Inside the stone chamber.
The witcher apprentices worked on the herbs in their hands. Within just five minutes, someone had severed the membrane of the boneknit grass, letting green sap flow out and dissipating most of its medicinal potency.
The herbalist nun silently sighed at the sight.
Although the witcher apprentices could identify the herbs, their handling techniques were far too crude.
The apprentice named Paul, in particular, held his silver knife with a visibly stiff hand.
All she could say was that Vesemir of Kaer Morhen was an outstanding swordmaster, but he still fell considerably short in herbal alchemy.
"This lesson is going to waste quite a few herbs."
The herbalist nun murmured to herself.
Her gaze shifted, and her chin suddenly lifted as she noticed the black-haired boy at the far left.
Arwen wore a serious expression, his right hand holding the silver knife without the slightest tremor.
With his index finger against the spine of the blade, he pushed gently, slicing open the veins of the white fern.
[Herbal alchemy experience +1!]
Got it!
Arwen placed the prepared white fern into a vessel.
Next came the broadleaf vine.
Looking at its large, densely packed leaves, Arwen frowned slightly.
Suddenly, a crisp chamomile fragrance drifted over.
The herbalist nun walked to his side and extended a slender index finger, tracing slowly down from the top of the broadleaf vine.
"When preparing broadleaf vine, you need to cut along the leaf veins. Only then can you preserve its full medicinal potency. Keep your hand steady, and don't rush."
Arwen's catlike pupils contracted. Following the herbalist nun's guidance, he immediately discerned the course of the broadleaf vine's veins.
His blade cut along the veins, slowly separating out the broadleaf vine's rootstock.
[Herbal alchemy experience +10!]
The number that popped up on the panel stunned Arwen.
Just one simple remark had sent his experience soaring by ten points.
Was this the value of a teacher's instruction and guidance?
Arwen raised his head and looked gratefully at the herbalist nun. "Thank you, Lady Viris."
She said nothing, but an apprentice's voice rang out behind her.
"Lady Viris! Lady Viris!"
The voice was very urgent, and Arwen recognized it as Aiken's.
The herbalist turned and walked over, but her steps noticeably faltered as she approached Aiken.
Aiken had cut the broadleaf vine on his tray into a complete mess.
Aiken scratched his head sheepishly and feigned embarrassment. "Lady Viris, I'm terribly sorry. I'm not very good at preparing this."
The herbalist nun did not get angry. Instead, she picked up the silver knife from the tray. "I'll demonstrate once. Watch carefully."
While nodding earnestly, Aiken raised an eyebrow at Arwen and gave him a smug look.
Arwen ignored him and began preparing the next stalk of boneknit grass.
His herbal alchemy experience had already reached 96 points, leaving only four points until he leveled up. Who had time to bother with anyone else?
Time ticked by.
The herbalist nun returned to the lectern and straightened her slightly creased cuffs, her voice somewhat weary. "All right, that concludes today's alchemy lesson. You may leave."
Many of the apprentices breathed a sigh of relief at that.
If they had been asked to wield swords and blades, they would have had no trouble at all.
But dealing with these silver knives and herbs was truly a little too much to ask of them.
All they could think about was getting out of this stone chamber as soon as possible. Even going aboveground for a breath of fresh air would feel wonderful.
The apprentices stood and quickly bade the herbalist farewell.
"Goodbye, Lady Viris."
The herbalist gave the apprentices a very courteous nod.
Arwen stood and opened his panel.
[Herbal alchemy Lv1: 98/100]
Only two points remained until he leveled up. It triggered Arwen's compulsive tendencies, like a bone stuck in his throat.
No, I have to find a way to fix this.
Arwen glanced beside him out of the corner of his eye.
Paul had already left the stone chamber with the others, but there was still a half-prepared broadleaf vine on the tray on his desk.
Got it!
"Lady Viris, may I help you prepare these herbs?"
The herbalist nun visibly paused at his words.
She truly had not expected an apprentice to stay behind and help her clean up this mess.
Especially a witcher apprentice. Children with such patience were rare.
"Of course, as long as it doesn't interfere with your rest."
With her permission, Arwen's lips curved upward. He started at Paul's seat and quickly finished preparing the broadleaf vine.
The herbalist nun watched Arwen's technique. Compared with his first attempt, it was much cleaner and more fluid.
The cut was smooth as a mirror, without a single stray fiber.
"This child..."
She murmured to herself, a hint of surprise in her voice.
Arwen's hands grew increasingly practiced.
[Herbal alchemy experience +1!]
As he finished preparing the last portion of white fern, the mechanical notification sounded again.
[Herbal alchemy experience +1!] [Herbal alchemy Lv1: 100/100 → Herbal alchemy Lv2. White talent acquired: Alchemy Perception] [Herbal alchemy Lv2: 0/1000] [Alchemy Perception (white): You are now familiar with the most basic alchemical properties. By focusing your mind, you can sense energy fluctuations between alchemical items, allowing you to handle them better.]
It's a new talent.
Arwen drew a breath, delight flashing in his eyes.
"Very well done. It seems you've put considerable effort into herbal alchemy. Vesemir's alchemy instruction isn't quite as terrible as I imagined, either."
Arwen gave the herbalist nun an apprentice's bow.
An enigmatic smile appeared on her lips. "I take it you haven't yet completed an entire alchemical process. Would you be interested in brewing something?"
Arwen looked up, trying to see the herbalist nun's face beneath her hood, but it was as though a layer of mist stood between them. Apart from its outline, he could make out nothing.
Without the slightest hesitation, Arwen nodded in agreement.
"Of course. I'd be delighted."
Just one remark from her had earned him ten points of herbal alchemy experience. Now she would be teaching him personally. Who knew how much experience he could gain? Only a fool would refuse.
"Follow me."
Arwen followed the herbalist nun to the lectern, where she took two items out of the herb chest beside it.
"Do you know what these are, and what they're used for?"
Arwen glanced at them. With his [Alchemy Perception] talent, he quickly identified them.
"These little golden flowers are celandine, and this brown, air-dried object is a drowner brain."
After a brief moment of consideration, he said firmly, "These should be ingredients for brewing the [Swallow] potion. All that's missing is a bottle of spirits."
The herbalist nun took out a distillation flask, a cauldron, and a bottle of dwarven spirits.
"Exactly right. Then go ahead. I'll watch from beside you."
Arwen took a deep breath and began his preparations.
The first step was to slice the celandine open along its veins, just as he had done with the broadleaf vine.
Next came the drowner brain. It needed to be cut in half and have its fascia picked out to bring out its maximum medicinal potency.
He put both into a vessel and mashed them.
[Herbal alchemy experience +1!]
Arwen focused his mind and activated [Alchemy Perception].
Ripple~
He clearly sensed a ring of pale green ripples appear inside the vessel, spreading steadily outward.
When they reached the dwarven spirits in the cauldron, pale blue ripples spread out as if in response.
"Just about ready!"
Arwen slowly poured the prepared drowner-brain paste into the cauldron.
At once, the spirits reacted violently with the drowner-brain paste. Bubbles continually rose to the surface, green and blue ripples intertwined, and the transparent liquid turned cloudy.
Eventually, the ripples grew gentle, and the liquid turned a clear green.
Arwen's catlike eyes lit up!
The [Swallow] potion was done!
[Herbal alchemy experience +1!]
The herbalist nun tapped the tabletop lightly with her fingers, her initial interest giving way to surprise.
"Fifteen minutes. Although it's only the simplest Swallow potion, achieving this on your first attempt is very impressive."
She then picked up a silver spoon, scooped a little from the cauldron, and held it beneath her nose, gently fanning with her left hand.
"The smell, color, and concentration are all essentially satisfactory. Child, tell me your name."
"My name is Arwen."
"Arwen," the herbalist's tone suddenly sharpened, "you did very well, except..."