Chapter 25: Moryu Grass ⑧

The witch placed the flask on the table.

“First of all, this flask has a name—‘Crescent Moon Vessel.’”

“Crescent Moon Vessel…?”

The flask was round, and at its center was a crescent moon. Initially, I thought it was just a decorative mark, but it turned out to be metal.

Wait… Crescent Moon Vessel? That name rings a bell.

“Now, let’s start with the purification function. Any liquid poured into this flask will become clean and pure.”

Just that alone seemed like an incredible feature.

“Does it have other functions?”

“Yes, yes. Next is the temperature control function.”

“Temperature control!? It can make things cold or hot?”

That’s… astonishing.

“Yes, yes. But you know, I’ve always wondered.”

“About what?”

“You’re far too knowledgeable for your age, Wof boy. A child your age wouldn’t usually understand what ‘temperature control’ means, let alone grasp the concept of a ‘function.’ It’s baffling, really.”

“Well… I’ve been studying a lot, that’s all.”

This was bad. She was starting to get suspicious. My past life memories allowed me to grasp these concepts instantly.

“Hmm, hmm. Being diligent is a good thing.”

“I plan to become an explorer, after all.”

“Ah, yes, yes. Well, I think you could become one right now if you wanted.”

“Eh? But I’m only 13 years old.”

You can’t become an explorer until you’re 14. However, what the witch said next shocked me.

“Well, well, did you know? Not here, but in another region, there’s a child who became an explorer at just 9 years old.”

“Nine!?”

I was stunned.

“Indeed, indeed. I don’t know all the details, but it seems they were granted special permission.”

“Special permission? I didn’t know that was possible.”

“Apparently, they’re already a third-grade explorer at age 10 now.”

“…Third grade!?”

“Yes, yes. A true prodigy, wouldn’t you say?”

“That’s incredible.”

“Hehehe. Don’t you think you could achieve something similar, Wof boy?”

“That’s not my goal.”

“Oh? Aren’t you going to take on the challenge?”

“Standing out like that isn’t my way of life.”

If I returned to town and asked around, I’d likely find out more about this prodigy. But becoming that prominent wasn’t something I wanted.

I didn’t want to stand out. My goal was to become an explorer simply to make a living, as it is for most people.

Of course, I’d like to become one as soon as possible, but not if it meant being exposed to the curious stares of countless strangers.

That kind of attention is far too risky.

Still, becoming an explorer at 9 years old… That’s beyond prodigious. That’s genius-level. Though, I doubt I’d ever meet someone like that.

“Well, well, let’s return to the explanation about the temperature control function.”

“Yes, please do.”

“First, let’s try this… Ah, perfect.”

“Hm?”

The witch poured a blue liquid into the Crescent Moon Vessel.

“What’s that?”

“Well, well, just watch. It’s lukewarm right now, so it’ll stay lukewarm. But if you move this…”

The witch pinched the metal crescent decoration on the flask and tilted it with a click.

“It moved?”

“Now, Wof boy, try drinking it.”

“Huh?”

Wait, she wants me to drink this? I hesitated, clearly uneasy.

“It’s perfectly fine, perfectly fine.”

“What exactly is this?”

“Well, you’ll understand once you drink it.”

“………………”

“What’s this? Don’t you want to uncover the Crescent Vessel’s secret?”

When she put it like that, I couldn’t help but be curious. Hesitantly, I took the plunge and drank it in one go.

“Gulp… It’s cold!? And delicious!”

To my surprise, it was refreshing and sweet, with a crisp flavor that made it incredibly tasty.

“Hehe, hehe, it’s a potion.”

“A potion?”

It tasted almost like juice. But from what I’ve heard, potions usually don’t taste good.

“Now, now, see these blue, white, and red orbs on top of the crescent?”

“Y-Yes, I see them.”

On the Crescent Moon Vessel, a round flask, there were blue, white, and red orbs embedded in the crescent moon. I hadn’t noticed them before.

“And so, the temperature control is adjusted here. The white orb means normal, the blue orb means cold, and the red orb means warm.”

“So, since the crescent is tilted towards the blue orb now, the potion inside is cold?”

“Yes, yes. That’s right.”

At this point, something occurred to me.

“How long does it take for the temperature to change from cold to warm?”

“Oh, oh, that’s an interesting question. It doesn’t take any time at all.”

“Instantly?”

“Yes, yes, that’s right.”

“Is the liquid inside okay with such a sudden temperature change?”

Sudden changes in temperature would normally affect the components of the liquid.

“Hmm, hmm. Wof boy, you’re really interesting. Don’t worry, there’s no problem with that.”

“So, there’s no change at all? And is the temperature consistent?”

“Oh, oh, you noticed that too?”

The witch squinted her eyes with amusement.

“I’m just at that age where I’m curious about everything.”

“Yes, yes. I was the same way when I was your age. The temperature remains constant.”

“I see.”

It seems that fine-tuning wasn’t possible, but just the temperature control feature alone was impressive. I thought it might be over, but—

“Well, well, next is the best feature.”

“There’s more?”

“Yes, yes, indeed. It’s the alchemy feature.”

“…Alchemy?”

“Exactly. Do you see the small round knob and the numbers on the side of the flask?”

“…This one?”

On the right side of the flask, there was a round knob and vertical numbers: ‘0’, ‘2’, ‘4’, and ‘6’. The knob was currently set to ‘0’.

“Well, well, since there’s still some left, I’ll drink it now.”

Saying that, the witch drank the remaining contents of the flask.

“Ah…”

“Oh, oh, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Now, now, try setting the knob to ‘2’.”

I did as instructed and turned the knob to ‘2’.

“Is this okay?”

“Yes, yes. That’s right. Now, Wof boy, I’m going to show you something good.”

“Something good?”

The witch nodded and said, “Just wait a little,” before leaving the room. After a short while, she returned, holding two leaves.

“Well, well, let me turn these into liquid.”

She placed the leaves into empty flasks and added red liquid.

“What’s that?”

“Ah, that’s a catalyst liquid. By the way, these leaves are medicinal herbs. You could also just chop them up and add them to water without using the catalyst liquid.”

When the red liquid was added, the empty flasks turned into blue and green liquids. The witch added them in rough amounts to the Crescent Vessel, sealed it, and turned the crescent back to the white orb.

“Now, now, like this, we turn the knob from ‘0’ to ‘2’.”

The witch turned the knob to ‘2’ and pressed a switch on the lid.

“What’s this!?”

A clicking sound was heard.

“Now, now, once the sound happens, it’s done.”

“What’s done?”

“Yes, yes. It’s a potion.”

“The potion I drank earlier?”

“Yes, yes. That’s right.”

A small “ding” sounded, like a kitchen timer.

“It’s finished.”

“A potion…”

“Now, now, let me explain. The number you set on the round knob corresponds to the number of materials used in the potion. ‘0’ means no materials, so no mixing. ‘2’ means mixing 2 materials, and ‘4’ means mixing 4, and so on.”

“I see. So, a maximum of 6 materials can be mixed.”

“Yes, yes. That’s right. And that’s all the features of this flask.”

“…”

Purification function.

Temperature control function.

Alchemy function.

It’s way too multifunctional. Is this what’s called legendary…?

Then she said, “Alright, try drinking it now.”

Twice? I tilted my head but drank it.

This time, it tasted bad.

The witch laughed, and I stared at her in shock.

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