The most shameless alchemist in history

During her time with Hannah last night, Kelly learned that Hannah was not a student participating in the Maple Leaf Academy test, but had grown up in the Misty Forest since childhood. This explained why she had inexplicably collapsed from hunger by the roadside, and Lance's suspicions about her were dispelled.

“The times have changed, huh? Yes, it used to take a long time to travel from one place to another by horse-drawn carriage, but now by train, it only takes a few days. I talked about this with Dure before, but he…” Lance sighed with emotion.

He mentioned Dure's name again, but after noticing Kelly's expression, he swallowed his words.

"Kelly, why are you taking so long to get here? Where did you go last night?" At this moment, someone walked over. It was a tall and handsome boy who looked seven or eight parts like Kelly. He was none other than Kelly's brother, Keita.

"It's really not easy for you to finally remember you have a sister," Kelly said sarcastically.

“Kelly, what are you saying? You’re my only sister. I heard that a fire lizard appeared in the Misty Forest last night, and someone encountered it and a battle broke out. How unlucky must someone be to encounter the only high-level magical beast in the forest? That’s really bad luck,” Keita said, scratching her head.

"Well, I was really unlucky to run into a fire lizard," Kelly said casually.

"Huh? What? You encountered a fire lizard last night? You're not kidding, are you?" Keita was stunned. Although he always thought highly of himself, he was not yet at the level to fight high-level magical beasts. Ordinary students would avoid fire lizards like the plague.

"Then just take it as me joking. Anyway, all you care about is winning first place. I just wonder if you won first place in the third round?" Kelly said coldly. She knew her brother all too well. When they were at home, he was relatively restrained.

But now that she has left the Land of Swamps and arrived in Maple City of the Land of Snow, Keita has become increasingly reckless.

140 I saw it with my own eyes

The exhausted students rested until eight o'clock before Charlotte, the chief examiner of the entrance exam, slowly appeared. Today, he was wearing a very elegant red suit, a small green round hat, and his beard was carefully trimmed, slightly curled to the sides in a standard "V" shape.

His attire made him look more like he was going to a party than to be an examiner for the students. His appearance immediately attracted the students' attention. The students who were sitting on the ground all stood up and whispered among themselves, expressing deep resentment towards Charlotte.

"Is this guy dressed up like a princess going on a date? If so, I really have to pray he gets dumped. As the examiner, it's really too much to make us take such a risk!" A student denounced Charlotte's crime, still resentful about last night's experience.

"With his looks, how could anyone possibly be interested in him when he's dating? I bet he's been single for too long and his loneliness has twisted his mind, so he's deliberately messing with us. I've heard Charlotte has a bad reputation, and today I've seen it for myself." Another student chimed in quietly.

"Keep your voice down, don't let him hear us. We don't know what kind of tests they'll come up with next, but whatever the test, bring it on! We've already survived the Misty Forest challenge, what else are we afraid of?" Another student reminded his companion to watch his words and actions.

Amidst the murmurs, Charlotte stepped forward. His gaze swept across the crowd, and the previously agitated noise gradually subsided. He straightened his back, put his right hand behind his back, and cleared his throat with a dry cough. Sitting in his position, he was already used to speaking.

"Ahem, so these are the people who successfully passed through the Misty Forest? There are quite a few more than I expected. Although there was a minor incident in the Misty Forest last night, it doesn't seem to have had much of an impact on everyone. Let me say a few words."

Charlotte, accustomed to speaking in official jargon, began to speak in a drawn-out, rambling tone, while Lance and Kelly, standing below the stage, whispered to each other.

"Oh no, it's already this late, and Du Lei still hasn't shown up. I heard he was attacked in the Misty Forest and couldn't hold on. Those who were eliminated were all sent away by the academy. Could something have happened to Du Lei? We got here thanks to him, but what happened to him?"

Lance looked around anxiously. He had already searched carefully and inquired, but he had not seen any trace of Dure, nor had he heard anyone mention Dure's whereabouts. This made Lance very worried. He knew very well that Dure was fully capable of breaking through the Misty Forest, and it would be too frustrating for him to fall like this.

“Although I don’t want to believe it either, the facts are right in front of us. And you have to understand that it’s a fire lizard, a high-level magical beast. Even the teachers in the academy have to deal with it with caution, let alone ordinary people.” Kelly shook her head slightly, not optimistic.

She is a rational person, and rational people are good at using existing information to analyze accurate results. Once faced with a fire lizard, not to mention someone like Dure who has no magical energy fluctuations, even her brother, or even Sterling, the most outstanding student in this year's test, would not be able to deal with it.

“That may be true, but Dure clearly said he would come. He’s not the kind of person who goes back on his word, Dure.” Lance clenched his fists. He knew that saying anything now would be futile, but he still held onto hope. At this moment, Charlotte on the stage was coming to the end of her speech.

"Congratulations on passing the third round of testing. Let's head to the training ground for the next round. You're getting closer and closer to becoming a member of Maple Leaf Academy. Let's go now." Charlotte gestured for the students to follow her to the training ground inside Maple Leaf Academy.

"Please wait a moment!" Lance shouted at that moment, his body stiff and rigid, clearly very nervous.

"Lance, what are you trying to do?" Kelly, who was standing next to him, saw Lance's actions and tugged at him hard, not understanding Lance's intentions.

"Hmm, is there something you need?" Charlotte frowned and turned her gaze to Lance. She had heard a little about the students taking the entrance exam this year. Apart from those who got in through connections and needed her help, she had frequently heard people mention names like Sterling, Keita, and Bailing.

However, the boy in front of him looked ordinary and had no outstanding qualities. Such a person would not catch his eye.

"Reporting to Teacher Charlotte, it's like this, I have a companion on his way, he'll be here soon, could you please wait for him a little longer?" Lance had been quite gleeful talking badly about Charlotte in private, but facing Charlotte face to face still made his forehead covered in cold sweat.

Charlotte's brow furrowed more and more as he carefully considered Lance's words, each one stiff and forced.

"Lance, do you know what you're doing? Stop talking and get back here. If you openly defy Charlotte, you'll be in big trouble." Kelly, who was next to Lance, was very nervous. She grabbed Lance and tried to pull him back, reminding him in a low voice.

“Yes, it’s a companion named Dure. We encountered fire lizards last night, and it was thanks to him that we were able to get through the Misty Forest. He’s a really good guy. He said he would meet up with us, and he definitely will.” Lance was pinched.

However, he did not back down and continued to speak directly to Charlotte. Compared to his previous timidity, he now seemed to have made up his mind.

"Fire lizard? What are you talking about? How could a high-level magical beast like a fire lizard possibly appear in the Misty Forest?" Charlotte said stiffly.

“Wow, there really is one in the Misty Forest! I saw it with my own eyes yesterday, and Kelly saw it too. There must have been a lot of noise, right?” Lance was taken aback when Charlotte said this. He had seen it clearly last night, and it couldn’t possibly be a hallucination.

"Really? Did you see the fire lizard? Anyone among you who saw it with your own eyes, please step forward and tell me. The Misty Forest is so close to our Maple Leaf Academy, and it was my decision to let you enter the Misty Forest to participate in the test. What, are you trying to say that I deliberately harmed you?"

Charlotte's tone grew increasingly firm, almost aggressive, and his gaze was fixed on Lance, leaving the latter completely bewildered.

141 That's all.

Charlotte's words were very stiff, and her tone was full of threat. Although the commotion caused by the fire lizard last night had attracted a lot of discussion, most students had indeed only sensed the magical energy fluctuations and had not seen the fire lizard itself, so there was a lack of strong witnesses.

Charlotte's meaning was quite clear: the appearance of the fire lizard in the Misty Forest, threatening the safety of the examinees, was a major mistake on the part of the academy, and as the chief examiner, he had to take responsibility. Therefore, Charlotte would inevitably deny everything about the fire lizard, and her face immediately fell.

"I saw it with my own eyes, how could I be wrong? Why don't you believe me, Kelly? You saw it too, right? Tell him quickly that Dure was delayed because of the fire lizard. He'll be here soon. Just wait for him a little longer." Lance didn't have that much on his mind.

He quickly pulled Kelly out to testify for him. If Hannah were here, he would definitely have brought her along as well. However, she had already returned to the Misty Forest. Last night, the four of them had experienced the intense heat of the fire lizard up close, and he was absolutely certain of that.

“Lance, calm down. It’s fine if you don’t mention the fire lizard, but once you do, things will probably get messy.” Kelly was much more rational than Lance. She was younger than Lance, but she was far more worldly-wise than him. She keenly noticed Charlotte’s emotional changes.

"My dear students, Maple Leaf Academy is a renowned institution, a sacred hall that countless students dream of attending. It's not a place for murder, arson, or other destructive practices. Fire lizards are high-level magical beasts, and you are inexperienced students. How could we possibly put you in danger?"

Charlotte gave a cold snort. He was a shrewd man. If he admitted that there were fire lizards, his enemies would definitely use it against him.

“But last night…” Lance was getting anxious. He couldn’t understand why Charlotte wouldn’t believe him and wanted to explain.

"I think you're hallucinating, classmate. I can tell you with absolute certainty that there's absolutely no way a high-level magical beast like a fire lizard could exist in the Misty Forest. At most, there are only low-level jungle fairies, which are peace-loving magical beasts that are no different from pets."

Charlotte's voice was stern and harsh. Some students wanted to stand up for Lance, but seeing this trend, they didn't dare to be the first to speak up.

“There are jungle fairies, we encountered quite a few yesterday, but there are also fire lizards, this is definitely not an illusion,” Lance said with certainty.

“I strongly suggest you see a doctor to see if you accidentally ingested some hallucinogen in the forest, which is why you saw the fire salamander. Don’t say I’m heartless, but the deadline has passed and your so-called friend hasn’t shown up yet, so…” Charlotte took out a pocket watch.

He immediately turned around and prepared to leave. Someone of his status wouldn't waste time arguing with ordinary students.

"Please wait a little longer, just a little while, he will definitely appear, please," Lance pleaded again, his attitude very sincere.

“Lance, I understand how you feel, but given the current situation, it’s best not to bring up Dure and the fire lizard again, and don’t argue with Charlotte anymore. It won’t do you any good.” Kelly gently reminded Lance, pressing his shoulder. This was the wisest choice.

"Hey, just listen to your companions. At this point, that Dure you're talking about is probably already..." Someone next to Lance whispered words of comfort. The students' complaints about Charlotte remained only in private; few dared to question him to his face.

"Since you insist on waiting for your so-called companion, then you can stay here and wait for him. You don't need to participate in the next test." Charlotte had long lost her patience after being pestered by an unknown student time and time again, and glared fiercely at Lance.

“Lance, don’t do anything stupid. Stop being so stubborn. Just go and take the test. You’ve come all the way from the Land of Swamps to Maple City to learn about magic and become stronger, right? Don’t let your efforts and sacrifices go to waste.” Kelly continued to remind him.

Although the two had a minor disagreement last night, Kelly was still willing to help Lance when he encountered difficulties today.

"Hey, Kelly, what's going on? Who is this guy? Why are you always taking his side? What is he? He looks ordinary, not strong at all." At this moment, Kelly's brother Keita noticed that Kelly was talking to Lance and came over to ask.

"Relationships between people aren't measured by strength. If you don't even understand that, then you shouldn't interrupt." Kelly replied to her brother irritably. At home, Keita was much more obedient and listened to her sister's every word, but after going out, he became a bit arrogant.

"Alright, alright, I'll shut up and not say anything, but if that guy is going to cause trouble, you'd better cut ties with him. This is my advice as an older brother." Keita waved her hand and stepped aside, indicating that she wouldn't interfere in Kelly's decision.

“If Dure really doesn’t make it, then I’m sorry Kelly, I think our journey has to end here.” Lance clenched his fists and lowered his head, as if he was making a painful and struggling decision, which gave Kelly a bad feeling.

“Our journey is only just beginning, so don’t use words like ‘leaving,’ it’s very distressing.” Just as Lance was about to turn and leave, a voice came from behind him. He was stunned, and not only him, but Kelly was also very surprised.

"That's Dure's voice. What's going on with you? Why are you only arriving now?" Kelly recognized the voice. Without turning around, she knew it was Dure. She turned her head and saw someone slowly walking towards her at the entrance of the Misty Forest.

"Durey, it really is you! I knew you wouldn't go back on your word. You look so listless. What were you doing last night?" Lance quickly walked over and punched Durey on the shoulder. The latter slumped his head, looking utterly dejected.

"What happened last night? That's a long story, but now's not the time to talk about those things, right, Ms. Charlotte? I'm sorry I'm late, so am I considered late now?" Dure sighed, rubbing his forehead as he recalled what happened last night, his mind a complete mess.

He shook his head, trying to clear his head, and soon looked at Charlotte, whose face was ashen, and asked with a smile.

142. Thank you so much to her.

Lance was initially worried that Charlotte would make things difficult for Dure and use his lateness as an excuse to turn him away. Indeed, Charlotte's face was ashen and her murderous aura would frighten anyone who saw her. However, to his surprise, Charlotte held her tongue and did not pursue the matter of Dure's lateness.

Led by Charlotte, they headed towards the next test site, which was also the fourth test. At this point, they finally entered the interior of Maple Leaf Academy. The structure of Maple Leaf Academy was mostly made of smooth, rounded white stones, and the buildings were enormous.

Rather than calling it an academy, it's more accurate to describe it as a fortress. In fact, Maple Leaf Academy's predecessor was indeed a fortress guarding the southern gateway to Maple City. Over the years, it gradually evolved into an academy with magnificent and imposing architecture, and you can even see watchtowers.

"Durey, what's wrong with Charlotte? Shouldn't he be giving you a good beating? Why isn't he saying a word? This is so strange." Lance wasn't interested in the surrounding scenery; he was definitely more interested in Durey's situation. Many people thought Durey was definitely going to suffer.

However, Du Lei passed the test without any major incident, and he appeared confident throughout, without showing any sign of worry on his face.

"This problem is actually quite easy to understand; the key point is the fire lizard," Du Lei said in a low voice. There were many students at Maple Leaf Academy, more than a hundred in total, and many of them were whispering among themselves. Amidst the chatter, no one paid attention to what he was saying.

“Charlotte veers above the fire lizard, but she vehemently denies that such a thing exists. Doesn’t she know it’s a potential danger?” Lance scratched his head. He wasn’t good at thinking things through, and he couldn’t figure out Charlotte’s reaction even after pondering it for a long time.

“It would be really strange if he admitted it. If he admitted to the fire lizard, it means he didn’t do his job properly and he neglected his duties. He’s not far from losing his job. You were just questioning him about the fire lizard, which was like throwing away his livelihood.” Kelly, who was walking beside him, said irritably.

"So that's how it is. I was wondering why Charlotte had been targeting me. Now I finally understand why. But Dure, why isn't he bothering you? Is it because you have powerful connections?" Lance had figured out the answer to one question, but another question was still puzzling him.

"Come on, I come from a poor place, penniless and penniless. What kind of backing could I possibly have? The fire lizards caused such a big commotion yesterday. It's not something Charlotte can deny just because he doesn't want to. After all, you can fool the students, but you can't fool the teachers at the academy." Du Lei shook his head.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Lance felt his brain was a little slow to catch up and asked blankly.

"What I mean is that Charlotte wants to avoid mentioning the fire lizard as much as possible. He wants to handle this issue carefully and try to minimize the problem. And you just kept saying that I lured the fire lizard away, which means I was involved," Du Lei explained.

"Since you're the person involved, shouldn't he have kicked you out?" Lance asked, puzzled, not understanding the implications.

"Of course he wanted nothing more than to kick me far away, but what could he do if I used the fire lizard incident as leverage and spread it around? Although people might not believe me as a student, Charlotte definitely has rivals who would use this against her."

Du Lei patiently explained that by this time they had already passed through the academy's corridors and were heading towards the training grounds.

"Durey, what you're saying is so complicated, I don't understand at all. But it's so good that you're alright. By the way, what happened to you last night? Why did you show up so late? If you had been any later, you might have really lost your test qualification," Lance asked worriedly.

"There were too many things that happened last night to explain in a few words. I'll tell you properly when I have time. By the way, you weren't really planning to turn around and leave just now, were you? Didn't you cherish the opportunity to take the test?" Du Lei shook his head, not intending to talk about what happened last night.

However, he was quite interested in Lance's reaction when he faced Charlotte.

"You were really reckless just now. This is already the fourth round of testing. Do you know how many people have been eliminated in the previous three rounds? Countless people envy you for being able to stay here, but instead of cherishing this opportunity, you're going to squander it."

Kelly, who was standing next to him, also complained about Lance's reckless behavior. She had been really frightened when Lance suddenly turned around and tried to leave.

“Durey, if it weren’t for you last night, I wouldn’t be able to stand here at all. And it wasn’t just in the Misty Forest; during the first round of testing on the suspension bridge, you also helped me pass smoothly. That means you’ve helped me twice already,” Lance said earnestly.

“But I’m not helping you to ask for anything in return, nor am I asking you to do anything that would be detrimental to yourself to prove anything.” Dure shook his head. Although Lance turned and left, which seemed like a very righteous act, Dure did not agree with his actions.

“Du Lei, I’m not as smart as you, and I don’t understand all those big principles. I only know that you are my friend. If you miss the opportunity to enroll in school because you helped me, and I abandon you to study at the academy while you slunk away, I cannot accept that.”

Lance, unlike his usual carefree demeanor, had a very serious expression, which made Dure pause and re-examine him.

"Friends?" Du Lei pondered the word for a moment, his head lowered and his expression somewhat heavy.

"What's wrong, Dure? Is there a problem?" Lance asked nervously, thinking he had said something wrong.

"It's nothing. Actually, you should thank Kelly properly." Dure waved his hand with a smile, indicating that he was fine.

“Thank me? What do I have to thank that guy for?” Kelly pointed to herself, not understanding what Durley meant.

“Because when he did something reckless, you were still there to remind him and didn’t abandon him.” Although Dure wasn’t there at the time, he could get a general idea from Lance and Kelly’s expressions and reactions.