Seeing Titus refuse to budge, Brielle’s fury reached a breaking point. “Titus, do you even understand what you’re saying? Have you lost your mind? Every sect would kill to have a ninth-grade supreme alchemist, and you’re trying to drive him away? Do you have any idea how much effort it took me to convince Andrew to stay here in the first place?”
Titus let out a cold snort. “I neither know nor care to know. All you need to do is follow my orders.”
Brielle exploded. “Titus, are you completely out of your mind? I’ve already told you that Mr. Lloyd is a ninth-grade supreme alchemist, vastly superior to that Theon standing next to you. You already know this, yet you still want to treat him this way? Fine then, I’ll report this directly to Mr. Bowen and let him decide how to handle your incompetence.”
Titus smiled with contempt. “Go ahead. Report it. But let me remind you, Mr. Bowen himself ordered that this man not remain in the Sovereign’s Apothecary. You still don’t seem to understand what’s going on here.”
His voice thundered through the courtyard, leaving Brielle stunned in disbelief.
Theon’s smug grin deepened, satisfaction written all over his face.
After a long pause, Brielle finally managed to speak, her voice tight and strained. “Why? I want to know what Mr. Bowen’s reasoning is for something like this.”
Titus’s tone turned frigid. “The reason is simple. The Divine Alchemists want no entanglements or grudges with the Lloyd family. Years ago, Reginald sought the title of the world’s strongest and challenged the greatest martial masters alive. In the process, he gravely injured Mr. Bowen. You know this, don’t you?
“Nearly 20 years have passed, and Mr. Bowen’s internal injuries still haven’t fully healed. But that’s not the main issue. The Divine Alchemists are the birthplace of alchemy itself, the sacred land of every alchemist in the world.
“Andrew, however, was trained by the God of Medicine, Mr. Maverick Zeroual. That man has always rejected our authority and refused to bow to the Divine Alchemists. So tell me, why should we provide shelter to his apprentice? To us, refusing to submit is the same as open defiance. And those who defy us… will eventually be wiped away by the current of our order.”
Brielle shook her head, struggling to accept it. “Mr. Bowen is a brilliant man, but even brilliant men can lose once in a while. What’s the shame in losing to someone like Reginald? He’s one of the greatest martial legends alive! Countless others have lost to him too. Why can’t Mr. Bowen show just a bit more grace?
“A ninth-grade supreme alchemist staying at Sovereign’s Apothecary would bring immeasurable value. How could that possibly be outweighed by Mr. Bowen’s narrow-minded prejudice and the sect’s petty grudges?”
Theon chimed in, “Madam Baxter, choose your words more carefully. Mr. Bowen’s brilliance isn’t up for debate, and you have no right to judge his decisions. He gave explicit orders: no further contact or cooperation with Reginald or his son. So Andrew must go, or I won’t be polite.”
He turned to her with a smirk. “Why cause such a scene over an outsider? Mr. Bowen’s decisions are never wrong. From where he sits, he sees everything far more clearly than we do. If he’s decided to expel Andrew, then you can be sure he has his reasons, and they’re above anything you or I could understand.”