With a hop, a skip, and a little roll to finish off his routine, Alwin the Mixing Legend had arrived back inside Lapis' lab, investigating the source of the commotion. As usual, Lapis and her army of drones were whipping up a storm. Different colored liquids, powders, and viscous materials filled tubes, containers, and beakers. Those drones she didn't have mixing, stirring, or doing whatever it was that food scientists did, were cleaning up after the mess she made.

"Is that all you've taught him? Two skills? One with absolutely zero combat capabilities and another whose effectiveness is, at best, a gimmick!" shouted the man, sounding angrier by the minute. That man was none other than everyone's second favorite teacher, Milvus! No prizes for who was number one.

"Hey, hey, hey. Mind your manners, Milvee. I am still a Minister and while a woman should never reveal her age, I am older than you. That means you have to double respect me," said Lapis in a cheeky tone.

Milvus grumbled, rocking his triangular-shaped head from side to side. That singular eye of his twitched ever so slightly before eventually calming down. "Forgive me for my rudeness, Minister Lapis. However, I find that your priorities in handling Alwin are...questionable."

"Well, then question away. That's what teachers are for aren't they?" replied Lapis.

"That's... not what I meant. What I'm trying to say is that maybe what you're teaching isn't beneficial for Alwin's development. You know the importance of these children, Minister Lapis. How valuable they are. If we squander this chance now, who knows when the next opportunity will arrive."

"Relax, Milvee. I know what I'm doing. I mean you turned out alright, didn't you."

"I turned out the way I am through countless hours of training and experience. How does using Alwin as a guinea pig for your experiments and letting him play around with an ineffective skill help with his growth?" asked Milvus. "While the other Core children are honing their techniques and minds, Alwin has been goofing off."

"Hey! His help is essential to Monsterkind. Trust me, that little slime boy apprentice of mine is special. I can feel it in my Core."

"Minister Lapis, with the utmost respect, all of these kids are special. Please don't waste the efforts of the whole Council and the sacrifices of countless monsters, by pointlessly occupying him."

"Well, that's mean, Milvee. You know how important he is for my research and you know how important my research is for improving Monsterkind, calling it pointless is plain rude," said Lapis in a playful tone.

"You're missing the point, Minister Lapis."

"Did you know most people think that a circle has zero points, but in actual fact it has an infinite number of points. Now which one of us is missing the point?"

"Which is why I said—"

"Moving on," interrupted Lapis, "I need the kid and the kid needs me. Plus we had an agreement that he'll go for your morning lectures and I get dibs on him in the afternoon."

"And yet, he was mysteriously transported away in the middle of my class."

"Well..." Lapis trailed off. "It's morning somewhere in this huge wide world."

"Please, Minister Lapis. While I agree, that your mastery of the mystic arts is second to none, Alwin needs more than that if he wants to succeed. He needs more knowledge of battle tactics, combat techniques, and survival abilities, not just learning new skills—especially not a baking-related skill. At this rate, he'll be leagues behind everyone else," argued Milvus. "In fact, I believe he already is behind his other classmates."

"Hey! Mix is my beloved. You all just don't have the ability to see it."

"Minister Lapis, even with my Eye of Providence, I cannot see the use of Mixing skills on the battlefield."

"Well, you're just blind then!" huffed Lapis.

"You, of all people, should know that I see everything."

"Well, you definitely can't see potential even if it struck you in the face. There's no use arguing with you, how about we ask our dear slime boy for his opinion? Who are we to decide his fate, anyway?"

"We're his teachers, guardians, and most importantly guides. Alwin's and all of his classmates' fates aren't just his to bear—they carry the weight of all of Monsteria. But, I agree. Let's see what Alwin has to say. Alwin, boy, I know you've been eavesdropping."

"Wait, he has? I mean… of course, I knew that," Lapis stammered.

Both of them turned to face Alwin. As they were turning, even without any eyes, Alwin could tell that Lapis kept shifting her point of view between Milvus and the space in front of her, trying to match his movements. They looked at Alwin, who had been listening in on their conversation while munching on some popcorn.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

How did he get a bowl of popcorn? It was simple, really. Halfway through Milvus and Lapis' little debate, Alwin had gotten bored. Could you blame him? That was why Alwin had enlisted one of Lapis' drones with a task so crucial, that the fate of his sanity depended on it—bringing him popcorn.

Good thing that the drones were autonomous, a lucky break for him, if not he might've died of boredom while waiting for Lapis and Milvus to wrap up their arguments. Now, with a bowl of popcorn in front of him, he could watch the debate unfold like it was some kind of show. Except, rather than superheroes saving the day or knights slaying dragons, Alwin was watching two of his teachers fight over who got custody over him.

"My thoughts? I don't really have any," said Alwin, shoveling another helping of popcorn into his maw. Gosh, he was starting to feel like Gus.

"You're a smart kid, Alwin. After hearing a bit of what I've said, and experiencing Minister Lapis' teachings, you should be starting to have some doubts," replied Milvus. "Look at yourself, boy. Look at your friends. I agreed to let Minister Lapis handle your training because I believed she would take your development seriously. However, since you've started, the only things you've learnt are how to help Lapis with her research, and a skill that bakers use. By going along with Minister Lapis, you're only delaying your growth and stunting your potential."

Alwin thought hard about what Milvus had said—which was a tough feat given how soft and squishy Alwin was. After replaying the conversation over and over in his mind, going through memories of his experiences with both Lapis and Milvus, a single sentence stood out. Alwin knew his hunch was right! Mix was a baking skill! Only, a genius such as himself could've possibly arrived at such a conclusion before the grand reveal. He felt like shouting, jumping for joy, cheering in excitement, but alas he did none of those.

Instead, he did something that surprised even himself. It was as if he was moving on autopilot. As though, his brain had been hijacked by another entity. No, he wasn't being possessed or even being mind-controlled it was far worse. A different side of him, long buried beneath endless piles of jokes, distractions, and procrastination had made an appearance. Something rarer than a unicorn riding a rainbow over a volcano erupting while playing the trumpet. Yes, Alwin was being serious.

"With all due respect, Mr. Milvus, I find Minister Lapis' teachings to be beneficial. Although still in its infancy, and this is speculation on my part, I believe that essence refinement has many applications beyond helping a monster evolve. I believe that it has the potential to revolutionize the way we view mana itself," argued Alwin.

The whole room fell silent. Neither Milvus nor Lapis moved an inch as Alwin spoke. Even the drones, stuck in an endless cycle of mixing, swirling, and baking—a tireless pursuit to find a perfect blend for their master's cafe—paused their work. Everyone's attention was on Alwin.

"Furthermore, through sheer luck or perhaps it was Cor's design all along, the essence refinement skill has been largely favorable in my development. I'm sure both of you have realized that it is rather synergistic with my Core Skill. Rather than going out and slaying humans to fill up my evolution counter, I can do it from the safety of the Academy. While I do admit that I lose out on valuable fighting experience, this method allows me to safely traverse the many branches of the Evolutionary Tree, expanding the number of options available to me. This allows me to find the optimal form for whatever situation may arise," said Alwin.

Milvus had his jaw hanging low, going so far as to turn toward Lapis for an explanation of Alwin's sudden change in attitude. However, not even the Minister of Magic, herself could explain what sorcery had bewitched her pupil. She turned to face Milvus, equally if not even more confused.

Alwin continued, "While I agree that Mix itself may not be the most combat-oriented skill, I believe that it is my gateway toward further understanding magic. For example, I've had to push my observational and critical thinking skills to their limit in order to grasp Mix. Although there are easier ways to learn such a simple skill, I believe that Minister Lapis chose such an unorthodox method to broaden my horizons and allow me to grow, preparing me for tougher challenges to come."

"Yup. I definitely did that to challenge you and help you have a better understanding of the intricacies and nuance of individual skills and spell," agreed Lapis.

"Thank you, Minister Lapis. Additionally, by seeking out the various combinations available using Mix, it serves as a catalyst to expand my skill repertoire. It is true that some skill combinations are rather useless, for example combining two Spirit Blasts together doesn't add anything except a bigger blast and higher cost. But, this pushes me to experiment with even more combinations. Who knows when a seemingly worthless skill combination could produce miraculous results? Lastly, another benefit of this method is that it gives me a basis to build upon, allowing me to apply the knowledge I have cultivated through experimentation to future skills."

Lapis nodded fervently, agreeing with every word spoken by her disciple. On the other hand, Milvus had an expression of disbelief plastered on his face. Why wouldn't he be? This was a side of Alwin that he had never seen before, much less even imagined possible.

"I..." Milvus paused, struggling to find the right set of words to address his pupil. "I agree that some of your points are valid, but most of your arguments are purely theoretical in nature, some are mere speculation."

"Then let me prove it. Let me prove that what I've learnt under Lapis is just as valuable as what the rest of my classmates have learnt under your tutelage," offered Alwin.

"It is?" asked Lapis, skepticism clear in her voice. "I mean, of course, it is. Obviously."

Milvus let out a sigh, clearly unsure what to make of Alwin's statement. Yet, despite that, he didn't reject it outright. A good sign—not a great one, but enough to put a smile on the slime's face. "Fine, I'll come up with a test just for you. If you can pass it, then Lapis can continue to teach you as she likes. But, if you fail, I'll further limit your contact hours and have Lapis exclusively teach you skills that I deem suitable for combat. Is that fine with you, Alwin?"

Alwin nodded in agreement.

"But you still have to come to class. Lectures in the morning and Lapis can have you in the afternoon, while the rest of the class does their own training."

"Yes, sir," said Alwin.

"Good luck, Alwin. And Minister Lapis, I apologize for the intrusion and my lack of respect towards you. I was simply too hung up on Alwin's progress and worried that I have made a mistake in my judgment," admitted Milvus.

"No worries, Milvee. We all need a few shots in the face to keep us grounded sometimes. Anyway ta-ta and all that, don't make Alwin's test too difficult."

With that, Milvus bowed farewell and left, climbing up the stairs out of Lapis' hidden lab. After he left, Lapis turned around and stared at Alwin. Even without facial features, he could tell that she was performing a crystal monster's equivalent of scrunching her face, trying to figure out what had happened to him.