“Why are you out here?”
Julius saw Helos beckoning him over and immediately trotted up, his eyes full of curiosity. “I was just about to bring you lunch.”
“Oh? So you have some free time today.”
Helos raised an eyebrow, her tone light and cheerful.
“Yeah, sort of. Miss Eleanor is busy working on the city’s surveillance and defense plans, so I have a bit of free time for now.”
The boy answered earnestly.
“That’s perfect, then. I need you to help me with something.”
The silver-haired girl smiled mysteriously, slipping a handwritten recipe quietly into his palm, then casually took the lunchbox from his arms.
“Go buy everything on this list. I need to get started on the experiment.”
“Ah? Oh… okay.”
Julius blinked, looking down at the recipe list.
When he looked back up, Helos was already jogging away down the corridor, clutching the lunchbox, her silver hair leaving a streak of light in the air before disappearing around the corner.
The boy paused for a moment, watching her speedy retreat, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. Finally, he muttered quietly:
“That was our lunch… and I haven’t eaten yet…”
Though he said that, Julius changed into casual clothes and faithfully set off from the duke’s manor.
He walked along the sun-drenched street, clutching the crumpled recipe list in his hand.
The marketplace was bustling, vendors shouting out their wares one after another, the air heavy with a mix of sweat and the scent of various goods.
“Fresh Morning Dew Flowers! Just picked!”
“Dwarven honey brew! Only three hundred Soli per barrel!”
“Hey, young man, want to try some Moonlight Mushrooms?”
The boy patiently asked prices, carefully comparing items against Helos’s list, occasionally pulling out coins to pay the merchants.
He bought a whole basket of Morning Dew Flowers, then, encouraged by the enthusiastic sellers, picked out a few jars of honey and the required medicinal herbs.
When the wine merchant cheerfully handed over the heavy barrel of honey brew, Julius almost stumbled under the weight, drawing hearty laughs from nearby passersby.
“This kid’s pretty serious.”
“He’s handsome too. Hmm, whose child is he?”
People whispered around him, but Julius just smiled faintly, weaving through the crowd with his bundles in hand.
Soon, he returned silently to the duke’s manor.
“Bang!”
The workshop door was kicked open, and Julius came in, carrying the packages, casually piling them in front of Helos.
The silver-haired girl was poking at the food in the lunchbox with a fork, lost in thought, her brows slightly furrowed, looking rather troubled.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
Julius raised an eyebrow.
“There’s too much… I can’t finish it all. And there’s so much meat.”
Helos replied dryly.
“Can’t really finish it?”
“Really can’t.”
“See? I told you.”
A proud smile curved on the boy’s lips as he looked down at the “lavish” meat feast half untouched.
“This is the amount for the two of us.”
He pointed to the half-full meat box. “If you can finish all this by yourself, that would be a miracle.”
Helos blinked, then rolled her eyes. “You should’ve said that sooner!”
“I looked up and you were gone without a trace. Who was I supposed to tell?”
Julius pouted, then picked up a piece of grilled meat from the box and popped it into his mouth, mumbling between chews:
“I bought… everything you asked for. What kind of experiment are you planning?”
“I’ve already figured out the recipe. Now it’s time for the brewing experiment phase.”
Helos propped her chin on her hand, lazily staring at the black-haired boy, a mischievous smile on her lips.
“But I was busy all morning, so I’m going to rest a bit before continuing.”
Julius swallowed his meat, locking eyes with her:
“But your expression doesn’t quite say that.”
“And what exactly does my expression say?”
“Uh…”
The boy blinked, mimicking her tone and slowly said, “Something like, ‘Hurry up and eat, then get out of my way! I’ve got work to do!’”
Helos giggled and lounged back in her chair.
“You’re pretty smart. Want me to say it again?”
“N-no need.”
Julius hurriedly waved his hand, muttering softly, “After all, I’m your experiment assistant. And you won’t even let me watch?”
“Well, you’ve got to keep some tricks to yourself.”
Helos narrowed her eyes and smiled proudly. “Everyone’s got their little secrets, right?”
“That’s true… alright.”
Julius sighed and quickly polished off the lunch in three bites, wiping the corner of his mouth with a smile. “Then I’ll wait for your good news.”
“Leave it to me.”
Helos gave him an “OK” gesture, her silver hair shimmering lightly, her expression full of confidence — though she wasn’t sure if Julius understood the gesture.
After sending Julius out of the workshop once again, Helos wasted no time diving into her experiment.
First came the preparation of the basic potions.
Using [Quick Craft], she quickly produced a large quantity of antidotes and vitality potions.
“Good.”
She muttered softly to herself and turned toward the large wooden barrel.
As she lifted the lid, a rich sweet fragrance instantly spread through the air.
The scent of the Dwarven honey brew was heavy but not cloying, with a natural floral sweetness that made one want to take a sip.
Helos inhaled deeply, a slight smile lifting her lips, then took out a brand-new set of alchemy tools and began her experiment.
She scooped a cup of Dwarven honey brew and carefully poured it into a clear wine glass, then slowly added a few drops of antidote.
The emerald liquid spread through the golden brew like ink diffusing in water, blending seamlessly without a trace.
Helos squinted her eyes and gently swirled the glass, observing the color changes.
“So far, so good…”
She murmured, then added a small spoonful of vitality potion.
The sweet aroma immediately intensified, mingling with the brew’s fragrance to produce an unexpectedly fresh scent.
But this was only the first step.
Helos then mixed several samples in different proportions:
Some with a higher antidote ratio brought a slightly bitter aftertaste.
Some with more vitality potion tasted sweeter.
Each time she prepared a sample, she took a small sip, savoring the subtle differences, then quickly noted her impressions.
Soon, the table was filled with small cups of various shapes and colors, ranging from pale gold to light green, the air thick with the complex blend of potions and alcohol.
The girl’s expression grew increasingly focused, her eyes shining with excitement as if immersed in an artistic creation.
As the experiment went on, Helos’s cheeks flushed more and more, and she occasionally broke into a goofy smile.
Which was understandable.
The alcohol content wasn’t very high… but after all, Dwarven honey brew was still alcohol.
Oh no her liver