Enchantment Ink

To discern special enchantment ink, one must possess a rare skill called 'Enchantment Sight'. Out of tens of thousands of people, only about one or two might awaken this ability during their lifetime.

That leads to my ability to see enchantment ink. I don't possess the Enchantment Sight skill. However, I have something else, something special from Earth, known as Ultra-Violet (UV) sight. Surprisingly, magic and science sometimes do mix.

But what exactly is my UV Sight, and why can I use it to see the ink?

The secret lies in the properties of light itself. Light exists in a spectrum of wavelengths, measured in nanometers (nm). Human eyes typically perceive wavelengths in the range of approximately 380 to 700 nm, known as visible light. This range doesn't include UV light, which has shorter wavelengths than what we can normally see. Similarly, we can't see X-rays or infrared light, which have even shorter and longer wavelengths, respectively. However, some animals have adapted to perceive these different wavelengths. For instance, butterflies have UV vision, allowing them to see patterns on flowers invisible to humans, while snakes can detect infrared radiation, helping them sense warm-blooded prey.

And the enchantment ink? They are simply inks that reflect UV light.

So, Mirabelle's hypothesis was correct. Butterflies can really see enchantments! Thanks to her, I can now see enchantments too.

As I stand marveling at the array of enchanting ink, the dwarf merchant approaches me.

"Young man, do you have the Enchantment Sight too?" he asks, noticing my intense examination of the inks.

"Yes, I do," I reply.

"I haven't seen you around," the merchant continues. "Are you new here? And are you an enchanter?"

"Yes, but I'm just a newbie, currently learning about the art."

"Hahaha! Good!" the merchant says. "My name is Lucas, and I have been selling these inks for over fifty years!"

"Oh, that's a lifetime!" I say, then shake hands with him. "My name is Edward, and this is my wife, Lisa." I introduce ourselves using our fake names.

Sophia bows, then she too shakes hands with Lucas.

"So, these inks, do you extract and process them yourself?" I ask.

"Of course!" Lucas replies with a hearty laugh. "All of them here are my handmade inks, made using my old man's recipe!"

"That's so interesting!"

Extracting enchantment ink isn't an easy task either. There are two sources of ink. The first one is mineral-based, mined from deep within the earth. The other source comes from monsters. Some magic-type monsters have either blood or saliva that can be processed into enchantment ink. However, the processing time, yield, and quality of the ink greatly depend on the person doing the task. That's why some enchantment inks can be so expensive. That radiating tube over there, for instance, is probably made from the blood of a very powerful monster from the dungeons to be worth its three hundred thousand crowns price tag.

"Alright, I'll take one bottle of this, please, and one of this too," I say, pointing to two mid-range priced ink products.

"Sure thing!" Lucas hands me the bottles of ink and I give him two gold coins, equaled to two thousand crowns.

With that, I only need one more thing to finally be able to learn enchanting - the pens.

And Lucas seems to be aware of that.

"By the way, do you need an enchantment pen?" he asks.

"Oh, do you know where I can find the best ones?"

There are many other merchants here selling pens, so I figure it's best to listen to Lucas' recommendation. After all, he has been here for so many years and certainly knows stuff.

However, "Here, take this!" Lucas says, taking out a pen from his stock and handing it to me. "Consider this my gift to you, young man. Good luck with your enchantment!"

That surprises me.

Did I just get a free pen?

"Wow! Thank you very much!" I exclaim, overwhelmed by his generosity.

Looking at the pen, it isn't of very high quality, but it isn't too shabby either. Made of smooth, dark wood with a comfortable, slender grip, it feels light and easy to hold. A delicate, iridescent nib crowns its tip. This is a really nice pen, the perfect pick for beginners like me.

Thus, with the ink and the pen, I then bid Lucas farewell and head straight to the enchantment room, eager to do some actual enchanting.