"No need." Li Wen shook his head, "I'm not here for reward, and you can't give me what I need."
Her eyes did not move away from Melina. In the brief exchange just now, she had already realized that Melina's weakness was not caused by an ordinary illness. Under her pale skin, there was a faint gray color that was close to that of withered vegetation. Every breath she took seemed particularly laborious, as if what her lungs were inhaling was not air, but some kind of medium that was constantly consuming her vitality. The vague smell of herbs in the air is a special smell called "Silverleaf Grass".
In her previous life, when she was still an apprentice at High Prism Tower, Li Wen had learned about a series of tasks about rare diseases of the elves, which included detailed records of a hereditary disease called "Withering Leaf Syndrome". This disease is only prevalent among the elves, especially Sub-Elf with impure blood. The affected person will be like a fallen leaf in autumn, with their vitality slowly and irreversibly drained away within a few years until complete death. Silverleaf Grass is one of the main drugs used to relieve the symptoms of Withering Leaf Syndrome and delay its deterioration.
"You don't seem to be in good health." Li Wen's words did not contain any unnecessary emotion, as if he was stating an obvious fact.
Melina seemed to be a little surprised by such straightforwardness. She subconsciously closed the hand holding the letter and key to her chest, as if it could bring her some strength. She forced out a smile, which was pale and weak. "It's just some old problems, nothing to worry about. My brother has been looking for the best doctors and potions for me. He said... He said that a complete cure will be found soon."
Her words were full of absolute trust in her brother and expectations for the future, but these expectations sounded particularly fragile to Li Wen. Withering Leaf Syndrome is not a terminal disease, but if you want to cure it, you need to use a rare magic potion called "Life Essence". The price of that kind of potion is enough to bankrupt a wealthy noble family, let alone an unknown Arcane Academy apprentice.
Now, all the clues are connected. Why Fire Mage took the risk and stole Sunday Secret College's secret treasure? His motive has been revealed. He was not doing it for power or wealth, but to save his only relative.
Li Wen's eyes fell on the yellow Copper Key Melina held tightly in his hand.
This is the heart of the matter. Letters and rings are only personal items and have no value. But if nothing else goes wrong, this key must be related to the so-called "secret treasure" that Fire Mage exchanged for his life and was enough to pay for "Life Essence".
Sunday Secret College will never give up, and their pursuit of lost items must be carried out in secret. And once they follow the clues and find this place, what kind of situation will Melina, who has no power and knows nothing about the extraordinary world, face?
She will be questioned, searched, and may even be used as an accomplice to coerce the apprentice who, in the Arcane Academy's opinion, has just "defected" to show up. No matter which outcome, for this woman whose life is already hanging by a thread, it will be the last straw that breaks her back.
Leaving these relics here does not mean that they will be returned to their original owners, but will bring disaster to this already precarious family.
Li Wen looked at Melina's face that was pale due to weakness, and looked at the longing for her brother's return in her eyes. That look reminded her of her sister Li Xin.
Gee, that's really troublesome. This was not her intention, so she immediately changed her mind.
"Wait." Just when Melina was about to say thank you again, Li Wen spoke, with a certain toughness in his voice, "You can keep the ring and the letter, but I need to take this key away."
Melina's light brown eyes were instantly filled with astonishment and confusion. She subconsciously hid the hand holding the key behind her back, with pleading and confusion in her voice, "Why... why? This is what my brother asked you to pass on to me... it should be very important..."
"It is precisely because it is so important that it cannot stay with you." Li Wen took a small step forward, and his figure cast a shadow in the warm fire. "Miss Melina, there is a bitter aftertaste of Silverleaf Grass in your breath, the fingertips lack blood, and there are gray veins under the skin. If I read it right, you should be suffering from the rare 'Withering Leaf Syndrome' among the elves. Every afternoon, your whole body will be sore and weak, as if being attacked by the autumn wind, and the magic power... if you have ever had it, is irreversibly exhausted. The Silverleaf Grass medicine can relieve the symptoms, but it cannot prevent the root cause of decay."
Melina was completely stunned, his eyes widened slightly in shock. "How... how do you know?"
"Because I am an alchemist." Li Wen stated calmly, "My teacher Libavius did a lot of research on such ancient diseases in Sigrut. Withering Leaf Syndrome is not incurable., but the value of the 'Life Essence' required for complete cure is enough to buy most of the Hackenlo Street houses. An ordinary Arcane Academy apprentice may not be able to save enough money to buy a copy of the puree."
She paused, her eyes falling on Melina's face, observing her reaction.
"Your brother Mage Bernier, he loves you very much. Because of this, he should be willing to find a way to cure you at all costs, right?"
Melina nodded subconsciously, with an uneasy glimmer in his eyes.
"This key may be related to this." Li Wen's voice lowered, "It may be able to exchange for the magic potion that saves your life, but it will inevitably lead to dangers far beyond your imagination. Those dangers are not something that your weak body and this peaceful house can withstand."
Melina's face became paler, almost blending in with the color of her shawl. Her slender fingers clenched the ring so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Her brother's long-term loss of contact, entrusting strangers to deliver items of unknown meaning, and Li Wen's calm and cruel analysis... all these pieces were pieced together, pointing to a possibility that frightened her - her brother might have embarked on an extremely dangerous path for her.
"I... I don't want this..." Her voice was choked and she shook her head weakly, "I don't want him to take risks for me. Every time he brings expensive medicine, I, I would rather I never get sick..."
"It's meaningless to say this now." Li Wen interrupted her emotional speech, her tone still calm, "The choice is yours. You can keep this key and wait for your brother, or wait for the trouble that this key may cause that your brother may not be able to handle. Or..."
Li Wen took out paper and charcoal from his pocket.
"I can give you an improved suppressive prescription. It cannot cure Withering Leaf Syndrome, but its effect is far better than the Silverleaf Grass mixture you are currently using. It is enough to greatly relieve your pain, delay the progression of the disease, and buy you more time. In exchange, this key belongs to me. I will deal with the trouble it may cause."
Melina looked at Li Wen blankly, then looked down at his hands hidden behind his back, his eyes full of struggle. Worry about his brother eventually overcame his wariness of strangers and his reluctance to part with the object itself. She could no longer be a burden to her brother and a reason to take risks.
"... Can you really help me?" Her voice was inaudible, carrying her last hope.
"You can know the effect of the potion after taking it once." Li Wen did not answer directly, but began to write quickly on the page. The charcoal pen scratches the paper, making a rustling sound, and the unpronounceable names of materials, processing methods and mixing steps are smoothly presented. What she wrote was not a lie. It was a small application of the vast knowledge of "Emerald Tablet" about the essence and harmony of life. It is far more effective in dealing with this hereditary symptom of vitality depletion than the general medicines of this era.
After writing the formula, Li Wen took out several small leather bags from Fairy Treasure Bag on his waist and placed them next to the formula. "Here are the most important ingredients in the formula. Camelot is not easy to buy in the market, or the price is exaggerated. Use it sparingly, it will be enough for you to last for half a year."
Melina looked at the sharply written formula on the table and the few bags of materials that seemed to be valuable, and then looked at Li Wen's calm face. Finally, she slowly and tremblingly handed over the yellow Copper Key that she had been holding tightly in her hand.
"Please... please be careful." She said softly, as if she was handing over some terrible curse, "If this really brings danger..."
Li Wen took the key, and the cold temperature of the key soaked into her fingertips. She put it away properly.
"Put the formula away and ask your trustworthy servant to buy the ingredients from a reputable pharmacy. Don't reveal everything." Li Wen gave the last instruction before turning and walking towards the door. When she held the doorknob, she paused and did not look back. She just left a meaningful word.
"By the way, Miss Melina, life is far more important than waiting. If your brother... his research takes much longer than expected, maybe you should consider changing to a more suitable environment for rest. For example, a sunny town in the south."
After saying that, she opened the door and stepped into the Camelot afternoon sunshine, leaving behind only the crackling sound of the fireplace in the house and a frail woman holding a new prescription in her hand, with worry and faint hope in her eyes.
The door closed gently, isolating the two worlds. Li Wen touched the yellow Copper Key in his pocket, and left without stopping.