What Witch? This Alchemist is Breaking Bad!

The setting sun filtered through the cracks of the window into the narrow attic.

Rena, dressed in a nun’s robe, sat at the bedside and carefully examined Sally, who lay on the bed, while Melissa stood nervously on the other side, watching.

Leon waited alone downstairs.

Rena’s examination required Sally to remove her clothes and bare her skin, so he naturally had to avoid the scene.

Moreover, that tiny attic simply had no space for a fourth person.

Rena carefully observed the crystals precipitated on Sally’s body, occasionally asking about the various symptoms that had appeared since the onset of her illness.

Throughout the process, her expression remained grave, making Melissa’s heart twist with anxiety.

After finishing her examination of the crystal distribution on Sally’s body and the condition of the joints in different areas, Rena leaned closer to listen to her heartbeat once more, then meticulously recorded everything with the paper and pen she had brought.

It took her a full ten minutes to write down every detail.

This was her first time in many years encountering a genuine patient with Saltification Disease, and for her, it was an exceptionally precious research experience.

Once she finished recording, she began flipping through her past experimental notes, comparing them in her mind while thinking about how to administer the medication.

After Sally and Melissa endured five minutes of this unbearable silence, Melissa finally could not hold back any longer and spoke cautiously, as if treading on thin ice: “Um, Bishop…”

“……” Rena did not respond immediately.

“Bishop?” Melissa called softly again.

“Ah? Ah! Wh—what is it?” Rena snapped back to her senses.

She still had not fully adapted to this form of address.

“Is it… very serious?” Melissa asked uneasily, twisting the corner of her clothes.

Rena realized that her prolonged examination and serious expression had only added to their worries.

She wanted to comfort them, but felt it would be inappropriate—Sally’s condition truly could not be called mild.

The long course of the illness and the Church’s Holy Water were not entirely ineffective, but they were far from enough to completely halt its progression.

“I’ve seen worse,” Rena said after a moment of silence, offering only that answer.

She had personally witnessed her grandmother’s condition deteriorate until crystals covered her entire body, all the way to her death.

That pain, steeped in despair, affected not only the patient but also the accompanying family.

“There are some things I must make clear to you first.” Rena looked back and forth between Sally and Melissa and said solemnly.

“I have indeed studied Saltification Disease for some time, but so far I haven’t developed a special medicine that can cure it. In animal experiments, the medicine I’m currently developing… I mean, the Holy Water, can only slightly alleviate some symptoms. It still cannot completely stop the progression of the disease.”

“Then…” By this point, Melissa was already desperate to ask for the medicine.

Watching her mother suffer every day, constantly using expensive Holy Water yet unable to halt the illness—even being able to relieve some symptoms would be an immense luxury for them now.

“Let me finish,” Rena gestured for Melissa to calm down.

“I’ve never tested this medicine on humans, so I can’t be certain it will produce the expected effects in people, nor can I be sure there won’t be serious side effects. I can’t rule out the worst possible outcome… I don’t know whether you can accept that. Therefore, before using it, I must obtain your consent.”

Melissa hesitated and cast a questioning look toward her mother on the bed.

“Please give me the medicine, Bishop. I’m willing to bear the consequences.” Sally did not hesitate in the slightest.

Her weak voice carried a note of resolve as she strained to turn her eyes toward Melissa.

“Melissa, you must remember—if anything happens to me, don’t blame anyone. This is just my fate…”

“I know, Mom!” Melissa reached out and held her mother’s hand.

“After I’m gone, when the house is confiscated… write a letter to your uncle in Norden. There’s always a way to figure things out. You mustn’t do anything foolish…” Sally instructed in a barely audible voice.

To Sally, even dying from side effects would be a kind of release.

The only thing she could not let go of was Melissa.

“You’ll be fine, Mom, you’ll be fine! Don’t think such things!” Melissa clutched her mother’s hand tightly, her voice already choking with sobs.

Rena silently watched this familiar scene.

Melissa looked just like her former self, standing guard by her grandmother’s bedside.

“I’ll go prepare a full course of the medicine and hand it over to… to Inquisitor Set to bring back. He’ll tell you how to use it. I happen to be staying in Hamel Town for a while, so we’ll start with the medication and observe.” As Rena spoke, she stood up, preparing to leave.

“Bishop.” Melissa suddenly thought of something and looked at Rena nervously.

“About the cost of the medicine… how should I pay you?”

“This is Holy Water still under development, and you’re taking risks to test it. How could I charge you? There’s no need for money.” Rena shook her head.

“Ah, may the benevolent gods bless you! Thank you, Bishop… thank you…” Sally thanked Rena with tears streaming down her face.

“However, I need you to keep this matter confidential. To be honest, privately giving you Holy Water under development violates regulations. If it gets out, we could all face punishment from the Church! Can you swear not to tell anyone else?” Rena presented the explanation she had prepared, signaling for them to keep their mouths shut.

“Of course, Bishop. We won’t tell anyone!” Melissa replied firmly.

If this got out, Leon, who had introduced them, would likely be implicated as well.

She resolved that even if the Inquisition came to interrogate her, she would not reveal a single thing about Bishop Leona.

“Mm…” Sally also returned a confirming look.

“Then I’ll head back to prepare the medicine.” Rena rose and bid them farewell.

Melissa also stood up and escorted Rena down the narrow staircase.

Leon was already waiting at the foot of the stairs.

“How did it go, Bishop?” Leon asked.

“We’ll use the medicine for a period of time and see. I’ll trouble you to come back with me to fetch it.”

By this point, Rena had slightly adapted to the identity of “Bishop Leona” and began to naturally use a superior’s tone when speaking to Leon.

“Yes.” Leon cooperated and gave a salute.

“If anything comes up, just have Inquisitor Set contact me.” Rena looked at Melissa and gently placed a hand on her forehead.

“Take good care of yourself. You treasure your mother so much—don’t forget that your mother surely treasures you just as much.”

“Thank you, Bishop, truly, I…” Melissa sniffed, her eyes still red.

This was the first time since her mother fell ill that she had seen even a hint of hope.

“Let’s see how effective the medicine is first. Farewell.” Rena found it a bit hard to bear the hope in her eyes and turned away as she spoke.

“I’ll escort Bishop Leona back first. I’ll be back for dinner. Stay home and keep your mother company,” Leon said to Melissa.

Melissa nodded vigorously.

Leon and Rena left the alley.

Leon glanced sideways at her and lowered his voice.

“Let’s find a place to change your clothes first.”

“This?” Rena was uncharacteristically unconcerned.

“Weren’t you just feeling restless because of it?” Leon said, somewhat surprised.

“I suddenly feel it suits me quite well. Bishop Leona—it’s not bad if it makes you learn to speak to me more politely, hehe.” Rena smiled, then looked Leon over.

“I’ve changed my impression of you a little.”

“What kind of change?” Leon asked casually.

“To be honest, I used to think you were just a bastard who only cared about money,” Rena replied.

“And now?”

“Seems like you don’t only care about money after all!”

“So the ‘bastard’ part hasn’t changed, huh?” Leon raised an eyebrow.

“That’s what you said yourself.” Rena smiled slyly.