"That was fifty years ago—"
Wai began with an opening steeped in nostalgia. Hearing his tone, Kael had thought this would be a long, winding story full of twists and lingering sentiment.
But in truth, the story had lasted only a few months. Even if Wai described every detail, he finished it very quickly.
To put it bluntly, it was a story about a swindler and a fool.
The swindler was Yuna, while the fool was Dox... and, of course, there had also been Wai, the bystander.
At the time, Dox had discovered an ancient laboratory through intelligence from a friend and his own deductions. According to the information, the laboratory had been left behind by an alchemist.
Generally speaking, laboratories left behind by alchemists were the most valuable among all such remnants, and the first choice wandering wizards sought out when venturing into danger.
After receiving the information, Dox immediately invited Wai to explore it with him. But only after reaching their destination did they discover that the so-called master of the laboratory—the alchemist—had merely been an alchemy apprentice. Moreover, this apprentice belonged to the branch of perfumery under potion-making.
Though somewhat disappointed, they still held out hope. As they searched, they truly did find a secret chamber. Yet strange fragrances filled its exterior. Wind could not disperse them, water could not wash them away; they seeped through every opening, invading even those covered head to toe in armor.
Once affected by the fragrance, one would fall into a deep slumber.
To solve this problem, they found a female apprentice who claimed to know something about perfumes. That person was Yuna.
After Yuna joined them, they returned to the ruins. Yet only after arriving did Yuna innocently say that she only studied mortal perfumes. This was outside her field