Herbs here, herbs there, and herbs all over the pce. There were rare materials and ingredients everywhere, the marketpce painted green, red, blue, hold, and so much more. The people were abuzz, goods and items moved here and there.

  It was yet another day, and the weekend is upon the world once again. There was no css in the academies, and so, the market was more crowded than usual, students and professors alike expl the pce to buy ingredients for their alchemy needs.

  The merts didn't let go of the opportunity either, taking out fresh items to dispy in order to attract ers. The Herb Market was petitive as ever, merts calling towards ers and bargaining every now and then.

  "No. I 't do that, Miss. If I go any lower than this, I will be the one losing money here! 300 kiels a bundle, nothing less!"

  "Mmng... 3500 kiels for a dozen bundles! How about that?!" ［Yuna］

  "Ugh...! Fine! 3500 kiels it is! That's a done deal!"

  And amongst these bargains, Yuna articipating in one. She was quite the fiere, barely budging an in her price. Evehe mert was on the losing side, he had no other choice but to accept, otherwise, he might never be able to sell them until they expire. It was the best he could do.

  In the end, Yuna bought 3 dozen bundles of herbs and paid the mert, silver and bronze s shimmering uhe sky as she hahem over to the mert. It was a wonderful trade, Yuna heading back with a satisfied smile on her face.

  The young dy barely bargained with the merts, but for the first time ever since, she decided to do so, successfully sshing down the prices in her first try. Both her charisma ainess was a hard bo to ignore.

  "You sure look happy. So, how was your first bargain?" ［Grey］

  "It was great! I saved 1,300 kiels from it! Aren't I amazing?" ［Yuna］

  "Ohh～! That's amazing. You might have a talent for this." ［Grey］

  "Right～? I suddenly feel like a real mert!" ［Yuna］

  Decred the young dy, puffing out her ample chest and beaming a proud smile. She was now brimming with fidence, ready to head to another shop and start bargaining once more, looking forward to how much money she could save.

  Meanwhile, Grey could only look at her and smile a warm smile. He's always had his special eyes so he's never had a reason tain so much, only needing to look at the other party aermihat they were lying or not.

  Still, seeing Yuna try a bit of bargaining was not a bad experience. In fact, he might even learn a thing or two from her, greatly satisfied knowing that she won't be bullied by veteran merts if she ever ventures into the world of mertry alone.

  "Still, Yuna... Why did you suddenly start bargaining? You usually just buy them as long as the price seems reasonable. Is it because of the Academy?" ［Grey］

  "The Academy, well, ly... It was Alea who taught me the basics of bargaining and how to gain the upper hand iiations." ［Yuna］

  "Alea? Why so suddenly?" ［Grey］

  "I'm not really sure... She just said it was good to learn it, otherwise, people might start taking advantage of me. And looking at it irospect.., I really did spend quite a lot of money on my alchemy, didn't I?" ［Yuna］

  It wasn't just a lot, it was a mountain of money. Especially including all the aus as Yuna had participated in. She had lost millions of kiels, when she could have just found a better way to settle it. She was simply too carefree back then.

  Though they have a ton of money, it still doesn't exempt them from the fact that they were being wasteful. It was best to save up every kiel they could, and make sure to spend it reasonably. They already are adults, after all.

  "Oh, speaking of being taken advantage of... How are your csses? I heard that some people had been pulling dirty tricks on you." ［Grey］

  "Ah, those... Well, they really were mean, but I hahem." ［Yuna］

  "Are you sure? You shouldn't tolerate bullying, you know? Just tell me when you want to teach them a lesson, I'll be sure to ingrain it to their bones." ［Grey］

  "Grey, you sound scary when you talk like that." ［Yuna］

  Replied Yuna, barely any worries in her eyes. The bullying and harassment has been going on for a couple days already, and it has only increased ever since, more and more tricks being pulled against her every single day.

  There were pranks where they switched her vials, some times where her tools and items suddenly disappeared, sudden winds rushing at her, drawings and doodles in her desks, and many more. The typical harassment one would see in TV shows.

  Of course, not a single one of these harassments worked on Yuna, her quickly and easily resolving things with a bit of magic. She even received more merit points after finishing the tasks with great handicaps, much to the perpetrators' dissatisfa.

  "And besides, they're just kids. Just leave them be for now, Grey. They're just kids doing childish things, you know?!" ［Yuna］

  "Yuna, you do know that you're youhan most of them, right? And if we're talking about being childish, then... You would be at the top of the list, My Dear." ［Grey］

  "W-What?! I'm not that childish!" ［Yuna］

  "Oh, really? Have you looked at yourself in the mirror tely?" ［Grey］

  But perhaps the biggest bully of them all was her than her very own fiancé, always finding ways to poke fun at her. Grey teases the young dy both day and night, his slight chuckles ringing over Yuna's ears time and time again.

  Of course, his "teasing" during the night was on a whole different level, making the young dy's face blush a feverish red color as he showers her as much affe as possible. He was a plete beast beyond redemption.

  "So, what's the real reason?" ［Grey］

  "Umm, well... That... I find it fun how they always fail their attempts. They actually look quite cute and pitiful when trying their best." ［Yuna］

  "Wow... I didn't think my fiancée had a side like this..." ［Grey］

  "H-Hey! What's with that tone?! You're teasing me again, aren't you?" ［Yuna］

  Though perhaps the real reason why Yuna still didn't take any a was that she found it fun how the perpetrators still always fail their every attempt. It was like she ying a game where she had to avoid getting ered by the enemy.

  It may be unorthodox and straight up insane, but Yun finds it very satisfying, making her days a bit more iing when she's always up against the bckboard. It was a good way to switch up her pad have a little bit of fun.

  Also, the very obvious expressions Jermel and his ente make every tIme whehey fail is also quite fun to watch. Seeing them frown in dissatisfa and ch their fists in anger was a sight to see. Yuna was surprisingly diabolical.

  'Is my fiancé perhaps a sadist...?' ［Grey］

  Thought Grey, cupping his ever so slightly all the while he looked at his cute and angelic fia seems like his teasing had once again influenced her, turning her personality a little twisted. He was a bit ed, actually.

  "Grey, you just thought of something rude just now, didn't you?" ［Yuna］

  "I don't know what you're talking about, Midy." ［Grey］

  "No! You clearly were thinking of something rude just now! Don't try to deny it! I see it on your face!" ［Yuna］

  "Maybe you just saw wrongly? It happens from time to time." ［Grey］

  The shenanigans tio unfold, and the two of them tiheir buying of the herbs, Yuna bargaining fiercely with the merts as if it was nobody's business. It was truly an absurd sight to behold, Grey buying a couple of ingredients for lunch.

  There were some failures and successes, but overall, Yuna got a pretty good start. She saved over 15 thousand kiels in just a single shipping spree, gaining a rge amount of experien bargaining. She was a talent to behold.

  All jokes aside, Grey and Yuna soon headed back towards Camellia Valley in order to put the ingredients to good use. Grey headed to the kit to cook, and Yuna in the Sanctuary while she brews potion after potion for the day.

  BLUB BLUB BLUB BLUB

  The fmes danced in the wind and the solution boiled like water. Yuna was now cog ahesia for hunting down Mid-Ras. It was an item potent enough to knock them out in a matter of seds the moment they're hit,

  Yuna turned up the heat even more and the liquid soon turned into vapor, leaving only sediments at the bottom of the fsks. The vapor soon underwent distiltion, everything densing bato a liquid ihe cooling chamber.

  The liquid solution dripped down another fsk, drop by drop, clear as be with barely any st to differentiate it from water. It was cool and very fluid, only a couple more steps left before it became something barely usable.

  "Then add some Wartwood extracts... Heat it up again... And..." ［Yuna］

  The young dy didn't waste any more time. As soon as the distilled liquid was ready, she immediately moved her hands and added a couple more things in the mix, soon ging the color of the clear solution into a slightly green liquid.

  All that was needed was a bit of shaking and for the final touch, Yuna added some mana into the liquid, thiing it a little bit and making it glow ever so dimly. A bit more shaking ter and the item was finally done.

  Yuna then took out several tube vials and distributed the solutions to each of the vials. A total of 18 has been made, each of them eligible to be used even after 10 years of st. Such magnifit potion with an amazing shelf life.

  "Phew... That really was a lot..." ［Yuna］

  "Oh, looks like you're finished already. Here, have some snacks," ［Grey］

  "Ah, thank you! You're the best, Grey!" ［Yuna］

  Grey soon arrived, bringing a tray in his hands. There were snacks and fruit juice to be seen, Yuna eyes lighting up brightly the moment she saw Grey. She quickly gave him a hug, then proceeding to eat some of the snacks the former brought.

  "Mmn～! These are delicious, Grey! They're my favorites!" ［Yuna］

  "Your favorites... Don't you say that with everything you eat?" ［Grey］

  No, she wasn't just eating. She happily wolfed down the snacks and whilst wearing a bright smile. She has been too absolved in her work for several hours already, she pletely to eat some snacks. Thankfully, Grey was there to save the day.

  Of course, Yuna's cos weren't just the ahetic items she just made, but a lot more. There were healing potions, revitalizing potions, beast repelnts, calming creams, premium sleeping pills, and so much more.

  In fact, there were already heaps and piles of items piled atop the tables, hundreds upon hundreds of vials present by the racks and ready to be used. Yuna has just made another batch, aiming to make a couple thousand before the end of the day,

  "Mmn～! Those were some good snacks! I feel so much better now!" ［Yuna］

  "Oh? Yoing tain, Yuna? Shouldn't you rest a little first?" ［Grey］

  "No, it's okay. I still have a lot of energy in me! I o finish all of them before my motivation runs out! I want to make some more!" ［Yuna］

  Unlike usual, Yuna didn't savor her time as much while she was snag and wolfed all of them down in just a matter of minutes. She soon headed back to her w area, a strong and vigorous fme of determination burning in her eyes.

  Grey was quite a bit worried about how excited she was, but seeing her work so hard and py around with motivation was more than enough for him. He could only heave a sigh in resignation and cheer on his beloved.

  "Then, good luck, Yuna. I know you do it." ［Grey］

  "Un! You t on me!" ［Yuna］

  Her eyes burning with delight, Yuna then proceeded with her usual alchemy. Now, she wasn't just making any normal items, she is making Superirade items only alchemists of her caliber mao coct.

  Yuna took out a rge number of magits and chaos quickly spewed in the whole boratory. Though most magits act like normal ingredients after getting picked, some were still as feisty when they were still alive, still pag some fighting spirit,

  FWOOOOOSHHH FWOOOOOSHHH BOOM BOOM BOOM

  One magi particur was very fierce. It itting out fmes all over the pce, hot enough to melt steel at a siouch. It was fierough that even Mid-Rankers would be in danger if they were too careless.

  Thankfully, the items ihe boratory were top-notot a single one damaged by the magit's shing fmes. Rather, they only looked more sparkly, looking as if they just underwent a fierce sterilization.

  "Shut up already, will you?!" ［Yuna］

  Of course, such fmes were no match for the young dy. All she o do was smack the rampaging magit and it was quickly silenced, coughing a couple huffs and puffs of smoke as it ehe pain of Yuna's smag.

  It tried to fight back again, opening its flowers for a big one, but before it could even bst its fmes, it was once again hit by a smack, and another, and one more. It was futile resistance, only receiving more pain the more it tried tle.

  "Don't be so stubborn, Torchflower! Yoing to be ground into powder anyway! Stop it before I beat you up even harder!" ［Yuna］

  Fiercely annouhe young dy as she shook the poor torchflower violently as be. It was good that it doesn't have any real sentienotions, else it would surely be bawling right now, g out injustice over unfair treatment.

  In the end, the torchflower finally stopped struggling, losing its will to resist. It may not have true intelligence, but it instinctively khat it would be hit the more it tries to defy the young dy. It was actually quite pitiful to watch.

  "Haha... I sure have a fierce fiancée..." ［Grey］

  "Hm? Did you say something just now, Grey?" ［Yuna］

  "Nothing... I was just talking to myself." ［Grey］

  The torchflower rocessed by Yuna, turned into two materials. There were its extracts made by crushing its whole body finely arag the liquid tents using water magic. The rest was shredded using wind magic, turo powder.

  With the feisty part now done, Yuna soon tinued with her work and took out a few more ingredients to pliment the torchflower materials she just processed. Most of them were also magits, all costing several thousands of kiels.

  FIZZLE FIZZLE FIZZLE BOOM BOOM FWOOSH

  The process of making the potion was not any less difficult either, violent explosions resounding in the air, harmful fumes oozing out of the cauldron, and liquids bubbling ireme temperatures, sometimes scorg hot and other times freezing cold.

  It rocess whieeded extreme care and delicacy, a single mistake able to turn such preaterials into useless rubbish. At worst, the whole setup would explode in fmes or produce a simirly catastrophic result.

  "Hmmn～? Mmn～? Mhmmn～? Mmmn～?" ［Yuna］

  However, there was o fear anything with Yuna around. Her precision and trol is beyond what is humanly possible, extreme acuity plimenting her quid dexterous movements. She was even humming cheerfully to herself.

  What would be an impossible challeo alchemists her age was but an easy task for her. Her rhythm was beyond perfed her form erfect like a coordinator leading an orchestra, not wasting any bit of efficy.

  'Hahaha. She sure is having a lot of fun. I wonder how this se would look in a portrait... Should I paint oer?' ［Grey］

  In fact, she was so beautiful, Grey couldn't help but want to paint a portrait of Yuna while perf alchemy. The more he looked at Yuna, the more beautiful it became, a fantastical se unfolding before his purple eyes.

  SNAP SNAP SNAP SNAP

  Of course, there was no way he would pass up on taking a couple pictures of the young dy. She would normally pin, but with her as focused as she is right now, she didn't even realize Grey was taking photos of her.

  It was as beautiful as one would expect, worthy to be framed and proudly dispyed in a museum. It was going to be added into Grey's "Yuna" album once again, a satisfied smile blooming on his face, looking like a fool.

  "Well... I should probably get going now..." ［Grey］

  Regrettably, Grey has some other things to do as well. He had just reached Tier-8 in enting not long ago, and it was time to try out his newfound skills oems he fed with his bcksmithing skills.

  Though not as much as Yuna, Grey was also quite fond of his bcksmithing and enting. His heart was getting pumped up just thinking of the possibilities of the items he could produce, itg to work his hands once again.

  "Yuna, I'll be going now. I left a couple more snacks here. Make sure to eat whenever you take a break, alright?" ［Grey］

  Grey said, but there were no respoo be heard. Yuna was still very focused with her work, seemingly lost in her own world. It was good that she was very hardw but there are times when it felt a little w.

  Yuna, were you listening to me? ［Grey］

  "A-Ah! Un! I will be cooking dier! I got it!" ［Yuna］

  "That's not what I said, you know..." ［Grey］

  Nope, she wasn't listening at all, jolting as if a ghost just jumpscared her. Of course, Grey only spoke to her when she was only and thinking of what to do, not causing any mishaps. Safety still es first, after all.

  "Haah... Fet about it. Just make sure to eat your snacks and not to overwork yourself. Take some breaks every on a while, alright?" ［Grey］

  "U-Un! I'll make sure to remember that!" ［Yuna］

  "Don't just remember it, make sure to do it. I'll che you ter, and I don't want even a single speck of food left on your pte, uood?" ［Grey］

  "Un! I'll wipe my pte for sure!" ［Yuna］

  Or so she said, but with how excited she looked, Grey couldn't really trust her. All he could trust was her stomad her gluttony. He could rest assured that she would eat at least a couple sandwiches and drink some water.

  "Then, I'll be going ahead now. Just make sure to remember what I said. Oh, and you might want to hurry it up with your brewing. One fsk is already bubbling." ［Grey］

  "Ah! U-Un! I'll see you ter～! I love you!" ［Yuna］

  "Yeah, I love you too. Take care." ［Grey］

  A sweet and sappy atmosphere brewing in the air, the lovers soon separated and headed their own pces. Yuna stayed behind to duct her alchemy, whilst Grey headed a distance away to start hammering the metals and materials.

  Hammer strikes soon echoed in the air, apanied with the scorg whistles of the fmes and the thundering explosions from the boratory. The clouds tio drift in the sky, two figures wearing bright smiles on their beautiful faces.

  ...

  K K K K

  Vials were shaken and liquids were poured. The solutions were trated and diluted, undergoi and cold as it ged from color to color, sistency varying with the passage of time, clearly fumes rising in the air.

  A bespectacled man stood proud and facilitated the whole process. He moved with grad majesty, not spilling a single drop and not making even a single mistake. His eyes, as clear as the sparkling kes, peered into the vials with a gentle passion.

  The whole process was soon over, a series of ks and thuds eg in the air as the man put down the gss vials. He flicked the switches and turned off the heat, a herbal and calming st wafting through the whole room.

  "Haah... This is quite the fearsome poison, isn't it?" ［Fran］

  That man was her than the Headmaster of Darius Academy, quite a puzzled look on his face as he tried out new formus provided by the professorsー or rather, reyed by the professors. They were recipes made by the ever so cheerful Yuna.

  Not only were they new and effective, they were also more cost-effective pared to the current formus used by Alchemists. Some were even more potent than the current formus, capable of revolutionizing the alchemy world...

  No, with the cepts w behind the recipes, it is already revolutionizing the eople will think about alchemy. The moment they are released to the public, it would surely cause a massive wave of ge throughout the whole world.

  "New formus, huh..." ［Fran］

  The Headmaster already knew how fearsome Yuna's skills are, but it even surpassed his imagination. Her way of thinking is pletely different from his, not having any fears to try out new and eous ideas. She was an alchemist amongst alchemists.

  "Hahaha... Looks like I've gotten too old now. I really have to hand it over to the geion already." ［Fran］

  All he could do was ugh and look forward to the unknown future...

  CHAPTER 375 END