True Alchemy

"Oh?"

Nicolas's eyes lit up.

"You can tell?"

"Yes. This teapot has runes for heating, extraction, and filtering. It can brew a pot of tea in a short time, without needing to heat extra water or worry about pouring out the tea leaves with it."

Overall, it was merely a little convenience that eliminated a few cumbersome steps from daily life, but the craftsmanship was exceedingly exquisite. There were almost no visible traces on its surface.

It made one wonder whether it had been made simply to show off—yet given Nicolas's status, a new visitor might not come to his door even once in decades. Who would he have made it to show off to?

In truth, it was simply the effortless skill of a master alchemist.

As Manus pointed out several traces on the teapot, Nicolas opened it. The two began an academic discussion right over the teapot itself, branching out into ideas for improvements, then further into other techniques and other fields...

"Alchemy... I see."

Through his in-depth exchange with Nicolas, Manus's greatest gain had undoubtedly been in the field of Alchemy.

As for Potions, Eileen had laid the foundations for Manus from an early age. Later, whether through books or classes at Hogwarts, he had received formal and systematic instruction.

But Alchemy was different.

Not only did Hogwarts lack a formal teaching system for it, there was no genuine system for it anywhere in the Wizarding World of Britain—or even beyond Britain.

Though Manus had encountered Alchemy Magic through the Skill Panel, there were unfortunately many different kinds of magic that could be called "Alchemy" even within the panel.

Some magical systems centered on the principle of equivalent exchange, breaking down and reconstructing material elements and spiritual substance.

Likewise, some magical systems explained Alchemy as a process