Rhys was startled by Rowena's statement.
Could it be that every tree and plant here had truly been created by Rowena through Alchemy?
He quickly looked around and, to his shock, discovered that Rowena did not seem to be exaggerating at all. Many of the plants in the garden had indeed been created through magic.
For example, the grass beneath his feet.
Looking closely, most of the blades looked exactly the same, as though they had all been carved from the same mold. Moreover, faint yet incredibly pure magical power flowed within them.
That was the power of magic.
"Of course, sometimes I take shortcuts by shrinking real plants and animals from the outside world and moving them in here. For example, this fig tree was transplanted from outside."
Rowena raised a hand, and several ripe figs fell neatly into her palm.
"Aguamenti."
After casually rinsing the fruit, she peeled the skin and began eating.
"Professor, isn't this actually the power of Transfiguration?"
Hermione Granger raised her hand and voiced her confusion to Professor Aries.
Faced with a question from one of the students she personally favored, Rowena appeared especially patient.
"Miss Granger, although they may resemble Transfiguration in terms of outward appearance, they are not truly the same."
Rowena plucked a blade of grass from the ground.
"Look. If this were Transfiguration, then after suffering this kind of damage, the object itself would most likely collapse and revert to its original form. That is the nature of Transfiguration: once the damage inflicted upon an object exceeds the limit the spell can sustain, the spell fails. But Alchemy is different."
With a casual motion, Rowena conjured a small whirlwind that shredded the grass in her hand into fragments.
The grass became tiny green scraps that scattered onto the ground, but they did not disappear.
"These are Alchemical creations transformed from elemental matter. After being damaged, they will gradually break apart, but they will not vanish instantly like objects created through Transfiguration."
"In other words, the things here can actually be eaten."
Rowena provided the simplest and most easily understood example.
Food created through Transfiguration could not truly be eaten unless the object's original state had already been edible. Once consumed, if the spell dissolved and the object returned to its original form, it could cause disastrously unpredictable damage to the digestive system.
But objects created through Alchemy were different.
They could genuinely be eaten. Even after entering the stomach, they would merely revert into their original elemental energies.
"This ancient field of study called Alchemy involves researching the composition, structure, and magical properties of the four fundamental elements, as well as the transmutation of matter. Once you properly master the proportions between them, you can refine whatever you desire."
Rowena closed her eyes. A few seconds later, the empty patch of ground where the grass had been removed was occupied by a newly sprouted blade of grass.
"This field is extremely fascinating. You must seek balance among the four elements, then use that balance to create entirely new objects."
Rowena extended a finger and wrote four words upon the ground in sequence:
[Wind] [Earth] [Fire] [Water]
"Today, I'll teach you some of the basic principles of Alchemy."
"And we'll begin from the simplest place possible."
"Are we supposed to create a blade of grass?" one of the older students asked eagerly, rubbing his hands together.
"Of course not." Rowena rolled her eyes at him.
"Do not underestimate a single blade of grass. If by the time you graduate you can create one successfully, that alone will count as an achievement. Today we are only studying the simplest classification of elements. This has absolutely nothing to do with the level of life itself."
As she spoke, Rowena brought out dozens of different substances and distributed a pile of them to each student, instructing them to classify the materials themselves.
"Place single-element substances together. If a substance contains multiple elements, label all the elements it contains. If there's something you don't understand, discuss it with your classmates first. If you still can't figure it out after discussing, then come ask me."
After assigning the lesson's task, Rowena leaned against the fig tree and began reading a book.
Rhys glanced at the substances distributed to him. Within only a few minutes, he had already completed all the classifications. Afterward, he plucked a blade of Alchemically-created grass from the ground and began studying it.
'A combination of water and earth, hm… Would a blade of grass like this possess the ability to reproduce?'
Rhys turned the grass over repeatedly in his hand as he examined it.
Then his gaze sharpened.
He noticed that the magical power attached to the grass was expanding at an extremely tiny rate. That meant the grass could absorb energy on its own. Once it absorbed enough energy, it would grow larger, and perhaps even split into a second blade of grass.
To verify his guess, Rhys carefully examined the surrounding vegetation. Sure enough, he found evidence supporting his theory.
Beside a larger wildflower was a smaller flower identical in appearance except for its size.
'Truly incredible.'
Rhys sighed inwardly.
The miniature world Rowena had created was already capable of sustaining its own cycle.
For the remainder of the class, Rhys focused entirely on studying Rowena's estate. From it, he gained quite a bit of inspiration regarding Alchemy.
When the bell signaling the end of class rang from outside, Rowena stood up, quickly corrected several mistakes the students had made, and announced the end of the lesson.
"Well?" Before Rhys left, Rowena deliberately stopped him to ask a question.
"Impressive."
Rhys's reply was simple, yet it immediately made Rowena beam with delight.
"Let's make a deal."
Once the other students had already left, Rowena stopped Rhys again.
Rhys: ?
"I heard that one of the Deathly Hallows, the Resurrection Stone, is in your possession. Lend it to me for research for a while, and in exchange I'll share my Alchemical notes with you. There are many ready-made formulas inside. As long as you follow the proportions and 'mix' them correctly, you can recreate the same items. You understand what I mean."
Naturally, Rhys understood exactly what Rowena meant.
Rowena's life Alchemy was somewhat similar to potion-making. By adjusting the proportions of the four elements — water, fire, wind, and earth — one could complete the Alchemical process.
So as long as he obtained the specific formulas, Rhys really could imitate the lifeforms Rowena had already successfully created.
"Don't break it."
Feeling that this transaction was extremely worthwhile, Rhys took out the Resurrection Stone and handed it over to Rowena. In return, Rowena stuffed a small booklet into his hands.
"You can leave now."
The moment she got what she wanted, she mercilessly issued an order for him to leave and immediately sent Rhys away.
After Rhys departed, Rowena impatiently rotated the Resurrection Stone three times in her palm.
A scorching wind swept through the woods, and a familiar voice rang out among the trees.
"Are the lot of you seriously never going to stop with this nonsense?!"
The phantom of Godric Gryffindor appeared before Rowena.
____
12 Chaps ahead at Patreon.com/HornyFBI