The rain that had been falling all night had stopped by the time I woke up.
I rubbed my sleepy eyes, got out of bed, and headed to another room.
I looked around the room and checked the walls and ceiling.
After the repairs, there had been a few rain showers, but there didn't seem to be any leaks so far.
It seemed like they had been patched up well.
I got dressed and put together the leftovers from dinner before carrying them to the living room.
I munched on the cold breakfast while lost in idle thoughts.
Lushena hadn't contacted me since then.
I was relieved that Lily was safe as well.
Lushena seemed to be living in a rented house, which was fortunate for the academy.
Even if something happened, my self-proclaimed grandfather, the academy director, would take care of it, and I had the authority of Doris.
So, The Troublesome Little Girl was a closed chapter, but it had caused ripples in its wake.
It was a heartwarming influence on the academy students, but I had my doubts.
A few days after the school assembly, I went to Lachendell's place to prepare an alchemical solution for symptom relief.
The owner of the room tilted his head curiously.
"Recently, there's been a slight increase in students studying alchemy. I can understand if it's the 1st-years, but what are the 3rd-years thinking? Do you know why, Alter-kun?"
Lily wasn't just an old man.
If you studied alchemy, you might go to the garden to collect materials.
I had suggested it for the best, but it had added to the academy director's worries.
Well, it was a peaceful problem. Let the youngsters enjoy their youth.
During our conversation, when I casually mentioned that "first-years knew about me," Cody answered.
"Alter, you're quite famous, you know?"
I tilted my head.
I had done a lot of things, but there were few eyewitnesses. I couldn't think of a reason to become famous.
When I mentioned this, Cody gave a wry smile and told me the reason.
Lambert and Felix were treated as exceptions among the second-years. Indeed, they were a cut above the rest.
So, what was I, who was training with those two, in terms of combat? Naturally, I was not ordinary.
Because I lived in a rented house and hardly interacted with my classmates, there was little gossip about me, but one of the three was considered the strongest among the second-years in combat.
Of course, this was limited to close combat. Elphimia was on a completely different level.
It seemed that Lushena had heard about it and approached me.
She probably thought it would be easier to manage a minor noble than Lambert of the viscount's family and Felix in his service.
I tilted the cup of general's tea.
I put it down after enjoying its mild bitterness.
The little girl had been taken care of. It was time to get back to [Magic Item Creation].
"Excluding academic studies is the right answer, isn't it?"
I'm in my 2nd year, and the lectures have advanced to the next stage.
It was a touch-and-go situation, but I had ventured into [Magic Item Creation] in alchemy and intermediate magic in magic studies.
I hadn't spent much time reviewing except for general education.
I reached out and rolled the ring in my palm.
If I had studied academically, I would have been a little further along.
Oh well, I missed the mark.
It was a durability-enhancing ring.
The ring I had made under Katie's guidance had become a magical item.
However, the joy was lacking.
The effect increased the strength of the ring itself, which was different from the durability of my stats.
If it were a weapon, it would have some value, but it was worthless as a ring, an unmarketable magical item.
In this situation, I was torn between starting to make my accessories in earnest.
Even if the success rate increased with self-made items, there would be no buyers for a dud.
Which were more efficient, magical items with a high success rate or weapons that were easy to recover the cost?
I couldn't find an answer, so I put the ring down.
"Anyway, I need to add magic stones. I haven't learned [Magic Item Creation] yet. I'll look for subjugation requests at the guild, and if there's nothing, I'll take on permanent requests. I should also buy a container for weapons."
I washed the rest of my breakfast with General Tea and stood up.
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