When Lady Allen saw the final material, a clear look of astonishment appeared in her eyes:
"The Illusion Songbird’s Throat Bone? This thing is nearly extinct in the Black Mist Jungle region. Where did he get it from?"
"He probably acquired it through contacts with Magnus Master and the Alchemist Association."
Lilia replied softly, "Teacher has been gathering these materials through various channels for some time now."
Lady Allen snorted lightly through her nose, but a trace of satisfaction flickered in her deep green eyes:
"That boy has never let me down..."
Her voice was so soft it was almost as if she was only speaking to herself, then she raised her head to look at Lilia:
"How have you been doing by his side? Have you achieved your intended goal?"
Lilia was startled, uncertain what Lady Allen meant.
Was she referring to her escaping Keynes’s predicament? Or the possible relationship between her and Ron?
She recalled she had never explicitly stated her "goal" to Lady Allen.
"I... I think I’ve basically achieved it."
Thinking of this, she lowered her head and stammered:
"The teacher has been good to me, giving me the opportunity to learn and providing a safe and comfortable living environment."
Lady Allen gave her a meaningful look, seemingly reading more into her words, but did not pursue the topic further.
Lilia glanced around, suddenly noticing changes in the familiar shop:
"Madam, what about Fina? I haven’t seen her."
"Oh, that girl, I’ve sent her away."
Lady Allen waved her hand nonchalantly:
"I’ve assigned her to the Alchemist Association branch of the school, where she’s now responsible for some basic potion refining tasks."
"Do you mean... she was transferred from here..." Lilia was a bit surprised, then cautiously used a neutral term.
"Heh, she was simply eliminated by me, not everyone is suited to stay here with me."
Lady Allen stood up, leaning on her cane, her voice turning a bit cold:
"She has decent talent in Magic Potion Making, and her technical accumulation isn’t an issue, but she lacks necessary... determination and adaptability."
Lilia couldn’t help but think of Fina’s always cautious nature; Lady Allen’s assessment didn’t seem incorrect.
"Elimination..." she murmured softly to herself.
Fina’s talent was clearly enough to support her future as a Professional Alchemist, which was why she had gone to great lengths to please her back then.
If someone like her was eliminated, what standards did Lady Allen have?
Upon realizing this, she suddenly became aware of something...
"Um, Lady Allen." Lilia gathered the courage to ask: "Is teacher... the only student you recognize?"
Lady Allen glanced at her, the sharpness of her gaze making Lilia feel a surge of tension.
"That boy indeed has many unusual traits."
The old woman smirked, speaking slowly: "But nothing is absolute. Perhaps one day, I might meet a student better than him, who knows?"
Her words sounded somewhat perfunctory, but Lilia keenly noticed the look of pride in Lady Allen’s eyes as she spoke.
"Don’t overthink it." Lady Allen seemed to see through her thoughts:
"This world has never been equal. Some people are meant to reach the top, while others are better suited for foundational work. Fina is doing well at the association too, much better than always being scolded by me here."
"Alright, enough reminiscing, let’s get down to business."
As she spoke, she pulled out two items from a drawer:
A delicate black sealed box and an envelope shimmering with faint silver light.
Complex protective runes were engraved on the sealed box, each line intricately designed, forming a perfect sealing array;
While the envelope was shrouded in a layer of magic barrier, with runes faintly circulating on its surface.
That was a self-destruct mechanism. If anyone attempted to forcibly open it, its contents would immediately turn to ash.
"I’ve already verified the materials, now you hand these over to him."
Lady Allen handed the two items to Lilia:
"Tell him, the final stage of ’Star Eater’s Ravings’ is extremely dangerous, and he shouldn’t attempt it lightly without sufficient preparation."
Lilia carefully took these two precious items, feeling a heavy sense of responsibility:
"I will deliver them to the teacher as they are."
"And..." Lady Allen hesitated, uncharacteristically showing an uncertain expression:
"Tell him, the path I couldn’t finish back then, I hope he can walk it to the end."
Lilia nodded in agreement, although she didn’t quite understand the meaning of this statement, she could feel the strong regret contained within it.
The old woman suddenly extended her calloused hand, gently caressing Lilia’s cheek:
"You, girl, are not bad either. Compared to Fina, who already had decent talent, your growth makes me feel even more gratified."
This unexpected tenderness left Lilia stunned in place, not knowing how to react for a moment.
As she spoke, Lady Allen pulled out another parchment scroll, its seal much less stringent than that of the box:
"I suppose you still don’t have any meditation techniques other than the Basic Meditation Technique, right? This is a gem-level meditation method I used during my apprenticeship. Though it’s not as powerful as the set I gave that boy, it excels in being consistently stable."
Gem Level Meditation Method?
Lilia had indeed been troubled by this matter before. She and Ron had agreed to find a chance to purchase a set from other masters, suitable for apprentice stages only.