“This is…”
Holding the book, Anis stepped into the wardrobe. After a brief moment of dizziness from the teleportation, she arrived at the green magic crystal vein.
She carefully examined the magic crystal vein growing on the rock wall and felt certain it was exactly as described in the book.
“So the power contained in here is natural energy?”
She drew her wand, aimed at one of the crystals, and cast a cutting spell. Once it was in her hand, she retreated.
“Let’s see…”
Comparing the physical object in her hand with the book, the characteristics matched perfectly. She tried to sense the power within it. It was indeed similar to mana, but it originated from an entirely different source.
‘Is it really such a coincidence?’
Anis still couldn’t believe her luck. She had just discovered the magic crystal vein, and then someone had practically handed her the instruction manual.
She flipped through the black magic book the mysterious girl had given her. The beginning was largely consistent with the introduction in *Witch’s Brewing*, but this book introduced various spells, most of which were new things she had never seen before.
“I’ll set this one aside for now. Saving Princess Rubia’s life is more important.”
Her current strength was sufficient to handle the present situation. Anis hid the book with a concealment spell and focused on studying *Witch’s Brewing*.
Before getting into the specifics of brewing, the book provided a concrete definition for the word “witch.” It explicitly stated that a “witch” was not a title or status, but rather a category of girls born with the capacity to carry more types of mana elements and a larger total volume of mana.
This constitution was inherently unstable. If they relied on conventional magic training, they would often veer toward the extreme of losing control. Therefore, external intervention and guided magical learning were necessary.
Anis blinked. According to the book, it seemed the Flonst family had actually done her… a favor?
‘There’s no point in thinking about that. I should keep reading.’
After skimming through some of the less relevant sections, Anis began her study of the potion-making chapter.
The potions in *Witch’s Brewing* were not made through universal alchemical formulas; instead, they centered on “individual adaptation.” The materials, the heat, the incantations, and even the emotional state of the brewer would vary from person to person.
Consequently, these potions could not be replicated or mass-produced. The quality of the finished product depended entirely on the strength of the witch who brewed it. It could result in a pot of bitter water or a divine medicine that could heal someone with a single drop.
This was not a power system designed for organizations, armies, or families. It was a path open only to “one specific person.”
Anis’s hand trembled slightly — she finally understood why this content had been hidden. It was because it didn’t need control or supervision, and it certainly couldn’t be monopolized.
In the final line, the book specifically noted that completing the brewing required a certain catalyst — natural energy. Therefore, before researching the brewing process, a witch had to learn to control this new kind of “mana.”
The book didn’t say how to control it, but Anis knew that the other black magic book contained detailed instructions. It seemed she would have to study both books simultaneously.
Anis removed the concealment spell from the other book and stacked them together, though she didn’t rush to open them. She leaned over the books, lost in thought. For some reason, she felt a strange, unfamiliar sensation in her chest — an urge to cry.
‘It isn’t a weapon.’
‘It isn’t a dangerous power.’
‘It’s a key.’
It was the first time she had seen a genuine possibility of “escaping the cage.” By using the knowledge from these two books, she could concoct a potion to heal the Second Princess and catch the royal family’s attention. If that happened, the Flonst family wouldn’t be able to keep her locked away anymore.
Over the next period of time, Anis devoted nearly all her time to the two books. She was cautious to the point of being harsh on herself. She didn’t rush into practice, instead reading, recording, and ensuring she knew every theory by heart.
***
7 days later, there was another knock on her door. This time, it wasn’t Cybelle calling her to dinner, but Sherry. As their eyes met when the door opened, the corners of Sherry’s mouth curled up, and she gave Anis a stunning smile.
“I’ve set up a simple brewing hut for you. Why don’t you come and see what else you need?”
“Huh?” Anis froze for a moment before quickly remembering that Sherry had promised to provide a new set of brewing equipment.
Following behind Sherry, the two of them walked into the empty courtyard. The flowers in the glass greenhouse were still in full bloom, with crystal-clear droplets of water clinging to the petals like lenses. Everything was as it had been, except for the empty spot where the Frost Lily had previously bloomed.
“Come this way.”
Sherry led her to a corner of the greenhouse and lightly tapped the floor with her longsword. The area that had been covered in soft soil suddenly revealed a dark entrance. A well-maintained marble staircase led all the way down into the darkness.
“What is this? Are you going to lock me in a dungeon?”
Anis instinctively took a step back. Who would dare go in there?
“Don’t be afraid. Only the part in the courtyard is a tunnel. I did it this way for the sake of secrecy.”
To dispel Anis’s concerns, Sherry took the first step down the stairs.
“Don’t worry, it’s safe inside!”
Sherry’s voice echoed from the dark hole. Still half-doubting, Anis drew her wand. “*LIGHT*.”
After lighting up the tip of her wand, she finally walked down the stairs. It was indeed pitch black at first, but it didn’t take long for light to appear.
Stepping out of the tunnel, she was greeted by a vast expanse of white snow. Having been here countless times, Anis naturally knew this was the snowy mountain in the northern part of the territory — specifically, an undeveloped mountain very far from the mining area.
Something was wrong. The mansion was quite far from the snowy mountains. How long had she actually been walking in the tunnel? In other words, the interior of the tunnel was constructed with teleportation magic, and it had been built underground to hide its existence.
But no one in the entire mansion besides her could use magic of this level. Who could have…
Anis’s gaze fell on Sherry.
“I posted a commission at the Adventurers Guild in the neighboring territory a few days ago and found someone capable to build a teleportation circle,” Sherry explained as if she had anticipated the question, even though that wasn’t the case at all.
She had done it herself, and it had only taken 5 minutes. The howling wind whistled in Anis’s ears, causing her to pull her robe a bit tighter.
“We’re here.”
They arrived at a snow slope. Sherry stepped aside and motioned for Anis to push it with her hand. Anis frowned slightly. As a witch, she could naturally tell that what was in front of her was some kind of illusion magic.
She pointed her wand at the snow cave and whispered an incantation.
“*DISPEL*.”
The snow slope vanished, and the sight revealed before her left her completely stunned.