Chapter 205: Chief Physician of Northern Wubei Territory

While a light-element mage's individual combat prowess was inherently limited, their utility to a domain remained exceptionally profound.

Take Elron, for instance; he could weave wealth for Ronin, manifest the lord’s benevolence to soothe and stabilize the peasantry, and fulfill significant, multifaceted roles in both healing and battlefield auxiliary support.

Beyond these immediate blessings, Ronin harbored the deeper hope that the mage might one day cure Rulance’s affliction, delivering the old man from the insidious erosion of the Soul-Devouring Torrent.

If Rydel and McCain were the bedrock of his hard power, then Elron was the very essence of his soft power.

Thus, bestowing energy essences upon Elron could hardly be deemed a waste.

As three hundred and sixty-seven points of energy essence dissolved away, Elron’s rank surged past the threshold of a high mage, ascending directly to a fourth-tier archmage (0/1200), leaving Ronin with a remaining reserve of thirteen hundred and forty-three points.

Since he had already resolved to elevate Elron’s standing, he did not hesitate, promptly investing another twelve hundred points to propel the man into the rank of a fifth-tier chief mage.

The sudden, violent expansion of mental fortitude stirred the ambient light elements, causing the space around Elron to ripple and surge until the mage resembled a solemn, gilded statue of a deity, radiating an aura of profound majesty.

Ronin refrained from disturbing Elron, who sat with closed eyes absorbing the transformation, and instead glanced down at the progress of the man’s rank.

[Elron Fao]: Chief Mage of Light (0/2000) +

To break through from a chief mage to a sixth-tier grand mage demanded a staggering two thousand points of energy essence—a truly daunting sum.

If he relied solely on the accumulation from his monthly sign-ins, it would take a year and a half just to grant Elron his next promotion.

It stood to reason that the subsequent leaps from grand mage to arch-grand-mage, and finally to an eighth-tier magus, would require an astronomical hoard of essence.

A frown creased Ronin’s brow.

Miroslav had once noted that only upon reaching the height of an eighth-tier magus could one master the light-attribute magic capable of purging the Soul-Devouring Torrent.

And by Rulance’s own estimation, he had perhaps seven or eight years left to live under normal circumstances.

Could he truly elevate Elron to an eighth-tier magus within that span relying purely on monthly sign-ins?

Ronin could not say, for the exact amounts required for those distant, lofty heights remained shrouded in uncertainty.

"It seems I must tread carefully with my remaining energy essences."

Securing Elron’s advancement was unarguably the highest priority, tethered as it was to Rulance's survival; Ronin refused to watch the old man perish under the cruel gnawing of the curse.

Yet, the North Crow Domain also starved for a commander capable of holding a front on his own, making the elevation of Rydel’s capabilities an urgent necessity.

Weighing McCain, Elron, and Rydel, Ronin figured he might first push Rydel to the gold tier before turning his full focus back to Elron.

As for McCain, since Ronin’s own strength was steadily climbing, his dependence on personal guards was waning, meaning McCain’s advancement could afford to wait.

While these thoughts spun through his mind, Elron slowly opened his eyes, a brilliant gleam flashing across his deep blue irises.

"How do you feel?" Ronin asked, pulling himself back to the present.

Elron bowed deeply, his voice thick with profound gratitude. "It feels magnificent, my Lord!"

He went on to explain in earnest detail, "With this ascension, I have mastered four new spells: Purification, Divine Judgment, Shadow of the Aurora, and the Aura of Lethargy."

Purification?

Ronin’s eyes kindled with sudden brightness; could this spell perhaps alleviate Rulance’s symptoms and prolong his days?

As the explanation unfolded, however, Ronin gained a clearer, more grounded understanding of the four arts.

Purification could only dispel dark energies and certain negative afflictions; its efficacy against the Soul-Devouring Torrent would likely be limited.

Even so, Ronin resolved to find an occasion to bring Elron to Mount Crow Castle to test its limits.

Divine Judgment was an offensive manifestation of the light attribute, capable of unleashing a fierce torrent of solar energy to strike down foes.

Though its raw destructive force lagged slightly behind the third-tier fire spell, Pyroblast, it far surpassed the second-tier Smite that Elron had recently acquired, offering a welcome remedy to the mage's otherwise fragile offensive capabilities.

As for the Shadow of the Aurora and the Aura of Lethargy, both belonged to the school of auxiliary sorcery.

The former quickened one’s pace, outshinding the swiftness of the third-tier wind spell, Haste.

The latter was a debilitating curse designed to sap an enemy's resolve and leave them despondent—an effect that sounded somewhat trivial on paper.

Yet Ronin wondered what manner of chaos might unfold on a crowded battlefield if he bolstered his own lines with Invigorate while blanketing the enemy in an Aura of Lethargy.

"My Lord, besides the magic itself, I have also awakened several useful memories."

"Oh? Do tell," Ronin murmured, his curiosity piqued.

Both Rydel and McCain had unlocked memories during their advancements, though theirs had pertained strictly to martial drills and the crucible of combat.

"Upon becoming a chief mage, my mind was flooded with vast lore regarding herbalism and magical alchemy. To speak of the elixirs alone, I can now combine various components harvested from magical beasts with common herbs to brew alchemical concoctions—hemostatic drafts, restorative tonics, and draughts of martial fervor, to name a few."

Ronin's gaze sharpened with intense interest.

Herbalism and alchemical brewing—both terms carried an immense, imposing weight.

To Ronin’s knowledge, the medical practices of this world were painfully primitive and brutal.

Generally, minor ailments were suffered through, while severe illnesses prompted physicians to deploy bloodletting, enemas, forced emesis, or the ingestion of crude herbs and animal byproducts.

While the latter treatments were barely tolerable, the first three were nothing short of a living torment for the afflicted.

The previous soul inhabiting Ronin's body had possessed a frail constitution; a physician, claiming his illness stemmed from a foul diet, had subjected him to forced vomiting on numerous occasions.

"The Silva Magic Chamber sells such alchemical drafts, but their prices are exorbitant."

Elron's newfound mastery over alchemy promised to open an entirely new frontier of industry for the North Crow Domain.

"And what of herbalism?" Ronin inquired. "What knowledge rests there?"

Elron pondered for a moment before replying, "A wealth of understanding regarding medicinal flora, which serves to aid the brewing of alchemical drafts. Furthermore, it contains remedies for the common afflictions of ordinary folk, such as headaches and persistent coughs."

Ronin broke into a sudden, appreciative applause.

"Excellent! This is a monumental blessing for the North Crow Domain!"

Ronin declared, "Elron, I intend to scale back the production of your healing scrolls. Moving forward, you shall direct your primary focus toward herbalism and the crafting of these alchemical drafts!"

The North Crow Domain possessed no structured medical system; since Elron possessed the capability, he would mend this glaring vulnerability.

"I shall increase your daily wage to three gold pieces,befitting a chief mage, and grant you an additional one hundred gold pieces to cover your initial research expenditures."

Alchemical experimentation was notoriously ravenous for coin.

Though Elron possessed the advantage of inherited memories and was not stumbling blindly in the dark, failures were an inevitable part of the process, and he would require starting capital to find his footing.

Naturally, the fruits of his labor would be sold under Ronin’s banner, and the profits would flow straight into the treasury of the North Crow Domain.

"You have my deepest gratitude for your trust and patronage, my Lord!" Elron whispered, visibly moved. "My Lord, I wish to recruit two assistants from within the domain to aid me in gathering and sorting the herbs, as well as managing the mundane chores of the laboratory."

"Granted. You may oversee those arrangements as you see fit," Ronin replied without hesitation. "Furthermore, you may impart such herbal lore as benefits the common folk to those assistants, provided they earn your trust."

"I understand, my Lord."

Elron harbored no desire to hoard his learning, viewing the elevation of the North Crow Domain as his solemn duty and privilege.

"Irene is currently under my tutelage learning the art of scroll-crafting; I shall begin introducing her to the principles of alchemy as well."

He offered a warm, indulgent smile. "The child can be mischievous at times, but she possesses a rare, quick intellect. Once she attains the rank of a high mage, she too can attempt the brewing of drafts."

"Very well. Irene possesses fine talent; it would be a pity to let it go to waste."

Luoning had still been considering finding a teacher for Ailin, but now it seemed unnecessary—Elrond was perfectly suited.

Though one was of light affinity and the other of water, their magical disciplines differed in design, yet their theoretical foundations and principles of spellcasting were entirely compatible.

Not to mention that after leveling up, Elrond’s knowledge and insight had expanded significantly; he was the ideal person to instruct Ailin.

Moreover, once the magical potions were successfully crafted, whether sold abroad or retained for use within the North U territory, they held immense value.

In such circumstances, having one more person versed in this craft would mean one more source of production for North U.

Luoning paused, then added, “Jenny is said to be showing signs of advancing to a high-level mage—if you need assistance later, you may ask her to aid you.”

Elrond nodded. During his time in the Black Territory tribe, he had exchanged magical insights with Jenny—they were already acquainted.

“Mages are naturally drawn to such things; she would surely be eager to learn.” (End of chapter)