Despite the small explosion he had just been through, Tong Hua's eyes were brighter than ever.
As he washed the Crucible, he discovered to his surprise that his Alchemy attempt just now did not seem to have been a complete failure!
"Hattrem, look at this!"
Using tweezers, Tong Hua carefully picked up a small piece of solidified, dust-covered material from the edge of the scorched Crucible.
After he rinsed it in clean water, its surface took on a pearly, milky-white sheen.
"Bri?" Hattrem leaned closer curiously and poked the substance with her little hand.
It had a fine texture, felt smooth and warm to the touch, and gave off a faint blend of honey and milk fragrances.
"This should be... soap?" Hattrem seemed somewhat uncertain, but Tong Hua knew she was right.
[Lanolin Soap: Quality E. Made by saponifying fat extracted from Wooloo wool with Miltank milk and Sweet Honey.] [Effect: Minor sterilization. Effectively removes germs when used to wash objects.] [Evaluation: Dr. Stone.] [Recommended processing method (Alchemy).]
"It really is soap. That means the Alchemy worked!"
"How was that a success..." Hattrem could barely muster a retort.
"You were supposed to make a lump of sheep fat. Who told you to turn it into soap?"
Tong Hua did not mind at all and continued to congratulate himself.
"Anyway, it still counts as a first step. Hehe."
"To put it nicely, that attitude of yours is optimistic. To put it bluntly, you're thoughtless and shameless..."
Hattrem stood to one side and watched as Tong Hua finished washing the Crucible, filled it with another pot of clean water, and prepared to begin his Alchemy.
"Then let's keep going with synthesis this time. Pick a field you're good at and make some potions.
"Didn't you say before that you wanted