Chapter 140: I Have Stories, Do You Have Wine?
Regis gestured to the satchel he carried.
The herbal scent emanated from within.
"I come here to gather herbs and roots, which I then take back to my cottage to distill into potions and elixirs."
"Aren't you afraid to wander around this graveyard?" Massimo asked, hurrying over from a distance. "What if there are monsters lurking in the tombs?"
Regis chuckled softly. "Apart from necrophages, other monsters have no interest in graveyards. Even ghouls wouldn't fancy bones that have been lying around for five centuries, so there won't be any ghouls here."
"Furthermore, every year from June to September, that is, from the summer solstice to the autumn equinox, I spend three months here."
"The fact that I am still standing here unharmed is the best proof that 'there are no ghouls,' wouldn't you agree?"
Regis's words left Massimo speechless.
But he still felt uneasy about the place.
Regis seemed to read Massimo's thoughts and said with a smile, "If you gentlemen don't mind, why not come to my cottage?"
"My summer dwelling is small and simple, but there's a spring nearby, and a stove inside. It's certainly better than spending the night in the open air. What do you say, gentlemen?"
...
Regis's summer dwelling was not far from the graveyard where they were.
It took the group less than ten minutes to reach a small wooden cabin nestled in the forest behind the graveyard.
The cabin's location was quite secluded. Unless one ventured deep into the woods, it would be difficult to spot the small house from the forest's edge.
"Please come in, gentlemen. Make yourselves at home."
The interior of the cabin was dimly lit, filled with a warm and intoxicating aroma that tickled the nose.
This scent mainly came from the bundles of herbs and plant roots hanging on all four walls.
There wasn't much furniture in the room.
It included a simple small bed and a dilapidated old table.
The small bed was also covered with herbs.
On the table were countless glass vessels, pottery, and porcelain bottles.
Providing light for the room was a peculiar, round-bellied stove shaped like a bloated hourglass.
A faint glow came from the burning charcoal inside.
Around the stove were interconnected, shimmering glass tubes of various sizes, forming a spiderweb-like pattern.
Their shapes were curved into arcs and spirals.
Beneath one of the glass tubes was a wooden barrel, into which some kind of liquid was dripping.
The cabin was small, but the equipment inside was more advanced than that in the laboratory of Oxenfurt University.
Experimental equipment of this era had no unified standards. If one wanted a specific piece of equipment, they had to rely on their own imagination and experience to draw detailed blueprints and then commission a glassblower to make it.
"This is...a maceration furnace, a still, equipped with a fractionating column and a condenser. Did you make this yourself, Barber-surgeon Regis?"
"Indeed," Regis admitted modestly. "My work includes the creation of elixirs, so I must distill and extract the fifth essence, among other things."
Lynn and Geralt were both witchers.
The witchers' work also included the preparation of potions.
And the fifth essence was also one of the alchemical ingredients for witcher potions.
So the things Regis mentioned were still within their realm of understanding.
But Massimo couldn't understand these obscure and technical terms.
He wore an expression of utter bewilderment.
He could understand every single word the witcher and the barber-surgeon said.
But when they were combined into sentences, he simply couldn't grasp their meaning.
However...
He soon made a new discovery.
The ranger-knight stared intently at the liquid dripping from the glass tube, his eyes unblinking.
He sniffed deeply, then a look of rapture spread across his face.
"Master Regis, may I ask what this is? Wine?"
Regis explained gently, "This is a distillate of mandrake root, with added belladonna and fermented starch paste."
Massimo couldn't help but lick his lips. "Could I have a glass?"
"I would be delighted for my guests to sample my creation," Regis turned and began to rummage around. After searching for a while, he only found a measuring cup. "I apologize, this is the only vessel I have here suitable for drinking."
Lynn took out four empty waterskins from his enchanted pouch. "I have these."
Massimo took the measuring cup, carefully scooped up the liquid from the barrel, and poured it into the four waterskins Lynn handed him.
Of course, he didn't fill them all the way. Out of politeness, he only filled each waterskin to about a third.
He first took a small sip.
Then his eyes widened immediately.
He followed it with a large gulp.
"This is the best wine I have ever tasted. Even the exclusive royal wine 'Sangreale,' served only in the Beauclair palace, is not even a tenth as good as this."
"Master Lynn, Master Geralt, you must try it too."
He handed out the other three waterskins and then said to the barber-surgeon, "Master Regis, although I don't understand those technical terms you mentioned, I have heard something about the price of mandrake root. How much is this drink? I'll pay for it."
"Hehe," the barber-surgeon still had that refined and amiable demeanor. "This is just an unfinished product of unsatisfactory quality. Besides, our meeting tonight is all thanks to the guidance of fate."
"So, let's not talk about money. If you gentlemen like it, please drink to your heart's content."
"However, I will refrain. I do not allow myself to partake in any stimulating beverages. My health is not what it once was, and I have been forced to give up many...entertainments."
Seeing that Geralt seemed about to say something, he waved his hand. "No need to persuade me. This is a matter of principle, and I never violate my own principles."
Geralt said respectfully, "Your generosity and steadfastness fill me with admiration and envy."
Lynn took a long drink of the mandrake wine from his waterskin.
Massimo's compliment wasn't just out of politeness.
The wine was neither harsh nor did it burn the throat.
It was like celestial nectar, giving one a light and airy feeling.
It was as if all the troubles of the world had instantly vanished.
This was definitely a unique and exquisite wine of this era.
Although Regis didn't mind, it wasn't quite right to just drink his wine.
So, Lynn took out some fresh meat from his enchanted pouch.
After some preparation, he handed the fragrant roasted meat to each of them.
He offered the largest portion to the barber-surgeon.
"Please try some, Master Regis. Although it's not made with particularly rare ingredients, my cooking skills are something that ordinary people don't get to experience."
Regis took a bite and immediately smiled. "Hmm, I daresay even a count hasn't tasted such delicious roasted meat. You have truly given me a feast, young sir."
(End of this chapter)
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