The Alchemy Laboratory was a massive, amphitheater-style room filled with tiered wooden benches, brass cauldrons, and shelves crammed with pickled monster parts. It smelled strongly of sulfur, dried mint, and ozone.
I took a seat at a workbench near the middle row. As promised, Alicia slid into the seat next to me, dropping her leather satchel with a heavy thud.
"Don't look at me like that," she muttered, glaring at the other students who were whispering and pointing at us. "Martin is sitting next to a cauldron that looks like it hasn't been washed in a decade, and Emily freezes the water before it can even boil. You are simply the most... tolerable option."
"I'm honored to be your safety net, Princess," I smirked, leaning back and crossing my arms. "But remember, Alchemy requires delicate control. Since you're a Fire Mage whose primary solution to everything is 'blow it up', try not to incinerate my eyebrows."
