Lehman looked at the faintly glowing magical energy storage device above the cultivation room, and his heart began to race!
Its appearance was different from before, so he knew this had to be an updated version.
Even though he already knew what his boss was capable of, every time he saw it, it still made him reassess his entire worldview.
As a commoner, Lehman had to be exceptionally talented to get into Giles Academy—at least more talented than most nobles.
But in a place full of geniuses, even they were divided into ranks!
Maybe this was just the difference between geniuses!
Most people hadn't even finished learning all the magic in the library, while Borne had already created his own intermediate-level arcane spell.
After five years at the academy, compared with his years at the Lehman Trading Company, Lehman had lost some of his initial drive and gradually accepted reality.
"This is a good thing. The stronger the boss gets, the more the Lehman Trading Company will grow!"
The news that Borne had become an intermediate Arcanist was no longer a secret. The Arcane Society's senior members had been assigned their first off-campus mission, so there was no way to avoid attracting attention. Every day, crowds gathered around the Society members to ask them questions.
After all, off-campus missions were dangerous. The Arcane Society members were the only ones with experience, so people naturally wanted to learn every detail.
Over the past few days, plenty of people had also tried to use Lehman as a connection to get "acquainted" with Borne.
If Borne hadn't been Count Ioulaum's grandson, but just an ordinary person or a minor noble, they would have worn a path to his door by now.
Lehman's question about whether Borne would attend the gathering hadn't come out of nowhere.
He touched the transparent crystal in front of him, then turned around and asked, puzzled, "Crystal?"
"No! It's just specially made glass."
"Glass?"
Right...
Another unfamiliar word. Lehman didn't even have the energy to complain anymore.
"But this glass is so clean and clear. It must cost at least as much as a glass bottle, right?"
"The raw material is sand."
As if he knew what Lehman was thinking, Borne explained.
Hearing that the raw material was sand, Lehman finally breathed a sigh of relief. Things made by spellcasters were always this troublesome. Low-level ones were manageable, but sometimes the things high-level spellcasters made weren't fit for ordinary people to use.
High-level spellcasters liked using special materials. For example, the corroded Indigenous Spirit core Borne had "turned in" was popular with spellcasters who specialized in Negative Energy.
Even without corruption, a normal core couldn't be used by someone of low or intermediate level.
Unless a lifeform had undergone a transformation, it couldn't withstand prolonged "radiation."
Many high-level professionals liked collecting this sort of thing, especially parts from dragons and the hides and fur of creatures from other worlds. In fact, most high-level professionals met their ends that way. Very few actually died in battle.
Borne continued, "But if there's only a small amount—like this piece here, which might be the only one in the world—then its value is no less than that of an equally sized piece of crystal."
"Oh?!"
Lehman's eyes lit up. A dozen ways to make money immediately sprang to mind.
Borne was speechless. He could tell from Lehman's expression exactly what the man was thinking. He was obsessed with money.
He patted Lehman on the shoulder. "Don't look at everything in terms of money. The most important thing right now is for the company to get established. Put making money on the back burner for now."
Lehman nodded and laughed. "Ha ha, it's a habit. I can't break it just like that."
"How's that batch of materials I asked you to collect?"
Borne knew Lehman's "professional habit" had kicked in. All he could do was shake his head and ask.
"Everything's pretty much ready. We stockpiled too much steel, so we were worried about attracting the City Guard's attention. We stored it in separate locations."
Lehman hurried to explain.
"Good. There's one more thing. Find two people for me: one named Melf, and the other Leomund."
"Melf? Leomund? Those are strange names..."
Lehman was used to Borne asking him to find all sorts of odd things, but this was the first time he'd been asked to find people.
"Melf is an Arcanist who's especially good at alchemy. His face was injured, and it's become really ugly. Leomund will be harder to find. He's a traveler who wanders all over the world. One thing that stands out is how good he is at spatial magic. He's especially good at getting away, and he can use spatial magic to make little houses or boxes."
Borne didn't know much, so he could only make guesses based on what he remembered. "Just tell the people working for the company to keep an eye out for them."
"Understood, boss!"
Lehman replied.
"Then go ahead and get back to work."
"Yes, boss."
"I should find some time to take this guy to the noble district and broaden his horizons. If he keeps mixing only with merchants, he'll never move up in the world!"
Watching Lehman walk away, Borne thought to himself.
As Borne's strength grew, he was gradually gaining access to the upper echelons.
He couldn't be the only one growing. The people under him needed to grow, too, or they wouldn't be able to keep up.
Outsiders could never be as loyal as your own people.
Over the past few years, Lehman had earned Borne's approval.
He was talented and levelheaded, a promising candidate who could be developed.
But perhaps because he'd come from the bottom, having seen too much of the world's dark side, his methods and perspective had never risen above that level.
His outstanding magical talent had gone to waste, and he'd gotten caught up in a life of pleasure.
Borne understood. When someone rose from humble beginnings and suddenly became rich, it was only natural for some of their behavior to seem low-class.
Even founding emperors were looked down on, let alone someone who'd gone from rags to riches!
Still, Lehman was decent. Even after suddenly coming into money, all he did was indulge himself. He didn't throw his weight around, much less look down on commoners or slaves.
The Lehman Trading Company was one of the few trading companies that didn't use slaves. Lehman often helped people at the bottom of society and those with nowhere to go.
That was what Borne valued most about him!
The next day, Lehman brought over the new holy water.
He brought several large barrels—enough to bathe in. It seemed Lehman really did have a good relationship with that deacon. Those barrels must have cost at least ten thousand gold coins.
But Borne soon realized that the "holy water" wasn't very effective at healing.
Had he developed a tolerance?
No.
It could only heal surface injuries.
According to the system's analysis, holy water could heal obvious wounds, ruptured blood vessels, or damage caused by internal bleeding.
But it couldn't treat subtler problems, such as capillary networks or displaced organs.
It couldn't help with illnesses or viral infections, either.
Borne understood and didn't dwell on it.
He still had a second plan: use "qi" to heal himself. Using "qi" to flush his internal organs could also strengthen them.
It was just a slow process, and while he was flushing them, he always felt a sour, sharp pain.
"So this really is self-torture now..."
Borne gave a bitter smile.
Fifteen days later, Borne's internal injuries had almost completely healed.
His "qi" had finally made a noticeable breakthrough. On the system panel, his [Monk] level had increased by one. At the same time, he could feel that as long as his internal organs didn't deteriorate below a certain point—that is, as long as he avoided serious injuries—he could maintain his health indefinitely.
Good health. Never getting sick!
A word flashed through Borne's mind: [Disease Immunity]!
At the same time, a new special ability appeared on the panel.
Of course, he knew what it was because of the information in his mind. He had to thank that information for confirming how far he'd progressed.
Unlike the ancestors who came before him, who had been confused after comprehending "qi," leaving behind a mess of disorganized notes that contradicted themselves and were incomprehensible to later generations.
This was mainly because the tradition had been lost. Monks developed the body's potential through the mind, and this potential grew in ways that weren't immediately apparent.
Without the information from his previous life to compare it with, Borne would probably have been just as confused.
According to the records, [Disease Immunity] was a special ability that made him immune to all diseases, except supernatural or magical diseases.
Even now, he still didn't know what special abilities were. He guessed they were something like the talent for keen hearing and sharp eyesight, and that they would improve as his level increased.
His injuries hadn't completely healed, but his condition was even better than before.
"System! Show me the Attribute Panel!"
Name: Borne Ioulaum Netherese human Wizard 10/Arcanist 6/Monk 5 Level: 10 Basic Attributes: Strength 6, Dexterity 5.5, Constitution 6.5, Intelligence 14, Wisdom 7 Unique Item: Ioun Stone (Divinity +1) Functions: Storage, Deduction, Scanning Knowledge: Social Skills +18, Disguise +25 (Performance +10), Arcana +45, Architecture and Engineering +81, Dungeons +21, Geography +36, Toril History +102, Nature +62, Nobility and Royalty +54, Religion +32, Planes +31, Abyss and Hell +24, Ioun Stones +85, Biology +61, Physics (Electrical Appliances, Electronics) +88, Sculpture +61, Advanced Mathematics +112, Languages: Netherese Noble Language, Common, Elvish, Draconic (Beginner) Martial Techniques: Cross Sword Technique (Mastery), Monk Breathing Technique (Mastery), Ki Strike (Proficient) Special Abilities: Evasion, Fast Movement, Still Mind, Lightfall, Disease Immunity Feats: Quicken Spell, Mobile Spellcasting, Silent Spell, Maximize Spell Spells... Arcane...
"My Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution have all improved significantly! Could the body really be hiding such enormous potential?"
Seeing the information laid out so clearly made Borne even more determined to find the Monk tradition.
At the same time, a friend he hadn't seen in ages came by to tell Borne that the academy's rewards had arrived.
They would be presented in three days, and a special award ceremony had been arranged for the occasion.
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