Ian’s gaze fell on the charts.
Inside his Sea of Spirit, the pale gold Crystal Core trembled slightly.
Ten percent Elementalization had sharpened his Perception to the absolute limit.
He could "see" the profound understanding of the very essence of Magic Potions contained within the charts.
That was... a body of knowledge only a Tier Two Alchemist could access.
Ashia pushed the parchment toward Ian.
"These are some of the notes I’ve compiled over the years."
Her voice was calm, but her gaze was earnest.
"From Tier One to Tier Two, it covers basic theory, material processing, formula modification, and even... the fringes of certain Forbidden Techniques."
She paused, then added, "You can’t buy this on the market."
Ian didn’t immediately reach for it. He raised his head and looked at Ashia.
"Whatever it is, take it up with Aidele."
His voice was direct, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
’Ian would not make direct contact with any power. That was a fundamental rule of his.’
Aidele froze for a moment, then shot Ian a grateful look.
A flicker of appreciation showed in Ashia’s eyes. "I like doing business with people who honor their agreements."
She withdrew her hand and tapped her fingertips lightly on the edge of the laboratory bench, her gaze shifting to Aidele.
"First, I want exclusive supply rights to the Starlight Potions and Bloodline Potions you refine."
"I’ll pay twenty percent above market price. The minimum monthly supply will be one hundred Starlight Potions and fifty Bloodline Potions."
"Second..." Her gaze intensified.
"At certain critical moments, I will need you, little sister Aidele... to stand with me."
Her words were vague, but her meaning was crystal clear.
A limited alliance, bound by mutual interest.
Aidele’s pupils constricted.
She looked toward Ian, her lips pressed tightly together, her fingertips unconsciously digging into her palms.
Ian was silent for a couple of seconds, then looked at Aidele.
"What do you think?" He left the decision to her.
Aidele took a deep breath and looked at Ashia, her expression complex.
It was a mixture of wariness and calculation, but also a tremor of excitement, long-buried, at the prospect of a turning point.
"Fifth Sister."
Her voice was a little strained, but resolute.
"Can you promise... not to drag me down with you?"
Ashia laughed, a bitter, self-mocking edge to her smile.
"Little sister Aidele, do you really think I’m in any position... to drag anyone down with me?"
She pointed to the silver badge on her chest, the one that marked her as fourth in line for succession, and her eyes dimmed for an instant.
"First Brother is watching me, Second Brother is watching me, and even that idiot, Third Brother, wants to kick me while I’m down."
"The only reason I’m still alive is because they haven’t gotten around to dealing with me yet."
Her voice was soft, yet her words were like an Ice Cone, piercing the air.
A dead silence fell over the laboratory.
Only the light from the Crystal Stone Lamp cast a steady halo on the wall.
Seeing the deep-seated exhaustion and defiance in Ashia’s eyes, Aidele felt her heart clench.
She remembered her own struggles while she was away, the agonizing journey back, and the mocking stares in the hall yesterday.
Then, she nodded slowly, her tone firm and decisive.
"Very well."
Ashia’s eyes suddenly lit up.
She took a deep breath and produced a palm-sized, silver Contract Scroll from her sleeve.
Complex runes flowed across the scroll’s surface, emitting the faint pulse of a contract.
"A verbal agreement is too flimsy. Let’s make a contract."
She spread the scroll open on the laboratory bench, bit her fingertip, and let a drop of crimson blood fall onto it.
The blood landed in the center of the scroll and was instantly absorbed by the runes, which began to glow faintly.
Without hesitation, Aidele did the same, biting her fingertip and adding her blood to seal the contract.
The light flashed three times before slowly fading away.
The contract was sealed.
Ashia rolled up the scroll. A gentle smile returned to her face, her eyes holding a trace of profound relief.
She pushed the wooden box toward Ian. "This knowledge of Magic Potion Science is now yours."
Ian reached out and took the box, his fingertips brushing against the cool surface of the parchment inside.
He felt a surge of excitement. ’All that hard work refining potions these past few days was worth it.’
He knew exactly what the knowledge contained within these notes represented.
It was a staircase to a higher level of mastery, a key to improving his potions and broadening his horizons.
Ashia turned to leave.
Upon reaching the laboratory doorway, she suddenly stopped and turned back.
Her gaze fell on Ian, her expression turning profound.
"Wizard Marcus."
Her voice was so quiet that only the few people standing nearby could hear her clearly.
"The waters in East City run deep. A Magic Potion Alchemist is valuable, to be sure, but during a critical time like the competition for Clan Leader..."
She paused, the corner of her mouth twisting into a cold smirk.
..."’accidents’ can happen all too easily."
With that said, she didn’t linger, turning and leaving with her apprentice in tow.
The sound of their footsteps faded down the corridor, finally disappearing with the soft noise of a door.
The laboratory fell silent once more.
Aidele stood where she was, staring thoughtfully at the empty doorway where Ashia had vanished.
Old Finn straightened up from his spot by the doorframe, slowly exhaling a plume of smoke.
"Miss Ashia... has an old grudge against Edmund."
His voice was raspy, like sandpaper.
"Three years ago, over the rights to a mineral vein, a vassal family from her mother’s side of the clan was secretly slaughtered by First Brother’s men."
He paused, his murky eyes turning to Ian.
"Her coming here today wasn’t so much to form an alliance... as it was to find herself an escape route."
Ian remained silent, his fingers gently caressing the parchment scrolls inside the wooden box.
He looked up at Old Finn. "I understand."
After Aidele saw Ashia off, Old Finn didn’t linger. He took one last puff of smoke, then turned and went back to the front hall.
Silence returned to the courtyard.
Ian sat down at the laboratory bench and opened the wooden box.
He unrolled the scrolls of parchment under the lamplight. The densely packed text and charts spread out before him like a vast ocean.