Chapter 393: Master Etinam |
Chapter 393 - Master Etinam
Kai sank back into his chair. The new information overshadowed the relief from Alden ignoring the recipes' ridiculous names.
The… Sylvan Alchemist? Is that Dora’s title?
None of his teachers had ever mentioned that to him, but how many powerful alchemists named Theodora Etinam could there be? He dismissed the possibility that another person had the same name.
She did specialize in plants and herbal alchemy. It can only be her. Just… why did she never tell me?
Years living at the estate, and another piece of information his mentors had never bothered to share. The Sylvan Alchemist. He understood why they kept their secrets, but it still stung to find someone who’d never met Dora knew more about her than him. Alas, he had little time to mull his feelings.
Alden perched on the edge of his chair, purple eyes unblinking, slowly tipping forward. If it were anyone else, Kai might suspect they were about to leap across the table to demand answers out of him.
“I’m not sure.” He scratched the bridge of his nose with his thumb. “It does sound like Dora. But she never talked much about herself. Is she like… very famous?
Alden seemed to choke. Flopping backward, he broke his transfixed stare and softly muttered, “Very famous… Dora…” His attention snapped to the leather-bound book. His hands hovered above the pages, caught between restraint and the eager trepidation to feverishly scan the contents. “MasterEtinam is one of the foremost human experts in Herbal Alchemy. And one among few who share their work so freely. If she really was your teacher….”
“Who else would have? It was a gift.” Kai hung on his air of casual nonchalance. “I had no idea she was famous.”
“Of course. She is.” Alden spared him a look of seriousness before returning to the pages. “When I was young, Grandmother let me browse the tomes in her private collection whenever I perfected a potion. Master Etinam’s manuscripts were some of my favorites. Her methodologies and approach to essence extraction and distillation are groundbreaking…”
Hmm, Dora made me ice cream when I did well.
The rustle of pages turning mixed with his quiet mutterings about various alchemical principles. Halfway through the book, Alden suddenly stilled and wrenched his gaze away. “Uh, sorry.” He woodenly dipped his head. “My curiosity made me act with poor manners. I should’ve asked before reading through the recipes.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. That’s why I gave you the book. Read and copy whatever you like.”
“Can I… really?” Alden chewed his lip. “I’ve never worked with most of these herbs. Same for the processing. I only recognize some of the distillation techniques. They’re odd and ingenious. It ignores many common methods in favor of this archipelago’s alternatives. I’m grateful you showed it to me, but… You don’t really need my help brewing these potions, do you? You could easily find alchemical equivalents on sale.”
Well… I thought I was more subtle. At least he likes the gift.
Kai bit his cheek, face slightly flushed from having his intentions seen through. “I would like to understand more. The book was just gathering dust in my ring anyway. I thought it’d make for an interesting study project.”
“I see.” Alden stole glances of longing at the book. “Are you certain? It’s true these recipes are unusual. But I don’t think you realize their value to an expert alchemist. Even just the new potential applications and research ideas… Grandmother would pay—”
“I’m sure!” Kai waved his arms before some outrageous offer could tempt him. He’d planned this to repay his roommate’s free tutoring, not fleece him. No matter the boatload of mesars he might wring out—
Nope! Don’t think of those piles of shiny coins. I’m not that shameless. Or stupid enough to scam his scary family.
“Dora would also appreciate me sharing her work. So it’s no loss. She already has plans to publish it in a few years.”
“If that’s Master Etinam’s wish.” Alden solemnly nodded, his hand already sneaking back toward the book, caressing the leather cover. “I’ll do my best to help. Did she truly teach you Alchemy? How did you manage to become her apprentice? Did you meet her in this… Baquaire archipelago? It’s one of the newly developed territories, right? I should visit. How’s she in person? Is she as nice as rumors say?”
The deluge of questions only picked up speed, growing more and more specific.
Oh, yeah… he’s totally freaking out about Dora.
Kai patiently waited for his roommate to finish rambling. “I don’t know much about her. Dora was a private person, and I was still a child. She was researching potions that could be brewed in the Baquaire Archipelago’s scant mana zone.”
Aware that the more he said, the higher the chance he’d compromise Matthew Veernon’s backstory, Kai kept his answers vague. Half-truths, leading facts and misleading assumptions wove themselves into convincing lies, so they wouldn’t trigger Alden’s lie detection skill.
Dora had spent over ten years in the archipelago. If she’s taught one child, why not more? Why not the son of a reclusive alchemist with no witness able to confirm nor deny?
Seeing Alden hang onto his every word, guilt prickled him for his deception. But what else could he do? Thankfully, his roommate didn’t push for details about his childhood, focusing on Dora.
I know so little about her, I don’t have much to lie about.
The realization left him with a bittersweet feeling.
Aunty Dora, the plump woman humming over her cauldron, working each day in the dirt of her garden, cooking delicious meals for half his childhood. The Sylvan Alchemist, a powerful and renowned expert across nations. Both one and the same.
When searching for his teachers, it never occurred to him that Dora might be the easiest to find. Compared with Virya’s mystique and Elijah’s mysterious past, the warm and humble alchemist easily went overlooked.
Spirits, I’m so dumb.
When she mentioned she’d give him a few years before publishing the book, he should’ve guessed Practical Potions from the Baquaire Archipelago wouldn’t be her first published work.
Is that why no one told me her title? Too easy to find a lead?
It probably wasn’t so simple. Not everyone could access a Blackwoods’s library outside elite alchemist circles.
“So, Master Etinam visited you and your father alone? Since you were very young? And she cooked you meals?” Alden squirmed, voice choked, struggling to keep his bearing.
“About that. Yeah.” Kai lifted a shoulder in a shrug. Remembering Dora’s mango pie still made his mouth water—best cook ever. Though he’d sooner get tortured than tell his mother.
“But how…” Alden intently studied him from across the table. His expression suddenly eased as he leaned back. “Oh… I see,” he said. As if he’d figured out how a puzzle fit together, he looked quite pleased and oddly awed.
You see… what?
Kai narrowed his eyes, but failed to decipher the looks the teen threw at him. As long as he could stop the questions, he’d take that as a win.
Alden avoided his gaze. Outside the balcony window, only the glow of crystal illuminated the night. “It’s late today. We should look through the manuscript and plan how to tackle it. It might take a few days to get these herbs.” He leafed through the pages, his gaze periodically flickering toward him. “Hmm, there are a lot of recipes."
“Forty-nine,” Kai said. “Why do you keep looking at me strangely?”
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Alden whipped his head away. “I’m not looking at you.”
“Right…” Kai leaned in to read the recipes. Barely five seconds later, his roommate stole another glance, and he was ready to catch him. “You’re not looking at me, huh? What is it?”
“Nothing. Truly, it’s none of my business.”
“Now, you’re just making me more curious. Out with it.”
“It’s just… You said your father always lived alone. And you don’t know who your mother is… And Master Etinam cooked you meals and instructed you personally...”
“What are you—” Kai blinked and reeled back. “I’m not her son! How would you even… It’s ridiculous!”
“Of course, I won’t tell anyone.”
“You won’t because there is nothing to tell.”
“Exactly. Absolutely nothing.” Alden bobbed his head, his entire attention suddenly captured by the recipes.
“I’m serious.” Kai closed his gaping mouth. He briefly considered arguing, but what was the point?
Guess my cover story worked too well. Is this karma?
Resigned to the misunderstanding, leaned over to read the upturned journal. His goal was more or less successful.
“Do you have a preference about what to brew?” Alden asked. “What of… Kai’sRadiant Conscience? Sounds like a lucidity elixir. Hmm, this Kai must have made an impression on her.”
“Yeah, I heard he was very impressive. A rare genius.”
“Did Master Etinam say that?” Alden gawked wistfully, never doubting a word about Dora. “Did you meet him? Or do you think I could meet him? Only if it’s not a big issue, naturally."
“I… No. I mean, it’s not a problem. Just… he died several years ago.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Alden hung his head, looking genuinely sad. “That’s a pity.”
“Yeah,” Kai agreed. “A very unfortunate death.”
He pondered how their conversation got there as Alden mapped out the recipes by difficulty and similarities, and drafted out a plan to brew them. In minutes, his roommate drew connections Kai had never made in years.
“Are you sure we can get these ingredients?”
“I’ll reach out through my channels. It shouldn’t be difficult. If we experiment extensively, sourcing large quantities from the archipelago might be harder. But many of these herbs have similar strains on the mainland. Or we can find equivalents.”
“Uhm, equivalents? You mean like substituting the ingredients?” He had some experience tweaking potions himself, but that was usually one ingredient at a time and with low grade herbs. “Can you really entirely restructure a recipe?"
Memo 52: Put Alden in contact with Reishi about supplying herbs from the archipelago.
“If you understand the ingredient function and properties, generally yes,” Alden said, still scribbling his plans. “At least for Orange grade potions. For higher tiers, I’d need to consult an expert. But we have months of experimenting before that becomes a necessity. Naturally, I wouldn’t mention you, or the recipe’s origin.”
“Thanks. That would be appreciated.”
“I imagined you’d like to keep your parentage quiet.”
“Yeah…” Kai wanted to bury his face in his hands. “What were you saying about substituting ingredients?”
“It’s a niche field of research, but extensively studied among Green alchemists. Many ancient or foreign potions require plants and beast parts that went extinct millennia ago on this side of Elydes. So people found ways around it, then expanded the field for convenience. It’s a relatively common practice for lower-grade potions. Not to say it’s easy, or that the result will be equally good to the original. But a suboptimal brew is always better than having no potion at all.
“Try to imagine each ingredient as a set of distinct properties. Many herbs carry similar effects, at least at lower grades, though rarely in the exact same combination. That’s where you process and distill the ingredients, shaping them to your needs. And that’s why Master Etinam’s recipes are so valuable despite their peculiarities.”
“I think… I get it.” Kai muttered, saving a mnemonic thread. None of the information really shocked him, but there was a stark difference between the vague ideas floating in his head and a neat and proven explanation. “Is that truly common knowledge?”
“It’s not a secret.” Alden tapped a page. “Here, why don’t we start from Kai’s Prideful Spirit. I should have some usable herbs in my room.” He stacked his drafted plans; book safely tucked under his arm. “Are you coming?”
Guess I won’t have to worry about him making fun of the names.
“I’m coming.” Kai followed. He never thought he’d get to peek into Alden’s space after the misunderstanding on the first day.
Don’t mind if I do.
To his disappointment, the rich boy’s room looked remarkably like his own: four plaster walls and one window—tidy as much as Rob’s was messy.
The air carried the scent of herbs and something faintly metallic. A narrow glass cabinet rested against the bedframe. Inside, Nibbles lay curled like a pitch-black ribbon amidst a lush garden, napping in the soft glow of a heat lamp. His pink tongue flicked when they entered. The wardrobe and two desks also seemed of better quality than his own, glimmering with custom enchantments.
That’s more like it. Wait… are they all spatially enchanted? Guess that’s one way to get more storage room… Fancy.
On the second table, glass vials, stoppered bottles and shallow jars of powdered reagents lined a rack affixed to the corner walls. Parchment notes spilled from a drawer cabinet. A dark metal cauldron glowed like a lightbulb from the layered runes on its surface, and a small burner kept a flask of cloudy liquid at a low simmer.
“Have a seat.” Alden dragged both chairs over to his alchemy station, gathering the herbs and papers from an ongoing project and stuffing them away.
“Hmm, thanks.” Kai shuffled closer, trying to keep his curiosity discreet. His sore body eased onto the padded chair—obviously enchanted and unreasonably comfortable. For his own well-being, he stopped estimating what everything cost.
“Gold emberleaf should work for the main reagent.” Alden carefully set down the book and began rummaging through his drawers. “The second component is harder. We could try a combination of ghost clover, moonfennel and spirit nettle.”
Kai sat back and nodded along. “Of course, that makes sense.” Alas, his relaxed spectating didn’t last when he was recruited to assist.
“Cut the stems between the third and secondary vein.” Alden set down a ghostly blue-gray stalk and threw open a drawer full of gleaming scalpels. “Pick whatever you need.”
“Okay, though I’ve never—”
“Be quick. Ghost clovers wilt fast once you start cutting. We don’t have time for many attempts.” Alden spun back to section a bright red leaf veined with gold, muttering theories and disconnected thoughts.
“Alright.” Kai could only jolt to keep up with the instructions.
* * *
Time flew amidst the minced herbs, bubbling solutions and acrid smell of failures. About two hours in, a notification alerted him that Alchemy had reached level 99. So close to Yellow. Kai had no time to celebrate as Alden waved for the ingredients buzzing around his cauldron.
I think we spoke more tonight than in the last three months. Well, maybe excluding the trial.
They brewed nothing that could be considered a success, but neither seemed put off by it.
“Curious.” Alden scrunched his nose at their latest sludgy creation on a glass dish. His quill scratched a few lines on a notebook. “I have solid leads. I just need to review our findings.” He channeled a wisp of mana below his desk. With a soft thrum, an array began to purify the air. Glancing at the clockwork watch above his desk, he froze and blinked. “I didn’t realize it got so late. Uhm… sorry.”
“Just four hours.” Kai stretched his arms and chuckled. “Still some time before dawn. Really, don’t sweat it. I had fun! Though we should probably call it night.”
Alden stiffly nodded, pale face flushed, hands still clasping Dora’s book. “I agree. We'd better continue tomorrow evening. I mean, if that works for you.”
“Yeah, sure. I should have some time.” Kai covered a yawn as the day’s exhaustion seemed to suddenly catch up with him. “Though maybe we set a timer.”
It turned out that freely experimenting with rare herbs and professional equipment netted a lot of experience.
It’s like buying the levels. So much for a gift. Why does it feel like I’m still getting the better end of the deal?
“That seems wise.” Alden shuffled beside the desk.
“You know, you can hold onto that book.”
“I can— no, no. Master Etinam gifted it to you. That wouldn’t be appropriate.”
“Man, we live across the hallway. It’ll be fine.” Kai argued the point back and forth twice before Alden agreed, promising he’d never bring it out of the dorm and store it with utmost regard.
“Thank you.” The teen set the book down, his hand hovering on the cover. “These recipes are fascinating. I would like to visit the Baquaire Archipelago one day. Maybe visit the places where Master Etinam studied the local flora.”
“Uh, yeah. There is not much to see. The isles are mostly known for the thin ambient mana. But sure… if you’d like. One day.” From all evidence, Kai suspected Dora must have been at Blue too. He could ask Alden, but it felt embarrassing to reveal his ignorance. He lingered at the door, then turned. “Hey, can I ask you an unrelated question? It’s a bit personal, so don’t feel forced to answer.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t.” Alden snatched his eyes away from the book and peered at him curiously.
“So… I know your family is a really big deal. I know each House handles internal affairs differently, but they all have a family head. Are you like… in the line of succession?”
Alden studied him for a long moment, brows serious and knitted. “Would that change anything?” He asked drily.
“Well, of course.” Kai leaned on the frame of the door. “I would need to start calling you your lordship.”
“That— That’s not a title used in the Republic.” Alden pinched the bridge of his nose. “Go to bed. You need the sleep. You’re getting even stranger than your unusually high normal.”
“So, you’re saying you’re too good for it, huh?”
Alden sighed. “Yes, maybe I should contact my family’s executioner to clear this insult.” He shut the door in his face. “Good night, Matthew. ”
“Hey, you didn't answer the question!” Kai snorted at the closed door.
He heard a loud thump, surely one of Alden’s books.
I think I'm growing on him.