Antoine Alchemy Workshop

"Mr. Principal, let me confirm one more time. Are you serious?"

Claire, dressed in a black-and-white maid outfit, did her best to ignore the strange looks from passersby. Staring at the sign before them, she questioned Rainer at her side.

"Of course. Do you have any concerns, Professor Claire?"

Rainer, on the other hand, seemed perfectly at ease. He strode openly beneath the sign and knocked on the somewhat weathered door.

With a soft sigh, Claire looked around once more.

This was Old Street, located in the town near Crescent Academy. There were not many pedestrians, and the buildings were somewhat dilapidated. Many shops had long since gone out of business. Claire vaguely remembered that, in her day, this had been a bustling market, crowded and lively, and many of the shops here had once seen her frequent visits.

But as the town developed and its center shifted, this place gradually declined into Old Street. Merchants withdrew one after another, and even the town's residents were unwilling to come here, as though these ruined streets were a scar upon the town.

The place they were visiting now was the only Alchemy Workshop left on Old Street.

Antoine Alchemy Workshop—that was the name of this place. Its owner was a mage named Antoine. When Old Street had been at its most prosperous, this Alchemy Workshop had handled countless commissions and enjoyed booming business. But after Old Street declined, it too fell into desolation.

Claire even doubted whether this Alchemy Workshop was still open.

After a knock at the door, the wooden door opened, and a bearded middle-aged man peeked outside through the gap.

The man wore a filthy gray robe and had deep dark circles beneath his eyes. With a little tidying up, he might have made for quite a distinguished middle-aged gentleman, but his slovenly appearance truly made people hesitant to approach.

"I don't subscribe to newspapers, and I don't buy any of that random junk. If you're here to ask about the smell from the backyard, sorry, I'll deal with it later. And if you're Drais's people—hey, see the stick in my hand?"

His voice was impatient and aggressive, until he caught sight of Claire behind Rainer.

"Claire?"

Antoine recognized Claire immediately, and the expression on his face softened considerably.

"Hello, Uncle Antoine."

Only then did Claire greet him. She had always been somewhat afraid of this man, probably because she had been scolded by him when she played nearby as a child.

Of course, Claire later learned that Antoine had only been trying to prevent her and her playmates from touching dangerous alchemical reagents. Still, she had never actually visited this mage after that incident.

"You've grown quite a bit taller."

Antoine looked Claire up and down and nodded slightly.

"But your taste in clothes is a little strange."

"Uh..."

Claire's expression froze, and she did not know what to say.

"Come in. The place is a little messy."

Opening the door wide, Antoine gestured for the two of them to enter the Alchemy Workshop. He glanced outside once more before carefully closing the door.

"This really is..."

Rainer had already prepared himself somewhat while reading the materials earlier, but he had not expected Antoine's Alchemy Workshop to be like this.

The room was fairly spacious, but it was occupied by three tables marked with mottled stains. Their surfaces were covered in test tubes and beakers. Surprisingly, these experimental instruments had been arranged in neat order, forming a stark contrast with the dusty floor that had clearly gone uncleaned for a long time.

Along one side of the living room stood a medicine display cabinet. Bottles and jars of all sizes bore labels and were protected by magical wards.

In one corner sat a battered sofa and a table. On it was a half-finished cup of coffee that was still steaming.

There was also a photo frame on the table. The glare made its contents impossible to see clearly, but it vaguely appeared to be a photograph of three people together.

The curtains had not been drawn. Though lamps lit the room, it still seemed somewhat dim. In Rainer's words, this was exactly what the home of a scholar immersed in research looked like.

"Tea or coffee?"

Perhaps because of Claire, Antoine was not as wary of Rainer. He took two cups that appeared not to have been used in a long time from a wooden cabinet in the corner of the living room and asked them.

"Uh, I'll just..."

Claire did not know how to answer. She looked to Rainer, but the principal simply took a bottle from his briefcase.

"I don't drink tea, and I don't need coffee either, Mr. Antoine. Why not try the brand-new beverage I brought?"

A layer of frost covered the transparent bottle. It contained a black drink, with bubbles constantly rising inside. It looked like some sort of devil's potion, the kind that could grant strength if one drank it.

"A beverage?"

Antoine gave Rainer a suspicious look, then glanced at Claire. Taking the bottle, he casually cast an Appraisal Spell.

The Appraisal Spell could only identify known substances. It was updated once a year by the High Council to include newly discovered or synthesized materials. For mages specializing in alchemy, it was an essential spell.

Yet the feedback from the Appraisal Spell greatly surprised Antoine. The liquid's main component was ordinary sugar water, mixed with quite a few special ingredients, though they were still within Antoine's range of understanding. Only one particular substance proved impossible for Antoine to identify.

Even during his poorest days, Antoine had gone to the local Magic Association to update his Appraisal Spell. If even the latest version could not identify it, then it was clearly a completely new substance.

"What's in this?"

he asked, seeming to have guessed something.

"There's a world inside it, Mr. Antoine."

Rainer spoke mysteriously. He picked up one of the cups Antoine had prepared for them, poured some of the liquid from the bottle into it, and drank it without hesitation. Then he held the bottle's mouth toward the middle-aged mage.

"Why not have a taste before we discuss it?"

Antoine stared at Rainer. This man had a very unusual way of doing things. Though he looked like a noble, he was not the slightest bit roundabout, nor did he cling to status. It made Antoine revise his opinion of nobles somewhat.

He took the bottle and confirmed the new gas within it once more. After thinking for a moment, Antoine took a gulp of the black liquid.

A choking impact swept through his mouth, as though countless fireworks had exploded across his tongue. Antoine even thought it was some new kind of poison, but another strange sensation soon enveloped him.

It was an indescribable experience. As the stimulating sensation faded, so too did the heat. Mild, refreshing sugar water spread through his throat and down into his stomach. These two utterly opposite sensations blended within the same beverage: the former invigorated Antoine, while the latter left him relaxed and comfortable. Compared with bitter coffee or bland tea, this drink was far more impactful.

"What is this? Devil's Water?"

Antoine was astonished. He felt as though he were stepping onto a path from which there was no return, yet his curiosity drove him to ask.