Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Chapter 1459: Chapter 37: Hill’s Warning

After calculating the utility value of materials and finished products, Count Stelter felt it was more appropriate to keep the ores in his own hands... what if they were needed when making alloys?

Anyway, when it comes to price, these metals are a bit more valuable; the raw materials represent only a possibility.

Although ordinary alchemists might prefer materials, perhaps the uniquely inclined Sage Belfran might prefer these finished products!

You know, the Water Materials from Basia City are the finest in all of Damboro, yet Mr. Belfran essentially never bought any... but Count Stelter didn’t find it strange, as mages of that level have their ways to venture into the sea to find things.

Though the Sea God has a somewhat sinister nature and the ocean’s survival conditions are harsh, it cannot affect a mage above Level 10, for the sea lord cannot personally intervene.

As a member of the Damboro nobility, who knows some history and has been adversaries with the Scaret for generations, Count Stelter understands why Triton causes chaotic storms on the sea and why unexpected undercurrents always appear in the ocean.

If not for Damboro always miraculously stopping the Scaret’s campaigns south and northward, this world might have already been renamed Triton.

But though the sea lord was driven out of the mortal world, he hasn’t left Aesces yet!

As natives of Aesces, the conflict with the desert nation’s interests pales in comparison; Scaret is the enemy of all humanity.

Even the desert marauders of Stodom, who seem to hold deep grudges against Damboro, would stand with Damboro when Scaret tries to break through Damboro’s defenses.

Other human kingdoms also tacitly avoid direct trade with Scaret. If they truly need those famously pure Water Materials from that country, they’d rather add extra costs to buy through Damboro’s port cities.

After all, everyone understands that the Damboro people would never give Scaret any chance... Scaret’s success inevitably means Damboro’s doom.

The nobles of Aesces, regardless of how vicious their means or corrosive their internal conflicts, would not fool around when it comes to the nation’s survival.

The Earl, unaware of what his daughter was plotting, is very confident in the environment of Basia... after all, he possesses the most Water Materials from Scaret here.

Basia City, being the closest Damboro port city to Scaret, was allowed direct trade with Scaret since its founding.

Of course, both sides were aware of the initial purpose... even amidst fierce battles, they had to find ways to gauge each other’s depths!

The Scaret people faced no alternative; their distinctive blonde hair and blue eyes, along with excessively fair... never-tanning but peeling skin... made it difficult for them to operate covertly in other countries.

So, even in today’s world where basic production methods for crystal energy oddity are available worldwide, Scaret is the country with the coarsest technology.

This is the reason for no major conflicts between the two sides in nearly a hundred years.

As for a counterattack from Damboro... Triton indeed cannot enter Aesces, but he is not entirely powerless against a country brave enough to annihilate his descendants.

He’s merely temporarily conceding.

However, Basia City thrived considerably due to this brief peace.

Even though Count Stelter thought Hill might prefer those strange metal crafts, he was always thoughtful: for Ellie’s first formal lesson, the two boxes Lind brought contained a metal picture and a small metal alchemy table.

After confirming Hill indeed liked them, he planned to use the remaining items as gifts.

Originally, Ellie should have been more upfront during Lind’s third follow-up visit.

However, Lind prevented Ellie from speaking, wanting to try his luck to see if the Sage Mr. Belfran might be willing to take him in.

Lind knew that Belfran was willing to teach Ellie some things because he sensed her sincerity towards Alchemy and her candid personality.

Lind believed he was not without merit either... Though he knew his talents were slightly less than Ellie’s, it was only marginally so; the real reason he wasn’t accepted by mages was due to his family’s noble military accomplishments.

He had observed many mage apprentices back then... many had talents worse than his!

Being clever and quick, he could fluently recite books after a few readings, so why not make an effort?

Though Ellie wasn’t very willing to take this risk, she owed Lind a favor... So, when Lind tearfully uttered these words, she genuinely hesitated.

While Ellie wasn’t willing to sacrifice her future for Lind, she was indeed willing, as she progressed, to lend a hand to her dear brother.

Moreover, when Prince Alexis visited, it was Lind who stepped forward to shift the atmosphere from matchmaking to distant relatives calling.

Although this made the situation awkwardly tense at the time, the other party understood that Ellie Stell had no intention to marry as merely an expensive ornament... especially since the Earl didn’t stop Lind.

Of course, Helena was probably displeased, but given the circumstance, Ellie had a reputable mentor, she could only apologetically take the prince connected to her maternal family to her domain for reception.

Ellie didn’t care what kind of compensation her mother would give that Prince... it would never be more than her concealed dowry, right?

This was much better, at least her brothers, when the bonds weakened, wouldn’t just think of that expensive property when they thought of their sister.

Now, Ditte and Lind still haven’t started families of their own, so their sister’s happiness might be a bit more important.

But when in the future he worked hard to support his family, probably when he thought of this money given away for nothing, he wouldn’t find his sister cute and pitiable anymore.

And as for the fate of a prince consort who married far away without family support, Ellie shuddered to think of it.

Even if her status as a mage and her future children could protect her property and public face... what would be the point?

She learned magic, studied alchemy, but was it for this kind of boring life where she could foresee the future at a glance?

Helena, of course, loved her deeply, but her own marital happiness sometimes made her overlook certain shadows.

Regardless of whether Lind’s actions in the beginning had any other intentions, Ellie was grateful for his notice, which is why she proactively sought the Earl’s consent, intending to give Lind a chance.

The Earl, though he thought she and Lind were being unrealistic, only agreed after confirming that they both understood that failure was the most likely outcome.

After all, even one in ten thousand is still a chance!

However, today, while Lind, who usually followed along, stayed outside, Mr. Belfran had no intention of asking.

Ellie knew this matter couldn’t be delayed... if she didn’t speak now, she might never be able to say it.

Ellie’s hand, clutched tightly on her skirt hem, slowly relaxed... her slender fingers had lost all their strength. Her voice was somewhat weak, but she tried to use a steady tone as much as possible, voicing their initial plan.

Of course, she finally also clarified what kind of cost Count Stelter was willing to pay for this nominal teacher’s title.

Although Hill had never shown her those strange magical curios woven with metal threads, Ellie could sense that this high-level mage really liked these things.

Moreover, she felt that compared to the silk products popular among the aristocracy, Sage Belfran seemed to prefer woven items made of plants and metals.

Ellie was very certain of this, and in the freely accessible living room and study on the first floor, as well as the washroom, the furnishings were basically made of cotton and linen. However, they were much smoother and more flexible than any she had seen before, and didn’t feel inferior to silk at all.

Ellie didn’t expect that Sage Belfran was also firmly against spider silk.

But many alchemists didn’t quite like those intricately patterned, large spiders that looked like they had human faces on their backs, spinning out silk... some felt there was something odd about the spider silk, not pure, and others, for unknown reasons, developed allergies wearing spider silk products.

Yet, because the Scaret people were generally allergic to spider silk products, the Danboro people actually liked using this material.

That maritime nation, of course, had its own silk product, a transparent maritime plant called sea silk cotton.

But not only was it expensive, dyeing it required special shells, so only the nobles had the capital to wear it.

And for the Danboro people, as long as one had a proper job in the city, they could wear silk products... even though it wasn’t as sleek and gorgeous, lightweight, and soft as sea silk cotton, it was enough to let the Danboro people stand proudly in front of the Scaret people.

Especially after all the military uniforms switched to silk products.

Ellie’s mind was filled with unrelated thoughts, diverting her attention... although it wasn’t long, her nervous fingers and toes had already begun to cramp.

Just when she felt she couldn’t hold on any longer, Sage Belfran at the desk finally spoke up: ”It’s possible, alright, but I can only say, that when you come to learn, I casually taught him a few things.

I don’t mind if you spread word of my strength far and wide, because I am indeed very strong.

What Damboro Alchemy Association, what Mage Accord, they’ve never been in my line of sight... they don’t even have the qualification.

But, don’t say that I admire your brother.

To earn my admiration, to make me willingly take him as a disciple~ heh~ he isn’t up to it.”

Hill put down the note in his hand, speaking softly: ”Your talents are decent, but, it seems you still don’t quite understand, the path of a mage does not allow any falsehood.

Learning to deceive oneself would be even more foolish.

If that’s the case, I won’t speak again.

But I hope you, and your family understand, don’t provoke me!”