The Alchemist's Apprentice

Escape

When morning came, Lilly put on the glasses. 

“Hey. Are you there? Message lady?”

[We’re here. All AKS units are listening. This is AKS-11…. Sorry about before.]

“It’s, okay. Uh, can I call you something simpler?”

[Simpler?]

“How about Levy.”

[I’d be honoured.]

“Levy, Master Alkahest left when he heard about the World Integrity. How bad is that?”

[Is it above or below 80?]

“Seventy Nine.”

The line went deathly quiet.

[AKS 24 speaking. To be perfectly simple about this, the ‘safe’ margin on the integrity scale is less than a third- Once exceeded, the destabilisation accelerates.  Expect irregular lunar and tidal events, tremors, rifts and generally apocalyptic-]

“Levy.” 

[Bad. You’re about 3% away from disaster and we don’t have data on the rate of decay.]

[But if Master is a ghost, what’s he doing leaving her like this?]

[Are you dense?! He’s gone to fix the filtration systems.]

[As a ghost? Can he even do that?]

“He said he needed to check on something, and he left.”

[… That’s master.]

[His last words were ‘I’m going to try something out.’]

[He sneezed when he was naming me. AKshoo-21]

[The way he’s so terrible with people is a bit endearing though. Honestly Lily, the thought of explaining what was going on probably didn’t cross his mind. Or the idea of asking for help.]

[Who makes assistants and then tries to do everything themselves?]

[A Blockhead.]

[Master is an excellent Blockhead.]

“Who are you guys anyway? Levy?” Lilly couldn’t keep track of all the near-identical voices she could hear in her head, so she just directed her question to 11. 

[We are beings brought to life with Alchemy. Created to assist him in all things, our special duty has always been the maintenance and upkeep of the Akasha network. Since it’s inception, we’ve made countless improvements. Not that he was around for most of them- or used it when he was.]

“I’m angry at him. But, if things are bad. I want to help fix them.”

[Just leave it to us! If you supply energy to the terminal, we’ll control it from our end and use it to link up with the facilities.]

“My glasses can control things?”

[It will need energy, like the update. Check your status, how much MP do you have?]

Lilly called up her status. 

[ Name: Lilly Grayson (Fenn)

Level 3 

Profession: Alchemist.

Tags: [Daughter of gods] [Prodigy] [Inheritor of Alkahest] [Apprentice Alchemist] [Budding Beauty] [Soulbound]

STR: 35 AGL: 30 CON: 27 INT: 40 MP: 600/1020 HP: 200/200.

Status: A little tired. Trying to keep up.

Skill Assist: [No Skill-Assists Assigned, see Skill System menu, or say, Skill Help for details]

EXP assist: [Inactive. See EXP Assist menu, or say, EXP assist for details]

Possessions: Akasha interface device. Simple outfit. Underwear. 

]

[600 is… quite a bit actually. We’ll focus on the closest facility.]

“I’m in a castle. I don’t think they’ll let me leave.”

[Are you a princess?!]

“I don’t think so… Not yet.” She explained what she’d done so far, and that Alkahest had never fully described exactly how she was supposed to leave before he’d rushed off.

[Don’t worry, our master is your master and we’ll do everything to help you out!]

“So. How do I leave exactly?”

A not so subtle pause followed. 

[Do you know what kind of magical wards your castle’s enchanters have put in place?]

“What’s a ward?”

[Just look out the nearest window and see if there’s a barrier or something]

“Oh. I see it. It’s a bit faint.”

[Can you tell us more?]

“Honest Johns Perfect Protectives, Wonderful Wards, Superior Sigel’s, Attentive Alarms and Brilliant Barriers, free installation. 5 year warranty, no call out fe-”

[We meant the detailed analysis.]

“When I tried that it just said, ‘Abjuration.Aksh not found, invalid reference object.’ “

[Still updating? So how did you-]

“It’s written in big letters on the barrier.”

[AKS 24 speaking. I suspect that the ward is of sub-par quality. Hence our first step will be to create an invisibility clock.]

“Don’t you mean an invisibility cloak?”

[No. An invisibility cloak is a primitive apparatus that consumes energy from the user constantly while worn. An invisibility clock is a compact device that can be pre-charged with mana. The difference between 12 O’clock on the dial and the hands shows the time you have remaining.]

“Oh. I see. How do I make it?”

[You’ll need a cauldron capable of advanced recipes, an adjustable stirring rod and four autonomous rods. Since you made an Akasha Uplink, you should naturally have all the equipment-]

“I have an intermediate cauldron and a rod Alkahest made me saw in half. He made the glasses by some weird ghost method.”

[Ah. This might take a little longer then.]

Lawrence was alternating between heaven and hell. New products regularly popped out from behind the doors of the alchemy lab, but so too did the demands for ingredients. He’d had high hopes for ablation alchemy, but Lilly had insisted with unusual forcefulness that the ‘purple smoke method’ was reducing her success rate. However, there was an inkling of promise there, that if she improved enough, she’d be able to become a walking factory with 0 material cost.

So, he dutifully pulled strings and worked the budget to get more ingredients, turning the excess products from the tower into gold via an alias in the city. The mysterious alchemy vendor Ecnerwal was gaining fame at an uncomfortable rate. 

The paper especially had had become highly sought after for contracts, wills and the like, to the point that he’d consigned them to the auction house in batches for resale.

However, despite that, somehow they were operating at a loss. He’d personally gone up to ask her about possibly just producing paper and ceasing her experiments for a while, but when he’d seen how the room had been transformed, two cauldrons, one floating *upside down* above the other, strange rods suspended in the air around the room rotating in mysterious patterns and her in the middle with a bizarre tool that resembled a rod stuck together by numerous hinges and joints, twisted into a wild configuration. 

The rooms books had been piled up in a corner, and instead the shelves were stacked with ingredients and devices. The look of annoyance that she’d given him from under her singed fringe had caused him to forget all about persuading her and beat a hasty retreat. In that instant it had felt as though his soul had been pulled out and examined with clinical objectivity. 

As dramatically as alchemy itself, a meek and soft-spoken girl had gained a craftsman’s haughty bearing and the prodigious capabilities to match it. Before he’d thought they’d be able to hold onto her because she was so young, but things were rapidly spiraling out of hand. The servants were talking as well, about the noises and lights that were emitting from the tower. Naturally the castle gossips had rapidly figured out who was up there and what she was doing; and at this rate, the town and the rest of the kingdom would know by the end of the week. 

The frightening thing was that she seemed to be showing no sign of slowing down. She was making magical items now- it wasn’t just the cauldron and the weird rods, all of the lamps from her tower had disappeared to be replaced by floating balls of light. Her clothes had changed too, turning into a deep mahogany dress covered in tightly bound belts with pouches, pockets and leather loops for holding instruments. 

They could stop giving her ingredients and try giving her orders, but, she could still use ablation alchemy and might do something… Drastic. So they’d have to take the cauldron too. And if they did that, then it defeated the purpose of having an alchemist in the first place.

The king was listening to Lawrence pour out his thoughts with a slightly sour look on his face. He’d been sending letters to old friends and confidants looking for a tutor for Lilly, but it was clear now that by the time one got here, she’d probably be the one doing the teaching. Before long she’d probably start pushing the boundaries of the legendary alchemists of yore. 

“That’s an idea. Ask her to teach someone else the recipes with a high profit margin.”

Lawrence blinked. It was a simple, elegant solution- to the point where it was embarrassing that it hadn’t occurred to him. 

He and the king decided to pay her a visit together, climbing up the tower, past the floating lights and strange decorations she’d hung along the stairway- to the door of the alchemy room; which now had a plaque reading [Lilly’s Alchemy Lab. Don’t knock, just leave.]

Lawrence coughed while the king let out a chuckle and gave him a tap on the shoulder. “Once we have her train a few apprentices, we can work on her manners. It’s normal for geniuses to have one or two quirks.”

Lawrence nodded and pushed the door open. 

The room was… Empty. 

There were books in a pile, and shelves, but, there was no cauldron, no strange floating devices or bubbling bottles of liquid and most importantly, there was no Lilly.

There was, however, a note. 

Written in the near unreadable scrawl unique to children and medical practitioners, it read ‘I need better ingredients and inspiration. I’m going now. I may be some time.’

Both men groaned.

“Blain should contact us too from where he’s tailing her-“ 

There was an awkward cough from above them. 

The King and Prime Minister looked up, and witnessed the once in a lifetime sight of a highly trained agent stuck to the ceiling by a layer of hot-pink coloured goop. 

“Did she do that to you when she tried to leave?”

“Y-“ Blain paused and then with a tortured voice admitted, “I accidentally walked in on her changing. I don’t even know how I ended up here.” 

The nation’s leaders exchanged glances. 

“Shall I send out a search order?” 

“Ye…. No. Put out a description, and announce that our national Alchemist will be touring the kingdom and should be shown hospitality. While we track her movements, we can work out a plan and beat away any jackals that come sniffing.” The king was decisive. Even if she left the tower, she was a national asset. They’d claim her so loudly all other voices would be drowned out. 

Considering Lilly had never even left the castle, she’d come to appreciate the help when wandering out in the world- and might even return of her own accord, all the more grateful for it. And that would give them a better position when bargaining with her. 

The prime minister could practically see the kings thoughts forming and could only sigh. Rationally speaking a person with no experience, assistance and limited finances would find it difficult and dangerous to travel alone, much less practice their craft. He should’ve been worried about her safety if she didn’t return soon. Instead he found his stomach twisting up in knots over the back-orders for paper addressed to the great alchemist ‘ecnewal’ waiting in his inbox.