"Mr. Principal, let me confirm again, are you serious?"
Claire was wearing a black and white maid uniform. She tried her best to ignore the strange looks from the people coming and going. She looked at the sign in front of her and asked Reiner next to her.
"Of course, do you have any questions, Ms. Claire?"
Reiner was leisurely and contented. He walked up to the sign and knocked on the old door.
Sighing softly, Claire looked around again.
This is an old street in a small town near Crescent College. There are not many pedestrians, the houses are slightly dilapidated, and many shops have closed down long ago. Claire vaguely remembers that when she was a child, this was a bustling market, bustling with people. , very lively, and many shops here have left her presence.
But with the development of the town and the relocation of the city center, this place gradually declined and became an old street. Businessmen evacuated one after another. Even the residents of the town were unwilling to come here, as if this dilapidated street was a scar on the town. generally.
What they visited at this time was the only alchemy workshop on the old street.
Antoine Alchemy Workshop, this is the name of this place. Its owner is a mage named Antoine. When the old street was the most prosperous, this alchemy workshop also carried many businesses and the business was busy. But when the old street declined, the area also became depressed.
Even Claire doubted whether the alchemy workshop was still open.
After a knock on the door, the wooden door was opened, and a bearded middle-aged man looked outside through the crack.
This man is wearing a dirty gray robe and has deep dark circles under his eyes. If he tidies up a little, he might be able to become an elegant middle-aged gentleman, but his lazy appearance is really intimidating.
"I don't subscribe to the news, and I don't buy those messy things. If you want to ask about the smell in the backyard, I'm sorry, I will deal with it later. If you are from Delais, hey, you saw the stick in my hand. ."
His voice was impatient and aggressive until he saw Claire behind Reiner.
"Little Claire?"
Antoine quickly recognized Claire, and the expression on his face suddenly softened a lot.
"Hello, Uncle Antoine."
Claire then said hello. She had always been a little afraid of this person in the past, probably because she was scolded when she was playing nearby when she was a child.
Of course, Claire also learned later that Antoine was there to prevent Claire and her friends from coming into contact with dangerous alchemical reagents, but since that time, she has not really visited the mage.
"You've grown a lot taller."
Antoine looked Claire up and down and nodded slightly.
"But my taste in clothes is a bit strange."
"Well... ... "
Claire's expression froze and she didn't know what to say.
"Come in, the house is a little messy."
Opening the door, Antoine motioned for the two of them to come into the alchemy workshop. He glanced outside again before carefully closing the door.
"This is really..."
Reiner had already made some mental preparations when he read the information, but he didn't expect Antoine's alchemy workshop to be like this.
The room is quite spacious, but it is occupied by three mottled tables. On the tabletop are many test tubes and beakers. Unexpectedly, these experimental equipment are neatly placed, forming a contrast with the surrounding dusty ground that has not been cleaned for a long time. sharp contrast.
On one side of the living room is a medicine display cabinet. Bottles and jars of various sizes are labeled and protected by magic restrictions.
In the corner was a shabby sofa and small table, with a half-drunk cup of coffee still steaming on it.
There is also a photo frame on the small table. Because of the reflection, the specific appearance cannot be seen clearly, but it can be vaguely seen that it is a photo of three people.
The curtains were not opened, and although there was light illumination, the room still seemed a little dark. In Reiner's words, it looked like the home of a scholar who was addicted to research.
"Tea or coffee?"
Antoine seemed to be less wary of Reiner because of Claire. He took out two cups that seemed to have not been used for a long time from the wooden cabinet in the corner of the living room and asked the two of them.
"Well, I still..."
Claire didn't know how to answer. She looked at Reiner, but the principal took out a bottle directly from the suitcase.
"I don't drink tea or coffee. Mr. Antoine, why don't you try the new drink I brought."
There was a layer of white frost on the surface of the transparent bottle, and there was a black drink inside, with bubbles constantly popping out of it. It looked like the devil's potion, and as long as you drank it, you would gain strength.
"drinks?"
Antoine looked at Reiner suspiciously, then at Claire, took the bottle, and cast an identification spell.
The identification technique can only identify known substances. It is updated once a year by the High-level Council to add the latest discovered or synthesized substances. For mages of the alchemy system, this is a must-have spell.
However, the feedback from the identification technique surprised Antoine. The main component of this liquid was common sugar water, with many special ingredients added to it, but it was still within Antoine's acceptance range. There was only a certain substance. Antoine found that he could not identify it.
Even in the most destitute times, Antoine would go to the local magic association to update the identification technique. However, the latest version of the identification technique could not identify it. It was obviously a brand new substance.
"What's in here?"
he asked, seeming to guess something.
"There is a world here, Monsieur Antoine."
Reiner pretended to be mysterious. He picked up the cup Antoine had prepared to entertain them from the side, poured a small cup of the liquid in the bottle, drank it without hesitation, and then pointed the mouth of the bottle towards the middle-aged mage. .
"Why don't you try it first while we are discussing?"
Antoine stared at Reiner. This man's behavior was very special. Although he seemed to be a noble, he was not sloppy at all, and he was not restricted to his status, which made him have a different view of the nobles.
He took the bottle and checked the brand new gas in it again. Antoine thought about it and took a sip of the black liquid inside.
A choking shock swept through his mouth, as if countless fireworks exploded on the tip of his tongue. Antoine even thought it was some new type of poison, but soon, another wonderful feeling surrounded him.
It was an indescribable experience. As the stimulating feeling subsided, the heat went with it. Mild and refreshing sugar water spread in the throat and reached the intestines and stomach. These two completely opposite experiences were combined in the same drink. Among them, the former made Antoine energetic, and the latter made him comfortable. Compared with bitter coffee or light tea, this drink has more impact.
"What is this? Devil's water?"
Antoine was surprised. He felt that he was heading towards a road of no return, but curiosity drove him to ask this question.