Yize felt like he was done for—now, he was bound to become the target of everyone’s scorn.
Shala Yulixisi glanced at Yize, somewhat surprised.
She hadn’t expected that this junior, who normally blended into the background at the academy and was even a bit timid, could come up with such a… ingenious and effective plan outside the academy.
Though the methods were a bit sharp, the intention was clearly to help his companions out of a tight spot.
Thinking of the mental torment Yize had endured in his early years and the pressure brought by his “useless” Talent Points, Shala couldn’t help but feel a surge of sympathy.
‘It seems, over these years, he’s had to endure so much alone—forced to become meticulous just to survive in the cracks between others.’
Her gaze toward Yize grew even softer, filled with a senior’s tolerance and protection for a junior who’d suffered so much at fate’s hands.
Yize was anxiously uneasy, thinking Shala would despise him for using such underhanded means. But when he looked up, he found himself once again met by those gentle, all-embracing eyes, warm with kindness.
Yize: “……” He shivered, a chill running down his spine.
This was more unnerving than being scolded by Rogge.
What on earth was Senior Sister Shala imagining this time?
Rogge’s cold snort broke the subtle atmosphere.
He pushed his glasses up, his gaze sharp as he looked at Shala. “Shala, the evidence is clear. Shouldn’t you, on behalf of Xingyao Academy, give us at Lemon Academy a reasonable explanation? As one of the Empire’s Four Great Magic Academies, why would your academy’s disciples go to such lengths to set us up, humiliating Lemon Academy in this way?”
His words resounded forcefully, instantly raising the incident to the level of the academy’s reputation.
Shala’s face still bore that warm smile, gentle enough to melt away ice and snow. Her gaze first swept over the nervous Yize and Luke, finally settling on Aima Kelihe, who hung her head in shame.
She reached out and gently patted Aima’s trembling shoulder, a comforting gesture that made Aima freeze, a blush uncontrollably spreading over her cheeks.
Only then did Shala turn to Rogge, her tone calm yet clear: “Rogge, I think you’ve misunderstood. My juniors did not slander your academy. What they stated was simply a fact.”
Everyone was stunned.
Even Yize was dazed, staring at Shala in disbelief.
Rogge’s facial muscles twitched, nearly laughing at this brazen reversal of black and white. “Shala, what do you mean by that? Having someone pretend to be a student of our academy and publicly belittle our potions—is that not slander?”
The atmosphere in the tavern instantly turned tense, on the brink of a confrontation.
Outwardly calm, Rogge’s mind was racing: Shala was a fifth-tier mage, her strength far exceeding his own.
His specialty was pharmacy, not combat.
If the other side really wanted to use force, he might have to resort to some unconventional means… like the special potions he always carried.
Students from other academies exchanged glances; some were already quietly moving their feet, preparing to intervene with words if things escalated.
Many glances turned to Ruiya from Liyue Academy. As a third party with no direct stake in the conflict, she was the best candidate for mediation.
But Ruiya only stood at the edge of the crowd, arms folded, expressionless and cold as she watched events unfold.
Her gaze occasionally swept past Yize, who was trying to shrink into himself. In her silver-gray eyes flickered a trace of complex emotion—hard to read, and no one knew what she was thinking.
Facing Rogge’s question, Shala remained unhurried. She raised a hand to the image lingering in midair, her tone still gentle yet carrying undeniable force:
“What I mean is, based on this recording, the potion crafted by my Junior Sister Aima outperforms your academy’s standard potion—sold at Jingyue Wharf—in both recovery and the added boost to elemental affinity. If this is an indisputable fact, then stating it cannot possibly count as humiliation, can it?”
Yize was shaken to the core.
His Senior Sister wasn’t just strong—her logical reasoning and ability to improvise on the spot were top-notch!
And with such upright principles! No wonder she was the officially acknowledged heroine.
“You’re lying!” Elusi leapt out, pointing at the bar’s waiter hiding behind Rogge. “That waiter already confessed—the person testing the potion was a hired actor! And that redhead is one of your own, so how can his words count? Besides, the potions our Lemon Academy sells at the wharf are meant for the general public—they’re just ordinary quality. The really excellent potions are reserved for the Royal Family and the major Noble Families. How can you compare them?”
Shala didn’t get angry at these words; instead, she nodded approvingly. “You’re quite right. Ordinary potions can’t be directly compared to top-grade ones, and the presence of an actor does affect the credibility of the test.”
She changed the subject, eyes gleaming as she looked at Rogge. “In that case, why not settle this in the fairest way possible? Let my Junior Sister Aima and one of your academy’s outstanding disciples of the same level have a live contest in potion-making. Let’s see who can craft the superior magic potion under identical conditions.”
She paused, her tone solemn. “Rogge, as the representative of Lemon Academy, if my Junior Sister loses to one of your disciples, I, Shala Yulixisi, will present a generous gift in my capacity as Chief Student of Xingyao Academy and personally bring these juniors of mine to Lemon Academy to apologize.”
“But—” She raised her chin slightly, the smile never leaving her face, though her eyes grew sharper. “If your academy’s disciple loses… then the recording proves the ‘superior effect’ beyond all doubt. And if it’s the truth, there’s no question of ‘humiliation.’ Well?”
Rogge was left both amused and infuriated by this airtight argument.
A potion-making contest with Lemon Academy?
That was practically asking for humiliation. He forcibly suppressed his anger and gave a cold snort. “A contest in potion-making? Quite the ‘fair’ suggestion. But I won’t participate myself, lest rumors spread that Lemon Academy has to rely on senior students to bully Xingyao Academy’s juniors.”
Shala seemed to have anticipated this response and smiled brightly as ever. “Of course. However, when the time comes, if your academy’s representative loses, you can’t use excuses like ‘I didn’t try my best’ or ‘I let them win on purpose’ to claim you can’t accept the result.”
With that, she turned to Aima, who was trembling slightly from excitement and nerves, and asked softly, “Junior Sister, this match concerns not only the academy’s reputation but also your own. You…won’t lose, right?”
Aima jerked her head up. The shame and anxiety on her face were replaced by determination.
She took a deep breath, pressed her right hand to her chest, and declared in an extremely solemn tone, “I, Aima Kelihe, swear on my family’s honor: in this battle, I will win!”
This wasn’t just to wash away the shame of being slandered—it was to prove to everyone that her value, Aima’s value, did not need to rely on anyone else’s radiance.
She wanted Xingyao Academy to remember that, aside from Shala, there was also an Aima who was no less skilled in potion-making!
“Senior Rogge! Please let me take this match!” Elusi eagerly volunteered.
She and Aima were both third-tier mages, their magical prowess equally matched, and she was also extremely talented, never having neglected her potion studies for the sake of magic. She was the perfect choice for the contest.
Rogge pondered a moment, then nodded. “Very well, Junior Sister. You will represent Lemon Academy. Do your best to show our friends from Xingyao Academy the true standard of Lemon Academy’s potion-making.”
He had great confidence in his junior, certain she could never lose to Xingyao Academy.
A sudden conflict was thus temporarily resolved by the promise of an impending duel.
Everyone moved to the specialized potion room provided by Jingyue Chamber of Commerce.
Here, the equipment was complete, and all materials were standardized to ensure fairness.
Aima and Elusa stood before identical potion-making setups, expressions focused, the air tense with invisible gunpowder.
Luke glanced at the confident Lemon Academy students on the other side, then leaned nervously toward Yize and whispered, “Senior Yize, Senior Sister Aima…she really won’t lose, right?”
Yize’s gaze passed over Aima’s calm profile, her face serene with concentration. He recalled how she’d improved the formula and produced hundreds of potions in a single night, and that treasured diagram she kept—the one he’d absentmindedly sketched for her two years ago… He let out a slow breath, his tone steady with an analysis grounded in facts:
“Don’t worry. She won’t lose.”
He wasn’t blindly optimistic. Over the years, by studying the Random Attribute Point System’s infuriating quirks, he’d figured out some rules. For skills like [Potion-making and Poison-crafting], the cap seemed to be 100 points, with a clear threshold every 10 points.
With less than 10 points, you might just barely handle the ingredients; at 10–20 points, you could attempt the simplest potions, but success rates were low; reaching 20–30 points, you could reliably make standard-quality potions—enough to open a shop.
Talent Points above 30 meant you truly understood potion principles, could guarantee quality, and even make small improvements.
Breaking past 60 was a transformation. This meant a potion-maker could independently research and develop new potions, transcending standard recipes and infusing them with their own innovation.
When Yize casually improved that diagram two years ago, his potion-making Talent Points were at 61—just past the threshold.
Now, with Aima able to instantly grasp and develop a new potion that boosted both healing and elemental affinity just from his hint about “using external Arrays,” it was clear her potion-making talent had at least touched the 60-point threshold, or even higher.
That level was enough to be called a “Master” anywhere in the Empire, easily qualified to be the exclusive potion-maker for a Noble Family.
As for Elusa, while her talent was impressive, Yize had far more confidence in Aima’s focus, dedication, and now awakened fighting spirit.
(As for Yize himself…he glanced at the attribute panel in his mind, rarely paid attention to. The [Potion-making and Poison-crafting] talent behind the 91 was almost overflowing. But that wasn’t important—he just wanted to stay a nobody.)
This wasn’t just a contest between two academy students—it was Aima’s battle to prove her worth to everyone.
Yize was certain—she would not lose.
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