Chapter 280: 031: Magic Potion Manor
A few days later, east of the Fairy Forest, at the Magic Potion Manor.
âWoof woof woof!â
âOver here! Brownâs nose doesnât lie!â
The sound of barking was followed by hurried footsteps.
A group of Transformed Knights rushed into the inner corridor of the manor, chasing after several Demon Hunting Hounds, and made their way straight to the instructor dormitory area. They finally stopped in front of a two-story stone house, its front yard meticulously maintained with flowers and plants.
The Demon Hunting Hounds stopped in front of the door, barking non-stop. One of the Transformed Knights rushed forward and pounded heavily on the door.
âOpen up! Open up quickly!â
Footsteps soon echoed from inside, and before long, a poised and beautiful Witch in her early twenties opened the door. She was wearing a deep purple robe embroidered with silver runes at the cuffs, her chest adorned with an emblem of Silver Moon Grassâthe insignia of a Level 1 Instructor at the Magic Potion Manor.
Her position within this small Wizard Organization was second only to the Witch Master.
The Witch asked, âWhat is it?â
The Transformed Knight replied, âWe have received orders stating that a fugitive may have escaped to this location. We need to search your residence. Please cooperate.â
The Witchâs expression darkened as her elegant brows knitted together. Her sharp face grew frosty: âAnd what if I donât cooperate?â
The Transformed Knight immediately felt immense mental pressure but still placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. âPlease cooperate. We are acting under orders!â
The Witch remained steadfast. âTry searching, I dare you!â
Seeing the tension escalate, just then, an old knight with shimmering silver hair hurried over. This was Ilio Milan, the captain of the Knight Guard at the Magic Potion Manor and a High-level Knight.
A former Royal Knight Commander of the Nathan Kingdom, his exceptional swordsmanship had won the favor of the Wizards, who retained him to safeguard the Transcendents in the manor.
âStand down!â
Ilio quickly approached the stone house, stopping the impulsive actions of the knights. âWhat do you think youâre doing? Bariff, take your men and leave immediately! Do you have any idea what place this is?â
The old knight paused, then offered the Witch an apologetic smile. âMy apologies, Lady Lanice. These new knights are not yet familiar with our rules.â
Indeed, the Witch before them was none other than Lynchâs fellow student, Lanice.
Lanice nodded, giving the old knight some face. âIf thereâs nothing else, you can leave now.â
With that, she turned and prepared to return inside the house.
But just then, the voice of the young knight rang out again from behind. âWait a moment!â
He insisted stubbornly, âI believe in my dogâs instincts. Brown would not lead me here without reason. There must be an unfamiliar scent inside.â
The Demon Hunting Hounds, a type of Low-level Magic Beast, werenât powerful but had an uncanny sense of smell.
Lanice frowned deeply.
Ilio also voiced his displeasure: âDo you even realize what youâre saying? This is the residence of a Level 1 Instructor! Are you absolutely certain you want to conduct a search?â
Despite the tremendous pressure weighing on him, the young knight gritted his teeth and nodded. âIâll take full responsibility!â
âYouâŠâ
Ilio was about to say more, but Lanice had already stepped aside from the door, her tone indifferent. âFine. I, too, would like to see if an unspeakable fugitive has somehow sneaked into my residence.â
Eager to make a name for himself, the young knight immediately led his men inside, searching every corner of the house. Eventually, guided by the Demon Hunting Hounds, they barged into the kitchen.
In the kitchen stood a large cauldron, its contents boiling furiously. Floating inside were chunks of meatâ
The favorite food of Demon Hunting Hounds: deep-water duck.
âWoof woof woof!â
The dogs barked furiously, drooling everywhere.
Lanice sneered coldly. âLook at that, such capable and loyal hounds.â
The young knightâs face flushed deep red.
He quickly lowered his head. âI⊠I apologize, my Lady.â
Lanice waved them off dismissively, her tone impatient. âFine. Leave.â
The knights apologized repeatedly before leaving under Ilioâs orders, carefully closing the door behind them as they departed.
Lanice walked to the window, cautiously pulling back the curtain to peek outside. Once she confirmed everyone had left, she let out a quiet sigh of relief. She then returned to the kitchen and opened a hidden door behind the cauldron.
Behind the door was a small storage room, cluttered with vegetables and ingredients.
In the dim light coming through, the silhouette of a man, battered and bloodied, could be seen lying on a pile of cabbages, while another man tended to him.
Laniceâs sharp gaze softened as it fell upon them. âTheyâve been dealt with. Come out now.â
Lynch nodded and carried Graham out, carefully placing him in a room at the back.
Turning back, Lynch looked at Lanice with gratitude. âThank you, Lanice.â
After escaping through a teleportation scroll at the Punishment Square, Lynch had arrived at the eastern edge of the Ancient Ruinsâa spatial coordinate he had pre-marked. Originally, he had planned to rescue Graham and head directly to the Floating Port to leave this Witch Domain.
However, upon arrival, Lynch realized Grahamâs condition was dire. If immediate action wasnât taken, survival was impossible.
Grahamâs injuries were unmanageable in the wilderness. Lynch needed specialized equipment, a well-equipped laboratory, and specific Magic Materials.
Thinking it over, Lynch decided to head for the nearby Magic Potion Manor, the only place close enough to provide the resources necessary for saving him.
Initially, he planned to either force his way in or sneak in quietly. But fortune smiled upon himâshortly after entering, he detected Laniceâs Spiritual Field. After weighing his options, Lynch decided to take the chance and approach her.
Truthfully, Lynch hadnât expected much help from Lanice. After all, many years had passed since their time together in the Shadow Land. While theyâd shared a good relationship back then, that had been another time.
Yet, to his surprise, Lanice hadnât changed in the slightest. She immediately took Lynch and Graham in, helping them hide without hesitation.
She seemed neither troubled nor inconvenienced by Lynchâs sudden arrival. On the contrary, she appeared genuinely pleased.
Lanice smiled. âNo need for thanks.â
She paused, then added, âLeave the rest to me. Iâve already prepared some Odor Removal Soup for you. Go take a soakâthose nosy hounds wonât stop circling otherwise.â
Lynch nodded and exited the room, heading out the back door of the house.
Behind the house lay a garden courtyardâquiet, serene, and fragrantâwith all sorts of Magic Plants adorning the space. Sunlight filtered through the foliage, creating a picturesque, mystical scenery.
At the center of the garden was a small hot spring pool, roughly two to three meters in diameter. The spring water glowed faintly orange, shrouded in wisps of steam. Scattered across the waterâs surface were glowing Magic Petals and strands of golden herbs, emitting a subtle, soothing fragrance.
This was the Odor Removal Soup, crafted from various precious Magic Materials, capable of concealing a Wizardâs Spiritual Field and masking their scent.
âCalming Grass, Roland Flower⊠how thoughtful of herâŠâ
Lynch inhaled deeply, his nose capturing the soupâs concoctionâa mix of ingredients to restore spiritual power and relax tense muscles, perfect for relieving an overworked body.
The effects of the potion quickly became apparent. Lynch could feel his fatigue melting away. He sank further into the water, leaning back comfortably against the edge of the pool and allowing himself to fully unwind.
âClick, click, click!â At that moment, the sound of approaching footsteps broke the tranquility.
Lanice appeared by the pool, her expression inquisitive. âHowâs the temperature? If you need anything else, let me know.â
Instinctively, Lynch grabbed a towel to cover his waist. âOh⊠Itâs perfect. Thank you, truly.â
The spring water, though orange in color, was faint enough to be almost transparent, leaving little to the imagination. Lynch, of course, wasnât wearing anything.
Lanice nodded. âGood.â
Lynch had assumed she would leave after checking on him. But against all expectations, not only did she stay, she began to shed her cloak, followed by her dressâand then her undergarments.
In mere moments, she stood entirely bare.
She crouched to test the water with her hand, then stepped in, settling herself beside Lynch in the pool.
If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.