Saintess's Nen Ability X Unclear Intentions

Inside the Castle.

Kevin discovered the source of everything: a small room that had been converted into a study.

However, the space inside wasn't filled with professional books; most of it was occupied by neatly arranged comics.

These comics, stacked together, formed a unique wall.

Most of them are romance comics, covering a variety of themes such as school romance, romantic comedy, and adult romance.

Only a small number of other types of comics were used as embellishments.

Even though these comics are well preserved, the marks left by long-term handling are still visible.

"You're really passionate about comics."

Especially romance comics.

Kevin looked at the wall covered in comics and couldn't help but sigh.

"Yes, comics are very interesting. Of course, those books are also quite interesting, but comics can show more exciting content."

Melusina responded with a smile, then casually picked up a comic book and flipped through a few pages.

"It's a pity that my favorite book lately won't have a sequel." There was a hint of regret in her voice.

"What happened? Has the author stopped updating?"

Melusina shook her head. "We didn't manage to buy any more supplies. The next time we'll get supplies from outside won't be until next year."

As she spoke, she sighed softly, her expression full of regret.

Seeing this, Kevin took the comic book from her hands.

The Castle wasn't very large, and the two of them walked around it in no time.

Before we knew it, dusk had fallen.

They arrived at the tower.

At the top of the tower is a platform from which you can see the entire village and even Village Boundary.

Bathed in the dim, golden light of the setting sun, the two sat atop the tower.

I come here to sit for a while every day.

Melusina said, gazing at the distant scenery.

Do you find yourself constantly facing the Boundary of this invisible Cage, living in such a cramped space every day?

Looking out from the tower, the entire Village still appears so small.

"A souvenir I brought for you."

Kevin pulled a small box out of his pocket.

When opened, it contained a grayish-white feather mixed with blue.

"These are feathers from that creature called the Griffin, right?" Melusina took the feathers and recognized them at a glance.

Kevin nodded. "That's right, this is the only souvenir I can get right now. After all, that Griffin was the first Phantom Beast I ever hunted."

This feather was specially selected by him; it was taken from the Griffin's chest and was the smoothest and shiniest feather on the Griffin's body.

In his opinion, it should be fine as Gift.

Melusina held the feather, examining it repeatedly in the sunlight, simply smiling without saying a word.

Seeing her like this, Kevin didn't ask her if she liked it, but simply stayed quietly by her side.

Tell me about your hunting experiences.

Upon hearing this, Kevin smiled and began to speak.

The story continues until the sky is shrouded in night, with countless stars twinkling above it.

At this point, some people couldn't sit still any longer.

"Miss, the old man is here."

"Um."

Melusina simply nodded and turned to look at Kevin.

Understanding her gaze, Kevin silently stood up. "It seems I should take my leave."

I'd rather not stay overnight at a girl's house for now.

Otherwise, it will definitely spread throughout the whole Village by tomorrow.

Melusina slightly disappointed as the White Snake gently lifted her up.

I'll come see you again tomorrow.

Upon hearing Kevin's words, the disappointment on Melusina's face vanished instantly.

"Really?"

"Of course, I don't have anything else to do anyway, do I?"

The two walked to the hall.

The Village Chief stood alone in the hall, his gaze fixed on Kevin as if he were a heinous criminal.

Interestingly, however, the malice emanating from him was very weak, even less so than that of the guards at the door.

The Village Chief glanced at Melusina, then closed his mouth again, saying nothing.

She simply looked at Kevin and said, "The Saintess Maiden rarely has any friends outside the home. I'm glad you had such a pleasant chat with her." Kevin nodded, "Then I'll take my leave."

With that, he waved to Melusina and left the Castle.

The two guards standing at the door couldn't help but shudder when they saw Kevin walk through them.

Kevin returned to the hotel.

Men Qi bombarded him with questions, and even Buhaci and Gowen chimed in curiously.

Then things returned to a peaceful routine.

Kevin began shuttling between the Castle and the hotel, living a life of routine between the two points.

The previous hunt allowed Kevin to stockpile a considerable amount of materials, especially the Fusion Agent he desperately needed.

[Gold Scale: Red Sparrow (whole bird - 70 grams)]

[Silver Scale: Burning Fruit (whole fruit - 15 grams)]

[Bronze Scale: Hot Blood (Liquid - 15g)]

[Effect: The user's aura will be able to heat up; the maximum temperature increase depends on the user's own abilities.]

Although the effect may seem simple and unpretentious, it is exactly what Kevin needed.

After all the materials were prepared, Kevin injected the gas into it.

After nearly half an hour of refining, the potion was finally completed.

This production has consumed about 70% of Kevin's current energy.

Kevin placed the prepared potion in his palm.

You can clearly feel the Specialization of this medicine just by holding it in your hand, because it's very hot.

The liquid inside the potion was orange-red, like a burning flame, churning in the container and occasionally bubbling like it was boiling.

"Could this potion be related to fire?"

Men Qi, who was squatting nearby, asked curiously.

Not only Men Qi, but also Xiahara and Gowen were gathered around.

Kevin was at his most vulnerable when he was making the potion.

Inside the Manor, he could also use Rosana's Nen ability to enter a completely safe space.

But there's nothing you can do outside.

Either find a secluded place to make it secretly, or do it under the protection of a trusted person.

"It's related to high temperatures, but it can't directly transform into flames; it's not that magical."

It must be said that elemental potions or Nen ability are extremely rare.

"Do you want to try it now?" Xiahara asked from the side.

To be honest, he was very curious.

A deep trust has been established between them.

Besides Kevin's core team, Buhaci and Gowen are the people with whom he has the closest relationship.

In particular, through this operation, they witnessed the wonders of Kevin's non-saleable potions.

This bottle of medicine was clearly not for sale.

"I'm not feeling well right now, let's talk about it in a few days."

Kevin decided to name the potion [The Blazing Potion].

As he spoke, he put the potion away, then muttered to himself in frustration, "I'm more worried about the potions made from Griffin materials than this one."

The potion, made primarily from Red Sparrow, had been roughly prepared beforehand, but a suitable Fusion Agent had been lacking.

Once a suitable Fusion Agent is found during the hunt, the potion is essentially complete.

It only takes a little time to adjust the proportions of the ingredients.

However, the main thing he's been busy with these past few days is making potions using Griffin materials.

Kevin currently has a wide variety of materials in stock, and their grades are generally high.

However, selecting suitable ingredients is extremely difficult.

His goal this time was very clear: to create potions with "elemental" abilities.

Anyone who has ever fought Griffin will be deeply impressed by its ability to control the wind.

Kevin has long possessed this ability to Transmutation Type.

If he can master it, it will enhance his strength in every aspect.

It not only enhances melee capabilities but also compensates for Kevin's lack of ranged attack methods.

Besides this core drug.

Based on the materials from the Griffin, one or two more potions with other functions should be able to be made.

Kevin simply didn't have the mind to consider anything else until the core drug was designed.

In addition, the Village's situation was complicated, which slowed down his production progress.

"Then there's no need to rush. We can study it slowly when we get back."

Men Qi suggested.

This is definitely not a place where one can feel safe and focused on improving their skills.

"That's the only way."

As he spoke, Kevin noticed something.

What are you eating?

Men Qi's mouth was bulging as he chewed, while Xiahara watched, his mouth watering.

"Snacks, huh?"

You stole my snacks again?

"What does it matter? You ate plenty of it in the Castle. They asked you to bring it back so we could try it."

Buhaci a reminder from the side, "But I haven't even tasted a single bite yet."

Men Qi acted as if she hadn't heard, and continued chewing.

Seeing the look that Buhaci was giving him, Kevin said helplessly, "Alright, alright, I'll bring back more tonight."

"Wouldn't that be too much trouble for the little Saintess?" Men Qi asked, feigning concern, but judging from her expression, she clearly hoped Kevin would bring back more.

Kevin asked with some curiosity, "Melusina's pastries aren't much better than yours, so why are you so fascinated by them?"

Men Qi rolled her eyes at him for saying that.

Buhaci explained from the side, "Although Men Qi doesn't specialize in making pastries, her skills are top-notch."

You might think that Melusina's pastries are only slightly better than Men Qi's, but in reality, there's a clear difference in their pastry-making skills.

That's how food is; once it reaches a certain level of deliciousness, every slight improvement makes the skill gap between cooks become increasingly difficult to bridge.

Simply put, as Accompany.

Men Qi and Buhaci can be clearly tasted to reveal a deeper difference in their flavors.

"I really don't know where she learned this skill from."

Men Qi sought advice and learned from all over the Village, and her skills in making pastries were already quite advanced, but she felt that Melusina's skills were far superior to hers.

Clearly, Melusina is a hidden confectionery master in the Village.

"It's better if you don't know," Kevin muttered under his breath.

He probably witnessed the entire process of Melusina learning to make pastries.

Simply put, it's about figuring things out by looking at comics—which might sound a bit hard to understand.

However, afternoon tea and dessert-making scenes are very common in various romance manga, and some authors even depict them in detail.

Because there are also food-themed comics with lots of romance elements.

Then Melusina would refer to the plot of the comics and the descriptions of the appearance and taste of the desserts to figure out how to make them herself.

In this way, her skills gradually accumulated.

This made Kevin wonder if Nen ability was at play.

"Alright, it's almost time. I need to go to the Castle."

Kevin said, standing up.

"Have you thought about what to do?" Men Qi suddenly asked, and the atmosphere in the room instantly fell silent.

It's already the end of the month, which means there's only one month left until the Festival begins.

In the two weeks since I came back...

They weren't just doing their own thing in the hotel; they were also deliberately gathering information in the Village.

But as a result, all the villagers avoided talking about it.

Before Kevin could answer.

Gowen then said, "I've roughly figured out the situation in the Village. Most people know what the Festival means, only a very few don't."

Those who know the inside story are likely under some kind of restriction that prevents them from speaking, not because they don't want to.

Including the homeless man at the door.

Gowen was mainly responsible for gathering intelligence in the Village, because he wanted to find out the cause of his sister's death from the very beginning.

Now it appears that his sister's death was closely related to the Festival.

In short, their plan to gather intelligence in the Village failed.

Unless they can find an Exorcist to remove the Nen restrictions on someone who knows the information.

You should know that this Village is a gathering place for Nen user; all the villagers are Nen user.

Imposing such a closed-mouth restriction is not difficult for them.

Currently, all hopes are pinned on Kevin.

However, Kevin was also somewhat helpless.

"I think that while Melusina may not have been subject to any restrictions, she probably doesn't know much either."

This wasn't because he received any definite answer.

Rather, when he intentionally asked, Melusina always intentionally or unintentionally avoided the question.

Unlike the other villagers who remained silent, Melusina clearly knew something, but she was unwilling to say more for her own reasons.

"Ugh, this is really troublesome. Hopefully you can come up with a solution next month."

Yes, yes, at least it's better than having no clue at all.

Kevin bid farewell to everyone and headed to the Castle.

Since then, he has had unrestricted access to and from the Castle.

Lorraine led him directly to the Castle's small garden.

There's a small pavilion in the garden, where it seems an afternoon tea is taking place.

"Kevin, come and try my new dessert."

Melusina waved cheerfully.

Kevin sat down diagonally across from him.

The two chatted casually while enjoying some snacks.

"Are you having some kind of trouble?" Melusina suddenly asked.

Meeting Kevin's questioning gaze, Melusina smiled slightly, "Ever since you came back, you always seem to be deep in thought, and you look very tired."

Is this simply observation, or the effect of Nen ability?

Or is it that you're making it so obvious?

Kevin didn't know much about Melusina's Nen ability, only that she had a Nen ability that could be activated through a question-and-answer format.

Simple questions and answers can assist him in flying, and although it only lasts for a short minute, it is still very powerful.

"Besides being Hunter x Hunter, I'm also an apothecary."

"Look, "Kevin said, patting the pouch containing the medicine.

Melusina nodded; she had seen those potions many times before and they were familiar to her.

"I hunt Griffin to obtain materials from them, but it's incredibly difficult to create the right combination of materials."

The process of finding suitable material combinations is too tedious and can easily lead to mental exhaustion.

Kevin spoke casually, as if he were having a friendly chat.

After listening to Kevin's words, Melusina took a sip of tea. The white Python coiled around her leaned forward slightly, staring at Kevin.

To be honest, Kevin once suspected that the snake was Nen Beast, if it weren't for the desire he could sense emanating from it.

However, Kevin wasn't averse to snakes; after all, the snake coiled around Melusina added a unique charm to the scene.

It can also be considered an important "decorative item".

"I remember you saying that you encountered green grass blades drifting in the wind by the swamp outside?"

"You said you never expected that randomly drifting grass leaves would be used as ingredients, so why not soak these grass leaves in liquid to extract their essence and use them as ingredients?"

"The bones from Griffin's wing should also be suitable, right?"

Kevin's expression turned serious, and he fell into deep thought.

The bottleneck he encountered in making the Griffin Potion was the lack of suitable ingredients.

He had previously tried using bone as a styling material, but not Wing Bone.

He had tried using that blade of grass before, but the results were not ideal. He never imagined that it could be used to make materials through extraction.

No, that's not the point.

Kevin looked up at Melusina across from him.

At this moment Melusina's eyes darted away, unable to meet Kevin's gaze.

She lowered her head slightly, fiddling with the pastries in front of her, as if it were the first time she had ever seen them.

"Your Nen ability?"

"Huh? Hmm."

Melusina nodded slightly.

Something's not right. Something's very wrong.

Melusina's Nen ability also includes the ability to generate ideas for herself?

The opponent's Nen ability seems to powerfully complement my Nen ability.

Although Kevin didn't want to think about it, now was clearly not the time to deceive himself.

Why did he come to this Secret Realm?

Why did Men Qi and the others come here?