LIGHTNOVELONLINE 4. Basic Ingredients
"I don't know if all magic schools are that perverted," Cathryn said quietly as she sipped her wine, "But I suspect at least some of them are. This is one of their huge secrets they don't want to get out? If people knew what it was really like, no rich nobles would ever send their children there. Especially not their daughters."
I frowned, "But why? Why would it be like that? And what sort of stuff did they make you do?"
She set her cup back down on the table and shrugged, "According to my teachers it's the key to cultivation. Plus a few of the most important basic alchemical ingredients are, to be blunt, sexual."
The quizzical look on my face said it all.
It was mid-morning and I was still getting used to my new body, while my sister was giving me my first introductory lecture about alchemy. She was still wearing her simple dress, and I'd gotten cleaned up then she'd given me something to wear as well. I was in a short skirt that stopped well above my knees, and a very thin tight sleeveless top that was stretched across my ample bosom and left little to the imagination.
The crazy thing was as thin and light as the clothes were they still felt like too much. My body still felt the warmth of a summer afternoon, and if not for common decency I could have happily remained topless, if not fully naked.
Cathryn explained, "Ok so you know how every living thing has some capacity for mana? And people with magical affinity have a greater potential? That's what they tested us for when we were younger, to see if we had a larger mana-potential than average. You and I both qualified, we both have a higher potential."
She continued, "Potential isn't capacity, we need to train and practice to make the most of it. The greater your capacity for mana, the more powerful you are. For mages that means they can cast more powerful spells, and can cast more spells in total before they need to rest. For alchemists it means stronger potions, and more of them."
"Your capacity for mana naturally increases the more you use it. Like a muscle, if you keep training and using it of course it grows stronger. We can accelerate that process though, make it faster and more efficient. And the way to do that is by using a set of techniques they call cultivation. That will help you focus on and grow your mana capacity. And the cultivation techniques they teach at Anwen's Academy of Alchemy all involve sex."
My eyes went wide at that part, and I stared at her almost in disbelief. I didn't interrupt though, so she kept going.
"You can do it alone of course," she explained. "That's how they teach it to new students. Once or twice a day, usually in the morning when you first wake up or the evening before you go to sleep, you'd be cultivating alone in bed. Once you've learned the techniques you can get better results cultivating with a partner, especially when they're cultivating as well so you're both in tune. And it's not just sex, there's more to it, but sex is obviously a big part of it. And it feels good regardless, but it can be even better when you're cultivating correctly."
I stared at her, "So the fancy school dad paid a small fortune to send you to was having you masturbate twice a day? Or they made you have sex with guys?"
"Not just guys," she replied. "Girls can cultivate together too, and I found I liked that better. The other thing though was guys and girls have different methods, for obvious reasons? Not that one is better than the other, there's advantages and disadvantages to both. And that's why I made that blue potion for myself, now I can cultivate both ways."
"This seems crazy sis," I sighed as I rubbed my forehead.
Cathryn gave me a sympathetic smile, "Yeah I get that. My first week at the academy I felt the same way, me and all the other new students. Once you learn the technique though and try it for yourself, you'll understand."
My cheeks went red as I suddenly realized she was going to expect me to be 'cultivating' every day, either by myself or with her. And I wasn't even sure if that thought scared or excited me. Or perhaps if it was both.
I took a deep breath then asked, "Ok... So you're going to teach me some 'cultivation techniques' which is already a euphemism for masturbation as far as I'm concerned. You also said something about ingredients being sexual as well?"
My sister had that little knowing smile on her face again as she nodded, "That's right Valeria. There's three main ingredients that form the basis of almost every potion or elixir, and between you and I we'll be able to produce all three in sufficient quantities."
I gulped, "I'm almost afraid to ask, but what are they?"
"The first two," she replied with that same smile, "Are sexual fluids. Male and female, they both have different applications. And obviously between the two of us we've got those two covered."
My cheeks went red as my eyes flicked downwards at her dress skirt, and I licked my lips again. After a moment I asked, "And the third?"
Still smiling, she replied "The third one isn't necessarily sexual, though I guarantee we'll have some fun collecting it. It's milk."
I frowned, "Where are we going to get that from? And how's it supposed to be fun?"
Cathryn smirked as she glanced down at my chest, and my eyes went wide while my cheeks turned bright red yet again.
"Don't worry little sister," she grinned. "You'll enjoy the experience, I promise."
I sighed and slumped back in my chair as I rubbed my forehead. "How's that supposed to work? I thought you had to be pregnant or have a baby to produce milk?"
My sister rolled her eyes, "Alchemy remember? Those potions I gave you took care of everything. You're my little sister, my apprentice, and my perfect little assistant."
My eyes went wide again as I looked down at my large boobs straining at my tight top, "You mean it's already done?"
Then I looked back up at her and added, "And you said that last potion made everything permanent?"
"It did," she nodded. "There were several different effects I blended into those four potions. Taken together, in the correct order, they formed a powerful elixir which gave you your ideal body and made you the perfect alchemist's apprentice. Honestly they were a masterpiece, and would have seen me graduate with honours."
I grimaced, "Right... You said right up front that all but one of the potions had multiple effects. So are there any other effects you haven't told me about yet?"
Cathryn smiled, "There are. And I'll fill you in on all the details some other time, little sister."
Her words sent another little flutter through me, like a sort of nervous excitement. My sister and I knew each other pretty well, we both liked surprises, and so far nothing she'd done or said was upsetting. And I couldn't deny how happy I was at what her potions had done for me so far. I was a small cute busty girl named Valeria and I was my sister's apprentice and assistant.
I had some weird feelings about the basic ingredients, like it would take me a bit to get used to the knowledge of what potions were made from. And I wasn't sure what to think about producing milk, but I couldn't deny I was looking forward to finding out.
The thought that there might be other surprises in store for me, other fun or exciting effects Cathryn blended into the potions I drank... Ok I was definitely excited at the prospect. After all, she'd spent almost three years at a perverted school and that obviously rubbed off on her.
"Don't worry Valeria," my sister said in a soft voice. "I may not be the chaste innocent girl dad sent off to Anwen's Academy of Alchemy, but I'm still your big sister. I love you, I'll protect you and keep you safe and make sure you're happy. And I'm going to teach you everything I know. We're going to be the best damn alchemists in the realm, and we're going to do it together."
"Ok Cat," I replied with a smile. "I trust you."
"Good girl," she grinned, and those two words sent another little flutter of joy through my body.
My smile grew wider at the praise, then I asked "So what do we do next?"
Cathryn grimaced, "Some boring mundane stuff unfortunately. I need to unpack, and we need to review our current situation. Finances, the state of our home, food, that sort of thing. We can't work on alchemy if we're starving, but we'll need to spend some money on supplies. Once I can start making potions for sale we'll have an income, but we need to get there first."
"Ok," I nodded. "At least that's one thing I can handle. While you've been off at horny magic school dad taught me about being a merchant, doing budgets and managing money and stuff like that. Granted I thought I'd be counting gold rather than silver or copper..."
"We'll be counting gold again soon enough sis," she stated confidently. "Trust me."
After that the two of us got started with unpacking Cathryn's gear. And I had a bit of a shock when I discovered I could barely lift a single pack, considering yesterday I'd easily carried both of them up the stairs. Though in retrospect I knew it shouldn't have been a surprise, considering I'd changed from a tall strong lad to a petite curvy girl.
And as she unpacked the reason her bags were so heavy quickly became obvious. She had very little in the way of clothes, and what clothing she did have was mostly used as padding to protect everything else.
There were over a dozen books and other assorted papers, three dozen new glass vials and corks, several beakers and bottles and more obscure glass items, a collection of small bowls in copper and ceramic, a dozen jars of various esoteric ingredients, an assortment of metal and wood tools, an ink pot and some pens, even a small brass scales and weights set for measuring out components.
For now everything was carefully laid out on the table in the main room of our home.
Then we went back downstairs and she had a look around both rooms down there. The front room had some shelves and a counter or desk, it was basically already set up as a store but for now the shelves were bare and there was no sign outside. We kept the front door barred to prevent curious passers-by from wandering in.
The back room had more shelves along with a workbench and table, which Cathryn decided was sufficient. We carefully brought her tools and supplies downstairs and she set a few things up on the table, while other things were placed on the shelves.
Her books remained upstairs, and she took over one of the top shelves in our kitchen area for them. My cheeks went bright red as I suddenly realized I couldn't reach those shelves anymore. Both here and downstairs, all the top shelves were well beyond my grasp.
Finally her clothes and packs went into the bedroom, there was a dresser in there that we'd share. My half was full of clothes that no longer fit me, but I wasn't sure what to do with them yet. We couldn't afford to throw them away and buy new ones, so I had a feeling I'd be doing some sewing in the near future.
The last step was reviewing our current supplies, food, and finances. When that was done my sister and I sat back down at the table again.
"So that's it," I said with a shrug. "Most of the properties were taken by dad's creditors. I managed to negotiate this one for us, like I said I picked it for the location and the fact that it was already set up as a shop? We have just under five hundred silver steeds left after everything else was sold off and all the debts were accounted for. There's food for the two of us to cover the next four or five days. I don't know how much your ingredients will cost, but after that money's gone there's nothing else to sell. Unless we sell this place and live in a tent or something."
My sister looked thoughtful, "What's it going to cost to feed us both for a week?"
"Ten steeds a week will keep us fed, but we're talking about meals like last night? Watery stew, stale bread, cheap wine."
She decided, "Set aside half the money for food, the other half we'll use for supplies as needed."
I thought for a moment as I did the calculations, then replied "That's just over twenty-three weeks of food, and about two hundred and thirty-five silver steeds for your supplies. So, about five months before we're starving. Will we be ready to open the shop by then?"
Cathryn nodded, "We'll have product to sell long before then. Maybe not enough to fill the shelves here, but we could try selling to other merchants while we're working to open up here."
"Right," I grinned. "Good thinking sis."
She smiled back, "You're not the only one dad shared his knowledge with, cutie."
I blushed a bit at being called that. It was definitely going to take me some time to get used to the idea that I might actually be cute now.
