Memories, Potions, and Old News

Days later, news spread from outside Mondstadt that the problem of the living dead had been resolved.

Even more encouragingly, the Church had deployed Templar Knights to push the monsters back into Loran Forest.

Although rumors suggested that some infection sources still lingered in certain areas, the healing mages of Paimon Fortress had already invented a curative potion. A single injection was all it took for a complete recovery.

In essence, the disaster was drawing to a close. People outside Mondstadt cheered with joy, eager for time to pass quickly, each yearning deeply for home.

It was even rumored that the Church would soon hold a significant ceremony beneath the Holy Temple of Light, broadcast via magical crystal ball for all believers to witness.

The news also reached within the city walls. Lord Simon, the city’s leader, finally allowed a long-lost smile to grace his face as he reviewed the endless stream of documents.

He rubbed his darkened eyes, stretched deeply, and let out a long yawn.

Unable to resist the overwhelming exhaustion that washed over him, he momentarily swayed before collapsing onto his desk, falling into a profound sleep.

A nearby attendant quietly approached him from behind, instinctively draping a soft, fine blanket over his sleeping form.

Afterward, the attendant extinguished the candle on the desk and silently withdrew from the room. The entire process was conducted with utmost quietude.

****

Freya listened to Roland recount the news he had gathered outside, her brows furrowing slightly. The towel she used to wipe his face pressed a little harder.

“Is that how you wash someone’s face?” Roland snatched the towel from her hand, taking over the task himself. “You said you’d wash my face, yet you spent all this time just listening to me talk, taking ages to wipe my face.”

“Because, even though I can’t recall what kind of organization the Church is, I seem to have a very strong impression of them…” Freya cradled her slightly aching head. “Hmm… I still can’t remember. By the way, do you still have that potion? Give me another shot, please?”

‘Damn it! What if you actually remembered everything?’

‘Wouldn’t that Demon Lord, who was so intent on seizing my Holy Sword, be back again?’

‘What would become of my [Little Demon Lord Rearing Plan] then?’

‘I’m supposed to cultivate you into a righteous companion!’

“There’s no rush for that. I’ll go ask my friend about it later,” Roland said, drying his face. He turned, his hand naturally resting on Freya’s head, giving it a gentle pat. “You’ve been doing quite well these past few days. Besides me, not even my mother can tell the difference between you now and before.”

Freya crinkled her nose, swatting Roland’s hand away with a hint of disdain. “I do have some impression of her, and it seems… not bad. However…”

She slowly leaned forward, pressing her body against Roland’s chest. Tilting her head back, she placed her hands on either side of his face, her gaze fixed on his eyes.

“You, what are you doing?”

Roland felt a flush of awkwardness, unsure of what this person intended.

‘Is she lusting after me again?’

“Husband…” Freya’s gaze was serious, her expression filled with doubt. “Why is it that when you just touched my head, and now when I have my hands on your face like this, I feel…”

“Feel what?”

Roland revealed a trace of helplessness, thinking, ‘Sure enough, I’m just too handsome, there’s no helping it. This Little Demon Lord is probably going to cling to me.’

“I feel rather disgusted.”

Freya moved her hands to Roland’s throat, gripping his neck abruptly, a chilling glint appearing in her eyes.

Roland was startled, quickly seizing her restless hands.

“Hey, hey! What are you doing?!”

“Husband…” Freya’s hands tightened slightly as she slowly brought her beautiful face closer to Roland’s, a hint of ruthlessness and curiosity in her eyes. “How did we meet? Why do I have no memory of it?”

“We…” Roland stammered, ‘I haven’t made that up yet.’

“And how did you pursue me?” Her eyes darted around, her left eyebrow arching slightly. “It couldn’t be that I was the one throwing myself at you, could it?”

“Ah, well…” Roland pondered for a moment, then finally nodded with a wry smile.

“Ugh— Tch—” Freya forcefully suppressed a certain urge, letting out a long sigh as she slowly withdrew her hands. “I suddenly had a strong desire to crush your neck just now…”

Roland’s eyelids twitched. ‘This ungrateful wretch,’ he cursed internally, yet maintained a gentle facade. “It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s all that damn [Holy Sword]’s fault. I’ll try to find a solution as soon as possible.”

The cabinet subtly shifted again. Roland noticed it, but paid it no mind.

Freya leaned limply into his embrace, her face etched with helplessness.

“I really can’t remember…”

She frustratingly clutched her head, her flowing, soft hair becoming as disheveled as wild grass. Then, she looked up, a hint of exasperation in her voice.

“My mind is incredibly chaotic. It’s like… many vague memories are inexplicably flashing, some very familiar… and others… completely foreign.”

‘Of course, because that potion wasn’t just a single shot…’

“Sigh…” Roland shrugged, gently embracing her. “It’s alright, it’s alright. No matter who you are, I’ll protect you.”

Freya pouted, lightly punching his chest once, then her hand remained clutching his clothes.

“Why hit me?”

“I just couldn’t resist hitting you,” she said, her cunning eyes twinkling as she blinked at Roland. “Do you mind?”

‘I mind very much.’

“Not at all…” Roland replied with a benevolent smile. “How could I?”

Freya narrowed her eyes. “I just feel like us being like this right now is rather disgusting.”

‘Damn it! If you keep slandering me like this, I’m done with this act. I’ll just take that [Holy Sword] and chase you out, you little brat!’

‘What the hell is this [Little Demon Lord Rearing Plan] I…’

“However…” Freya buried her face in his chest, inhaling the scent from his collar. A faint blush crept onto her delicate face. “It doesn’t seem so bad.”

Roland simultaneously felt the fragrance of her hair and the warmth radiating from her. His hidden internal complaints suddenly stalled. Gazing at Freya in his arms, he found himself unable to feel even a hint of dislike, only a burgeoning sense of her cuteness.

‘How strange…’

He didn’t know why this was, and so he simply continued to ponder, while instinctively holding her closer.

****

That afternoon, Roland paid another visit to the Alchemy Master.

As he entered the laboratory, he found the Alchemist adjusting a fresh vial of injectables.

“Master…”

“Shh—” Rudios raised a finger and gently shook it.

Roland quickly closed his mouth, moving to the side to quietly observe the Alchemist’s work.

Rudios ground several unknown herb leaves into a powder, then placed it into a liquid that seemed to be corrosive. The powder hissed as it submerged.

Next, he used magic to heat the liquid until it boiled, then transferred it into another glass tube.

Witnessing these intricate steps, Roland finally succumbed to his drowsiness and yawned.

“I am extracting the toxins from Nigra Grass,” Rudios stated, glancing to his right before refocusing on the experimental bench. “This plant originally grew in the Demon Realm, absorbing dark elements from its soil during its growth, making it extremely potent. I have cultivated this plant in my greenhouse and conducted numerous experiments on it.”

“Mm.”

“Acidification combined with extraction is the best method for removing toxins,” Rudios explained, placing the extracted venom into a glass bottle. “Initially, I need to break down the plant cell walls, and then…”

“Alright, alright!” Roland quickly waved his hands. “Master, you don’t need to tell me all that; I won’t understand any of it.”

“Heh heh…” Rudios shook his head with a wry smile. “Then you’ll have to wait a little longer. I’ll finish this injection right away.”

Roland affirmed with an “Alright” and began to wander around the laboratory.

He dared not touch the instruments on the experimental bench, so he turned his attention to the numerous books instead.

Titles like *Basic Biological Alchemy*, *Basic Metal Alchemy*, *Cellular Mana Alchemy Conversion*, and *Secrets in the Flames* adorned the shelves.

These were all formidable tomes, and Roland felt a headache coming on just by glancing at their titles.

As he observed Rudios meticulously conducting his experiment, Roland couldn’t help but feel a surge of admiration.

‘What a truly great Alchemy Master!’

“Eh?”

He felt as though he had stepped on something. Looking down, he saw an old newspaper.

The paper was wedged in a crevice, and had he not been paying attention, he truly wouldn’t have noticed it.

He bent down to pick it up, shook off the dust, and spread it open to read.

[The Imperial Chancellor announced the closure of the experimental facility located on the northwestern border, adjacent to the Frankish Kingdom. They declared that the facility was solely for the study of disease medicine and had no connection to biological research… ]

[Investigation into the Bikmar Experimental Facility faces immense resistance, with the Church siding with the Empire: No data proves any viral leakage from the facility… ]

[A week before the facility’s closure, witnesses claimed to have seen never-before-seen monsters… ]

Roland’s brows slowly furrowed. ‘What a bizarre newspaper,’ he thought.

He glanced at the date in the top left corner: November 8th, 1998, in the Era of Light.

‘Why is there a newspaper from over twenty years ago here? Did someone accidentally leave it behind?’

He casually crumpled it into a ball and aimed for a distant trash can.

The paper ball arced through the air, struck the rim of the trash can, and bounced onto the floor.

‘My aim is off.’

Roland shook his head, just about to pick it up and deposit it properly.

“Lord Roland, it’s finished,” Rudios called out excitedly. “Come take a look!”

“Oh, oh…” Roland forgot about the crumpled paper. He hurried over to Rudios, observing the pure black injectable in his hand.

“It seems more transparent than the last vial,” Roland commented after his observation.

“Indeed,” Rudios nodded, thinking, ‘This person’s observational skills are quite good.’ “This time, I increased the dark element content to enhance its effect. By the way, how was the effect after your wife received treatment last time?”

“Good, too good,” Roland said, twisting his lips. “She remembered too many things.”

Rudios didn’t understand what he meant, tilting his head. “Isn’t it better to remember more things?”

“That’s not what I meant… Anyway…” Roland took the vial, carefully placing it in the innermost layer of his clothes for protection. Then, with an uncertain tone, he asked, “Will my wife recover all her memories after this injection?”

“More or less. I believe she should be able to recall about eighty percent,” Rudios replied.

Rudios didn’t dare make a full guarantee, merely estimating the anticipated outcome.

“Is that so…”

‘I definitely can’t let the Little Demon Lord have this injection now. At the very least, I need to thoroughly train her, so she can’t do any more mischief, before I even consider letting her memories return.’

At that moment, Rudios sighed, seemingly troubled by the persistent problem of the Rofenia Herb. He said with a hint of melancholy, “My lord, I truly apologize. Regarding the Rofenia Herb solution, I can still only concoct some alternative medicines, because…”

Roland waved a dismissive hand. “It’s fine. Roxy has already told me that this issue has plagued alchemists for centuries, so I understand it’s not an easy problem to solve. I’m already very grateful for all your help.”

After exchanging a few pleasantries, he waved goodbye to Rudios and departed with the potion.

Watching Roland’s retreating figure, a complex smile appeared on Rudios’s face.

He took a few steps forward and securely closed the laboratory door.

The heavy, dark door shut with a thud, sealing the room and making the circulating air feel somewhat stifling.

Perhaps finding the room’s lighting a bit dim, Rudios walked to the switch and illuminated several magic lamps that had not been turned on.

The crimson filaments flickered, casting a warm glow that, diffused through a layer of glass, spread an indistinct light around the room.

“Next time, I’ll have to ask the academy to procure a new batch of magic light bulbs. These old devices have been running for at least twenty years, present since I first arrived here…” Rudios mused. He then spotted a crumpled piece of paper on the floor, curiously picked it up, and spread it open. A flicker of doubt crossed his face. “Why is this newspaper still here?”

As he read the text, his gaze slowly deepened.

‘Bikmar Experimental Facility…’

“Hmph—”

He let out a long breath, casually using his magic to shred the newspaper into pieces before returning to the experimental bench.

“Don’t dwell on it too much. Let’s focus on the experiments again… I recall that Rofenia Herb seems to have a special reaction with the core of a Bililena Fruit. It might be worth trying…”