"Regarding this, you should understand a portion, right?" Richard retorted.
The baron's brows furrowed even deeper as he replied, "It seems you've never given up on your attempts to comprehend the legends of wizards, have you?"
"Isn't that a fascinating endeavor?" Richard smiled.
"Honestly, you would do better to pursue other interests. You are much smarter than I am, smarter than your mother who died in childbirth, smarter than the tutors I found for you, smarter than anyone I've ever met. If you focused on something practical instead of chasing after the elusive notion of wizards, I believe you would achieve greater heights than I ever could." Baron Leo spoke earnestly.
Richard chuckled and shrugged, "My views are precisely the opposite. Engaging in practical matters is indeed feasible, and I'm confident I could perform much better than you imagine. But what significance does it hold?
I could teach people how to create high-explosive compounds, construct rifled cannons, and develop rapid-firing firearms to lead an army to conquer the world. Alternatively, I could impart the secrets of distilling fine spirits, crafting transparent glass, or making small mirrors, amassing wealth to rival nations. But what would be the point?
I can predict the outcome of such endeavors—a tedious life ending in a dull, unchanging conclusion. Everything pales in comparison to the whimsical novels I've read and the virtual games I've played long ago.
In contrast, the elusive concept of wizards piques my interest far more. Not long ago, I too dismissed their existence as nonsense, scoffing at such tales. However, when I encountered inexplicable phenomena—such as someone suddenly finding themselves in an entirely unfamiliar place, reborn as a stranger's infant—it changed everything. Perhaps wizards, and even more fantastical things, truly exist. The existence of creatures like the fire bear only corroborates this.
Therefore, exploring it, understanding it, and utilizing it could prove to be immensely engaging. I believe dedicating my life's work to this pursuit would be worthwhile."
Richard finished speaking, and Baron Leo lapsed into silence. A portion of Richard's words eluded him, but he had grown accustomed to it. After a long pause, Leo finally looked over and said, "Since I can't persuade you, I won't attempt to anymore. Just… take care of yourself. Honestly, my greatest regret is giving you that book purported to contain wizard spells for your tenth birthday; otherwise, none of this would have happened."
"I believe it was the best thing you could have done. Although the book is blank, devoid of any content, and after five years of study has yielded no results, perhaps tonight, with a stroke of luck, I might achieve some breakthrough. Well then, my lord baron, it's getting late. I really must attend to my work now. You… good night." With that, Richard turned and walked out of the hall, vanishing into the darkness.
Baron Leo remained standing for a long while, shaking his head imperceptibly before turning and ascending the stairs into his bedroom.
The night deepened, and the moonlight dimmed.
The baron's castle transformed into a silhouette against the night, the towering fortress and its flanking keeps becoming three swords pointing towards the stars.
Richard strode up to the side tower's loft, pushed the door to the laboratory open, and headed straight for the table to resume his interrupted experiments.
First, he gathered his thoughts before getting to work.
Carefully assembling a complete set of apparatus, Richard ignited the flame, officially beginning the distillation of the blood-red oil extracted earlier.
Distillation serves to extract various substances from a mixture based on their differing boiling points. Richard cautiously adjusted the flame's temperature, first extracting the water, which boiled at one hundred degrees Celsius, and then increased the heat to extract animal fats boiling around four hundred degrees Celsius.
In the end, the distillation flask held only a shallow layer of crimson liquid, resembling blood. Richard knew well that it was certainly not blood; otherwise, it would have already coagulated. If all went as anticipated, this could potentially be the magical substance he had sought for so long!
Magical substance!
Carefully, he extracted the shimmering red liquid, sealing it within a bamboo tube, and turned to the corner of the laboratory.
In that corner sat a heavy black iron chest. Richard opened it and retrieved a thick, hefty book from the bottom.
This book measured thirty centimeters on each side, was four to five centimeters thick, and weighed at least five pounds. The cover was dark red, while the pages were a light yellow, smooth to the touch, bearing no roughness of paper but rather a leather-like sheen.
Flipping through the book, Richard found it entirely blank. Not a single word graced its pages, merely the faint inscription on the cover: When I drink the powers of magic, you shall gain all the knowledge I document!
Without a title or an author's name, this peculiar tome had been a gift from the baron on Richard's tenth birthday. Rumors suggested it was a spellbook belonging to an evil sorcerer, but those had only ever been rumors.
After acquiring it, Richard diligently studied the book but soon realized its extraordinary nature—first, it was impervious to fire and water, constructed of an exceptionally unique material. Furthermore, it emanated a powerful, unknown energy that rendered nearby animals extremely agitated. Even the fiercest hunting dogs, upon nearing the book, would unleash pitiful howls and flee in terror. If they were forcibly restrained, over time, they would transition from shrill cries to trembling, ultimately succumbing to convulsions and death.
Upon dissecting the deceased dogs, Richard found no abnormalities in their organs, yet the brain was suffused with a strange gray hue, suggesting their demise stemmed from a mental assault rather than physical injury.
At this juncture, he reached an impasse. Lacking adequate information and hampered by the baron's restrictions, Richard reluctantly locked the book away in the iron chest. However, he refused to give up. He relentlessly searched for magical creatures, desperate to extract magical substances for breakthrough research.
Richard speculated that the pages of the book were coated in a special substance, normally colorless, which would reveal writing upon the introduction of the so-called 'magical energy.'
Now was the moment to uncover the truth.
"Breathe," Richard inhaled deeply and exhaled, focusing his gaze as he placed the book on the laboratory table and reached for the bamboo tube containing the crimson liquid.
On the cover of the book, just below the obscure inscription, there was a crack resembling a sinister mouth. Tilting the tube slightly, droplets of the red liquid began to seep into the fissure.