Potions Department Treatment, Truth, and the Patrol's Apology

Elsewhere.

Ian followed behind Vivian, with Victor at his side.

"Thank you, Lady Vivian."

Ian spoke his thanks.

If Vivian had not intervened today, he would have been in real trouble.

"No need to thank me. Victor was the one who found you." Vivian remained as cold and aloof as ever as she turned to speak.

"Instructor?"

Ian turned to look at Victor.

To be honest, he still had no idea how Vivian had learned he was there.

"I originally wanted to congratulate you on getting into the Potions Department, but you weren't around. After asking about, I found out you'd been taken away by the patrol."

Victor explained.

"Did I really get in?"

Ian's eyes lit up.

Vivian had mentioned it earlier, but that had not been what he was concerned about at the time.

"Yes. Congratulations on joining the Potions Department. It'll still be a few days before you officially enter, though."

Victor was all smiles as well.

"Let me treat your wound first. What exactly happened?" Victor asked as he looked at Ian's broken arm.

Vivian turned around too.

"It was like this..."

Ian repeated what he had said earlier in the interrogation room.

"I see."

Victor suddenly understood. He had not expected someone to go to such lengths just to get into the Potions Department.

"Victor, take him to have his wound treated first. The patrol's handling of this should be finished by tomorrow. Bring Ian to the Potions Department then."

Without stopping, Vivian turned and spoke before leaving directly.

Her tone carried a ruthless pragmatism.

"Lady Vivian has always been like this. Under her, you don't need to curry favor—you only need to prove that you're worth her investment. The potential you displayed during the assessment was why she took you away."

"Perform well. You must have seen the Potions Department's standing too."

Victor said with a smile.

Value?

Ian's gaze flickered as he formed a rough guess about the department head's personality.

As for what Victor had said, Ian had felt that too.

They had taken someone directly from the patrol, yet those people had not dared utter a single word.

That was the Potions Department's status within the School.

Before long, Victor brought Ian back to his own home and quickly treated Ian's fractured bone.

He wrapped it in a layer of bandages.

"That should do it. I applied a layer of ointment. It should heal in about a week."

Victor spoke with practiced ease.

Potionmakers did not merely concoct potions; they were equally skilled at treating injuries.

"You can rest here for a few days. Don't go back to your home for now. Once you enter the department, you can choose a new residence."

Victor said.

"Alright. I can choose a new residence after entering the department?"

Ian was somewhat surprised.

He had always thought only Second-class Apprentice Witches could live in other areas.

"Of course not every witch gets one. Only those in core departments are assigned housing—probably on the first floor. It's much larger than your place."

Victor said.

"What other benefits are there?"

Ian asked curiously. This was what concerned him most.

"You get five Magic Stones a month, but that's fairly basic. Also, concocting potions earns Magic Stones as well; you'll learn about that later.

"As for the rest, there are various privileges. For example, with wizardry, you can buy up to six ordinary-grade spells and three excellent-grade spells, all at a twenty percent discount. Ordinary departments are limited to three ordinary-grade spells and one excellent-grade spell. For everything else, you usually have to earn the right to purchase them through missions and the like."

Magic Stones and wizardry.

This was what Ian cared about most.

Hearing that he could get a twenty-percent discount, a smile appeared on Ian's face.

But since he had never bought any before, he hadn't known that even ordinary-grade Wizardry had purchase limits.

If he wanted to learn more, he could only complete various School missions to exchange for them, just like the one Ian had been rewarded with before.

This was also one of the School's methods of keeping Wizards in check.

"There are also laboratories and Training Grounds. Their usage is discounted by twenty percent too—that counts as a benefit. Oh, and if you need to buy potion ingredients or potions, our Potions Department has internal prices, also twenty percent off. But they can only be for your own use."

From that brief explanation alone, Ian could already feel the gap between core departments and ordinary departments.

Whether in resources or authority, there was an enormous difference between the two.

Not to mention all the finer differences.

Just like in the interrogation room earlier.

Though they were all Wizards of the same School, there was still a stark disparity in status.

"Tomorrow, I'll go to the Potions Department with you."

Victor continued.

"Thank you, Instructor."

Ian thanked him.

If not for Victor today, he would truly have been in deep trouble.

In the blink of an eye.

The next day arrived.

Ian headed to the Potions Department with Victor.

They went straight to Vivian's room.

Vivian was not the only one in the room. The interrogator from yesterday was there as well, standing to one side.

"Lady Vivian."

Victor and Ian bowed together.

Vivian waved a hand, and the interrogator at her side immediately stepped forward, coming before Ian.

"The matter is already clear. We interrogated Halman through the night yesterday and discovered that he had received funding from Ross—more than a hundred Magic Stones' worth."

"More than a hundred Magic Stones?"

Ian's eyes widened. He was that wealthy?

"We also searched Ross's room and found a letter communicating with the Blackstone School.

"Our final judgment is that he was turned by the Blackstone School a year ago. We also found belongings in his quarters that had belonged to apprentices from your cohort who died half a year ago.

"He was that wandering Wizard from before.

"And the reason he wanted to kill you was to get his younger brother into the Potions Department."

At this moment, even the interrogator felt his head throbbing.

The latter matter was manageable, but the former was a catastrophe from beginning to end.

A second-rank spy had actually lurked here for so long and murdered so many Wizards of the Academy.

Without question, this was a failure of duty on their part.

Ian was stunned as well.

This had actually involved the Blackstone School.

And so Merlin and the others had died because of Ross?

Thinking it over carefully, it seemed the incidents had indeed begun after Halman joined Rune's trio.

That had been close!

Ian's teeth ached. The School's interior really was riddled with hidden perils.

He would have to be even more careful in the future.

This incident had truly opened his eyes.

"What about Halman?" Ian asked curiously. How would Halman be dealt with?

"He will be sent to the battlefield as a slave," the Wizard said calmly.

Ian was satisfied.

With Halman's strength, if he entered the battlefield as a slave, he probably would not live long.

In the future, I need to be cautious—and find a powerful thigh to cling to.

Ian raised his head and looked at Vivian to the side.

Though he did not know what things were like inside the Potions Department, he had always followed Victor, and Victor followed Vivian.

Clearly, that made him one of Vivian's people.

This boss seemed pretty decent.

Cold and aloof on the outside, but quite protective of her own at heart.

"Ian, my name is Layton Hines. I truly have to thank you this time," the inspector said gratefully.

If not for Ian, who knew how much more trouble Ross would have caused.

Then he took out a bag and handed it to Ian.

"Other than what I'm not allowed to give you, these are some of Ross's remaining possessions. They're fairly valuable. Most of his Magic Stones were used to buy healing potions, but there are also private tokens of gratitude from the patrol team inside."

Ian looked at Vivian.

"Take it."

Vivian said calmly.

Ian accepted the bag.

It was heavy, with quite some weight to it. He could even hear the clink of Magic Stones colliding inside.

Clearly, there was quite a lot in it.

"Then I'll be taking my leave. If you need anything in the future, you can come to me for help."

Layton Hines spoke to Ian, then nodded to Vivian before leaving.

"You are not suited to remain here yet. Come back after the assignments are finished in three days."

Vivian saw him out.

"Thank you, ma'am."

Ian thanked her once more.

A short while later.

Ian and Victor returned to the house. Inside the guest room, Ian took out the bag.

He checked his gains.