The potion formula for the Killer Whale was now in his hand. Allen's next goal was naturally Alchemy Level 2, and the key was how to acquire the skill.
Hunting down drowners and opening chests was one way, but he had little faith in his luck, and besides, there was no guarantee that the chests would contain the alchemy skill.
Another way was through learning.
Since the Wolf School's double-handed sword could be recognized and upgraded by the Witcher's manual, there was no reason alchemy couldn't be. Thus, after leaving the apprentice dormitory, Allen headed straight to the eastern tower.
Vesemir had mentioned in the morning that there was an alchemy room on the second floor of the southern tower, where someone should know alchemy.
...
Kaer Morhen in 1179 was different from the one in the game set in 1272.
Due to the extremely low survival rate of witcher apprentices, the large castle was naturally not bustling with people. However, it wasn't entirely desolate either.
Perhaps because winter was approaching and traveling witchers were returning home.
Just on the path he walked, Allen had already passed four or five witchers carrying double swords.
On either side of the main road leading to the main castle, there were scattered shops like blacksmiths, tailors, and material stores. If it weren't for the fact that the shopkeepers were all elderly witchers with white hair and cat-like eyes, Allen might have mistaken this for an ordinary castle.
"So, what made this grand castle become dilapidated, causing the once-prosperous Wolf School to nearly perish, leaving only Vesemir, Geralt, Eskel, and Lambert to defend Kaer Morhen in the final battle..."
"What year was that?"
Allen couldn't help but wonder.
After gaining some insight into the Trial of the Grasses, Allen couldn't help but think about the future he had been intentionally avoiding.
Being forewarned wasn't always a good thing. Knowing the future inevitably made him worry about tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow. It was even more distressing to only know the outcome, without knowing the process, or even the time when the crisis would start.
The journey to the alchemy room was smooth. He didn't encounter anyone stopping him to ask why he wasn't in the apprentice dormitory, trembling in pain during "lunch break." The pre-prepared excuses were completely unused.
Arriving at the tower, walking through the long corridors and stairs, Allen reached the alchemy room. The wooden door of the alchemy room was closed.
Knock, knock~ knock, knock~
Allen knocked on the door.
Creak~
The door was opened by a girl a bit older than him. She had dark red hair and a delicate appearance.
"Who are you looking for?" the girl asked.
A girl?
Wasn't the Wolf School's sorcerer supposed to be a male mage?
Although a bit surprised, Allen still followed his plan and asked:
"Is this the Wolf School's alchemy room? I want to learn alchemy."
"Learn alchemy?" The girl seemed very surprised. After scrutinizing him for a moment, she replied, "This is indeed the alchemy room, but it's private."
"Private?"
This was something Allen hadn't anticipated.
Vesemir had mentioned an alchemy room for apprentices to treat injuries and obtain "lunch," but it turned out it wasn't owned by the school.
Did the mages in Kaer Morhen have such power?
Or maybe even in Kaer Morhen, the relationship between mages and witchers was beginning to show cracks?
After a few seconds of hesitation, Allen took out the illusion pendant from his collar and tentatively asked: "Can I learn from the owner here?"
"I can pay a tuition fee."
Just as the girl was about to speak, a mature female voice came from inside the room.
"Mary? Who's at the door?"
Mary turned back and replied, "A young witcher, wants to pay to learn alchemy."
"A young witcher? Pay to learn alchemy?" The mature voice sounded surprised. "An anomaly among the brainless brutes who only know how to swing swords?"
Click, click, click
The sound of what seemed like high heels approached.
Feeling awkward, Allen stood at the door.
Mary, equally awkward, forced a smile filled with apology.
When the footsteps stopped, a woman appeared before Allen. In the deep autumn of Kaer Morhen, even the roadside weeds would frost over in the morning to show respect for the austere autumn. From this woman, however, Allen saw no respect for autumn at all.
She wore a thin, translucent deep V-neck dress. The fiery red silk fabric was embroidered with intricate patterns in gold thread and pearls. Coupled with her flowing dark red hair, at first glance, Allen thought it was the height of summer. Her sexy attire, combined with a face as delicate as a porcelain doll's. Clearly, this was not a male mage, but a sorceress.
Allen vaguely sensed that he might have come to the wrong place. But since he was already here...
"Can I learn alchemy from you?" he asked again, bracing himself, then took off the magic pendant and placed it in his palm. "I can pay the tuition with this magic pendant."
The sorceress was stunned upon seeing Allen. Then she looked at the pendant in Allen's palm with a complex expression and asked, "Do you know the name of this necklace?"
"Vera's Illusion Pendant?"
The sorceress nodded and said, "Yes, that's its name, and also..."
"I am Vera."
Allen: (⊙_⊙)
?
!!!
"Pfft~"
A suppressed laugh came from beside him.
"Sorry."
The girl, Mary, apologized awkwardly and ran inside.
Allen, extremely embarrassed, withdrew the pendant and prepared to leave.
At this moment, the sorceress suddenly said, "But you can."
Allen instinctively asked, "Can what?"
"You asked if I could teach you alchemy, right?" Sorceress Vera repeated. "I said yes."
Then, the sorceress turned and walked inside.
Allen quickly followed.
Bang
As soon as he walked in, the wooden door closed by itself.
"Is this magic?" Allen marveled inwardly.
Entering the alchemy room, Allen found that although it was a place for alchemy, there was no strange smell inside.
Instead, as soon as he entered, he was greeted by a faint scent of oranges mixed with cardamom.
Plush red carpets, colorful oil paintings. Lace curtains adorned the cold stone window sills. Except for the absence of a bed, this looked more like a bedroom than an alchemy room. Only the four alchemy tables against the wall stubbornly proved the room's true purpose.
Mary was sitting at one of the alchemy tables, grinding something with a mortar and pestle. Seeing Allen enter, she smiled and nodded, then continued grinding.
"Sit here," Vera pointed to a seat beside her.
Allen sat down awkwardly, still holding the pendant, unsure where to put it.
"Where should I put this pendant?" he asked.
"That's your item, why ask me?" Vera looked puzzled but quickly added, "I won't charge you tuition for teaching you alchemy."
"Then what do you want?" Allen asked.
He was happy to keep the pendant, but free things were often the most expensive. Allen didn't believe his charm was so great that a strange sorceress would teach him for free.
"Just answer one question," Vera raised a slender, white finger. "Why do you want to learn alchemy?"
"What kind of price is that?" Allen thought.
Unsure if the sorceress could read minds, Allen decided to tell the truth after some consideration.
"I want to brew a potion to pass the Trial of the Mountains."
"You're still an apprentice?" Mary exclaimed.
The girl had been openly eavesdropping. Allen nodded.
Mary's surprise was understandable. Monster studies, swordsmanship, signs, adapting to body modification potions. The period between the Trial of the Grasses and the Trial of the Mountains was probably the busiest time in a witcher's life.
If not for the Essence Elixir, he would still be lying in the apprentice dormitory, with no time to wander around. However, what puzzled him was that the sorceress remained expressionless. She wasn't surprised, nor did she ask further questions, as if she either accepted his answer or didn't care at all.
Snap!
Vera snapped her fingers.
A black leather book slowly floated from the alchemy table next to Mary. After gently landing on Allen's desk, it opened to the first page on its own. Without acknowledging Allen's surprise, Vera began the lesson directly.
"Since you want to brew potions, let's start with the basics of 'Alchemy and Potions.'"
"Potions, as the name implies, are elixirs containing magical power..."
...
Ding, a clue for the skill: [Alchemy] has been found.
Would you like to spend 10,000 small experience beads to unlock the skill?
10,000?
Allen: (╯°□°）╯︵┻━┻
....
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