The door to the private dining room swung open, and the waiter bustled in with tes of food, effectively cutting off Adler’s burgeoning sense of astonishment.


    As soon as the waiter left, Adler jumped right back in. “So, what about before…?”


    Mirabe casually reached for her fork, speared a piece of meat, and replied nonchntly, “Oh, all that? Just my own wild guesses, and none of it is actually tested in practice.”


    Adler was floored.


    Wild guesses, untested, yet they pinpointed the solution to a problem that had stumped their research institute for years… Suddenly, he felt a twinge of regret. Why exactly had he thought meeting this big shot was a good idea? It was a blow to his pride, to say the least.


    Adler decided to switch gears. “You’re not from Riverdale, are you?”


    Mirabe <b>gave </b>a distracted grunt of acknowledgment, not even bothering to look up. Adler had no choice but to quell his curiosity and focus on his meal.


    After a quiet dinner, Adler led Mirabe to his private residence – the address he had previously given her for the courier delivery. His personalb was set up in the basement of his vi, decked out with a wide array of equipment.


    Mirabe took a sweeping nce at the instruments and felt her resolve to learn strengthen. She turned to Adler with a sigh, “I might need more than just yourb.”


    Adler blinked in surprise. “Oh?”


    “I’ll need to borrow you as well,” Mirabe said bluntly.


    Adler was stunned. A’big shot’s words were always dramatic.


    Clearing his throat, Adler responded, “Feel free tomandeer my assistance, though my knowledge in pharmacology is quite basic. I’m not too sure about the specifics of thepounds and dosages…”


    “No worries. I’ve got that covered. You just handle the equipment.” Mirabe interrupted, cing her collection of ingredients aside. “Do you have paper and a pen?”


    “On it,” Adler said, moving to a desk to retrieve a stack of paper and a pencil from a drawer and handing them to Mirabe.


    She pulled up a chair, sat down, and immediately began to jot down data analysis forms and the required quantities for each substance. Her steps were meticulous, and she wrote without hesitation, as if the information flowed from her mind with absolute familiarity.


    The art of ancient potion–making and modern pharmaceuticals were worlds apart. Creating a concoction with the same efficacy as the old ways was a true challenge, one that tested the depth of one’s knowledge.


    Chapter <b>254 </b>


    Adler watched Mirabe scribble form after form, and the more he watched, the more indescribable his expression became. As a researcher himself, he understood the precision. and attention to detail in her work. If she hadn’t mentioned herck of experience with precision instruments, he wouldn’t have been so taken aback. Her clear thought process. seemed to surpass even the senior researchers at the institute!


    With aplicated look, Adler nced at Mirabe. She was just a teenage girl, yet her. intellect was astounding. It was humbling.


    Half an hourter, Mirabe finally set the pencil down and massaged her sore wrist. In this moment, she sorely missed her n’s alchemy chamber, where none of <b>these </bplex calctions were necessary.


    Standing up, she handed the densely written sheets to Adler. “Take a look.”


    Adler took the papers, and couldn’t hold back. “Would you consider taking on an apprentice?”


    Mirabe just gave him a look.