Don't mess with alchemy, please! part 4

After a couple days of intensive training in the tavern, Sera grasped the concept of magic and was able to cast fire magic as good as Ryu. It wasn't that Sera was a genius, but Ryu's knowledge of magic was very limited so expectations weren't too high. Still, everyone was impressed by Sera's newly acquired magic skill, so much so that even Dylan attempted to learn something, but no one else showed the slightest talent for magic.

Ryu wasn't disappointed by that, since they only needed one person more to help in their experiments.

After breakfast, Ryu and Sera were about to head out of the tavern when Claire stopped them at the door.

"Sister, are you sure you're going to be fine? did you pack something for lunch?"

"Don't worry sis, I'll be with mister Ryu at all times, also, miss Ayumi invited us for lunch"

"More like invited me to cook for them"

Ryu grumbled.

"Please take good care of my sister mister Ryu"

"I will, but don't wait up for us, we may be late or maybe we'll even stay there"

"What was that again?"

Rina got closer to the group.

"Did you at least discuss it with your girlfriend?"

Rina said in mock anger.

"Which one?"

Ryu replied making Rina flushed with anger, this time for real. Ryu took Sera's hand and ran before it became worse, but after they disappeared Rina laughed heartily.

Ryu was focused on getting as quickly as possible to the trading outpost, his excitement made him walk too fast almost leaving Sera behind. She, instead, was taking her time trying to make the walk last for as long as possible. She enjoyed every minute she spent with Ryu and when their hands touched she could feel her whole body melt and couldn't think on anything else.

When they arrived at the outpost Hiraku was outside chopping wood, he waved his hand and kept on his labor and Ayumi was inside the huge house with the door open clenching her fists.

"Hurry up! come on, how can you be so slow, I've seen turtles go faster!"

Seeing that Ayumi was so impatient, he started walking even slower to annoy her, until she lost her patience and headed inside. After teaching her the basics of what they were trying to do, they asked her to place her hands on the glass vial that was connected to the contraption and asked her to heat it up to the boiling point.

Since it takes some time, Ryu started grinding an elemental stone while Ayumi read some notes Ryu made for her.

"If what you showed me is correct, different herbs make different extracts with special properties and, if you mix two different extracts you can create something entirely different"

"Are you seriously doubting my method?"

"Don't be silly, of course not, it's just that I cant be certain about something if I don't put it to the test. Remember this, whenever you make an experiment there are several conditions that must be met. It's a bit complex but to simplify it let's say you need to be able to reproduce it and you need to share it with someone else"

"Didn't you say yesterday that you didn't want our investigation to fall in other people's hands"

"That is so, but it doesn't mean we can't share our findings. This is very important because if you stay with only what you learn, you may miss something that someone else already knows. Like when you use the distiller, since you have the identify skill you were able to tell immediately if an extract has properties or if it doesn't, with enough time and materials I would be able to reach the same conclusions as you"

"So?"

Ayumi sighed.

"You still don't get it do you? If you didn't show me your extracts, you wouldn't know about the excipients and you will be still trying your luck by mixing extracts randomly"

"It's not random"

Ryu was starting to feel belittled.

"I don't think we're getting anywhere, so I guess it's best if you see it yourself. As soon as the molten elemental stone starts boiling I'll show you"

"Uh oh, was I supposed to tell you when it started boiling? because it's been boiling for a while now"

Ayumi and Ryu hurried to Sera's side to check on her progress. The red molten stone had been boiling for a while and only a small amount remained in the original vial, the fumes went up through a small glass pipe and it condensed into a different container becoming an incandescent clear liquid.

"According to identify, this clear liquid is called mana essence and the red molten liquid is fire essence"

"Does it say anything about how they are used?"

Ryu shook his head, but Ayumi wasn't disappointed.

"This is great, now show me how do you mix extracts, try to make something easy"

Ryu nodded and took two different extracts from the wooden box, he mixed them in equal proportions into one of Ayumi's glass vials and stirred the liquid.

"This is a cure light wounds potion"

"So, you mixed a medicinal extract with an antidote extract and got that, correct?"

"Exactly"

"How do you make a cure medium wounds potion?"

"That's a bit more complicated, I need a lot more extracts and the recipe is a bit difficult. Also, the result has many side effects"

"Now, instead of mixing the medicinal extract I'll mix it with different excipients, then you'll tell me the results, ok?"

She proceeded to pour the medicinal extract into a marked glass matrass and mixed its content in the exact proportions with different excipients.

"What can you tell me about the different results Ryu?"

"When you mixed it with water it lowered its effectiveness but kept the poisonous property, with oil it kept both properties the same and when you mixed it with alcohol... This is it! Its a cure medium wounds potion!"

Ryu almost jumped in joy.

"We're not done yet"

Ayumi scoffed and divided the potion in half, then she mixed one half with water and the other one with alcohol.

"What about now?"

"When you mixed it with water it became a cure light wounds potion, with alcohol it became a cure medium wounds lesser potion... this is complicated but I think I see your point now. If I didn't come to you in the first place I may have reached the same conclusion, but only after a lot of experimentation and wasting a lot of materials"

This time Ayumi didn't make her proud pose, she was having so much fun that her joyful eyes looked like that of a children in a playground.

"This is exactly what I was looking for, this cure medium wounds potion will help Anne and Helena in their travel"

"Are they seriously going to go seek for Bob and Luke? I heard it's dangerous to go out of town after the freeze, every single beast is out there seeking for prey since they spent two weeks in their shelter"

"I tried to stop them, but Anne is dead set on going. I know she has a good heart and that her worry for Bob and Luke is justified, but It's not worth putting themselves in danger"

"If only Hiraku asked them to stay we could've avoided so much trouble"

Ayumi's expression hardened and silence ensued, at least until Ksenia knocked on the outpost door.

"Mister Ryu! something happened at the brothel, I mean, at the new tavern! The dog escaped!"

"Oh well, that's too bad, I really wanted to tame it but after so long I had no progress, guess I'll have to settle with Mochi"

"You don't understand, it broke out through the wall! It left a huge hole!"

"Call Anne, and tell her to bring her bow and arrows"

"Uhm, Ryu, If your dog escaped maybe it's better to just let it live peacefully in the wilds, it will be happier that way"

"You're just saying that because you're scared, but don't worry Ayumi, I have a plan"

"What? I'm not scared, you're scared"

"Of course I'm scared, what the hell am I supposed to do against a wolfish creature that I thought was a mere wolf and stabbed, dragged downhill and kept locked in my new dungeon. I have the feeling that If I don't do something about it, the stupid dog will come back for me"

Ryu said calmly, but the cold sweat on his forehead was all the evidence Ayumi needed to know he was serious.

"Listen Ayumi, I know this may sound weird but ever since I brought the amarok Mochi has been scared. If it was a simple wolf we could've dealt with it or simply let it go, but its unnatural howls and wailing kept us all up at night and we've been having nightmares. Rina asked me several times to get rid of it, but I feared what could happen. If it's so strong that it can break through a wall, what do you think would happen if it comes back for blood?"

"It makes me wonder if what Sophie said about the fabled amarok is real"

"Real or not it makes no difference. I won't ask you to come, but I need you to help me make a potion with poison and healing properties"

"Isn't that like the one you made with antidote and healing?"

"Not really, poison and antidote properties counter each other. What I need instead is something that will produce the highest amount of damage possible and heal it instantly"

"I don't think I understand your reasoning, but I think I know where this is going"

Ayumi said as she cleared the desk and grabbed new empty vials from her shelf.