Brewing Talent in the Cauldron
A healthy body means no need for a strained mind. Isabel restored all the lights and began her explanation.
"Why do these effects happen? Anyone know the answer?"
Carter was the first to raise his hand.
"Natural Mana is a general term for mana with countless properties, and it's because the mana inherent in the materials each has unique traits."
"Exactly! Basic natural mana tends to have similar properties, but the mana in each ingredient carries distinct unique qualities."
Isabel picked up a blade of grass and a vial, continuing her explanation.
"For example, this dried mandrake and this Sky Lake horn powder have mana with repelling properties."
"That's why mixing them neutralizes the effect, so they're not used in the same potion. One goes into a mana potion, the other into a stamina potion."
This was all stuff we'd learned in herbology. Repelling properties and synergistic ones. The degree of synergy and repulsion varied wildly for each. On top of that, herbs had detox properties or adhesive qualities and all sorts of other things. Leading to nearly infinite combinations.
Even the herbology professor said not to bother memorizing them for assignments or exams—just handle it on the fly.
"Alright, your assignment is to memorize every single material combination in the herbology textbook. It'll be on the final exam."
...Huh?
"Pardon?"
"What!?"
Oh right. Isabel was tough on homework too. I hadn't expected it in this form, though.
I'd already gotten used to it thanks to Karnaroph, and I hated myself for that.
"But that's such a pain..."
Memorizing? Even mathematicians in magic barriers couldn't handle that...
"We've looked at the herbs that go into potions. But you can't make a potion with just herbs."
She pulled out a test tube. Mana glowing green sat inside.
"The most basic, indispensable element of any potion."
Isabel uncapped it. Mana sparkling a clear blue bubbled up like soda fizz.
"Liquefied natural mana. Now, everyone pour it all into your cauldrons."
The students pulled test tubes from their bags and added the natural mana to their iron cauldrons.
"This potion doesn't require heating, so controlling the natural mana is key."
I uncapped my tube and poured. It was supposed to be liquid, but the amount from that tiny tube expanded in the cauldron. Honestly, it felt half gaseous.
"Follow the manual from here! Assume all ingredients are pre-measured—dump them in at once and stir! The liquefied natural mana melts the materials!"
Isabel said with a grin, like that was all the info we were getting.
But the manual she'd handed out was just one line.
[Suppress repulsions and leave synergies alone. Crush repelling spots with the spatula.]
Huh?
"Um... no other explanations?"
Someone raised her hand. A girl with short red hair.
Isabel replied cheerfully.
"Nope! The manual is your alpha and omega. Everything else is improvised on the fly."
Isabel dumped all her ingredients into her cauldron and started stirring.
"As for a demo..."
"You wouldn't get it anyway! Precisely observing natural mana takes talent!"
I glanced at Isabel's cauldron. The moment the ingredients went in, I could see their mana repelling in real time. Crackling mana.
But when she intervened, the repulsion nearly vanished. She suppressed repelling natural mana with her own mana or pressed down hard with the spatula.
So it wasn't some fixed method...
She's just ridiculously skilled at it, huh?
"Pro tip: You all learn by failing! Commercial potions are hard to mass-produce for a reason!"
I got the gist. This was one of those things that looked easy when someone else did it but was a nightmare in practice.
As expected.
The other students were a total mess. Black smoke rising from cauldrons was par for the course. And now I knew why we had to memorize combinations— to catch repulsions, you needed to know which materials clashed.
But sensing natural mana was talent-based too.
"Hmm... whoa!"
Aris next to me looked beat. But something was at least forming in hers.
Elsewhere...
—Boom!
—Fwoosh!
"Gah!"
"Why's this happening?!"
Anyway, I realized watching them was pointless.
"Gotta check Robert's, though."
I headed to Robert's station. He'd been one of the confident ones dumping everything in from the start.
"W-what do you want?"
He was feigning calm, but the repulsions were nasty.
—Crackle, crackle.
"Need help?"
"This Carter needs no such aid from the likes of you..."
"Ah, that spot's repelling! Crush it!"
I pointed to the right side of his cauldron. Obvious crackling repulsion.
But apparently only I could see it. His spatula stabbed the innocent left side.
"Where?!"
"There! You idiot!"
"Here!?"
Shit.
—Booom!
The small explosion came from the right. Robert knew it too, so he couldn't blame me.
"Argh."
"How'd you even know?!"
"Just memorize the repulsion combos."
No, how couldn't you see it? Won't even take advice.
Then Isabel came over.
"Ah, that's a tough one to sense, huh?"
"Pardon?"
"You need the eyes to see it as repulsion."
So it really was just me who could see it?
"Anyway, Spirit Plant and Thunder Flower have strong repulsion. Know that, and you might succeed?"
Robert, year three ranker, held out decently long. Though his contents charred black inevitably.
I grinned at him.
"Lame."
"Let's see how well you do."
He ground his teeth, pride stung.
But honestly, I had no clue either.
"Bet I last longer than you, though."
"Grr."
Ah, fun.
Then a soft voice came from nearby. Isabel and I looked over.
"Hmm... not easy..."
"Ooh, looking good!"
Isabel's voice.
Pink pastel hair, voluptuous figure. Linia.
Always sleepy-looking, but now sweating and focused.
As top student, she could see what I saw. Enough eye to follow the manual faithfully: suppress repulsions, leave synergies.
"You gonna try too?"
"Was planning to."
I went to my cauldron and dumped in all the ingredients.
—Crackle.
Sure enough, repulsion.
I leisurely stirred, adjusting the natural mana flow.
—Cracklecracklecrackle!!
"Ow, this ain't cooperating."
But Isabel killing repulsion on contact was the weird part.
I roughly smashed the repelling spots with the spatula. Toned it down.
For overly aggressive repulsions, I just funneled in a bit more liquefied natural mana. It melted and fused materials anyway—partial melt worked fine.
No need to memorize combos. I could just see where repulsions happened.
Damn, if you can't see it, you really gotta memorize everything?
Talent gap's insane. Dragon Eyes or Archmage Aptitude, whatever it was.
After stirring a while, I got a somewhat dark blue potion. Not bad.
"Done! Rice-eater level!"
How many vials was that?
"Ooh, nice! Sellable quality. Mid-grade, maybe!"
Isabel inspected it.
Robert clicked his tongue, inwardly bummed he failed.
"Tch, succeeded, huh."
"Top and runner-up really are different."
Looks like she succeeded too.
"Whoa! Did this work?!"
Aris's excited voice. Pretty dark potion, but success.
"This one's good too. Low-grade, but usable!"
A few other students managed it too. About an hour in, successes and failures split.
"Go clean up at the sinks! Successes, stay!"
Me, Aris, Linia, and the others stepped forward.
Isabel handed leather packets with test tubes to everyone but me.
Hey. Why not me! Discrimination!
"This is a specially treated vial set, given to first-class successes. Pricey at the school market."
Sensing my stare, she chuckled and opened one.
She examined a test tube, explaining.
"Enchanted glass—resistant to shocks and heat, preserves potion effects. Store yours here."
She poured her potion into one. It glowed vividly, like that mana earlier. High-grade... no, top-grade.
Ugh... can't even compete like this.
Heard even basic mana potions at top-grade had way better efficiency.
Eh, first try—good enough.
But seriously, no mine?? Thought she held one for demo?
Didn't look like it.
Then Isabel handed me something else. Sleek black leather, bigger than the others.
"Whoa..."
Envious stares from the students.
"For the best potion-maker, a sales set. More tubes, varieties, even dedicated mana ones."
I opened it. Clearly superior size and number. Faint mana hum—artifact.
This must cost a fortune...
"But there's a condition!"