The Mysterious Black Magician

Airi shifted her gaze to his hand and his face, seemingly wary of him. But she noticed that the person in front of her seemed to be not bad. In any case, he was Miss Ella's cousin.

She reached out with her hand also.

Although her hand was smooth and so tiny, Yman didn't give much thought about it and shook her hand while trying to wear his gentlest smile he could muster as to not startle her.

Cinder followed after him. "My name is Cinde Rayla, Miss Airi," she said with a wide smile.

"Hello, Miss Cinde."

"Cinde?" They heard Crimson's mutter.

"Mhm!" She nodded. "That's my real name," Cinde stated.

"Eh! Cinder is not your real name?" He asked with a surprised face.

"Of course, not! Cinder is just a codename for the competition," she asserted.

"....."

Yman was a little surprised. No wonder Rea was calling her Cinde all this time. Though it wasn't a big issue for him to take into account.

Beside them, Rea was silent while sighing at him. 'This Eyma didn't even bother knowing it…' she thought.

"Right. Miss Airi, where is the backyard you mentioned earlier?"

He asked when he remembered her words awhile ago. He glanced around the building but he could not find him.

"UH, Crimson, what she meant is to the mountain," Rea said while pointing to the far mountain that could be seen in the distance.

"Hm, I see."

Since the professor wasn't there yet, Airi decided to tour them inside the lab.

When they entered, he and the others were surprised that inside the rundown building was opposite to what they expected; although different kinds of materials that were needed for alchemy could be seen everywhere, they were well-arranged on the glass shelves and some on the table.

He sighed in relief upon seeing it. At least he didn't need to do a cleaning. It must be Miss Airi who arranged them, he thought.

He saw different kinds of rare stones, metals, and herbs displayed on the wall, seemingly a collection for display. Although it looked like a rundown building outside, it looked fine and comfortable inside.

A set of sofas was even in the corner. And a small glass table was in the middle of it.

But what took his attention was the liquid in one of the glasses that were on the tabletop. It was shining like it was pulsifying, then different kinds of colors would surface now and then. He could also perceive magical energy from it. 

"Miss Airi, what are those?" He was mystified by it and decided to ask her.

"Ah that, it's my newly made magical drink!" She excitedly stated.

"A magical drink? Could it be an elixir?"

"Kind of…"

"A Booster Elixir? Or healing? Or could it be an antidote?" 

"Eh? Uh, it doesn't fall to any of that category."

"What do you mean Miss Airi?" 

He was pondering if there was any other category besides those he just said.

"Could it be the Elixir Of Resistance?" He muttered.

"Nah… not that as well."

"....." Crimson fell silent. Aside from those he just said the other elixirs fell in the category of Healing Elixir -- like the Mana and Health Replenishment. Even the vitality and stamina fell to the healing category as well.

Seeing the bafflement on his face, Airi said in hesitation: "I-it's a Body Tampering Elixir."

"Body Tampering…" he repeated while tilting his head. He tried to remember if there was an elixir with that category. But after a couple of seconds, he still could not remember any.

"Miss Airi, what's the difference for it, from the other elixirs?" Yman asked with a curious face.

Seeing someone interested in it, Airi's eyes started to shine as she started a passionate explanation about the Body Tampering Elixir of hers.

After several minutes of explaining, "an elixir to evolve one's body in which the one who's using it can evolve in a more efficient and powerful outcome? This truly wonderful creation!" Crimson exclaimed.

"Yeah!"

However, this sounds familiar to him: "Hmm….." he was pondering.

'Isn't there some kind of ancient stories about it?' If his memories served him right, on the AS continent, in the CH country, some story about cultivating one's spirit or soul was once popular in the Lost Era.

Based on the story, the body tampering was the beginning of cultivating one's soul and spirit.

'Could it be Miss Airi used it as a reference?' He thought.

"Uhm, Miss Airi, do you….. perhaps read an ancient human story about Soul and Spirit Cultivation?" Crimson asked with his fingers on his chin.

"Soul and Spirit Cultivation? No, I don't read any stories about it. I'm not even a fan of reading storybooks. I rather read some books about alchemy," she said in honesty.

"I see," he replied and thought: 'Could it be a coincidence?'

He noticed Airi's doubtful gaze.

"Regardless, is this elixir a perfect outcome, Miss Airi?" After asking it, he saw her disgruntled face as she sighed in dismay.

"Ahaha…" he laughed descendingly. It looked like he overreacted after hearing the Body Tampering words. It made him excited and forgot those things were just a fantasy story from the Lost Era. And in actuality, there's no such method to do it.

'Based on her explanation, perhaps, Airi named it as Body Tampering because of the permanent effect this elixir can bring to the user.'

'It truly a wonderful elixir if perfected.'

'Wait! A body tampering?'

"Miss Airi! You said a while ago that it can reform a body?!" He exclaimed when it came to his mind.

"Eh!" She was taken aback by his sudden exclamation. Even Cinde and Rea were baffled by his sudden outburst. They glanced at him with stunned faces. "Y-yes!" Airi replied after a stun.

"What of it?" She followed a question.

"So is it possible to bring back the broken Magician's Seed to function?" He asked in haste.

"?", Airi thought for a second, then said: "Sorry, I don't think it can."

 "Sorry, I don't think it can."

 "Sorry, I don't think it can."

Her reply reverberated for a couple of times in his ears.

They noticed him suddenly turned glum. With his eyes lost their sheen.