“What is that supposed to mean?”

Under the barrage of harsh insults like “someone like you” and “grades like that,” her mental strength was slowly chipped away until her mind felt dizzy. Since she was considered a decent honor student in her major lectures (aside from the absolute monsters), there was no way she could be used to this kind of treatment.

“What do you think? It means spending a whole year training someone scatterbrained and dull-witted like you.”

“No matter how smart you think you are, you’re going to teach potion making to someone who’s actually majoring in it?”

Get a load of this guy. Do you have any idea how tricky potion making is? Aside from prepping ingredients and adjusting the heat, you have to delicately control the strength and rhythm while stirring. In other words, tips and experience gained from constant practice are what matter most. Knowledge from introductory levels in the first or two years wouldn’t cut it, you know!

Mimicking him, Rozia crossed her arms and put on an arrogant expression. Opportunities to talk back like this were rare, so she wanted to make the most of it. Resting her chin on her hand, the senior—who had been staring intently at her—narrowed his eyes. Then, one corner of his mouth curled up into a chilling smile.

“Look at this. You think I can’t do it?”

“Pardon? No, well… I just meant that since our majors are different, it might be tough, that’s all…”

Quickly folding her tail in defeat, Rozia backtracked. She did it because she suddenly sensed an ominous vibe. Swallowing hard, she watched his expression carefully. Surely he wasn’t mad just over a single remark like that, right?

“Come back here at this exact time tomorrow.”

This is bad. Was he planning to duel her for real this time…? She involuntarily recalled the joke Alina had made. I’m totally hopeless when it comes to combat magic.

“Bring a written list of the potions you need to learn when you come back.”

“Pardon?”

“I hate repeating myself twice, so you’d better keep that in mind.”

He let out a sigh and put his gloves back on. Then, with an expression that screamed he was sick of everything, he pointed toward the door and issued an order of eviction.

“Well, an hour’s up, right? Now get lost.”

Wow, what kind of human being is this guy, seriously?

“My, oh my. Hayward used to major in Potion Making once upon a time, you know. Didn’t you know?”

Belinda Brodel, a senior who always carried dark circles under her eyes, glanced sideways at Rozia. Her blue eyes blinked blankly.

Having taken the ‘Advanced Potions Practical’ class together last year, Rozia had grown quite close to Belinda, and they often chatted during class. Failing the graduation exam twice, this year was her final chance, and she added the explanation that she had frequently shared classes with Hayward, an entry-year classmate.

“Well, it’s not like it has much to do with me, and did I ever think I’d end up getting entangled with that senior…”

Answering glumly, Rozia dropped two spoonfuls of sleepy-spider venom into the ‘Sleeping Potion,’ which was emitting a thin stream of smoke inside a bronze pot. Immediately, the transparent potion turned a clear indigo—a color resembling the dawn sky.

Now she had to turn up the heat and wait until it came to a rolling boil. Sitting on a camp stool, she rubbed her stiff lower back. Standing for two whole hours left her whole body sore.

The lecture hall was filled with hazy steam. A little over thirty Potion Making majors stood in front of their workbenches, hands moving busily. Someone’s pot was boiling over unusually, and at the same time, screams echoed as someone panicked over a measuring mistake.

Spiders that had narrowly escaped the fate of becoming ingredients crawled here and there, hiding away in dim corners out of sight. It was a peaceful landscape, just like any other day.

Sitting blankly and staring into the pot, Rozia suddenly turned her head. It seemed Belinda had reached the same step, as she was sitting right on top of her workbench and kneading her shoulders. Looking at her senior, Rozia blurtingly asked:

“By the way, why did Senior Hayward change his major halfway through? It’s pretty much impossible for most people.”

The vast majority of students avoided changing majors. It was only natural. Having to retake third-to-fifth-year courses all over again from scratch was so daunting that most wouldn’t even dare attempt it. If one crammed their schedule exclusively with major classes, it might theoretically be possible within a year or two—if it weren’t for the fact that it’s practically inhuman to pull off…

Just taking all those classes would be exhausting enough, but factor in assignments, all sorts of pop quizzes, final exams, and advancement exams, and working someone to death would be a walk in the park. Well, at least for ordinary students.

“Well, nobody knows the exact circumstances besides the person himself, but back then, among ourselves, we just guessed it was probably a genius’s unique whim.”

“Huh, a whim?”

Rozia furrowed her brow. You change your major flat-out for a reason like that? She couldn’t really understand. Rolling her eyes for a moment as if recalling the past, Belinda opened her mouth.

“Well, wasn’t it something like he found it boring, or something? Come to think of it, he even got nominated to participate in an academic competition for Potion Making majors and went all the way to Oltzen, but he just came back without even presenting.”

And right after that, he transferred over to the Artifact Studies major. That must have been late in the fourth year, right? She added with a nod.

“Whoa, changing majors in the late fourth year…”

“Even after doing that, he filled up all his required major credits and graduated on time. They really say he’s not a normal human being.”

“And he even ranked first in Artifact Studies. Hello, guys. Is the ‘Sleeping Potion’ coming along well? Any questions?”

A friendly voice naturally cut into the conversation. Glancing past her shoulder, Belinda gave a weak wave.

“Senior Radion!”

Rozia greeted him cheerfully. Senior Radion Sampland sat perched on the edge of a workbench, greeting them with a bright smile. Just as he was about to say something, four or five students swarmed over, complaining about potions in terrible condition and asking all sorts of questions.

Since they kept calling him at all hours of the day, it wouldn’t have been out of line for him to show annoyance, but he immediately walked over to their workbenches and peered inside their pots. Then, with a gentle voice, he kindly explained what had gone wrong.

True to his nickname as the ‘Angel of the Potion Making Laboratory,’ it was. As a trainee researcher, she heard he had volunteered to be a teaching assistant purely out of a desire to help younger students.

To willingly volunteer for a job everyone else hated doing because they were busy with their own research was no small feat. Moreover, having previously won first place at an academic competition, the senior was a promising talent in the world of potions.

The ‘Dream-Inducing Potion’ he created by improving the ‘Sleeping Potion’ had become an absolute blockbuster after the competition, and rumors said the money he raked in from copyright royalties was astronomical.

Not only that, he had several private sponsors backing him. Thus, the senior was practically the idol of many majors dreaming of entering the Genios Potion Making Laboratory.

Yet someone like him was still just a trainee going into his second year? Rumors had it that he had already received offers to become a full researcher, but he had given the modest reply that he would wait until he produced results he could personally be satisfied with.

Given how respectable he was, it was only natural everyone liked him. His popularity crossed departments, and no matter where he went, you could often see him surrounded by a cluster of followers.

How can a flawless person exist who has both exceptional skill and a wonderful character? Rozia thought, glancing sideways at Radion as he patted the students’ shoulders, feeling inwardly awed. This was especially true since she had just met someone yesterday whose skills were top-notch, but whose personality you could easily believe had been snatched away by a passing stray dog.

“Oh, Rozia. I heard the news. Your ‘Understanding Others’ partner is Hayward, right?”

Having revived several dying potions, the senior asked with a face that was half-smiling. As she finely minced chamomile roots, Rozia raised her head, gripping her knife tightly.

“Whoa, that’s a murderous look you’ve got there.”

“I’m ruined, seriously…”

Since the ordeal that had befell her was already spreading like wildfire within the Magic Department, she frequently received heartfelt sympathies from people she bumped into on the street.

“It is a bit strange, though. He definitely took ‘Understanding Others,’ didn’t he?”

Belinda asked, turning toward him.

“That’s right. He was paired with Declan Meliad of the Swordsmanship Department, wasn’t he? I always wondered how those two got close, but nobody seemed to know.”

“They say Meliad is just as sociable as you are, Rozia, so maybe that’s why?”

Blinking at a name that felt strangely familiar, Rozia sank into thought. Wait, that name is…

“By any chance, is he connected to the Meliad Trading Company?”

At her question, both of them nodded simultaneously.

“Yeah, the only son there. He graduated two years ago and is currently learning the ropes at the Genios branch of the trading company.”

The answer came from Senior Radion. Oh… Is that so? Fascinating. The Meliads were insanely wealthy, so just how good-natured must that young master of theirs be to endure Senior Hayward?

As she continued her idle thoughts, she unconsciously glanced into the pot. The potion, simmered to a moderate consistency and darkened in color, was bubbling away. She immediately added 13 grams of finely chopped chamomile roots and lowered the heat. It looked like it would be finished in about 15 minutes.

“Anyway, Rozia, have you figured out what kind of activities you’re going to do with Hayward? Whatever you do, it’s not going to be easy.”

Watching the two of them busily finish up their work, Senior Radion asked. With a face that had darkened drastically, she nodded.