Chapter 25: Messel’s Surprise (Part 1)

The next morning, Donald boarded a carriage with Clinton, carrying fifty bottles of two types of wine with miraculous effects—never seen before on the continent—on their way from the estate to Stone City.
These restorative substances were highly popular among professionals, especially the alchemical potions that could instantly restore mental energy. For mages, they were like a second life, always worth a fortune and in high demand.
As for the exquisitely blended fine wines, their taste and flavor were a deadly temptation to those nobles who pursued pleasure!
Donald could imagine that if he sold such premium wines, which could restore a small amount of vitality and mental energy, it would surely attract enthusiastic purchases from mages and nobles.
Three hours later, the carriage arrived at the entrance of the Stone City Mage Association. This was Donald’s first target.
To speed up the journey, Donald had temporarily stored all the fragile crystal wine bottles in his storage space and retrieved them upon arrival.
After getting off the carriage, Donald ordered the coachman and servant to watch over it while he entered the association with two crystal bottles containing red and white liquids.
Entering the front hall, he saw a unfamiliar face, which puzzled him. Previously, it had always been the association’s servant William who handled reception, but now there was a middle-aged man with a sharp face and an unpleasant appearance.
“Lord Mage, welcome!”
Faced with the servant’s obsequious greeting, Donald asked unhappily, “Are you new? Where is William?”
The middle-aged servant’s smile faltered briefly before he forced a smile and replied, “My lord, are you asking about the former receptionist? I heard he was fired by the association. I’m not aware of the details.”
Donald frowned. William had been humble and polite, yet still retained the pride of a mage, even surpassing that of a minor noble’s butler. In his opinion, William had done an excellent job in this role—why would he be fired for no reason? If it wasn’t serious, he should help out, after all, that servant had been very helpful to him, and he owed him a favor.
Looking at the behavior of this new servant, he found it annoying. So he waved his hand to dismiss the man who wanted to lead him inside and entered the association on his own.
Now that he was a full-fledged mage, the association had even provided him with a lounge room like those of other mages. He no longer needed a servant to guide him inside, as he did during his apprenticeship.

Donald did not go to his own room but instead went to Master Messel’s door. He knocked gently, and after hearing permission from inside, he pushed the door open and entered. The room was not only a lounge but also Master Messel’s private laboratory. At that moment, the old mage was focused on crafting a small alchemical item at the laboratory bench on the other side of the lounge. Seeing this, Donald did not dare to disturb him and simply stood aside, waiting patiently while also observing carefully the application of alchemical knowledge, which would be very helpful for him in related fields in the future. Magical items and alchemical tools are essentially the same thing—they both belong to magical devices—but they are classified as two different types due to their different manufacturing methods. Their actual functions are quite similar. Magical items are generally created by enchantment, using materials with affinity for elements and spirits to impart a magical structure and appropriate spells, thereby enabling the item to release magical effects without the mage having to cast them personally. Alchemical tools serve the same purpose, but alchemists usually use magical formulas and materials to create them, then drive the spells by inscribing alchemical sigils and embedding energy cores to achieve the same magical effects. However, alchemical tools have the advantage of not requiring the caster’s own magical power; sufficient materials are enough to create them. Therefore, most mages prefer alchemical products and often learn basic alchemy to reduce the cost of creating their own magical items. More skilled master-level casters can even combine the two to complement their strengths and weaknesses, creating powerful magical equipment. Master Messel is one of the top alchemists in Selt. In Donald’s view, alchemy is similar to the combination of chemistry and physics from his past life—especially the creation of alchemical potions, which is almost identical to chemical experiments, while the inscription of sigils resembles physical knowledge such as circuits. The processing of alchemical materials and formulas is akin to a perfect blend of industrial chemistry and physics. Although Messel is not a full-fledged alchemist, his deep interest in alchemy, his ability to draw connections from various fields, and his extraordinary talent have enabled him, with his strength already placing him among silver mages, to achieve a level in alchemical tool creation and enchantment that is comparable to that of ordinary orthodox silver alchemists. It is precisely because of his immersion in alchemy and the numerous enchantments he has performed that his advancement in mage rank has been hindered, and he has yet to master level 7 spells to become a true silver element mage.

Watching this master create alchemical items was quite enlightening for Donald, who only had a superficial understanding of alchemy. It took a full half hour before Messel finally completed the item. It was a small, simple headpiece without any precious jewels embedded in it, as the light emitted by the piece itself was sufficient to outshine any non-luminous gem. This was the magical glow produced by the attached cleansing spell—though faint, it was enough to make the wearer stand out. Undoubtedly, this female accessory was not meant for the old mage himself but likely a gift for some noble lady or lady. Donald pondered for a moment before stopping his speculations about Master Messel and respectfully bowed to him. “It’s little Donald! I’m sorry to have kept you waiting!” The old mage’s tone revealed care for his younger colleague. Donald quickly replied with a smile, “Getting to watch the teacher create alchemical works is something many mages can’t even dream of. I wouldn’t miss such a great opportunity!” “Your eagerness to learn is truly encouraging! Many apprentices lose their original determination and perseverance after becoming full-fledged mages, never breaking through the threshold of third-level spells and remaining bronze mages for life.” Seeing Messel sigh thoughtfully, Donald changed the subject with a smile, “The teacher will surely reach the golden realm. Donald hopes to follow in your footsteps and become a golden master!” Hearing this, Messel shook his head and laughed, “I’m really getting old! I appreciate your encouragement. Let’s work hard together to improve!” After a brief, meaningful exchange, Donald brought up the purpose of his visit. Seeing Donald take out two crystal bottles clearly filled with wine, the old mage asked in confusion, “Is there something to celebrate? It’s not even dinner time yet—why bring out wine?”