces of wax drippings that had been scraped back on by hand. The flame it gave off wasn’t particularly bright.

But for Ariel, it was enough.

It was just right for training her skill [Night Vision].

Killing two birds with one stone.

She carefully held the candle, walked into the room, went to her desk, and sat down.

She fell into thought.

For a long time.

Touching the still-warm banknotes in her palm, she let a happy smile spread across her face.

“Liya, you’re so good to me.”

“That little girl is lying.”

A second voice spoke. The dim flame wavered, and a hazy shadow gradually drifted forth. Though the figure was indistinct, one could faintly make out the silhouette of a beauty.

Ariel’s master.

A mysterious soul powerhouse.

In the candlelight, her shadow traced the outline of a woman sitting sideways on the desk, gazing down at her disciple.

“I know.”

At her master’s sudden words, Ariel’s face didn’t change at all. She replied softly:

“After living with her day in, day out for so long, how could I not tell her lies apart? That silly girl can’t even lie properly. Church assistance... impossible. This money...”

She lowered her head to look at the stack of Aemils, tears of emotion misting the corners of her eyes.

“This money, Liya must have earned through her own hard work, right? Fool. Sneaking around all this time—you really think I didn’t notice?”

As she said this, Ariel’s mind had already started picturing Liya’s clumsy figure struggling to earn money.

She was good at Holy Light—had she been treating the injured and sick? Or had she been running errands for some professors at the Academy?

To earn this much, whichever way, it had to have been exhausting. Judging from the look she had just now when she came back, she must have been worn out.

“...Is this good?”

“Of course not.”

Ariel took a deep breath. “But since Liya chose not to tell me, if I keep pressing her, I’ll only embarrass her.”

“Since she’s so sincere in wanting to help me, I can’t let her down all the more!”

“So the only thing I need to do now is work harder to improve myself!”

“I have to become strong—strong enough to truly help Liya!”

“And besides...”

She looked to the side.

At the other end of her desk was a stack of bills piled like a little hill.

And stuck to the front of that paper hill was a newspaper.

The boldest headline reported the hottest piece of news at the moment:

[Word from the palace: The Campbell duke’s son and Princess Celicia will complete their engagement ceremony on the princess’s birthday.]

“I won’t lose to you, Muen Campbell!”

Staring at the newspaper, Ariel’s eyes blazed with determination.

“...Mm. To see you thinking this way—your master is very gratified.”

Seeing her disciple brimming with peerless fighting spirit and confidence, the phantom smiled in satisfaction.

Although she had gone through major setbacks during this time, they had not crushed her spirit. On the contrary, they had forced her heart to grow stronger, her will more resolute.

That was precisely the quality required on the path to the strongest.

The beautiful phantom felt more and more that her judgment had not been wrong. Ariel Bugaard—her future was bound to shape the course of the entire world!

“Don’t worry. With the effort you’re putting in, that pampered duke’s son can’t possibly catch up to you,” the phantom consoled.

“I know!”

Ariel clenched her fist. “But I still won’t slack off!”

“Good. In that case, let’s begin today’s lesson.”

“Yes!” Ariel responded loudly, full of heroic spirit.

“But before we start, you’ll need to prepare a few things first.”

The phantom beauty stroked her chin. “Five ounces of a Dominator-class beast’s scale powder, one ounce of Monair flower pollen, one pure mana crystal, and a few auxiliaries. Hmm... I remember the Academy should sell those.”

“Ah? A-again... again with the spending?”

Ariel froze. Her heroic air instantly collapsed, and she cried bitterly:

“Can’t we switch to a cultivation method that doesn’t burn money?”

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

The phantom beauty shot her foolish disciple a glare, hating iron for not becoming steel.

“In this world, do you think there’s such a thing as growing stronger without paying?”

“B-but... those things... so expensive...”

Ariel lowered her head, staring at the still-warm banknotes in her hands. She had been planning to scrimp a little and add a chicken drumstick to tomorrow’s lunch, but now...

“Master...”

“Mm?”

“Black bread...”

Ariel lifted her head, tears streaming down her face as she forced a smile.

“...so delicious.”

“...”

...

...

On the other side, in Muen’s dormitory, the lights shone bright.

Night was deep, yet he was holding a slip of paper, busying himself with a custom-made marble bathtub before him.

“Dominator-class beast’s scale powder, five ounces... Hm? How heavy is an ounce again? Whatever, just dump it all in.”

“Monair flower pollen, one ounce... mm, one-fifth of what I just used... ah, too fast. How much is one-fifth again? Whatever, dump it all in too.”

“Pure mana crystals. Doesn’t say how many. I’ve still got ten on me...”

“And other auxiliaries... all cheap junk anyway. Might as well toss in extra.”

After all that fussing, Muen looked at the bathtub, at the liquid so thick with ingredients it had turned viscous. His mouth twitched oddly.

“This recipe Teacher Meladomir gave me is sounding more and more like a soup recipe.”

“But I don’t think she’d actually mess with me on something like this.”

Muen didn’t think too hard about it. He stripped down and sank into the tub.

In an instant—

Without the strict proportions of the prescription, the rampaging medicinal force surged like a tsunami, battering his body and twisting his face in pain.

An ordinary person would probably have exploded and died long ago under this reckless body-forging.

But.

“Compared to Teacher Meladomir and the torment of the Mercury Well, you’re still far behind!”

Muen clenched his teeth.

Crimson fire roared within him, devouring that violent medicinal power and turning it into pure life force that nourished his body.

“Hu...”

Muen let out a long breath.

The drug power was gradually absorbed, and with his recent training and all the accumulated boosts, it pushed his body cultivation higher and higher.

Until it halted before a barrier.

“Peak of Second Rank already?”

Muen flexed his hand, savoring the change with satisfaction. He praised aloud:

“Worthy of being a formula Teacher Meladomir said was for Third Rank—the effect really is outstanding.

“Except...”

He looked down at the liquid in the tub, now completely drained of energy, and rubbed his chin.

With the Crimson Flame skimming off the top, he’d actually absorbed maybe only a third.

“Kinda feels like a waste.”

“...Forget it.”

That twinge of guilt over waste was quickly tossed aside.

“It’s not like it’s expensive anyway...”