Emperor's Reckoning

Everyone was stunned, including Cecile and the group. They already knew that he was here, but they never thought that he would show up down there on the qualification ground.

"Is he lost?" Lumina furrowed her brows. "Why would he show up over there?"

It was hard to believe, but after having a journey with him for quite a while, she comprehended that Lyon definitely had the ability to make stupid mistakes. In fact, the mistake he made was mostly stupid.

"Look's like he is applying to become an alchemist?" muttered Cecile with a smile. "After all, why else they set up another cauldron."

"Hmm," Lumina agreed silently.

"Oh?" Tamuh raised his brows, "This is quite unexpected, Elise, did you know this?"

Elise had her eyes opened wide. She was planning to meet him after Renduval took his test, but she had never thought that things would turn this way.

Elise smiled wryly, "I suppose so."

Tamuh frowned, "What do you mean?"

Elise snorted before she calmly crossed her arms and looked below.

Princess Cherie and Princess Hilde were looking at Lyon with wry smiles. He was too random for them to fathom, and he did it again here in Alchemy Union.

"Is he really going to take the test too?" asked Hilde.

"Most likely," answered Cherie. "Don't you see that smirk of his, he is doing it for sure!"

"Lyon?" Renduval called out. "What are you doing here?"

Lyon opened his crossed arms before putting it on his waist. He sighed, "I have no idea, one thing led to another and here I am."

"What?" Renduval raised both brows. "What are you talking about? You shouldn't be here, you should be up there!"

Renduval pointed at the row where the others were sitting happily.

Lyon followed his aim before his lips twitched seeing Cecile waving at him with a smile on her face. The three generals— Graham, Kesya, and Assid —were rooting for him in their own way. Kesya was definitely the most active one out of the group. Meanwhile, the sharp beautiful— jade-haired woman —Lumina, was looking at him with a sigh before letting out a smile. She seemed to be defeated by his unbelievable action.

"Well, they told me to go here—  I have the feeling that it was the wrong way by the way —and here I am," said Lyon as he sighed.

"You can always—" Renduval frowned. He looked at the cauldron that was suddenly prepared parallel to him. "What is this?"

"That's a cauldron, Renduval, what are you talking about?" Lyon frowned at his idiocracy.

"I mean what is this doing here and why are you standing behind it," said Renduval frowned. "You wouldn't..."

"Well," Lyon shrugged. "They say that I need to pay up one imperial bead just to watch you take the test. Unbelievable how cheap this place is, I thought it would be free."

"What? No?" answered Renduval. "This is not included in the bundle."

"Bundle, eh." Lyon slouched. "You know that's still the prize I won, right."

"Yeah, prize, whatever! That's not important right now! How are you here, that's what I want to know," Renduval frowned.

"As I was saying, they were trying to make me pay one imperial bead," said Lyon as he got impatient. "What else do I have to explain?!"

"Then why don't you just pay it?!" asked Renduval. "It's just one imperial bead!"

Lyon sighed, "I don't bring any."

Renduval frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Are you stupid? It means what it means! My wife has the money!" said Lyon before he pulled out his pocket. "Look! Do you see any beads?!"

(Oh wow, it actually has pockets) thought Renduval before he said, "Then, did you steal a recommendation scroll?"

"Kuh!" Lyon shrugged as he turned around and shook his head, "Renduval, what do you take of me, do you think that I'm that kind of person."

"Yes."

"Tch! Not even a slight hesitation huh," said Lyon as he frowned. "Well I'm here might as well go with it." Lyon stretched and made a light skipping on the spot to relax his muscles.

The other participants were surprised to see what Lyon was doing before they chuckled.

"What is he doing? Haha!"

"This is not a running competition lad, are you sure you're in the right place?"

"Man, this will be quite entertaining."

Cold shivers immediately crept up from the base of Hilde's spine to her nape. Her eyes widened but her legs slightly jerked. She gritted her teeth and muttered, "Those fools, what are they saying?!"

Cherie frowned. "This is not good."

"It's fine," said Cecile as she smiled.

"Hmmm, Assid, have you ever seen young master doing some alchemy?" asked Kesya. Her questions immediately brought about the attention of the two elders.

"Hmm... I can't recall any," said Assid before he turned to Graham, "Have you seen him?"

"Hmm.." Graham closed his eyelids, "Hard to say, mas— I mean, young master hardly spent his time by the cauldron. He spent his time in.... well..."

Cecile chuckled, "Hehehe."

"Oh? Young miss, have you seen him concocting pills?"

"Rare, but I did," said Cecile with a smile. "But he said that buying it is way more efficient than making it. He only made those that are not available in shops."

"Oh? I didn't know young friend could concoct pills too," said Tamuh with a bright smile. "He should have told me, I can personally teach him, hahaha!"

"Cover your shiny head Tamuh, he is my student, well about to be anyway," said Elise with a grin.

"What?! You?" Tamuh was taken back. "You've finally given your red scroll? You?"

"Hmph," Elise crossed her arms. "Unlike you, I don't casually offer my scrolls."

Tamuh snorted. "That's why your hill is empty."

"It won't be for long," said Elise with a smirk. "There is something special about that boy, you'll see soon enough."

Tamuh frowned but comment no word. He averted his glance back to Lyon. The youth had surprised him. Not only was he the leader of the kunpeng hunters but he was also capable of concocting pills. (I doubt his level of understanding is high enough, but I shall see. Perhaps I would find something useful to make him my ally). With Lyon having the red scroll from Elise, the chances of him becoming his ally turned slimmer— at least through legal means.

Lumina tugged Cecile's elbow, "Does he?"

"He does, though, he rarely does it," said Cecile without turning. "He is being taught by twelve great beings with various and special sets of skills. One of them must have taught him how to concoct pills."

"Indeed," Sun made his appearance and sat on Cecile's head.

"However, he hated the lecture and mostly skipped the class, hahaha," Shen made his appearance and was hovering around her. His jade eyes were looking at Lyon who nonchalantly stood behind the cauldron with a smirk.

"Hmm," Bapho hovered around Lumina with a smile. His gray eyes were looking at Lyon like a proud grandfather. "This is not a bad experience, right, big brothers."

Lumina furrowed her brows, "Is the one teaching Lyon alchemy, amongst the other nine?"

"En," Sun nodded heavily with a grin. "The race that said to be at the pinnacle of avian beasts."

Lumina furrowed her brows, "The race at the pinnacle of the avian beasts?"

Elder Malaqa suddenly came out from the entrance in which Lyon had just come out. Her presence here was not a surprise for the spectators, however, she was the one that was surprised from seeing Lyon amongst the ones that applied to Alchemy Union. Her brows furrowed but nonetheless, she gave him no special treatment.

"Good, you are all here," said Malaqa. "Renduval, you're the only one that took the gold cloak test today, so you have to demonstrate for these rookies what your soul flame looked like."

"Yes!" Renduval immediately answered before closing his eyes. He opened his arms before his palms fused a green flame.

"Green soul flame, a level four soul flame," Elder Malaqa nodded before she averted her glance toward the four rookies parallel to Renduval. "This is the basics of basics, if you can't even light up your soul flame then forget about becoming an alchemist and go home. Your instructor ought to tell you how to do it prior to the recommendation right?"

"Yes!" The other three rookies immediately answered.

"Really?" Lyon laughed.

(Tch! This dumb idiot, why is he even here?) thought one of the rookies as they laugh inwardly.

Malaqa frowned but spoke no ill words. "Now then, rev your soul flame."

Lyon grinned. (Like an engine)

The other three rookies nodded before they immediately lit up a white soul flame on their palms. The fact that they could activate it with ease was proof of their talent.

"Level one, soul flame. Good, now—?!"

*Crackle!

Renduval had his eyes widened as he looked at Lyon. His green soul flame vanished as his pupils shrunk and trembled.

The other three rookies took a step back as they gulped, and Elder Malaqa was astonishedly petrified by the sight.

"Na?!" Tamuh gawked as his eyes widened.

"Heh," Elise smirked.

The chaotic burning white soul flame was waving across Lyon's entire arms as his black hair fluttered. "Heh."

",