Chapter 28: Minerva’s Mission
The scent of liquor hung heavily in the air, so thick that it felt almost tangible. Adam wrinkled his nose slightly, though he had long since grown used to it. Still, the sheer potency of the aroma never failed to remind him of one undeniable truth.
"Honestly, Minerva drinks as much as ten humans together need to drink water."
He muttered to himself, shaking his head as he continued walking across the courtyard.
The courtyard itself was vast, a sacred training ground of sorts, dominated at its center by a towering Gurgoa tree. Its thick, gnarled roots sprawled out like veins through the earth, its canopy adorned with resplendent red and glowing orange flowers.
That grows on the tree.
A beautiful sight, yet deceptively deadly.
To humans, the flowers were lethally poisonous, but in the world of alchemy, they were invaluable. Their properties made them a crucial ingredient in various potions, medicines, and poisons alike.
And underneath that very tree, as expected, sat Minerva.
She was lounging in her usual carefree manner, legs lazily stretched out, back against the colossal trunk, and in her hand...a sake cup, filled to the brim. The woman's purple glowed faintly under the fading daylight, her eyes half-lidded in amusement as she gazed at Adam's approaching figure.
"...You sure took your time, boy."
Adam chuckled sheepishly.