Inside an alchemy workshop filled with various magical materials.
All sorts of common magical workbenches on the continent could be found here, with bookshelves brimming with tos on alchemy and magic inscription.
Several mages and alchemists, clad in robes, bustled between workstations, crafting all kinds of magical items or engraving magical weapons, tirelessly working away.
In the corner of the workshop, the finished magical equipnt was almost piled into small mountains.
Glancing around, one would see mostly armor and weapons.
Not far from the magical equipnt, on a chair covered with silk velvet, a plump black cat lounged lazily against the soft cushion.
He arrogantly raised his head, leisurely chewing on carefully prepared dried fish, watching the busy mages and alchemists with a lazy gaze.
He seed to be quite content.
Well, he would be if it weren’t for the inscribed tal collar around his neck, which was attached to a chain fixed next to a workbench by magical ans.
From ti to ti, an alchemist or mage, carrying an unfinished enchanted item, would approach the chained black cat for advice.
Their attitudes were extrely respectful, and their tones were exceedingly earnest.
“Lord Nice, how can I perfectly balance the reaction between water and fire elents in this inscription?”
“Lord Nice, should I use mithril or adamantite as the core component for magic conduction?”
“Lord Nice, I’ve enchanted this armor three tis, but it keeps failing. I can’t figure out why. Could you take a look?”
The black cat lazily changed its position on the velvet cushion.
His amber eyes glanced lightly at the various materials brought by the mages and alchemists.
The black cat lazily said,
“Balance the reaction between water and fire elents? You need to add Magic Flower nectar to the inscription. Without it, balancing the elents is impossible. It’s a wonder it hasn’t exploded yet!”
“Mithril? Adamantite? You’ve been reading too many second-rate alchemy and magic books.”
“Fool! You’re just rote learning! Mithril and adamantite can indeed serve as primary materials for magic conduction components, but that’s only when the item already has a stable magic conduction. Look at what you’re enchanting! A sword made of impure steel! You should be using Starrock, which has a milder magic effect.”
“Wow… you’ve tried enchanting this three tis? Throw it away! It’s hopeless! You’re even dumber than the last guy!”
“I’ve told you many tis, not everything can be enchanted. This armor has been repaired so many tis it’s lost its potential for enchantnt! Enchanting it is as difficult as carving flowers on your butt!”
“Go tell the Lagrisse family, if they don’t have enough money, they shouldn’t try to enchant all their equipnt! They’d be better off hiring more rcenaries from Eastern Yunette with that money!”
The black cat’s attitude was far from pleasant, and could even be described as consistently sarcastic, making the mages and alchemists seeking advice feel completely inadequate.
However, those seeking advice didn’t seem to mind.
In fact, they were almost ticulously attentive, jotting down the black cat’s various critiques with pen and paper.
Every so often, a mage or alchemist would display an expression of sudden realization after a round of sharp criticism, ridicule, and insults from the black cat.
They would bow excitedly to the black cat, then return joyfully to their workstations to continue their attempts.
anwhile, the black cat continued munching on his dried fish, glancing casually at the busy crowd, muttering under his breath about the “third-rate level” of those around him…
Until a piercing bell rang, causing the busy mages and alchemists to pause their work.
Aside from those at critical stages of their work, most people instinctively retrieved their eating utensils and hurried out of the workshop.
Seeing this, the black cat curled his lips in disdain.
“Good for nothing except eating…”
Once the majority of the mages and alchemists had left the workshop, leaving only those completely engrossed in their work, oblivious to everything around them, the black cat’s look of contempt faded.
His lazy deanor vanished almost instantly as he stood up, gripping the tal collar and chain with his plump paws, desperately trying to remove them.
However, the chain, made of so unknown material, did not budge despite his efforts.
The black cat was undeterred. He looked around, quickly spotting an unfinished enchanted dagger left on a workbench.
Then, with great effort, he moved over, stretched his paw to pull the dagger closer, and began to try to cut through the chain with the dagger’s blade.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t bother with such futile efforts.”
A cold voice suddenly echoed, startling the black cat.
His fur instantly stood on end, the dagger falling from his mouth with a clatter, his wide eyes warily staring at the workshop’s entrance.
At the doorway stood a black-haired girl who looked to be about fourteen or fifteen, arms crossed over her chest.
She wore a black skirt armor, her crimson eyes devoid of any emotion, and her delicate face showed no expression.
Seeing the girl, the mages and alchemists in the workshop quickly stopped their work, standing up respectfully.
“L… Lady Eudoxia!”
They greeted her with respect, their voices tinged with a hint of fear.
The girl glanced at them indifferently, said nothing, and then stepped towards Nice.
Seeing her approach, nice instinctively recoiled, his voice filled with vigilance.
“It’s… it’s you? What are you doing here?”
“I ca to check on our prisoner. I heard so are thriving in the workshop, impressing many of our seasoned magical craftsn…”
The girl said, with a aningful tone.
Her gaze fell on the engraved chain around Nice’s neck and the dagger lying next to his paw. She said with a knowing look.
“It seems so people haven’t given up on escaping yet. It looks like we need to re-educate them.”
Nice’s expression changed at her words. He hurriedly swatted the dagger away.
“Escape? No, no… it’s a misunderstanding! There’s nothing like that! I’m just helping to check their work! Isn’t that what you want to do?”
The girl looked at him deeply but didn’t respond.
She ca over to Nice, bent down to pick up the dagger he had knocked away, examined it for a mont, and said,
“Dual-elent composite enchantnt. I heard… this is a lost enchanting technique. Did you teach them this?”
Nice coughed lightly. Seeing the girl didn’t seem to be pursuing his attempt to cut the chain, he gradually relaxed.
He resud his proud deanor, nodding slightly.
“Of course, this cat knows many things. Just a little leak is enough for these guys to ponder!”
However, the girl suddenly shifted the topic, her gaze becoming piercing as she looked at Nice.
“But from what I know, this enchanting technique has been lost in Myria for nearly three hundred years, ever since the disappearance of its inventor, the Legendary Mage Nicholas…”
“I’ve been watching you for many days. You seem to master many ancient enchanting techniques, and so alchemical skills resemble those of the Nicholas School in Western Yunette.”
“Are you a hidden mage from the Nicholas School?”
Nice instantly displayed a bewildered look.
“Huh? What are you talking about? Nicholas what? School what?”
“Uh… I learned my knowledge from books. I’m just a talking little cat. I don’t know any school or Nicholas you’re talking about!”
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