Dear Enri,
This might seem sudden to be writing to you like this, but under the advice of Cthylla, I wanted to write out everything that's happened over the last few days.
A few days might not seem a long time, but time… it feels different in this place. Sometimes I'll start my studies early in the morning, working perhaps the full length of a work day, only to look out one of the windows and realize it's about time for lunch.
The sheer scale of this place is completely bewildering. The outside gives the impression of a single room cabin, but the inside seems almost able to house a small village. The library itself is an absolute marvel fit for a king, but the path there boggles the mind, at least at first.
It's just that what I'm learning here, I can't make heads or tails of it no matter what way I look at it. There are texts that reference countries and figures I've never even heard of, and of the monsters that lurk in oceans just off their shores.
Some of the material is stuff I already know, but a good portion of it is completely alien to me. It doesn't help either that Master Hermetis teaches through the art of silence and allegory.
I just hope that I can-
A sharp knock at his room door halted his quill, causing Nfirea to look up from his writing. A small pang of annoyance bounced around in his skull, only for it to quickly be stamped out when he remembered where he was.
"You can come in, I'm decent," the alchemist said, checking to make sure his robe was tightly fastened around his waist and standing up from his chair at his personal desk.
His door clicked, slowly opening to reveal one of the academy's servants with a tray of food. This particular servant he understood to be a "shoggoth", a shapeshifting, somewhat docile creature that could assume any shape it so desired.
This one wore a dark blue suit, with a lighter shade vest and sea green tie. The head was hairless and featureless, a blank canvas that betrayed no emotion whatsoever. Its dress shoes clacked as it walked over with the heavy tray.
Now that he settled into his studies, he'd been able to learn about the various servants and beasts that called the academy home. Shoggoths were the most common, as were the mimics, which hid in plain sight as household objects. Fish-like Dagon's Spawn, scuttling mind parasites, half-woman, half-fish sirens, the antennae headed Mi-go, the multi-formed Spawns of Chaos, and more populated the place, adding in a sense of horrifying wonder to watch their strange forms mingle with each other.
Out of all of them, only the shoggoths took up butler duties, bringing Nfirea his food, washing his clothing, fetching him for class, and bringing him work-study materials. Much like the one in his room now, shoggoths were a docile, calm creature, able to cater to the whims of those they served.
The food was slowly placed on a massive oak table that could seat an entire family. At first, the lavish accommodations had amazed him and entirely made him feel small, but as he got used to them, he felt like they might have been wasted on someone like him.
He wasn't ungrateful, far from it, but he considered himself a simple enough man. All his life, he'd been content with the business his grandmother and him made. He never needed or wanted riches that would benefit nobles, or any of the materialistic possessions that came with it. So long as he was able to continue his craft, he was happy as is.
Of course, Nfirea didn't want to be a bad guest in the academy of his teachers, so he did his best to make a "home away from home" so to speak.
Several sheets of paper were littered across his desk, composed of his notes and whatever else he saw fit to doodle and scribble down. The Emerald Book and Stylus sat at the center, the source of the loose sheets of notes. It had an infinite amount of pages, which could be torn out and instantly regenerated. The metal lantern, which he'd brought over from Carne and used as a night light, sat at the corner of his desk.
Stacks of books, ranging from subjects of the occult to the whimsical tales of authors from far-off lands, were scattered here and there in piles that made sense to Nfirea. All of them were placed on a table or other elevated, flat position, since his own bookshelf was already full.
Since his first visit to the library, he'd gone back and traded in titles he finished and got recommended new ones from the resident librarian. She still didn't utter a word, but she more than compensated with how expressive she was.
They struck up an odd sort of friendship, the eldritch librarian brightening up whenever he entered the library for new material. Nfirea would usually do most of the talking for both of them, bouncing ideas and theories off of her. She made for an excellent listener, but he got the sense Master Hermetis and his associates didn't interact with her much, which was a shame.
The finely dressed shoggoth finished setting up the table, pouring a glass of orange juice, as he learned it was called, from a steel pitcher. It set out the steel utensils, gave a half bow, and then promptly walked over to the door and let itself out.
Nfirea stood up, folding his letter and setting it in a stack of his notes from the night before. A delightful array of breakfast items were laid out for him, so much so that it could feed two people, or himself if he was especially ravenous.
Just as he seated himself at the table and picked up his utensils to dig in, another knock came at his door.
"You can come in!" Nfirea half-shouted, somewhat annoyed that he was interrupted a second time. It instantly vanished as soon as he saw who came through the door.
"Ah! Lady Cthylla!" He said, standing up in respect when one of his teachers came through the door. "I didn't realize that you were coming to see me so early! I would've gotten properly dressed if I knew you'd be in here."
Ctyhlla shrugged. "Don't worry about it, sweetie. Everything's good. I just wanted to come and check up on you, make sure you were doing alright with your studies after what happened the other day."
"I suppose that's fair. Please, come and join me for breakfast then," Nfirea said with a good-natured smile. Already he was feeling more relaxed with the fashionable scholar.
Today, Lady Cthylla was wearing a more plain but still flowy dress that was light blue. Much like the wood of the cabin academy, there was an emphasis on the waves of the sea etched into the fine fabric. Unlike the first dress she wore when he met her, she seemed downright underdressed.
Which also meant that some of her more "feminine appeals" were on greater display, though for the most part, the young alchemist quickly got used to such aspects.
Mostly.
"How're the books in your library? I hope you've been learning a lot that we have to offer," Cthylla asked, quickly sitting down and grabbing a plate for herself to enjoy.
"They're great! Some of it is just a review, but I've also been looking into the texts on alchemy that I've never seen before," Nfirea said, some of his old passion for his craft flaring to life. "The transmutation circles and research on the Philosopher's Stone are all fascinating subjects, but the other texts on the Outer Gods and their domains… well…,"
"Oh those? They can be pretty advanced, and a lot of them are steeped deep in allegory and legend. It can take time to wrap your head around, but I'm sure someone as smart as you will figure it out," Cthylla said with a wave of her hand.
"Yeah… I'm sure, but there was some other stuff I've been looking into for my research, for my private tutoring sessions with Master Hermetis. Some of it was stuff I wanted to ask you about."
"Oh yeah? Know though that Alchemy isn't my specialty, like it is for Hermetis, or combat for Aellai. I'm more than happy to try explaining whatever literature you've been reading."
Her kind words and peaceful disposition always made Nfirea relax, no matter the situation he was in with her. The electric rage and power of Lady Aellai and quiet intensity of Master Hermetis made his teeth clench and his tongue seize up.
More often than not, he would be bashed over the head with foreboding knowledge of the heavily robed academy master or left with a myriad of bruises from the strangely armored warrior that was Lady Aellai. Lady Cthylla's more calm and rational approaches to her teaching were far preferable, though Nfirea understood the necessity of his other teachers' offerings.
Instead, Cthylla's presence almost made up for the lack of a sibling figure in his life, an older and wiser sister who was simultaneously on his level of experience and completely out of his league. She harbored many secrets, that much he could tell, but she was warm and thoughtful first and foremost.
"That's okay. That's what I wanted to discuss with you anyways," Nfirea said, "while I was searching through The Essentials of Alchemy and What they don't teach you in the Laboratory, I noticed that a specific term kept popping up, in relation with transmutation and human life."
"As I imagine, but go on," Cythlla said while nibbling on a piece of toast.
He smiled. "There's this idea, this concept, of a creature which is made to look like a human. It's an artificial human, but much smaller? Some of the terminology is rather confusing, and… vile, but I believe they call it a homunculus?"
Lady Cythlla took a sip of her own cup of orange juice. "Oh, that? Yeah, I know what you're talking about. I actually made my own, or had input on what mine would look like. She's a real cute thing named Sicilia. She's so adorable!"
That got his teacher to go on a bit of a tangent, talking about her own homunculus that she made a maid of all things. A homunculus, which according to his research seemed like an alchemical miracle, that also played dress up and research assistant to the woman in front of him.
If his jaw didn't hit the ground first, he imagined his forehead would. His research indicated something that, by all known means of alchemy, should be impossible. Resurrection was one thing, but at least then it just involved calling back the soul of the deceased to return to their old body.
But to actually create new life entirely from scratch? To grow it in whatever image the creator desired and not only have it living and breathing but also be a fully functional human being? That explored realms of magic and science that tapped into the realms of gods.
And here he was, having his teacher talk to him about a homunculus she made herself and how that same homunculus simply went with whatever whims she wanted. It was so mind-bogglingly casual it bordered on unrestrained arrogance.
"-of course, Sicilia does her best to help me with my clothing, which she's absolutely phenomenal at, but positively god-awful at helping me proof-read. Why, I remember this one time-"
He cradled his head in his hands, trying to wrap his mind around what she was telling him and all the implications that came with it. But it did get his mind racing about other possibilities regarding the creation of homunculus and their purposes.
A homunculus is described as an artificial being, right? A sort of "dwarf-in-the-flask" created by the art of alchemy. I recall some aren't born with souls, but that others could have them added on later on. Does that mean, if I had the means to, I could bring back Grandma Lizzie using a homunculus body?
So far as he knew, there was no form of magical resurrection which could bring back a person from nothingness. The body had to be intact in some capacity for the soul to return to, otherwise what was the point?
Dreadful methods could be developed if the knowledge of homunculus and their abilities ever came to be commonplace. The library of Secretorum Hermetis contained a plethora of secrets, secrets Nfirea was now certain came from more supernatural forces.
He half wondered if perhaps his teachers were such creatures, merely hiding behind their full body clothing and human skin. If they were monstrosities that came from a land long forgotten and submerged by depths best left unexplored.
And yet… Cythlla proved far too welcoming and genuine to be anything but human. She actively tried to engage with him and make him feel safe and at home, even if the academy itself proved as far removed from reality as possible.
Lady Aellai, despite her harsh and terrifying aura, was rather calm and reasonable when not training or consumed by her passions. If anything, the way she spoke and treated the alchemist after their sparring sessions almost reminded him of a gruff, tough-love "aunt" he'd never had.
Master Hermetis… Nfirea couldn't quite get a read on him yet. At times, it almost seemed like his teacher was actively ignoring him in favor of just watching him and seeing how he would react to certain lessons or ideas.
That didn't necessarily mean that a favorable view of him didn't exist, but rather the pharmacist didn't have enough information to even have a viewpoint on the enigmatic elder alchemist.
Not to mention that his robes did a splendid job hiding away his appearance, so trying to understand his facial cues was doubly hard.
"-and then there was this whole incident with Kitty Kingdom and Illicit Sinners. God, the amount of times I've wanted to strangle Zeus Enalios and Trap Master would be enough to suffocate the entire planet, so now I'm thinking-"
"Lady Cythlla, a moment?" Nfirea interrupted, patiently overlapping his fingers once he finished his own mental triade. "I did have something else I wanted to ask you, if you don't mind."
She immediately stopped mid-sentence, her mouth open and ready to say whatever she was in the middle of saying. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get off topic. What else did you want to ask, sweetie?"
"Just that when I'm done learning here, when I finish my tutelage with Master Hermetis and you and Lady Aellai, will I be allowed to retain what I learned here? Will I be able to apply it to my own work?"
"What? Yeah, of course, why do you ask? Something you find that's wrong?"
"Oh no, it's nothing like that!" Nfirea said, raising both hands up and waving them in a placating manner. "I'll admit, a lot of what I've learned here is something else and infinitely valuable, but I guess… maybe it's an irrational fear of mine, but I thought maybe once this was all over, I'd just be sent back with no memory of this place."
"Hey, it's nothing like that, I promise," she reassured him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Everything you learn here, I guarantee you'll be allowed to remember and use to enhance your own knowledge. Just don't use it to take over the world."
That got a minor laugh out of the admittedly frayed alchemist, who looked down at his lap in thought once he stopped. There was a small squeeze to his shoulder from Cythlla's much larger hand, reacquiring his attention.
"Besides, he'll never admit it, but I'm sure you'll be able to teach Hermetis a thing or two by the time you get out of here," she said with a soft smile, "Just give it time, and you'll get to know the real Hermetis, I know it. He enjoys having you around."
"You really think so? He doesn't think I'm a burdensome student?"
"Absolutely. He's likely excitedly planning his next lesson for you right now."
"Oh my god what am I gonna do?! I can't just go back out there and try teaching him again, not after yesterday!"
Tabula groaned repeatedly, sitting at his desk in his own personal office. His beak was resting in his enlarged, webbed fingers while his mind raced a kilometer a minute.
Everything he'd been "teaching" Nfirea for his alchemical studies was completely novice! All of the work he, his NPCs, and his friends put into his "tutelage" of the E-Rantel pharmacist seemed almost wasted trying to teach someone who was already a master.
And Nfirea proved it, blazing through the beginner's courses that Tabula used from the curriculum that Rubedo put together for him. When he tried to do some of the more advanced lessons, they'd ended only in failure.
Being able to watch the human alchemist go through some of the tests they set up for him proved important in better understanding his talent, and also how his mind worked when solving problems. Despite facing forces that would drive the unaccustomed insane, Nfirea displayed an incredible resilience and grit to it all.
Unfortunately, trying to apply what he and his friends learned about the former pharmacist in his initial tests was showing difficulties he didn't anticipate, and which he was sure made him out to be the largest idiot known to mankind.
For instance, on the second "day" of teaching, the brain eater and his comrades put together a new lesson to have Nfirea try his hand at crafting Yggdrasil recipes. It seemed foolhardy to him now, especially after how disastrous it'd become.
He recalled the younger alchemist walking into the laboratory that his insectoid mad scientists set up just for him, all three of the guildmates waiting patiently for their charge. Said scientists had been sent away, just for the first day, to see how well Nfirea performed on his own. Over time, they would slowly acclimate him to the science oriented summons.
"Ah good, you've arrived on time," he said, holding up the same pocket watch he used for the first day. "I hope you're prepared, we have something special in mind for you today. Something which you have likely never encountered before."
For whatever reason, that seemed to set Nfirea on edge, enough so that Cuttlefish and Tempest gave him sideways glances. He felt a small sweat drop at that, pondering if the way he phrased his greeting was somewhat too intense.
It passed for the pharmacist, who now gained a look of awe and even glee at the equipment before him, setting his materials and notebooks down to take stock of everything he had at his disposal.
Tabula took a special kind of pride in knowing that he understood the tastes of an alchemist so well. He may not have ordered a reconstruction of his personal laboratory in the academy, but it was reaffirming to know he and Nfirea shared similar tastes in their preference of lab equipment and layout.
"This is truly amazing!" The younger man said, picking up each instrument and examining it carefully before moving on to the next. "This reminds me of my old workstation! It's almost exactly the same… mostly."
"Mostly?" Tempest asked, tilting her dome helmet.
Nfirea's hands hovered over the next item, a set of balances and scales. "Uh, I meant that while everything seems to serve the same function as my old equipment, it just looks different. It looks a lot… sleeker, like this thing."
He held up one of the digital scales, a piece of equipment with modern roots but with a fantasy theme applied to it. The "screen" was really just a thin, flat piece of crystal that was enchanted to display the numerical weight of an item placed on its scale. At least, that was what the flavor text indicated, given how advanced the minor piece was.
"Yes, we spared no expense in making sure you get the best equipment. For today's lesson, you'll need it," Tabula explained, his hands folded into the sleeves of his robe.
"And what will I be doing today? I appreciate you willing to go over the basics with me, it felt good to just do some review, but now I'd like to try and learn something new that you know."
"Of course. We…just had to ensure that you have everything down pat. Your level of expertise is about what we expected, so now we shall move onto the more advanced aspects of Alchemy."
The brain eater walked over to the table, subtly pulling out a tray of the ingredients they'd need for that day's lesson from his inventory space. His robes bulged as he pushed the tray outwards, still hiding his limbs and presenting the items needed.
Nfirea leaned over, his bangs falling away to expose his squinting eyes. "Master Hermetis, sir, what are these ingredients? I don't recognize any of these."
"I assumed you would not," Tabula said, "and given your prior work history, I know that you have great knowledge concerning alchemical ingredients. The fact that you do not recognize any of them is intentional, for I'll be teaching you a new potion to produce."
Placed upon the tray were all the ingredients required to make a simple but effective "Dragon's Blood" potion. There was a handful of Wyrmwood Lichen, the single Pearl of an Aesir Clam, a Blue Mountain Flower from Jotunheim, and the Eye of a Frost Troll.
"Where I come from, these would all be mixed together to make Dragon's Blood potions. Tell me, have you ever had to make such an item for your customers back home?" The Supreme Being asked, pulling out an identical tray and setting it down next to the first.
The pharmacist rubbed his chin in thought. "To tell you the truth, Master Hermetis, I've never even heard of a 'Dragon's Blood' potion. I didn't think it was possible to make something like that."
"As I thought. This region is extremely far removed from our own, so it makes sense you would never hear of this. Hopefully, by the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to produce your own with the methods you know best."
In truth, Tabula was curious to see how well a native of the New World, as he mentally named the strange land he and his friends were in, would be able to reproduce Yggdrasil based items. So far, there was a startling power difference between the raw might of the players and NPCs of Nazarick and those naturally born in the New World.
Everything, especially the people, had to be treated as if they were handling cardboard, for one misstep could cause catastrophic results. Emotion may have become diluted in some aspects, but there was still enough sense to try and avoid unwanted destruction.
That didn't necessarily mean that the technical skill of the native inhabitants wasn't up to par. True, Nfirea's reaction to the ingredients and his name drop of Dragon's Blood potions didn't inspire much hope, but if he managed to even craft a smaller, more diluted form of the potion, he'd consider it a victory.
Plus, the horror movie enthusiast was excited to see how a true professional would craft a potion, rather than just seeing some left-over animation of himself making a minor potion.
The workstation flared to life as Tabula's instincts took over, his hands moving automatically to sweep up the ingredients and tools he'd need to start making the potion. Nfirea diligently stood off to the side, to give the cephalopod player room to work and write down everything he observed.
Everything save for the eye was dumped into a mortar and pestle, where they were quickly ground up into a pulpy, dusty mound, then further ground until there was a somewhat homogenous texture to the mixture.
Using a scalpel, the eye was split open and the fluids inside were lightly drizzled and pounded in. The fleshy waste was discarded into a bin just beneath the workstation, and the mixture was carefully scooped out into a test tube for transportation.
A Bunsen burner was lit and the tube set up in a stand just above the miniature blue flame. The properties of the ground-up pearl, as well as the troll's eye fluids, were quickly brought to a boil, while the organic matter of the flower and lichen melted together to produce a foul-smelling, violet colored fluid.
All the while, Tabula kept his hands close to the tools and the ingredients, some of his player skills and classes working to speed up the reaction time of his work. As expected, he could also feel small bits of his mana store ebb into the proto-potion.
It's good to know that the basic principles of Yggdrasil potion crafting apply in this world, but that might just be because I'm a player myself. I'm not really sure how that might translate into this world's rules for someone trying to copy my methods though.
When the fluid shifted to a more metallic bronze with shining red streaks, he knew it was ready. Grabbing a flask, he carefully poured the finished result into the container and corked it, so that the fumes didn't escape and nauseate anyone.
He proudly turned to show off the newly created potion. "And here, this is what you should get once you finish. This is your standard Dragon's Blood potion, good for providing a sizable defense boost against physical attacks and strength increase. Now, do you have any questions?"
Nfirea took a moment to finish writing in his notebook, before clasping it shut and gently gesturing to the brain-eater to bring the potion closer.
Excitement bloomed in Tabula's own chest, oddly desiring to want to impress his "student". He handed off the potion, to which the younger alchemist held the bottle by the neck and twisted it around, looking at the way the colors flowed and sparkled in the light.
"This is… phenomenal! The fact that you made this with only a few ingredients and without having to go through the processes of distillation and purification is remarkable! Not even my grandmother could do something like this. Master Hermetis, how did you accomplish this?" He exclaimed, a genuine smile breaking out while he studied the new potion.
"Through many years of practice and learning through the occult," Tabula lied, "Though these potions are useful for warriors, they do have some side effects you should be aware of."
That got the pharmacist's attention, his smile melting away to something more serious as he listened intently.
"Under normal circumstances, the body doesn't typically have such robust strength and durability, and the effects of the spell manifest as, you guessed it, in the shape of scaly skin to help protect the user. This makes you significantly more able to tank hits, but it slows you down drastically as well."
He tapped his bicep through the robe. "Warriors don't typically have an issue with this, as they're heavily armored anyways and with a good group of people they can rely upon. However, for those more used to lighter combat, this potion serves as a last resort to take on heavy hits in a bad situation."
"You may also find that your strength is more than doubled what you'd have originally, and this sort of power can be addicting, especially for the unaccustomed. Be forewarned though, that potions like these only have temporary effects, which means you need to take extra care to remember when you took it so you can know when it'll wear off."
"How long do these effects last for?" Nfirea asked.
"On average? I'd say anywhere from ten to fifteen minutes," the brain-eater replied, "which may not seem long in hindsight, but can be the difference between life and death."
Then he gestured towards Nfirea's tray of ingredients, which still lay untouched. "Now, I would like you to try and replicate the method which I used. Afterwards, I want you to employ how you typically make a potion of a similar caliber, and then compare and contrast the results of each method."
Before he even finished his sentence, the younger alchemist was scanning his available ingredients. He put on safety gear like goggles, a lab coat, and gloves to protect his skin from any harmful elements, should something go awry.
He carefully picked up each piece, looking it over before setting it back down. A pair of tongs to lift the test tube was grabbed, and the Bunsen burner to be used was set up beforehand.
Each ingredient, save for the eye, was placed into the mortar and pestle and ground up the same way that Tabula demonstrated, with Nfirea having to use a scalpel to slice open the troll eye to get the necessary fluids.
All three guildmates huddled together while they watched with interest at how the former E-Rantel pharmacist handled himself, a look of concentration as he worked through the motions of his craft.
Strangely, the cephalopod player noticed that when the ingredients were ground up by hand by Nfirea, the consistency and texture was somewhat different, as if his very touch was causing a reaction of some kind. It was still smooth, but the mixture took on a different hue comparable to mud.
When it was scooped into the tube and placed over the open flame of the Bunsen burner with his tongs, it was also noticeable how the mixture immediately darkened to a pitch shade. There were no sparkling hues or bands of bronze to denote a typical Dragon's Blood potion.
It bubbled and steamed, rather than properly melding together like it had when the first potion was crafted.
Huh. Seems something about Nfirea is reacting differently when he's making a Dragon's Blood potion…Could it be possible that something regarding him and his abilities in particular is causing that reaction?
Apparently Nfirea agreed, pursing his lips and humming in thought. He looked up to his three teachers.
"Master Hermetis, I don't know what I did wrong here, but it's not looking like the same type of potion that you made. Was there some step I might've missed?"
That got the cogs in Tabula's head turning. "When I was working with it, I imbued a small bit of my own mana into creating it. Forgive me, I should've verbally stated I was doing it rather than assume you could see or feel it. Go ahead and try doing so now."
Nfirea did as he was told, holding his hands just above the edge of the glass like Tabula did. He winced, adjusting his hands' positions to a more comfortable distance. Small sparks of mana flowed, lightening the shade of the potion slightly.
"I think it's starting to work, Master Hermetis!" He said enthusiastically, "Just have to imbue some more and it'll be good to go!"
Right as he said that though, the glass tube tinkled with cracks, spreading all around the surface in the fashion of a spider web.
Before the brain eater could even think to react, Cuttlefish moved with blinding speed and dragged Nfirea away, the tube exploding in a roar of blue flame as molten liquid sprayed everywhere. The flames immediately died out, but the failed sludge remained scalding hot on the floor.
Tabula checked to make sure none of it landed on his robes, and then looked over to check on his pupil, who blankly stared at where he'd been half a second ago. His breathing was elevated, but not to the point of panic.
'I owe you one Lady Cythlla," Nfirea said, adjusting his goggles with trembling fingers. "I didn't even see what happened. What, or how, did I end up over here? I barely felt you grabbing me!"
Cuttlefish shrugged. "What can I say? I can be a pretty fast woman when I want to be."
"And thankfully not reckless," Tempest added gruffly, "nice reflexes though. Couldn't have done it better myself."
Most of the equipment was still intact, but the sludge from the failed experiment would have to be cleaned up, and quickly. Already several shoggoths slithered up from between the floor boards, scraping up what debris there was and dissolving it within their own bodies.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing how they move around and consume things," Nfirea commented, "they're so much like slimes, but at the same time, they're not."
"Yes, they, along with our other servants, make for fascinating case studies. However, due to the recent issue regarding the lesson, I believe you should move on to combat training with Aellai," Tabula said, nodding to his air elemental friend.
She nodded back, gripping the human man by his bicep. "Come along. We need to buff you up from a twig to something respectable. Let Hermetis and Cythlla take care of this."
There was a look of protest brewing on Nfirea's face, only for it to quickly vanish and for him to nod. "Okay. Will I get to come back and try again?"
"Of course. Just let us handle the clean up here," Cuttlefish reaffirmed, giving the younger alchemist her brightest smile.
With that, both the air elemental and pharmacist walked out of the classroom, leaving the pair of cephalopod players alone to tidy up the place.
It took barely any time at all, and for the rest of the day, Cuttlefish and Tempest did their best to distract Tabula's "apprentice" with their own lessons, leaving the brain eater as he was now, panicking at his apparent failure.
I should've known better than to try starting out with something that doesn't exist in this world! I mean, I didn't know it technically didn't exist here until Nfirea confirmed it for me, but that doesn't excuse it! How am I gonna look him in the eye for our next lesson today? Should I even try?!
So engrossed in his thoughts was he that he failed to notice the twin presences behind him, curiously staring at him while he shook his head.
He practically jumped out of his seat when he felt an ice cold hand touch his bony shoulder. He swiveled in his chair to face whoever decided to come and tear him out of his abject suffering.
"Everything alright father?" Rubedo asked after him in her usual deadpan. Citrinitas was also at her side. "You appear worried. Are your lessons satisfactory?"
"Yeah, you look a bit… Well, I can't exactly say 'pale', but you don't seem as you usually do dad," Citrinitas added on.
"You don't need to concern yourselves with that. How are you two doing? Have you been keeping yourselves preoccupied? And where's Nigredo and Albedo?" Tabula hastily changed the subject.
The insane asylum NPC cocked an eyebrow. "Uh, we've been doing alright. Sis and I have been reading some stuff in the library, exploring the Forest, watching that apprentice of yours. Nigredo has been keeping an eye on that village, and Albedo mentioned that she was still in Nazarick but was planning on visiting soon to 'take a look at the human for herself',"
"Many specimens in the forest," the war forged said. "Much data was provided. Some hostile, some not."
That set him at ease, knowing how easily they played along with his antics and how willing they were to talk about whatever new topic would bring him the least amount of embarrassment.
Knowing Albedo, she was executing her part flawlessly, working alongside Momonga to ensure that neither Punitto Moe or Ancient One were none the wiser to his antics. He could only imagine the repercussions should either of them discover what he was truly up to.
It was likely he was not the only one who decided to sneak out. While Nazarick was expansive and offered luxuries and amenities that even CEOs and royalty could only dream of, it was nice to get a breath of fresh air every once in a while.
For that matter, who would also be coming out of the tomb? And what would they even be doing? I can't imagine any of them going to visit the cities or trudge about in the wilds just because they're bored. Or maybe I could?
Nigredo's status was the only one who truly concerned him, having displayed her recent fondness for young children like Nemu in Carne. Tabula knew she wouldn't dare try anything that put their little group at risk, but he also recognized that sometimes, certain urges could grow too difficult to ignore.
Either way, he needed to focus on something else other than the disaster that was his lesson the other day. Something that he personally could enjoy.
"Where is Nfirea now?" He asked.
"He and Lady Cuttlefish were having breakfast together, last I recall. At least that's what it looked like when I saw one of the shoggoths bring him breakfast and Lady Cuttlefish not too far behind," Citrinitas replied.
"Then he's not out and about. Good, I may have an idea for our next lesson, but I want you two to distract him until then."
"Huh? Distract him? Do you mean like not letting him out of the room, or just making sure that he doesn't wander off into parts of the academy that he shouldn't?"
"Both work, but I just need you to keep him busy while I gather the supplies. I won't be doing another potion making fiasco, that's for sure, but I might take a page out of Cuttlefish's book on what to teach our resident human."
Perhaps the way he phrased that was more excitingly ominous than he wished, for Citrinitas flashed her shark-like fangs in a wide grin. Even Rubedo stiffened, her full attention diverted to her new objective.
"Don't you worry dad, we'll make sure that Nfirea doesn't so much as catch a glimpse of you, you have our word," Citrinitas said while rubbing her hands together conspiratily.
She grabbed her sister by the hand, trying and failing to drag her sibling off with her. It was only when Rubedo relented that the both of them made headway, and exited the room.
Tabula blinked after them, suddenly wondering at just what he got the poor boy he called his apprentice into.
Why do I get the sense they're gonna take things too far?
Nfirea was sitting by the fireplace of his room, nose deep in one of the titles that the librarian gave him during his first visit to the library. Dragons of the Mountains was a fascinating read, an alchemical text detailing a form of alchemy that focused more on bodily energy than chemical reactions.
Most of the terminology was very spiritual in nature, detailing aspects of the soul and "chi" as it was called and how it correlated to using the more unique form of alchemy. It seemed much more suited as a form of healing than anything else, which could prove a useful boon in his line of work.
As he flipped to the next page, a deep sense of peace and calm came over him. Given what happened during his first lesson, he felt like he could use some peace to settle his nerves. So far, everything he was learning was proving well worth the trip to the academy, but this was just academia. When it came to practical lessons in alchemy, there was a pit of disappointment in himself for his own failure.
Master Hermetis went through all that trouble to have that set up for me, and it quite literally blew up in my face. I just wish I had someone I could talk it over with, to better understand where I went wrong. I wonder if his daughters could possibly help me out.
The universe itself seemed to be listening in on his inner thoughts, as yet another knock on his door reached his ears. He sighed, grabbing a bookmark and marking his place before setting the book back in its place. He stood up and stretched, hoping to wriggle out some of the nervous energy that appeared.
Rather than tell his guests the door was open, he opted to walk over and open the door himself, to greet them and see who else would be coming to seek his presence.
The moment he twisted the doorknob, it was thrown open with tremendous force, causing Nfirea to stumble and nearly fall backwards. He was saved handily by the fierce grip that clawed at his collar, suspending him mid-fall.
It was awkward positioning, but he managed to glance past the claws that dug into his shirt collar, seeing a fanged smile and piercing eyes that looked entirely too happy to see him.
He hadn't seen her in a few days, but he instantly recognized that familiar grin of Citrinitas. Rubedo was right behind her, giving him a polite nod in greeting. With inhuman strength, the spiky-haired woman dragged him up to his feet and dusted off his shirt.
"Nfirea Barreare!" The woman in the front said, clapping his shoulder. "How're you? Learning some cool, neat things? Been making yourself at home in this little academy of ours? You look way better than the last time I saw you."
"Um…" Nfirea started, not quite sure how to handle Citrinitas's high energy attitude yet, "yeah, I'd say I'm learning plenty, but there's still a lot I haven't experience yet. It has only been a few days after-all."
"Are you saying the lessons are not satisfactory?" Rubedo stated, almost accusatoryly, "That is unacceptable. I will make a report for Father. Ensure that you learn as much as possible."
He waved his wands in a placating manner. "No, no! I didn't mean it like that! I just meant that I still have a lot of time to learn more from your father. There's only so much time in the day, despite time working differently here. Plus, I myself only have so much energy to devote to reading and note taking."
"At least you're learning," Citrinitas pointed out, "Maybe it's not much by our standards, but I'd say you've learned and experienced a lot for a human. Your first trials proved that much at least."
She wrapped an arm around Rubedo's shoulders. "You're pretty analytical, Rubedo. Tell him how well he's doing for his first time here."
Rubedo's eyes scanned him invasively, almost as if she was gazing into the deepest recesses of his soul. Unlike the first time, this stare of hers was worse, since she was making an active effort to assess him and make a report.
"His progress is adequate. It falls within parameters for a human. However, his education should accelerate. That would be most efficient for his desires."
Citrinitas's outgoing personality conflicted greatly with the cold indifference that Rubedo radiated, making the pharmacist wonder as to how someone like Master Hermetis could produce such wildly varying children.
With Rubedo, he could at least see some resemblance via their personalities if not their physical appearance. Citrinitas was far too bubbly to be anything like her father was usually.
Perhaps she inherited it from her mom. Wait, I recall Citrinitas mentioning that she and her sister were the way they were by "design". Did her mother and Master Hermetis intentionally raise them differently to make such personality quirks?
Those thoughts were brushed aside to focus on the two women in front of him, who were already walking around his room and taking a look around.
If he didn't know any better, he'd say Citrinitas seemed almost disappointed by how little he'd actually altered the room to suit his tastes. Already the place was lavish, so beyond the few personal touches he made, he couldn't see any other way he could improve upon what he had.
While the sharp toothed sister took her time, the armored sibling stood before Nfirea, watching him with that same critical eye that made him squirm in place. He wished she wouldn't look at him that way.
"I expect much," she said to him, "You're talented. You possess great power. I hope you don't disappoint Father."
"W-well, thank you. I hope I don't disappoint him either," Nfirea said, feeling a small bead of sweat trace its way down his temple. "I realized I never got the chance to ask you the last time, but, ah, what do you do? Are you an alchemist like your father?"
"No. That is not my purpose. Father designed me with combat in mind. I serve as his sword and shield when needed."
Designed. They keep using the word "designed" like they were artificially produced rather than born. Wait a minute, Lady Cythlla mentioned earlier she had made her own homunculus, like the one in the book I was reading. Could it be possible these two are homunculus as well?
Possibly sensing his trepidation in the intimidating aura of her sister, Citrinitas came up behind him and slid an arm around his shoulder, making him jump.
"It'll take some getting used to, I know, but think of it this way: Rubedo doesn't usually take interest in many people like she has with you, so I'd say you guys are practically best friends anyways. As a matter of fact, since you guys are best friends, you should sit down and break the ice!"
"Okay. That-That sounds great, sure. I don't have anything to drink…," the young man replied, sitting down at the dining table. Both Rubedo and Citrinitas joined him, though the latter flipped her chair around so she was pressed up against the back of the chair.
All three of them sat in silence for a moment, perhaps as a way to help Nfirea settle his nerves. But it didn't last for long.
"So I heard you've been doing pretty good, but that your lesson yesterday kinda broke on you," Citrinitas said first.
"You were making Dragon's Blood potions. It did not go as planned. It exploded," Rubedo added.
Nfirea rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, and I'm not quite sure why. I did everything Master Hermetis instructed, even if it was a method I wasn't very familiar with. I don't get what the difference was between us.
"Oh, that's obvious," the spiky haired woman said, "Our dad just has a lot more experience with these sorts of things. He's been working on these projects and honing his skills longer than you've been alive. He has knowledge and power far beyond anything you'd be capable of."
"Surely, but with his tutelage, I'm certain I can work towards becoming a better alchemist than I was previously. Even if I failed, the fact that he started teaching me about Dragon's Blood potions just proves how much potential I really could have."
His admission brought with it a sense of giddiness at the prospect that there were more alchemical secrets to discover and harness. If what he was learning could be applied practically, the possibilities would be endless.
Not to mention that he could open up entire new avenues of alchemy with the resources he had at his disposal. Though he was not prone to ambition lightly, there was a certain appeal to becoming first and foremost on the frontiers of undiscovered alchemy.
Citrinitas leaned forward conspiratorially, an amused gleam in her eyes. "Let me just share a little secret with you, Nfirea: You're not gonna be able to ever surpass our dad. I'm not saying this to you to be demeaning or arrogant, but if you've seen what he's seen, if you've experienced our old home like he did with his friends, it's entirely possible that you would've been devoured alive."
He pursed his lips at that. "You're not doing a very good job at convincing me that you're trying not to be condescending."
Rather than the shark-toothed woman replying, it was the taller, more heavily armored Rubedo who did.
"Do not mistake our intent, human. You are here because we found you worthy of our father's teachings. You inspired us. You have survived much. You have suffered much. We would see that you never do so again."
Strange intensity flared in her blank gaze. "You can accomplish more than the average human. We want to do more than just "break the ice" with you."
There was a sigh from behind Nfirea, who'd turned around to face the less imposing woman before him. "Yeah, she's got a point. We did want to try and give you some pointers, as well as try to answer whatever questions we could."
They sat side by side then, Rubedo's chair creaking audibly with her weight as she settled in.
In the span of their conversation, the young man felt like he'd been slapped multiple times in the face by the strength of their auras. Theirs' was so overwhelming that it threatened to smash him to pieces.
But he stood his ground, and asked his first question. "Where did Master Hermetis learn his alchemical knowledge, like the Dragon's Blood potions?"
"That's easy. A long time ago, my dad joined a group of like-minded individuals to stand against those who would hunt him for what he could do. In our old home, over the course of many adventures and self-study, he began to learn more and more of how the world ticked along," Citrinitas answered.
She held up three fingers. "However, before I get any further, I need you to understand some basic things: three, to be more precise, in order for my answer to make any sense."
"First, where I and my family came from, there originally was only a specific group of people that lived there. Knowledge was much more tightly controlled, and anytime someone wanted to know something, it usually came with a heavy cost and an even heavier burden."
"Sounds like a lot of these people had a bit of a hoarding problem then," Nfirea chimed, leaning forward in his chair.
Citrinitas nodded. "Yep! But after a while, other groups of these people began to come in and settle the different regions. They didn't like how the original inhabitants were so secretive about what they knew, so they made a great effort to explore and share all that they did know with others, even if it meant shattering the status quo."
She lowered the first of the three fingers she held up. "Then, they did. Pretty soon, entire tomes of books called 'Wikis' started to come out, published by these new groups of people. There was still a lot to be discovered, and even more was slandered and discredited to try and stem the tide. Those 'Info Wars' got a lot of people up in arms, my dad and his group included."
"But why? Wouldn't the sharing of these wikis make the lives of everyone involved easier? Surely not everyone was so willing to suppress and hide what little was discovered to give themselves an advantage over others."
"Knowledge is power, and power was disrupted unevenly," Rubedo interrupted in her full monotone, "Father and the others did their best. They stole what knowledge they could for themselves."
"Yeah, which brings me to my third and final point. Pay close attention now, cause this is probably the most important bit of info you're gonna hear."
Then Citrinitas closed her second finger, holding up only one, her index. "My dad and his friends did a lot of fighting back in the day. It was a kill or be killed world. Friends were hard to come by, at least genuine ones, and there were more than enough people to go around who wanted my dad dead and his knowledge stolen. If you lived back in their time, back on their turf, then you'd learn pretty fast to hoard as much as you could as quickly as possible."
Despite the inherent vagueness of some of her descriptions, the scenario described sounded like a complete nightmare. Nfirea couldn't imagine having to constantly look over his shoulder for unseen threats that wanted him and his alchemical talents silenced.
Fighting day-in and day-out, not sure who to trust and who to watch out for, and always paranoid that those closest to him might betray him at the worst possible moment were all valid fears in his mind.
He'd likely go insane from the gut-wrenching fear, a feeling that he was unfortunately familiar with during the darker moments of his lucidity. Even still, he'd never made enemies out of anyone beyond those who were jealous of his and his grandmother's work.
I can understand at least the situation Master Hermetis went through. With his abilities and talents, likely whoever couldn't have him wouldn't want anyone else to have him either. That being said, there's still something that doesn't make sense to me.
"These lands your father and his associates lived in before, It couldn't have just been one, giant free-for-all, right? Surely he and the others had a place to retire to when the day was done? Or is that part of the reason why he's come over here now?" He asked his next question.
This time, Citrinitas frowned. "He did, actually. Recently dad and the others all gathered together for one last 'hurrah' before coming to this place. I can't really tell you why they wanted to come here though. I love my dad, and all of his friends, 'cause they're like aunts and uncles to me, but it's not my place to really question their decisions."
A disappointing response, but one that was not wholly unexpected. Though Master Hermetis revealed some of his secrets in his teaching Nfirea, the younger alchemist was sure his elder still had some more buried in his far-reaching mind.
"Father's origins are not for us. Likely he would not tell you, even if you asked. Even Lady Cythlla and Lady Aellai would not say. However, others might be prompted," Rubedo piped up.
"Even then, it's likely they wouldn't say anything," the sharp-toothed woman huffed, "Anything they reveal would be of their volition. They'd have to actually want to talk, and I don't see why-"
She stiffened in her chair, back ramrod straight and staring directly at Nfirea's desk. Her eyes would tear themselves out of their sockets with how wide they were spread.
Rubedo, who'd kept a deathly calm demeanor the entire conversation, slightly raised an eyebrow to her sibling's sudden change in mood. She followed her line of sight, and then both eyebrows were raised.
A sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach emerged, looking back at his workspace where Rubedo and Citrinitas were staring. For the most part, it was as he left it. Organized but slightly messy from his various notes strewn about. The Emerald Book and Stylus were still there, resting exactly where he left them prior.
Only now, the lantern was lit and unshuttered, a small, flickering blue flame burning away at the center. That got him to frown, as he could've sworn that he'd put it out earlier that morning.
"Well, I think our time is up now, come on Rubedo," Citrinitas started, standing up from her chair and pushing it back in at the table. When Nfirea turned to look at her, he saw the subtle movement of her pulling two fingers away from her ear.
Rubedo, likewise, got up without another word, returning to her passive state of being once she heard her sister's command. They both proceeded to the door.
"Wait! What's going on? Are you two okay, cause it looks like you've just seen a ghost," Nfirea asked, noting that while they didn't look scared per se, they were most certainly startled.
"No, no, we're fine," Citrinitas said, flashing him another easy-going smile. "Just I don't think we're gonna be the ones answering anymore of your questions. Sorry we can't, but, well, you'll see in a moment."
They were already out the door, the heavy wooden frame slamming shut with a click. A barrage of inquiries swirled all around in the young alchemist's head at the suspicious and short meeting between the three.
Had he offended them somehow? Not likely, unless they counted ignorance as an insult, but if that were the case, why bother so much with the kind words? It didn't make sense.
A subtle breeze and bit of warmth licked at his backside, causing him to face the window and recognize that it'd been left open. He tried to get up and close it, but he felt an inexplicable need to blink.
So he did, and when his eyes opened up a split second later, what was once early day looked to be the middle of the night, moonlight streaming in like a font of silver to grace his quarters.
His skin prickled, his hairs standing on end with the goosebumps that rose like tiny hills all across his body. Breathing quickened, blood pumped, and limbs shook as the all-powerful and incomprehensible aura of something dug into his skull.
Everything rushed in all at once: sight, sound, touch, light, dark, and more. His senses almost fried from the overstimulation of pure power that came at him. It battered away at his very essence, willing and able to consume him for his weaknesses.
Nfirea's gaze darted around, searching desperately for the source of his immeasurable discomfort. He wanted to cry out, but his throat closed up and his tongue dried as his plea died before it even left his lips.
"So the little pharmacist wants to know where his teachers and their knowledge came from…," something said, coming both from everywhere and nowhere all at once. It was within him and outside of him, rattling his bones and tousling his hair.
Smoke filled the room, creating a hazy and suffocating atmosphere not unlike a house-fire. Sources of illumination flared throughout the billowing clouds of ash, but they were obscured by the thick veil.
"You should know, son, that nothing in life ever comes free, especially info like what you're asking for. I could give it to you, but what price would you pay for such things?"
Deep, mocking laughter boomed throughout the room, shaking it so badly that some of the towers of books fell over, spilling open and glaring at Nfirea for his carelessness in their positioning.
Heat curled against his clothing from all angles, lapping away at the hem of his pants and shirt. It made the roaring inferno of the city of E-Rangel feel like a campfire in comparison.
Finally his throat opened up enough for Nfirea to gasp out a question. "W-who are y-you?"
Silence permeated the pungent, smoky air, amused at his short and concise query. Another chortle, and then the smoke and heat pressed in even closer.
"I am many things, mortal. I have been called the Eternal Blaze, the Smoldering Wildfire, the Scourge of the Wild Ones, He of the Thousand Whips, but I find myself partial to another name these days."
Nfirea's eyes watered as the smoke coalesced with bits of said fire, the source of the hidden lights in the smog, twirling into a roaring tornado of molten fury. It tracked trails of burning material across the floor, embers flitting through the air like ethereal butterflies.
A shape began to carve itself out of the blistering inferno, but it was not one which he could comprehend. Tendrils of fieriness lashed around, while a vague assortment of limbs and basalt eyes drew out of the mass.
Finally, it collapsed in on itself, creating a likeness of Nfirea's outline entirely out of the swelter. Human-enough to recognize the shape, but no more. It floated above, looking down upon him with inhuman thoughts.
"I am Wish III, the Djinn of Muspellheim. I have seen the years crawl pass, and witnessed more than your puny mind can understand, son. I have slain monsters and gods alike in their own right, traversed worlds scarcely visited and seldom survived, and conquered the homes of beings who would wipe your race out in the blink of an eye. But I am not here to gloat, but rather, to make you an offer."
It flew closer to the ground, absorbing the light of the chandelier and plunging the room into darkness save for itself. It was face to face with him now, feet not touching the ground.
"How would you like to strike a bargain with a god, oh Alchemist mine?"