"I didn't have any strange dreams. Anyways, you… Today should be Monday, right? Why did you run off to the hospital?"
"Hehe," Rikka stuck out her tongue, setting the fruit basket she was carrying onto the bedside table with a dull thud. "I came to visit you, of course."
"If you hate going to school, just say it."
Raku glanced at the obviously cheap fruit basket, clearly bought just to get past the gatekeeper. Even the apples inside looked a bit shriveled.
"Hehe, that's part of the reason, yeah. A legitimate excuse to take leave, you know.
"After all, my big brother is seriously injured and bedridden. As his only close family, if I didn't come take care of you, the teacher would think I'm heartless, right?"
Looking at her innocent expression, Raku could only sigh helplessly.
"I give up on you. If you don't make it into college, don't blame it on me."
"I won't! I'll study hard!"
As if to prove her determination, Rikka suddenly dropped her playful grin. She sprang to her feet, clenched both fists in front of her chest, her azure eyes shining with a bright, sparkling light.
"I'll work hard for prison bro's share too! Just watch! I'll get into Duel Academy, charge straight into Obelisk Blue, then climb to the very top of this world and become the Duel King standing at the peak of the pyramid!"
The air in the hospital room fell silent for three seconds.
Looking at her imposing stance, Raku couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
"Where did you copy that line from?"
Rikka's previously maxed-out momentum collapsed instantly. Like a deflated balloon, she plopped back into the chair, puffed up one cheek, and slapped the bed rail in frustration.
"So annoying! I'm being serious! At times like this, shouldn't big brother be moved to tears and say, 'Then I'll leave everything to you, Rikka'? And don't you think lines like that are super cool?"
"Cool, cool, cool. Happy now?"
"Hehe, really?"
Rikka's greatest strength was how quickly she forgot things. Seeing that Raku was no longer dwelling on her skipping school, she perked up again, scratching the back of her head. Her originally sleek silver hime-cut hair was now a bit messy from her rubbing, and that stray ahoge swayed smugly from side to side.
"Even if it's kind of like that, when we were under that spire, I really felt that if I could become as strong as those legendary duelists, maybe big brother wouldn't have to suffer like this. Soooo, Obelisk Blue, I'm definitely getting in!"
"Alright, aiming high is a good thing. Now go memorize today's vocabulary first."
Raku casually picked up an apple from the fruit basket and found, as expected, that it wasn't very fresh.
"Ehhh! I have to memorize words even here? That's too much! I finally managed to escape by using visiting you as an excuse!"
Rikka protested loudly, snatching the not-so-good-looking apple from Raku's hand. She took out a small knife from her pocket and began peeling it.
Under the sunlight, her fingers moved skillfully. A long strip of apple peel hung down, spinning lightly in the air.
Raku leaned back against the pillow again, feeling the thick stack of parchment beneath the back of his head.
"Obelisk Blue, huh…"
Raku didn't know the exact level of Duel Academy, but since he had already seen the dueling skills of about half the people, he figured that Rikka getting in wouldn't be much of a problem. As for whether she could make it into Obelisk Blue, that would depend on her.
Rikka finished cutting a piece of fruit and stuffed it straight into Raku's mouth, cutting off his unspoken complaint.
"Here, eat your apple. No more lecturing!"
After Rikka left, the hospital room returned to silence. The wall clock ticked steadily, producing faint clicking sounds. Raku tried to lift his right hand, but his fingertips could barely reach the edge of the bedside table. The exhaustion from overusing his soul was even more stubborn than he had imagined.
He used his left hand to assist his right, struggling to pull the yellowed parchment out from beneath the pillow. On the originally blank surface, lines of dark golden text were now slowly seeping out, as if someone on the other end were writing with an invisible pen.
"This exchange is to express my gratitude for your gold coins.
"In fact, I have opened an alchemy workshop in Windless City. I believe I will soon earn enough money to begin my alchemical research."
Raku looked at the lines of text, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. Lying in a hospital bed was indeed dull, and this kind of cross-world written exchange made time feel less unbearable.
He glanced at the ballpoint pen by the bedside, then at his own hands, which struggled even to clench into a fist.
"Looks like, partner, you need me."
Aleister's figure appeared out of thin air beside the bed. He didn't sit down; instead floating a few centimeters above the ground. His green robe draped over the floor tiles, and he still held that extravagantly shaped staff in his hand.
"Knowing that a private conversation has a third party watching, I really can't keep a straight face," Raku lay flat, staring at the ceiling. "Alright, I'm still grateful for what you did for me."
He nudged the parchment with his finger, signaling Aleister to take it. Aleister reached out and accepted the paper. With a grasp of his left hand in midair, a glowing quill appeared between his fingers.
"What would you like to say?"
"Not bad. Ask about his current situation," Raku said, his voice still somewhat weak. "Just write: pretty good. What does your alchemy workshop actually do?"
After hearing this, Aleister nodded. Raku tilted his head, watching as a string of overly ornate phrasing appeared on the parchment.
"I am sincerely delighted for you and wish you success. With great curiosity, I would like to know what goods your esteemed alchemy workshop deals in."
Raku looked at that absurdly long line of honorifics, his eyelid twitching. "Do you really have to write it like that?"
"This is called being cultured and courteous. Trust my refinement, partner."
Aleister even casually added a small decorative flourish at the end of the sentence. His self-satisfied demeanor made Raku's eyelid twitch again.
The golden text on the parchment vanished. About five minutes later, new words slowly emerged.
"I plan to use the basic transmutation functions of alchemy to strip and recombine large amounts of purchased scrap copper at the molecular level, producing gold jewelry of extremely high purity, which should not be a problem. In Windless City, gold is always a hard currency."
After reading this, Raku turned his head to look at Aleister, who also seemed to be contemplating the logic behind it.
Producing gold out of thin air and selling it? In any world setting, that was the fastest way to invite trouble. Had Eldlich put all his talent points into technique, leaving his social sense and common knowledge in the negatives?
"Aleister, help me write something practical," Raku organized his thoughts. "Tell him that directly making gold to sell will easily attract attention. It's better to focus on necessities.
"For example, purifying water with alchemy, or producing soaps with strong cleaning power. As long as the scale is large enough, this kind of steady income will definitely be safer than gold and more profitable too."
Aleister did not object; He seemed to find the idea interesting.
The quill spun once between his fingers before landing on the parchment again.
"Your skills are astonishing, but the accumulation of wealth is often accompanied by shadows. Directly selling gold may invite unnecessary scrutiny. Perhaps you might consider using alchemy to improve essential goods for daily life?
"Clean water, effective detergents… These ordinary items often hold a far greater market and sense of security."
After writing this, Aleister paused and looked at Raku.
"Your perspective on business is quite unique, partner. Are you planning to cultivate the future Golden Lord into a great entrepreneur?"
"I just don't want to see the cliché of someone foolishly selling gold and getting set up," Raku closed his eyes, feeling tired after talking for so long.
After a while, the parchment grew slightly warm.
"I have learned much. Clean water… that is indeed what the slums of Windless City lack the most. I will attempt to produce a batch of simple filtration crystals. Once again, thank you for your advice, Sir Raku."
Aleister looked at the lines of text, then placed the parchment back beside Raku's hand as his figure gradually began to fade again.
...
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