Flying Ointment

Hope heard Elizabeth saying something to him, but the students' laughter distracted him.

He then looked at Elizabeth, hoping she would repeat herself.

Elizabeth paused for a second. "Meleageros Nek."

She pointed to the blackboard. "Mereageros Nek died from poison violet; his people used it to execute him. The book says that after ingesting poison violet, the body gradually stiffens, starting from the feet, with the numbness spreading throughout the body, and the mind remains clear until death."

Hope didn't know who Necker was, but he understood what Elizabeth meant:

"You mean, this is a drug used for execution?"

"I'm not entirely sure. There are other things involved. The death penalty only requires poisonous violets."

"It contains many nerve poisons," Hope said. "And Aconite is often used in assassinations."

Elizabeth nodded. "But this potion wouldn't be used for assassination; the poison is too unstable. As for nerve poisons... perhaps they reduce the Affliction of death."

"A high-cost poison used for executions, exclusively for the nobility," Hope concluded.

More hands were raised. The professional skills of this group of students were clearly superior to those of Dr. Morgan's class, and many of them were probably at least amateur enthusiasts.

"For the death penalty," the man who raised his hand said briefly.

"Sit." But Professor Rice said, "It may have indeed caused death, but it has never been used as an execution."

"You're right," Hope said to Elizabeth.

"If the purpose is solely for killing, the other materials are superfluous. The dosages of Aconite and poisonous viola are not high; perhaps they are only used to utilize their nerve-paralyzing effects."

Elizabeth quickly considered other possibilities:

"Painkillers? This stuff is mixed with Opium and Poppy. And Darnel and Henbane also have anesthetic effects."

"That's possible. But something feels off. Could you explain the measurement to me again?"

The third person stood up. "Painkillers or anesthetics."

Professor Rice nodded. "It seems you've learned quite well."

The other students slightly raised their palms, ready to applaud this person.

But Professor Rice shook his head again. "It's just a pity that pain relief and anesthesia are only its side effects."

Professor Rice laughed heartily, his expression as if he were joking. "Its main function is quite special."

Elizabeth read the contents of the blackboard aloud again.

"If the Cabbage is meant to smooth the texture," Hope said, "If this treatment is meant to smooth the texture, why not add sugar?"

"Hallucinogens," the fourth person said.

"That's certainly possible, but unfortunately not. I wouldn't bring the formula for something like that into the classroom," Professor Rice said.

"Miracle oil!" someone joked. "The all-purpose oil used by ancient knights to glue severed limbs back together. Even a severed head could be glued back on; it would bring the person back to life!"

"Apply this directly to the wound?" Professor Rice raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That could really kill you."

Hope then asked:

"Don't you think the dosage of the Medicine is too precise? 0.0648 grams, what kind of precision Medicine is that? And it's exactly that amount for everything, even the Cabbage."

Elizabeth nodded. "That does seem a bit off... Professor Rice wouldn't have just written down a recipe off the top of his head, would he?"

"I don't know," Hope said. "What do you think? I've never met Professor Rice before."

"Hmm. He's not that kind of person. He's not exactly serious, but he wouldn't waste this much time on a joke."

The person in front of Elizabeth and Hope stood up. "This prescription is fake; there's no answer at all."

The students laughed again, but they tried to hide it, and the laughter quickly subsided.

"Is there a reason?" Professor Rice asked.

The man answered frankly that he didn't.

"I'm sorry," Professor Rice shook his head.

"Then why?" Elizabeth asked. "Do you have something on your mind?"

Hope nodded. "A miracle cure. The person who gave that answer probably didn't consider that it might be correct."

"Is this really a miracle oil?"

"I'm not sure... but it reminded me and gave me a guess. I read a story before about herbs and magic."

Hope was about to tell his story.

The classroom gradually quieted down. The students were tired of discussing. They tried one possibility after another, including some random things, but all of these answers were rejected by Professor Rice. Their confidence was so shaken that they could not be rekindled.

Some people started looking in one direction.

"Are they watching you?" Hope asked Elizabeth.

Elizabeth shook her head. "They have no reason to look at me."

"That's me. It seems I've made a deep impression on some people."

Jeffrey finally found a chance to join the conversation, even though he hadn't understood anything before:

"Is it possible that it's me?"

Nobody paid him any attention.

Professor Rice clapped his hands and looked over as well. "So, student Love, do you have the answer?"

Hope happened to have something to ask Professor Rice, and this was a perfect opportunity for him to demonstrate his identity as a "herbalism enthusiast" to Professor Rice.

He stood up:

"This is just speculation. This prescription is entirely fabricated; the person who wrote it probably lived in a very distant era."

The silence lasted for a moment, then the students murmured and whispered among themselves like crickets.

"So, there's no answer?" Professor Rice asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I read in a book that witches concoct a flying ointment. After applying the ointment to their bodies, they would fly into the sky to attend witches' parties."

That book was, of course Common Herb Collection, <A Collection of Common Herbs>, and Number One Hope's knowledge was all-encompassing.

"You mean, this is flight ointment?" Professor Rice asked.

"You said it has caused death, but that means it doesn't always cause death. With these poisons combined, the only way to avoid death would probably be to make it into a topical ointment. Applying such a thing to the body could indeed create the illusion of flying."

"As for those overly precise numbers, I suspect that these are prescriptions reconstructed by later scholars based on legends. Precise numbers are not necessarily the product of accurate calculations; they may simply be casually written down to make the prescription more professional. Many scholars have this kind of penchant."

Professor Rice did not respond.

But applause started coming from him, and the others quickly realized what was happening, so the applause spread throughout the class.

Elizabeth was also applauding.

Hope glanced at Elizabeth.

Hope rubbed her eyes.

Under everyone's gaze, he slowly bent down, his pale face close to Elizabeth's. Elizabeth only had time to shrink her head back.

The applause stopped, and a few whistles sounded in the classroom.

"W-what's wrong?" Elizabeth asked.

Hope rubbed his eyes again, then looked back at Jeffrey, Jeffrey was flattered but puzzled.

Agility: 0.98, Constitution: 1.53, Vision: 1.15, Mana: 0

Jeffrey's attributes are the same as last time.

Hope turned back to Elizabeth: "You are... Elizabeth?"

"Yes."

The numbers don't match.

Agility: 1.01, Constitution: 1.41, Vision: 1.09, Mana: 0.01

Mana increased by 0.01.