The instant the crate's lid was pried open, a smell of dust and musty old wood wafted through the gap. The guards lifted the lid off and set it aside, revealing the glass bottles packed tightly inside.
There were twelve dark brown glass bottles with narrow necks and broad bodies. Metal caps sealed their mouths tightly, and there were no labels or markings on them.
The twelve bottles were packed in the wooden crate with hay between them. They swayed gently from the guards' handling, the liquid inside making dull sloshing sounds.
"Handle those gently! Damn it, what if those bottles explode?"
The notary's sudden, hushed rebuke caught the guards off guard. Their hands froze just as they were about to take out the bottles. They exchanged slightly awkward glances, then proceeded far more cautiously than before.
One young guard could not help muttering:
"Explode? Our superiors said they might be magic potions. That's why they told us to bring them over right away..."
The notary rolled his eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"Idiots. What sort of potion comes in bottles this big? And a whole crate of them at that?"
Despite his words, the notary still motioned for the guards to continue.
The guards carefully removed the glass bottles filled with unknown liquid and placed them in the cleared space at the center of the long table.
The notary stood two meters away, directing them while holding the white wig on his head. All his pointing had knocked it askew, and he pressed it straight again.
"If you ask me, it's probably some bizarre alchemical material," the notary complained, lowering his voice further. "You can't drink it, you can't use it, and it's liable to explode. I doubt anyone but those lunatics on Marispan Island would buy