"No, it can't be. ”

The abnormal thoughts in my heart just arose, and in the blink of an eye, they were forcibly suppressed by Alice's reason.

"If that's what I really think, it can't have been without warning. She thought back to what had happened to her since she came out of Hergen, and her brain raced.

Helgen, Creek, Coldfall, Snowman, Loristed. Every event, every thought, every friend, every enemy, all every move flew past the girl's eyes.

She had never cared about such a thing, or had never thought about it. And before tonight, it had never been so out of control as it was today.

"And ......"

[This family is also suspicious. 】

The girl stood up and walked towards the outside of the aristocratic quarter. She didn't deliberately go in any direction, just walked so casually and naturally.

The moonlight is like water, and the cool wind sways the delicate night eggplant petals.

[This manor is very old, and it is very likely that it can be traced back to the last era, but it was not until half a month ago...... That is, it was purchased by Lady Minnie Mouse about fifteen days ago. 】

[So, why didn't anyone buy it before that?] The long history is something to boast about, and the aristocracy values it in particular. There is, then, no reason why there are noble courtyards in a main city like Mosal that cannot be sold. 】

[There are too many night eggplants in the garden, although they are beautiful, but they are not suitable for humans to live nearby, after all, night eggplants are also magical alchemy materials, and they are always easy to attract some foreign objects...... Hmm, I seem to have been led over?]

[Other than that, it's Lady Minnie.] 】

She gently stepped across the tender lawn. When the fresh snow melts, the newborn grass is exceptionally soft. It's like a delicate woolen blanket, fluffy and fluffy, and the aroma of fresh grass fills the nose with every step.

It's weird, it's weird.

In any case, it is not normal to have such a great deal of trust in a traveler who is meeting for the first time.

Alice felt that she should not be able to do it. Regardless, meeting a stranger in less than a minute is intimate enough to lead them into the most intimate bedroom...... It's weird to think about. And what is even more unreasonable is that Minnie Mouse is a completely ordinary person.

yes, ordinary people.

He may have received some basic swordsmanship training, but his body is quite weak. There are no mana fluctuations on his body, and he is neither a wizard nor wearing enchanted jewelry.

Alice could hear the murmur of her heart beating, the rattle of blood flowing. And when Minnie Mouse leads the way, she can also grasp the subtle changes in the breathing caused by the movement.

Minnie Mouse is an ordinary person, and she is also an aristocratic woman who is not very well. Alice is perfectly sure of this judgment...... If it is not true, it can only prove that Minnie Mouse is too far ahead of her, so that every detail can be perfectly disguised.

[This is naturally impossible.] 】

"So...... What could it be? Is it really me?" Alice felt a pain in her temple, and she tapped her head several times before she could barely recover. "Am I actually the kind of weird woman who attacks women I know or don't know whenever I want?"

A chill struck her spine, and she shivered.

If that's really the case......

"Too bad!"

Suddenly, Alice's heart beat inexplicably, as if it had penetrated a film of water, and a strange touch came from her skin.

"Huh?"

The light in the vicinity is poor. A black cat with shining green pupils slipped through the corridor not far away like a shadow, and it jumped onto a door plate fixed with a wooden pole, and let out a long 'meow~' sound.

"This is ......"

Alice had barely taken a step when the cat was startled and ran away without a trace. It moved so much that the sect that hung from the crossbar with hemp rope was shaken, and the blue-gray handwriting on the door plate swayed in the firelight, changing into all sorts of strange shapes.

She walked over to the door number and gently wiped off the moss that covered the wooden board, and a somewhat awkward line of text appeared behind the moss, the grammar was a little strange, and it didn't look like a product of this era.

"Alchemy...... Well, Warlock...... Target...... What a strange name. ”

This is supposed to be an alchemy shop. Selling potions or poisons or whatever.

The girl looked left and right, and saw that the streets on both sides were completely unimpressive. Many of the houses look quite old, and even the doors and windows are covered with parasitic vines, so it doesn't look like anyone lives in them.

"Opening a store in such a remote place is not going to have any business no matter how you think about it. ”

[Wait!] Alchemy...... I remember that there seemed to be some strange aroma in Lady Minnie's room?]

[Is it the kind of urging...... Hmm, is the incense used to help the fun? I don't feel very reliable......]

[However, since I happened to come across this small shop so much, I really went in and asked.] 】

"At this time, I don't know if it's still open......" She thought for a second or two, then walked to the door and knocked on the old door.

"Anyone?"

"Hmm...... Is there no one?"

Alice knocked on the door once, then again, and as she was about to make a third effort, the old wooden door in front of her suddenly opened.

Compared with the shabby appearance, the inside of this alchemy shop is obviously much more classy. Columns of samples are carefully guarded in transparent carved boxes and placed in an orderly manner in various appropriate locations in the store.

On the left is the finished elixir, on the right is the semi-processed alchemy material, and on the back is the unprocessed alchemy material. Standing in the middle was a female clerk with rare long silver hair—she wore an off-white dress with a friendly look in her eyes.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" asked the clerk.

"Hmm...... I'm buying an incense. Well, incense. Alice thought for a moment and replied, "I smelled that fragrance at a friend's place before, and I thought it was good, so I wanted to buy some too." ”

"What kind of incense is it?"

[If I knew, I would ask you!?]

"I don't know, huh...... Can you smell it?" Alice thought for a moment, and stretched out her sleeve.

The 'sniff' clerk's nose twitched quickly, and the answer was quickly given.

"Thirty years of black marsh refined benzoin is good for sleep and soothing the mind. It is very sought after by the middle and lower class aristocracy. If you want to buy it, sixty-two cyptin a pound. ”

"Huh, just refining benzoin?" Alice's eyes widened. "Nothing else? I always feel like I can't stop it...... Maybe there's some other impurities in there?"

"I'm sorry, but you don't have anything like that on your clothes. ”

"Huh...... Isn't there a way to identify it any further?"

The silver-haired clerk thought for a moment, then replied, "...... If you wish, we can provide a breath test. ”

"Breath test? What's that?"

……………………

"The so-called breath test is to amplify the alchemist's sense of smell with a specific potion, and to mark the smell of the object to be detected in alchemy, so as to effectively distinguish the ingredients. This method is usually used to identify the ingredients of some finished alchemical products. However, it is not impossible to distinguish the smell on clothing. ”

On the second floor of the alchemy shop, a young alchemist with a flat expression, no features, belonging to the kind of person who can't be found if you throw it into a pile, explained to Alice.

He is the owner of this 'Alchemist's Cabin', whose name is Roche. Ogrion Roche is a native of Sirodiel.

"Is there anything taboo?" asked Alice.

"Absolutely. But it's not us, it's you. Luo Qi nodded and said, "For people who don't know the abilities of alchemists, the effect of the breath check is definitely unexpected. It may reveal some of the privacy you have. ”

【Smell ...... So exaggerated?]

"No problem, please come on. ”

"Good. Luo Qi turned his head to look at the silver-haired clerk who had already prepared the corresponding potion, and greeted softly.

"Rayanna. ”

His will was soon carried out.

When Leyanna evenly applied the strange powder to Alice's cuffs, Alice looked at them curiously and asked the question she had from the beginning.

"Mr. O'Grain, why did you open your shop in such a remote place? I think...... There shouldn't be any business in this area. ”

"That's because we usually only serve regular customers. Ordinary guests are not welcome, only those who can successfully find this place can become our customers. Roach picked up a small iron card with a subtle magic reaction and placed it on the table, pushing it in front of Alice.

"Of course, guests like you who have been here once are welcome. The terrain in this area is complicated, so next time you want to come, be sure to bring this sign to show you the way. ”

"Understood. Alice nodded and accepted the sign.

At this time, Roche's breath detection has also begun.

"First of all, the smell of blood, well, you have a lot of blood on you. The freshest thing is a somewhat rotten blood, hmm...... It's a vampire, and the rank is not low. There are both the Bloodthirsty of the Second Estate and the Fogwalkers of the Third Estate. ”

"Other than that, it's wolf blood. The taste is a bit light, I guess it's been a day or two, and those wolves in the northern logging yard were solved two days ago. I heard that all the people in the lumberyard died that night, so I see, it was a vampire who did it. ”

"Further on, well, the blood of the Frostfury Spirit...... Blood ...... of the Snow Elves Snow Troll's Blood ...... Hey, there's still a bit of a spiritual quality, did you kill a mutant ghost? Is it the Holy Blood Peak? The smell of this underground mushroom...... Oh, you've opened the cold rock tunnel, right? I really didn't expect that place to be able to pass people. ”

"Other than that...... The smell of nightshades, and the smell of benzoin, did you come from the aristocratic quarters? I remember that there was a manor there full of nightshades, as if it had been bought by a lady Alices half a month ago. That's your friend?"

【Good...... It's amazing!]

Alice was completely stunned.

"What else?" she asked.

"No more. ”

"Huh!?"

"Other than that, it's the aroma of some foods like potatoes and beef, and the smell of the human body itself. Roche said earnestly: "There is nothing else." ”

"No...... There's nothing missing, right? Like some very hidden psychedelic agent or something?"

"Miss, please believe in professionalism. ”

“…………………”

"By the way, including the cost of potions and commissions, there are a total of six hundred Septin, and we accept alchemy materials as collateral. ”

“…………………………………………”

By the time Alice returned to the hotel, the City Guard had arrived, treated the wounded, collected the dead, and left with the wounded vampire.

"Slow, Alice. Jamila, leaning on the doorpost, said dissatisfiedly, "Well, didn't it work? ”

"Ah...... It's nothing, I accidentally lost it. Alice replied with her head drooping.

When she walked upstairs, she suddenly looked up and said, "By the way, I'll go to sleep in the room across the corridor tonight." ”

"Why? Those vampires might still come, so we'd be safer together. ”

"You have a point. But ......" The girl tilted her head, and the color in her eyes was gray-black that Jamila was unfamiliar with.

"I think it's better for me to sleep on the other side. ”