After Akiro had mixed and boiled the ingredients with utmost care, he finally poured it down into a bottle and closed it with a wooden cork. His desired potion was finally made. The contents inside glowed from time to time which Luna found pretty to her eyes. She also learned a lot from Akiro's lecture about Alchemy that she wanted to make one.
When Akiro saw her curious eyes, he sighed and decided to let her make some basic potion that could be easily made so they wouldn't waste too much time.
"I'll keep this!" Luna uttered after making her own potions.
Akiro just let her took it. Then he pushed her out of the room before she became extremely addicted to Alchemy and later found himself teaching instead of working. Nonetheless, Luna didn't seem to mind it and instead went straight to her bedroom. Then she cheerfully placed the five potions at the study table. The potions she made were the ones that could cure basic poisons, colds, and help restore a tiny fraction of magic.
After that, she hurriedly opened her luggage and brought out her books. Fortunately, there was one that was related to Alchemy. Even though it was just one book, Luna analyzed its contents carefully and took a small notepad she always carried and the magic pen that Akiro gave to her. He said that its ink will more or less last ten years.
Luna noted several important keys and tried to list out the ingredients and reminded herself to try it in her free time or when Akiro was done using that room. While busy, she didn't notice the time until she heard a knock and allowed the person to enter.
When Akiro heard that, he immediately opened the door but was stumped by the scene in front of him.
'She's gone addicted to Alchemy,' he thought. Usually, it was the subject which most youths would not want to study because of its complexity yet here she was, willingly studying it like her life's on the line.
Akiro walked towards the study table. He leaned his body curiously and saw the writings on her notepad which he was expecting to be an interpretation of a novice student in Alchemy but he's rather baffled by the writings on it. 'Novice? But she's close to an expert and this series of weird symbols are likely from her previous world,' he thought.
Luna didn't just understand the fundamentals of Alchemy but also mixed it with her learnings from where she came from but the thing that stumped him was the big letter in capitals.
'HOW TO MAKE ICE CREAM WITH MAGIC'
He didn't have a single idea on what kind of food was that but from the lousy drawing beside it, it could be said that it was a delicacy that was not existing in Magus Nation or even the entire Vermillion. Meanwhile she suddenly stopped writing after she remembered that Akiro was looking for her. She slowly looked around and went taken aback when she saw him looking at the writings in her notepad.
"O-oh, do I need to do something important?" she asked as he did not order her anything earlier. Amidst that, she went a little flustered after realizing that Akiro had watched her from being so diligent over a dessert. But then, her embarrassment vanished after thinking that no one could stop her from making her favorite food.
"There's nothing. I only came here to remind you that it is evening already. Sleep early and wear this tomorrow," Akiro uttered and handed her a folded clothing. Luna loosened it up and saw that it was thick robe for women which was intricately designed and its light-colored design stood out.
"Alright," Luna uttered.
Akiro quickly left after that and didn't probe further into her matters. Because of his short visit, she was suddenly reminded that it was already evening and felt her eyes reddened after reading so many books. She closed all of them including her notepad and arranged it neatly on the study table. After eating her dinner shortly, she changed into her nightclothes and jumped through her bed.
When morning came, Luna hurriedly fixed herself and took her small sling bag in which a certain book and notebook were placed. Then she wore the light colored robe above it and looked through the window. The snow had stopped falling and the cold had slightly decreased. Aside from the weather, she did not know what was the purpose of wearing the robe.
Giving up, she just shrugged and finally went outside her room. She also saw him wore a robe with a similar design to her but the style was for men. Akiro stood up once he saw Luna and instructed her to follow him. They reached the entrance of the White Castle Hotel and saw a carriage waiting.
"We're riding a carriage?" Luna asked.
Akiro only nodded. She followed inside with a confused expression. Usually, he would use a teleportation skill since Erik'd house was not so far.
"Of course, we have to do a convincing show," Akiro said.
"Okay," Luna uttered.
Then they reached the boy's mansion in a short time as it was near from the White Castle Hotel. Luna only felt that Akiro was just wasting money. Upon stepping outside the horse carriage, they saw a man and woman that was waiting for them. The couple's appearance reminded her of Erik aside from his silver hair.
"Welcome to our Amsterdam Mansion, respectable sir and..," the woman said.
"My student," Akiro uttered.
'When did I become your student?!' Luna thought. Nonetheless, she did informally became his student since he was teaching her some magic.
They led them to the back garden and saw Erik sitting in one of the chairs in front of the table.
"Take a seat, visitors," the man said and continued talking after he taking a seat, "Sir, I'm the patriarch of the Noble Amsterdam family, Eril Amsterdam and my wife, Sienna Amsterdam. My son told me that he found an Alchemist that can treat his affliction. We'll be hoping that our son be treated but countless Alchemists had failed. Nonetheless, I hope that this respectable sir can heal my son no matter how much the price is," he said.
"I don't seek payment. I'm a traveling Alchemist and recently heard about your son's affliction. The reason I came here was to further expand my knowledge regarding unusual illnesses," Akiro said.
The man's eyes twinkled upon hearing that.
Their discussion continued but Luna was confused. They were talking about a child's illness but Erik's wish was to turn a doll into a human. She ended up thinking that it was either the boy's father did not have a single idea regarding Erik's wish or there was a deeper secret that they only knew of. Furthermore, his parents seemed to trust them completely.
After their long discussion, they went towards Erik's room. Before that, Akiro reassured his parents as they were not allowed inside. Letting them be would unveil their real plan.
"Don't worry about your son, I'll be doing my best to cure him," Akiro said. He was holding the Spirit potion in his hand as he earlier told them that it would be needed to cure his son. They were left in awe after they saw a valuable potion in his hand. Despite its incredible value, Akiro decided to use it for their son without a second thought and without payment.
After closing the door, Luna saw the doll that was peacefully lying on a table with unknown letters written around it.
"I've already done what you told me," Erik said.
Meanwhile, Luna wondered how Erik made his parents believe their show earlier but it's rather effective. The boy had became even more mysterious to her after seeing a magic circle that surrounded the doll. It was releasing a heavy magic aura from time to time.
"Well done," Akiro said and casually placed the Spirit potion at the other table and then another potion appeared when he opened his palm. It was the potion he made yesterday that took a lot his time and efforts.
"Drink half of the contents," he said.
Erik quickly drank half of it without asking any questions and felt something that was starting to break inside his body's magic source.
"T-this," he uttered.
"Point your hand towards the doll's direction," Akiro said.
Erik immediately followed.
"Luna," he called.
Luna faced Akiro attentively as she finally had something to do.
"Use your time powers the moment I finished chanting," he said.
She nodded and summoned her golden pocket watch into her right hand. Then he began to chant. After that, a magic circle appeared that shone brightly enough to blind their eyes. Erik also started to feel the pain in his body but he felt that something would be completed once his suffering finished.
Luna stopped the time and touched Erik when he heard that Akiro gave him a sign the moment he spoke the last words of the spell.
"W-what happened?" Erik said as he felt that something was amiss but couldn't pinpoint what it was.
Then he saw that Akiro was pouring the unknown potion's content towards the magic circle that surrounded the doll. During it, the ground began to shake. Erik kneeled on the floor but not because of the earthquake but after he felt that something inside him slowly faded and another one was being built. Meanwhile, after Akiro poured all the contents, something appeared. At that time, it was Luna's turn to be startled.
--To be continued..