The gloomy room carried a damp chill. Several tall wooden chairs lay scattered haphazardly across the floor, and a purple-haired old man reclined halfway in one of them.
Creak.
The door was pushed open, and a young Spellcaster swiftly slipped inside.
"Teacher!"
The purple-haired old man abruptly straightened, narrowing his eyes as he asked, "Colton, did you find out? Who brewed those Alkaline Earth Potions?"
The young Spellcaster glanced up at the purple-haired old man, then said in a low voice, "Teacher, just as you predicted, those Alkaline Earth Potions were not brewed by Mage Vlad, but by someone else!"
"Who?"
"I have found out. He is a Spellcaster who has only just arrived in the Floating City. It seems he has not even become a First-level Spellcaster yet. His name is Merlin!"
A smile appeared at the corners of the purple-haired old man's mouth as he said softly, "He has not even become a First-level Spellcaster, merely a Novice Spellcaster, yet he can brew Alkaline Earth Potions—and faster than Vlad at that. It seems he has achieved something in Potionology!"
After a pause, the purple-haired old man's gaze suddenly sharpened. He said coldly to the young Spellcaster, "Colton, take your 'pet' and capture Merlin. Remember, I want him alive!"
The young Spellcaster's heart tightened. He respectfully withdrew, and behind him followed a masked, extraordinarily burly Alchemical Monster.
"Heh heh, mysterious potion maker. I hope you will not disappoint me this time..."
The purple-haired old man muttered under his breath, a faint look of anticipation in his eyes.
*****
Inside the Silver Tower, Merlin was led by the charming woman from last time to the hall where large quantities of potion materials were displayed. Last time, Merlin had already examined some of the materials for Phantom Demon Potions and Blueberry