Mrs. Allen's Job Offer

Ron nodded. The discomfort from the body tempering still lingered, but since he had agreed to go, he could not break his promise.

"I'll go with you." Andre spoke thoughtfully. "That shopkeeper... I heard she's someone with quite a background."

"You mean?"

"I don't know the specifics." He shrugged. "But anyone who can run a shop in the Black Mist Forest must have an extraordinary background."

The two retraced the path they had taken, and the morning light had already driven away most of the gloom.

As they passed a patch of mutated fungi, Ron noticed that the glowing mushrooms seemed more vivid in color than they had been on the way over.

"This is..."

"Your perception has improved," Andre explained, a faintly amused smile on his face.

"After body tempering, your five senses become much sharper. This degree of change is probably equivalent to going from an ordinary person to..."

He paused, seemingly considering his words. "A qualified Knight Squire, perhaps. Still nowhere close to a Primary Apprentice."

Ron's heart stirred. The change was indeed obvious. It was not just his vision—even the faint magical fluctuations in the air seemed to have become clearer.

Of course, a considerable part of this boost came from the Potion Apprentice bonus. But he had no intention of telling Andre that yet.

"We're here."

The two stood before the Herb Shop. Its weathered wooden door was tightly shut, and a Bronze Wind Chime hung from the doorframe, chiming crisply whenever the breeze passed through.

"Strange." Andre frowned. "It should have opened by now."

Just then, the wind chime suddenly began shaking violently, producing a harsh screech.

Immediately afterward, a hoarse voice came from inside the shop. "Come in. I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Ron and Andre exchanged glances, each seeing a trace of wariness in the other's eyes.

In the Black Mist Forest, such an eerie situation often meant danger.

But since they were already here, they could not simply leave. Besides, turning around and running might provoke the other party completely. They could only take things one step at a time.

The moment they pushed open the door, all manner of strange smells rushed toward them.

Compared with his last visit, Ron's enhanced perception now allowed him to clearly distinguish the magical fluctuations contained within them—some brimming with vitality, others carrying deadly toxicity.

The shopkeeper sat behind the counter, with a Crystal Ball emitting purple smoke placed before her.

He had not dared to look closely last time, but now that he examined her carefully, Ron found that her enormous hawk-like nose, hunched body, and skin wrinkled like a dried riverbed made her resemble Yubaba from Spirited Away—strange and terrifying.

And at this moment, the old witch was studying them meaningfully with eyes that glowed a dim green.

"Blessing of the Sun."

She suddenly spoke, her gaze lingering on Ron for a moment. "Though it's incomplete, it's still quite rare."

Ron was startled. He had clearly changed clothes. By all rights, those golden patterns should have been completely covered.

"No need to be surprised." The shopkeeper revealed a mysterious smile. "Before mystical methods, such a disguise is not worth mentioning."

Her gaze then shifted to Andre.

"And you, the little prince of the Farouk family. It seems you intend to liquidate even your family inheritance?"

Andre's expression changed slightly. "You are...?"

"Relax, children. You may call me Mrs. Allen." The shopkeeper waved a hand and began tidying the cluttered tools on the table. "I have no interest in the trifles of your mortal royal family."

She took out a rusted iron box from beneath the counter.

"Your grandfather used to come here often to buy potions. Back then, he was only a fifteen-year-old brat, shouting every day that he wanted to become a great wizard..."

At this point, she abruptly fell silent, as though she had sunk into some memory.

After a moment, her gaze focused on Ron again. "So, you're here to apply for an assistant position?"

"Yes." Ron nodded, doing his best to keep his voice steady.

Though she appeared friendly, the pressure radiating from someone stronger still made him uncomfortable.

"Hmm." Mrs. Allen stared deeply at Ron. "You have good talent for Potions, and your foundation is quite solid. However..."

Ron's heart skipped a beat. She could tell his Potions skill level after just a glance? He had not shown her anything yet.

"However, mere accumulation of book knowledge is not enough." Mrs. Allen stood. "Come with me. Let me see your actual ability."

She led the two through the shelves and into a room deep within the shop.

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

It was a crude brewing room, with several workbenches covered in all kinds of equipment.

Medicinal herbs were neatly stacked on the shelves by the wall, some of them still faintly glowing.

"Use these materials." She pointed at several herbs on the workbench. "Prepare a bottle of Calming Potion."

Seeing Ron's slightly hesitant expression, the old witch glanced at him. "Don't worry about failure. These are all the most basic materials. Besides..."

A meaningful smile curved her lips. "At your current level, there shouldn't be any major problems."

Ron walked to the workbench and began carefully identifying the materials.

The Herb Identification ability he had gained after changing professions was taking effect, allowing him to judge the properties of each material more accurately.

Several different herbs lay on the workbench.

The leaves of Moonlight Grass were a translucent silver, and their medicinal properties were gentlest after being steeped in moonlight.

Mandala Root had been cut into thin slices, their edges glowing with a faint blue light.

The stems of Thorn Vine still bore sharp thorns, each tip gleaming with a weak red light.

There were also several plants Ron could not name, but through Herb Identification, he could at least determine their basic properties.

"They're all things I've learned before. There shouldn't be a problem," Ron murmured.

The combination of materials was quite particular—Moonlight Grass could calm the mind, Mandala Root could mildly stimulate the spirit, while Thorn Vine could stabilize the medicinal properties. The other materials had also been arranged around this purpose.

The problem lay in the proportions. The medicinal properties of different materials could conflict with one another, and even a slight mistake would ruin everything.

Ron began recalling the records on Calming Potion in Basics of Potionology.

Though this basic potion was simple, making it perfectly tested the brewer's understanding of each material's characteristics.

"Use any tools you like," Mrs. Allen added, though her gaze remained fixed on Ron, as if she were observing something.

Andre leaned against the doorway, watching the scene with a knot in his stomach.

He was genuinely afraid Ron would fail to brew it and anger this mysterious shopkeeper, leaving the two of them unable to walk out through the shop's doors.

Ron took a deep breath and began preparing.

First came the Moonlight Grass—tear the leaves along their veins to preserve the integrity of their medicinal properties.

Then came the Mandala Root—cutting it straight across would make its properties too potent, so he sliced it diagonally to let the effects release slowly.

As for the Thorn Vine, its outer skin needed to be peeled away with silver tools, otherwise it would affect the other materials.

Herb Identification (Beginner) EXP +1

Potion Brewing (Beginner) EXP +1

At this moment, he could clearly sense the difference between becoming a Potion Apprentice and the blank slate he had been before gaining a profession. When practicing skills related to Potions, gaining experience was noticeably easier.

Every detail deepened his understanding, and this awareness of the materials in turn helped him make more accurate judgments.

"Your technique is not bad." Mrs. Allen suddenly spoke. "It seems you've put considerable effort into studying the basics."

Ron did not answer. He was focused on adjusting the proportions of the potion.

With the perception ability he had gained after changing professions, he could clearly sense the interactions between the different materials.

When the final herb entered the copper pot, the color of the liquid began to change—from its initial cloudiness, it gradually became clear, finally taking on a faint amber hue.

"The timing is just right."

Mrs. Allen looked away from the Pocket Watch in her hand, then gave the potion in the copper pot one last glance. "The color and concentration are both standard."

She scooped up some with a silver spoon and gently fanned it beneath her nose. "The degree of medicinal extraction is perfect as well. It seems you understand the properties of these materials very thoroughly."

At that moment, Ron noticed that her gaze suddenly sharpened. "However..."