Before long, Old Henry walked out holding a leather helmet.
"Almost forgot about this." He handed the helmet over and nodded at Raine. "It’s part of the set."
Raine took the helmet. It felt solid but not heavy, sharing the same ink-like brownish-black hue as the Leather Armor. Its lines were clean and sharp, stitched together from two thick pieces of hardened leather. Below the brim, curved cheek guards extended down both sides but stopped perfectly just before the ears to ensure his hearing wouldn’t be obstructed. The forehead section bulged slightly; the leather fibers here were denser and thicker, significantly reinforcing its defense.
Raine put it on and fastened the leather strap beneath his jaw. The inner lining was soft and snug, and the reinforced leather ridge on the forehead sat just above his brow, offering an extra sense of security. While he could normally keep this helmet stored in his backpack, it would undoubtedly serve as crucial protection in the complex environment of the Demon Shadow Forest.
"Thank you, Master," Raine said, handing five Silver Lions to the old craftsman with genuine respect in his voice. He didn’t offer any extravagant praise; before such a masterfully crafted set of equipment, any words would seem pale.
"Off you go. Come back when it needs maintenance." Old Henry pocketed the Silver Coins and simply waved his hand, turning around to pack up the tools on his table. His back looked quiet yet contented—the best kind of farewell an old artisan could give.
Raine nodded and pushed the door open to leave.
The noise and bright light of the outside world instantly rushed in, but he felt completely different now. The Leather Armor’s weight was perfectly distributed across his entire body, much lighter than he had imagined, feeling like nothing more than an ordinary thick coat. He didn’t look back, but he could faintly sense that in the leather shop behind him, Old Henry had paused his work, listening in the dim light to his fading footsteps until the sound melted into the bustling crowds of the street and could no longer be distinguished.
The Alchemy Workshop wasn’t far from the leather shop. After walking for two blocks, Raine arrived in front of a rather massive building.
This two-story stone and wood structure looked less like a workshop and more like a fortress that had tenaciously survived several wars. Scorch marks and brand-new wooden repair planks covered the walls like patches, and a few windows had clearly been replaced later, their colors clashing sharply with the old frames. The most eye-catching feature was the roof. One corner had obviously caved in and was now barely propped up by rough timber and tarps, as if silently recounting the tragic aftermath of a certain "controlled Energy release."
[Mottled Town • East District • Stable Cauldron Alchemy Workshop]
[Description: The name "Stable Cauldron" now sounds like a brilliant, dry joke in Mottled Town.
This old establishment was founded by the respected "Blood-handed Mary" and has now been passed down to her granddaughter, Sarah the Radiant.
Sarah’s hands are the greatest medals of her vigorous curiosity. They are covered in un-washable Alchemy stains, so radiantly colorful that they could make a chameleon pack up and move away in shame.
As a former rising star of the Transformation School at the Solan Royal Academy, Sarah’s talent was undeniable—until her "explosive final exam tribute" half a year ago.
During an Alchemy exam aimed at purifying the burning activity of Dragon Breath Pepper Powder to its theoretical peak, she had a sudden whim. She used a small pinch of burning ash from the Fire Elemental Plane as a catalyst. The result instantly detonated the entire venue, smoking half of a historic Magic Tower pitch-black.
Even more tragically, the specially appointed Dwarf vice-principal who was proctoring the exam had his majestic, braided beard—which he had grown for a hundred and fifty years and valued as much as his life—singed into a trendy buzzcut in a split second.
Although there were no casualties, blowing the roof off half a landmark building and creating a heartbroken Dwarf vice-principal ultimately exceeded the academy’s bottom line for tolerating "creative practice."
As a result, Sarah was awarded the grand prize of "indefinite suspension to reflect on her actions at home." Today, it is quite obvious that she has not been doing any "deep reflection."]
"This ’Bian Finger’ seems even more terrifying than I imagined," Raine muttered, his mouth twitching slightly as he stared at the blackened wooden signboard.
He subconsciously touched the brand-new Leather Armor on his body and thought to himself, "It’s a good thing I have this new layer of protection; I feel a lot more secure. Who knows if I might be sent flying to the roof by a ’controlled Energy release’ in the next second?"
Taking a deep breath, he mustered his courage and pushed open the exceptionally sturdy-looking workshop door.
A complex odor hit him in the face—a mixture of the bitter scent of herbs, the pungent smell of sulfur, the metallic tang of rust, and a faint, lingering trace of char. The interior of the workshop looked surprisingly tidy. A row of wooden display counters lined the wall, showcasing various colorful Alchemy Potions, some of which emitted a faint fluorescence. However, no Alchemy or experimental tools were in sight. He figured that those devices were probably located upstairs; otherwise, the roof wouldn’t have been blown off in the first place.
Behind the counter, Sarah was slumped over listlessly.
Her signature long violet hair looked particularly messy today, as if it had just been blown by a gale. Resting her chin on the counter, her usually lively eyes were currently dull and lifeless as she stared blankly into the air. Even Raine’s entrance didn’t seem to immediately catch her attention.
"Miss Sarah?" Raine called out tentatively.
"Hmm? Oh! It’s you!" Sarah jerked her head up as if jolted awake. Seeing Raine, she managed to force a small smile onto her face, but it quickly faded away. "You’re the black-haired kid who helped me find the Calming Bellflower. Your name is Raine, right? Kaelin has mentioned you to me several times!"
Her voice wasn’t as vibrant as it had been at the Guild last time, carrying an obvious sense of exhaustion.
"You two know each other?" Raine was taken aback for a moment before realization dawned on him. Kaelin definitely wanted to ask Sarah for help; after all, the latter was also a Caster with "explosive" strength.
Sarah propped her head up with one hand while her other hand absently flicked a small bright-blue crystal on the table.
"Yeah, she wants me to help crack a Curse Series Magic Barrier. We get along quite well! She’s a woman of action, much better than me.
"It’s a pity I’m really not very good at the Curse School. After all, I majored in the Transformation School at the academy, and I was sent back after only a year of attendance...
"I wanted to recommend my grandmother to help. She would definitely have a way! But... but Grandmother hasn’t come back yet. She was supposed to be back three days ago."
As she spoke, a sigh full of helplessness and self-reproach escaped her lips. By the end, her voice dropped, and her eyes seemed to grow a little red.
Raine quickly realized that the root cause of Sarah’s listless demeanor was her worry for her grandmother on the front lines. Understanding this, he shook his head helplessly; the tense situation at the front lines was clearly affecting many people.
After a brief pause, Raine followed up on the topic. "She was supposed to be back three days ago?"
"Yes!" Sarah suddenly sat up straight, her tone growing agitated. "That’s exactly what the letter said!"
Her head quickly drooped again.
"But I heard that the conflict between both sides has intensified over the past few days, and some small-scale battles have already broken out. The Northern Barbarians brought in by the Traditional Nobility, in particular, have exceptionally high fighting spirits. With those Northern Barbarians backing them, the Traditional Nobility has become even more unbridled!"
She slammed her fist on the counter with a muffled THUD, causing a small bottle on a nearby shelf to wobble. She grew angrier as she spoke, her cheeks puffing out.
"Hmph, if those barbarians hadn’t suddenly intervened, how could those old fossils’ Knights and conscripts possibly be a match for our New Noble Alliance? If they hadn’t been so aggressive and insisted on fighting this war, Grandmother would have come back safely long ago!
"Now look at the situation. Lotte City is surrounded like an iron barrel. It’s hard even to send a letter out. I don’t know how Grandmother is doing in there, whether she has enough food to eat, or if she’s safe."
Worry replaced her anger once more, and her voice gradually lowered as her fingers anxiously twisted the hem of her skirt.
Seeing this normally lively and energetic young girl looking so fragile and uneasy over her family’s safety, Raine didn’t know what to say for a moment. He wasn’t very good at comforting people, so he could only offer a dry remark. "Master Mary is a powerful Mage. She will definitely be able to protect herself."
"I hope so..." Sarah muttered under her breath, sniffing hard in an attempt to suppress her welling emotions.
Raine fell silent for a moment. Feeling that continuing this topic would only make Sarah sadder, he prepared to steer the conversation toward buying Alchemy Potions. However, before he could speak, the workshop door was pushed open once again.