The Little Guys in the Marketplace

Money was meant to be spent on things like this.

It wasn't a matter of being a sucker or not; it was a matter of money being unable to buy happiness—at least, Ian genuinely wanted to understand the key behind this kind of Alchemy.

"Any Alchemy involving time is exceedingly precious." Standing before the three cauldrons radiating mysterious magical fluctuations, Ian's earlier nausea had long since been replaced by intense curiosity and a thirst for knowledge.

As a top-tier Alchemist, he knew all too well how precious and rare Alchemical objects capable of reversing or neutralizing the effects of time's erosion were! This was far more than simply "making meat fresh again." The time magic and principles of restoring a substance's essence involved behind it were absolutely a profoundly advanced field of Alchemical research!

"If I could figure out how these cauldrons work, or even get hold of a sample..." Ian's heart gave several traitorous quick beats. To him, this thing might be worth more than several chests of Galleons! Whether for repairing certain ancient magical objects or researching time magic himself—

Items like these had immeasurable value.

His mind raced, and he immediately came up with an idea. Without drawing attention, he pulled over the attendant who had led him inside earlier and went to a relatively quiet corner of the kitchen.

The attendant looked at Ian in confusion, uncertain what else this distinguished guest wanted to ask.

Ian said nothing. He merely smiled faintly and flipped his palm over, revealing several gold coins that were just as widely accepted in African markets as Galleons. They gleamed enticingly in the dim light. He gently pressed the coins into the attendant's hand, lowered his voice, and spoke in simple English supplemented by gestures.

"Brother, do me a favor. I want