Chapter 239: The Four Seasons

I went on a date with Ershil.

The place was the Korean Hero School.

Actually, it wasn’t much of a date. I just came here with the intention of seeing the new students.

“It’s a bit chilly.”

Ershil said as she leaned against me. Looking at her, I saw her smiling warmly at me.

I turned my gaze to the school gate.

It really felt like it had been a long time since I had been here.

It felt strangely nostalgic.

The emperor, who was the principal here, once felt so distant, but I had come a long way. That was part of the reason too.

“Hey, isn’t that Ershil and Lee Seo-ha?”

“Are they dating? But there’s no reason for them to come to the school together.”

“Come to think of it, both of them are said to be top-tier. The principal said they don’t even have to come to school. I’m so jealous.”

“Wasn’t Lee Seo-ha dating someone else though?”

As we arrived at the school, many people were whispering while looking at us.

“I heard he’s dating Kim Ara.”

“I heard it was Hong Yu-hwa.”

“Don’t you think Kim Seo-hyun and Lee Seo-ha make a perfect match?”

“I personally like Lee Seo-ha with Park Woon-hyuk. Lee Seo-ha seems delicate, and Park Woon-hyuk is rough around the edges.”

What nonsense.

When I looked at the students with an incredulous expression, Ershil frowned and looked in their direction.

Buzz.

The stars in her golden eyes spun around.

It was an illusion. And not just at an ordinary level.

When I looked at the students, they had turned pale and collapsed to the ground.

“What kind of illusion did you show them?”

“Just a scene where the guy they like is stolen by another woman, and their father and mother having affairs?”

“……”

“Don’t call it harsh. For people who gossip so openly, that’s a fitting punishment.”

Ershil said with a chilling smile and kept walking.

“It seems we’ve become too famous to take a quiet stroll like this.”

She walked ahead and then turned back.

The stars in her golden eyes spun again.

Buzz.

A kind of invisible barrier appeared around us, blending seamlessly with the environment.

Even at a glance, it was clear this was no ordinary barrier. With Ershil’s level of illusion, even top-tier beings would struggle to escape it.

“So, how is it?”

“The freshmen? We haven’t seen them yet.”

“No, I mean our date.”

“……”

Ershil giggled, her eyes curving like crescent moons.

After that, she walked silently beside me.

We simply walked the path.

When I glanced at her, I noticed her cheeks were glowing red.

‘Is she embarrassed?’

Even though she was the one who brought it up.

“So, what’s your plan from now on?”

“For what?”

“Alchemy. You’ve started quite a business, but it’s been a bit stagnant recently. Normally, you would’ve been busy with that.”

“It’s fine.”

It really was fine.

The Alchemy Guild has been doing better than expected, and the one claiming to be my successor had been working much harder.

‘They’ve progressed beyond my expectations.’

The problem was that events were unfolding too quickly.

The first year was almost over, and there were already five top-tier students.

Ershil, Kim Seo-hyun, Hong Yu-hwa, Seo Ga-yeon, and me.

And, most of all, the projected earnings were immense.

I had only revealed a few dozen recipes, yet with that alone, we built state-of-the-art training facilities and buildings, and despite all that, there was still over a trillion won sitting in the account.

Of course, the Electronic Witch helped, but still, to maintain the guild, alchemy must continue to be developed.

‘I’ve got a lot to do.’

As Veritas, I had to use alchemy for negotiations.

As the Masked Man, I had to destroy several of the Nazi Empire’s plans.

As Lee Seo-ha, I wanted to eliminate more evildoers.

‘How many can I take down?’

Three of the great evils were already dead. The Illusionary Evil, Daji, was confirmed dead, and the Radiant Evil as well. The Vicious Abomination was still in our custody, but it was as good as dead.

Even if something unexpected happens, the Energy of Defying Heaven I planted in the Vicious Abomination’s body could take its life at any time, according to my will.

“You seem deep in thought.”

“Ah, sorry. There’s a lot to think about.”

“It’s fine. I’ve enjoyed myself enough today.”

Ershil’s eyes gleamed.

“And I’ve learned more about your preferences.”

With those words, she leaned in close to my ear, covering it with her hand.

“Next time, let’s spend some quality time alone.”

And with that, she left.

I headed toward the Cheongcheon Guild after a long time.

I had alchemy-related business to attend to.

Veritas.

I intended to use my other identity to negotiate with the Thousand Sorcerer.

‘I did inform them I’d be coming today.’

There shouldn’t be any issues today.

I went to the reception desk.

“Welcome to the Cheongcheon Guild. How may I assist you?”

“I’ve scheduled a meeting with the Thousand Sorcerer…”

“Oh, you’re the Black Flame Dragon! I’ll escort you right away.”

“…….”

Was there really no way to get rid of that nickname?

The half-mocking nickname made me want to reveal my title as the Savior.

Of course, it would be revealed at a dramatic moment.

Probably when I killed Hitler, the pinnacle of the Nazi Empire.

Thinking that, I reached the 10th floor. The Cheongcheon Guild’s building was 10 stories tall, so I was at the top.

“It hasn’t been that long… or has it? Time seems to have gotten a little mixed up with all the work piling up.”

The Thousand Sorcerer looked rather gaunt.

They must have been running around dealing with things after neglecting the guild for three months.

Normally, three months shouldn’t be an issue.

Someone in the position of the Thousand Sorcerer wouldn’t need to handle every matter themselves, so they must have already established a system.

However, the Cheongcheon Guild, where the Thousand Sorcerer resided, was also in the midst of attacking the Tower of Demons.

During this time, with two Great Evils also dead, it was absolute chaos.

“So, what brings you here today?”

“Grandfather, of course, he came to see me.”

Kim Seo-hyun, who was standing next to us, said with a bright smile.

Her radiant silver hair shimmered. Her sky-blue eyes were looking at me.

…Her gaze was filled with immense anticipation.

“…That too, but I also came to speak with the Thousand Sorcerer.”

“……”

“……”

Both of them looked at me with bewildered expressions.

“Is he pretending to be clueless?”

“Maybe it’s a survival instinct. Acting oblivious to stay alive. It’s often the sharpest ones who act the most oblivious.”

Ignoring the Thousand Sorcerer’s words, I moved on to the main topic.

“Before coming here, you mentioned wanting to meet Veritas from the Martial Dimension, right?”

“Yes. Actually, anyone living in this era would want to meet Veritas at least once, whether they’re in the industry or not.”

That was how immense Veritas’ influence was.

Some said that wherever Veritas resided was an alchemists’ kingdom, and all alchemists were its tax-paying citizens.

The God of Alchemists.

The King of a small kingdom.

And the citizens of that kingdom represent all production fields.

That’s how far-reaching Veritas’ influence was.

“…So, by saying this, do you mean…you know about Veritas?”

The Thousand Sorcerer looked at me with a truly astonished expression.

Of course, I knew. It would be impossible for me not to know.

I lightly shrugged my shoulders and nodded.

“I know. I dare say I know better than anyone.”

“…Better than anyone?”

The Thousand Sorcerer, seeming to catch on to something, gave me a dazed look.

“I am Veritas.”

“What?”

The Thousand Sorcerer was stunned.

“If you find it hard to believe, I’ll show you.”

I retrieved some materials from my personal space.

I took out a flame herb, an ice crystal, and an empty bottle.

Next, I crushed the flame herb and finely ground the ice crystal. Then, I let them mature, blending them in harmony. This process alone took over six months.

If the mixture was wrong or the temperature was off, the efficiency dropped dramatically.

These were usually rebranded and sold as mid-tier or low-tier healing potions.

But I didn’t need any of these lengthy steps.

Concept Stat Alchemy.

This power, which governed all concepts in the study of alchemy, drastically shortened the entire process in an instant.

‘Of course, I still have to handle the mixture and harmony myself.’

A golden light enveloped the ingredients.

Like playing a mini-game, I mixed the materials and adjusted the time. The process finished astonishingly quickly.

“……”

I placed the mixture into the empty bottle.

It was a high-grade potion bottle, not only aesthetically pleasing but also reinforced with a spell that made it resistant to external impact, though it would shatter easily if someone attempted to break it intentionally. The moment it broke, the glass itself disappeared—a luxury item, but necessary for a healing potion of this caliber. Even with the exorbitant cost, it was always sold out.

“This is a top-tier healing potion. It’s the best of its kind.”

“You were drinking potions like water during the Apostle War. Now it makes sense.”

I responded with a smile.

“So, what kind of deal do you want?”

“Cash. For 30 bottles of potions like this, please calculate each at 1 billion won.”

“That’s quite cheap. You could put them up for auction.”

“Oh, I have those set aside. Still, we’ve fought side by side, so it wouldn’t feel right to auction them off.”

The Thousand Sorcerer chuckled and took out a check from his coat.

“300 billion won. I’ll settle it right now.”

“You’re quite generous.”

“But if you’re Veritas, do you really need cash? You’re not usually one to prefer cash. So why suddenly ask for it… Ah, don’t tell me?”

“I’m a bit short on money since I’ve recruited The Heavenly Demon.”

The Thousand Sorcerer looked momentarily stunned but then regained composure.

“That’s probably the best news I’ve heard all day.”

“Well then, I’ll be on my way.”

“…You really did come just to see my grandfather.”

At Kim Seo-hyun’s comment, I gave an awkward smile.

“Oh, by the way, do you have one of these items?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“…I think I might.”

“If you have it, I’ll buy it from you.”

“I’ll give it to you for free.”

The Thousand Sorcerer pulled out a scroll from his coat and spread it open.

Flap.

The scroll was filled with countless drawings.

“Thankfully, we have it.”

The Thousand Sorcerer reached out toward the scroll.

Light radiated from it, and an item appeared.

‘Everything’s just about ready.’

I had prepared almost everything I could.

Now it was time to execute the plan.

“Thanks for the great deal. I’ll see you next time.”

I left the Cheongcheon Guild.

And headed straight to the school.

I had to meet someone there.

‘No, calling her a girl feels strange since she’s well over fifty.’

However, her appearance suited the term.

A dwarf.

A descendant of the iron clan, known as a type of fairy.

I had to meet with the vice principal.

‘Now, it’s time to create it.’

It was time to merge the Four Seasons Swords into one.