He sighed, closed the door behind him, and walked briskly toward the market.
Along the way, he kept mulling over his current situation.
Living in the probationary apprentice dorms wasn't just a matter of pride, it was a real limitation.
But every time he thought about moving out, he found himself torn. Rationally, he knew he needed to relocate soon, but the steep rent always gave him pause.
According to what Andrey had dug up, even the cheapest independent residence within the faction cost 150 magic crystal shards a year. Better ones could go for several full magic crystals.
At his current pace, earning a steady daily wage helping Lady Elena, plus commission from auxiliary potion work, and the side jobs from Talisa and Andrey, he could bring in 80 to 90 shards per month.
Even so, that kind of rent was still a serious burden.
And once he rented a place, there'd be all kinds of other expenses. He also needed to allocate resources elsewhere.
While his thoughts spun, he had already arrived at the herb shop.
Pushing open the door, the familiar scent of herbs washed over him. Lady Elena was behind the counter, working on the books.
"Just in time," she said.
Lady Elena set the ledger aside and fixed her emerald-green eyes on Robb. "We've got a big order today. I need your help."
"What kind of order?" Robb asked curiously as he started putting on his work apron.
"Thirty bottles of stimulant potion and twenty bottles of wound-healing salve. The Order's enforcement team needs to replenish their stock."
She gestured to the workbench behind her. "I've already prepared the ingredients, you can start right away."
Robb nodded and got to work without a word.
This level of batch order no longer posed any challenge to him, but he still maintained a high level of focus.
Each potion was mixed with precise proportions, ensuring consistent and stable effects.
Two hours later, all the potions were finished.
He neatly lined them up on the wooden shelf to cool.
Thanks to his focused study, his potion skills had advanced significantly:
[Potion Brewing: Skilled (46/80)]
[Herb Identification: Skilled (42/80)]
[Basic Potion Theory: Skilled (98/100)]
It looked like Basic Potion Theory was about to break through to mastery.
At that point, he could start thinking seriously about further career development.
"Nicely done," Lady Elena said as she walked over and randomly inspected a few bottles.
"The quality's stable, actually better than the last batch. That's the power of diligent practice and natural talent."
Robb smiled and offered a humble reply. "Only thanks to your guidance."
Lady Elena's eyes flickered as if seeing right through him.
She gently tapped the counter with her knuckles, her bony fingers looking especially sharp in the dim light.
"Robb," her voice took on an uncharacteristically soft tone, "I've noticed your progress."
"Thank you, ma'am." The young apprentice couldn't quite guess her intentions and responded modestly.
"No, it's more than just progress. Your accomplishments in Alchemy have already surpassed many gifted beginners, and even some veteran apprentices who've been at it for years."
She shook her head slightly.
"It's not just your grasp of material properties, your control of timing, your predictive sense of reactions between ingredients, it's all at a very high level."
She paused, and a rare look of approval flickered in her eyes.
"To be honest, there's not much more I can teach you. At your level, you're ready to stand on your own."
Robb froze. "You mean…"
"You're ready to graduate, Robb," she said plainly. "Still working as an assistant in this little shop doesn't do justice to your potential."
Then she reached under the counter and pulled out a wooden box, sliding it across the surface toward him.
"Take this, it's a small gift to celebrate your upcoming independence."
Robb curiously opened the box. Inside was a finely crafted instrument gleaming with silver light, a Silverwing Separator.
It was the very tool he had long dreamed of but couldn't justify spending magic crystal shards on.
"This is… a Silverwing Separator!" he gasped, gently running his fingers over the exquisite instrument and lifting it from the box with care.
This rare tool could extract the purest essence from herbs without losing any active properties, a treasured item for any Alchemist.
For a moment, Robb was speechless.
He had originally come here just to get hands-on experience with potions.
He never expected this stern, often sharp-tongued old woman to be so generous with her teaching, not to mention giving him The Whispers of the Star-Eater, an extremely rare meditation technique.
Now, even as he graduated, she was gifting him something of enormous value. Even blood relatives wouldn't go that far...
"I noticed you always hesitated when handling materials that required precision extraction," Lady Elena said, her tone much gentler than usual. "With this, you won't have to hesitate anymore."
"This must be worth several full magic crystals...?"
Robb still couldn't quite believe it and began to wonder if she was about to assign him some difficult or dangerous mission.
"It's just a tool," Lady Elena said, trying to sound casual, though the faint smile at her lips betrayed her emotions.
"Compared to those flashy collectibles, this is much more practical in the field."
Her gaze turned distant, as if peering beyond the shop walls to somewhere far away.
"I've had it for many years. Back when I worked at the Crystal Spire, I used it to refine ingredients."
"Crystal Spire?"
Robb recognized the name. Books described it as a vastly larger center of extraordinary power than the Black Mist Order, supposedly even home to Archmages.
Lady Elena seemed to realize she'd said too much and sighed lightly.
"Yes… before I came here. The power struggles among true mages are far more complex than you'd think. One misstep in the competition for advancement and the result is…"
She didn't finish the sentence but instinctively touched a long, ugly scar on her side.
She shook her head again, as if to dispel the memories.
"But that's all in the past. I've found my place here, doing what I love, helping promising young people grow. The loss at the Crystal Spire became my gain… and now, yours too."
Her gaze refocused on Robb, now with a rare look of nostalgia.
"There's a vast world beyond this forest, child. In some places, magic roars like a tidal wave. High Gods reshape reality with mere thought. Someday, when you're ready…"
She trailed off, a faint, content smile playing on her lips.
Robb carefully returned the separator to its box. "You've given me so much, I don't even know how to thank you, ma'am."
"No need for such thanks," Lady Elena said, waving it off as her tone returned to its usual briskness.
"Teaching gifted youths benefits us too."
"Benefits?" Robb asked, puzzled.
Lady Elena paused for a moment, as if considering how much to say.
Finally, she sat back in the chair behind the counter and motioned for Robb to sit too.
"Do you know why formal mages, despite being so busy, still spend time founding factions and teaching apprentices?"
She asked, her emerald eyes shimmering with something unspoken.
Robb thought for a moment. "To pass on knowledge? Or maybe to train future assistants?"
"Partly true, but not the whole picture," she said, gently shaking her head.
"In the world of mysticism, there's an ancient rule, Favor."