He began brewing with the attitude that he might as well give it a try.
The process went unexpectedly smoothly. Even when he controlled the water and made it vibrate, his crimson mana showed not the slightest resistance.
After only about ten minutes, a mass of blue-and-white liquid appeared in his palm, turning slowly within the enclosure of his mana.
Like an invisible flame, his crimson mana continuously separated the ordinary water from the liquid that now qualified as a potion.
He was not using the method in the alchemy guide, but the method of a Legendary Mage that the Woodstar Curving Vine King had taught him.
After his earlier attempt at separating divine power, he was certain this method could be used for anything that required separation and fusion.
It was definitely far better than the method described in the alchemy guide.
Now the result proved that point once again-
After the separation was complete, what appeared before Kroya was a mixture of blue and white, white at the surface and blue beneath.
Not a single drop of excess water remained.
This meant the mana had not yet fully merged. Once he continued casting magic and thoroughly fused the mana within it,
the blue and white turned into an extremely pale azure.
It gave off a faint aura of Water Magic and the fragrance of coconut.
"Judging by these mana fluctuations, this should count as a second-tier potion, right?"
Kroya separated a tiny amount with his mana and tasted it. Sure enough, it had a rich coconut flavor, somewhat like the coconut milk he had drunk before.
Beyond that, there was the cool sensation of Water Magic.
The Water Magic he had processed could not only soothe the heat in the body, but also had a subtle conditioning effect.
That alone was enough to make it worth selling.
He fetched the coconut shell he had split open earlier and began working on it, intending to make a little bottle to hold the potion.
As long as he engraved a few magic patterns on it, it would not rot or spoil anyway. Selling the two together would fetch more than selling either one alone.
Once he had magically shaped the coconut shell into a bottle and encased it in low-grade crystals engraved with magic patterns, leaving the pale blue potion inside visible, the Sea Spirit Coconut Potion was complete.
A potion made this way looked full of local character without losing the mystery of magic. It was exquisite and elegant.
Surely those nobles would appreciate it.
But who would come to buy it? Would he have to go out and promote it himself?
The thought had barely occurred to him when he heard the Woodstar Curving Vine King say, "Master, someone sent word that a merchant named Sai Liu wishes to see you."
Accompanied by the gentle female voice, the surveillance magic array set to one side immediately displayed the scene in the reception room.
The merchant Sai Liu, whom he had not seen for some time, was sitting there with an uneasy expression, shifting about as though he was in a hurry.
His splendid, finely made elven robe was gone. Now he wore a set of tattered cloth clothes, looking more like a servant than an actual servant.
But two guards still stood behind him.
One of them held a cage covered with a cloth.
Clearly, there was something inside.
After taking all of this in, Kroya felt a little curious.
The merchant had been quite composed during his last two visits. Why was he like this now? Why did he look so disheveled?
After a moment's thought, he felt the visit was probably about the sunflower seeds.
Whatever the reason, he certainly could not go to him directly. So he immediately issued an order to Rob through a section of the Woodstar Curving Vine King hidden near Rob's chair.
"Ask him what he wants. I'll give you instructions."
Rob understood at once. He raised his head and said with a smile, "Mr. Sai Liu, my master is brewing a potion. If you need anything, you may tell me."
The steward leaned forward slightly, his expression mysterious. "My master will know everything we say."
Sai Liu's expression immediately grew solemn. He even straightened his somewhat disordered clothes, and the moment he opened his mouth, he began pleading.
"Could the Lord Mage sell me some more of the sunflower seeds he sold me last time? These are Magical Beasts I found. Please consider them a greeting gift for him!"
The merchant waved a hand, and the guard behind him immediately brought out an intricately crafted wooden cage and placed it on the table.
Inside were two palm-sized little mice with earthy yellow fur. They looked very docile and adorable.
Rob examined them in confusion, feeling that his knowledge of Magical Beasts was still far too limited. He could not tell what kind they were at all.
For a mage's steward, this truly was a failure in his duties.
Sai Liu, however, was already speaking impatiently. "These are second-tier Magical Beasts, Burrowing Mice. They're highly intelligent and can perform various tasks."
To prove he was not lying, he tapped the cage with a finger and commanded, "Dance!"
The two little mice immediately stood upright in the cage and clasped each other's paws. They actually began swaying in a dance.
It seemed to be a kind of ballroom dance for two, with movements that changed to match the music. Although there was no music now, the two little mice still danced remarkably well.
Both their rhythm and their movements had considerable charm, as though two real dancers were performing a lively dance.
At the end, they even bowed to Rob.
They let out little squeaks.
Sai Liu said ingratiatingly, "You see? They can do more than dance. They have other abilities too. They make the best pets."
This... wasn't this just a plaything?
If you really wanted to sell them that badly, why not sell them to those lonely noble young ladies? They had no special abilities. All they could do was dance.
There were plenty of trained Magical Beasts like these in the Royal Capital Magic Association's pet shop. Although these were admittedly a little unusual, honestly, he had seen enough of them.
His master had no habit of keeping useless pets like these, either.
Trying to win his master over with pets like these was rather wishful thinking.
Rob was speechless for a moment, but he still asked,
"These creatures look rather interesting, but that alone isn't enough to tempt my master... How about this, Mr. Sai Liu? Just tell me what you need."
He looked the merchant straight in the eye. "You had better not conceal anything. My master dislikes concealment."
His tone had become distinctly stern.
Sai Liu wore a pleading expression. "It's the son of the Northern Territory Envoy specially appointed by the Royal Capital. He bought all my sunflower seeds and wants to buy more.
"I haven't revealed anything about Lord Kroya. I disguised myself and slipped here in secret. As long as Lord Kroya is willing to help me, I'll trade anything in exchange!"
Whether he truly had been pushed to his limit or not, he even knelt down. He was only a step away from clinging to Rob's leg and sobbing.
Thank you to Open a Book for the tip, to wI Do Things My Wayw, Book Friend 2017121323445894, and Wucu for the monthly votes, and to everyone for your recommendation votes. Thank you, thank you~
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