Don't Want to Be Ordinary Even Though I'm an Extra Character-Chapter 89: [88] The Alchemist’s Discovery

-Third Point of View-

Inside the mansion, the air buzzed with its usual busyness.

Arkan sat behind his desk, surrounded by stacks of documents, his hand tirelessly signing decrees while discussing administrative matters with his officials. Around him, government clerks worked diligently under his direct supervision, ensuring that every bureaucratic affair proceeded smoothly.

However, in the midst of their discussions, the office door suddenly slammed open.

"Lord Arkan!"

The loud voice echoed through the room, bringing the entire discussion to an immediate halt.

At the doorway stood a disheveled man with messy white hair, his robe in disarray, sweat dripping down his face as he gasped for breath—Faustus Rugenstein.

Arkan barely spared him a glance before letting out a short sigh.

"Pause your work for now. We’ll continue later."

The officials, still stunned by the abrupt interruption, exchanged uncertain looks before nodding and quietly exiting the room, leaving Faustus panting before Arkan’s desk.

Once the doors shut, Arkan leaned back in his chair.

"Don’t tell me you ran all the way here from your lab in the north just to inform me that you’ve created something explosive again?" he asked dryly.

Faustus, still catching his breath, waved a finger as if asking for a moment before he could properly speak.

Arkan raised an eyebrow. "Take a breath first. I don’t want you passing out in my office."

Faustus ignored the suggestion and staggered forward, his eyes burning with excitement.

"Arkan, you won’t believe this! I’ve discovered something incredible!"

Arkan simply stared at him, his expression unchanged. "The last time you said that, you almost burned down half the lab."

Faustus huffed. "That was a minor accident! No one got seriously hurt!"

Arkan remained unimpressed. "You lost your eyebrows for two weeks."

Faustus grumbled. "A small sacrifice for scientific progress."

Arkan rubbed his temples. "Fine. Just tell me—what did you discover this time?"

Without hesitation, Faustus unrolled several diagrams and notes onto the desk, the pages covered in a mixture of precise calculations and messy scribbles—a signature trait of his research style.

"I’ve successfully isolated the base components of a substance we extracted from the ruins in the western region!" he declared with excitement. "At first, I thought it was just some ordinary mineral with no real value... but after months of experimentation, I finally found something extraordinary!"

Arkan glanced over the hastily drawn diagrams. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"And? What’s its function?"

Faustus grinned. "This substance can act as a catalyst to double fuel combustion efficiency!"

Arkan’s hand froze midair. His eyes sharpened.

"Wait... you said double?"

Faustus nodded rapidly. "Yes! If we integrate it into industrial processes or even weaponry... we could create something entirely new in this world!"

Arkan’s mind immediately began calculating the possibilities. If this was true, the military applications alone would be enormous. This catalyst could be used to enhance weapon development, energy production, or even future war machines.

He turned his gaze back to Faustus, his eyes now filled with calculated interest.

"How stable is this substance?"

Faustus scratched his head, suddenly looking a bit hesitant. "Well... that’s the tricky part. I’m still in the testing phase, but—"

"But?" Arkan’s gaze narrowed.

Faustus let out a nervous chuckle. "There’s a small chance... about ten percent... that it could cause minor explosions when mixed with certain materials."

Arkan stared at him. "How ’minor’ are we talking?"

Faustus looked away, pretending to examine his notes. "Uh... minor enough that it wouldn’t level an entire building, I suppose."

Arkan took a deep breath, rubbing his temples again. "Faustus."

Faustus raised his hands. "Alright, alright! I’ll conduct more tests! I just needed you to be aware of this breakthrough first!"

Arkan closed his eyes briefly, contemplating.

If this catalyst truly had the potential Faustus claimed, it had to be closely monitored. The advantages were undeniable—but so were the risks.

"Fine. I want a detailed report on all your experiments. And more importantly—keep the lab intact until we figure out a safe way to utilize this."**

Faustus grinned. "Of course! Leave it to me!"

Arkan eyed him suspiciously. "That’s what worries me the most."

Faustus laughed, gathering his papers as he prepared to return to the lab.

But before he could leave, the office door opened again.

A servant entered, his face uneasy.

"Forgive the interruption, Lord Arkan... but the guest you were expecting has arrived."

Arkan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? That was fast."

The servant hesitated, glancing at Faustus, then back at Arkan.

"He said... he came at Faustus’ request."

Arkan turned his head, his eyes narrowing at Faustus, who suddenly froze in place.

The alchemist’s expression became... awkward.

"Ah... right. I may have forgotten to mention something."

Arkan’s eyes narrowed further. "Faustus, who is this guest?"

Faustus scratched his head, laughing nervously.

"Uh... my former apprentice."

###

Arkan narrowed his eyes at Faustus, suspicion evident on his face. "Your former apprentice?"

Faustus let out a nervous chuckle. "Uh... yeah. I may have forgotten to mention it earlier. But don’t worry, she’s not a stranger to us. Besides, you were the one who wanted a mage for the Rune Stone project, weren’t you?"

Before Arkan could respond, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from the hallway.

Then, the door swung open.

A woman stepped inside, draped in a midnight-blue mage’s cloak with elegant silver embroidery. Her hood was now pushed back, revealing long, wavy black hair and a pair of sharp violet eyes that immediately scanned the room.

In her hand, she still held a black leather case—a simple yet oddly ominous object, carrying an air of hidden danger.

She stood tall, taking a moment to assess her surroundings before finally locking eyes with Faustus.

For a brief second, the room was silent.

Then—

"Hah... so you’re still alive, you crazy old man."

Faustus snorted. "Of course, I’m still alive! Did you think I’d die from a few failed experiments?!"

The woman smirked. "Failed experiments? Oh, you mean that massive explosion that destroyed half the academy’s lab?"

Faustus crossed his arms. "That was... a minor incident."

"A MINOR INCIDENT!?"

The woman stepped forward, her expression turning sharp. "I nearly got burned alive because of your ’minor incident,’ Faustus! I still remember rolling on the floor just to put out the flames on my cloak!"

Faustus waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, stop exaggerating. It was just a physical endurance test for a mage."

"ENDURANCE TEST!? WHAT AM I, A SOLDIER!?"

Arkan, who had been watching the exchange in silence, let out a deep sigh.

"So this is the mage you invited?" he asked, his tone caught between mild curiosity and absolute exasperation.

Faustus nodded eagerly. "Exactly! Arkan, allow me to introduce—"

"Elara Nacht." The woman cut in, turning her sharp gaze toward Arkan. "Specialist in energy manipulation magic and former apprentice of this lunatic."

Arkan studied her carefully. Her posture was strong, her aura radiated confidence, and her eyes carried the sharpness of someone always one step ahead of her opponent.

She wasn’t just an ordinary mage.

Something about the way she carried herself—a balance of academic elegance and battle-hardened confidence—made it clear she had seen more than just research laboratories.

However, before Arkan could ask further, Faustus immediately snapped back at her.

"Oh, so now you just call me a ’lunatic’? Look at you! Have you forgotten everything I taught you?"

Elara scowled. "Taught me?!" She folded her arms. "The only thing I learned from you was how to nearly lose my eyebrows three times a month!"

Faustus shrugged. "A small price to pay for knowledge."

"A SMALL PRICE!? I ALMOST WENT BLIND FROM YOUR EXPLOSIONS!"

Arkan finally rubbed his forehead, hard.

"Enough."

His voice was calm but carried enough weight to make both of them stop and turn toward him.

Arkan took a deep breath, already losing patience with the long-standing mentor-student rivalry playing out before him.

"So, Elara," he spoke directly to her, ignoring Faustus, who still looked ready to argue. "Faustus claims you’re the right mage for our project. I want to know if that’s true."

Elara glanced briefly at Faustus before refocusing on Arkan. "That depends. What’s the project?"

"Modifying Rune Stone energy for industrial and military applications."

For the first time, Elara’s eyes flickered with genuine interest—though she quickly masked it behind a neutral expression.

But her gaze sharpened as she leaned slightly forward. "Rune Stone? This small territory has access to that material!?"

Arkan raised an eyebrow. "Why does everyone react like that?"

He turned toward Faustus, who, to his surprise, also looked shocked.

"Wait... you actually have a Rune Stone mine!?" Faustus exclaimed.

Arkan let out a long sigh. "So Rune Stones really are that hard to find?"

Faustus nodded frantically. "Of course! You have no idea how big this is, Arkan!"

Elara’s gaze turned calculating. "Rune Stones aren’t just rare. They’re incredibly difficult to mine and refine. Even a single shard is valuable enough to buy an entire village."

Faustus added, "And an active mine? That’s enough to send nobles and scholars into a complete frenzy!"

Arkan leaned back in his chair, processing the information.

"So... you’re telling me I’ve been sitting on a goldmine, and I’m only now realizing it?"

Elara crossed her arms, her voice cold. "Worse than that. You’re sitting on a treasure trove that could start a war."

Arkan let out another deep sigh.

"Great. As if my life wasn’t already complicated enough."