Dekan's Amazement

Dekan glanced helplessly at Theresia, looking as if he wanted her help.

This was his first time meeting a member of this country's royal family.

Every word he said from here on could affect the peaceful life he'd been enjoying.

"Your Highness Alice, may I have a few words with Dekan?"

Theresia quickly tossed out the words and pulled Dekan aside.

She quietly told Dekan, "Alice is actually a good person. She's just a little willful and likes showing off. Just play along and let her have some fun."

Dekan gave a slight nod and looked at Alice.

"Your Highness Alice, our team happens to need a Tier 4 Mass Purification Spell Card. Could we ask you to make one for us?"

Dekan still couldn't make Tier 4 Magic Cards, so he usually bought essential Spell Cards like Mass Purification outright.

One of his reasons for coming to the Card Maker Association this time was to buy this card.

A second-year student at the Alchemy Academy ought to be able to make a Tier 4 Spell Card, right?

"Hehe, you certainly have a good eye! My card-making skills are sure to amaze you! Well, let's not waste time—watch closely as I make this card!"

At Dekan's agreeable response, Alice's cheerful mood immediately showed on her face, and her voice brimmed with delight.

She seemed eager to make this little demon king admire her even more.

The senior attendant waiting nearby immediately understood.

He hurried over to Alice and her companions, bowed respectfully, and said, "Your Highness Alice, and your friends, please follow me."

Under the attendant's guidance, they crossed half the association grounds and took a floating staircase straight to the association's fourth floor.

The association's third floor was where card-making certification exams for Tier 5 and below were held. The floors above were clearly off-limits to ordinary visitors.

The fourth-floor corridor looked to be more than a century old, but they had refrained from excessive renovation to preserve certain historical features.

At the end of the corridor, they spotted a room with a white sign hanging by the door. The attendant opened it for them, then stepped aside to let the three of them in.

Dekan could tell at a glance that the spacious room, which looked like an old workshop, was a master card-making room.

It was far more luxurious than the workshop he'd modified himself in his dormitory.

It had every kind of tool imaginable, all of them top-of-the-line equipment.

Before long, more staff arrived with supplies.

They had heard that the princess was going to make Mass Purification, so they'd brought every material she might possibly need.

Along with the usual supplies—blank cards, magic crystals, and monster core fluid—there were also several scrolls.

The primary materials needed to make each of the three types of Magic Cards were different.

Making an Equipment Card required an equipment prototype, as well as items for enchanting and sealing it.

Making a Summon Card required materials such as monster cores or soul crystals.

Making a Spell Card, on the other hand, required a magic scroll, which had to be modified and rewritten.

For instance, the materials for Dekan's Hydrogen Explosion included scrolls for Fireball, Water Ball, and Electric Shock.

The steps involved in making the three types of cards differed considerably, and the higher the card's tier, the more pronounced the differences.

That was why high-tier card makers often chose to specialize in one type.

While they waited for the staff to bring all the materials, Alice chatted with Dekan and the others for a while.

The attendant locked the door, and then Alice opened the storage cabinet.

Sure enough, the cabinet was also full of all sorts of materials.

Alice carefully counted what she needed, took out a compartment tray, and picked out a little of each material from the cabinet.

She placed them one by one in the compartments.

She seemed to have been in this room many times before; she knew exactly where everything was stored.

As Dekan watched her select the materials, his brow furrowed unconsciously.

Why was she taking so many materials?

But while Dekan was still puzzled, Alice had already finished preparing.

"Watch closely, Dekan! You don't get many chances to watch a card maker create a Magic Card."

Alice rolled up her sleeves, her radiant smile already seeming to anticipate Dekan's admiration.

"...Sure."

Dekan decided he'd better watch closely and learn.

He might even need to take notes.

After all, aside from Master, he'd never heard of any other "incredibly skilled Magic Card maker."

If she made a Tier 4 Epic Purification spell, that would be incredible.

Alice's expression grew serious.

She began mixing ground holy-attribute magic crystal powder with monster core fluid to make ink, sensing the fluctuations of magic as she blended them.

She adjusted her own magic to match those fluctuations, which would make it easier to channel magic into the ink when she drew the magic array.

Once the magic ink was mixed, Alice poured it into her magic pen, then unrolled the scroll and began transcribing, extracting, and imprinting the magic from it onto the blank card.

Next came the most crucial step.

The card maker had to rewrite and finalize the magic's structure and circuits.

This process required complete concentration, with all one's mental energy focused on the task.

As Alice moved the magic pen in her hand, she infused her magic evenly into every magic circuit.

A Magic Card's magic structure wasn't something any mage could simply draw. It was a process that combined understanding, creation, and spellcasting.

Without exceptional talent and a thorough understanding, even if someone could draw the right shape, they still couldn't give it the power it was meant to have.

Alice held her breath, seemingly facing the greatest challenge yet.

The trickiest part of the inscription was a dense ring of magical runes that had to be written onto the card.

The twisted little things looked like ants crawling around. Unless you were a top student, you couldn't even make sense of them, let alone write them down.

She frowned deeply as she slowly inscribed them.

She looked like a great painter creating a breathtaking masterpiece, every brushstroke delicate and every line brimming with strength.

A sacred, noble air surrounded her, making one wonder what heights she'd reached.

Several dozen minutes passed.

A hazy glow began spreading outward from the Magic Card.

It seemed to have worked, and Alice breathed a sigh of relief.

Now came the third step.

Mithril and fine gold were the best mediums for magic. After carefully drawing the magic array on the blank card base, she heated and imprinted a small amount of Holy Radiance Stone powder onto the card's surface.

This formed a framework that locked the energy inside the Magic Card.

Alice began fine-tuning and processing the card, linking several magic inscriptions at once to form a magic energy loop. This allowed the Magic Card to recharge after its magic was depleted, so it could be used again.

Though the card was nearly finished, this penultimate step was still quite complicated. Each magic array had to overlap with the others in certain places.

Every part of the magic structure had to function correctly when activated, without interfering with any other structure.

A single mistake would make the card collapse outright, and careless handling could even make it explode.

Alice's technique was very practiced, and she completed this step without a hitch.

At this point, the card was basically done. All that remained was to seal the Magic Card!

She boiled various alchemical materials into a paste and spread it over the surface of the Magic Card.

After using magic equipment to make it solidify quickly, it would form a transparent film.

Alice frowned, her expression utterly focused. She looked like a craftswoman putting the finishing touches on a masterpiece for the ages.

At last, a Tier 4 Spell Card, Mass Purification, emerged successfully in a cloud of vapor!

Alice smiled with satisfaction as she gazed at the card.

She seemed pleased with its quality. Even as a card maker, she couldn't resist admiring it for a few more moments.

She glanced at Dekan, the corners of her mouth curling into a perfect smile, as if she could already picture his astonished expression.

Dekan couldn't help swallowing.

Was it Purple Rare?

Judging by Alice's expression, could it even have turned out Epic?

"Hehe."

Alice chuckled twice, handed him the Spell Card, then took out a handkerchief and gently dabbed the sweat on her forehead.

Dekan took the card.

A deep blue light shimmered across its surface.

Dekan really couldn't help looking surprised.

Alice was delighted by his expression and said smugly, "Dekan, did you see that? That's how a masterpiece is born. Isn't it amazing?"

Dekan: "..."

He fell silent for quite a while, seemingly trying to calm his emotions.

She'd put in all that effort to make a blue Tier 4 Spell Card.

And this was an incredibly skilled Magic Card maker?

How could she?

Dekan: "Wow! That's so cool!" (flatly)

After confirming Dekan's reaction, Alice put her hands on her hips and laughed merrily.

"Hohoho, I'm glad you like it!"

Just imagining how, the next time Dekan went on a rampage in the Shadow World, she'd be able to brag to everyone, "Dekan and the others are using a card I made," made it even harder for Alice to keep the corners of her mouth from rising.

For a moment, she even got lost in her daydream.

The three of them arrived at the fourth floor's appraisal room.

After it was appraised and tested, the card proved to be high quality and fully met Dekan's needs.

Alice was still basking in the pleasure of having earned Dekan's admiration.

Theresia had already seen what Dekan was thinking and couldn't help feeling a little awkward.

Alice really did have the skills of a proper Tier 4 card maker.

She'd just bragged a little too much.

After all, Dekan was a rising star who had recently become famous in the Royal Capital. For Alice, he was an especially meaningful person to brag to.

She'd gotten carried away for a moment, and Theresia could understand that.

But.

She really couldn't keep bragging.

Your Royal Highness.

The person in front of you is a genuine card-making prodigy!

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Dekan put the card away and counted out 20 Gold Coins for Alice.

The market price for this card was around 25 Gold Coins. Alice had only agreed to charge him 20, which was a very friendly price.

After accounting for the materials she'd used, she'd barely made any money.

She'd only done it to show off in front of Dekan.

"Then I'll take them."

Alice didn't make things difficult for Dekan. She simply accepted the Gold Coins he offered her.

After all, if she refused to take his money now, he might feel he owed her a huge favor.

For most people, owing a member of the royal family a favor wasn't a good thing.

"Let's go back to school together. My carriage is outside."

Alice seemed to get along well with Dekan and still wanted to brag to him some more on the way.

She enjoyed showing off in front of people.

Just then, she noticed that both Dekan and Theresia looked a little uncomfortable, as if they were exchanging glances.

"Do you have other plans?"

Alice asked.

Dekan sighed and answered honestly, "Actually, I'm here to take the Tier 3 card maker exam."

They'd all find out sooner or later anyway.

There was no point hiding it.

"Oh, Dekan, you can make cards too?"

Alice asked, full of surprise.

"I know a little."

"Hoho, you're so lucky to have run into me! The Tier 3 card maker certification isn't that simple. I'll tell you the key points of the exam..."

Alice laughed even more happily.

She knew there were a few people at the Knight Academy who could make cards.

Being able to repair equipment was a useful skill for a warrior.

But those card makers at the Knight Academy could basically only make Equipment Cards.

It was very difficult for them to pass the professional card maker exam.

Alice felt she'd found even more to brag about in front of Dekan.

"Mm-hm. Uh-huh."

One was eager to teach, and the other was eager to learn.

Alice held nothing back, seemingly determined to teach Dekan everything she knew in just a few dozen minutes.

Dekan listened patiently, too.

He occasionally gazed at Alice with a thirst for knowledge.

"Good timing. I'm free this morning, too, so Theresia and I can watch you take the exam!"

Alice patted Dekan on the shoulder and said with a smile.

She looked quite like a teacher sending her student off to an exam.

The three of them had already arrived at the examination hall on the third floor of the Card Maker Association.

Dekan was about to enter the hall and take the certification exam.

There was also a viewing area inside, and the entire exam was open to the public.

"Okay, sounds good."

Dekan was very humble.

"Dekan, if you ever need any guidance on making Magic Cards, you can come find me at the Alchemy Academy anytime. I'm still a student myself, but I should be able to teach you a thing or two!"

"Pfft!"

Dekan finally couldn't help laughing at Alice.

A genuine smile spread across his face.

"Then I really must thank Princess Alice."

"Heh heh, I'm not just bragging, you know. I made a second-tier purple card not long ago! Not just any card maker can pull that off. Aren't you impressed?"

Alice seemed to be getting more and more carried away, completely oblivious to Theresia's odd expression.

"That's incredible! Without Alice, Norton would have languished in darkness for all eternity."

Dekan felt he'd found a source of amusement.

Just flatter her. Praise her, and that was that.

This princess would look lovely in tears.

"What?! Say that last line again!"

Dekan's previous remark seemed to have genuinely astonished Alice. She stared at him with wide eyes.

"...At the peak of card making, who can stand above all? One glimpse of the princess, and the path fades away."

"!!!"

Alice momentarily forgot to close her mouth.

"Y-you have to let me write down those two lines!"

Alice's voice was bursting with excitement.

Theresia had turned her gaze away completely and was looking into the distance.

Your Highness, please, stop talking.

If you keep going, you really won't be able to save face!

**********

Author's Note:

Didn't see that coming, did you? I updated again! And it's a 4,000-word chapter, too. Don't I deserve a little praise?

Honestly, I didn't expect to make this week's most-clicked ranking.

I've made the ranking three weeks in a row now, and it's starting to feel a little dull.

Something I used to dream of has become so easy.

I think I'm getting a little full of myself.

To keep myself grounded, I'd better write more.

But bonus updates often come at a price. I've run out of saved chapters, so I have to write tomorrow's update right now. If I haven't finished before I go to bed, tomorrow's update might be a little late~

But I'll do my best to finish it!

Morning reading should always set off with the sunrise!

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