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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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Amy assured me that elves were better at treating demon-inflicted injuries than the Church.
“Oof…!”
Amy winced as Nico’s hand touched her leg. The bandages unwound, revealing a gaping wound, covered in a viscous substance, surrounded by intricately drawn runes. The substance was a special concoction to promote healing, while the runes were elven magic to extract demonic energy. It seemed effective. The blackened flesh had returned to its normal color. Nico’s skills, despite my initial doubts, were impressive.
“Any throbbing pain?” she asked, prodding the wound.
“At night,” Amy replied.
“Good sign. You’ll be discharged within a week.”
A week? I was surprised. An injury like that usually required a month of bed rest. This wasn’t just any demon; it was a greater demon. Nico’s casual tone belied her extraordinary skill.
“What’s that… stuff…?” I asked, pointing at the viscous substance.
“A mixture using orc bone marrow. Orcs have superior regenerative abilities. I extracted the relevant components.”
The room fell silent.
“Orc bone marrow?” River repeated, her voice filled with disbelief.
“The… green pig-faced monsters?” Amy clarified.
“What other orcs are there?” Nico replied, deadpan.
Amy stared at her leg in horror. The substance, still malleable, clung to her skin.
“My leg… is going to turn green…”
“Don’t worry! Even if it’s dark green…! It won’t be much different! As long as it heals without complications…!”
River, flustered, offered unconvincing words of comfort.
She was probably as clueless as Amy. But she wasn’t entirely wrong. A change in skin color was a small price to pay for a full recovery, especially after being exposed to demonic energy. I could heal ordinary wounds, but demonic corruption was beyond my expertise.
“I used brown desert orcs, not green forest orcs, so there shouldn’t be any discoloration.”
“Brown…?”
“Just kidding. It’s just a catalyst to boost your natural healing. Minimal risk of pigmentation.”
A morbid sense of humor. Elves and their… unique sensibilities.
But something about this was familiar. Orc bone marrow… where had I heard that before…? Orc… bone marrow… Academy…
The growth potion!
The paper that had led me here. Was she…?
“Professor, did you write a paper on growth acceleration using orc bone marrow?”
“I did. How do you know?”
It was her. Nico Praha, the recipient of Titan’s research funding, the growth potion researcher.
“Professor, I’d like to discuss something with you. Do you have some time?”
Logically, I should terminate the funding. Her research was expensive, and while the Titan family wasn’t exactly struggling, despite the recent loss of their head, redirecting those funds would have been more beneficial. Her research required numerous “samples,” and the contract included… miscellaneous expenses… in addition to research costs. I had initially dismissed it as… overhead… but it was concerning.
I hadn’t given up on growing taller. It was… illogical… but her research… the growth potion… it was a possibility, however slim.
Her lab was… a testament to her unique taste, to put it mildly. Samples of various monsters and herbs were piled everywhere, some neatly organized, others… not so much. Books, mostly borrowed from the library, were scattered about. Some were almost a decade overdue. Elves and their distorted sense of time. A library hoarder.
But… she was dedicated, maximizing her research time, even if it meant hoarding library books. It was… admirable… in a way. All for the growth potion, the key to my future height. I could forgive her.
I’ll never lend her anything.
“Professor, I’d like to…”
“Shh…”
She placed a finger on my lips, silencing me. Despite her appearance, she smelled of fresh grass, a characteristic of elves.
“You don’t need to say anything. I know.”
Her demeanor had changed. She seemed… excited, almost giddy. Her eyes, behind the thick glasses, sparkled. She smiled, a rather unsettling smile.
“You’re… interested in magical biology… aren’t you?”
I was speechless. Was she serious?
“You even read my paper… Such passion! I’m always happy to mentor aspiring students. Are you aiming for a Master’s? A PhD? Don’t worry, with me as your advisor, you’ll become the Empire’s foremost magical biologist…!”
“Absolutely not.”
I pushed her away. A PhD? With an elf as my advisor? I’d rather sell myself into slavery.
“…Right… who would be interested in such an unpopular field… If not magical biology, then what?”
Her excitement deflated, her demeanor returning to its previous state of exhaustion.
“Wait… Atlas… I remember you. The duel. If it’s about that, I’m not getting involved. I’ve had enough trouble with Buckingham.”
Buckingham, whose class had ended up in the infirmary, had apparently caused quite a stir, demanding the duel be declared invalid.
“You should be grateful. I banned him because he was annoying. A human professor would have caved and invalidated the duel.”
“I didn’t realize… Thank you.”
“I wasn’t trying to help… but… you’re welcome…”
She seemed pleased with my gratitude, but then deflated again. Was she embarrassed by praise?
“Professor, let’s get to the point. You’re busy.”
I retrieved a ring from my pocket, a ring I rarely wore. A simple, unadorned band, crafted from a single polished stone, bearing the crest of the Titan family, a stylized depiction of the Blade Mountains.
“This ring…?”
She looked confused. Had she never seen a man show a ring to another person? How long had she been holed up in her lab? Rings, bearing family crests, were the most common form of jewelry in the Empire.
This ring, given to me on my tenth birthday, was the Titan family ring.
Her eyes widened as she examined the crest.
“I’ve seen this somewhere…”
“Well…”
She couldn’t possibly not recognize the Titan crest. Every letter from the Titan family would have borne this seal.
“My… sponsor…?”
She whispered, her voice trembling.
“Indeed. Shall we discuss your research progress?”
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