Arriving at the mansion with Luke, Lawrence found Samantha sitting near the table calmly writing something on a parchment paper laid on the table. Besides her is Catalinna who explained to her how to create the cure.
"You mix the mana dust with violet heart herb in a pot before you stir it. Make sure that you cast basic flames and mana feed to the ingredients. You have learned those spells right?" Catalinna asked as Samantha nodded
"Next, cast remove impurities on the stirred ingredients. Make sure that none of the impurities stay in the pot for even a minute. It would weaken the cure and would create unknown side effects for whoever drinks it. After that, add the blood of a 2-star monster to the pot and stir it once again since it would help the cure stimulate the blood inside of the ill person" she explained meticulously as Samantha writes everything she says. Noticing that someone is walking toward them, Catalinna nearly mistook him for a stranger. Only to remember that it was Lawrence in disguise.
"You scared me! I nearly punched you." she responded while standing up, her fist raised.
"With how you look, I wouldn't be surprised if you punch every single man you encounter" Lawrence retorted as Catalinna locked eyes with him.
"Though with how you look, added by your personality. No man would want to encounter you" He smiled sweetly before Catalinna swings her fist that is coated with the pattern of the wyvern towards him as the sound of the wind getting crushed from the speed and force of her fist is terrifying to anyone who heard it. Samantha winced while Vania opened her eyes, wondering where that came from.
The punch connected only a few inches away from Lawrence's face as the gravity barrier nearly broke into pieces. She pushed her fist forward but Lawrence concentrated all of the gravity towards the part where her fist connected as it didn't budge no matter how much she pushed. Annoyed, she crosses her arms before sitting back in the chair. If a glare can kill, Lawrence would be dead by now by how she's glaring at him.
"You're teaching her the cure for red rot?" Lawrence asked
"Why would you like to know?" she replied
"I have the ingredients here. In MY space ring so we can start anytime now."
"No, that's MY space ring asshole. Besides, what's with the rush?"
"Do you expect her to perfect the cure immediately?"
"Um…no? Still, we need the cure a few days from now on. Anyways, I haven't finished teaching her all of the procedures so you can just shoo shoo" she gestured like Lawrence is an animal who's bothering her. With a shrug, Lawrence shakes the space ring as four bags full of ingredients fall to the ground.
"You can use these ingredients to practice the creation of the cure. Don't worry about wasting the ingredients, we can always buy more" Lawrence said to Samantha who nodded. Deciding that he has a lot of free time, he decided to head to the martial library nearby to hopefully pick a body art. A martial library is the counterpart of the tower of magic that allows the public to learn countless arts from weapon art, movement art, and body art. There are different kinds of other art other than these three but it's hidden behind the noble families, academies, and the royalty. Someone can enter a martial library by paying a certain amount of money to read art for an hour. No one can take out any art or they'll be punished, usually by imprisonment or execution.
Each martial library has different floors that someone can pay higher than normal to read the arts that are on the top floor. Usually, the top floor host the most powerful arts the kingdom can offer to the public and only those who won a ticket from an auction can enter. The Swordwin Empire has 10 floors in total and only 6 floors are accessible through paying money. The last 4 floors can be entered when winning a tournament, a ticket paid through an auction, or making an important contribution to the Empire. Meanwhile, the Sekai Kingdom only has 7 floors with 6 floors accessible through paying money. It would be best to look around there on the lower floors if he recognizes any art that appears in the story.
"Well, I have somewhere to go." Lawrence walked away as the gate opened before leaving the yard while Catalinna just glanced at him before looking at Samantha who is focused on her writing.
"Remember that this is the cure for red rot," she said as Samantha nodded once again.
"Okay, once the impurities are gone and all of the ingredients are mixed. Throw a bottle full of mana potion in the pot before closing the lid. If you can use, enforce metal. That would be great since it would create a mana explosion inside the pot so you have to be careful. Also, make sure that once the mana potions are mixed in the pot, don't let the air enter the pot, or else the medicinal benefits of the cure would be gone alright?" Catalinna reminded her how dangerous the procedure is.
"This is amazing! The red rot is a disease that sucks the mana of people, typically mages into their blood. Allowing the blood to become mana enhanced. Once the blood is coated with enough mana, it would explode inside the victim's bloodstream. Killing them instantly. With this cure, it would supply the mana and blood to the victim. Since the blood has been coated with mana and exploded inside the pot, it would use up most of the mana, the violet heart herb that specializes in removing traces of mana in any liquid would slowly remove the mana left in the blood. Not only does the mana explosion remove most of the mana from the blood, but it also purifies it. Though, this would only temporary solution since the red rot would absorb the mana once again from the mana heart."
"That's why this aura dust is important. Remember that red rot doesn't affect any warriors since mana and aura cancel each other out. Aura also strengthens their body. Putting a little bit of aura dust through a small pipe would allow the blood in the pot to have aura in them. Also, the cure isn't ingested but stabbed straight to the heart. Where the red rot festers, killing it and allowing the mana enhanced blood to slowly revert to its normal state." Catalinna explained and answered Samantha's concern as she swears that she saw Samantha's eyes lighting up from excitement through the mask. A small smile appeared on her face as she doesn't understand this kind of person. Creating a cure and becoming an alchemist is such a boring undertaking for her.
"I will help myself with these ingredients! I'll immediately report back once I perfected the procedure" Samantha excitedly replied as she hurriedly lifted the four bags only for Geiryst to stop her.
"Let me handle this. Geez, once you're that excited. No one can stop you. Allow me to help you. I'm worried you would blow yourself up, AGAIN" he sternly replied as Samantha nodded. Both of them entered the mansion with Geiryst carrying four bags worth of materials with difficulty. Samantha, upon noticing this stretched her hand to Geiryst who looked at her.
"What? Don't worry I'm fine" Geiryst tumbled and nearly falls to the ground only to be assisted by Samantha. A blush appeared on his cheeks as he was embarrassed.
"Don't be stubborn, let me help you" Samantha retorted
"Nah, I'm fine. I just misstep" Geiryst awkwardly smiled
"Don't be stubborn or else I'm locking the door on you"
"Okay, fine…but only one okay?" Geiryst answered as Samantha lifted one of the bags as both of them went into the basement where Samantha creates her potion. Tables upon tables of ingredients, potions, trays, vials, and different items for potion making littered all around the room as a black metal pot sits in the middle of the room.
Meanwhile, in the yard. Catalinna decided that she might try heading to the martial library. Hoping to find the flame asura's manifestation since it only appeared in the novel when it was used by a traitor of mankind working for the demons. The character itself originated in the Sekai Kingdom so maybe it exists in the martial library. The traitor named himself Asura as he was a normal fisherman whose family was killed because a noble wanted to take the hand of her daughter as a wife. His family was killed since the noble family despised the idea of having one of them marry a commoner. Swearing for revenge together with the heartbroken noble, they vanished from the kingdom never to be found again.
Arriving in front of the martial library, the pagoda-like structure of the library is amazing to look at no matter who sees it. Catalinna found a lot of people heading inside and outside as a single elf sits idly at the counter. One of the men shouted in anger as the line is getting too long as the elf opened his eyes before looking up. Adjusting his glasses, he stretched his palm open. The man gave the elf 10 silver coins as the elf pocketed them.
"Floor?"
"Second" the man replied under crossed arms. He can't believe that the martial library is managed by a lazy elf who sleeps in his job. The elf wearing glasses waved his hands as magical circles appeared around the man who immediately vanished.
"Next, come on. Hurry up" the man behind the counter hurried the others as he teleported them immediately to the floors they wanted to go. Catalinna was surprised to find a mage specializing in space magic. Especially an elf working as a librarian in the martial library and not in the tower of magic. Arriving in front of the line, the elf gazed at Catalinna before looking at the paper on the counter.
"I haven't seen you around here. Can I take a look at your identity card?" the elf asked Catalinna who in turn nodded and puts her identity card on the counter.
"Hmm…I see..anyway. Welcome to the martial library, what floor would you want to go to?"
"Do you know the flame asura's manifestation?" Catalinna asked
"What's with the hold-up! Hurry up!" one of the men in line shouted as Catalinna turn around. She locked her gaze with the burly man carrying a large axe as she made her way toward him.
"You're quite a beauty up close. Want to be my woman?" he sneered while licking his lips. Flames bursts from Catalinna's arms as the man widened his eyes before wielding his axe in front of him. A black box swallowed both of them as Catalinna didn't bat an eye at what was happening. Her fist is already barreling toward the man at a speed faster than the one she did to Lawrence. Using her qi, a thousand miniature explosions appeared all over her arms as it accelerated her punch to speed that nearly break the speed of sound. The burly man coated his axe with qi as he didn't believe that the woman in front of him would actually punch him. The punch landed on the man's axe as the serenade of explosions followed. On the outside, the black box trembled lightly before vanishing as everyone saw the burly man scorched and burned. All of his clothing is gone and his body is steaming from the heat while his axe is scattered into tiny pieces of metal. Most of his bones are broken and some of his muscles are torn and ripped. Blood pooled below the man. The elf clicks his finger as the burly man vanished as if nothing happen. The floor and the surroundings remained the same as Catalinna returned to the counter with a satisfied smile.
"You have quite a temper, Miss Charlotte. Though, you're a retired gladiator so it connects. Anyway, I would need the additional payment for healing the man you just punched. For the asura thing you mentioned, I have no clue what art you're talking about. You can try looking at the basement floor though it would cost extra" the elf pulled an abacus below the counter before calculating the total amount Catalinna would have to pay. The Sekai Kingdom has a basement floor where they store arts that are deemed dangerous but nonetheless powerful arts. The reason why it exists is the fact that every art stored there requires some kind of sacrifice to be able to use and takes a long time to even reach the adept level. Additionally, it's illegal and they can arrest someone if they see them using art that they deemed dangerous. It's a scam created by the kingdom to trap those who are desperate and greedy.
"It's 10 gold coins total" the elf responded as Catalinna felt a slight pang of pain in her heart. She gave the elf 10 gold coins who in turn widened his eyes before smiling politely. A blue magic circle surrounded her body before she vanished.
She opened her eyes to find Lawrence or at least him in disguise who looked at her disapprovingly. Broken and cracked stone bricks decorated the walls as scrolls and books are littered all across the room. The mana lamps flickered on and off while some doesn't even work. There are no shelves and no chairs to sit on too. Few people walked around with bloodshot eyes while carrying scrolls in their arms. Their clothes are dilapidated and torn in some places. If someone is here for revenge, they will surely be here.
"You spent 10 gold coins? On what?" Lawrence looked at her coldly.
"I nearly killed a man. Okay! That was stupid of me but he was leering me, he's disgusting" Catalinna replied as Lawrence can only sigh. He stretched his palm out while looking sternly at Catalinna.
"What?"
"The money. Give it to me" Lawrence replied
"You can't! What am I supposed to do? I have a lot of plans.." she said softly while grasping the pouch in her pocket. She looked desperate but Lawrence can't understand why. He pondered what to do next but he decided to let her keep it.
"Dammit, fine. On one condition"
"What is it?" Catalinna replied immediately with a hopeful smile.
"Tell me what are you doing here and what art are you planning to take"