Landen eventually drank the Corona Ginger Juice, of course. Otherwise, there would have been no outcome where the former soul vanished and someone else took over his body.
Before Landen rescued him, Aila had already wandered through the Surface World for quite some time. He had also gained a fairly good understanding of the rules of this place, which was completely different from the Surface World. Naturally, he knew that it would be impossible to gain Landen's trust so easily. Thus, being quite clever himself, he chose the easiest and fastest way to be accepted.
Aila completely opened up his Alchemy Workshop, carrying out the entire refining process within Landen's sight. Then, for several consecutive days, he drank the Corona Ginger Juice himself immediately after finishing each batch.
Everything took place under Landen's supervision. After that period, everyone discovered that Aila indeed showed no other abnormalities. Not only was his mental state improving, but the serious injuries he had originally suffered were also recovering at an even faster rate. Only then did Landen finally believe Aila and begin drinking the Corona Ginger Juice.
Then, more precisely, a week later, something happened.
Poor former Landen had fallen unconscious not long after drinking a cup of Corona Ginger Juice. Aila, meanwhile, had immediately been shackled hand and foot and locked up here. Of course, this was only because Landen had said, "Lock him up," before losing consciousness. Otherwise, Aila would probably have already become the Minotaur Butler's excrement...
"No!" Aila was startled when he heard Landen's words and waved his hands, trying to deny it. Unfortunately, he had forgotten that heavy chains hung from his wrists. The moment he raised his hands, their weight dragged them back down. He had no time to care about the sharp pain of the chains cutting into his wrists and frantically shook his head. "No, my lord! I didn't want you dead! What happened to you before really had nothing to do with me!"
Aila knew very well that this conversation concerned whether he lived or died. Of course, he did not want to die.
"I drank what you gave me and then fell unconscious. I almost lost my life, yet you're telling me it had nothing to do with you? Do you think anyone would believe that?" Landen took two more steps forward. The distance between them was less than a centimeter. He looked down at Aila from above, an imposing Aura pressing straight down on him.
"Really... I really mean it, my lord..." Aila's voice had already taken on a sobbing note, and he looked as if he was about to cry. "The Corona Ginger Juice I gave you absolutely couldn't have that kind of side effect. Don't you remember? I drank it first before offering it to you!"
"Can your life compare to mine?" Landen reached out and grabbed Aila by the collar, lifting him into the air. The other man was truly very light. Even with two heavy chains on him, he barely weighed anything.
Landen stared at Aila's tear-filled eyes from up close, his voice turning incomparably sinister. "Besides, who knows whether you added something extra to what you gave me?"
Pain came in waves from his neck, wrists, and ankles, but Aila had no time to care about any of that. He opened his mouth. Whether from fear or because Landen was gripping his throat, his voice had become much sharper. "Really! I really didn't! Believe me, please... please!"
Landen applied a little force with his hand. Aila instantly felt the pressure around his neck increase, and a suffocating sensation rushed into his mind. He tried to struggle, but his hands and feet could barely move. Just then, Landen's voice sounded again. "Tell me the recipe for Corona Ginger Juice!"
Aila's mind was already half-paralyzed. He answered at the fastest speed he could manage, almost without thinking. "Chrysanthemum Leaf, Corona Root Ginger, three drops of Chira Oak Resin..."
In a mere few seconds, Aila listed more than a dozen ingredients. His speed was no slower than someone rapidly listing dishes in a crosstalk routine...
But Landen's questions were not over. He continued, "How do you process Chira Oak Resin?"
"Heat it with the inner flame of an alcohol lamp for several seconds, then add the first drop when it has cooled for several seconds, the second drop when it has cooled for several seconds, and the third drop when it has cooled for several seconds!" This time, he was even faster, taking only a few seconds...
As soon as he finished speaking, Aila felt the pressure around his neck loosen. His entire body dropped back to the ground with a thud. He had no time to care about that, however. His mouth hung wide open as he desperately gulped air, feeling the relief of surviving a brush with death as oxygen once again flowed through his body.
Landen's voice came from beside him. "I'm reasonably satisfied with your answer, so you can be glad that you won't die today. But as for the future... heh."
Aila raised his head in confusion and looked toward the voice, but all he saw was a retreating back. The next moment, the stone door closed again, and the small room returned to being half-lit and half-dark.
The sound of Aila's heavy breathing echoed through the air. Only after a long while did it gradually calm down. His heart, however, was nowhere near as peaceful as his breathing.
Did he really want to kill me? No, that's not right. If he wanted me dead, one hand would have been enough. He wouldn't even have needed to come himself. He could have sent anyone.
Why did he ask me for the recipe for Corona Ginger Juice? And he also asked how to process Chira Oak Resin. How did he know about that most complicated step? Could it be that he really knows alchemy? Impossible. If he did, what would he need me for?
Aila was not stupid. Otherwise, he would never have become both a Mage Apprentice and an Alchemy Apprentice at such a young age, especially when he was already close to advancing into a formal profession in both fields. Thus, after his brain regained its oxygen supply and slowly returned to normal, question after question began surfacing in his mind.
However, those questions were destined to go unanswered, at least for the short term.
In the corridor outside the stone door, the Minotaur Butler had automatically followed behind Landen and to one side. Seeing that Landen continued forward in silence, he could not help speaking. "My lord..."
"Oh, there were some things I wanted to ask but didn't get to. You know, finding someone who knows alchemy isn't easy for me. If I killed him just like that, it would be a huge loss." Landen spoke in a thoroughly unconcerned tone, completely unlike the person he had been in the small dark room.
After he finished speaking, the air fell silent again. It remained that way until they reached the stairs. Just as Landen was about to ascend, the Minotaur Butler suddenly seemed to remember something and said, "Oh, right, my lord. While you were interrogating Aila, someone arrived."
"Oh? Someone would come to this run-down place of mine?" Landen stopped and asked in confusion.
"It was someone from Quint City. They brought a message from Miss Vivian," the Minotaur Butler replied.
"Vi... my second sister?" Landen was startled, and a playful smile appeared on his face.
Before you continue