The banquet did not break up until midnight, but Allen had slipped away early. After returning to the inn, he took out the ring Hannes had given him and probed it with his Mental Power.
He soon figured out what the ring did. A spell was sealed inside, apparently permanently engraved into it by someone. He did not yet know what rank it was, only that his current Mental Power was nowhere near enough to use it.
The ring could also restore its wearer's mana, though that function would probably be of little use to Allen. After examining it, he slipped it onto his finger. The golden ring glittered, making him look considerably more distinguished.
For the next week, he stayed busy brewing potions. Mage Rhys volunteered to serve as his assistant, just so he could see how this potion was made. Naturally, Allen had no reason to refuse him.
With the antidote's help, the soldiers soon regained their health. No side effects were discovered afterward, either. They merely suffered physical discomfort from their prolonged weakness and would need some time to recover.
That day, Legion Commander Hannes came looking for him. Seeing him putting away the Alchemy Table, he pulled him aside and said, "Allen, there's something I'd like your opinion on."
"Go ahead."
"It's about those spores in Death Valley. What do you think we should do with them?"
He thought for quite a while before finally giving his opinion. He did not support dealing with the spores in the valley. After all, no one knew what might happen if they did, and the spores had remained inside the valley without spreading, which showed that they posed no threat to the outside world. Of course, he also had a small personal consideration: he hoped to study these spores