The Dragon Emperor’s eyes widened in happiness the moment the words of agreement from Alex.

The others around the stage looked curiously at what they were talking about, but hearing that they were most likely going to compete against each other fascinated them.

“I am glad that you came to that decision,” the Emperor said, almost laughing out loud in happiness.

“Don’t get too happy just yet,” Alex said. “I will give you the information, but in chunks, and over the years.”

“Huh?” the Emperor paused and looked at Alex. “What do you mean?”

“I told you before, didn’t I?” Alex asked. “That I have multiple things that help me form pill clouds. I am planning on handing over this information over the coming years.”

The Emperor frowned a bit.

“I have 4 different things that help me to make a pill as good as I can,” Alex said. “I will give you these 4 ideas over the course of the next 20 years in trade for each one. I will be fair with you and allow you to choose whether or not to trade for each one of them after learning what they are.”

The emperor gave a thoughtful look, his frown disappearing after hearing that.

“So if I find it useless, I don’t have to trade for it, huh?” he thought. “Very well then, I accept.”

“Oh, you’re okay with it taking 20 years?” Alex asked.

“20 years might be a lot of time for you, but for me it is but a moment that will pass by in no time,” the Emperor said. 

“Great, but I have one more condition,” Alex said.

The Emperor’s smile faded a bit. “What is it now?” he asked.

“Well, I want you to promise that you will not share any of the knowledge I pass along to you for the next… uh… 100 years. I won’t tell you what you can and can’t do with the pills you make from the knowledge, only that you won’t pass them along to someone else,” Alex said.

The Crown Prince frowned this time. He had been expecting to get something good now that his father was getting it from Alex, but the sudden condition made his progress slow down by nearly 100 more years.

“Starting today, or starting 20 years later?” the emperor asked.

“Starting today,” Alex said.

The Emperor nodded. “Fine,” he said. “I accept those terms.”

Alex smiled. All that was left now was to speak the oaths so that neither of them went back on their words.

“Now that we have come to an agreement, I want to add a bet into the mix, how about that?” the Emperor asked.

“Hmm? What sort?” Alex asked.

The Emperor looked toward the scoreboard in the sky and smiled. “The competition is coming to an end. That female alchemist of yours has won, it seems. But overall, your alchemists lost the 3rd competition.”

Alex nodded. Their requirement had been a little lower overall, making not all of them gain the same amount of points.

“It seems so,” Alex said. “But what about it?”

“Since this competition is over, I wish to start the next one between us. A pill recipe-making competition where each one has to make a new pill recipe and come up with the best pill,” the Emperor said. “However, we will make a bet between us. A gamble on whoever wins.”

Alex remained silent for a moment. “I’m listening.”

The Emperor finally laid out what he wanted. “If I win, You will have to give 2 out of those 4 things you wanted to trade with me for free,” he said.

Alex’s eyes narrowed. “That’s… okay. What about if I win?” he asked curiously.

“If you win, I will double the value of whatever I will give to you for everything I trade with you,” the Emperor said. “And I won’t limit it to the 4 things you wish to trade. You may add other things into the mix if you think I will like them.”

The surrounding men and women looked at the two of them with a shocked look on their faces. Were they really going to see the two best alchemists of each continent, each one a ruler, go against each other in a competition?

“Alright, I accept,” Alex said without hesitation. The two elders that sat behind him weren’t worried either. In their eyes, there was no greater alchemist than their king.

No one there seemed to care when the result of the third test was out. The headmaster gave the announcement, and as soon as she did, the Emperor’s words flew into her ears.

“Oh! Oh dear,” she cried out in surprise when she heard what was going to happen. “We have a sudden announcement.”

She turned around. “His Royal Majesty, the Dragon Emperor, and King Alex of the Southern Continent will be having an alchemy competition of their own. I’m sorry people, but we will have to end the current competition right here, with the victory going to the alchemists of the Eastern Continent.”

The crowd cheered as it was their people that won. The ones from the Southern Continent weren’t angry, as they had truly lost and they all knew it. 

They were ready to work harder. 

The group quickly left the stage, allowing the two Monarchs to walk onto the stage.

On one side stood a blue-robed middle-aged man with long blue hair that flowed behind him. On the other side stood a red-robed young man with long black hair that was just as long as the Emperor’s.

Alex looked around the crowd and smiled at them. He made sure to give the crowd a good look at his face so his image would be spread around the continent so that his cousin would find him no matter where she was. 

He turned back around toward the Emperor and asked, “Alright, how do we go about this? We need some sort of proof that we actually did create the pill and didn’t just say we did.”

“Hmm, I thought we were just going to speak an oath for that,” the Emperor said. “Would that not work?”

Alex thought for a moment. “No, that would work,” he said. “And that is the easiest way to go about it… but, aren’t we trying to show off to each other how good our alchemy knowledge is? We should find a way that increases the difficulty and makes it entertaining at the same time.”

“I see,” the Emperor said. “I didn’t think you would want this, but I have thought of ways to spice up our competition were it to happen.”

“Oh, do share,” Alex said, waiting for the Dragon Emperor to speak.

The Dragon Emperor spoke to Alex, but his voice was loud enough that everyone in the crowd clearly heard him. “Each one of us will choose 3 ingredients that the other one has to include in his pill no matter what,” he said. “How does that sound? Great right?”

“That sounds great,” Alex said. “As long as the ingredients we choose are Saint rank and not extraordinarily rare, I will accept that rule.”

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