Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage Chapter 663: The Intellectual Romantic I

CH663 The Intellectual Romantic I

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Some days earlier...

A few days subsequent to the raid party ambush—and preceding the meeting Alex had scheduled with Brock Peyton—he was seated with Eleanore within the Fortuna Mansion. This followed her completion of rounds, checking on the injured members of the raid party.

After receiving updates on their conditions, Alex deliberately steered the conversation toward a subject that had occupied his thoughts since earlier that day.

Something linked to their prior encounter two days ago.

"Can you prepare a more potent treatment for the divine curse you mentioned?" Alex inquired.

"Yes, it should not present considerable difficulty. Although it is technically a Grade IV potion, I have been thoroughly examining the notes acquired from the Stele Trials, and I believe a method has been found to alleviate some of the formula's stringent requirements."

"You intend to modify the formula?" Alex’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

"I truly have no alternative." Eleanore let out a soft sigh. "The more potent cleansing potion requires both material components and technical expertise that are currently beyond my capabilities."

She paused for a brief moment before elaborating,

"You need not concern yourself with the potion potentially harming the BattleBanes. I will ascertain immediately after its refinement whether the outcome is viable or merely a useless/detrimental failure."

Her finger tapped rhythmically against the table.

"It would be beneficial if we utilize the Pill Method you devised. By sealing all the efficacy and releasing it instantaneously within the patient, we can compensate for some of the diminished potency in my adjusted version."

"That is excellent news," Alex affirmed with a nod.

He then offered her a subtly apologetic smile.

He had assigned her this task without prior consultation. His assumption was that since she had effortlessly refined the cleansing potion given to Dalton Asheton—the BattleBane Captain—she would invariably be capable of producing the stronger variant as well; the Greater Cleansing Potion.

It was only after conversing with her later that he recognized the oversimplification of that assumption.

"I told you not to fret about it," Eleanore responded with a gentle smile. "If I do not push my limits, how am I expected to progress? This challenge has compelled me to think beyond my usual confines, and consequently, I've been able to assimilate the insights from the Stele Trials at a significantly accelerated pace."

Her expression then became serious.

"Just refrain from making impulsive decisions like that again without consulting me first." She fixed him with a stern gaze.

"Understood," Alex agreed immediately.

"Putting that aside, the primary challenge lies not with the temporary treatment, but with the actual permanent cure," Eleanore continued.

"For divine curses of this magnitude, the remedy typically necessitates a synergistic combination of spells, potions, and intricate formations. The greater the discrepancy in power between the healer and the afflicted, the more we must depend on superior-grade potions and formations to bridge the gap."

She crossed her arms, contemplating aloud.

"Given that the captains of the BattleBane Guild are Combat Masters, it is reasonable to surmise their Guild Master is either a Combat Saint—or at the very least, a considerably more powerful Combat Master."

"Are you concerned your spells will be less effective on him due to the strength disparity?" Alex inquired.

"Indeed." Eleanore nodded. "But it's not solely his personal might. Depending on the curse's severity, the divine curse itself might also erect defenses against my spells.

"Therefore, it is prudent to operate under the assumption that my spellcasting alone will be insufficient. This implies we must heavily rely on potions and formations."

She let out a soft breath.

"I can manage the potion aspect, but—"

"You require me to take the lead on the formation aspect," Alex interjected.

"Precisely." Eleanore nodded once more.

"No issue. Jot down the formation, then transcribe it into OmniRune. I will commence the work of adapting it for practical application here on Verdantis. While I'm engaged with that, I will also explore possibilities for optimizing and enhancing it further."

"That would be incredibly helpful," Eleanore stated.

"It is the least I can do," Alex replied.

Eleanore offered a simple smile.

A moment later, one of the Fury Knights approached and silently presented Alex with a report before promptly withdrawing.

Alex swiftly perused the document, then turned his gaze back to Eleanore.

"How quickly can you finalize everything?" he asked.

"A day at minimum," Eleanore responded. Then, sensing an underlying urgency, she raised an eyebrow. "Why do you inquire?"

"The BattleBanes have been relentlessly pursuing monster hordes across the BloodIron region for the past few days. We can anticipate the delivery of the divine statues sometime today."

Alex offered her a look of apology.

"I apologize, but it appears you will need to accelerate your pace."

"Fine." Eleanore offered a shrug, choosing not to voice any complaints. "But this means you'll be the one crafting the pills once I've finished fine-tuning the potion formula."

"Huh? Me?" Alex appeared genuinely taken aback.

"Yes, you, obviously." Eleanore met his gaze with a steady look. "I still need to sketch the array formation for the treatment, remember? I'm not an Array Master, after all. It will take me a considerable amount of time to properly draw out the formation so that OmniRune can scan and replicate it."

"That's time that would be wasted if we waited for me to finish that before starting the pill crafting."

"Besides," she added, "as the progenitor of this pill method, it's best if you refine them. It will minimize the chances of failure, especially since you possess the Primal Origin Flame."

Eleanore's logic was irrefutable and painfully sound, leaving Alex with little justification to object, particularly given he was the one who had propelled them into this predicament initially.

Ultimately, all he could do was let out an internal sigh and accept the task.

However, he could already envision a future where every responsibility related to pill crafting would invariably be shifted onto him, conveniently justified by similar logical reasons.

'I absolutely cannot allow that.'

Alex's eyes narrowed slightly.

'I didn't pioneer Pill Alchemy only to burden myself with even more work. No... I must discover a method to enhance her alchemy capabilities and make pill refinement more attainable for her—and ideally, for numerous other alchemists as well.'

Naturally, that was a concern for a later time.

Still, at that precise moment, something struck him.

"Wait. Didn't you mention you intended to improve the potion formula using the notes acquired from the Alchemy Stele Trial—something about the transmutation of plant essences? I can't do that. Wouldn't that mean I wouldn't be able to refine the pill according to the new formula you create?" Alex inquired.

"No need to fret. I will incorporate the transmutation method directly into the formula notes," Eleanore responded.

Alex blinked.

"Will that actually work?" he questioned.

"Yes. You won't need to study all of Zaxan's original notes just to utilize the technique. I've already absorbed enough of it to render the process usable on a per-formula basis," Eleanore stated with casual ease.

"That is... quite impressive," Alex conceded.

And he genuinely meant it.

Contrary to the nonchalance with which she presented it, what she had just described demonstrated an exceptionally profound comprehension of the method—potentially approaching the level of its original creator—to be able to deconstruct and adapt it so effectively.

"Not really. I'm confident you would grasp it even faster than I did," Eleanore replied, shaking her head slightly. "Your Pill Alchemy method is far more remarkable than my minor accomplishment."

Alex's lips curved infinitesimally.

How exactly was he expected to explain that he hadn't truly conceived the method from scratch, but had merely brought into existence something that had already existed—albeit only in fictional form—in his previous life?

Ironically, he himself had consistently downplayed the achievement for that very reason. Due to its origins, he often felt as though he had merely copied an idea rather than originating something truly extraordinary.

What he failed to recognize, however, was that knowing something could exist and successfully manifesting it within an entirely different magical system were two fundamentally distinct feats.

Eleanore abruptly tilted her head slightly.

"Actually, I think it might be beneficial for you to learn [Zaxan’s Transmutation]."

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