Marthion's expression was solemn as he silently followed beside Durin.
It seemed that he was still too weak. He didn't even have the right to know about the actions of His Majesty, the Emperor.
Suddenly, an explosion sounded not far away!
It turned out that a cauldron used for brewing magical potions had exploded.
A cauldron explosion was actually a common occurrence in potion-making and wasn't worth much attention.
But Durin stared at the shattered cauldron, lost in thought.
He had initially intended to learn about potion brewing, but the explosion before him completely extinguished that idea.
Marthion, walking beside him, suddenly tensed up.
A mere cauldron explosion was a trivial matter. Why, then, was His Majesty, the Emperor, staring at it so intently and refusing to look away?
Durin rubbed his temples and murmured to himself:
"Looks like I really should be more careful to avoid unnecessary losses."
This cauldron was exquisitely crafted and appeared quite expensive.
Now that it was damaged, it would definitely require a large number of mana stones to repair.
As the ruler of Ilan Kingdom, every gold coin spent in the kingdom was essentially his own money. So, of course, he had to be frugal!
Meanwhile, on the other side, Marthion was shaken by the phrase "to avoid unnecessary losses."
A mere cauldron was certainly not worth His Majesty's concern, nor could it possibly be what he was referring to as a loss.
Which meant… His Majesty must have been implying something deeper!
"For all these days, everything had been fine. But today, His Majesty suddenly came to the potion laboratory for no reason, and right after that, a cauldron exploded…"
Marthion suddenly recalled Kafka's earlier hints.
Since there were concerns about hidden traitors still lurking around, His Majesty wouldn't openly state his intentions but instead conveyed them through subtle hints.
By using such covert methods, His Majesty could achieve his goals.
However, Marthion was not Kafka. He could not decipher His Majesty's thoughts.
At this moment, his mind was in turmoil, and his expression grew increasingly tense.
Noticing this, Durin gently patted his shoulder.
"Don't worry about it."
Most of the elixirists here were Marthion's students, and Durin was essentially Marthion's boss.
Messing up company property in front of the boss—Marthion's embarrassment was understandable.
Durin considered himself a generous boss, so he decided to let this slide.
Meanwhile, Marthion's emotions gradually stabilized.
"If His Majesty said not to worry, then it means the situation is still under his control."
His gaze swept over the gathered elixirists, and suddenly, he felt that any of them could be Shadewhite's spies!
"Sigh, I truly am too foolish. I can't discern His Majesty's true intentions. In that case, I should leave the decision-making to him."
Marthion clenched his fists, determined to let Durin take complete control of the situation. That was the safest and most prudent course of action.
"Everyone, stop what you're doing!" Marthion announced. "Before His Majesty's slumber, he was a formidable elixirist. Now that he has awakened, his understanding of potion-making must be even deeper."
"His Majesty's guidance is a hundred times more valuable than mine. Now, let His Majesty personally demonstrate the process of potion-making. Everyone, pay close attention—this is the greatest opportunity of your lives!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Marthion let out a sigh of relief.
He smiled and gestured toward Durin in a respectful please motion.
Wait, what the hell are you doing?!
Durin's mouth twitched violently.
Was this a joke? He didn't know a single thing about potion-making!
He had only stopped by out of boredom.
How did that turn into him being called up to demonstrate?
And this Grand Elixirist—was his brain damaged?
Did the explosion knock something loose in his head?
"Ahem… Marthion, don't you think this is a bit inappropriate?" Durin tried to protest.
"Indeed, it would be inappropriate!"
Marthion nodded in righteous agreement, then promptly gave orders:
"The low-quality cauldrons here are unworthy of His Majesty!"
"Someone, bring the highest-grade magical ingredients and the demigod rank Magma Cauldron!"
A faint smile appeared on Marthion's lips.
His Majesty's hesitation meant he wasn't in a rush to deal with the enemy.
Of course, there was another possibility—His Majesty didn't want to act personally.
Potion-making was naturally a perfect way to attract everyone's attention. Moreover, preparing the materials would take time, giving His Majesty ample opportunity to operate behind the scenes!
Since His Majesty subtly implied that the conditions were unsuitable, it clearly meant he wanted a higher-grade arcane cauldron.
Yes, that was His Majesty's true intention!
The Magma Cauldron was Ilan Kingdom's most elite cauldron, one of the few demigod rank magical artifacts.
It could not only refine potions but also channel mana for combat!
His Majesty must have requested it as part of a deeper strategy!
However…
Marthion was still puzzled by one thing. His Majesty was a demigod rank expert—even against stellar rank opponents, he could crush them effortlessly.
Why, then, did he need the Magma Cauldron?
It didn't make sense!
"Come to think of it… His Majesty has never actually fought directly…"
The stellar rank level 9 Shadewhite agent had self-destructed in despair.
The high-level Shadewhite spies had been forced into revealing themselves.
And now, even in this situation, His Majesty was avoiding direct action…
Could it be…
Marthion's suspicions deepened.
Everyone believed His Majesty possessed unfathomable strength, yet no one had ever witnessed him fight.
Not even now.
Could there be some hidden truth?
Perhaps he should test him…
As Marthion's mind filled with doubt, Durin stood frozen, utterly baffled.
Wait, they're really expecting me to make a potion?
But I don't know how to make a damn thing!
Forget Marthion—even the ordinary elixirists here were master-level experts.
If he tried to brew a potion in front of them, they'd see through him immediately!
At this point, Durin desperately searched for an excuse to escape.
But as a demigod rank Emperor, he couldn't just say he had an upset stomach, could he?
What to do?!
Just then, an elixirist stepped forward respectfully.
"Your Majesty, all the materials have been prepared."
No, you idiots, these aren't for me!
And why did you get everything ready so quickly?! You're not even giving me time to run away!
Durin was beyond frustrated.
If he outright refused to brew a potion, his mighty Emperor persona might crumble on the spot.
With a heavy sigh, he reluctantly sat before the Magma Cauldron, staring nervously at the gathered elixirists, who all gazed at him with admiration.
Well, there was no turning back now. Time to fake it till he made it.
Since these were the finest magical ingredients, he might as well go all out.
Logically speaking, the more advanced a potion, the higher the failure rate.
Even as the Emperor, he couldn't be expected to be perfect, right?
Once he failed, he could just blame it on feeling a bit off today, then promptly vanish from this accursed place!
Durin was confident in his plan—it was flawless.
But just as he reached for the ingredients, his hand froze.
Wait.
He had overlooked something.
He had no idea what the recipe was.
Without a recipe…
How the hell was he supposed to make a potion?!
His expression darkened as he stared at the piles of magical ingredients before him.
He couldn't even sense their mana flow—let alone tell them apart.
For a mere mortal like him…
This was a complete disaster.