Chapter 118: A Brush Past

It was only when Mahler mentioned his younger brother that Rollin finally nodded in agreement. Over the past year or so, he had already paid one hundred thousand gold coins for the corrective surgery, and the second payment was due at the end of the year. By then, the one million two hundred thousand gold coins he had earned from auctioning the spatial ring would be completely spent, and he had been worrying about how to raise enough gold for the following year.

Rollin was now a four-star senior potion alchemist. Although his exceptionally high success rate allowed him to earn a fair amount of gold through his dealings with the Cervantes Alchemy Shop, that sum was still a mere drop in the ocean compared with one hundred thousand gold coins. He had never expected that the two unusual potions he had casually concocted for his dormitory brothers would reveal such a business opportunity after Mahler discovered their value. In one stroke, he had received ten thousand gold coins as his “commission”!

Mahler, Gebaz, and Bill had already reached an agreement. Their families would continue purchasing the materials needed to produce the two potions. Once everything had been gathered, Rollin would refine them all at once. He believed that with the enormous profits from those two potions, combined with what he earned through his dealings with the Cervantes Alchemy Shop, there should be no problem paying the one hundred thousand gold coins required each year for his brother’s corrective surgery.

After the dormitory’s auction of the potions, Rollin’s worries about raising one hundred thousand gold coins every year were finally dispelled. He then devoted all his energy to cultivation. His potion alchemy and martial cultivation steadily improved, but the spatial seed still showed no sign of condensing, leaving his magical cultivation at a standstill.

After Victoria’s breakthrough, both the teachers and students of the academy marveled at her talent while inevitably turning their attention to the “Three Prodigies of the Academy.” They had long been regarded as the three brilliant stars destined to rise in Porter Academy after Victoria. The three had lived up to everyone’s expectations, breaking through one after another and reaching the rank of third-level mage.

Now everyone wanted to see which of them would be the first to break through to the fourth level and take the initial step toward catching up with Victoria. Some people in the academy had even set odds and begun wagering on who would break through first. According to the odds, Rollin was far ahead of the others, with the lowest odds, followed by Tracy and Simone.

Rollin paid no attention to any of this and continued cultivating on his own.

During this period, Karina treated him even better. Their closeness during group meals went without saying; she and Rollin were constantly together. Since Rollin left early each morning and returned late at night to cultivate, Karina began arriving outside Dormitory 2015 before dawn every day just so she could see him. The two would walk along talking until she watched Rollin head toward the rear mountain. Only then would Karina return to the dormitory and go back to sleep.

Although they had not formally established a relationship, both of them already understood what lay in their hearts. Mahler and the others naturally took every opportunity to tease them. No one had expected that the usually taciturn Rollin would be the first among them to acquire a companion who was not technically his girlfriend, yet was even closer than one.

Time flew, and half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

One after another, Mahler, Gebaz, and Bill delivered to Rollin the materials their families had collected for refining the slimming and beauty potions. Rollin then turned them all into finished products and handed them back to the three men.

While he continued cultivating, Mahler, Gebaz, Bill, and Karina launched an extensive publicity campaign. They auctioned the potions for an astonishingly high price. When all was calculated, the total revenue came to nearly sixty thousand gold coins. Even after deducting the cost of materials, labor, and other expenses, the net profit still amounted to a full fifty thousand gold coins!

Mahler and the others had intended to set aside some of their earnings for Karina, who had worked tirelessly behind the scenes, but she repeatedly shook her head.

“I came here to help Brother Rollin. Well, I’m doing it voluntarily. I don’t need to be paid.”

“Karina, you haven’t even married into the family yet, and you’re already taking on the duties of the lady of the house?” Gebaz’s single remark made Karina’s pretty face flush bright red.

The next day happened to be the day Rollin was going to the Cervantes Alchemy Shop in the imperial capital to trade potions and alchemical items. Karina naturally set off with him in high spirits. Ever since their relationship had drawn closer, she no longer rode her little red pony. Instead, she shared Little Black, Rollin’s donkey, with him. Their laughter accompanied them all along the road.

What Rollin did not see was the figure standing not far beyond the gates of Porter Academy, dressed in purple with golden hair. It was Victoria. She had just returned from training in the Maya Mountains and had unexpectedly encountered Rollin and Karina on her way back to the academy.

Ordinarily, she should have gone over to greet them, for the three of them had always been close. But when Victoria saw them riding together, their intimate gestures making it seem as though they were whispering sweet nothings to each other, an inexplicable bitterness welled up in her heart. Afraid they might see her, she hid in a secluded corner from a distance and silently watched them disappear down the road.

Since the Gergil couple and Morey both lived at Chuen Church in the imperial capital, Rollin always visited them whenever he went to the alchemy shop. This time was no exception. After completing their transaction, he and Karina went together to Chuen Church.

The moment Morey saw them arrive, he waved his hand grandly, and the servants below quickly prepared a sumptuous feast.

“Come, Rollin. Have a drink with your uncle!” Morey said, raising his cup.

Rollin hurriedly clinked cups with him and drained his drink. Fortunately, they were drinking low-alcohol fruit wine, so Rollin, who had almost no tolerance for alcohol, did not make a fool of himself.

“Rollin, my nephew, Karina tells me that you and your brothers at the academy have joined forces to produce two highly profitable potions. I hear that the amount of gold you can earn in a year should be almost enough to pay for Little Hawk’s surgery?”

Morey placed his cup on the table and looked at Rollin with shining eyes.

Rollin nodded. “Uncle Morey, I never expected these two potions to be so popular. Their profits really are quite high.”

Morey gave him a thumbs-up. “Excellent. To possess such ability at such a young age and manage to pay that enormous annual surgical fee—I truly admire you.”

At that moment, Little Hawk silently set down his knife and fork, his young face growing gloomy.

Seeing his brother suddenly become dispirited, Rollin asked, “Little Hawk, what’s wrong?”

Little Hawk lifted his head and said guiltily, “Brother, it’s all my fault. I caught this strange illness, and now I have to make you work so hard every day to save money for me and gather the surgical fees. I—I…”

As he spoke, a mist of tears rose in his large eyes.

Before Rollin could comfort him, Morey’s voice rang out.

“Little Hawk, seeing how hard your brother works every day, would you like him to find a girlfriend to help share some of the burden?”

“Yes, of course I would!”

Little Hawk’s eyes suddenly lit up. He turned toward Karina, who was pouring wine for Morey and Rollin.

“Sister Karina, why has your face suddenly turned so red? Could it be that you’re going to become my brother’s girlfriend?”