Brielle shook her head slowly. “I know what you’re thinking, Andrew. You’re a truly dangerous person. The Divine Alchemists are recognized as the foremost alchemy sect in the world; they have the skills, resources, and influence to command respect from alchemists everywhere.
“Yet, here you are, barely thrown out the door and already planning to challenge them head-on. Honestly, if I were Julius, I wouldn’t feel safe with you around either. You’re like a blade with sharp edges on all sides, always capable of striking back at any moment, so of course, he’d want to eliminate you first.”
Andrew scoffed dismissively. “I really can’t agree with that logic. Julius is the one who expelled me and tried to suppress me. Why should I show him any respect? I don’t care if he’s the leader of the Divine Alchemists or a martial emperor; I’m just here to practice alchemy, and he’s the one pulling this power play nonsense. The one thing I absolutely can’t stand is people trying to push me around.”
Brielle sighed. “Regardless, I can’t leave with you to start something new. When my mentor passed away, he entrusted Sovereign’s Apothecary to me, and I don’t want him looking down from the heavens and seeing that I ended up turning against the Divine Alchemists or becoming their enemy. Of course, if Julius wants Sovereign’s Apothecary and wants to sideline me, I’ll let him have it.
“But Andrew, I need to warn you about something. Ever since Reginald defeated Julius, he’s devoted himself entirely to martial training. He’s even set aside the Divine Alchemists' core tradition of alchemy and completely neglected it. His sole purpose has been to advance rapidly and erase the humiliation that Reginald inflicted on him.
“On top of that, the world is becoming increasingly chaotic, and the major martial factions are already showing signs of vying for dominance. The Divine Alchemists, as one of the premier organizations, naturally won’t sit on the sidelines.
“Julius broke through to the martial god realm three years ago, and he’s far beyond the martial emperor level you’re imagining. Driven by his ambitions for power and revenge, he’s become someone who’ll endure anything and stop at nothing to achieve his goals.”
She added, “So you need to be careful around Julius. I’m worried that if he can’t find Reginald, he’ll come after you instead.”
Before Andrew could respond, Amari’s face turned pale with shock. “Mr. Bowen is actually a martial god? That’s the absolute pinnacle of martial arts. He’s basically a god among warriors. Andrew, from now on, we need to keep a very low profile. A martial god isn’t something to joke about, and once someone at that level makes a move, nothing else matters.”
Andrew’s brow furrowed slightly. “I didn’t realize he’d reached that level. But whatever I decide to do won’t be dictated by whether he’s a martial god or not. If he really dares to come down from his mountain and settle scores with me, I guess I’ll just have to rely on my dad to handle it.”
Brielle froze for a moment, then could not help but laugh despite her exasperation. “You really are an impossible rogue, aren’t you? Reginald has been wandering outside all these years. Are you certain he’d still be a match for Julius? Here in Chetvine, I’ve heard countless times about the assassination attempts on him.”
Andrew rolled his eyes. “Who’s counting? Yeah, he’s had a rough time. For years, he was hunted constantly, living on the edge of death. But clearly, no one’s managed to take him down. These past few years, things finally turned around for him. He’s been living freer than I am.”