Spirit Taming

Chapter 376: Alchemy Interests

"You made it back alright, what happened though? I saw Illia and the Nebula city lord speaking quickly before she left the way you went." Maria was curious since she had not been able to go with Clark. She could have gotten her own materials but she trusted that Clark would do the best for the group.

"I found a good item that was not really classified properly. I think we can use it for Isa and for Grace. But it will be better for Isa. Grace will be staying here with Ralph so it will make more sense that she just gets the ice energy from around here." Clark tried to tell Maria as much as he could but he didn't want to let everyone at the banquet hear that he had gotten something incredibly rare.

He knew that he would be somewhat safe in Nebula, but it was better not to tempt fate. "I had to give up two more materials because this is equal to having three but it was very worthwhile. I also grabbed a weird item we might be able to use later. But I also used the rest to get items like a large energy crystal.

They can be used easily." Clark wasn't afraid to speak about the large energy crystals openly. They were rarer, but not so much so that people would fight for them.

The reason that he had focused on them was the fact that they were directly equal to growth in strength. That would help whatever beast used them. Especially the large shadow crystal. It was surprising that it was in the vault, but even if it was useless for most beasts, it was rare. Many people would store it away if they felt it might be worth it in the future.

"I think we should leave early though. We are all staying in the city lord's mansion instead of the academy. Ralph can remain focused on forging there. Reese on altering his sword style. Brad can keep absorbing metals that Isa buys. Then we can let Grace experiment with ice type energy.

Jerold, you, me, and Isa will focus on energy. Sound good?" Clark's theory for a plan was good. But Maria shook her head a little.

"I told Isa to find some of the nutrient potions for everyone. We are all going to do a harsh training one day each. That way we can get a decent increase in strength overall. I also don't want to see anyone too weak to be able to stand on their own." It was clear that Maria had put a lot of thought in to this.

There was also the fact that she had directly seen the results of training in this way after Ella's older brother had given her this style of training. It came at a high cost since it required nutrient potions and a healer. But if done properly, the results would be very good for the tamer overall.

"You will also be able to train your healing even more before you have to go to the dungeon or meet the healers. I understand." Clark found the secondary meaning of why maria had to train this way.

"Yes, I want to be a better healer with Lit. I need to understand how potions work better so I can make sure that Lit is healing perfectly. I can't let her do all the work." Seeing that Clark had totally missed the potential Maria had he wanted to slap himself.

"You can be the group's alchemist. I know that most people have a beast that uses skills to make potions, but why don't we find your third beast? You have Lit to heal and help you in battle. The midnight eel which is at home in your shadow and your last line of defense as an assassin. Why not make potions and truly embrace it?"

"I guess you are catching on." Maria smiled softly seeing that Clark was right on the same page as she was.

"Did I get a good feeling or was it just my business senses acting up again?" Isa saw that Clark and Maria had seemingly reached the conclusion to their conversation and decided to see what had happened with materials and other things. She also had a feeling that it was a good chance to hear what their plan was.

While Maria passed pon their plan to stay at the city lord's mansion, Clark got the attention of an attendant. The attendant gladly helped get the rest of his group so that they could head out. A knowing glance from the Nebula city lord told Clark that she expected this action. It was wise to get to work training as soon as possible.

"Don't think that you will all be leaving without me. I have no reason to stay now that everything has been settled. The merchants outside will just attempt to gain my favor for who I am.

If I take you all to a tour of the mansion, it will help me more than they will." This was proof to everyone that was listening in on or watching them that Illia was investing in the business of these fellow first years. But it also showed that Nova and Nebula would have a vibrant relationship in the future.

"I can see that you are already playing your own game though. A lot of people heard that." Clark sighed a little as the rest of the group fell in behind him. Even Jerold was walking tall and keeping himself visible. This was a surprise since he stayed invisible with his chameleon most of the time lately.

It was a side effect of the trauma that he had from being chased through the woods with his life on the line.

"So you are saying that you don't wish to know where the training rooms are? Or is it the forge that you wish to ignore? Ah, it would be the alchemy laboratory and the family alchemist that you wish to miss." Illia was not so foolish to miss what had been said while she was nearby. She was sure to have heard the slightly louder exclamation that Clark had made about alchemy and Maria learning it.

"Illia, we are going to get along very well. Let's start talking about what you want to do with beast evaluations." Isa caught Illia's arm and started in on the plans that she had and what they could offer Illia and the household.

"I missed a great deal of research and recording. Grace and Brad will be helping me categorize some notes along with recording my journals. Brad said that he had to meditate between work that I gave him. Grace said that she should expand her knowledge to become useful. She also wishes to take Maria's position as one of my recorders and sketch artists." Ella appeared to be planning her own work.

It would be great for them to split what had been learned like this.

"That's good, because I have plenty of those journals that I wrote things down in. they aren't all perfect but you can split the journals or even the individual condensed ones in to multiples. It might be a little taxing but it will be worth it." Clark had looked at a great deal of beasts. He had plenty of different growth plans, materials, and beasts in general written down.

The only limit were the journals and how it would all be divided up.

The journals that Ella made always had room for more to be added. That Was because they could learn new things over time. It was also lacking important information like the best food for a certain beast. The best environment for a beast. And even small things like how a beast would act under certain emotional factors.

All of them could be added through time and observation compared to the blunt information Clark always seemed to have.

Unknown to them, while the group left the whispers and rumors began to flow. Not only in the room of victors did the gossip start, but in the entire arena as they left. Simple rumors about the fact that Clark and Illia had orchestrated a plan to win the matches grew.

But also the fact that Ella had single handedly manipulated the third year battle to be a victory without the effort of both teams in full.

The rumors were of their true strength and hidden strengths. But many more had started. About how the strength of these first years was being compounded under a new family name in Nova. How the families with the most power were sure to have a new rising family to take the lead. About how two or three families might soon be coming together to clean up Nova and change it completely.

This was enough to cause some waves. It was also enough to ensure that all eyes would be focused on what Clark's group could do in the near future. One rumor though, stood out. The rumor that Clark's group was planning to spend up to a year traveling to become even stronger. It was both a fearsome potential and a risky gamble.

They could never make it back or they could return ten times stronger than they were now.