Greetings, Mister Principal

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

Claire was wearing a black and white maid costume. She tried her best to ignore the strange looks of the people passing by, looked at the sign in front of her, and asked Reiner beside her.

"Of course, do you have any questions, Professor Claire?"

Reiner was at ease, walked openly under the sign, and knocked on the old door.

Sighing softly, Claire looked around again.

This was an old street in a small town near Luna Nova Magical Academy. There were not many pedestrians. The houses were slightly dilapidated. Many shops had already closed down. Claire vaguely remembered that when she was young, this was a bustling market, and the street was very lively. She had almost been to almost every shop in this street.

However, with the development of the town and the relocation of the city center, this place has gradually declined and become an old street. Merchants have moved out. Even the residents of the town were reluctant to come here as if this dilapidated street was a scar of the town.

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

Antoine Alchemy Workshop. This was the name of this place. Its owner was a mage named Antoine. When the old street was the most prosperous, this Alchemy Workshop also had many businesses and was very busy. But when the old street fell, its business also slumped.

Even Claire wondered if this alchemy workshop was still open.

After a knock on the door, the wooden door opened a small gap, and a middle-aged man with stubble looked outside from the gap.

This man was dressed in a dirty gray robe and had deep dark circles under his eyes. If he cleaned up a little, he might be able to become a handsome middle-aged gentleman, but his disheveled appearance would only make people not want to approach him.

"I don't subscribe to the news, nor do I buy any things. If you want to ask about the smell in the backyard, I'm sorry, I will deal with it later. If you are from De Rais, then, see the stick in my hand?"

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

"Little Claire?"

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

"Hello, Uncle Antoine."

Claire greeted. She had always been a little afraid of this person since she was young, probably because she had been reprimanded when she was playing around here as a child.

Of course, Claire later learned that Antoine was trying to prevent Claire and her playmates from touching dangerous alchemy reagents, but since that time, she really has not visited the mage.

"You have grown a lot taller."

Antoine looked at Claire up and down, nodding slightly.

"But the taste in clothes is a bit strange."

"Uh......"

Claire's expression froze not knowing what to say.

"Come in, the room is a little messy."

Opening the door wide, Antoine signaled the two to come into the alchemy workshop. He glanced outside again before closing the door carefully.

"This is really..."

Reiner had been mentally prepared when reading the information before, but he did not expect that Antoine's alchemy workshop would look like this.

The room was fairly spacious, but it was occupied by three mottled tables. The table tops had many test tubes and beakers. Unexpectedly, these experimental instruments were placed neatly and uniformly, in sharp contrast with the dusty ground that has not been cleaned for a long time.

On the side of the living room was a display cabinet for medicines. Bottles and cans of different sizes were labeled and protected by magic spells.

In the corner, there was a dilapidated sofa and a small table with a cup of half-drunk coffee on it, still emitting steam.

There was also a photo frame on the small table. Because of the reflection, it was difficult to see the specific appearance, but it could be vaguely seen that it was a group photo of three people.

The curtains were not opened. Although it was illuminated by lights, the room still looked a little dim. In Reiner's words, it looked like a scholar who was addicted to research.

"Tea or coffee?"

It seemed that because of Claire, Antoine was not so wary of Reiner. He took out two cups that seemed to have not been used for a long time from the wooden cabinet in the corner of the living room and asked them.

"Uh, I..."

Claire didn't know how to answer. She looked at Reiner, but the principal took out a bottle directly from the suitcase.

"I don't drink tea or coffee, Mr. Antoine, why not come and taste the brand new drink I brought."

There was a layer of hoar frost on the surface of the transparent bottle, and it was filled with a black drink that had bubbles continuously emerging from it. It looked like the kind of devil's potion that would grand power after drinking it.

"Drink?"

Antoine glanced suspiciously at Reiner, then at Claire, took the bottle, and cast an Appraisal Spell casually.

The Appraisal Spell could only identify known substances. It was updated once a year by the high-level Magic Council to add newly discovered or synthesized substances. For the alchemy mages, this was a necessary spell.

However, the feedback of the appraisal spell surprised Antoine. The main component of this liquid was common sugar water, which contained many special ingredients, but it was still within the scope of Antoine's acceptance. There was only a certain substance Antoine discovered that he could not identify.

Even in the poorest time, Antoine would go to the local magic association to update the Appraisal Spell. If the latest version of the Appraisal Spell could not identify it, it could only mean that it was a brand new substance.

"What's in it?"

He asked, seemingly guessed something.

"There is a world in it, Mr. Antoine."

Reiner tried to be mysterious. He picked up the cup that Antoine had taken out, poured the liquid in the bottle into a small cup, then drank it without hesitation, and then pointed the mouth of the bottle to the middle-aged mage.

"Why don't we have a taste of what we are discussing?"

Antoine stared at Reiner. This person had a very special style of doing things. Although he looked like a nobleman, he behaved a little differently from the nobles.

He took the bottle and checked the brand new gas again. Antoine thought for a while and took a sip of the black liquid in it.

A choking shock swept through his mouth, as if countless fireworks exploded on the tip of his tongue. Antoine even thought that it was a new type of poison, but soon another strange feeling surrounded him.

It was an indescribable experience. As the stimulating feeling subsided, it followed by the hot, mild, and refreshing sugar water spreading in the throat and reaching the stomach and intestines. These two opposite experiences were combined in the same drink. Among them, the former made Antoine refreshed, while the latter made him feel relaxed and comfortable. Compared with bitter coffee or light tea, this drink was more impactful.

"What is this? Demon water? "

Antoine was surprised. He felt that he was heading for a certain path that could not be turned back, but curiosity drove him to ask