Arthur felt satisfied and praised her, "Well done. Now maintain that posture—don't let the water scatter and keep it moving."
Octavia smiled happily. "Yes, my lord."
'Hmm, she managed to cast the Water Manipulation Spell. That's good. She might reach Rank E in a day or two.'
To cast magical spells, mages had to complete three steps. First, they needed to sense the mana within their bodies and guide it according to the type of spell. Second, they had to imagine the shape or function of the spell—such as picturing the water moving according to their will. Third, and finally, they had to recite the incantation in the Runic language. The incantation helped with controlling and directing the mana, which accelerated the casting process for beginners.
The Runic language was the ancient language of magic. Although Arthur knew many spells, he didn't actually understand the meanings of their incantations—they sounded like random words to him. However, he also knew how to write in runes; the novel had described the runic letters in detail, and he had seen illustrations of several written spells.
In truth, the third stage wasn't really necessary—experienced mages could cast spells without uttering them at all.
Time passed slowly. After about ten minutes, the water dispersed and settled back into stillness in the bowl. Arthur instinctively looked at Octavia and noticed she was breathing heavily, drenched in sweat, barely able to remain standing.
'She depleted her mana reserve that fast?'
"You may rest now." His words felt like a royal pardon. The moment Octavia heard them, she collapsed to the floor and began breathing deeply.
'Now that I think about it, I did gather some quality medicinal herbs. With them, I could make a few new types of potions.'
With that thought in mind, Arthur got out of bed and ordered Octavia to bring him the ingredients and tools, and to bring Selene along with her.
Potion crafting was a complex yet simple form of alchemy. But due to the primitive nature of this world, potions lacked purity. Arthur estimated that if he had access to high-quality lab equipment, he could produce superior potions unrivaled in this world.
Unfortunately, due to his current weakness, getting such equipment was impossible. After clearing his mind, he began crafting a potion designed to enhance a mage's mana capacity slightly and accelerate their progression.
The ingredients were simple: a magic beast core from at least a Rank E creature—he ground it into powder. He added medicinal oil extracted from an herb called Flander, then filtered well water ten times using a set of very clean cloths. Still, the result wasn't ideal. What he truly needed was a proper filter. He then boiled oak branches with some grape leaves and a bit of blood from a Rank D beast. Afterward, he mixed the boiled water with the core powder, Flander oil, and a few other simple ingredients. Finally, he added two drops of green viper venom.
Once done, he looked at the wooden cup before him and used his "Plot Savant" skill.
[Magical Enhancement Elixir – Purity: 67% – Effectiveness: Very Low]
*Sigh.*
"This potion is a failure. I can't give them this." Arthur picked up the cup and emptied its contents into the trash.
After a brief silence, Octavia asked, "Why did you discard that, my lord?"
Having accompanied Arthur for quite some time now, she knew he was a mysterious man who possessed techniques and knowledge unknown to anyone else in this place. His ability to create fragrant soap, hair wash, and toothpaste alone would've made him a renowned figure throughout the kingdom—let alone his knowledge of magical potions, the formulas for which were highly secretive and known only to a very select few alchemists and mages.
She had helped him multiple times while he brewed the Brutal Enhancement Elixirs for the recruits. His handling of the ingredients had always left her amazed. Now, seeing him discard a magical potion made from expensive components so casually sparked her suspicion.
Without looking her way, Arthur answered, "It's useless." He immediately took out a new batch of ingredients and began crafting the potion again. This time, he reduced the boiling time, added more Flander herb oil, and adjusted the proportions of other components.
After about an hour of effort, he analyzed the new potion using Plot Savant.
[Magical Enhancement Elixir – Purity: 71% – Effectiveness: Very Low]
*Sigh.*
Arthur raised his hands and rubbed his eyes in frustration. He realized he couldn't make the potion any purer, no matter how many times he tried. The problem wasn't the ingredients—it was the crude equipment. Unlike the Brutal Enhancement Elixir, which was relatively simple, most potions required precise laboratory work.
He threw away the new potion as well, causing both Selene and Octavia to flinch in shock. Neither dared ask anything—Arthur looked visibly annoyed.
Silence took over the room. After a minute, Arthur muttered audibly, "This is impractical. I need to craft some glass equipment."
Selene and Octavia were stunned. After a brief moment, they asked curiously, "What is glass, my lord?"
Arthur turned and gave them a strange look. In truth, glass did exist in this world, but it was full of impurities and hardly transparent. Only the highest-ranking noble estates used it due to the difficulty and secrecy of its manufacture. Most common folk had never even heard of it.
Realizing they had overstepped, Octavia and Selene quickly apologized in panic. "Forgive us, my lord—we overstepped and asked about something that doesn't concern us."
"It's fine." He wanted to explain what glass was but chose silence—he didn't know how to explain it clearly.
Without wasting more time on fruitless experiments, he set the ingredients aside and ordered Octavia and Selene to clean the place. He then trained for a while. When night fell, he taught Selene the Fire Manipulation Spell and supervised her for a bit before dismissing her.
He had plans for the following day, so he decided to get proper rest.
The next morning, Arthur followed his usual routine after waking up. Once he finished breakfast, he ordered Edgar to summon all the important figures to the main hall.
Within a few hours, everyone had arrived.
Seated upon the small throne at the end of the hall, Arthur looked at them with an icy stare that made them tremble with fear.
After a long silence, he finally spoke: "The two-week deadline I gave you has passed. I don't see any bandit heads in front of me."
Everyone's bodies tensed. They felt a chill crawl down their spines.
Edgar quickly stepped forward, trying to explain on behalf of his subordinates. "My lord, we thoroughly searched the eastern side of the forest but found nothing. The bandits disappeared without a trace."
"Yes, my lord," confirmed the head of the guards. "I believe they feared your wrath and fled as far as they could."
Suddenly, Tarian spoke—and his words made everyone shudder from their sheer audacity.
"My lord, this task is too difficult for our weak army. If I may humbly offer my opinion, I suggest Your Lordship request reinforcements from the Duke's house. Surely he wouldn't tolerate seeing his son disrespected like this."
Arthur's brows twitched in anger. He understood the hidden meaning behind Tarian's words. In a cold voice, he said, "So you wish to make me a laughingstock of the kingdom? Tarian, your tongue has grown quite sharp lately."
Tarian immediately bowed and apologized. "Forgive me, my lord—I meant no offense. I merely believe our army is too weak. How can we deal with bandits that even your seasoned guards failed to subdue?"