Chapter 119: The Higher You Climb, the Colder It Gets

Chapter 119

The Higher You Climb, the Colder It Gets

The broken girl ran away shortly after her outburst, leaving Ellie standing alone, watching her retreat. Ellie had no right to comfort her, regardless of who had caused the situation. However, it was undeniable that Ellie played a part in the girl’s forthcoming troubles. Whether it was being labeled a deceiver by the elders or inciting further hatred from others, all these consequences were things that the former Lady Warfil would have to face as her own retribution.

Nevertheless, the only thing Ellie could do was ensure the safety of Warfil’s child. She feared that in her despair, the now unstable lady might harm her own child, unable to see any other way out. Ellie pleaded with Professor Lucien to find a solution for the child. It’s uncertain whether it was fortunate that the Church showed mercy and took the baby in. They promised to raise the infant as the part of the Church and stated that if the child did not become a user of light elemental power in the future, they would let him serve as an attendant to the priests. Thus, the child’s safety and survival were assured.

Ellie had other matters to attend to, namely preparing for the competition. Medik, who was already skilled in potion concocting, spent 1 hour each day teaching Ellie. He wished he could spend more time teaching his students, but his mission was equally important. If this mission succeeded, it would benefit over ten thousand villagers.

She understood the importance of his mission and work, so she never demanded more help. Besides, the knowledge she gained from reading books on her own was substantial. As long as the competition questions were covered in those books, Ellie was confident she could answer them.

Finally, the important day for the institute arrived. All the professors agreed to stop classes and let the students do their best. The institute even had a transport portal. For today, the professors and staff would transport their students to the competition venue. This year, the host was the 3rd-ranked institute named "Gaia Institute," located in another kingdom.

If they had to travel on their own, it would take more than 3 months. This meant that each time the teleportation device transported the students, it consumed an enormous amount of magic power. Relying solely on the professors wouldn’t be enough to send all the students to participate. This was why the institute was bustling with people, many of whom were general magicians hired for the occasion. There were also soldiers present to help, as the royal palace wanted to demonstrate how much they valued this competition.

If the top-ranked institute, Ares Institute, were to win, it would mean that their kingdom had the strongest young talents.

"Has Professor Medik actually taken time off his own duties to watch his disciple’s competition today?" One of the teachers from Gaia Institute remarked in surprise as Medik, Lucien, and Ellie passed through the transport portal to Gaia Institute.

Ellie sensed that the other professor had been waiting for Professor Medik’s arrival. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been greeted so suddenly, especially before they had even recovered from their dizziness...It was too abrupt to be mere coincidence.

Looking around, Ellie noticed several professors still standing, waiting for the newcomers. Some were waiting to meet important figures, some were waiting for friends, and others were waiting to see their rivals. But she felt that many were particularly interested in the arrival of Professor Medik and Professor Lucien. Especially since Professor Medik’s student were competing in multiple events...many eyes were focused on this plain-faced girl.

"I’m just here to relax, not taking it too seriously. She’s only a first-year student who has just begun learning the basics," Professor Medik said modestly, yet his tone carried no hint of weakness or uncertainty at all.

Hearing Professor Medik speak with such a calm but haughty tone, Ellie felt like she was seeing a new side of her esteemed professor. Previously, he had always seemed worried and pessimistic. This was probably the first time she had seen Professor Medik speak so confidently and fearlessly.

Not only did Professor Medik display his confidence, but he also provided a cushion for Ellie. By stating that his student was just a first-year who had only learned the basics, if Ellie won an award, it would elevate both her and her professor. It was as if he were saying, "This is just the basics. If she learns more, none of you would be able to compete with her."

Conversely, if Ellie were to lose, he had prevented her from facing overwhelming pressure to the point of wanting to end her life. Because, in Medik’s view, she was only a first-year student. Losing wouldn’t be surprising, and she still had plenty of time to learn and grow.

Ultimately, Medik’s seemingly simple statement had been meticulously thought out. Since before the competition, Ellie had been under scrutiny as the student of the top apothecary. Medik couldn’t stop people from watching her, but he could ensure she remained in a safe position.

However, a nearby professor laughed and approached with a polite bow, though his face seemed too cunning for such a respectful demeanor...

"Professor Medik, I’ve heard of your reputation for a long time. Many times, I’ve wanted to greet you, but you always seemed busy at the palace. It’s a great opportunity to see you without your hands full of documents."

"Hmm? You are..."

"Oh, you might not know me. I’m a new professor who just graduated and started teaching. My path is much like yours, so some people call me your successor, haha," said the professor, laughing as if proud of the title, even though deep down he wanted to surpass Medik...

".........." Medik silently assessed the man. This person was supposedly his "successor"? Even though he had never heard of him before?

"You must be quite curious, right? But besides you...I am the only one who managed to concoct a level 2-star potion before graduating. So, people naturally assumed I was your successor,"

"Oh," Medik hummed in response, as if he didn’t really care. In truth, he wanted to take his little student to see the competition room before the actual day. There were still many things to discuss and teach. However, the young man in front of him, claiming to be his successor, didn’t give him a chance to excuse himself.

As the young man was about to continue speaking, an elderly man radiating an aura of wisdom appeared behind him. Unlike the professors at the top-ranked institute, this man had a rather large physique, but his body clearly showed a lack of exercise. If it weren’t for his scholarly face that commanded respect, perhaps no one would want to approach this corpulent man.

"Lio, are you conversing with Professor Medik of Ares Institute? Remember not to disturb him for too long. There’s still a little time left, and perhaps Professor Medik wants to make the most of it. Otherwise, he might lose face during the competition," the old man said. Although his words were meant to reprimand the young man, the statement was more mocking and challenging.

"Professor Gannon," the young man stepped back slightly and respectfully greeted the elder. The old man ignored him and turned his attention to Medik instead.

"Professor Medik from Ares Institute, I hope this boy hasn’t taken too much of your time. He just started teaching at our Hestia Institute. After graduating and performing exceptionally well in potion concocting, our Hestia Institute kept him on as a professor. His path mirrors yours closely, but he has the potential to grow far beyond in the field of potion concocting."

"According to legend, those who have the potential to become the Emperor of Potion-Concocting must excel in fire control. Professor Medik from Ares Institute benefits from botanic powers, granting him a deep understanding of herbs. However...you still lack knowledge in fire control. But my student here...he grew up with genuine talent and determination. His basic elemental power is fire. Just this fact guarantees that Lio here will surpass Professor Medik one day."

The old man laughed as he spoke, clearly enjoying the opportunity to boast. Hestia Institute was consistently ranked 2nd despite winning in all aspects of potion concocting. Comparatively, Ares Institute was still considered the number 1 institution, mainly because Professor Medik, who was seen as the eternal number one, became a professor at Ares Institute.

For him, the ultimate goal was to make Hestia Institute the number 1 institution. Even though they might lose in physical combat, they had always held the top rank in the science of potion concocting. If their institute had a new generation of professors as skilled as Professor Medik, then the rankings should finally change, shouldn’t they?

Ellie watched Professor Gannon, who was keen on introducing the new, younger professor of their institute, as if suggesting that in the future...her Professor Medik would be unable to surpass this new contender. He referenced the legend of the Emperor of Potion-Concocting, whose magic power was fire elemental, all to imply that their institute had quality personnel as well.

"This seems a bit hard to prove, but with the competition between our students, it’s not difficult to draw conclusions. Professor Lio has also sent his students to participate in the competition, and they are a first-year student as well. As long as Professor Medik’s student wins, it demonstrates his superior quality. But if Lio’s student scores higher, then...it shows that a legend like Professor Medik has been dethroned by Hestia Institute."

Professor Gannon spoke proudly. His side had nothing to lose. If Ellie won, Professor Medik’s legend would remain intact. But if Ellie lost, they would benefit. It was clear that being in a high position came with its own set of challenges.

Someone once said, "The higher you climb, the colder it gets," and this was undeniably true...

"It’s really great of you to issue a challenge just before the event starts. You didn’t even give us a heads-up that your goal was to defeat our first-year student," Lucien, who was standing nearby, remarked. His face showed no emotion, just his usual calm demeanor, which made him look unapproachable.

Seeing Lucien join the fray, Professor Gannon smiled dryly. For him, it was manageable to have a conflict with the top apothecary professor, since they were in the same field. But to be at odds with the most powerful and enigmatic professor like Lucien was a different matter. Even Gannon, with all his years, was hesitant to engage with Lucien.

"Professor Lucien, I heard that you’ve been assisting Professor Medik recently. I didn’t expect you to be here today as well."

"Mmm, today is an important day for the kingdom. It’s not surprising that everyone wants to witness the competition."

"Ha, I see. I hope you enjoy watching the competition among the young ones," Professor Gannon said, shifting the conversation away from the competition itself and onto more general topics with Lucien. However, Lucien wasn’t willing to let the matter slide.

For someone bold enough to challenge the demon kid—no!—for someone bold enough to challenge the student of Medik, there should be some form of repercussion.

"I’ve been listening for a while now. It seems someone’s been spreading nonsense about Medik having a successor?" When Lucien asked this, the other professors around them immediately became interested.

Previously, Professor Lucien had been a very mysterious figure, rarely interacting with others. That was until a few months ago when people noticed him frequently in the company of Professor Medik. The evident closeness between the two had been widely discussed, leading to speculation that the two geniuses of Ares Institute had become friends. If they were to collaborate...it could propel Ares Institute to an even higher level.

The others were keenly observing the interactions between the two, and it was clear when Lucien suddenly involved in Professor Medik’s affairs...

"People will say anything, haha,"

"Exactly. People talk without knowing anything. But it’s good that this came up. The upcoming competition should be the deciding factor. Whether the rumors about a successor are true or just someone trying to leverage Medik’s reputation to boast."

"Professor Lucien! Isn’t that a bit too much?"

"Am I being too much? Haven’t you taken this opportunity to prove that your student is going to be superior to Medik’s? Let’s look at it the other way around. If your student, who has been preparing for this competition from the beginning, cannot defeat Medik’s student, it shows that the disparity had passed down very far...After all, if we’re really talking about the legendary Emperor of Potion-Concocting, teaching a student to surpass others shouldn’t be difficult, right?"

Lucien spoke nonchalantly, but his words were a clear challenge.

The contrast between the two professors was stark. While Medik tried to create a safety net for his student, in Lucien’s eyes...Ellie, the demon kid, would surely win. Having seen Medik and Ellie’s training a few days ago, Lucien believed that there was only one person who deserved to be called Medik’s successor, and it could only be this seemingly simple-looking girl!