94 Even as Scraps, the Cauldron was not Spared (2/2)

She saw black smokes from the room, but no one inside. Only her son and the palace guards were present.

”Was it them?” Elizabeth locked her gaze onto the guards. Her eyes narrowed into slits.

The palace guards trembled under the Queen's cold gaze.

”What?? No! Mother, no one attacked me! It was a failed pill concoction! The pill cauldron exploded!”

Leon was shocked and quickly explained. He had no doubt that his mother would really kill all his palace guards if he remained silent.

”Oh? The pill cauldron exploded?”

Elizabeth retracted her gaze from the palace guards and looked back at her son in confirmation.

The palace guards' legs felt weak and they fell on their bottoms with cold sweat. The queen was too scary.

”Yes. The pill cauldron exploded.” Leon confirmed, whiled nodding vehemently.

”Hmph! So, the pill cauldron was the culprit huh!? Even if it is just a pill cauldron, it will not be spared!”

Elizabeth declared. She glared daggers at the room like as if she could peer through the veil of black smoke and straight at the pill cauldron fragments.

Being a metal-user, she had high intimacy with all metal and could feel their presence like a 6th sense. Her hand outstretched towards the direction of the room's entrance and made a grabbing motion. All the fragments of the shattered pill cauldron in the room was immediately attracted to her hand like a powerful magnet.

Elizabeth clenched her fist and the all the fragments were compressed together with incredible force. With numerous crunching sounds, the pill cauldron that was the size of a teapot was reduced to a fist-size clump of iron.

Only when Elizabeth couldn't reduce the size of the clump of iron anymore, did she gave up and her anger was abated.

Several gulps were heard. The palace guards were wearing full body armor. What would happen if the queen did that to them?

Leon stared at the clump with wide eyes. His mother was too fearsome. Best not to get on her bad side; men, and objects alike.

But Leon felt a great pity for the pill cauldron. It had only accompanied him for a few days, but it had to suffer such a tragic fate. Luckily, it wasn't a spirit treasure that had gained sentience, otherwise Leon's mind wouldn't be at peace. He could imagine how the treasure spirit would weep as it was getting crushed. The thought was mind boggling.

”My son, what kind of pill did you try to concoct? If you did say, mother would have thought someone bombed the palace. The explosion was  ten times more potent than Crazy Don.”

Elizabeth asked incredulously after checking that Leon was perfectly fine.

”I was testing a new pill recipe and kind of forced the essence merging too hard. Who is senior Crazy Don, mother?” Leon asked curiously.

”Senior Crazy Don is the esteemed alchemist, who is also an elder in our royal family. Senior Crazy Don was the good brother of your grandfather.”

”Oh?” Leon's curiosity was piqued, ”But why is senior called Crazy Don, mother?”

”Haih… senior Crazy Don is called Crazy Don because he is eccentric and always coming up with weird pill recipes that don't work and causing pill cauldron explosions every day. If you want to learn alchemy from him, mother can put in a good word for you. However, mother doesn't recommend it.”

Elizabeth withheld from telling her son why. After all, one Crazy Don was enough to give her headache every day. Her son's one single pill cauldron explosion was ten times more potent than Crazy Don's usual pill cauldron explosion and was enough to alarm her. It would be more than just double the headache.

Leon had a strange feeling at his mother's words. It would be questionable who would be learning from who when that time comes.

”Anyway, it's time mother teach you how to cultivate the [Great Sky Refining Art] so you can awaken your metal-manipulation abilities as soon as possible.” Elizabeth said before waving for the palace guards to leave.

The full [Great Sky Refining Art] is only exclusive for members of the royal family. She could cultivate it when she was married into the royal family, but these palace guards are not of royal blood and were only allowed to cultivate the incomplete version. She would not permit them to listen in on the full technique. They would have to display unswerving loyalty and greater contribution to the royal family if they wish to progress further in the technique.