Although the initial effects are not obvious, given enough time, this talent can allow someone with mediocre aptitude to grow into a true strong figure.
"You two continue with your work."
Lady Allen waved her hand, indicating for the two assistants to return to their positions, then turned to Ron:
"Come, let’s go to the backyard and have a good chat."
The backyard was still that tranquil little world, with a few simple wooden chairs placed under the shadow of an ancient oak tree.
Various rare herbs were planted in the corner, and a faint floral fragrance permeated the air.
"Seeing them, does it remind you of yourself back in the day?"
Lady Allen asked with a smile, handing Ron a cup of hot tea.
Ron took the teacup, sipping gently.
The familiar taste made him feel very warm: "There are some similarities, but they seem to be working much harder in the store than I did back then."
"Diligence is part of it." Lady Allen nodded, her gaze shifted to the two busy figures inside the store:
"Fina is very smart, with a strong understanding of herbs and formulas, but she sometimes lacks the courage to break norms."
She paused, then added:
"Lilia, on the other hand, starts slowly, but she is very diligent and good at innovating, not afraid of failure. Most importantly, she possesses rare perseverance and patience."
Ron understood in his heart; this matched his earlier observation.
Lady Allen’s eyes reflected a hint of complex emotions:
"In fact, in some ways, she resembles you, doesn’t she? You both have unexpected potential."
"To be honest, I didn’t expect you to find two new assistants just months after I left."
Not picking up on that thread, Ron replied half-jokingly: "Did I not perform well enough?"
"Nonsense." Lady Allen gently tapped the back of his hand:
"You’ve graduated, have your own workshop and clients, you can’t always follow this old lady learning those basics, right?"
She took a sip of tea, a hint of concern in her eyes:
"Besides, I heard you’ve been doing quite well in the Candidate Wizard sequence recently?"
"Not bad." Ron humbly said, then briefly recounted his main experiences during this time.
Including entering various advanced courses, receiving special guidance from Soron and Yuni, and improving his ranking in the Candidate Wizard sequence.
Lady Allen listened quietly, a trace of complexity in her expression:
"Your growth rate is indeed astonishing, it seems my initial judgment was right. But..."
Her tone suddenly became serious:
"The faster you grow, the more you’re exposed to the gaze of those in higher positions. Be especially cautious, especially towards those who suddenly show abnormal interest in you."
Ron felt a chill in his heart, understanding what Lady Allen meant.
"I will be careful." Ron nodded seriously, then shifted the topic elsewhere.
The two chatted about many things, ranging from new formula development to rumors about the Bloodline Altar, internal power changes in the School, and the latest movements of the Crystal Tower in the distance.
Ron found that although Lady Allen was secluded in this small herb store, her understanding of the outside world was far more extensive and deep than he had imagined.
"It’s getting late; I should be going back."
Ron glanced at the sky, stood up to say goodbye:
"Next time you have time, you can visit my workshop and see its development."
"Hehe... I appreciate the thought, but these old bones can’t stand the hassle."
Lady Allen stood up with the help of her cane, seeming not to have any other feelings due to her student leaving.
"By the way, Lilia learned about your identity and seems to be a bit interested in you. She might come to you in the upcoming days. If you lack a Magic Potion Assistant, feel free to keep her."
She slightly squinted her emerald green eyes, her words carrying a hidden meaning:
"You should somewhat appreciate the beauty of receiving ’grace,’ right? How about letting this child be your first personal apprentice?"
"This... wouldn’t it affect your work on this side...?"
Ron was a bit hesitant but also tempted, unsure what to say when he noticed that Lady Allen had already waved her hand, giving a gentle order to leave:
"Alright, we’ve talked enough, if there’s nothing else, hurry back."
......
Elsewhere, Lilia stood at the herb store’s window, watching Ron’s departing figure, a trace of complex emotion in her eyes.
She gently smoothed out non-existent creases on her apron, as if this could calm the ripples in her heart.
From the earlier conversation between Ron and Lady Allen, she had already comprehended how high the status of this young Alchemist is, far beyond her imagination.
"Intermediate Apprentice, Professional Alchemist, Member of the Candidate Wizard Sequence..."
She silently counted in her heart, each title seemed as distant and insurmountable as a chasm.
"Lilia, come help me sort out this batch of Moonlight Grass." Fina’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Okay, coming right away."
Lilia snapped back to reality, quickly walking toward the workbench.
But her peripheral vision still involuntarily drifted towards the door, as if she could still see the figure that had already disappeared.
"You’re quite interested in that Ron apprentice?"
Fina asked calmly, while meticulously sorting through the Moonlight Grass.
Lilia was slightly taken aback, then forced a smile:
"Just curious. After all, a genius like him... is rare among the School, right?"
"Indeed, it’s rare." Fina nodded, a hint of admiration in her eyes:
"To achieve such accomplishments in such a short time, one must surely possess extraordinary talent and effort."
Lily didn’t respond, just kept her head down and continued working, but her mind was already calculating something.
The next evening, after Fina left, Lily stayed behind alone to organize the day’s accounts and inventory.
This was a job she had volunteered for, just to have some time alone.
She sat behind the counter, opened a small, exquisite notebook, densely packed with various information she had gathered:
The location of Ron’s workshop, daily activity patterns, known achievements and capabilities... each entry written in extreme detail.
"A year ago... came to Black Mist Jungle from the Kingdom... Sixth-class Star Spiritual Power talent... became an Intermediate Apprentice in less than six months... the only private apprentice of Lady Allen..."
Lily murmured the contents of the notes, a certain resolute light flickering in her eyes.
She closed the notebook and walked to the small well in the backyard, fetched a basin of water and began washing up.
The water reflected her delicate and charming face:
A high nose bridge, clear eyes, lips as soft as petals, every feature seemingly crafted with perfection.
Lily stared expressionlessly at her reflection in the water, her memories involuntarily flashing back to a distant past.
A small territory located on the southwestern border, the ancient castle of Visor Baron.
A chance encounter between a beautiful maid and the lord, leading to the birth and growth of a bastard daughter...
"Wretched girl, do you know why you’re still alive?"
The baroness’s icy voice still echoed in her ears:
"All thanks to that face of yours, identical to that of your wretched mother. If it weren’t for your resemblance to her, you’d have been thrown into the moat with that woman to feed the fish."
Due to this upbringing, Lily learned from a young age how to appease anyone who could potentially help her, honing her survival skills in the cracks.
At fifteen, she overheard a conversation between her stepmother and older sister in the corner of the castle.
Upon discovering that the baron had agreed to give her as a "gift" to a lustful old noble from a neighboring country, she almost despaired and wanted to escape immediately.
Thankfully, fate provided a way out—the annual "seed selection" of Wizards granted her a chance to leave her family.
Though the Spiritual Power test results were not outstanding, it at least allowed her the opportunity to become a Candidate Apprentice.
However, the harsh reality soon made her realize that ordinary people without strong talent would also struggle here.
Just as she was about to give up hope, she met Fina: a girl with a remarkable background and talent.
Using her learned methods, Lily flattered Fina in numerous ways, becoming her best friend here.
And when Fina successfully gained Lady Allen’s favor, Lily cleverly secured her own spot at the Herb Store.
All this was to avoid the Intermediate Apprentice who had taken an interest in her: Ogg Keynes, a man who delighted in collecting beautiful female slaves.
"I will never become his plaything." Lily looked at her reflection in the water, her gaze firm and cold.
She knew that Keynes had collected three female slaves, none of whom met a fair fate:
Either discarded after being tired of them or perished painfully in bizarre experiments.
After finishing her wash, Lily returned to her dormitory and retrieved a flat wooden box from the bottom of her suitcase.
Inside was a set of exquisite dresses and cosmetics, precious heirlooms left by her mother.
"Ron Ralph..."
She whispered the name: "A genius in the Candidate Wizard sequence, Lady Allen’s prized student, Professional Alchemist..."
Through observation and intelligence gathering, Lily had confirmed Ron to be her best ally at present.
He was strong enough to protect her from Keynes’s harassment;
His character appeared gentle, and it was never heard that he deliberately made things difficult for others;
Most importantly, it was said that he had so far had no intimate relations with any woman here, which was a significant advantage for Lily.
She had already discovered the exact location of Ron’s workshop, even having observed it secretly a few times.
Tomorrow, she would risk approaching him, asking to become his assistant or... any role he needed.
"Far better than being treated as a plaything by Keynes, at least Ron appears to be a normal person."
Lily murmured to herself with a bitter smile, yet her eyes flashed with determination.
In this cruel Extraordinary World, clinging to the strong is the only survival strategy for the weak.
At dawn the next day, Lily requested leave from Lady Allen, falsely claiming she had to care for a sick roommate.
She returned to her residence, carefully washed and dressed.
First, she bathed her entire body with special petal dew, letting her skin exude a faint fragrance;
Then donned the treasured attire: a well-tailored light blue dress that maintained elegance while perfectly outlining a graceful figure;
Finally, she applied a touch of light makeup, just enough to emphasize the contours of her eyes and lips.
The girl in the mirror was breathtakingly beautiful, possessing innocence alongside a mature allure from her makeup.
Lily practiced several expressions in front of the mirror, ensuring she appeared both humble and respectful.
"The final preparation..." She retrieved a small bottle from the bottom of the cabinet, containing a light pink liquid:
"Love Dew," a mild and harmless potion that slightly enhanced allure.
She carefully applied a drop on her neck and wrists.
The potion quickly absorbed into her skin, releasing an irresistibly subtle fragrance, rumored to evoke protective instincts and favorable feelings in the opposite sex.
With everything ready, Lily took a deep breath and walked out of the room.
Today would be the turning point of her destiny.
......
Ron stood in the center of the workshop’s training ground, carefully sensing the elemental energy flowing within him.
The recent intensive training had made him much more adept at controlling the light and fire elements, almost to the point of free will.