Click!
The sound of the door handle turning broke the silence that had settled in the room. The door slowly opened inward, and Eralio's figure stepped inside with a calm yet measured pace.
The middle-aged man walked toward the center of the room, his hands no longer empty. In his right hand, he carried two low-tier magic stones. Meanwhile, in his left hand, he gripped a small leather pouch filled to the brim with pure iron ore.
As his gaze swept across the area around the sofa set, Eralio could not hide the surprise on his face. Just a few moments ago, when he left to fetch the materials, two of his former employees had been standing there, petrified by the Prince's time manipulation magic. Now, there were no frozen bodies, no splatters of blood. The area near the sofa where Wolvin sat was completely clean, without a single trace of what had transpired.
They must have already taken care of those two men.
A mixture of respect and fear toward Calian and Wolvin's lethal blessings thickened in his chest. However, as someone who had sworn loyalty to the future emperor and the imperial consort, he suppressed those feelings deep down and refocused his attention on his primary task.
Upon reaching the table separating Calian and Arlen's sofas, Eralio bowed slightly. The man carefully placed the two magic stones along with the small pouch of iron ore on the table.
"These are the materials you requested, Arlen."
All the raw materials urgently needed to forge a universal key, capable of freeing everyone currently shackled by the anti-magic and mana handcuffs, were now readily available on the table.
Seeing the materials presented before him, Arlen immediately gave a firm nod. His light purple eyes instantly sparkled brightly. He could no longer wait to prove his worth and make his debut as the alchemist personally chosen by the Imperial Prince of Erthland.
"Yes, Mr. Eralio. This is more than enough. Thank you very much." the boy said enthusiastically, staring intently at all the raw materials on the table.
Then, Arlen quickly shifted his gaze to the purple-haired youth sitting calmly across from him.
"I will make the handcuff key for you right this instant, Your Highness." he reported, seeking final approval before beginning the crafting process.
Calian responded to Arlen's confident words with a firm nod, granting him full permission and support to execute his very first task.
After received the Prince's permission, the brown-haired boy immediately sprang into action. He stood up from his seat so he could reach the table more freely.
For the first step, Arlen's tiny hands deftly untied the string on the leather pouch, revealing iron ore that resembled very fine, dense black sand.
He then took one of the two Rank E magic stones next to it and placed it near the pile of iron ore sand.
For a few moments, the boy simply stared intently at the materials, closing his eyes briefly. In his mind, he was designing the pattern and constructing a blueprint for a master key capable of adapting to various lock variations.
Once the blueprint projection in his head was perfectly formed, Arlen opened his eyes. He then raised and extended his tiny palms forward, hovering them right above the raw materials.
"Materialization."
In a mere matter of milliseconds after that single word was spoken, mana particles began to gather around Arlen's palms. A golden luminescence emanated from his right hand.
The golden light flowed downward like water, enveloping the pile of iron ore and the magic stone on the table.
Under the absolute control of the alchemist, the materials wrapped in the golden light slowly lifted, levitating in the air until they reached his chest level.
First, the grains of black iron ore sand began to move actively. They rotated slowly like a miniature galaxy, forming a swirling ring that continuously spun in the air.
And as the iron vortex spun at a constant rhythm, Arlen guided the Rank E magic stone, inserting it precisely into the core of the iron ore ring. The magic stone began to melt, acting as the energy core that triggered the molecular transformation.
In a very short time, the iron ore vortex began to shrink, decreasing in size and solidifying at an astonishing speed. A soft humming sound from the friction of energy could be heard in the room. Gradually, its irregular shape began to disappear, replaced by a solid form that became increasingly distinct in the eyes of everyone watching.
From their respective seats, Calian, Wolvin, and Eralio did not look away for even a second. The three of them could not hide their amazement at the process of creating a universal key purely through high-tier alchemy, without the use of a forge or a blacksmith's hammer.
Especially for the Imperial Prince, his gaze radiated profound satisfaction.
Is this the sight created when a genius alchemist processes raw materials into a ready-to-use magical tool? Highly precise and efficient. Calian said inwardly as he watched the key's creation process from the start. He felt increasingly confident and proud of his decision to choose Arlen as the imperial alchemist. I am certain that in the future, he will become a crucial main pillar in strengthening the military might and technological advancement of the Erthland Empire.
Calian then shifted his gaze from the key taking shape in the air to Arlen's face. He could see very clearly how much the brown-haired boy seemed to be enjoying his work as an alchemist.
Clink!
A black key, with a design that looked intricate yet elegant, now lay perfectly on the table.
The materialization process was complete.
Arlen's tiny hands quickly reached forward, picking up the black key. Then, with his small steps, he walked over to the corner of the table closer to the sofa where Calian was seated.
"This is the universal key urgently needed to unlock all the anti-magic and mana handcuffs, Your Highness." Arlen reported in a highly professional tone, extending both his hands to present the key to the Prince.
Calian immediately reached out and took the black key. Its weight felt just right, cold and sturdy in his grasp.
He looked at the key with a sense of relief flowing through his chest.
Calian knew that with this key, before long, everyone currently bound by those handcuffs could be freed immediately, and they would be able to resume their lives freely just as before.
"You need not worry at all about the efficiency of this key, Your Highness." Arlen continued his report, providing a technical explanation to reassure the Prince. "Even though the keyhole on each handcuff I previously made has a different mechanical pattern, I have fused the material of this key with a magic stone. Upon insertion, this part of the key will automatically form a pattern that adapts itself to the shape of the original keyhole."
Hearing the explanation about a key capable of automatically adjusting its shape to the handcuff's lock, Calian felt even more relieved. He no longer needed to worry about the worst-case scenario of the key not fitting the keyholes.
"Excellent work, Arlen! I am truly satisfied with your performance." the Prince praised, his tone sincere and full of pride for his chosen alchemist. "Just by seeing this, I look forward even more to your future work and all your subsequent creations for the empire I will one day lead."
Hearing the direct praise coming from the mouth of the future Emperor, a wide smile brimming with happiness was instantly and sincerely etched onto the boy's face. His chest felt warm.
He felt incredibly happy and proud because his very first debut carrying out his duty as the chosen alchemist had flawlessly satisfied the Prince's expectations.
A brighter future, one that would eventually change his entire life, was now undoubtedly wide open.
"Thank you very much for your praise, Your Highness!" Arlen replied, his voice trembling slightly from overwhelming enthusiasm and happiness. He then placed his right hand over his left chest, offering a deep gesture of respect. "If it is your command and desire, I swear upon my life, I will do my absolute best for you, and also for the future of this empire!"