Chapter 84 - 82: The Artisan Dragon
If the first two titles for a young Silver Dragon were mere signs of small achievements, then the last one undoubtedly merited the title of Master!
In the eyes of many laypeople, the more sophisticated a potion one invented, the more impressive it was. This was just like those Mages who developed high-level, ninth-circle, or even legendary magic. Among the elite was one of the Eight Leaves from the Greyhawk Plane, the legendary Mage Duncan. He invented a series of widely known spells named after him, including "Duncan’s Mansion," "Duncan’s Loyal Hound," "Duncan’s Force Missile," "Duncan’s Great Disjunction," "Duncan’s Recollection," "Duncan’s Private Chamber," and "Duncan’s Phantom Guard." Such achievements required incredibly profound knowledge and a deep exploration of the nature of magic.
However, Alchemy was slightly different; inventing and concocting high-level or legendary potions certainly commanded respect. But once potions became high-level, the rarity of their materials and the difficulty of making them widely available skyrocketed. Unlike some incredibly adept ’Magic Specialization’ Mage Lords who could perform certain specific spells without materials, alchemists couldn’t conjure something out of nothing when making potions. This meant some potions were one-of-a-kind, often just a fluke, and impossible to reproduce. This was much like on Blue Star, where creating new chemical compounds often proved much easier than discovering and validating a new element on the periodic table. Sometimes, the invention of a new method to couple complex organic molecules meant the explosive emergence of dozens of new compounds.
But creating a new, low-level potion with cheaper materials, building upon the High Elves’ centuries of magical civilization and countless previously explored avenues, required not just similarly profound knowledge but sometimes also a bit of... luck. No matter what, those who had such ’luck’ were equally entitled to claim the designation and qualifications of a Master.
According to Drow Mage Hiatt, even their Drow’s Anger Potion was accidentally concocted by using the wrong main ingredient while reverse-engineering the Clarity Potion. They had mixed in Crimson Ash, which surprisingly resulted in a potion even more suitable for the constitution of Drow children. Also, because of this property of interchangeable coupling, it was very likely that more varieties similar to the Deadly Poison Potion, Elariya’s Corpse Powder, and Hand-thrown Thunder Potion Bottles were on their way to being developed by the Drow in a reckless, life-risking manner.
David guessed that this must be why the Silver Dragon who invented the Clarity Potion, despite having a good reputation, never openly claimed it, which was quite peculiar. The root of the matter was here. David could tell that Priest Attilicia, who seemed to have suffered some unknown past hardships, displayed an extreme aversion and rejection to everything concerning Red Dragons, to the point of an almost fanatical prejudice. He preferred to relinquish the honor rather than be remotely associated with the ’filthy and evil’ Anger Potion made from Red Dragon blood.
However, David was never a Dragon to be overly inquisitive out of curiosity. After all, curiosity could kill a Dragon. I couldn’t care less why this Silver Dragon Priest is so vehemently against Red Dragons; what does it have to do with me now, ’Saphistouin the Silver Dragon’?
And with such a potion-developing dragon serving directly as a teacher, what about the Drow Mage originally planned as the potion maker? Or Yevgeny, who was preparing to be Hiatt’s ’proxy messenger’? Make way for Master Attilicia, all of you! Wouldn’t I learn the tricks of the trade myself, and wouldn’t that be better than those two dabblers?
With such a cheerful outlook, while Master Attilicia waited for the Duke of Silver to dispatch someone to thoroughly investigate the ’collusion with Drow potion smuggling and corruption case’ and for the truth to emerge, David took the opportunity to observe and learn from him.
Actually, learning Alchemy first required a basic understanding of magic, because Alchemy is essentially an application of magic. Moreover, knowledge of natural sciences like botany, mineralogy, and biology was also crucial, as many alchemical formulas required their use. Next was the use of tools, which included the Alchemist’s toolkit as well as other basic tools, like a mortar and pestle, test tubes, beakers, couplers, filter paper, and so on. Proficiency with tools often had a decisive impact on the success or failure of Alchemy.
And the most important qualities for studying Alchemy were patience and meticulous attention to detail. Alchemy often involved monitoring and adjusting various details during the concoction process, which also required good observation skills and intense focus.
But in Attilicia’s view, all these foundations could be set aside for now. For him, a Silver Dragon, especially a genius Master of Alchemy, none of these were issues; they were all minor details that could be effortlessly compensated for later. High intelligence, exceptional memory, and comprehension were what truly mattered for an Alchemist! Many alchemical formulas and creation spells required a deep understanding of complex recipes and arcane materials, as well as an innovative mindset and a way of thinking that transcended ordinary logic. And this was what would determine the upper limit of an Alchemist’s future achievements.