Bishui Paradise was the most extravagant and infamous pleasure house in Baifeng City.
It boasted the most beautiful women in all of West Asia Province, the finest wines, and the most exquisite delicacies. Naturally, indulging in such luxuries came at an exorbitant price.
Luciel had long heard of Bishui Paradise's reputation, but this was his first time stepping inside. The main reason? His perpetually empty pockets.
The cost of an evening here was so high that even the wealthy Anderson couldn't afford to visit often. But tonight, he had invited Luciel as a guest, celebrating on his behalf—albeit reluctantly parting with his money.
Anderson had also invited two other friends: Percy and Cecil.
One was the son of a viscount, the other the son of an earl. However, both had long since fallen from noble prestige, or they would have never associated with a country noble like Anderson.
Eager to show off, Anderson introduced Luciel to them with great enthusiasm.
"This is my best friend, a true knight prodigy—Luciel Lanster! Remember this name, my friends, for I swear it will one day resound throughout Baifeng City!"
Percy and Cecil exchanged brief handshakes with Luciel, offering polite but hollow pleasantries before resuming their aloof demeanor.
Luciel paid them no mind. He had come tonight mainly as a courtesy to Anderson, but his real goal was something else—to gather more data for his research and possibly discover new enhancement ingredients in the extravagant selection of food and drinks at Bishui Paradise.
The four of them entered the lavish establishment, where Anderson, clearly familiar with the place, effortlessly booked a private room.
The room, though small, was still larger than Luciel's dormitory. The cost for a single night? A staggering one hundred gold coins.
Luciel was speechless.
Soon, trays of premium teas, fine wines, exotic fruits, and sumptuous meats arrived in an unending stream.
Luciel picked up a red nut, popped it into his mouth, and bit down.
"Analyze the food composition. If any ingredients enhance physical attributes, notify me immediately."
[Analyzing components...]
["No enhancement ingredients detected."]
Luciel frowned slightly and reached for an unfamiliar blue fruit.
["Analyzing components..."]
He continued picking various foods, tasting and analyzing them one by one.
To everyone else, however, his actions seemed bizarre—like an unsophisticated bumpkin who had never seen luxury before.
Percy and Cecil exchanged disdainful glances, their eyes filled with silent mockery. Even Anderson looked embarrassed and quickly approached Luciel.
"Luciel, what are you doing? Hey, don't tell me you came here just to eat? Have you seen these stunning girls? They're all yours—pick one!"
Luciel sighed, looking up helplessly.
He saw women of various races—elegant elven beauties with crystal-like features, winged women with ethereal grace, beastkin girls with fluffy tails...
The sheer variety left him momentarily overwhelmed.
Anderson leaned in, whispering slyly, "If you have more… unique tastes, there are even exotic dwarves and goblins here..."
"Alright, alright..." Luciel cut him off, shaking his head. He randomly pointed at a tall, proud-looking winged girl.
"Her."
"Excellent choice!" Anderson grinned, gesturing for the others to leave.
Percy, Cecil, and Anderson had already selected their own companions, settling in for a night of indulgence.
However, Luciel, having made his choice, simply continued analyzing the food in front of him—completely ignoring the girl beside him.
[Analyzing components...
["No enhancement ingredients detected."]
"[Analyzing ingredients..."]
"[No enhancement ingredients detected."]
He tried dozens of exotic fruits and rare meats, but none contained anything useful.
Frustrated, he spotted a glass of deep crimson wine on the table.
He picked it up and took a sip.
The taste was sweet and tangy, with a slight burn on the tongue—surprisingly pleasant.
Then, instinctively, he initiated an analysis.
This time, the results were unexpected.
[Strength-enhancing ingredients detected."]
Luciel's eyes lit up.
[Primary ingredient: Unknown fruit extract. When consumed 30 times at 200 grams per serving, a full enhancement cycle is completed. Maximum effect: Strength +3.
Side effects: Mild hallucinations, increased adrenaline secretion.]
Luciel blinked. Side effects?
Wasn't this practically a drug?
Suppressing a chuckle, he suddenly felt a faint warmth spreading through his body.
Turning to his winged companion, he asked, "What is this wine made from?"
The winged girl had been secretly observing him the entire time.
After all, it was odd for a guest at Bishui Paradise to be more interested in food than women. She couldn't help but be curious.
Blushing slightly, she leaned in and whispered, "This is Mani Fruit Wine, brewed from mani fruits."
"How much is one glass?"
"Fifteen gold coins."
Fifteen gold coins… still reasonable.
Considering that Bishui Paradise inflated prices for everything, buying mani fruit separately would likely be far cheaper.
Luciel's mood lifted. He had found a valuable ingredient for his next enhancement experiment.
Though it had some inconvenient side effects, this visit to Bishui Paradise was already proving worthwhile.
Over the course of the night, he identified two more enhancement ingredients in the food—both from exotic magical beasts. Unfortunately, they were far too expensive for him to afford at the moment. He could only make a mental note and plan for the future.
As the evening wound down, Percy and Cecil stumbled out, drunk and draped over their female companions.
Anderson, meanwhile, kept giving Luciel knowing looks, subtly urging him to take the winged girl with him.
Luciel pretended not to notice.
Surprisingly, the winged girl—who had initially been distant and proud—was now looking at him with soft, almost pleading eyes.
Young, handsome guests like Luciel were rare, and it was clear she wanted him to take her away.
But Luciel ignored them all.
As the party ended, he quietly stepped out of Bishui Paradise, leaving the luxury and temptation behind.
Staring at the establishment's grand entrance one last time, he shook his head.
"This kind of place… I should visit less often."
Right now, there was no time for pleasure.
Unbeknownst to him, across the street, two young women stood watching him.
Helen turned to Bellis, her expression conflicted.
"Bellis… do you still think this shameless scoundrel is the alchemy genius we're looking for?"
Bellis' pretty face darkened, her eyes brimming with frustration.
"This is the guy? The so-called genius?!"
Helen stuck out her tongue awkwardly, suddenly regretting that she had dragged Bellis along.
"Maybe I made a mistake… Could there really be two Luciel Lanstars at Orland Academy…?"