Chapter 105: The Slimming Beauty Potion

That ring with an inner chamber of ten cubic units was a reward Rolin had received when he entered Mishu Hall and passed its first trial. Since Rolin possessed the Undead Space, he kept that spatial ring aside. He had originally meant to give it to Little Hawk, because the kid used to delight in using his Undead Space, and Rolin planned to present the ring when he returned home this year.

Now that Little Hawk was gravely ill, the thought returned to him. If this ring could really bring in enough gold to cover his brother’s treatment, then perhaps he would be sending the ring to him in another way.

By the time Rolin reached the doorway of Cervantes’s Alchemical Shop, he had dismounted from his donkey and stared at the sprawling premises before him. “I hope this spatial ring can fetch a million,” he thought. “If it can’t bring that much…” He glanced at the dark-red magical ring on his finger. “Then I’ll have to sell this one too.”

When Rolin had first come back from the Maya Mountains, the men from the dormitory, along with Karina and Victoria, had noticed this extra dark-red ring on his finger. But its appearance was so unremarkable, and because Rolin already had an Undead Space, none of them could imagine it was a spatial ring. They assumed it was merely decorative, and no one asked about it.

If they had known the little thing was a wand-like ring with a ninety-percent conduction rate, they’d have dropped their jaws. Rolin knew very well that, in value, that magic ring alone would easily outrank the spatial ring. But for Little Hawk’s sake, if the spatial ring could not be sold for a million gold, he would have to part with the magic ring as well.

As for the spatial ring he had already shown, Rolin had explained on the road that he had gotten it while training in the Maya Mountains. That made everyone sigh in admiration. The Maya Mountains were full of danger, but the gains there could be truly vast.

Rolin took a deep breath and walked in. Marle and the others followed close behind.

“Master Rolin, here again to trade potions and alchemical goods?” a maid at the entrance called out warmly when she saw him.

Ever since half a year ago, when Rolin had faced down their master in an alchemical contest and easily beaten Simon, the maids had begun to see him in a new light. Since then, he had come several times to buy and sell ingredients and draughts, so he and they had become very familiar.

“Oh, I have some business with Master Cervantes. Is he in today?” Rolin asked.

“The master is here. I’ll bring him at once,” the maid said. “These gentlemen are your friends, are they not? Please sit over here.” She led them to the parlor and went to find Cervantes.

As soon as she was gone, Marle narrowed his pea-green eyes and blurted, “Old Four, how come you’re this familiar with the maids? She just said you’re here often to trade in potions and alchemical ingredients.”

Seeing them all looking at him in surprise, Rolin did not hide the truth. He told them he was now a potion alchemist. Of course, because of the Soul Pact, he spoke vaguely, saying only that he had had some strange adventures in the Maya Mountains and that is how he had become one.

“I’ll be damned, Old Four,” said Gubas with exaggerated seriousness. “A thing as big as becoming a potion alchemist, and you never told any of us, so we couldn’t celebrate with you.”

“Right! Are you afraid we’d steal your potions?” Bill snapped. “Hmph!”

In truth, the five of them in the dormitory knew each other well. Rolin had always been a quiet, restrained man; when he became a second-tier mage, he would never have told them if they had not pressed him. Their overblown teasing now came from two motives: they were genuinely surprised, and they could see the pressure in Rolin’s heart over his brother, so they wanted to lighten it with jokes.

Rolin understood, and forced a smile. “Fine. Once this is done, I’ll brew each of you a few bottles of tonic potion to drink whenever you want.”

That drew a few laughs. Marle then said, “Old Four, I’m not asking for tonic. If you can cut even half this fat off me, I’ll be in your debt for life.”

Marle’s remark was meant as a joke, though he had carried this bulk since he was young, and many had seen it. No alchemist or physician had ever found a solution. It was strange— even if he skipped meals and drank nothing but cold water, fat still gathered on him. In the end he had just let it be, and to break the mood he had blurtingly said it out.

Rolin, however, said thoughtfully, “Marle, I must say, when my alchemical craft improves, there will indeed be a potion to treat this kind of obesity.”

Marle’s green eyes grew round again. “Old Four… are you telling me this is true?”

Rolin nodded. “There really is such a potion. The materials are just hard to find, and my skill is not yet enough. That’s why I never told you before.”

“With a groan,” Marle sat down beside Rolin, his heavy frame nearly collapsing the chair. Gubas quickly sidestepped.

“Old Four, that recipe—could you show it to me? I’ll send someone from my place to fetch the ingredients at once!” Marle said impatiently.

Seeing his urgency, Rolin pulled out a sheet of magic paper, wrote the ingredients for the fat-reducing elixir in arcane script, checked it once, then handed it to Marle. The big man took it as though it were treasure, folded it twice, and tucked it carefully into his coat. Had Rolin not been under the pressure of his brother’s situation, he would have bolted out then and there.

Just as Rolin handed the paper to him, two indecently smiling faces appeared—Gubas and Bill had come up on either side.

“Old Four,” Bill said, his eyes gleaming, “could you make a potion that makes a man more handsome?”

“Enough,” Marle growled. “Do you really think alchemical draughts are omnipotent? ‘More handsome’—that’s just a trick to flirt with prettier women, isn’t it?”

Bill and Gubas exchanged a contemptuous glance at Marle. “Boss, you’ve got such a good formula and you don’t care about our lives. Maybe only Old Four can make such a potion.”

Rolin could only laugh helplessly. “Bill, you’re already that handsome. Why do you need a handsome potion?”

“Er… because I want to be even handsomer,” Bill said, grinning.

Rolin was momentarily speechless, then he said, “There’s no potion for instant handsomeness, but there is one for beauty and complexion. I can brew it only after my alchemy advances further.” Without waiting for more back-and-forth, he pulled out another sheet of magic paper and wrote the ingredients for the beauty potion, then handed it to the two gleeful men.

As they were still talking eagerly, the parlor door opened and an old man with flecks of silver in his beard stepped in. He saw Rolin at once and smiled at him. “Rolin, you’re here. I hear you have business with me. Ah, Marle—you lad, you’re here too.”

The old man was the proprietor himself, Master Cervantes. Though his station was high, he had no air of superiority. During the six months Rolin had spent in potion alchemy, he had met this man a few times, and Cervantes had always praised Rolin’s gift for it.

When Master Cervantes arrived, everyone stood. Rolin could scarcely contain himself; he drew out the spatial ring and asked in urgency, “Master Cervantes, tell me—can this spatial ring be sold for a million gold coins?”