The desert layer of the Box World.
Lucien looked up at the emerald giant tree that had solidified into reality.
Pop—!
He withdrew his right hand from the surface of the tree, sending a light shower of debris and dust drifting down into the sand.
Lucien lowered his gaze to his palm, where a verdant pattern had appeared.
It resembled a miniature version of the giant tree, but it was incomplete. The roots, trunk, and branches were all fragmented.
"Alchemy…"
Lucien began to consider the steps and elements of his loan repayment task.
Within one year, he needed to cumulatively sell thirty thousand Alchemy tools or Potions, totaling one hundred and fifty thousand Galleons.
First came product quality and quantity, followed by sales channels.
Production was the first issue to resolve.
In terms of initial costs, both Potions and Alchemy were extremely expensive pursuits.
Fortunately, his family fortune was substantial, so the early stage would not be a problem. Once the products began generating profit, the cycle would allow him to expand continuously.
Publicity also had to be considered in order to quickly build his reputation.
Reputation…
Lucien suddenly thought of the thesis Dumbledore had asked him to write. If his Transfiguration thesis could gain recognition in the magical world, it might also help drive the sales of his products.
After all, the products would be sold under his own name, so the reputation of the product and its inventor could reinforce one another.
It seemed the progress of his thesis needed to be accelerated.
The manufacturing of Alchemy tools and the brewing of Potions also required manpower. Lucien knew this was not something he could handle alone; he needed a substantial workforce.
Hire wizards or goblins?
Money was not the issue, but this kind of highly skilled work was better suited for crafting refined, high-end tools aimed at wealthy pure-blood families.
Puppets.
The word suddenly surfaced in Lucien's mind.
After touring Nicolas's spacecraft, he had seen several types of alchemical puppets. The ones performing on stage were more delicate, while those working in places requiring repetitive labor, such as factories and farms, were simpler in design but far more numerous.
If he could create puppets to assist with the work…
The moment the thought formed, Lucien felt all the knowledge he had accumulated—not just in Alchemy, but also Charms, Transfiguration, and Potions—begin to interlink and converge.
Inspiration collided within his mind, igniting the spark of creation.
Problems that had once stumped him now unraveled with ease.
"Right… the materials, structure, and energy source for the puppets…"
One by one, magical materials flew out of Lucien's pocket. At last, a crystal-clear ruby floated in midair.
Lucien lightly tapped the brand-new Philosopher's Stone with his wand, and a magical glow gradually spread…
Nicolas set down his wand, studying the thick, full-body suit before him.
"Hmm, a Muggle spacesuit. It does look like this."
"But with the convenience of magic and alchemy, there's no need for it to be designed so bulky. I can refine it further…"
Following his thoughts, Nicolas waved his wand again, making adjustments to the magical version of the spacesuit.
However, he did not work for long before stopping to rest, slowly leaning back against the sofa.
It was not due to a shortage of magic, but rather a matter of stamina.
The Elixir of Life, refined from the Philosopher's Stone, could only help Nicolas evade death; it could not restore his vitality.
The constant aging of his body left Nicolas with very limited energy.
As a result, he often worked for a while and then rested for a while, and his rest periods were usually longer than his working time.
Even so, Nicolas was very patient. He was in no hurry.
He had lived for hundreds of years. He had plenty of time.
"Master, Young Master Lucien says he has something he would like to ask you."
Queenie's voice sounded through the room via the intercom system.
"All right. Bring him directly here."
In the next second, Queenie Apparated Lucien directly in front of Nicolas.
Queenie bowed and then Disapparated, while Lucien's attention was drawn to the white full-body suit in the room.
Lucien's eyebrows twitched slightly. This looked very much like… a spacesuit.
Well, it was a bit lighter than a standard one, probably improved with magic.
Nicolas truly intended to see outer space.
Withdrawing his gaze, Lucien greeted him, "Good afternoon, Mr. Nicolas."
Nicolas nodded in return.
"Queenie said you had something you wanted to ask me?"
"Yes. I've seen that you have many alchemical puppets here, and I wanted to try making some myself, but I've run into a few problems."
Nicolas found Lucien's curiosity perfectly normal. He was still a child, after all, naturally eager to explore new things.
He assumed Lucien would ask about the puppets' operating principles, material Transfiguration, structural mechanics, and other foundational issues.
Nicolas had already decided that if Lucien truly wanted to try, he would give him more specific guidance.
Being able to produce relatively simple limbs or basic models would already be quite meaningful for practical alchemical study.
"I want to use a Philosopher's Stone as the energy source, but I'm not sure whether the issue lies with the magical runes or flaws in the materials. I keep feeling that too much magic is dissipating."
"And as for the puppet's cognition module, while it can execute simple commands, more complex ones result in errors…"
Listening to Lucien's questions, Nicolas frowned slightly. The boy was being a bit too ambitious.
Alchemy was a complex and rigorously structured discipline. Proceeding step by step and building a solid foundation was the true path forward.
Nicolas was just about to offer some subtle advice when he saw Lucien reach into his pocket and pull out a silver-white puppet.
A Philosopher's Stone was embedded in the puppet's chest. Magic flowed from it, winding through fine conduits within the puppet's body and reaching every part, like blood coursing through veins.
Lucien then drew his wand and tapped the puppet. It immediately began to jump and run, its movements smooth and showing no signs of stiffness.
Lucien made the puppet stop and opened the chest casing, exposing the internal magical conduits.
"You see, the magic dissipation is very obvious here, and here, and here as well…"
"But other areas don't have this problem, so I…"
"Your materials are too good. You don't need something like soft silver amethyst. Brass soaked in Hippogriff fluid will be sufficient."
At some point, Nicolas had already stood up, his gaze fixed intently on Lucien.
"This… this puppet—did you just make it?"
"Yes. I tried using a Philosopher's Stone as the energy source and found that the magic it releases is extremely pure, requiring almost no conversion to meet many needs."
Nicolas stepped closer, carefully examining the puppet Lucien had created.
At his level of expertise, he could naturally spot many flaws—but he could also see far more advantages.
From this puppet, Nicolas could tell that Lucien's alchemical foundation was solid, but he lacked systematic training, which led to some details being less than perfect.
However, that was easy to remedy. With sufficient knowledge and continued practice, those issues could be corrected.
But Nicolas also saw something far more valuable—something that could not be acquired through later study.
Spirituality.
Or rather, talent.
Nicolas's gaze shifted from the puppet to Lucien.
He found himself wondering whether Albus and Newt had deliberately downplayed Lucien's true skill and alchemical talent.
Had they been waiting to deliver him such a tremendous surprise?
________
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