Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Artificial Star Dew "Oh? Given your eye for talent, Lady Allen, you would have a Candidate Apprentice act as an assistant?" Holt, upon hearing Lady Allen’s response, was piqued with interest, and looked at Ron with keen curiosity: "It seems you’ve found another promising talent." He took a small bottle from his pocket: "This is some Artificial Star Dew, consider it a welcome gift for the newcomer. Although its effect is far inferior to true Natural Star Dew, it still helps in enhancing Spiritual Power." Ron was about to express his gratitude when Lady Allen had already received the bottle: "Then I’ll thank Holt Apprentice on his behalf, but this child needs to take things slowly. It’s too early for him to use this now." Holt simply gave a faint smile at this and said nothing more. He placed all the purchased herbs into a special narrow-mouthed pouch at his waist, then turned and left. The gray-blue robe vanished at the doorway in an instant, as if he had never been there. Only after the special magic fluctuations completely dissipated did Lady Allen turn to him: "You’re quite lucky. Holt is about to advance to a wizard; the things in his hands are no ordinary items." She carefully stored the Crystal Bottle away: "This ’Artificial Star Dew’ is refined from the Star Essence that falls from the sky. Although it’s not as good as naturally condensed ones, it’s already the best magic potion at the apprentice level." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢 "I’ll keep it for you for now and return it to you after you pass the apprentice assessment." She glanced at Ron: "With your current strength, holding such a high-level potion isn’t a good thing." Ron nodded, having no objections. He understood the simple truth that a man without guilt can be a crime if he holds a treasure. "By the way." Lady Allen wasn’t ready to let him go just yet: "How did you activate the medicinal properties of that Star Grass just now?" Ron paused his work and explained truthfully based on his understanding: "While organizing, I noticed the waves it emitted were very similar to the Spiritual Power during meditation. So I tried to place it with a similar rhythm..." "I see." The old witch’s furrowed and intimidating old face rarely showed a hint of a smile: "It seems you do have some talent in sensing Spiritual Power, no wonder Holt is interested in you." "Help me sort and organize these moonflower herbs." The time for idle chatter ended, and Lady Allen pointed to the herbs in the corner and started assigning tasks again: "Remember, arrange them according to the harvesting time." Ron nodded in agreement. During the sorting process, he casually mentioned the person in the dark cloak he saw hurriedly leaving the dormitory area that morning. "Oh, that’s the errand person responsible for delivering messages and odds and ends to the apprentices, said to be connected with the royal family on your side." Lady Allen responded without lifting her head: "They frequently travel back and forth between the Mortal Realm and here." Ron noted this information silently. Speaking of which, the number of Magic Stone Fragments delivered at the beginning of each month was always a bit different. Last month there were seven pieces, but this month there are only six. This was quite strange, considering his father was methodical to the point of being somewhat rigid in his memory. After he succeeded his grandfather as Count, there wasn’t a single silver coin error in the estate’s accounts. If he arranged for the Magic Stone Fragments to be sent, it was impossible for there to be an inconsistent quantity. ...... In Count Ralph’s study in the Faruk Kingdom, the firelight from the fireplace cast the man’s shadow on the wall, making him appear unusually tall. "Here are ten Magic Stone Fragments for this month." He handed a carefully sealed leather pouch to the butler: "The usual arrangement, have Mr. Hawkins take it to the Black Mist Jungle." The butler took the pouch, feeling its heavy weight: "Master, did you mortgage the vineyard on the east side of the estate?" Count Ralph did not deny it. Last year’s plague caused a poor harvest, and combined with the expenses of several other offspring, the estate was already running a deficit. But he had to ensure that he could send enough resources to Ron every month. In a place like the Black Mist Jungle, it was impossible to get by without Magic Stone Fragments. "I neglected that child in the past..." The Count stood by the window, looking at the distant, withered wheat field: "Now I can only do my best to help him through the difficulties." The butler responded and withdrew, storing the pouch in the estate’s highest-grade storage room. A few days later, when the messenger, Mr. Hawkins, arrived as usual and tucked the pouch into his arms, a quick flash of greed glistened in his eyes. ...... Lady Allen approached the shelf in the corner and took out a cloth bag: "That’s all for today. These are some ordinary refreshing herbs, consider them extra pay for your work." "Thank you, Lady Allen." "By the way..." Lady Allen said as he was about to leave: "Come a little earlier tomorrow; I plan to teach you some simple potion refining methods." When he walked out of the herb store, the morning mist had already been dispelled by the sunlight. Ron reflected on everything that happened today, his heart filled with both excitement and a bit of worry. The opportunities this job brought far exceeded his expectations, but it also meant more attention. Upon returning to the dormitory, Ron found Andre leaning against his room door waiting. "How is it? Was your first day smooth?" Andre asked with a smile, but his eyes showed a hint of concern. Ron did not immediately answer. Instead, he opened the room door to ensure there was no one around before he recounted what happened today. "Star Dew?!" Andre gasped, "That Advanced Apprentice wouldn’t be..." He suddenly lowered his voice: "Lord Holt?" Seeing Ron’s puzzled look, Andre explained: "He is one of the few Advanced Apprentices in our school who has shown exceptional talent in magic potions, rumored to have made significant progress in the study and application of the path of the stars." "However..." He hesitated. "What’s wrong?" "Nothing." Andre shook his head, "Just reminding you to be cautious. Gaining attention is a good thing, but it also means..." Ron understood his meaning. In a world where wizards ruled over everything, any extraordinary trait could potentially bring danger. "By the way," Andre shifted the topic, "the Secondary Body Refining starts this afternoon. Are you ready?" Ron nodded, taking the herbs given by the store owner out of the bag: "These should be helpful." As he organized the herbs, he recalled today’s gains and the Skill Experience Points he acquired. Whether it was the perception of the "Rhythm" of herbs or the conversations with Holt and Lady Allen, they all gave him a deeper understanding of this world.