"There are some stones that only the elite are allowed to use, and others that are completely forbidden due to their dangerous effects."
Maria began speaking while pulling a small wooden box from one of the drawers. She opened it slowly, revealing a collection of various stones. Some were more luminous, others carried a strange glow.
Then she explained each one:
"This is Oblivion Gel Stone. It's said to contain ancient, uncontrollable energy. It's used in secret experiments, but it's completely banned across the continent.
"This is Mindrain—the mental manipulation stone. When ground, it can be used in potions that affect the mind, creating illusions or altering perception. One of the most dangerous stones, only used in mental analysis fields.
"This is Sanguinaria—the blood stone. It's said to massively increase physical strength, but carries fatal side effects. It's used in some secret potions, but banned due to the associated risks."
Niklaus looked at the stones calmly. The fact that Maria had these stones alone was a mystery, and it kept showing him that she was no ordinary alchemist.
Maria continued: "As for herbs, there are types only used in the most dangerous potions. You can't handle them without a deep understanding of their properties."
She pulled out an old book and opened one of its pages, where precise drawings of plants that didn't look like anything familiar were displayed. She began speaking:
"There are many forbidden and dangerous herbs. Here are a few:
"Noctiflora. Used to hide magical auras, making a person invisible to magical energy. It's not easy to use—it requires precise interaction to avoid side effects. If someone uses it poorly, all their magical power might evaporate, leaving them without any magic at all.
"Everium—the torment flower. Used in potions that cause continuous pain, typically in secret interrogations. It's said this flower never wilts, but it feeds on the surrounding magical energy.
"Chaosvine—the root of chaos. When boiled and made into explosives, it produces a substance that can disrupt an opponent's spells."
When Maria finished explaining, she looked at Niklaus. She expected that he had understood every word she said, given his usual expression—as if he was recording everything in his memory without any effort.
Then Niklaus said quietly, looking at the book Maria was holding: "Are there any herbs… that numb the mind?"
Maria didn't understand his question for a few seconds. She hadn't expected it.
But she said: "There's only one plant…"
She said this while pulling out an old book, opening it to a page that looked like it hadn't been read much. There was a carefully drawn image of a black flower with twisted leaves.
She continued: "It's called Noctivia, or shadow herbs. It only grows in places that never see light, usually in the forbidden forest. When its leaves are burned, they release black smoke that helps a person temporarily stop their thoughts, giving them relief from anxiety and heavy memories. Frequent use leads to difficulty distinguishing dreams from reality. It remains mysterious, but this is what's been known about it for decades due to its rarity, and because it grows in the Forest of Death. It's also said the side effects are worse than mentioned. A century ago, it was used to treat mental illnesses, but all those experiments ended in failure. Most people died from their very first dose. So it's not recommended for treatments or potions, because it has no therapeutic benefits. It was also mentioned in a study by an old priest that it's used in rituals for communicating with spirits."
When Maria finished explaining, she expected Niklaus to ask about extraction methods, or how to use it in magical potions. But he said something she wasn't ready to hear:
"I think it would work well… as cigarettes."
Maria paused for a second, her eyebrow rising slightly as she stared at him, as if trying to analyze those completely unexpected words. It was almost shocking. She had assumed his question about mind-numbing herbs was to use them in potions to weaken enemies—not to use them on himself. Using them on himself was pure stupidity and suicide.
"Are you thinking of smoking it?"
Her voice carried a hint of shock, but not exaggerated. It was just unexpected for someone his age.
"I shouldn't have smoked next to you…"
Maria said this while tilting her head slightly, as if wondering whether she had unintentionally influenced Niklaus.
"You'd better not try anything like cigarettes, especially if you're thinking of making something like this. Smoking it would be a stupid and well-deserved suicide."
But Niklaus showed no reaction to her advice or her words. Smoking wasn't new to him. He had smoked often in his past life, as Arthur. And now he needed to smoke more than ever. He wanted something to stop his racing thoughts, to give him a moment of internal silence that he was beginning to feel had become impossible.
He was exhausted from thinking… from the dreams that haunted him every night—those fragmented dreams that never let him sleep peacefully. He was starting to feel like he might go insane if this continued. As if his mind wouldn't allow him to rest, as if he was trapped in a world that wouldn't grant him a single moment of peace.
He didn't say anything to Maria. He just looked at the plant's shape in the book carefully and memorized it.
Maria sighed deeply. For her, Niklaus was the most complicated person she had ever seen.