The crouching young man stiffened, then slowly turned around.
His face bore the exhaustion of prolonged research, his eyes dull and wary as he studied Leo.
"Who are you?" His voice was hoarse.
"Did the Progenitor send you to laugh at me? Or are you some noble's steward, here to buy my manuscripts?"
His lips twitched into an ugly smile.
"Get out."
Leo ignored the dismissal.
He took an ordinary linen pouch from inside his coat, untied the cord, and poured its contents into his palm.
It was a handful of dark brown granules.
Elwin frowned. His first thought was that it was some new kind of alchemical catalyst.
Yet he sensed no magical fluctuations from it, only a rich, earthy fragrance mingled with the scent of minerals.
"What kind of trick is this?" Elwin asked coldly.
Leo met his scrutinizing gaze and bowed slightly, a gentle, sincere smile on his face.
"Master Elwin, this is no trick."
"My lord once said that powerful magic can spur plants to grow, but cannot grant life to the soil. When a plant falls ill, perhaps we should look at whether the soil itself is the problem."
With that, Leo offered no further explanation. He picked up the flowerpot and carefully scattered the dark brown granules around the blackened plant's roots.
The plant was called the Silver Moon Mask, a tier-three alchemical plant with exceptionally demanding cultivation requirements. Elwin had exhausted the last of his savings to acquire this specimen, and now it was dying.
Elwin did not stop him.
The young man's words were strange, but he wanted to see exactly what he intended to do.
After mixing the granules into the soil, Leo explained them to Elwin.
"This is called Number One Compound Fertilizer. It's made from material processed by special