The students, still slightly dazed, closed their books.
Francesca picked up a piece of chalk and walked toward the board.
"The key to basic potion brewing," she began calmly, "is not rigid control through fixed quantities and perfect order, but the brewer's ability to adapt."
She turned around smoothly.
"At this point, your cauldrons should already be boiling. From the materials packet on your left, add salamander powder and barley dust."
A student hesitantly raised a hand. "How much should we add?"
Francesca answered without pause.
"The amount doesn't matter. Add however much feels right to you."
A ripple of confusion spread through the classroom, but under her piercing gaze, no one dared question further.
Simon and the others obediently followed her instructions, adding the ingredients freely.
Soon, Simon's cauldron turned green, releasing a bitter smell.
Francesca continued.
"Students whose cauldrons are emitting blue smoke, please raise your hands."
About half the class complied.
"You will proceed with brewing a nerve-numbing poison potion."
Her gaze shifted. "Those with green smoke?"
Simon and several others raised their hands.
"Green smoke indicates a hallucinogenic, acute headache-inducing potion. Particularly useful against mages and necromancers."
The students blinked. That explanation wasn't written anywhere in the textbook.
Francesca stepped down from the podium and began walking between the rows, issuing instructions rapidly.
"Green smoke group, remove your uniform jackets and hang them on your chairs. Assistants will bring additional ingredients."
"We are now entering the shared process phase. Use a ladle to skim off the thin oil layer forming on the surface. Plant-based fatty acids reduce poison efficacy."
"Keep stirring. Continuously. Until the potion develops a sticky consistency."
"Control the heat carefully. Too strong, and the mixture may harden."
Sweat formed along her temple, yet her voice remained sharp and passionate.
Compared to Lang's earlier droning lecture, Francesca's class felt dazzling — almost intoxicating.
Before long, the students followed her guidance with gleaming eyes.
Knox watched his cauldron quietly.
Outwardly attentive. Inwardly scheming.
A yellow tint…
A faint smile tugged at his lips. Then he raised his hand.
"Assistant," Knox called with an innocent face and harmless tone, "my poison is turning yellow. Should I continue?"
Francesca turned toward him.
For a brief moment —
Their eyes met.
She smiled gently.
"Very good. A slight yellow tint means you've brewed a premium poison potion. You might even be able to sell that in Rochester."
A potion worth selling?!
Several students gasped.
Nearby classmates immediately began whispering, some congratulating Knox, others staring in disbelief.
But Knox and Francesca ignored the surrounding noise.
They simply looked at each other.
And smiled.
If anyone could read their thoughts —
They would have heard nearly the same words.
Just you wait.
You just wait and see.
Yet Francesca — Flema — felt it.
Something was off. Knox's expression was calm. His tone perfectly innocent.
But a faint unease crept into her chest.
…Why do I feel uncomfortable around this boy?
"I-I'm Katherine Meyer!"
A trembling voice suddenly cut through the tension.
"It started with blue smoke, but now it's turning green again!"
Francesca immediately shifted her attention.
"That's because the ingredients settled at the bottom rose during stirring, altering the reaction pathway."
Her voice regained its clinical sharpness. "Focus on the hallucinogenic direction. Assistant Hesse, prepare additional materials here."
She moved away swiftly. Though the strange unease lingered.
Nearby, Claudia frowned at her cauldron.
"…Hmm?"
The mixture bubbled strangely.
Unstable.
She instinctively glanced at Francesca —
Then paused.
And looked at Knox instead.
"Knox, could you check mine? I feel like something's wrong."
Knox leaned slightly toward her station.
"Sure, let me see."
He glanced into the cauldron. Then smiled casually.
"What seems to be the issue?"
With calm precision, Knox guided her through the correction.
Claudia listened carefully before adding more salamander powder.
The bubbling stabilized. Color deepened. Reaction smoothed.
Knox chuckled softly. "As expected of Kizen's Toxicology ace~"
Claudia blinked.
Then flushed faintly. "A-Ace… that's…"
But the tiny smile forming on her lips betrayed her pride.
"Hey, hey, Knox…"
Cindy leaned closer and whispered.
"I think I finally understand why old man Lang still has a job at Kizen. This teaching assistant is insanely competent!"
"Hehe." Knox simply laughed.
Ignorance truly is bliss, isn't it…
Completely immersed in Toxicology, Claudia had even begun discussing her major with Francesca.
Watching Francesca respond kindly, Knox's gaze lingered on her.
To an outside observer, it might have looked like nothing more than a diligent student admiring a capable instructor.
But Knox's thoughts were elsewhere.
Should I intercept her before the 'event' begins…
…or let her be for now and allow her to serve as Simon's whetstone?
"What's wrong?" Cindy asked, noticing his silence.
"Nah, it's nothing." Knox waved it off casually.
As the class neared its end, Francesca granted free time to students who had successfully brewed their potions. Those who failed were given a second chance under her continued guidance.
Knox, having already succeeded, nonchalantly flipped through the textbook pages as if speed-reading.
"Knox!" Cindy called out.
"Should we bring this to the Cyclops battle? Think it'll work?"
"You fool. That's not going to work."
Claudia's blunt reply instantly crushed Cindy's optimism.
She stepped closer, looking at Cindy the way one might look at a particularly hopeless child.
Knox merely smiled, clearly entertained by the question.
Cindy, now being stared down by Claudia's judgmental gaze and Knox's suspiciously amused smile, began to feel she had said something terribly stupid.
"Low-grade poison potions don't work on medium-sized monsters or anything larger," Claudia explained.
"A Cyclops? It won't even notice."
"…Really?" Cindy asked.
Knox nodded. "Yeah. Generally speaking, the larger the monster, the stronger its resistance to poison — especially low-grade ones."
Cindy's shoulders slumped.
Then Knox added, "Of course… that doesn't mean it's completely useless."
Claudia's eyes lit up.
Hope!
But Knox immediately destroyed it.
"If you manage to open a wound — preferably a very large one — on a Cyclops's ridiculously tough hide…"
"…and then pour an absurd amount of low-grade poison directly into it…"
"…then yes, it might work~"
Claudia froze. "…What kind of insane condition is that?"
Knox burst out laughing.
"Hahaha, relax, Cindy. Let's just stick to the plan we discussed earlier."
Claudia nodded confidently.
"Agreed. Our previous plan is practically flawless. I guarantee success."
Cindy blinked.
"How can you be that sure?"
Claudia placed a hand on her hip proudly.
"My intuition."
Cindy's eyebrow twitched.
"My intuition your stupid head! That's your reasoning?!"
"Stupid?!" Claudia snapped back.
"Coming from you of all people?!"
"What was that?!"
Watching the two bicker, Knox tilted his head.
"…Did Cindy and Claudia just swap personalities?"
He leaned toward Merida. "Be careful. Stupidity is contagious."
Merida nodded seriously. "…I refuse to let my brother witness me becoming stupid."