「The day after the exchange conference ended.」
In the evening, in the courtyard of No. 12 Golden Oak Street, the old Golden Oak Tree cast a long, slender shadow.
Ian sat on a stone bench beneath the tree, fiddling with an empty Crystal Bottle in his hands.
The residual starlight-blue traces on the bottle’s inner wall shimmered faintly in the twilight.
Gaga was perched on his knee, its small head tilted, staring at the spots of light on the bottle as if lost in thought.
"Ian," it transmitted in a low voice.
"Are we... going to be watched by a lot of people, gaga?"
Ian’s fingers gently caressed the bottle’s surface, the cool touch spreading through his fingertips.
"Mm," he replied, his voice soft.
Just then, footsteps—more than one set—sounded from the front hall.
Ian looked up.
Aidele emerged from the corridor, followed by two people.
One was a Witch in a deep purple, silver-trimmed long robe who looked to be around thirty. Her features were gentle, her eyes clear.
Her upper body was disproportionately large, but her steps were steady and her back was straight.
The other was a young girl in a gray Apprentice Robe, her head lowered, holding a dark wooden box.
Old Finn followed behind them, his back stooped. He held a pipe, its smoke rising slowly in the twilight.
His gaze fell on Ian, his expression carrying a hint of warning.
Aidele walked to the center of the courtyard and stopped.
She looked at Ian, a trace of nervousness in her eyes, but her expression was calm.
"Ian, this is my fifth sister, Ashia Justice."
She stepped aside, revealing the Witch in the purple robe behind her.
Ashia took a half step forward, placed her right hand over her chest, and performed a standard family courtesy.
Her movements were fluid and natural, marked by the distinct precision of a Magic Potion Alchemist.
"Wizard Marcus, good day."
Her voice was gentle, but beneath her mild exterior, Ian could sense a dense and powerful Spiritual Power.
’A Level Two Initial Stage, with a solid foundation.’
What caught Ian’s attention was the mixed scent of various Magic Potions clinging to her.
It was the kind of smell that came from being immersed in a laboratory year-round, one that even tainted her Spiritual Power.
Ian stood up and gave a slight nod.
"Miss Ashia."
Gaga flew up from his knee and landed on his shoulder, its small eyes watching Ashia warily.
Ashia’s gaze lingered on Gaga for a moment, a flash of surprise in her eyes.
But she quickly averted her gaze, her gentle smile returning to her face.
"Please forgive my sudden visit."
She looked at Ian, her tone carrying the perfect amount of apology.
"I heard my younger sister recruited a Magic Potion Alchemist of exquisite skill, and I simply couldn’t restrain my curiosity. I wanted to come and have an exchange."
Her phrasing was polite, but the meaning behind her words was clear.
She was here to sound him out.
Aidele’s eyes narrowed slightly. She looked at Ian, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something.
But Ian had already nodded.
"Please, come in." He then stepped aside, clearing the way to the laboratory door.
A glimmer flashed in Ashia’s eyes. Without hesitation, she stepped into the laboratory.
The apprentice holding the wooden box followed closely behind her, her steps as light as a cat’s.
Aidele and Old Finn followed them in as well.
Inside the laboratory, the lights were already on.
Crystal Stones embedded in the walls emitted a soft white light, brightly illuminating the entire space.
On the workbench, all traces from the previous night’s refining had been cleaned away.
But the crisp, starlit scent in the air was still thick.
The moment Ashia entered the laboratory, her steps faltered almost imperceptibly.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
Two seconds later, she opened her eyes and looked at Ian again, the subtle, scrutinizing look from before now gone.
"This scent..."
She muttered to herself, her voice filled with irrepressible surprise.
"I’ve never heard of Starlight Potion, but the purity... is absurdly high."
Ashia walked to the workbench, her fingers lightly brushing across the cool, black stone surface.
Her fingertips detected the extremely subtle temperature variations left by the previous night’s flames.
They were traces left by the uneven heating of the stone when different crucibles were heated to different temperatures.
An ordinary person would never have felt it, but Ashia did.
Her fingertips paused over a certain area for a moment, then slowly lifted.
"Seven crucibles, heated simultaneously."
She looked up at Ian.
"The temperature curve was divided into at least three gradients, with a margin of error no greater than two degrees."
Her voice was soft, but every word landed like a hammer blow in the silent laboratory.
Aidele stood at the door, her breathing slightly ragged.
Old Finn leaned against the doorframe, smoke rising slowly from his pipe. His cloudy eyes were fixed on Ashia, his expression complex.
Ian’s expression was neutral as he simply nodded.
He had read Ashia’s file on the airship and knew she was also a Magic Potion Alchemist of exceptional talent.
Ashia stared at him for a full three seconds, then suddenly smiled.
It was a genuine, heartfelt smile, filled with a certain excitement and shock.
"Very good."
She took a deep breath and turned to the apprentice holding the wooden box.
"Take out the items."
The apprentice stepped forward at her command, placed the wooden box on the workbench, and carefully opened the lid.
The box was lined with dark blue velvet, upon which a dozen or so thick parchment scrolls were neatly arranged.
The scrolls were tied with silver thread and branded with complex Magic Potion symbols.
Ashia picked up the topmost scroll and gently unrolled it.
The parchment was densely covered with neat text and diagrams.
There were analytical diagrams of the energy pathways in materials, design formulas for temperature curves, notes on the timing for impurity removal, and even deductions on alternative solutions for certain Rare Materials.
Every line revealed a systematic, rigorous, and deeply ingrained foundation in Magic Potion Science.