Fantasy Family Simulator-Chapter 230: Central Conference Hall

As soon as Mandy finished speaking, he stepped aside, and the other two alchemists followed suit, making way for the lady.

Karina, with a gentle smile on her lips, stepped forward and offered Rhett a hug. Their shoulders barely brushed before they separated, and Karina appraised Rhett with a pleased expression. "Earl Rhett, it’s a pleasure to meet you. You truly are as distinguished as they say!"

"I’m honored by your compliment," Rhett replied, feigning surprise. "Madam Karina, I never would have imagined someone of your stature would visit my territory!"

"I didn’t expect it either," Karina responded, her tone sincere. "When I heard that Master White Hat had settled in Dark Eagle City, I could hardly believe it. The news was almost too good to be true."

"I see..." Rhett nodded, appearing to have a sudden realization.

"Lord Rhett, would you be so kind as to escort me to Master White Hat’s studio?" Karina asked, her voice full of warmth.

"With great pleasure," Rhett replied, offering a gentleman’s bow before turning to Mandy. "I’m afraid I can’t attend to you all immediately, but please make sure to join us at the castle for tonight’s banquet!"

"We’ll be there on time!" Mandy assured him, then pointed to the packages beside him. "These are supplies sent by Prince Hogus. Would you like us to take them to your castle?"

Rhett thought for a moment. "Please take them to the Alchemy Tower for now. My third son, Tyles, is there."

"No problem, we’ll head there right away," Mandy replied with a smile.

"Thank you."

With that, Rhett and Karina headed off toward Dark Eagle City, walking side by side.

It didn’t take long for them to reach the city. At the gates, two lines of knights stood at attention, saluting Rhett as he approached.

"Welcome, my lord!" they greeted in unison.

Rhett nodded slightly, his gaze passing over the knights to rest on Lawrence at the back of the group. He recalled from a recent simulation that Lawrence had gotten involved with Karina’s daughter, Ola, which had led to Unika leaving in sorrow. Eventually, Armando had taken advantage of the situation and ended up with Unika.

Though Rhett found the outcome a bit unfortunate, he decided not to intervene. After all, this was probably just the reality of young love—rarely do first loves last forever. Most people need to go through several relationships to grow...

As long as the end result was extraordinary people pairing off, it didn’t really matter who ended up with whom. Better to leave it to the freedom of their emotions...

The two continued along the city’s main road, soon arriving at White Hat’s studio.

The studio was near the administrative offices, and Rhett’s son, Rayleigh, happened to be working in his third-floor office. From his desk, Rayleigh looked out the window just in time to see his father walking by with a beautiful woman beside him. His eyes flashed with curiosity.

He stood up and moved closer to the window, watching as his father and the woman stopped by a building across the street—a small tea shop separated the administrative offices from White Hat’s studio.

"Madam Karina, this is Master White Hat’s studio," Rhett said, gesturing to the building.

At that moment, Karina, dressed in a long gown, paused and looked up at the sign above the door. Her calm demeanor concealed a deep excitement and anticipation.

Given her experience and status, few things could stir her emotions like this. But today was different. She was about to reunite with a mentor who had profoundly influenced her life—a moment that was hard to put into words.

"Thank you, Earl Rhett," Karina said sincerely, glancing at Rhett with genuine gratitude.

"Madam Karina, you’re too kind. Let’s go inside. There aren’t many students in White Hat’s studio, so he shouldn’t be too busy. He’s probably inside right now," Rhett said with a smile, stepping through the door first.

The first floor of the studio was lit by warm, yellowish lights, and the interior was filled with a riot of colors.

This was the exhibition hall, with White Hat’s works displayed everywhere. The paintings were arranged in neat rows on easels, and the walls were adorned with beautiful artworks.

Karina’s eyes sparkled as she slowed her pace, lingering in front of each painting. She carefully appreciated every piece, savoring the familiar brushstrokes. She couldn’t help but murmur, "Master’s technique has improved since back then…"

Just as the two paused on the first floor, footsteps echoed from above.

White Hat descended the stairs and stopped at the landing between the second and first floors. When he spotted the woman at the bottom of the stairs, he let out a gasp of surprise.

"Karina, is that you?"

"Master White Hat!" Karina turned suddenly, unable to suppress her excitement. She lifted her long skirt and, with teary eyes, hurried up the stairs to give her mentor a big hug.

White Hat’s aged hands gently patted Karina’s back as he sighed in amazement. "Karina, you’ve changed so much. You’re no longer the young girl you once were. I never imagined you’d find your way here…"

"And you’re no longer the middle-aged mentor you were—you’ve grown so old!" Karina’s voice held a touch of sadness. "I searched many places for you, but I couldn’t find a trace. Why did you leave without a word? Where did you go after you left?"

White Hat patiently listened to Karina’s string of questions, then smiled and shook his head. "I had some promises to fulfill from long ago. I left the Kingdom of Kinland and didn’t return until a few years ago."

So that’s why… Karina felt a bit better after hearing his explanation. "Then why didn’t you look for me when you came back?"

"Heh, there was no need. I heard you’d become the most renowned painter in the royal court, famous throughout the Kingdom of Kinland."

"I’ve also seen your works—you’ve developed your own style. Even if we met again, I’m afraid there’s nothing more I could teach you," White Hat said with a shake of his head.

Suddenly, he turned his head toward the bottom of the stairs. "Wait a minute, wasn’t Earl Rhett with you just now? Where did he go?"

"He must have left," Karina replied. She had noticed Rhett’s departure earlier but hadn’t had the time to stop him.

She then glanced at one of the paintings on the wall. "Master, I don’t believe you have nothing left to teach me. I was just admiring your work, and you’ve certainly improved since you taught me. How about a little competition?"

White Hat was taken aback for a moment, then stroked his beard with a chuckle. "Alright, what shall we paint?"

"How about the eggs you taught me to paint for the first time?"

"Ha, alright then. Follow me…"

Uninterested in the reunion between master and student, Rhett left the studio after escorting Karina and made his way back to the Alchemy Tower.

He was more concerned about the skills of the three mid-level alchemists and how much they could elevate his existing team. And then there were the supplies sent by the Third Prince—not just a large quantity of magical plant seeds but also enough potions to accelerate his three sons’ training.

Although Rhett’s alchemists could now steadily produce potions, a significant portion had to be distributed to other subordinates each month. The remaining amount wasn’t enough to keep his three sons continuously supplied. With this batch of potions, Rhett hoped his sons would benefit greatly.

After handing over the supplies to Tyles, the three alchemists wandered around the area. Rhett, hurrying to the Alchemy Tower, found them half a kilometer away, strolling across a grassy field.

"Mandy, are all three of you alchemists specialized in potion-making?" Rhett asked, scanning their faces. He noticed that two of them were Level 5 Magi, while one was a Level 4 Magus.

"Earl Rhett, Maceo and I are potion makers, but Maruna here is a rarer breed—an alchemical equipment specialist," Mandy said with a smile. "Honestly, I didn’t expect the Third Prince to send an alchemical equipment specialist along with us. It shows just how highly he values you!"

Rhett’s heart leaped with joy as his gaze fell on the tallest of the group, a middle-aged man about 1.9 meters tall. Although Maruna was a Level 4 Magus, the lowest in strength among the three, he was an alchemical equipment specialist—a rare and valuable profession!

Alchemical equipment specialists were the other major branch of alchemy, theoretically as important as potion makers. However, due to the specialized talents required, alchemical equipment specialists were even rarer and more sought after.

Unlike blacksmiths, who forged mundane weapons, alchemical equipment specialists crafted magical items. Although the methods differed significantly, both professions required precise control over flames, which limited the practice to fire-element mages.

This restriction made alchemical equipment specialists much rarer than potion makers!

"Master Maruna, can you forge mid-level magic wands?" Rhett asked, his mind turning to a small piece of mithril he had kept stored away—acquired from a traveling merchant who had once tried to harm him. Rhett had been saving it for the day he found a skilled enough craftsman.

"Of course, Earl Rhett. Don’t let my Level 4 rank fool you—I’m one of the best mid-level alchemical equipment specialists around. If my power were a bit higher, my skills would be even more refined!" Maruna replied confidently.

If the Third Prince sent him, he must be top-notch. His skills shouldn’t disappoint!

"And what about high-level magic wands?" Rhett asked.

He didn’t want to waste his mithril on a mid-level wand. Now that he was a Level 6 Magus and close to breaking through to Grand Magus, he hoped to invest in a more powerful piece of equipment.

Maruna paused at the question, then chuckled. "Earl Rhett, you flatter me. But you should know that no mid-level Magus can forge a high-level wand. It’s a matter of spiritual power—no one can defy that rule."

He then added, "But if you need a new wand, I can craft one for you right now."

"No need. I’m still quite comfortable with my current wand."

Unfazed, Maruna looked more closely at the wand in Rhett’s hand and asked, "Earl Rhett, may I take a closer look at your wand?"

"Sure," Rhett replied, handing over his ink-colored wand.

Maruna held the wand in both hands, gently running his fingers over its surface. He examined the round magical crystal embedded at the top and then gave his assessment.

"Earl Rhett, your wand's craftsmanship is rather crude, with several flaws in the refining process. If you trust me with it, I can improve its quality and increase your spell power by five percent."

Five percent? That’s a significant improvement!

Rhett’s eyes lit up. "You’re under the Third Prince’s command, so I trust you completely. If you can do that, I’d be delighted!"

"It’s my pleasure, Earl Rhett. We’ve been assigned to serve under you for the next five years, so you’re our direct superior now," Maruna replied modestly.

Rhett chuckled. "Well then, let’s head inside. Over the coming days, I’ll rely on you to train my alchemy team."

"Duty calls, and we won’t let you down," Mandy said, stroking his white beard.

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Upon entering the Alchemy Tower, Rhett immediately gathered all of his alchemical talents.

Except for Rayleigh, every alchemist under his command was summoned to the third-floor central conference hall, including Tyles, Henke, Felix, Hernan, Philos, and Unika. These individuals made up the bulk of his alchemy team.

At Mandy’s suggestion, each person would showcase their potion-making skills on the spot to demonstrate their level of expertise.

Rhett had no objections, and soon the central conference hall buzzed with activity.

Though the room was quiet in terms of voices, it was filled with the sounds of bubbling cauldrons, clinking glassware, and the drip of flowing water.

Everyone was busy, concentrating on their alchemical tools, striving to avoid even the smallest mistake.

Hernan and Philos, the two latest additions to the team, worked with extra zeal. They knew their spiritual talents were lacking, so they had to push themselves even harder on the path of alchemy.

After some time, each person completed their work, their faces filled with anticipation as they awaited evaluation.

However, Mandy and Maceo, both alchemical potion masters, didn’t need to inspect the finished products closely. From observing the process, they could already judge each person’s skill level.

The final results weren’t announced publicly, mainly because Rhett had considered that these seasoned alchemists might unintentionally demoralize some of his team members.

But after a private conversation with Mandy and Maceo, Rhett learned the outcome.

To his surprise, two individuals earned Mandy’s highest praise—Henke and Felix!

The others, while competent in their techniques, were considered subpar by Mandy’s standards.

Given Mandy’s royal connections and high expectations, even the majority of alchemists in the royal city failed to impress him, let alone ordinary practitioners.