- Shari -

I spent most of the night hammering the first chapter of Tamarah's book into my head.

The first of hundreds I have to say.

The biggest issue is that it's difficult to concentrate on the kind of objective information that is displayed in the book as it's not well-received by my core.

Memorizing all those basic recipes to get down what to mix in which way to what portions becomes like this quite an effort.

Yet I need to say, Tamarah's notes made it much easier by pointing out the important points, very succinctly explaining what is unimportant, or simply breathing a bit of life into the dry subject.

Basically, a trip into the disturbing mind of Tamarah.

I rarely read so many times the words "cretin", "idiot", or "imbecile of the highest order".

However, even if I don't have much personal use for stuff like healing potions, those are quite valuable assets to trade with.

That is if I can convince anyone that my potions are the real deal.

Without a reputation, I won't be able to sell all that much.

And then there would be the part about what they would be drinking aside from the ingredients.

Urgh, would it be better or worse for my conscience to ask Liqu to provide the "raw material"?

Anyway, it's early morning now, and thus, time to make our plans for the day.

"As we agreed yesterday, I'm off to Tamarah. It shouldn't take too long." (Shari)

"Well, since she won't be of much use to you there, would you mind if I borrow Liqu? I can watch out for myself, but having a bodyguard might be good." (Michael)

Well, that's up for Liqu to decide.

Yet I might give her a light shove in this direction because I think that she should get more independent, or rather, more able to handle herself in society without me.

And I'm not just saying this to get her off my back for some time.

"Liqu, I won't tell you what to do, but you know, I'll be safe on my part and you could be of help to him." (Shari)

"So you want me to go with him?" (Liqu)

"I'm just saying I'm trusting you to not mess up our cover by exposing yourself in public. For the rest, you're free to do as you deem right. But I won't need you by my side for what I'm doing." (Shari)

Actually, now that I think about it, she might be a bit of a bother for my concentration.

"Okay. Then I’ll go with him." (Liqu)

Woah, so easy?

Three months ago it was an impossible feat to get her to leave my side.

Now she just agrees.

"That's very considerate of you. Thanks." (Shari)

"You're working so hard for us. I believe in you that you'll stay by my side!" (Liqu)

Well, trusting obsession can be considered more positive than controlling obsession, right?

"Okay... Anyway, I'm now on my way." (Shari)

I take my bag in which I carefully stored the ridiculously expensive book.

Let's just hope that Michael will be able to handle Liqu and the latter got my hint not to do anything outrageous.

However, I must now really be on my way.

It's barely bright yet, but the downside to our current accommodation in the south is that the way to the market district is quite far.

So I have to hurry if I want to reach Tamarah's place before she considers herself too busy to spend her precious time on me.

Also, I notice another urgent problem that makes me now rather anxious about the fact that I left Liqu to her own devices.

I didn't have a meal yesterday and could now really take a bit to replenish my energy.

Fortunately, there are stalls on the street for anyone who neither has time nor ability to cook.

I find one that sells meat buns which look quite appetizing.

Since there's nothing else of relevance about them for me and my kinda indifferent way of consumption, I end up buying some for a total of forty copper.

They even have the advantage that nobody's looking weirdly at me for stuffing them into my mouth.

At least not as much as with the skewers.

That reminds me, I'm carrying our money.

Oh damn, please, Michael.

Remember to feed this mass-devouring monster.

Yet now I have to get to my destination.

It's convenient that slimes can at least maintain a good pace for long distances.

A perk that already put a pretty terrific end to many fleeing creatures who weren't able to run away for days.

Yet it's also quite neat to get from one side of the town to the other without tiring.

Fortunately, it seems like I made it before she opened her shop.

I try to enter carefully without raising the mad scientist's ire.

And differing from what the sign on the door says, it isn't locked.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Hey, Tamarah! I'm here, ready and willing for my first lesson!" (Shari)

I don't have to wait for long before I hear a voice from the other side of the room.

"First, urgh, is your wording on purpose? Second, don't just stand there and come to the backrooms! I don't want to inspire unnecessary rumors." (Tamarah)

Well, I knew that her personality would probably be the most arduous part of this.

"Can you make a healing potion?" (Tamarah)

"Uh, I wasn't at that chapter yet. You have no idea how hard it is to press information into this core and there were several processes I'm not familiar with." (Shari)

"I'm not really interested in your excuses. Figure it out. Chapter three number five. You at least have my book with you, right?" (Tamarah)

I quickly pull it out and look at the respective partition.

"Yes, but I didn't get too far, and the first part wasn't exactly about potions." (Shari)

"Sure it wasn't. Potions are complicated. You're naturally starting out with simpler mixtures, like salves. Though, that is relative once you get to the advanced stuff. For example, I actually have a way to make slime stickier, yet you might have an easier time with this. Nonetheless, I need you to start with making potions." (Tamarah)

At least I can see it uses clearsprout, but the rest of the recipe leaves big question marks.

"What you're waiting for? Get started." (Tamarah)

"Sorry, but there are some words I'm not really sure about? I'm a bit unfamiliar with the process." (Shari)

"Sigh, so we have to start at the basics. I should've known. Fine, you know the art of alchemy is basically about the extraction, mixing, and emphasizing of its ingredients. The former is hereby the most fundamental one as poorly processed parts won't allow you to create a potion that is worth its title. Please tell me you can follow me till here." (Tamarah)

"Oh, you mean like only using the clear edges of the leaves of clearsprout?" (Shari)

Damn, was that disdainful look really necessary?

"Tsk, tsk. Only an ignorant, wasteful amateur would work like this. Yes, it's true that the edges of clearsprout are the most potent yet do you truly intend to throw the rest away?" (Tamarah)

Somehow I believe this won't be the last time she insults me.

"I guess you're now going to tell me about the right way to go about this?" (Shari)

"Well, here it already starts that alchemists become indispensable. First, every part of an ingredient that contains the rarest hint of the desired effect is of interest. If we stay at the example of clearsprout, you should at least know that all of the leaves, as well as the buds if it has any, are of importance. The stem, on the other side, contains barely any magic at all. This means you're only using the former. So, what do you do with them to get your hands on the magic?" (Tamarah)

"I don't know. Dissolve them?" (Shari)

"Oh my, oh my, oh my. I'm not as familiar as you should be with the process, but it should be clear to you that diluting a reagent won't make it more potent. No, in this case, we are distilling." (Tamarah)

At this, she points at a complicated-looking glass device on a cupboard at the wall.

"There are more crude ways to go about this, but hopefully you can follow if I explain this one. At its essence, the process allows you to separate water and the ingredient by heating it. Even mixed fluids can maintain their individual features. One of them is their boiling temperature. You control the fire to be in the middle, the regulator for the flame is on the side of the desk, by the way. If you do it right, the one with the lower boiling temperature will gather up the container and then flow down here. As a rule of thumb, most liquids, and especially water, will boil first." (Tamarah)

"How is that helping me with the plant?" (Shari)

"Naturally, you first brew a tea with the useable parts. After this, you can use the separated remains in the container. If I remember right, I already told you the replacement I use instead of water. The magic in the ingredients binds to it quite well, and if done properly, all the useful components are extracted when it boils. Once it flows into the other chamber, you simply gather it in a flask." (Tamarah)

I can't deny that this whole process sounds severely complicated.

Already this device makes me question how it was even created.

Yet she might be right that one could break this process down to something simpler.

Nonetheless, it was a bit much at once.

I even feel my core getting the slightest bit warmer.

"Now show me that you're capable of learning. Clearsprout is in the upper left drawer of the lower cabinet. Take some out and prepare it as I instructed ya. But not everything. If you mess up, I'd like to keep some of my reserves." (Tamarah)

Once she finished talking, it's almost as if I stopped existing for her.

She's just continuing with her business without reacting to me.

Well, let's consider this as her way of showing trust.

I procure the already cut clearsprout from the fascinatingly well-filled drawer and wonder how many gold coins the whole cabinet might contain in ingredients.

I mean, it's huge and given the prices for magical stuff, it's certainly a stupidly great fortune.

For the tea part, Tamarah's backroom has not one but a whopping six fireplaces.

This might be because she might have to prepare several ingredients simultaneously.

And I already have the source of the "water".

And then I have to use the scary glass machine.

I fill in the tea and start the fire.

On the one side, it's good that I don't have to worry about burning myself.

On the other, I'm naturally quite a lot clumsier than a human with actual fingers.

Also, I should start learning the temperature system if it's so important, but for now, going by feeling will have to suffice.

In this manner, I manage to produce something.

"Tamarah, I'm done!" (Shari)

Now the worst part begins.

Enduring Tamarah's scrutinizing gaze.

"You need to control the flame better. It's barely sufficient." (Tamarah)

Oh.

Oh!

She said it works!

I did it right!

Yes!!!

"Well, clearsprout is only the least important part of a real healing potion. Something as slow as this would never save someone's life in a pinch. Next, I'll show you how to press out the glands of a flesh mender. Those things are extremely hard to kill because they can undo most damages. You have to do it decisively before they deplete the hormone that enables them to do so. And as you might've guessed, nothing works better to knit a wound back together. By the way, it's recommended to press the sides of the wound together while applying. Otherwise, it won't end pretty. Nasty flesh growth." (Tamarah)

She pulls out some more bowls, made from some kind of white stone, and begins to add stuff.

"Now we're at the mixing part. Knowing what something does is essential. Yet much comes down to experimentation. Especially as magic can be quite unpredictable at times. By the way, my experiment with your energetic slime was a success as I discovered that it can increase the potency of certain magical effects. The reason why the slime I received before didn't work must've been that these imbeciles didn't think about properly preserving the magically saturated mass. However, the effect depends on the potion. Nonetheless, it has its uses." (Tamarah)

Okay.

Not sure how I feel about being a potent ingredient.

"What you're waiting for? I thought slimes don't get tired? I want to see results today, so get started!" (Tamarah)

This might become a very long day.