Ch. 9 - Lady Elena’s Interview

Robb nodded. The lingering discomfort from the body tempering still clung to him, but since he'd committed to going, he wasn't about to break his word.

"I'll come with you, then." Arnor said thoughtfully. "That shopkeeper... I've heard she's someone with quite the background."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know the specifics." He shrugged. "But anyone who can operate a shop in the Black Mist Order is bound to have a complicated history."

The two retraced their steps. Morning light had already driven away most of the gloom.

Passing a cluster of mutated fungi, Robb noticed their fluorescent colors seemed far more vivid than before.

"That's..."

"Your perception has improved." Arnor explained, a hint of amusement on his face.

"After body tempering, all five senses become sharper. This level of change puts you roughly at..."

He paused, choosing his words carefully. "...a qualified Knight Squire, I'd say. Still no comparison to an Elementary Apprentice though."

Robb took note. The change was indeed striking, not just his vision, but even the faint mana fluctuations in the air seemed more distinct.

Of course, a considerable portion of that enhancement came from the Potion Apprentice bonuses. But that was something he wasn't ready to share with Arnor.

"Here we are."

The two stood before the herb shop. The weathered wooden door was shut tight, and a bronze wind chime hung from the door frame, ringing crisply whenever a breeze passed through.

"Strange..." Arnor frowned. "It should be open by now."

Just then, the wind chime began shaking violently, emitting a piercing clatter.

A raspy voice followed from within. "Come in. I've been waiting for you."

Robb and Arnor exchanged a glance, each catching a flicker of wariness in the other's eyes.

In the Black Mist Forest, this kind of eerie situation usually signaled danger.

But since they'd already come this far, turning tail and running might provoke something worse. Better to take things one step at a time.

The moment they pushed open the door, a rush of strange scents hit them.

Compared to his last visit, Robb's enhanced perception now allowed him to clearly distinguish the mana fluctuations embedded within, some brimming with vitality, others laced with lethal toxicity.

The shopkeeper sat behind the counter, a crystal ball wreathed in purple smoke resting before her.

He hadn't dared look too closely last time. Now, studying her carefully, Robb noted the enormous hooked nose like an eagle's beak, the hunched frame, and skin creased like a dried riverbed.

She reminded him of Yubaba from the movie Spirited Away, eerie and unsettling.

And at this moment, the old crone was sizing them up with those faintly green-glowing eyes, her gaze laden with meaning.

"Solar Blessing..."

She spoke abruptly, her eyes lingering on Robb for a moment. "Only an incomplete one, but rare nonetheless."

Robb's heart lurched. He'd changed his clothes, those golden lines should have been completely concealed.

"Don't be surprised." The shopkeeper offered a cryptic smile. "Against the methods of the arcane arts, such a flimsy disguise is hardly worth mentioning."

Her gaze shifted to Arnor.

"And you, the little prince of House Farwynd. Looks like you're liquidating the family inheritance?"

Arnor's expression tightened slightly. "You are..."

"Relax, child. You may call me Lady Elena." The shopkeeper waved a dismissive hand and began tidying the cluttered instruments on her desk.

"I have no interest in your secular royal family's trinkets."

She produced a rust-spotted iron box from beneath the counter.

"Your grandfather used to come here to buy potions all the time. Back then he was just a fifteen-year-old boy, going on and on about becoming a Grand Overlord..."

She trailed off, seemingly lost in some distant memory.

After a moment, her gaze refocused on Robb. "So, you're here to apply for the assistant position?"

"Yes." Robb nodded, keeping his voice as steady as he could.

Despite her friendly demeanor, the pressure radiating from someone of clearly superior power was difficult to ignore.

"Hmm..." Lady Elena studied Robb with penetrating eyes. "Decent talent for Potioneering, and a solid foundation. However..."

Robb's heart skipped. She could gauge his Potioneering skill level just by looking? He hadn't demonstrated a single thing yet.

"However, book knowledge alone isn't enough." Lady Elena rose to her feet. "Follow me. Let me see what you can actually do."

She led the two through the shelves to a room at the back of the shop.

The moment the door opened, a rich herbal fragrance washed over them.

It was a simple brewing chamber. Several workbenches were crowded with various instruments.

Shelves along the walls held neatly arranged ingredients, some of which still emitted a faint glow.

"Use these materials." She pointed to several herbs on the workbench. "Prepare a Calming Draught."

The old woman glanced at the hint of hesitation on Robb's face. "Don't worry about failure, these are the most basic ingredients. Besides..."

A knowing smile crept onto her lips. "At your current level, you shouldn't run into any major problems."

Robb stepped up to the workbench and began carefully identifying the materials.

The [Herb Identification] ability he'd gained from his class change was already proving its worth, allowing him to assess each ingredient's properties with greater accuracy.

On the workbench lay several different herbs.

Moonlight grass, its leaves a semi-transparent silver, with the gentlest potency when harvested under moonlight.

Mandragora root, sliced thin, its edges glowing faintly blue.

Thornvine stems, still bearing their thorns, each tip flickering with a dim red light.

And several other plants Robb couldn't name, though his [Herb Identification] at least let him determine their basic properties.

"I've studied all of these. Should be manageable." Robb murmured to himself.

The combination of these materials required careful consideration, moonlight grass for calming, mandragora root for a mild stimulation of the mind, and thornvine to stabilize the overall potency. The remaining ingredients all supported this same direction.

The challenge lay in the ratios. The properties of different materials could conflict with one another; the slightest miscalculation would ruin everything.

Robb began recalling the section on Calming Draughts from Introduction to Potioneering.

Though it was a basic potion, achieving perfection tested the brewer's understanding of each ingredient's characteristics.

"Use whatever tools you need." Lady Elena added, though her gaze never left Robb, as if observing something deeper.

Arnor leaned against the doorframe, watching the scene unfold, unable to suppress a knot of anxiety.

He was genuinely worried Robb might fail and anger this mysterious shopkeeper, leaving neither of them able to walk out the door.

Robb took a deep breath and began his preparations.

First, the moonlight grass, he tore the leaves along the veins to preserve the integrity of their medicinal properties. Then the mandragora root, a horizontal cut would release too much potency, so he opted for diagonal slices, allowing the effect to release gradually.

As for the thornvine, its outer bark needed to be stripped with a silver tool; otherwise it would interfere with the other ingredients.

[Herb Identification (Beginner) EXP +1]

[Potion Crafting (Beginner) EXP +1]

He could clearly feel the difference between his current [Potion Apprentice] class and the blank slate he'd been before. When practicing Potioneering-related skills, gaining experience was noticeably easier.

Every detail deepened his understanding, and that heightened sensitivity to materials fed back into sharper judgment.

"Nice technique." Lady Elena spoke up. "You've clearly put considerable effort into studying the fundamentals."

Robb didn't answer. He was fully absorbed in adjusting the proportions of the brewing liquid.

With the perceptual abilities granted by his class change, he could clearly sense the interactions between different ingredients.

When the final herb was added to the copper pot, the liquid began changing color, from an initial murky state, it gradually clarified, settling into a pale amber.

"Right on time."

Lady Elena looked up from the pocket watch in her hand and cast a final glance at the liquid in the pot. "Color and concentration are both up to standard."

She scooped up a sample with a silver spoon and wafted it beneath her nose. "The degree of medicinal extraction is perfect as well. You clearly have a thorough understanding of your ingredients' properties."

Then Robb noticed her gaze suddenly sharpen.

"However..."

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