CHAPTER 74: LESSONS IN HEALING ALCHEMY

Chapter 74: Lessons in Healing Alchemy

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It had been several days since the midterm tests ended. The atmosphere in Class 1-D slowly returned to something like normal. The tension from the duels and the threat of expulsion had faded a little. Students were back to their usual routine: chatting before class, sharing food, or gossiping about other classes. Even those who had been shaken by what happened seemed to want to move forward.

On this day, Class 1-D had a lesson in alchemic chemistry. The classroom was already prepared with several sets of equipment: glass beakers, crystal flasks, and containers of ingredients lined up neatly on side tables. The faint smell of herbs and powdered minerals hung in the air.

At the front of the room stood their lecturer, Mage Amelia. She was different from the other academy mages. Unlike most who wore the robes of academia, Amelia wore a partial set of armor. A plate covered her shoulders, with matching guards strapped to her wrists and legs. It wasn’t a full battle kit, but it was enough to give the impression of readiness. She carried herself like someone who had walked out of the battlefield only yesterday.

Arios sat quietly in the second row, a notebook open in front of him. He had a pen in hand, and while the rest of the class exchanged nervous whispers, he was calm. Lucy sat beside him, her face bright but her eyes already showing worry as she glanced at the alchemy equipment. She leaned closer to him.

"Alchemy again," Lucy whispered. "I’m not going to understand half of this."

"You’ll be fine if you pay attention," Arios said simply, jotting down the title written on the blackboard: Healing Alchemy: Basic Principles.

The chatter died down when Amelia raised her hand. Her voice was firm but not unkind.

"Good morning, Class 1-D. Today we will begin practical lessons in healing alchemy. This is one of the most important subjects you will study, whether you intend to become a mage in the academy or mage Knight later on in life. Remember this: no matter how powerful you are, if you cannot heal or be healed, you will eventually fall."

Her words carried weight, and most students straightened in their seats. Amelia gave a small nod and continued.

"I am Mage Amelia. Aside from teaching here, I serve as a Mage Knight medic. I have been on real battlefields, where the difference between life and death depended on how fast I could stabilize a wound. The reason I wear armor even here is to remind myself that duty never ends, and neither should your discipline."

She tapped the armored plate on her shoulder, the sound ringing in the quiet room. Some students exchanged looks, impressed by her presence.

"Now," Amelia went on, "who can tell me the primary ingredient used in beginner-grade healing salves?"

Several students hesitated. Elisa Ravencroft raised her hand smoothly. Her voice was calm and sharp when Amelia nodded at her.

"Silverleaf herb," Elisa answered. "It contains natural restorative properties that can be enhanced through basic alchemic infusion. It works best on external injuries like cuts and bruises."

"Correct," Amelia said with approval. "Silverleaf is the base. It does not heal instantly, but it accelerates natural recovery. Good."

Javier, seated two rows back, raised his hand almost immediately after. Amelia allowed him to speak.

"Actually," Javier said, leaning forward, "Silverleaf isn’t the only option. Bloodfern can be used as well. In fact, it’s stronger than Silverleaf if you prepare it right. Saying Silverleaf is the primary ingredient is too narrow."

Elisa turned her head slightly, her expression cool. "Bloodfern requires a stabilizer or it causes side effects. For a beginner-level salve, Silverleaf is more practical. The question was about beginner grade."

The tension in the room rose. Some students smirked, waiting to see the back-and-forth. Javier folded his arms.

"So we’re just going to pretend like Bloodfern doesn’t exist? You’re acting like there’s only one correct answer."

Amelia stepped in, her tone steady. "Both of you are correct in part. Elisa, your answer fits the scope of beginner lessons. Javier, your point about Bloodfern is valid, but it is beyond the level we are focusing on right now. Remember, the question was about primary ingredients for beginners. Context matters."

Elisa inclined her head politely and said no more. Javier leaned back, clearly unsatisfied, but kept quiet for the moment.

Lucy nudged Arios. "I don’t get it. Isn’t healing just mixing herbs together and chanting a spell?"

Arios didn’t look at her, his pen still moving across the page. "It’s more complicated than that. The herbs react differently depending on preparation. Wrong ratios can make wounds even worse."

Lucy groaned quietly and sank a little in her seat.

Amelia began writing on the board. "Healing alchemy follows three stages. First is extraction of natural essence. Second is infusion with magical energy. Third is stabilization. If any of these are skipped or rushed, you risk creating poison instead of medicine."

She wrote the terms Extraction – Infusion – Stabilization clearly, underlining them twice.

"Now," she said, "let’s do an example. Who can tell me what happens if you fail the stabilization stage?"

A hand went up from the back, a boy named Cedric. "It loses effect?"

"Not just that," Amelia corrected. "It becomes toxic. The same salve meant to close wounds can instead cause tissue decay. This is why discipline is critical. Sloppy work kills."

Her words made a few students shiver. She walked to the side table and picked up a jar of Silverleaf powder.

"Let’s prepare one together. Elisa, come forward."

Elisa stood, her steps composed, and joined Amelia at the front. The teacher placed a small set of tools in front of her.

"First step?" Amelia asked.

"Essence extraction," Elisa replied confidently. She picked up the Silverleaf and began grinding it in the mortar. The soft sound of grinding filled the room. Elisa’s movements were precise, almost mechanical.

Amelia nodded. "Good technique. You see how she maintains even pressure? This keeps the essence pure."

When Elisa had finished, Amelia turned to the class. "Who will try the infusion step?"

Javier raised his hand at once. Amelia allowed it, and Javier walked up, smirking slightly. He placed his hands over the powdered herb and began channeling a faint glow of mana into it. The powder shimmered faintly.

"Too much," Elisa said flatly.

Javier frowned. "I know what I’m doing."

But after a few seconds, the powder began to clump oddly, and the glow flickered. Amelia quickly placed a hand on it, dispersing the energy.

"Control," Amelia said firmly. "You forced the energy instead of letting it flow. Elisa was right. You nearly destabilized it."

Javier clicked his tongue and stepped back, clearly irritated.

Lucy whispered to Arios, "I would’ve blown it up if that was me."

"You would have," Arios said calmly, jotting down what happened.

Lucy pouted. "You don’t have to agree so fast."

The rest of the class chuckled quietly, but Amelia’s attention kept them from getting too loud. She finished the stabilization step herself to demonstrate the correct balance. The powder settled into a faintly glowing paste.

"This," she said, holding it up, "is a basic healing salve. Nothing advanced, but in the field, this saves lives. Never underestimate the basics."

She set it down and faced the class again. "Now, pair up. Each pair will attempt the process under my supervision."

The room filled with movement as students formed pairs. Arios naturally stayed with Lucy, though she looked uneasy.

"I’m going to mess this up, Arios," she admitted.

"Just follow the steps," Arios said. "I’ll guide you."

Across the room, Elisa partnered with another serious-looking student. Javier chose someone at random, still looking annoyed. The other students spread out, preparing their materials.

Amelia walked around, observing each pair. "Steady pressure. Don’t rush the infusion. Remember stabilization."

Lucy began grinding the Silverleaf with shaky hands. Arios watched closely. "Slow down. Keep the pressure even."

Lucy tried again, her movements less clumsy this time. "Like this?"

"Better," Arios said. He noted the texture in his notebook, writing down what worked and what didn’t.

When it came time for the infusion, Lucy looked terrified. "I can’t control it like they do."

"I’ll help guide it," Arios said. He placed his hand over hers and channeled just enough energy to keep it steady. The powder glowed softly without clumping.

Lucy let out a relieved breath. "It worked..."

"Don’t relax yet," Arios said. "Stabilization next."

She carefully followed the step, her tongue peeking out in concentration. Finally, the paste settled. It wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t a failure either.

Amelia walked by and inspected it. "Acceptable. Not excellent, but you won’t kill anyone with this. Keep practicing."

Lucy beamed as if she had just passed a major exam. "We did it!"

Arios simply nodded and wrote more notes.

Meanwhile, Javier’s attempt went poorly. He had forced too much energy again, and the paste emitted a sour smell. Amelia shook her head.

"Your control is aggressive. Healing requires restraint. If you treat medicine like a weapon, you’ll destroy it."

Javier muttered something under his breath, clearly irritated at the criticism.

Elisa, on the other hand, produced a near-perfect salve. Amelia praised her control and precision, using it as an example for the class. Javier glared at her but said nothing.

As the class continued, Amelia made sure every student got a chance to attempt the process. She corrected mistakes quickly, never letting errors pass. The room was filled with grinding sounds, faint magical glows, and occasional frustrated sighs.

By the end of the lesson, most students had at least a basic paste prepared. Some were poor in quality, but Amelia allowed it. The important thing was practice.

"Class dismissed," Amelia finally said. "Remember this lesson. Strength is meaningless if you can’t keep yourself or your allies alive. Next session, we will learn how to combine healing salves with combat application."

The students began packing their things. Elisa left without speaking to anyone, as usual. Javier muttered complaints to a friend. Lucy leaned on Arios’s shoulder.

"I’m glad that’s over," she said. "My head hurts more than my hands."

"You did fine," Arios said, closing his notebook. He had written down every correction, every observation. The lesson wasn’t exciting, but it was valuable.

As they left the classroom, Arios glanced back once at Amelia, who was still cleaning up the equipment. Her armor glinted under the classroom lights.

Then,

[Ding! New Bond Candidate detected.]

[New Bond Candidate: Mage Amelia Identified.]

[Compatibility: 100%]

[Bond Level: 0]

[Requirements: Physical touch only ( MILF PRIME SEDUCTION) ]

[Note: Her cultivation level is way above Mana Refinement sixth stage, Dual Mana Cultivation is advised.]

Is this a catch them all MILF system? Arios thought.