Malice from the Alchemy Department

Chapter 13

As one of the wizards of the Potion Garden, Rosalind's connections allowed Lynn to work there directly.

The Potion Garden was actually a subordinate institution of the Potion Department. It specialized in cultivating all kinds of magical herbs and wondrous plants, making it a crucial division within The Furnace.

However, procedures and formalities were extremely important within The Furnace.

Therefore, before going to the Potion Garden, Lynn and Colin first had to visit the Core Hall in the Living District to complete the paperwork.

The other two people who had passed the assessment alongside Lynn also needed to go to the hall beforehand to handle their paperwork, then head to their respective departments to find patrons or relatives.

When they returned to the Core Hall of the Living District, Colin had a few connections there, so handling Lynn's employment procedures was not difficult for him.

However, the moment they entered the hall, the man who had previously covered Colin's shift at the reception desk hurried over and said coldly to them:

"The Alchemy Department has already taken this newcomer's employment paperwork. Just send him directly to the Alchemy Department."

The man did not take Lynn seriously at all, and there was a hint of disdain in his voice.

However, the moment Colin and Lynn heard this, their brows furrowed tightly.

There were already plenty of people in The Furnace. Otherwise, this year's intake would not have been merely ten people, but hundreds or even thousands.

Therefore, the Alchemy Department's sudden request for Lynn to work there was extremely unusual.

Lynn had no connections in the Alchemy Department, unless—

The two of them thought of a possibility almost at the same time:

Lynn had taken the spot of someone with powerful connections.

It seemed that whoever stood behind that person now wanted to use this opportunity to make a move against Lynn.

"Have you sent off the paperwork?"

Colin's gaze suddenly sharpened as he stared at the man and asked.

The man was startled by the sudden seriousness in the air, but he still answered:

"Not yet. This is your responsibility, and I didn't want my name left on it, especially since you weren't even back."

"That's good! I'll treat you to a meal sometime. Thanks for this."

Colin's tone relaxed somewhat. When he saw the man nod and leave, the tension in his heart eased slightly.

Then Colin turned to Lynn and said in a low voice:

"Who cares about the Alchemy Department? I'll get your paperwork done first and place you in the Potion Garden under the Potion Department. They won't be able to touch you there."

Naturally, Lynn hurriedly thanked Colin, his senior brother, while also feeling fortunate that he had passed his beautiful teacher's assessment. Otherwise, once the paperwork transferred him to the Alchemy Department, he would probably have lost his life.

After finishing the official procedures, Colin was still worried and decided to personally escort Lynn to the Potion Garden.

The Potion Garden was located outside the Living District. Though it was some distance away, it occupied a considerable area. While it could not compare to the Beast Pen in scale, the difference was not great.

After all, it cultivated the magical herbs and various wondrous plants required by The Furnace.

As one of the people in charge of the Potion Garden, Rosalind held considerable authority here. Therefore, Colin was very familiar with this area.

After arriving, he immediately found an old acquaintance and entrusted Lynn to her care.

"Sonia, I'm leaving him to you. This is Lynn, my teacher's newest student. Please look after him."

Colin handed Lynn over to a girl named Sonia.

She wore The Furnace's standard long robe, but it could not conceal her graceful figure. Her face was also quite beautiful, especially her bright, deep eyes.

When she learned that Lynn was Rosalind's student, her small mouth fell slightly open, clearly surprised.

"Lynn, come with me."

As Sonia looked at Lynn's young face, there was not much envy in her eyes. Instead, there was a touch more pity.

Poor thing. Becoming Rosalind's student at such a young age... I wonder if he'll live to see his eighteenth birthday and attend his coming-of-age ceremony...

Although Sonia looked young, her actual age was not as youthful as she appeared.

She had been in The Furnace for many years and had experienced countless trials.

She knew that Rosalind's students all had one obvious trait—they were incredibly weak in combat, and they seemed never to have truly understood the survival rules of Dark Wizards.

Almost none of those students lived beyond their third year—

Of course, Colin was an exception.

His combat ability was not particularly strong either, but his methods were unique, and he had survived until now.

Therefore, in Sonia's eyes, becoming Rosalind's student was almost equivalent to receiving a death sentence.

She had not seen Rosalind take in a new student for a long time. She had even assumed that the wizard who looked like an angel but behaved like a devil had stopped tormenting newcomers.

However, Lynn's arrival today shattered that assumption.

She silently prayed for Lynn for a few seconds, her heart filled with regret.

Though she felt somewhat sad for Lynn's future, Sonia still settled him in and led him to the few buildings within the Potion Garden.

All Wizard Apprentices who worked in the Potion Garden lived in these buildings.

Sonia found Lynn a decent room.

"Lynn, you're new here, so rest for a day or two first. I'll see if there's any suitable work I can arrange for you."

Her voice was calm, carrying a trace of concern. "I'll send someone over later with bedding and daily necessities."

The Potion Garden did not lack manpower. In fact, none of The Furnace's divisions were particularly short on apprentices at the moment.

That was why Sonia needed to carefully look through which positions would suit Lynn.

As for Lynn, a newcomer who knew absolutely nothing about the Wizard World, he naturally would not refuse Sonia's arrangements.

For him, the most important thing was adapting to this new environment.

He needed time to understand the life of wizards and immerse himself in the books his teacher had provided, slowly digesting the knowledge within them.

The room was small, containing only a wooden bed, a table, and a wardrobe.

Though the space was simple, Lynn did not mind. The room was clean and tidy, and there was nothing wrong with living in it.

Although the bed was nothing more than a simple wooden board, Lynn lay down without hesitation, completely relaxing as though all his exhaustion had finally fallen away.

"This whole day has been so long..."

That morning, he had fought desperately, risking his life against a youth named Russell to seize the chance to enter The Furnace from him.

Then he had met Colin and Rosalind and become her student.

After that, he had been assigned to the Potion Garden and moved into this plain little wooden room.

Though most of these things had been good for Lynn, some of the incidents along the way still made him unhappy.

For example, the powerful patron behind Russell had actually tried to transfer Lynn to the Alchemy Department.

If he had really gone to the Alchemy Department, it would have almost certainly meant a dead end.

"I've been pushed along this whole time..."

Lynn felt helpless. He had no right to choose for himself. Ever since entering The Furnace, this Wizard World, everything had seemed so beyond his control.

If he had not become Rosalind's student, he probably would have been crushed to death by that person from the Alchemy Department long ago.

But was becoming Rosalind's student really a good thing?

Lynn remembered the pity in Sonia's eyes when he had met her in the Potion Garden. It seemed that being Rosalind's student was not as glorious as it appeared.

But there was no turning back now. The die had been cast.

At least, based on what he knew so far, there did not seem to be any bad news.

After all, his teacher was as gentle as the girl next door, nothing like those terrifying Dark Wizards.

"At this point, all I can do is take things one step at a time..."

Lynn sighed. His eyelids gradually grew heavy, and drowsiness overtook him.

As he closed his eyes, the world around him turned black, and he fell asleep.

He did not know how long had passed when a sudden knock sounded outside the door, startling Lynn awake.

"I was so tired today that I actually fell asleep. The person outside should be here to deliver the bedding..."

Lynn got up and walked to the door, preparing to open it and offer his thanks.

But when he saw the face outside, his pupils suddenly shrank.

That person was actually one of the people who had passed the assessment with him that morning!

Lynn knew that one of them had also gone to the Potion Department, but he had not expected that person to come to the Potion Garden as well.