What Witch? This Alchemist is Breaking Bad!

“Those pipes have already deteriorated. Replace all of them! In such an enclosed space, you actually don’t clean the ventilation outlets regularly? A lens needs to be installed here to concentrate the light and improve catalytic efficiency during reactions...”

Leon stood in the corner with his arms folded, watching two apothecaries frantically reorganize the laboratory under Weiss’s direction. When their eyes happened to meet, Leon beckoned to her, signaling for her to come over to the corner.

“How is it? Can you make the antidote for Saltification Disease here?” Leon asked.

The biggest reason he had chosen to bring Weiss here and put her in charge of the laboratory was so that she would have a place to formulate medicine for treating Saltification Disease.

He had not brought Weiss back merely to ensure her safety. He also wanted to use her abilities to save people. There was no way he could completely keep her hidden away.

For Weiss to produce medicine, she needed a proper laboratory environment. It was difficult to find a sufficiently secure location outside, and constructing a new laboratory from scratch carried the risk of being discovered.

At present, it was not only the Earl’s forces pursuing Weiss—the entire Church was searching for her. If she remained out in the open and either side discovered her and launched a raid, everything would be over.

After much consideration, Arend Island remained the most suitable option. There was already a laboratory here. Procuring the necessary materials and equipment and shipping them to the island—or simply reorganizing the existing facilities—would not attract much attention even among the Earl’s internal forces.

The island’s geographical position was naturally isolated. Anyone wishing to investigate it would first have to get through the numerous checkpoints and watchers Leon had established. Everyone here belonged to him. The personnel in the core area—the people in this stronghold, those stationed in the inside-the-labyrinth positions, the guards of the stronghold, and even the two apothecaries—had all consumed Cursed Blood.

Of course, Leon knew this still could not guarantee complete information security. But at the very least, this place would not be directly assaulted. Even if the Earl sent people to inspect the island, no one would be allowed inside the stronghold without Leon’s orders. That would give him ample time to prepare a response.

Therefore, Weiss could only hide here. To allow her to use the laboratory on the island while receiving special protection from his subordinates, she naturally needed the title of Chief Apothecary. Otherwise, the sudden appearance of a mysterious woman inside the stronghold would seem even more suspicious to outsiders and would easily lead to misunderstandings among his own people.

The current arrangement was merely a compromise that balanced both his needs and the associated risks. Faced with investigations from both the Earl and the Church, it was nearly impossible to find a truly safe location. He could only choose the place with the relatively lowest risk.

“Compared to the Saint Rosalia Research Institute, the conditions of this laboratory are somewhat lacking. By purchasing some equipment and making a few technical adjustments, most of the problems should be solvable.” Weiss paused before continuing, “The only issue is Mana. I don’t know whether you’ve ever tested the Mana purity of the medicines I gave you...”

“Ninety-six percent?” Leon said.

That was the result Rena had obtained when she tested Weiss’s medicine. It was a level of purity they could only dream of reaching.

“Ninety-six point seven percent. According to my experimental results, reversing Saltification Disease requires Mana with a purity of at least ninety-five percent. That level can’t be extracted here. It must be done deep within an Active Labyrinth,” Weiss said.

“Then how did you produce it when you were with the Church?” Leon asked in confusion.

“Our laboratories have many methods of simulating the environment inside a labyrinth. The Church also controls certain labyrinths for research purposes. Is your labyrinth alive?” Weiss asked him.

“It is an Active Labyrinth. But as for that... I’ll need to think about it a bit,” Leon replied after some consideration.

If Weiss was going to enter the depths of the labyrinth, he would first need to inform Rena. Weiss still did not know that another Witch existed here.

“Also, I need materials from a Fourth-Level Magical Beast,” Weiss added.

“A Fourth-Level Magical Beast?” Leon froze for a moment.

“Yes. Only materials from a Fourth-Level Magical Beast can achieve that level of purity. Using my techniques, materials from a Third-Level Magical Beast can only be refined to between ninety and ninety-three percent,” Weiss explained.

Leon thought that was already astonishingly high.

However, producing Fourth-Level Magical Beast materials right now would be difficult. So much time had passed that all the materials from the Drake had long since been refined. Even if they had not been refined, they could not have been preserved until now.

After thinking for a while, he asked, “Would a Drake egg work?”

He had once considered trying to create a Drake inside the labyrinth. After all, he had extracted Mana from a Drake before, and as the Lord of the Labyrinth, he theoretically could use the labyrinth’s magical power to create one.

Of course, judging by the process he had experienced when creating the Petrifying Lizard, even if he successfully created a Drake, it would probably begin from the egg stage.

“Oviparous Magical Beasts hatch very quickly after being produced. It’s difficult to obtain their eggs without raising them. A Fourth-Level Magical Beast would require a Third-Rank Witch to control. How exactly are you planning to get a Drake egg?” Weiss looked at Leon in surprise.

“I never said I could definitely get one. I’m just asking whether it can be used,” Leon replied.

“I’ve never tried it before. All I can say is that it’s worth attempting,” Weiss answered.

“What else do you need to purchase? Give me a list, and I’ll prepare everything after I leave,” Leon said.

“Are you leaving already?” Weiss blinked.

“I’ll come back and check on things later. I still have a lot of matters to handle. I’ll leave this place to you for now. Once you’ve finished the list, I’ll come back to collect it. This is my territory. While you’re here, I can more or less guarantee your safety. But once you’re outside, that’s another matter. I hope you understand,” Leon instructed.

“I understand. You should be careful too.” Weiss nodded, concern flashing through her eyes. “Now that you’ve helped me, won’t you become a suspect?”

“That’s hard to say. But it’s best not to be too optimistic. They’re not people who are easily fooled. We’d better be mentally prepared to confront them head-on,” Leon replied in a lowered voice.

An opponent who had once defeated him was never someone to underestimate.

Not only had Bishop Beckett and the Earl once driven him into a desperate situation, but he had also served under Bishop Beckett for a period of time.

In Leon’s opinion, Bishop Beckett’s combat abilities were not as formidable as Johnny Wellman’s. Even in a direct confrontation now, he might not necessarily be Leon’s match. However, Bishop Beckett was meticulous and highly skilled at investigations.

When rescuing Weiss and breaking through Bishop Beckett’s forces, Leon had used the Blessing of Time Acceleration. Given Bishop Beckett’s experience and intelligence, he should have noticed something unusual.

Ordinary people would never imagine that someone could simultaneously wield the blessings of Moilai and the Supreme God. However, they could still theorize that a person blessed by the Four Gods might consume a Beastification Potion while enduring enormous side effects.

And once the investigation firmly focused on the blessing of “Time Acceleration,” someone as meticulous as Bishop Beckett would certainly compile a list of every possible suspect.

Leon would almost certainly be on that list.

Bishop Beckett was not the kind of person who would exclude Leon simply because he was considered one of their own. Not to mention that, from Bishop Beckett’s perspective, Leon had already come into contact with Weiss at least twice.

For now, Leon estimated that he was probably only among the “possible suspects” rather than being formally suspected.

But if Bishop Beckett continued digging deeper, there was no guarantee that his suspicions would not grow.

And once suspicion reached a certain level, that alone would be enough for them.

They were not a Tribunal.

They had no need for evidence.

After handing the laboratory over to Weiss, Leon left and headed toward the depths of the labyrinth.

Passing through the Breeding Grounds, he walked toward the Temple guarded by Demonic Wolves. The two wolves immediately approached him and sniffed around him. Leon patted their heads before entering the Temple.

There, he finally saw Rena washing her hands at the sink.

The sound of running water seemed to have masked his footsteps. After thinking for a moment, Leon quietly approached from behind and leaned down. Then, like someone blowing out a candle, he gently blew a puff of air behind her ear.

“Hoo!”

“Ah!” Rena shuddered violently.

Leon immediately stepped back two paces. Startled, Rena spun around toward the intruder, only to discover Leon standing there with a smile on his face.

“I’m back,” Leon said with a grin.

Rena puffed out her cheeks angrily, both hands already clenched into fists.

Whenever she worked in the Temple, she always had the Demonic Wolves guard the entrance. No one could enter directly except Leon. As both the Lord of the Labyrinth and their tamer, he was effectively their master as well.

“No roughhousing in the laboratory,” Leon quickly raised a hand to stop her and said earnestly.

“Then why did you scare me!?” Rena protested.

“You were washing your hands. It’s not like you were conducting an experiment,” Leon replied.

“Then I’ll help wash your face while I’m at it. Take this!”

Rena immediately wiped her wet hand across Leon’s face. Seeing him make a miserable expression after getting splashed, she burst into a toothy grin.

She dried her hands with a towel and then tossed it to Leon so he could wipe his face.

“You came back a little later than expected this time. Did you stop by the Inquisition to handle work first?” Rena asked with her hands on her hips.

Including the time he had spent there, a round trip to the Southeastern Major Diocese should have taken only about three days. Yet this trip had been delayed by an extra day compared to when he had gone for the assessment.

“Ah...” At the mention of the topic, the smile gradually faded from Leon’s face. “Something unexpected happened. Sit down and let me explain.”

Once Rena sat down, Leon recounted everything that had happened during the trip, including how Weiss had been framed by the Earl, how he had rescued her, and how he had eventually brought her all the way to Arend Island.

The more Rena listened, the more astonished she became.

And when Leon mentioned bringing Weiss to Arend Island, her eyes widened.

“You brought her... back!?”