Chapter 152
Princess Isabel’s Welcoming Gift
After the Tuesday morning classes concluded, Princess Isabel routinely sought out Eivass for lunch.
Isabel had many things she wished to share with Eivass. In the time they hadn’t met, from last Friday to today, four days’ worth of topics had accumulated.
Previously, Isabel had no concept of time. To her, each day was an infinitely repetitive cycle, devoid of anticipation for any future date.
But now, the situation was different. She looked forward to ascending with Eivass, to adventuring together in the Dream Realm and experiencing another life; she also anticipated chatting with Eivass, sharing interesting events from their recent lives.
Even if such sharing happened daily, the content varied greatly.
In the past, Isabel quite enjoyed weekends. Because every weekend, she could quietly stay in the Silver and Tin Hall, without needing to speak to anyone. She would sing, paint, and play musical instruments alone, and time would fly by.
That sense of serene solitude, detached from the world, always healed her weary spirit.
But now, as the weekend approached, Isabel would become restless and anxious. Because she wouldn’t be able to see Eivass for several days. She had grown accustomed to conversing with others, and once she adapted to that lifestyle, she understood the meaning of loneliness.
Therefore, Isabel would meticulously prepare a notebook, filled with her planned conversation topics. She and Eivass were not in the same faculty. They only had a stable three-plus hours at noon to meet, and sometimes even the afternoons were occupied—one of them would invariably have something urgent come up.
This led to her sometimes missing out on topics she had prepared. Something interesting might have happened last night or that morning, but she’d forget to mention it upon meeting, only remembering it after they parted. The next conversation would then be a day later… After several such instances, Isabel began taking notes, creating outlines and preparations for their conversations, recording the questions she had thought of or the interesting things she wanted to say.
She had heard last night that Eivass had brought his sister to school. At the time, Isabel was very curious. She had known Eivass’s sister to be frail and often ill, rarely going out or exposing herself to the elements.
Now that she was venturing out, she must have finally recovered from her illness.
Isabel was quite curious about Eivass’s sister. Eivass often mentioned “Yuli” in conversations. Although she had never met Yulia Moriarty, Isabel already had a considerable understanding of her.
Her personality… felt somewhat similar to her own?
Considering they were both people without friends, and both had good relationships with Eivass, perhaps they could find common ground and become friends?
So, Isabel proactively offered to meet Yuli. Eivass readily agreed.
After inquiring with Eivass about what his sister liked, Isabel returned to prepare.
It was only at this moment that she realized she was indeed a princess of Avalon. While these should have been troublesome matters, she had only mentioned it, and everything was prepared before the afternoon classes ended.
Although she had a key to No. 14 Ronin Street, to avoid making a bad impression on Yuli, Isabel nervously rang the doorbell.
Thinking from another’s perspective, Isabel considered that if it were her, the sudden opening of her room door by a stranger would surely make her uneasy. No matter who it was, it would only cause Isabel subconscious discomfort and aversion.
Fortunately, she lived in the Silver and Tin Hall and didn’t have such opportunities.
To Isabel’s surprise, the person who opened the door was not Lily. It was a cute girl she had never seen before.
Isabel wasn’t particularly tall, and Yulia was half a head shorter than her.
Her white hair cascaded down to her waist. Bangs that covered her forehead and temples made the girl’s already small face appear even more delicate.
Her eyes were a rare, warm hue like rubies. Isabel subconsciously thought of her usual favorite candies.
… Surprisingly energetic.
“Sister…”
Yulia’s voice was soft and sweet. “Who are you looking for?”
Upon hearing this, a gentle smile involuntarily spread across Isabel’s face.
She wasn’t the youngest in her family. Besides her two-year-old brother, who was still alive, Isabel originally had other younger siblings. But they were all dead now.
“I’m looking for Eivass… and at the same time, I’m looking for you.”
Isabel casually closed the door and instinctively reached out to touch Yulia’s hair. The girl’s white hair wasn’t the bone-white dryness of an elder, nor the cold paleness that evoked a chill. It was slightly warm, exuding vitality and liveliness at first glance.
The silky smoothness made Isabel feel a phantom sensation at her fingertips, even without touching.
She even wanted to touch Yulia’s cheeks. She was so cute, like a cat her grandmother kept.
But she felt it would be too rude. Eivass had said Yulia was a shy and timid girl. Doing so would scare her.
“You must be Yulia,” Isabel said softly. “I’ve prepared a gift for you…”
Saying this, she handed her handbag, which she carried with her, to Yulia.
Yulia hugged the bag, tilting her head slightly, looking somewhat confused.
“Open it and see.”
Isabel encouraged gently.
She was actually a bit apprehensive because she was uncertain about her gift choice. Although Eivass had adamantly stated this was something Yulia would like.
But Isabel still felt it was rather strange. Why would a fifteen-year-old girl like these things?
Yulia opened the handbag and discovered three thick books inside.
“The Triumphal Chariot of Antimony,” “The Metamorphosis of Metals: Special Reagents and Modified Metals,” and “Lower Celestial Astronomy.”
“This is—”
Yulia’s eyes immediately lit up, and her entire demeanor became excited.
Because these three books were very famous alchemical works, and they were books that couldn’t be purchased through normal channels in Avalon.
“The Triumphal Chariot of Antimony” was the sacred scripture written by Valentin I, the founder of the Star Antimony Kingdom. “Lower Celestial Astronomy” was a summary of Alchemy by an ancient alchemist. It viewed Alchemy as “Lower Celestial Astronomy,” corresponding to true astronomy, “Upper Celestial Astronomy.”
And Metamorphosis was an alchemical term. It referred to the transformation of one substance into another, one element into another… for example, transmuting a certain base metal into silver or gold.
In this process, a catalyst with mystical properties was required. It was the “special reagent,” which, when consumed in small quantities, could effect extensive metal modification. The types of special reagents, their synthesis methods, and quantities used varied for different alchemical processes.
The legendary “Philosopher’s Stone” was, in essence, the ultimate special reagent. Only a tiny amount was needed to transmute hundreds of thousands of times its weight in base metal into gold. This was also one of the three ultimate goals pursued by Alchemists.
Equally renowned were “Life Creation” and “Universal Solvent.” The latter referred to a universal solvent capable of dissolving all matter in the universe, returning them to their most fundamental properties, thus allowing any substance to participate in alchemy.
These three books respectively explained the three major directions of Alchemy: “Spiritual Sublimation,” “Material Modification,” and “Conceptual Projection.” They contained the foundation of modern Alchemy.
These were not popular science books for laymen, but texts that those seriously engaged in alchemical research, the Extraordinary, should begin reading.
While these were not Grimoires, one could acquire at least three Mystical Arts by fully understanding these three books, thereby transitioning into a true Alchemist.
Yulia already possessed a Star Antimony language version of “The Triumphal Chariot of Antimony,” which was Professor Moriarty’s collection. She had practically worn it out… having read it at least ten times, and could directly recite many chapters.
However, she ultimately didn’t fully understand Star Antimony Language.
Even with repeated dictionary lookups, she couldn’t comprehend some of the obscure words, alchemical terms, and neologisms within the book. She often had to pull Professor Moriarty aside to help her decipher words and passages she couldn’t understand.
As for the other two books, even Professor Moriarty’s collection didn’t have them. The former was too introductory for him, yet it contained “Material Transmutation,” a Mystical Art essential for becoming an Alchemist.
The latter was another field that even the Professor hadn’t researched… It was similar to praying and rituals, involving mystical alchemy using divine names and concepts.
These books were impossible to obtain in Avalon, considered completely forbidden.
The Royal Law University’s library did have them, but once read, the books had to be returned. This made Yulia reluctant. Furthermore, Eivass had his own books to read, and Yulia didn’t want to use her brother’s borrowing quota for her own interests.
Yulia flipped through them slightly, and to her surprise, discovered they weren’t typed. They were handwritten in their entirety!
These books, written in Avalon language, had a robust and powerful script. They contained annotations, corrections, and conjectures within the content.
It was evident that these were the “draft translations” of these books in the Avalon language version.
“…Your Highness, Princess Isabel, you must be?”
Yulia dared not pretend ignorance any longer, feeling hesitant. “May I accept something so precious?”
She liked them very much. But precisely because of that, she recognized their immense value, to the point where she almost didn’t dare to accept them.
It felt as though accepting these books was akin to selling her brother…
“It’s alright.”
Isabel smiled. “This set of books was a gift from the Principal of Milton University to my grandmother back then… because my grandmother’s educational reforms led to alchemy no longer being a forbidden subject. To support this policy, he sent my grandmother the eleven alchemical works he had translated, allowing them to serve as the basis for the textbooks compiled by the Royal Law University.
“After the textbooks were completed, these books became my grandmother’s private collection. Later, when my talent for the Path of Authority was poor, my grandmother gave them to me.
“I also considered learning alchemy back then. But it was too complex for me. Eivass mentioned you like Alchemy… It’s wonderful that you do. That way, the knowledge won’t go to waste. It’s a true misfortune for such good books to sit unread.
“Please accept them with peace of mind, Yulia.”
Isabel said gently, “Become an admirable Alchemist!”
“Thank you, Sister!!”
Yulia was overjoyed and carefully placed them back into the bag.
Seeing that Yulia genuinely liked the gift she had given, Isabel felt relieved.
Eivass had been right after all.
Yulia truly did like alchemical books…
How could a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl like such things?
The Moriarty family wasn’t lacking in funds, so giving commercially available items would be meaningless, only highlighting her own vulgarity and lack of taste. Simply giving books wouldn’t suffice either, as the Royal Law University library was part of the royal collection, making it like giving borrowed flowers. Yet, Eivass didn’t know what Yulia liked. The preferences he provided were bizarre.
Mechanics, electronics, chemistry, paleontology; her favorite should be products related to alchemy, such as alchemical books.
… Listen to this. Do these sound like things a fifteen-year-old girl should like?
Isabel even considered sending Yulia a set of butterfly specimens. That could be classified under paleontology and might appeal to a girl’s aesthetic—at least it looked beautiful.
But after much deliberation, she decided to respect Yulia’s personal preferences.
Thus, she finally thought of a suitable gift:
— A unique manuscript of alchemical translations!
Even though Isabel hadn’t been particularly interested in Alchemy back then, she felt these were precious gifts and had kept them well. However, ‘keeping them’ meant she almost forgot about them completely. It took her a long time to recall that she even had such a set of books.
Now, they had found a suitable owner, someone who truly understood their value.
Even setting aside her desire to please Yulia… Isabel was genuinely happy now.
This girl was quite cute.
Watching Yulia happily hugging the books with a smile like a little girl, Isabel smiled gently.
Her guess was correct after all. Getting along with Yulia would indeed be a pleasant experience!
“Where is Eivass?”
Isabel spoke again.
“Brother is reading a book,” Yulia said, carrying the bag and staying close to Isabel’s side. “He said he is… preparing for his next ascension.”
Yulia’s fondness for Isabel grew significantly.
Not only had she given Yulia a gift she liked, but her attitude towards knowledge also greatly appealed to Yulia. She had initially thought that as an Extraordinary of the Path of Beauty, Isabel wouldn’t place much importance on alchemical knowledge… but surprisingly, she had some understanding of Alchemy.
While waiting for Eivass, she chatted with Isabel for a while. She discovered that Isabel had actually read these books seriously. Although she had nearly forgotten them all, with Yulia’s prompts, she could recall parts of them.
A remarkable Princess!
Yulia felt a sense of awe.
Even she herself hadn’t read many of the books in Professor Moriarty’s study. Either they were in fields she wasn’t interested in, too obscure for her to understand, or they discussed a minor topic within a specialized field for the entire book.
Books like that lacked engagement. Yulia’s initial motivation for reading was to experience the world. Highly specialized knowledge appeared too abstract for her to comprehend.
Therefore, although her foster father had given her some books, many of which were purchased from abroad, Yulia hadn’t actually finished them all. Even so, she had brought those books with her when she moved.
Princess Isabel, despite her lack of interest in Alchemy, had diligently read the books gifted to her. Her thoroughness made one feel a pang of sympathy.
This Princess had a rather endearing personality…
In the relaxed atmosphere where both felt the other was cute, Lily pushed Eivass’s wheelchair and approached.
After inquiring about what Yulia was holding, Eivass, on Yulia’s behalf, thanked Isabel. He hadn’t expected Isabel’s gift to be so valuable. He had initially thought Isabel would just give him a few hardcover books, but for their first meeting, Isabel was so earnest.
He would need to prepare a return gift, Eivass thought.
However, he too was caught in a gifting dilemma. What could Princess Isabel, so high and mighty, possibly lack?
Keeping this matter in mind, Eivass casually brought up the issue of Yulia’s enrollment with Isabel.
“No problem.”
Isabel agreed readily. “This matter is also on me… However, Yulia might need to take a separate exam.
“If she’s unable to keep up with the curriculum, it wouldn’t be good for her studies and would put a lot of pressure on her. We’ll need to decide which faculty to place her in based on her academic performance. If her Alchemy level isn’t too high yet, it might be better to place her in the Second Faculty for six months of basic subjects, and then transfer her to the Arcane Department next year.”
The Princess kindly reminded him.
When chatting with Eivass now, she was no longer as timid. And under Eivass’s guidance, Isabel had gradually come to understand how to reasonably apply the power she possessed.
The biggest change was… she no longer panicked and rushed to fulfill Eivass’s requests immediately. Instead, she began to consider matters from his perspective, using her own common sense and understanding to judge what problems he might encounter, and then attempt to resolve them in advance.
Isabel surprisingly found herself quite adept at this.
Although she lacked the talents of the Path of Authority, such as controlling others’ wills, guiding their thoughts, and strengthening their loyalty, she possessed a gift for sensing others’ hearts. With ease, she could perceive the true intentions hidden behind a few words.
Not everyone expressed their true thoughts in conversation. Some couldn’t, while others didn’t want to.
As an “all-rounder,” Isabel’s understanding of everyone was simultaneously improving.
Perhaps it was because interpreting hearts and thoughts belonged to the realm of Beauty.
As her conversation with Yulia deepened, Isabel gradually sensed a sliver of Yulia’s essence.
She vaguely perceived something.
…Yulia didn’t seem to be the fragile and soft girl Eivass described. On the contrary, she possessed a remarkably calm… even coldly detached inner self.
Yulia had a strong and competitive nature, being far more powerful than Isabel in many aspects.
The softness and attachment she displayed externally were not due to a fragile heart… but because she held a favorable impression of herself, and even more so of Eivass. Therefore, in front of them, Yulia was unwilling to reveal her aggressiveness.
But what would Yulia do when facing someone she disliked?
Eivass had instructed Yulia to act distant towards her classmates after enrolling, “to protect herself.” He always felt Yulia was very delicate and needed protection. And Yulia indeed presented herself as such to Eivass.
But in Isabel’s view, that wasn’t the case.
Yulia might not need to pretend at all. She just needed to express her true feelings.
Isabel suddenly felt a spark of interest.
— She wanted to see Yulia go to school. To see how she would display her cold essence.
A five-thousand-five-hundred-word update, a double chapter today, meow!
I originally planned to take half a day off and rest, but then the chapter ended up being five thousand five hundred words, making it a double chapter…
I want to play Baldur’s Gate today, so I’ll take a long break!
Didn’t get to the Little Butterfly, sorry meow! *Bows repeatedly*
