"She just fainted from mana exhaustion, not poisoning."
"Then what are these weird lines on her arms?"
"She probably drew them herself. Must be researching some strange magic." Rin muttered, noticing how Marisa's expression suddenly stiffened. His eyes narrowed.
An unexpected lead!
"Is there anything in Patchy's room that restores mana? Just give her some."
"Got it." As Sakuya carefully lifted Patchouli and poured a mana-replenishing potion into her mouth, the magician's eyelashes fluttered weakly.
Blinking groggily, Patchouli stared at the crowd gathered around her in confusion.
"What's going on?"
"Patchy, you scared us half to death! Why do you keep passing out like this?"
"Boss, do you sell any heartbeat monitors? Feels like we need one—just ignore her as long as it's still beeping."
"Can you two not jinx me?" Patchouli rolled her eyes, struggling to sit up before letting out a long sigh.
"I was researching a health-restoration spell, but it's way harder than I thought."
"Boss, do you sell anything that recovers mana? My stock's running low."
"This is just a normal general store..."
Rin's lips twitched. The Sage's product list had never included such things.
The only special items so far were the Wasted Dreams liquor and a few incomprehensible magic books.
Hearing this, Patchouli sighed. Looks like she wouldn't be mastering that spell anytime soon. The frustration of being so close yet held back by mana limits was maddening.
"Magic isn't something you can rush. Rest properly these next few days—don't push yourself to death."
"I know." Seeing Patchouli nod obediently, Marisa panicked.
She couldn't wait!
The longer this dragged on, the more danger she was in. At this rate, she'd be broken before she could turn the tables! Where else could she get mana potions?!
Marisa's brain worked overtime—until she suddenly remembered something. Tentatively, she suggested—
"Boss, didn't you say you could do some equivalent exchange alchemy thing? Can you make mana potions?"
"You can do that?" Patchouli looked at Rin in surprise.
"Sort of an innate ability? But I've never tried making mana potions before. Got the materials?"
"Yes."
Patchouli forced out the last traces of her mana, activating a magic circle to summon a pile of her usual alchemy ingredients.
Marisa's eyes gleamed at the sight of so many treasures, solidifying her resolve to visit the Scarlet Devil Mansion someday.
Rin placed his hand on a few of the materials, eerie blue runes appearing on his arm.
「 Equivalent Exchange·Fusion Alchemy 」
Under everyone's curious gazes, the ingredients on the table began melting like ice cream. Just as they were about to liquefy completely, Rin grabbed the empty 'Wasted Dreams' bottle from Suika and used it to collect the mixture.
Watching an entire pile of materials condense into just one small bottle, even Patchouli felt a pang of loss.
Once the bottle was full, the Sage displayed the potion's stats—
『 High-Grade Mana Initiation Potion 』
『 Effect ─ The potion greatly increases the drinker's mana capacity, instantly restores all mana, enhances mana sensitivity, improves affinity with magic… 』
『 Side Effects ─ Increases mana cravings, may slow natural mana recovery, potential addiction when relying on external mana sources… 』
『 Buff ─ Randomly inherits one of the host's abilities. [Effects only apply on the first consumption] 』
Reading the side effects and buff, Rin instinctively sensed something off.
This potion doesn't seem very good!
"Can we drink it?" Remilia asked eagerly. The liquid looked like crimson blood—weirdly appealing.
Before Rin could answer, Patchouli snatched the bottle and chugged it all in one go.
"Patchy, you drank it all?! Shouldn't we test it on a guinea pig first?"
"No need. None of those ingredients were dangerous. Nothing to worry about."
Patchouli waved it off. The feeling of being completely mana-dry was unbearable—better to recover ASAP.
But as the potion took effect, her entire body jolted. A terrifying violet light erupted from her eyes.
A near-tangible wave of mana pulsed from her, staggering everyone nearby.
Patchouli stared blankly at her hands. An unprecedented amount of mana now surged through her, even improving her overall health.
She'd used these ingredients before—the best result had only been a major mana recovery.
How is Boss's alchemy this overpowered?!
Even Rin was surprised to see her perfectly fine.
"Patchy, do you feel... anything weird?" He asked cautiously.
"No? If anything, I've never felt better."
"Hiss..."
Rin scratched his head. At least she hadn't gotten sensitivity enhancement or orgasm lock—that was a relief.
"Good. Just be careful—this potion increases mana capacity but slows recovery. Don't drain yourself again."
"Don't worry, it won't happen again."
Patchouli promised solemnly, exchanging a subtle glance with Marisa before excusing herself to return to her room.
'Perfect. My trump card spell should be ready soon!' Marisa relaxed, a grin spreading across her face.
Her days of forced labor were almost over!
Whap!
"What are you grinning about? Get back to the counter—no more creative accounting!" Rin smacked her head lightly.
Not daring to argue, Marisa obediently returned to her post.
Meanwhile, back in her room, Patchouli suddenly felt a heavy pressure on her head.
'Did someone just pat me?' Seeing no one around, an ominous feeling crept into her heart.
But she didn't dwell on it, quickly refocusing on practicing the spell.
This time, I'll finish it in one go!