HBWnovel Chapter 11 -11-What the Hell is This Potion??
Chapter 11 -11-What the Hell is This Potion??
Chapter 11: Chapter11-What the Hell is This Potion??
"I thought you had run off, but you actually dared to come back to honor the bet?"
Watching John return, Fara slowly stood up, her gaze unintentionally catching the timid Lily behind him, her eyes lighting up instantly.
"What a cute little sister! What's your name?"
"Hello sister, my name is Lily."
"Fara Jones, you can call me Fara."
Fara quickly stepped forward, sizing up Lily, pinching her cheeks and poking her belly as if she were handling a delicate toy.
Indeed, Lily had a sweet appearance.
Being underage, she still had the physique of a young girl, appearing mostly cute, but once she grew up, her body would develop into that of white stocking mature lady, the type John was familiar with.
"Mmm... you smell so nice, Lily!"
"Thank you, Sister Fara. Can you let go of me now?"
"Ah, sorry sorry, I got a bit carried away."
Fara stuck out her tongue playfully, then
Fara stuck out her tongue, then turned to John and gave a soft cough. "You can start now."
"Alright."
John nodded slightly and slowly walked over to the alchemy workbench, taking a deep breath as he surveyed the diverse array of materials in front of him.
He had never used an alchemy workbench before; everything would have to be done according to the methods described in the Basic Alchemy Manuscript, starting from scratch.
He began by grinding merfolk herb in a mortar, mixing it with slime fluid to create a blend, then filtering out the impurities.
Next, he added powdered ice silkworm cocoons to ensure a thorough fusion.
The final step was heating.
The earlier processes were almost flawless, something most alchemists could do in their sleep after numerous trials.
The real difference lay in the heat and technique of the heating—this was the critical point that decided success or failure.
Seasoned alchemists could determine the perfect heating temperature by painstakingly experimenting with each solution's composition.
But John had no need to worry about this!
Though his movements were inexperienced, they were far from panicked.
Each shake of the potion was timed perfectly.
The alchemy station was enveloped in a haze of fragrant smoke, and one could vaguely see strands of silver threading around John's form.
The [Kiss of Fate] potion accompanied him silently in this unassuming manner.
Even Fara, who knew nothing about alchemy, was captivated by the spectacle.
"John."
"John," Fara Jones continued, her voice earnest, "I, Fara Jones, in the name of the Jones family, solemnly swear before the God of Contracts and Oaths [Horks], to invite you to be a distinguished alchemist in the Jones household. You will forever be an esteemed guest of the Jones family..."
"Johnny, what is she talking about?" Observing the suddenly serious Fara Jones, Lily seemed a bit uncomfortable and poked John's shoulder, continuing, "She suddenly seems so devout..."
"She is making a vow, similar to a legally recognized contract. Except here, they don't need the law's recognition but require the blessing of the gods. If the vow is broken, they will be punished by the gods."
"I see... So, are you going to accept, Johnny?"
"Why not? We're going to be in Calia city for a while anyway, and staying here seems like a good choice."
In front of him, Fara Jones's chant continued.
"Mr. John, would you be willing to inscribe your name on this parchment, a symbol of justice?"
"No problem, but I have one condition. At no time may you or your family restrict me or my companions for any reason or excuse. If you agree, then let's sign the contract."
"Of course, I swear to [Horks] that neither I nor my family will ever restrict you or your companions' personal freedoms in any way."
With that said, John had no more reservations. He took the feather pen and left his name on the parchment scroll.
The next moment, John clearly saw an additional line appear on his character panel.
[Contract with Fara Jones now established, effective duration: permanent]
"I thought you would change your attitude only after I made a second batch of the poison antidote potion."
"How could that be? It is an honor for the Jones family to collaborate with an alchemist like Mr. John. If I continued to deliberately make things difficult for Mr. John, it would be a disgrace to my family."
Fara was no fool. As soon as John could prove his credentials as an alchemist, how could she continue to be difficult?
Alienating a true alchemist would be of no benefit to her.
Legend has it that there are alchemists in the world who can turn decay into wonder and lead into gold, so every alchemist is a potential gold mine!
Even if she couldn't learn the legendary spells to transmute materials into gold, just the ability to turn rudimentary materials into miraculous potions was enough to make a fortune.
"Mr. John, if you do not already have a place to stay in Calia city, my shop has a few vacant rooms. If you wouldn't mind, you could temporarily stay here. Additionally, I can provide all the materials you need free of charge...
However, in return, could you please prepare potions for me at no cost?"
"No problem, prepare the room first. Also, please deliver the materials I mentioned earlier to my room later. I will make five bottles of poison antidote potion and five bottles of basic HP potion daily without charge, provided you supply the materials."
"It would be my honor."
Feeling Fara's respectful demeanor, John couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental.
Reflecting on his past life, before his second class change, he had endured disdain in every city under the thief class.
This only improved slightly when he changed his class to assassin, though he was still mocked as a sewer rat.
Now, simply revealing his identity had earned him such respect from Fara Jones...
This world really is pragmatic...