Chapter 56: Unknown Scroll

Gao De put down the letter that Seda Master had written long ago but never sent, and would never send.

To the apprentices in the herb garden, Seda Master was the absolute “villain,” a wicked man, a tormentor.

But to Seda Master himself, he, like Gao De, was merely a “victim” struggling to reunite with his wife and children.

And now, to Seda Master’s wife and children, Gao De had become the villain.

Realizing this, Gao De’s emotions grew immensely complex.

Even though he clearly knew that if he had not resisted back then, he would be dead now.

This was a situation where only one person could survive.

Gao De’s resistance was perfectly justified; no one could find fault with it.

Yet after reading Seda Master’s family letters, Gao De still felt pity, still felt guilt toward the woman in Bremen City who had waited for her husband’s return for over a decade, a woman he had never met.

This was something woven into his bones, not easily erased by a single reincarnation.

After a long silence, Gao De finally let out a long breath.

“I killed Seda Master—that’s correct. I feel remorse—that’s also correct. These two things are not contradictory.”

He no longer dwelled on it.

He decisively picked up the last item taken from the wooden box.

That mysterious scroll resembling a spell scroll.

The scroll was made of premium animal parchment, its edges lavishly inlaid with gold leaf.

At both ends were finely crafted silver scroll clasps, carved with intricate patterns.

Between the clasps hung a slender silk ribbon, its color a deep violet, embroidered with flowing floral patterns in gold thread.

Gao De untied the ribbon and unrolled the scroll; a faint fragrance wafted toward him.

It was the scent of a special preservative made from rare herbs and magical materials, preserving the ink’s clarity through time.

But the script written on the scroll was unfamiliar to Gao De.

“It must be some kind of magical script.”

Gao De examined it carefully and made his judgment.

In the lower right corner of the scroll was a finely stamped seal.

The seal was circular, its main motif a bird with outstretched wings perched atop an open book.

The bird’s feathers, the faint magical symbols visible on the book’s pages—every detail was lifelike, as if ready to leap off and become real.

Above the bird was a tiny diamond motif.

“Don’t recognize it.” Gao De studied it for a while, certain he had no idea of the seal’s origin.

“Written in magical script, yet not a spell scroll.” He had checked immediately—the magical script contained no magical power; it was used merely as ordinary text.

“But the scroll itself is so exquisitely made, clearly expensive—could it be a high-tier magical potion recipe?” Gao De speculated: “Or perhaps some official document? After all, it has a proper seal.”

After careful study yielded nothing, Gao De finally stopped this waste of time.

Thus, all of Ceda’s legacy has been inventoried: a novice’s manual.

Two volumes of cultivation methods.

Five spell formulas.

Two complete zero-level potion recipes and one incomplete first-level potion recipe.

Twenty-one letters from home.

A scroll of unknown origin and purpose, along with a full fifty Sein gold coins.

The bounty was so great that Gao De nearly did a backflip right there; after vigorously punching the air to vent his excitement, he opened his cabinet and stashed the three potion recipes inside.

These are treasures—unlike spell formulas, they’re easy to sell, and can be cashed in for a large sum when necessary.

The gold coins should be hidden in a secret compartment in the bedroom, so he can sleep peacefully at night.

The novice’s manual, cultivation methods, and the twenty-one letters didn’t warrant such care—Gao De casually returned them to the wooden chest.

As for the mysterious scroll, after some thought, Gao De decided it deserved some attention and ultimately hid it deep within the cabinet.

After the last drop of green spider venom dripped into the vial, the churning liquid gradually calmed.

Faintly, a gray-green magical glow flashed through the liquid.

The potion is complete!

「2 Meijinbidaoshou ！」 Gaodeshuliandijiangdayaopingzhongganggangdiaopeichudechujizhuduyaojijinxingfenzhuang 。

Suirantaganggangdaoshouyibi 50 Meijinbidejukuan ， Danzhebingmeiyourangtapengzhang ， Congerhuangfeimeiriyizudechujizhuduyaojidiaopei 。

One is steady, sustainable income; the other is a sudden windfall—a one-time gain.

Gao De clearly understood the difference.

Windfalls don’t come every day.

If you treat a windfall as regular income—or worse, chase after windfalls and neglect your true work—you’re bound to run into trouble.

Moreover, though fifty gold coins seem like a lot, without continuous production, and given the herb garden’s rising expenses, this so-called “fortune” would be completely spent within half a year.

“Starting now, I can eat meat without restraint—really bulk up my body—and switch my staple bread from rye to wheat.”

“Of course, only I can afford this luxury—it’s my personal income.”

Gao De wasn’t worried that eating alone would upset the other apprentices in the herb garden.

In fact, he’s always had the right to do so; he simply never felt comfortable doing it, so he’d always eaten with the others.

“But now that I have some extra cash, I can upgrade the other apprentices’ meals—no need to be so stingy anymore.”

“Hmm, let’s add meat every other day—one pound per meal for seven people. One pound costs seven coppers, so that’s an extra nine silvers per month—easily affordable.”

After running the numbers in his head, Gao De made his decision.

In just one month, he’d gotten everyone eating meat every other day.

Thinking of it, Gao De felt a quiet sense of satisfaction.

“I mustn’t forget Pierre’s advice—I should stockpile extra food in the herb garden. Whether we need to flee immediately or just have emergency rations, it’s always better to be prepared.”

Whenever disaster strikes, food prices always rise—that’s common knowledge.

Today’s work is finished.

After stretching, Gao De eagerly pulled one of the five spell formulas from the pile on his desk.

【Fire Arrow】 (Evocation, 0th level).

“Perfect, you’re the one.”

Gao De had a strong memory of Fire Arrow.

It was the spell Ceda used to kill the geopathic creatures—wolf rats—that invaded the herb garden, and the very spell that led to his own demise.

Its power speaks for itself.

At least among cantrips, Gao De was certain Fire Arrow ranked among the deadliest, surpassing his own 【Acid Splash】.

After all, The Introduction to Spells clearly stated: among all schools of magic, evocation spells possess the greatest destructive power.

(End of Chapter)