Chapter 155: Conjecture

"Rowan, what, what do you mean by this?" At this moment, Professor Monroe and Simone looked at Rowan in astonishment. Previously, everyone had been anxious about how to save Bill, and no one had ever considered the cause of the bizarre poison afflicting him. Hearing Rowan's words now, both of them couldn't help but feel a wave of doubt. Indeed, where had the tri-color snake venom come from? Could someone have framed him? And if so, who was this person? Why would they want to frame Bill?

Rowan had regained his composure by this time. Seeing Monroe and Simone looking at him with surprise, he decided not to conceal anything and said, "Professor Monroe, you should both remember that yesterday evening during dinner, both Bill and Maller were absent, right?"

"Wasn't it said at the time that the two of them were invited to dine with Princess Nancy?" Monroe nodded slightly. The two of them had indeed been missing when Rowan and the others were invited yesterday.

"That's right, they were invited by Nancy. However, aside from our eldest roommate Maller, Princess Nancy has never had any interaction with anyone else in our dorm, and we've never crossed paths with her before. Yet last night, why did she suddenly invite the eldest and Bill to dinner?" Rowan analyzed.

Hearing these words, both Professor Monroe and Simone fell into deep thought.

Then, Rowan continued, "Following last night, after just a single day, the third eldest has inexplicably fallen victim to a rare and powerful poison. What's more, this exact poison happens to be one of the rewards given to the winner of the potion alchemy championship at the Alchemy Tournament. And furthermore, after Bill suddenly suffered a relapse of the tri-color snake venom today, how did Anthony come to know the news so quickly? Don't you think all of this is just a bit too coincidental?"

Rowan's words left Professor Monroe and Simone staring at each other in dismay. Indeed, were there not simply too many coincidences here? If anyone were to claim now that Anthony had no relation whatsoever to Bill's poisoning, who would believe it?

Simone asked with some perplexity, "Strange, why would Anthony, out of nowhere, want to harm Bill?"

However, no sooner had the words left his mouth than he suddenly understood. He slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "It's for the sake of his sister, Victoria!"

Professor Monroe nodded. "Victoria's indulgence toward her brother is plain for all to see. If someone wanted to get close to her, targeting Bill would be striking right at her fatal weakness. If this matter truly was orchestrated by Anthony, then this person's scheming is far too dark and deep."

"Perhaps all of this truly is just a series of coincidences, and I, Rowan, am merely judging a gentleman with the heart of a petty person. But if it is ever proven to me that someone is treating the third eldest's life as a joke, I will never let them off!" At this point, a sharp, fierce aura erupted from Rowan, startling both Monroe and Simone. Having spent so many years with Rowan, they had never seen this side of him before. It seemed that the incident of Bill being poisoned and framed had dealt him a heavy and profound shock.

"Rowan, then what about the poison afflicting Bill..." Simone looked at Bill, who remained unconscious on the hospital bed, and asked.

"Alas, what the third eldest has contracted is indeed the tri-color snake venom, a terrifying poison refined using a tri-color snake's body as the medicinal引. To remove this toxin, the only method is to use the gallbladder of the tri-color snake as the medicinal引 to brew the tri-color antidote potion; there is no other way. However, these alchemy ingredients, including the tri-color snake gallbladder, are top-tier six-star materials that are normally impossible to acquire. Fortunately, one of the ten sets of materials included in the Alchemy Tournament champion's reward happens to be this exact material. Right now, our only hope is to pin everything on winning the Alchemy Tournament and obtaining it!" Rowan sighed and said.

Monroe and Simone did not ask why Rowan suddenly possessed such detailed knowledge of the tri-color snake venom. After all, given Rowan's extraordinarily high level of proficiency in alchemy, the master teaching him behind the scenes must be exceptional, so it was hardly surprising that he knew of some obscure and bizarre formulas.

Simone nodded and said, "That is true. It seems that the alchemy ingredients required to brew the tri-color antidote potion probably exist only within that reward set. Otherwise, given Anthony's status as Thomas's disciple, he surely would have managed to secure a portion somehow!"

"Winning the championship of this Alchemy Tournament is no easy feat. Aside from you, there are at least four others fully qualified to contend for the title. They are Anthony, Yolanda, Gavin, and that youth who displayed such stellar performance today while refining the hair-growth potion," Professor Monroe mused deeply.

Simone grew worried. "Rowan, then you must strive with all your might. If someone else takes the crown, they are hardly likely to choose the alchemy materials for the tri-color antidote potion. And if Anthony is the one who claims the championship, then..."

Rowan offered a bitter smile. How could he not understand what Simone meant? If Anthony were to win the championship and obtain those alchemy materials, given his scheming nature, he would most likely use the opportunity to manipulate Victoria, a woman he had long desired, to achieve his own ends. By that time... he dared not think any further.

Ever since he realized that the person buried deep within his heart was Victoria, he could no longer bear to imagine what would become of him if that purple-robed, golden-haired figure were to walk away with another man. While she was always by his side, he had felt nothing special, but now, imagining the possibility of her leaving him forever, he realized just how precious she truly was!

By the time Maller, Gebaz, and Victoria returned, it was already evening. The two fellows secretly flashed a victorious gesture behind her back to Rowan and the others, signaling that with the two of them trailing closely, they hadn't let that brat Anthony take even the slightest advantage.

Victoria's expression had also eased somewhat. After all, according to what Anthony had said, her younger brother could still be saved; it was simply required to win the championship of the current Alchemy Tournament in order to secure the materials for brewing the tri-color antidote potion. Still, having hope at all allowed her heart to settle down a fraction.

That night, Victoria and the members of Dorm 2015 all remained in the academy's medical ward to keep watch over the heavily poisoned Bill.

This was destined to be a sleepless night. The contestants who had successfully advanced through the previous two rounds were rubbing their hands in eager anticipation of tomorrow's assessment, while various betting houses were actively preparing the odds for the morrow's trial. Inside the Porter Academy medical ward, everyone prayed fervently that Bill might be healed at the earliest possible moment.

The long night finally passed. The next morning, the contestants and a vast crowd of spectators arrived early at the training grounds.

With the conclusion of yesterday's second round, the champions of artifact alchemy and puppet alchemy had already been decided. Consequently, only forty-six potion alchemists remained to participate in the third round of assessments.

On the grandstand, Thomas gave a light cough and then said in a ringing voice, "Everyone, this assessment will serve as both an elimination round and a ranking round. The top four contestants will advance directly to the final battle, and the rankings from fifth to tenth place will also be contested and decided within this round!"

Thomas paused for a brief moment, then spoke in a deep voice: "The subject of the third assessment is—"

"Brewing the alchemy potion most beloved by the spectators!"