Afterward, Shade did not hide what Professor Garcia had discussed with him in private. The other four were all delighted that Shade had acquired such a powerful Thaumaturgy. As for his request to examine the Canon of Sublimation ahead of schedule, they had no strong opinions. They merely felt that after obtaining Blasphemy—Gluttony, Shade had somewhat underestimated the difficulty of acquiring Spirit Runes.
When it finally came to the matter of the potion, Shade merely claimed that it had a special use and did not explain exactly how he intended to use it.
Brewing potions was meticulous work, and it cost a great deal of time and Gold Pounds. That was why Miss Louisa had initially advised Shade against choosing Chemistry College.
After Old Priest made the request, Priest Augustus, who was in a good mood, agreed to help prepare Price of Growth. All the ingredients could be found on the local black market, but few people knew how to brew potions. Old Priest even charged Shade only the basic cost of the ingredients. Altogether, it was not much money, and the detective, who had suddenly become "rich," did not need to think twice about it.
Price of Growth needed some time to prepare. Shade wanted to use it early Thursday morning, so the priest promised to write to him next Tuesday or Wednesday and tell him to come collect it.
But while the potion matter had gone smoothly, no one in the group possessed a Time Key. This relic was useful only to Ring Arcanists who held the Time Spirit Rune. Doctor Schneider had once obtained one long ago, but it had already been handed over to the Academy.
As for Shade asking whether there was any way for ordinary people to gain power, all four of them shook