Brita continued to move ahead into the area where the smell was even stronger. After cautiously looking around, she arrived in front of the biggest building.
This building’s design was different from the others, which had a store at the front and a workplace in the back. The entire structure was designed to serve as a workshop, without having a storefront like the other buildings.
According to the words on the wooden plate that hung on the door and the signs outside, this was the place.
The bell hanging on the door chimed frighteningly loud when she pushed the door open.
She entered a hall that seemed to be meant for receiving guests, with two benches facing each other in the middle. Bookcases were placed on the walls and decorative plants were placed in the corners.
Brita was greeted by someone the moment she entered the halclass="underline"
"Welcome!"
It was a male voice, but it sounded too young for a man.
She looked around and found a youth dressed in ragged work clothes that were stained with plant sap, which also spread a strong smell.
His face was half-covered by his long, blond hair, making it hard to judge his age. But judging by his height and voice, he should still be growing.
He might’ve been just a youth, but Brita could still guess his name. Apart from his grandmother, he was also one of the few famous people of E-Rantel because of his talents.
"…Mister Nfirea Bareare?"
"Yes, that's me."
The young man — Nfirea nodded and asked:
"How may I help you?"
"Ah, right. Please wait a moment."
Brita took out the folded piece of paper the tavern owner gave her and handed it to the youth approaching her.
Nfirea immediately opened it to read its contents.
"I see… so that's it. Would you please you show me the potion?
Nfirea received the potion from Brita and lift it to eye level, even though his eyes were covered by his hair.
The atmosphere changed.
When Nfirea brushed his hair aside, it was revealed that his features were very pleasant. Many women would be enamoured by him in the future.
But despite his sharp eyes, the childish air still lingered on his face. Considering the way he spoke, It was hard to imagine his eyes would be this sharp, as they sparkled with intense excitement. Nfirea shook the potion several times and nodded:
"Sorry, but it is not convenient to speak here, can we change the place?"
Brita agreed and followed Nfirea's into a messy room. But she only thought so because she was lacking professional knowledge.
On the table were flasks, test tubes, distillers, mortars, beakers, alcohol lamps, scales, eerie pots and other things. The shelves on the wall were filled with numerous herbs and minerals.
A unique, pungent smell lingered in the room, giving it the impression of being harmful to the body.
The person in the room stared at the two sudden intruders.
It was an elderly lady with totally white, shoulder-length hair, whose hands and face were full of wrinkles. Her overalls had more green stains than Nfirea’s, giving it a strong smell of grass.
Nfirea address the old lady when he entered:
"Granny!"
"What is it, no need to be so loud, I can hear you. My ears are still fine."
Nfirea only had a paternal grandmother, who was also the best pharmacist in the city, Lizzie Bareare.
"Quick, take a look."
Taking the potion Nfirea gave her, Lizzie's intense gaze gave Brita shivers, as if she was facing a powerful veteran.
That was no illusion. Pharmacists had to use magic while creating medicine, the more famous the pharmacist, the higher grade spells they could use. That was why Lizzie, the best pharmacist of E-Rantel, was stronger than Brita.
"This potion… did you bring this here… the legendary potion? No, could it be… the Blood of God? Hey, what potion is this?"
"Eh?"
Brita stared wide eyed with her mouth open. That was what I wanted to ask, she thought.
"Impossible… for a potion like this to exist. Where did you get it from? Some ruins?"
"Eh? Erm, no, that is…"
"What a slow girl. Just answer my question, where did you get this! Did you steal it? Hmmm?"
Brita'sshoulders trembled in shock. She didn't do anything wrong, but still felt as if she was getting lectured.
"… Granny, stop scaring her."
"…What are you talking about Nfirea. I am not frightening her… right?"
No, you are. Nfirea wanted to say, but gulped and spilled the story of how she got this potion:
"Ah, erm, this was given to me as compensation by someone."
"…Huh?" Lizzie's eyes turned serious. "It is so valuable…"
"Wait a minute, granny. If I may I ask, Miss Brita, who gave it to you? Why?"
Brita who was aided by Nfirea simply explained she got the potion from a mysterious person in full body armor. Lizzie's wrinkled deepened after hearing it:
"…Did you know that there are three types of potions?"
Without giving Brita a chance to reply, Lizzie continued:
"The first is made using only herbs. This type is showing its effects only slowly and it will only strengthen a human's base ability. Its effects are minimal but it’s cheap. The second is made from herbs and magic. This kind of potion shows it effects more quickly than the first one, but it still needs some time. If there is time after a battle, most adventurers will use this type of recovery potion. The last type are potions created with nothing but magic. It is made by injecting mana into alchemic liquid. The effects of this kind of potion are immediate, but they are very expensive. Now, which type is the potion you brought? I can't see any herb residue, so it should be a potion made with magic. But—"
Lizzie took out a bottle filled with blue liquid and move it before Brita:
"This is a basic recovery potion. Notice the color difference? During their creation recovery potions will always turn blue, but yours is red. That means the production process of your potion is different from normal recovery potions. Simply put, this potion is extremely rare and could revolutionize potion brewing techniques… maybe it’s a little difficult for you to understand what this means."
After Lizzie was done with her explanation, she activated her magic:
"「Item Identification」, 「Detect Magic Enchantment」."
Lizzie used two spells and her expression turned into shock and rage.
"Kukuku… Fu hahaha!"
…Maniacal laughter erupted in the tiny room. Lizzie slowly lifted her head, revealing a crazed and terrifying smile. Brita was shocked by Lizzie's sudden change and was speechless, she wasn't even able to move a finger.
"Kukuku! Just as I thought! Look carefully at this potion, Nfirea! This is the ultimate form of potions. Right here! We pharmacists, alchemists and everyone related to potion creation were unable to reach this ideal stage even after a long period of research!"
Lizzie's cheek was blushing from over-excitement and her breathing became haggard as she panted nonstop. Refusing to let go, she moved the potion in front of Nfirea's face:
"Potions will deteriorate. Isn't that right?"
"Yes, of course."
Compared to Lizzie's excitement, Nfirea's tone was very calm but Brita noticed his expression showed hints of excitement.