[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-wizard-starting-with-synthesized-gems":3,"chapter-wizard-starting-with-synthesized-gems-wizard-starting-with-synthesized-gems-chapter-10":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Wizard: Starting With Synthesized Gems",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1265080,1693,"Chapter 10: The Frankish Empire","wizard-starting-with-synthesized-gems-chapter-10",10,"\u003Cp>Dean Tongus returned to his residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at the three students, pleased with their progress. Patty Aisa and Kode Newman advanced steadily, but Locke’s speed slightly exceeded his expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Initially, Tongus worried that without financial pressure, Locke might revert to laziness, needing a nudge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after months together, he dismissed that concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among his three apprentices, Locke had the highest talent and worked the hardest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Tongus gazed at Locke with a smile, deeply satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After guiding Patty and Kode, Tongus turned to Locke. “You want to buy magical vine seeds?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fair enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re ready to complete the spell model.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You need Mandrake Vine seeds.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tongus produced a graphite box, cautiously opening it to reveal four rough, thumb-sized, potato-like seeds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using tweezers, he placed one in a small pot filled with soil. “Mandrake Vine seeds, cultivated by our parent academy’s formal wizards over generations, are stable, resilient, and hard to kill.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Plant it in soil, and it’ll sprout. Water it weekly, expose it to sunlight daily, but avoid direct sun, like caring for a regular plant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though Mandrakes rarely die, poor growth quality affects your spell and your path to third-class apprentice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve studied Mandrake knowledge in your books.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locke nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also needed to irrigate the seed daily with his mental energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Initially, this was challenging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a novice with basic occult knowledge, manipulating mental energy to modify the seed was nearly impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seeds, designed by formal wizards with plant magic, made it feasible, but it still required time to learn mental energy irrigation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tongus said, “The first Mandrake seed costs 5 magic stones. The second has no discount, so 15 magic stones.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locke raised an eyebrow. “Dean, are these seeds that expensive?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tongus replied, “Of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Magic seeds rarely die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He covered the box with two silk layers. “Corfu’s magic resources are scarce. I only have four seeds. After giving you one, I’ll have three.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If a fourth prospect chooses Vine Hand in my lifetime, I’ll have no seeds to offer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“New magic resources only arrive when the dean changes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locke nodded, abandoning the idea of asking for two more seeds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two reasons stopped him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, Corfu’s magic scarcity meant Tongus wouldn’t support it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, future prospects couldn’t choose Vine Hand for fifty years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tongus had to consider potential apprentices with high wood element affinity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, synthesis brought unpredictable changes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rashly synthesizing his most critical item risked failing Vine Hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That would be a loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’ll wait until I leave Corfu, cross the Endless Mystic Sea on a wizard ship, and reach the southeast quadrant. Then I’ll buy Mandrake seeds for synthesis experiments,’ Locke thought. ‘Now, my goal is to use the Deep Blue Jade to become a third-class apprentice and master my first spell.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tongus said, “By the way, Locke, your family came looking for you recently.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They were stopped by academy guards and have some troubles, but I resolved it and arranged housing nearby.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here’s their address.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locke paused, engrossed in studies and forgetting the Augustine family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glancing at the address, he thanked Tongus. “Thank you, Dean.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locke stood, gathered his books, picked up the Mandrake seed pot, nodded to Patty and Kode, and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite focusing on studies, he’d heard news from Corfu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Frankish Empire, after conquering Anjou, attacked the Norman Kingdom, destroying it in four months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another sixth of the academy’s students now faced the same awkward situation as Anjouans six months ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Augustine family, in letters, mentioned fleeing Anjou to join distant relatives in Norman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Norman’s fall, they were desperate, risking pursuit to reach Aurelian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their luck held, as Locke’s wizard prospect status granted them academy protection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the Frankish Empire conquering two kingdoms, and the remaining four kingdoms’ combined territory smaller than Frank’s, Aurelian was likely their only sanctuary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking the academy’s elegant corridors, Locke saw Norman students lamenting Frankish atrocities, while Frankish students mocked them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locke thought, ‘The Frankish Empire aims to unify Corfu Island. It’ll grow chaotic, sparking a world war engulfing everyone.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Peace will vanish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But it doesn’t concern me much.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘In a year and a half, I’ll leave on a wizard ship. With my ties, the Augustines should gain Tongus’s protection, living safely near Aurelian.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Catching sight of Professor Alder in the elegant garden corridor, Locke saw him nod with a smile, greeting him, then stride toward the weeping Norman students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, he was targeting these newly displaced students.\u003C\u002Fp>",736,"2026-06-05T16:22:57.670Z",1,"novelbin.me","d1ba13cec3f3a230117791111883992be35ff2cb5c6fbfd2b9fea2a243b3cbe5","wizard-starting-with-synthesized-gems-chapter-11","wizard-starting-with-synthesized-gems-chapter-9",578,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwizard-starting-with-synthesized-gems-cover.jpg"]