Iris held no better choices than what she already had, so she asked.
“Sir Murai... What should I do? I know we ca to an agreent, but how do you want my help? After everything that happened between you and my master, she told to help you. I have to do sothing, don't I? She won't like it otherwise.” Iris said hesitantly, yet her eyes showed so resolution. She wanted to help him with sincerity, stemming from Ceila rather than her goodwill.
Well, part of it was herself, but only a little. After all, she already ca to terms with Murai's conditions. His words convinced her to do what she can do, rather than what she shouldn't do. Forcing herself onto Blessed was a peculiar thing that Ceila and Vermillion planned for, or hoped for, but it will fail.
Murai heard her worry, feeling her soul that the situation still needed so touch.
The deal between your master and myself doesn't necessarily involve you, as far as I see it myself. She wants and expects sothing from you, and sothing else for . I am a different kind of ss.
For you, it is sothing more important, ant to let you grow up, and get stronger. Forcing you to myself could be a small hope, but it won't co.
This Scripture, on the other hand, will be a good start for you. It should be your future. So, don't worry about it and indulge in a proper Path this seems like. It is finite though. Perhaps Ceila knows the full extent of this Path herself? I wonder.
Murai wrote his ideas, leaving Iris nodding.
“Being hesitant is sothing I struggle with a lot...” She said. “Maybe it's this anxiety within since the mont this... situation with my ho changed.” Iris thought out loud, feeling uncertain about what she even wanted to tell.
As she did so, the door shot open, revealing Ceila, wearing the sa robe as before. Her face was also the usual smiling self, with brightness and light. It was an unlikely face from the ti when she was dealing with Murai.
“I am over it...” Ceila said, stopping in her tracks the mont the door closed behind her back. “So?” She asked, looking at Iris that looked at her in surprise. “Are you managing my gifts well?”
“M-master?” Iris asked, nervously clutching her fists in rembrance of her, not telling her what she wanted from her. Although, she forgot one thing. She opened just a single box. That one was ant only for her. She forgot the whole purpose of what Ceila ant for her, which wasn't surprising since Iris went through a lot from that Scripture.
Ceila was looking at the seated Iris, and her particular attention was on the bucket and Murai inside of it. She didn't care for the quill that moved under Murai's influence. Though, she wanted to mock him for such a clumsy thod of communication.
“You didn't hesitate...” Ceila mumbled, walking towards Iris in wide steps. She ended before her and Murai's spot, where she placed her hand on her head.
A small flush of mana went over Iris, who wasn't sure what was happening, but Ceila didn't want to hurt her for sure.
“You took it well. For a 1st Chapter,” she said after retracting her hands that remained around her head for a couple of monts.
“Why?”
“Why? What exactly you are curious about asking that? Do you an Chapter 1 of our careful path scripture or this unopened second package?” Ceila said, glancing at the wooden box that was left unattended.
Iris montarily hesitated, forgetting about its existence. Instead of that, she summoned her courage, telling her wonders clear as the sky in the heavens.
“Why have you gotten sothing like that?” she pulled the closed Scripture towards her. “Isn't it sothing beyond my capabilities, let alone sothing I could see? This... Godly gift, relic, or what you called this kind of stuff years ago? I thought I wasn't ready to know a thing. You said it.” Iris argued, yet Ceila was unbothered by her question or her words of wonders.
“Priesthood is different, Iris,” Ceila said. “The situation is also a bit different now, but the topic of the priesthood takes priority. I did tell you a lot of things and left so things behind. It's normal. It's unlike the Pathways that mages consider a conventional path. A way of solitude under our Lady. A ti where individuality matters, but for the sake of sothing greater. This isn't Vermillion's Path, but sothing that she advises looking for. Called Seven Profound Path, it is a different kind of breed of paths.”
“I know what... What? But this is...” Iris struggled to talk, glancing at the Seven Profound Pill Scriture on top of her palm. “God's Gift, isn't it? A relic that ans a Will of our Lady?”
“More or less.” Ceila shook her head, sighing and patting her head. “It's part of an ancient heritage, and it's part of our Lady's treasury ant for prospering priests. If they can take it, their Path is then provided.”
“So it is true... Did... No! I am unworthy of this!” Iris grabbed the scroll and shoved it toward Ceila's hand. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't interested in her unwillingness, since she couldn't change it anyway. In fact, what was given can't be given back. Iris already absorbed the content of the 1st Chapter.
“Calm down.” Ceila refused her hand. “Having this chapter is sothing a proper priest of Vermillion church should at least know. In fact, it is hardly sothing that can be called a Path. That changes when your level spikes to 30, or more. You endured it well and ford a structure of healing magic that will take a certain ti to master, but it is foundation-level stuff. It's good for your future, while future Chapters may prove to be a worthy subject.”
“Healing... It's... unlike my current blessing, isn't it?”
“Of course.” She nodded. “Having the blessing over the Constructed spells, and feeling of the mana is already sothing you know. The knowledge of the 1st Profound Chapter will co directly from within you. It's going to be a path that you will figure on your way, I presu, and believe.” Ceila smiled, giving no choice for Iris to feel bad about her hesitation.
This girl has always been like this. "Unworthy" "Lacking" and "Hesitant" Yet she was also hopeful, so Ceila changed her tone back to a forceful one. “Now, let's not talk about it. I am glad you went with it well, and Murai had no thoughts of intervening, which was part I am glad for. Do you have anything to say?” she turned to Murai. “She may be helpful?”
Murai glared at her back and offered her the inevitable refusal. He will decline what he should, since he had no need for companions at the mont, nor her plot. His priority was his life, and health, while anything that will co afterward will be secondary, or useless to him.
No. Ask yourself if you think this is good. Iris has her own pace and place to be in, and it surely isn't one close to mine. As before, 1 week to heal .
Then, we will talk, clearly, and hopefully according to whatever you and I want.
Mission, or sothing else, I don't care if it even ans an opportunity for myself or hopes for Vermillion.
He wrote again, glaring at Ceila who had sowhat of a mocking smile on her face.
“I know that you would refuse already,” she said. “I still tried to see your reaction. Part of it was that, and another was sothing else. That's why I will work instead of Iris in her first attempt at this Seven Profound Path. Are you willing to assist today, Iris?” Ceila said, turning her face down, so Iris couldn't escape her gaze no matter what she tried.
“A-already? Isn't it... rather advanced for to see that, let alone help? You said I am not allowed to skip things up!” she argued, but what use did it have? She talked directly to her, so who else would tell her what to do and not?
“And you are too afraid, my dear. My rules are only a facade structure to allow a proper progression. I am not even walking the Seven Profound Path, but I do know the Sharadar's Scripture from the perspective of Alchemy, Pill Making, and other secrets that don't make it a Path. Since I did what I did, you will naturally follow what I have for you. You are ready, so change your attitude a little and cheer up.” Ceila answered, turning away to face the alchemy table.
“Life Force is under . Ynza Flower. Pristine Immacula. Distilled lifeforce elixirs of 10 Grade A and a few other things are needed. I will be the main involver of the mana, but you should learn alongside for your future. Co closer.” Ceila ordered, understanding that her offer was indeed a bit too much for Iris that wasn't even at the level to help her with what was wanted from her.
Were these Healing Potions in her bucket anything worth it? So value, sure, but they weren't a lot in the grand sche of things.
However, considering the fact she made them, it was sothing else. Iris wasn't even that well grounded in Enhancing according to Ceila's teachings since it was a fairly advanced thing, and quite expansive.
Iris escaped with her eyes upon Ceila's retreat, drifting sowhere else since she had no idea what to say back.
She nodded, noticing that Ceila looked at her again.
“That's more like it. Now, for the parts I wanted you to do, I will do them myself. Seeing your success. ans you are drained. ntally, and physically. You don't even feel like yourself, most likely. ” she said, ignoring Murai's watchful gaze as she grabbed the remaining wooden box that Iris retrieved so she didn't have to do so herself.
Inside the box, there were about a dozen or so kinds of materials, ant to make one thing: Creating a potent Life Elixir nad Wave of Life. It had high requirents for the maker, thus, making Iris useless. Each ingredient wasn't that common and was quite precious in its own right.
Adding the fact of needed Life Force itself—which ca from the maker—it was no wonder Ceila will make it alone.
Seeing all those ingredients, and Ceila getting to work, Iris let go of her worries, trying to see if she can even be of any help. Things that required the conducting of high-grade elixir happened in special ways.
She couldn't partake in making them, but that didn't an that elixirs were that different than the potions. It was a dedicated naming, and elixir usually involved one key difference. It was sothing that can be done without any equipnt and usually involved higher-level stuff.
This sub-profession was called Conducting and depicted the force of mana and included a special way of power called Life Force. It was a specific requirent for the Conducting, which was under the whole magical category of Alchemy. Making the ingredients fuse together, creating a mush of matter with Mana's influence, and Life Force.
That was the Conducting. A sub-category under the Alchemy, while what Iris was doing yesterday was simply called Potioneering.
Ceila had so experience in creating and working alongside this category, and Conducting was extensive in their vision. It could involve and fuse other categories under Alchemy. From pills, potions, powder, or elixirs to pastes and aromas.
However, one thing was clear upon her start and serious face.
Murai saw and felt the ingredients from the box alone. No... He saw them and felt them, and that alone was enough for him to realize their worth. He thought it was way overkill for him, even though he didn't notice his body was that broken. Thus requiring sothing like that shouldn't hurt him, yet.... He did recognize these materials, but from the sound of his reading of the atmosphere and her words, it was obviously sothing hideous.
Ceila was pushing a favor upon him, forcing way too good a healing thod under her, or Vermillion's plot.
Clutching his beak, Murai watched from the side where Ceila watched the bucket, so he wouldn't get in the way.
Not like he could try, help or be an annoyance, so that left him growling and swallowing his anger. He will probably take this gift with a speck of shalessness and whether he will regret it or not, his future self will think of it later.
He was once again a bystander, seeing the stuff without his involvent. It wasn't all that bad. Seeing a master of alchemy resurfaced many mories hiding in Murai's soul.
Soon enough, mana was glistering all so brightly around Ceila, enchanting the room with all kinds of colors that ca from the materials as well. Particularly the 10 Bottles of Life Elixirs of Grade A were colorful enough on their own, intriguing Murai with their quality.
He considered them already enough to solve the majority of his injuries since there were 10 of them! Couldn't they help him on their own? He almost squeaked like a toy, and get them rather than watch this charade beyond his beak.
There were waves of crimson color coming from those elixirs, but it wasn't blood by any ans. Their Life Force was so strong, it let out quite so impression. Inside them, it was as if a glowing sea was within a speck of space.
It was the rest of the materials that let the brightest waves away, undulating the mana of many elents.
***
10 minutes went on with surprising and unsurprising sights. Ceila was working steadily like a master she was, using the force of her mana to fuse the ingredients together while using her Life Force to stick them with her Conducting.
All of it was happening above the alchemy table, under her watchful and careful control. At the mont, the sight beyond the table included a swirling crimson cocoon, resembling watery waves swirling together. It was forcefully made this way by Ceila, who was using a highly advanced type of Conducting that required no equipnt whatsoever.
She was at the last step of Conducting the Wave of Life that could bring a person from near death, alongside many primary benefits.
Again, Murai was unable to recognize the potency or efficiency of what Ceila was planning. He had no idea about the Grade or origin of this Wave of Life. Neither Ceila nor Iris voiced the matter out loud.
Although, from seriousness and clear reading of Iris's soul, Murai could tell it should be sothing crazy. Unsurprisingly. If it was sothing that Vermillion thought would entice Murai to work with her, it should be enough to force his standards.
Around the ter-wide cocoon, Ceila held her arms, as she controlled this swirling storm. “Control is good. The last step is before , so step back, Iris,” she ordered, giving her no glance as she placed her right hand underneath her robe.
She pulled sothing out. Sothing bloody that slled and let the room reek of blood. From the eyes alone, it was a fruit shaped like an apple, but it had no color of one, and its mass was bloodied flesh. In fact, it wasn't a fruit, but one would mistake it very easily.
It was a core item of the Wave of Life ant to be used as a final touch. A heart of level 78 Loch: A monster of no demonic origin, but a life force not one bit weaker than any bloody devils, or life-devouring demons.
With hundreds of years of lifespan at its base specin, its body was full of precious ingredients. The strongest could even truly a long ti, reaching thousands of years of living under the water, which was a significantly deadly space in this world.
Lochs were nasty creatures, resembling galodons in shape, but with squid-style tentacles beyond their fins. In a sense, it wasn't farfetched to call Loch a horizontal-looking squid, with fish-like properties. Their bodies held quite a vastness and mass, reaching dozens of ters in length.
They could be tens of tons heavy, making them a tough enemy to fish out. Albeit to their impressive stature, their hearts was very small, making their tabolism slow and their progression not that great. Few could ever reach an Extre equivalent in their evolutions, while their intelligence was always low.
The heart in Ceila's hand wasn't a fresh one, but old, dried up. It was a fistful in size, but her fist was bigger, and even then, she hold it rather tight. It was clear, that her hands made this heart smaller than it was.
It was quite a few years old heart, and its flesh long turned firm, yet the vitality remained vast in its origin. It almost resembled a refined life force heart from Murai's careful guess. Now, its outer flesh resembled a glossy gem-like surface. It was bloody in color and hard as an unripe apple.
Ceila didn't waste any ti. Before she ca here, this was the reason she disappeared before. Getting this heart from the underground under her Lady's guidance was easy enough. Hence, she was sure of its quality and properties.
Putting the heart into the middle of the swirling matter, Ceila clutched her fingers, letting the heart explode into many pieces. She let every speck of the Wave of Life reach the crescendo of the final step.
The last step was easy, yet the most crucial one. She put her hands into a praying position, letting go of any of her worries or redundant thoughts.
This Wave of Life was part of the church's secrets and few other forces had access to making it. It wasn't sothing readily available to the public, let alone in private and custom manners. Yet here she was, making it to a demonic duck in the na of so... business?
It was a strange situation that would be more than questioned by the other Suns, let alone so other churches.
Thankfully, no one would question her, since she was a powerful figure in her own right, while Vermillion approved of this directly, yet discreetly. This, right there, will remain secret. That was at least what she ordered Ceila to do.
Feeling the explosion flicker the storming cocoon, Ceila then started reciting so words. Incantation of the laws was a peculiar thing. Her Intent to wield it all together jolted this storming cocoon above the table afla.
At that mont, Ceila put her hands forwards wide around the cocoon, starting the Compression under the Pill-making category of Alchemy. She almost appeared like hugging this ferocious storm of high-grade mana, and extre life force from many ingredients.
In the following seconds, she gestured for Iris to place a bowl-looking furnace, without a lid, underneath this storm.
Iris watched the sight with so fear, but thankfully, because of that, she noticed Ceila's gesture. Her fear didn't help much at all while Ceila did everything quickly as if she was doing this for the 100th ti.
That was impossible in her opinion, considering the fact that she recognized Loch's heart. These poor fishes were almost exciting according to the common knowledge since they were slow and easy targets for Extres. Their bodies were treasures, so it made sense.
The cause of her fear was mostly caused by this unique process involving Life Force and mana. It wasn't her first ti seeing Ceila do her Conducting. She showed her sothing similar to this, albeit sothing lower in stakes so she could understand.
Compressing it with utmost power and gaze, Ceila smiled as the storm started to sizzle, and let heat do its thing. The heat erged from the visible decreasing cocoon.
A few minutes into this, Ceila pushed her hands away, forming quick motions in the air with her fingers. 30 or so centiter-wide cocoon didn't expand back, and under Ceila's quick Shaping of 10 or so runes in the air, she started the hardest part. Pill Creation.
Each rune resembled a symbol of an old language, ant to do things around the Alchemy. One would think it was an intent of magic. A primordial intent that ca alongside the mana itself, making rules, and all sorts of possibilities involved in the magic.
After all, runes weren't sothing created. They were discovered to be under the Laws themselves.
Each rune floated to the cocoon, reaching the smaller one inside of it. They all disappeared inside, while Ceila could do nothing else but watch.
What she decided were the primary effects of forming the Pill Creation, but her use of runes was like small nudges to make it more successful, and easier. If one would be confident enough, one may ignore runes altogether. Forming Pills, or other things with nothing but natural Conduction and other techniques was also a possibility.
But this is where variables in terms of age, quality of material, and grade ca into place. Advancents, further research, new findings, and new solutions were all matters of the inevitable progression.
Ceila used an easier solution, while in the past, runes weren't sothing encompassing, and used to make things easier. In fact, they were harder to understand, since they lacked the progression that countless years provided.
Why not make things easier after all? Not using it would be stupid, and Murai thought so as well since he recognize what she was doing.
A Pill, huh? This puts in a spot... since it looks way too good. Well, I doubt I can see so resemblance in this since the Mmana itself is encompassing. Back then, there was no mana at all, but it worked in a similar principle. How peculiar... This thod of doing this doesn't seem that complicated. I wonder if I would be able to do sothing like this after my core is completely stabilized and familiar. Like becoming an Alchemy master duck? Heh! Murai though, considered his life choices and almost choked a laugh.
He felt small, and weak considering the thods that Ceila did, but he understood the underlying tactics of this thod he wasn't all that familiar with. After all, what were the Pills? Just another form of elixirs, potions, or whatever ca into his mind.
Usually, the thods of liquid compression worked the best according to the rules Murai understood. Pills were dense extraction of liquified essences, while Elixirs were less dense than that. Potions were considered the weakest of the bunch and required the least amount of resources and talent to make.
For him to form a pill ant a hard trial and ti-consuming process that was difficult to master. For now, at least. Murai was weak at the mont, and this pressure of simple Conduction scared his body, yet his Will and soul were still lofty enough to view this in a different light.
He didn't like using others. This pressure of watching sothing extraordinary being created motivated his spirit and many supplentary skills he achieved, mastered or learned in the past. It was nice, and not at the sa ti. It was making him recall so unpleasant mories of a few New Beginnings.
A couple of minutes after the last rune disappeared into the cocoon, it started to rapidly deflate. It started to rush out steam to the ceiling while dropping liquid down to the bowl-like furnace underneath it.
The furnace made no additional changes. It was just a place for the droplets to drop, becoming bigger until sothing strange happened. A Wave of Life should be 2 centiters wide pill. The forming of the pill was peculiar. After all, it was liquid, while the pill usually had so mass. This was the stage of Crystallization and sothing that all Pill Makers dreaded since failure ant waste, and success ant a win.
As the liquid dropped, they appeared like magnets, forming the ball as if they were ant to do that.
A Pill? A Wave of Life is a pill? Iris thought. “Master, havening you done...” Iris said, looking at Ceila who pulled a hand to stop her words.
“It's here...” Ceila whispered, leaning around the table to look inside the bowl-like furnace. “Look.” Ceila pointed inside, revealing a beautiful glossy pill. It was crimson, with a tingle of white waves. Its consistency wasn't like water, but hard it was. After the liquid cooled off, ford a proper Crystallization that was outside of the maker's reaches, it ford a hard surface, leaving the inside pristine so nothing would leak out.
In its own right, it was like a thickened sauce, although that was quite a poor analogy.
“Y-you... Is this the step above... that?” Iris mumbled, srized by the Wave of Life.
“You don't know a lot of things, my dear,” Ceila said with a smile and took the pill in her hand.
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