"Mr. Headmaster, let me confirm again, are you serious?"

Claire was dressed in a black and white maid outfit, and she did her best to ignore the strange eyes of the passers-by, looking at the sign in front of her, and questioning Reiner beside her.

"Of course, do you have any questions, Mr. Claire?"

Reiner walked generously under the sign and knocked on the door, which was already a little old.

Sighing softly, Claire looked around again.

This is the old street of the town near Crescent College, there are not many pedestrians, the houses are slightly dilapidated, many of the shops have long since closed, Claire vaguely remembers that when she was a child, it was a bustling market, very bustling, very lively, and many of the shops here have left her figure.

But with the development of the town and the relocation of the city center, it gradually declined into an old street, and the merchants evacuated one after another, and even the townspeople did not want to come here, as if the dilapidated streets were a scar on the town.

What they visited at this time was the only alchemy workshop on the old street.

Antoine's Atelier Antoine, this is the name of this place, its owner is a mage named Antoine, when the old street was at its most prosperous, this alchemy workshop also carried a lot of business, business was busy, but when the old street fell, it was also depressed.

Even Claire wondered if the atelier was still open.

After a knock, the wooden door opened, and a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard peeked through the crack.

This man is covered in a dirty gray robe, with deep dark circles under his eyes, and if he cleans up a little, he may be able to become a rather elegant middle-aged gentleman, but his lazy appearance is indeed prohibitive.

"I don't subscribe to the news, I don't buy that mess, if it's to ask about the smell in the backyard, sorry, I'll deal with it later, if you're from Dress, hey, see the stick in my hand."

His voice was a little impatient and aggressive, until he saw Claire behind Reiner.

"Little Claire?"

Antoine quickly recognized Claire, and the expression on his face softened a lot.

"Hello, Uncle Antoine."

Claire said hello, she had always been a little scared of this person in the past, probably because she had been reprimanded when she was playing around here as a child.

Of course, Claire later learns that Antoine was there to prevent Claire and her playmates from touching the dangerous alchemy reagent, but since that time, she really hasn't visited the mage.

"You've grown a lot taller."

Antoine looked Claire up and down and nodded slightly.

"But there's something strange about the taste in clothes."

"Uh......"

Claire's expression froze, not knowing what to say.

"Come in, there's a bit of a mess in the house."

Leaving the door open, Antoine motioned for the two to come in, and he glanced outside again before carefully closing the door.

"That's a ......"

Reiner had been mentally prepared when he read the materials before, but he didn't expect Antoine's alchemy workshop to be like this.

The room was spacious, but it was occupied by three mottled tables with test tubes and beakers, surprisingly neatly arranged in a way that contrasted with the dusty floor that had not been swept for a long time.

On one side of the living room is a medicine display case, with bottles and cans of different sizes labeled and protected by magical prohibitions.

In the corner, a shabby sofa and small table sat a half-drunk cup of coffee on it, steaming.

There is also a photo frame on the small table, which is difficult to see because of the reflection, but it can be vaguely seen that it is a group photo of three people.

The curtains were not opened, and although there was light, the room was still a little dim, and in Reiner's words, it looked like a scholar who was obsessed with research.

"Tea or coffee?"

Antoine seemed to be less wary of Reiner because of Claire, and he asked the two of them from a wooden cabinet in the corner of the living room that seemed to have not been used for a long time.

"Uh, I'm still ......"

Claire didn't know what to answer, she looked at Reiner, but the headmaster took a bottle straight from her suitcase.

"I don't drink tea, I don't use coffee, Monsieur Antoine, why don't you try the new drink I brought."

The transparent bottle had a layer of hoarfrost on its surface, and it contained a black drink, which was constantly bubbling out, and it looked like one of those demonic potions, and just drinking it would give you power.

"Drinks?"

Antoine looked at Reiner suspiciously, then at Claire, took the bottle, and casually cast an identification spell.

The Identification Technique can only identify known substances, and is updated once a year by the High Council to add the latest discovered or synthesized substances, which is a necessary spell for alchemy mages.

However, Antoine was surprised by the feedback from the identification technique, the main ingredient of this liquid was the common sugar water, which added many special ingredients, but it was still within Antoine's acceptable range, except for a certain substance, which Antoine found he could not identify.

Even in the poorest times, Antoine would go to the local magical association to update the identification, and the latest version of the identification could not be identified, it was obviously a completely new substance.

"What's in there?"

He asked, seemingly guessing something.

"There's a world in here, Monsieur Antoine."

Reiner took the cup that Antoine had prepared to entertain them from the side, poured a small glass of the liquid from the bottle, and drank it without hesitation, then pointed the bottle at the middle-aged mage.

"Why don't you taste what we're talking about?"

Antoine stared at Reiner, this person has a very special style, although he seems to be a nobleman, he is not muddy at all, and he is not limited to his identity, which makes him change his opinion of nobles a little.

He took the bottle and rechecked the new gas, and Antoine thought for a moment and took a sip of the black liquid in it.

A choking sensation swept through his mouth, as if countless fireworks were exploding on the tip of his tongue, and Antoine even thought it was some new type of poison, but soon, another wonderful sensation surrounded him.

It was an indescribable experience, and as the sensation of excitement subsided, the heat was followed by the heat, and the mild and refreshing sugar water spread down the throat and down to the stomach, two diametrically opposed experiences combined in the same drink, the former energizing Antoine and the latter comforting him, a drink that was more impactful than bitter coffee or light tea.

"What is this? Devil's Water? ”

Antoine was surprised, he felt that he was on the way to some point of no return, but curiosity drove him to ask.