After finishing all that, Andre flew home, lay down on his bed, and slept soundly through the night.
The next morning, Andre accompanied Sofia for a stroll around the city.
Thanks to the Dream Messenger’s actions last night, no one recognized Andre.
And so, after spending two days at home, Andre rode off on a horse at sunset, disappearing from Anglo and Sofia’s sight.
’I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to come back.’
Andre rode the horse around a bend and then dismounted. The steed immediately crumbled into a pile of earth and stone, collapsing to the ground.
Then, Andre shot into the sky and flew directly to Qianyuan City, gazing at a scene identical to the one from five years ago.
Five years ago, he, too, had been like these youths, standing beneath this very city wall, queuing up to have his Talent tested.
But five years later, even the King of Qianyuan dared not slight him.
The reason for this was Andre’s status as a Master Alchemist.
In just five years, Andre had become a Master Alchemist.
Although the Potions he could concoct were limited to those used by Wizard Apprentices and Official Wizards, a Master Alchemist was still a Master Alchemist—and an incredibly young one at that.
Once Andre became an Official Wizard, his skill in Pharmacy was bound to take another leap forward. When that happened, getting an audience with him would be far from as simple as it was now.
’Why are there so few people this time?’
Andre stood on the city wall, looking at the youths below, and frowned.
The number of youths here to test their Wizard Talent was a full third less than when he had attended.
"In recent years, the Qianyuan Subcontinent has suffered from frequent floods. Although myself and a few Wizard Apprentices have done what we can to help, it’s been but a drop in the bucket."
"These floods have prevented many families from having children, and a great number of children born within the last ten years have died."
"Even those who did have children only gave birth in the last year or two."
"According to the rules of the Wizard Calendar, children who are only a year or two old are not eligible for the test."
The King of Qianyuan stood beside Andre and explained.
After hearing the King of Qianyuan’s explanation, Andre nodded, then sat down and began eating the fruit the King had ordered brought up for them.
Although these fruits lacked the properties of Magic Plants, they tasted far better.
At that moment, Andre was stuffing a bunch of grapes into his mouth.
It was a bunch of seedless grapes. Grapes weren’t exactly rare in this world, but they were still a luxury for the common person due to their demanding cultivation requirements.
The King of Qianyuan also sat down and ate fruit alongside Andre.
The King of Qianyuan deliberately avoided mentioning why Andre had not joined the Azure Sky Wizard Academy at Victoria’s request five years ago. Instead, he subtly hinted that he wanted to commission a custom Potion from Andre.
Faced with the King of Qianyuan’s request, Andre neither agreed nor refused.
After seven days, Andre finally concocted a Potion for the King of Qianyuan and immediately boarded the Magic Energy Flying Vessel.
’Dealing with a young man like him is exhausting.’
The King of Qianyuan looked at the Potion in his hand, complaining incessantly, but his face wore a smile.
He had finally obtained the Potion from Andre. It had come at a price, but it was one he could tolerate.
He ruled an entire Subcontinent, after all.
This Subcontinent wasn’t large—not even a tenth the size of the White Stone Continent.
But a continent was a continent, no matter how small. Aside from the fixed portion of its resources and Magic Plants that had to be handed over to the various Wizard Academies, the rest was his to enjoy.
Consequently, the King of Qianyuan—a man who had stagnated for years as a Level 1 Wizard—was actually wealthier than many Level 2 and even Level 3 Wizards from the major Wizard Academies.
「Seven days later.」
Andre returned to the White Sea Wizard Academy.
"Are you ready?" Radak asked as he walked out, just as Andre stepped into the Wizard Inheritance Hall. Andre nodded.
"How much is left?" Radak asked, still worried. After all, the path Andre was about to walk was extremely dangerous.
"It’s already done!" Andre’s answer surprised Radak.
"So fast?" Radak looked at Andre in astonishment.
"Master, I didn’t create this Witchcraft from scratch. It’s a re-creation, built upon the foundation of another’s work."
"Besides, it’s been four years. If I still couldn’t finish it, wouldn’t that make me a little slow?"
Andre scratched his head after speaking.
Hearing this, Radak’s expression stiffened for a moment before a smile broke through. He looked at Andre and nodded.
"Then go and do as you must."
Radak took out his Magic Staff and, drawing upon the Power of the Wizard Inheritance Hall, swiped his hand to tear open a spatial rift.
Andre nodded at Radak, then walked in and vanished into the rift.
’I hope your first attempt is a success.’
Radak looked at Andre’s back, shaking his head helplessly.
He certainly knew why Andre wanted to return to the Black and White Forest to make his breakthrough, rather than doing it in the White Sea Wizard Academy.
It was simply because he was worried about potential interference from Selena, Jesse, and the others.
After stepping through the spatial rift, Andre watched the heavy snow falling all around him, the corner of his mouth twitching involuntarily.
Four years ago, when Farrek had sent him here, it had been snowing.
Four years later, Radak had sent him here, and it was still snowing. It seemed this place had only one weather pattern: snow.
Gazing at the endless snow, Andre took a cloak from his Space Ring and put it on. His body slowly sank into the earth, and he began to travel toward the safe house he had built here four years ago.
「An hour later.」
Andre smoothly arrived back at the safe house he had established in the Black and White Forest.
’No signs of a break-in.’
Andre entered the room and looked at the safe house he had built with his own hands four years ago, his eyes filled with nostalgia.
When Farrete first sent him here, the first challenge he faced was simple survival.
And there were only two ways to survive here.
First, seek refuge with the Wizard organizations living here. Second, build his own shelter, a safe house, in the Black and White Forest.
He had chosen the second path: carving out a safe house for himself underground and using his knowledge of Pharmacy and Magic Botany to survive.
It was during those four months here, outwitting and scheming against the local Black Wizards, that his skills in Pharmacy had advanced by leaps and bounds.