< Told from Kinsey's point of view. >

I was the first to greet Grand Mage Archus when he arrived in Master's Private Sanctum, and we discussed some of his favorite topics while I made him tea. I know he is not overly fond of the type of tea I make, so I have contemplated asking one of his assistants to show me how she makes them to make his visits more enjoyable.

The Grand Mage is fidgeting, and holding back about something. Every time we go near a topic like magical beings, he abruptly stops. I of course do not pursue these avenues further, as it is not my place. If he feels it necessary to tell me, then I will listen.

Master should be waking up soon, so I ask the Grand Mage to go to the parlor. A bath has been prepared for Master by Anna and it would appear as if he has gone to be washed. 

The Grand Mage and I talk about many things, including the state of the nobles and how my potions studies have progressed. He commends me on my devotion to learning different types of potions, and recommends to me an interesting article called the disruption potion. He says it can be found in the east wing of the Grand Library.

If the Grand Mage thinks it interesting, I suppose I will have to go look for it.

Master has finally finished with his bath, and has come to greet the Grand Mage. Of course I have prepared for Master a warm cup of grandberry Tea, just the way he likes it. At least I think he likes it, he has never said no to it. Maybe he does not like it and just drinks it for me...

While I am deep in thought about the matter, looking into my memories trying to find evidence that he has ever scowled after drinking it, Master snaps his fingers in front of my face.

I apologize deeply, and ask him what he requests of me. The Grand Mage is chuckling to himself while sipping on his tea. Master wishes for me to leave the room so he can talk in private with the Grand Mage.

OH!

I have made such a blunder, I immediately remove myself from the room while bowing excessively. It is the least I could do for making Master repeat himself.

While Master and the Grand Mage talk, I preoccupy myself with the creation of a King's Crown potion.

Usually when they are discussing something, it takes hours, so I have time to create a level one or two potion without issue.

I gather the ingredients from my spatial spell by weaving magic from my hands as if I am about to take something out of my pocket. I think about the ingredients for the potion in my mind, and a small vacuum of space opens up below my hand. I reach in with my hand covered in magic and take out the ingredients I need.

Two parts yellow hibiscus, one earth root and three ivy poppy. I take out the kiln that Master affectionately gave me as a present and begin to dissect the flowers for the pieces I need.

Just as I had done a hundred times before, I create a single spark of flame and slowly raise the temperature to the appropriate degree.

I then place the ingredients in one by one, making sure they melt at the right time and do not mix together until I want them to. I send my magical force into to keep them separated and focus my mind to use the minimal amount of magic needed to do so.

While I am in this state, time feels like it slows to almost a complete stop. I can hear Master's voice, and the Grand Mage, but I cannot hear the conversation because I do not wish to. I focus more on the kiln, as if I and it are the only two things in existence. I remove the flame when the ingredients melt, and slowly take my magical force away, making the ingredients mix together with each other.

Small bubbles begin to form in the liquid from the sudden mixture, which I pop with a prick of darkness magic to ensure there is no air getting trapped in my potion.

Finally, the ingredients have finished mixing and I slowly pour the liquid into the nearby vials I have prepared. The liquid is enough to make three potions, so I separate them equally and seal them quickly. 

Thus, the three King's Crown potions have been made. With good timing as well, as roughly an hour has passed and Master and Grand Mage Archus have finished their talk. At least I assume so, as Master is meditating while the Grand Mage is taking his leave.

I bid the Grand Mage farewell and when he is gone both myself and Anna go to him to see what he wishes for us to do. He tells Anna to guard the door while he makes a potion, which is very unusual. As for me, he tells me to go about my day as normal and not to return until the sun has gone down.

I bow to Master and prepare myself for the day ahead. I fill my spatial spell with an appropriate amount of food for the day and head toward the teleportation array.

Once I have stepped onto the teleportation array, a wave of magical force washes over my body. It feels very ticklish, like the acupuncture making my body go numb when I was a part of the Dragon household.

I relax myself and my vision begins to blur. Before I know it, I have arrived at the Magic Academy and can begin my day.

Right off the bat, an upperclassmen comes to greet me. If I am not mistaken, it is the advanced mage that I gave the secret of the pain suppression potion to. He greets me as one would an equal, and explains what he has been up to until now.

For him to come all this way, he obviously has a request of me. I ask him what he needs, and he says he wants me to do a small lecture for his students. I remember hearing something about him getting a promotion, but whether it was the truth or not was irrelevant as it had nothing to do with me.

I tell him I am willing to perform a lecture for him, on the grounds that it be of a subject of my choosing. He agrees immediately and ushers me to the beginners potions class he teaches.

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While we walk, he explains to me the state of affairs of the military in regards to the potion. Just as he was told to do, he warned them of the after effects of the potion and how it corrupts the mind. They took this under consideration and agreed to set the price at three gold per vial, even though the ingredients were rather easy to come by. As the 'inventor' of the potion, he has been given twenty percent of all profits made from the selling of it.

Now he proclaims he has made more money than any one man knows to do with. I can see in his eyes he thinks that will impress me, so I casually let slip that my Master has more money and we have no need of his.

I see from his eyes that he sobers up from his illusions and thanks me for allowing him the rights to the potion. I tell him I do not care for the potion and that no matter who asks, it will always be him that made it.

The rest of the walk goes on without conversation, to my preference. His shoulders now slump over as if the wind has been knocked out of him, which I find quite funny.

When we arrive, word has already spread that I will be the one giving the lecture, and the class has filled to the point where we can no longer enter. In fact we cannot even get close to the doors, as there is roughly three hundred students blocking the path, all trying to cram into one place.

The advanced mage suggests we change the venue to somewhere larger, and suggests the auditorium. I agree, and we make our way there with three hundred students following behind loudly.

As the students take their seats, I see a couple Grand Mages slip in the back, cloaked in black robes. Master has taught me to read the oscillation of magical force to determine who my enemy is, so I understand who they are when they entered.

Before I begin, I ask Master if it is alright with him that I use magical force to create illusory images of the plants I intend to explain. After a couple minutes, I receive no response and assume it is a no. Instead I make the advanced mage, who has now become my aide, create illusory images for me.

I begin by explaining as in depth as possible the different parts of various herbs and what to look for in terms of maturity. I then explain how to properly remove herbs without damaging the root, by making an incision into the base of the flower with magical force. I show an example, using water based magical force to remove a waterlily from it's root.

I then use fire magic to remove an igneous flower from it's root as well, and the class seems to understand what I mean from these examples. There is alot of whispering so I can only assume as much.

I go on further and say that the elemental type should determine what type of flower they should be aiming for. Elemental affinity is very important when properly removing ingredients. I see many students nodding there head, which is my queue to move onto the next subject.

Before I had even noticed, a few hours had passed during the lecture and I had exhausted all the topics I could think of. About half way through the lecture I had piqued the interests of the Grand Mages as well, which I found to be particularly interesting.

Curiously, the advanced mage is nowhere to be seen. He must have taken off some time when I had no more use of him.

My stomach begins to growl, which means that it is lunch time. I finish up my lecture by giving a small warning not to abuse the ecosystem of the mountain and not to take it for granted.

When the lecture is completed I go and greet the Grand Mages. Well, I intended to, but they have come to greet me instead. While I am on stage, they make their appearance in front of all the students and shake my hand about the presentation. They look genuinely enthusiastic, so I thank them for attending my lecture.

We go and drink some tea created from one of their assistants and I talk to them about some random subjects they ask my opinion on.

After a while, their true intentions come to light, and they ask about my Master. They do so without actually speaking his name, in a similar style to how nobles speak.

I courteously tell them what they want to hear without giving them any real details about the situation. If they were to be so inclined, they can go speak to him themselves.

Understanding that I will not give them any details of substance, they take their leave bitterly.

I leave the Magic Academy and head toward the teleportation array that will take me to the Bastion of Hope. I do not feel the wave of pleasure when I take this teleportation array, but I do get a mild headache from using it.

I decide to treat myself to some crêpes in the Bastion of Hope and invite my attendants. Even though they insist that it is improper for them to eat with me, I insist harder that they do.

I understand more than anyone that it is unacceptable to eat with the help, but Master does not believe in such rituals and neither shall I anymore.

The day was spent shopping, eating and greeting the various noble families. Being who I am and who I used to be, I was well received by all who I went to visit even though it was unexpected.

Sundown finally came around and I returned to the Private Sanctum as per Master's wishes. I make some tea for Anna, who is playing with the Tiger Cub instead of guarding. That must mean that Master is done with whatever he was doing.

I pour some tea for Master, and give the Tiger Cub a bath. The White Tiger Cub is now up to my waist in height and as long as my body in length.

It is hard to believe I could have all this within a few years. Not even four years ago I faced death from my Master because of my family's business. Now I have a family, a pet and a home to myself.

I would not give this up for anything.