Kat PoV
When I emerged from The Mine with my spoils, I made my way over towards the alchemists and tried to find the woman from earlier, spotting her in the same place I had left her in.
Seeing me approach, the pale blue skinned woman smiled again, likely realizing I was going to give her another good amount of coin for her services...
Returning her smile, I began to lay out the various ingredients I had gathered on her stall counter, saying "I wish to prioritize stamina and dark vision potions, but if you could make anything else from what I have, that'd be nice..."
Nodding, she sorted through the various gels, carrots, roots, and other small herbs I had picked, her deep blue eyes scanning over each before she said "That's not a problem, but..? Are you providing the Mana Water, or do you need to buy some?"
Shaking my head, I placed a small bowl I had on the table and filled it with water, before focusing some more mana into the liquid, watching as it shifted from crystal clear to slightly blue and sparkling.
"Good! Alright, so, from what you have here, I can make a dozen stamina, a dozen dark visions, probably around four or five mana, and six healing potions. Additionally, if you wish to spend a little more, I can add some of my own ingredients to increase the effectiveness of any of my concoctions."
Pursing my lips, I looked over the various ingredients before asking "For base potions, how much coin to concoct all of them?"
Smiling at me, she gestured at the counter and said "For everything, I'll do it for 70 Silvers. Upgraded potions will cost an additional Silver per potion, for a total of 1 Gold 5 Silvers."
Drumming my fingers on the counter, I asked "What is the base duration of dark vision?"
"Approximately 30 minutes per vial, though it could be as low as 20 depending on your body's tolerance to potions, or even as high as 45 if your body is rather accommodating to potions. Enhanced potions, with my ingredients anyways, double duration."
"Alright then, all the dark vision potions I want to be upgraded. However, I don't need healing potions since I know healing magics myself, so..?"
"I'll buy the ingredient from you for 3 and a half Silvers, bringing your total down to... 67 and a half Silvers."
Staring at her for a little longer, I nodded before reaching for my coin purse, watching her features.
Not sensing anything out of the ordinary, I placed my purse on the counter before saying "I want a display of your alchemical abilities before I give you any coin. Concoct one of the enhanced dark visions for me, then I'll pay you."
Giving me a wry smile, the woman sighed as she shrugged, saying "I hate that I can't even get angry at you for that... I understand it very well. Come on then, back here."
Sweeping the ingredients off the counter into some baskets, she led me into her tent, which was lit up by various candles and littered with tomes and vials.
Gesturing at a chair, she moved towards the alchemical set in the back, pulling it out and setting it on a workbench, before getting to work.
She moved with practiced ease as she began to boil some Mana Water, all while she chopped the Minka Carrots into thin strips, which she then placed into a bowl of Mana Water, letting the strips bleed out their red liquids.
When the Mana Water reached a boil, she squeezed the glowing gel I had collected into the vial before stirring it, and the sparkling blue liquid shifted to a more shining blue, emitting a soft glow.
Using some tweezers to lift the Minka Carrot slices, she placed them in a separate dish before lifting up the bowl of their extract, pouring it into the vial next.
Lastly, she grabbed some kind of lush green leaf and ground it down with the Minka Carrot slices, creating a goop that she added to the vial.
Increasing the temperature, she boiled everything together before corking the vial and grabbing it with some tongs.
Shaking it, she smiled to herself as the liquid turned a deep, rich purple that still shimmered slightly, small sparks of light like stars floating around the liquid.
"And... done! One Nosferata Variant Dark Vision Potion~! Convinced now? You can stay and watch if you wish."
She turned to me with a grin, and I smiled sadly as I nodded, the familiar display of concocting a potion overlapping with Leone briefly.
Placing the purse on the workbench, I said "I'm convinced. Please, continue. I've always found alchemy to be beautiful to watch..."
Chuckling, that familiar gleam of happiness at finding someone who enjoyed the art entered her eyes, and she turned back to her station and began to replicate the process, but on a much larger scale.
I sighed softly as I stared at the potion she had handed me, my reflection slightly visible in the glass vial, and I wondered what the others were up to at this point.
What had they done after I had been wrenched away from them?
Did the Empire pursue a war with the Kingdoms, or did they turn their entire attention to the Sariel Kameiel alliance?
Was Anput still forging her blades, or was her mind too distracted by my loss to make anything new?
How was Leone taking this?
Was the Vampire Princess capable of studying her magics and alchemy with me gone?
Conversely, had she thrown herself into the various tomes she had and begun to ignore the others?
What of Jahi?
She's never demonstrated an... entirely capable emotional acceptance for hardships, so how was she faring right now?
Had she done something drastic to push Anput and Leone away, or had she learned - or at least begun to learn - how to rely on them a little more?
Each question I asked made me feel worse, my mood souring as I watched the woman concoct me my potions, and I sighed once more before clearing my mind, not wanting to add to the aching heart I already had.
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