The Wonders of Mandrake

A gentle breeze drifted by, carrying the faint fragrance of flowers.

The girl took a sip of the fruit tea in her cup and gazed at the blooming flowers in the courtyard, a faint smile resting on her lips.

Rather than a place to work, this felt more like a new home belonging solely to the two of them.

Isabelle withdrew her gaze from the flowerbed, returned to the desk by the window, picked up the envelope on the table, and carefully read Professor Bathsheba Babbling's letter. The Runic Magic professor had offered her quite a few useful suggestions and ideas in it.

"Sure enough, taking the first step is always the hardest," Isabelle murmured.

Just as she picked up her quill to continue working, soft footsteps suddenly sounded in the study. Her eyebrows lifted slightly as she looked toward the bookcase beside her.

A few seconds later, the bookcase suddenly shifted aside, revealing a hidden door behind it. A familiar figure emerged from the concealed Chamber of Secrets.

"What are you doing here?" Isabelle asked in surprise.

During the day, Albert usually stayed home with his family and rarely came to the Hogsmeade cottage. Since he had come now, he clearly had another reason.

"Mm, I just received a letter from Mr. Sera." Albert took a sheet of parchment from the pocket of his casual trousers and briefly explained its contents to Isabelle. "We're going to Egypt the day after tomorrow to attend the International Alchemy Convention."

"Are you planning to enter the competition, or are you just going to exchange alchemical experience with others?" Isabelle had looked into the International Alchemy Convention. At its core, it was more of an academic conference where alchemists gathered to share their research results.

As for the so-called Pioneering Contribution Gold Medal