Niki’s apothecary was not small by any means. Mirabe entered, cast a quick nce around, and without further ado, left Niki to his devices, shooing the others out of the room.


    Truth be told, Niki genuinely wanted to assist Mirabe, but it soon became tantly clear that there wouldn’t be much for him to do. He watched the youngdy grind the ingredients with practiced ease and then carefully ce them into the baking oven. Every step was executed with precision. Crafting the medicine was crucial, but the real art was in the precise measure and blend of the ingredients.


    It amazed Niki that he was witnessing such preparation of ancient remedies in his lifetime, and by someone so young – a girl barely in her twenties. She worked with a mastery that suggested she had done this a thousand times over.


    Three hourster, Mirabe carefully retrieved the medicine from the furnace. Twenty pills were produced, not a single one a failure.


    The rich aroma of the concoction filled the apothecary as Niki snapped out of his daze. His eyes settled on the pills resting on the table. He sauntered over, picked one up, and inspected it. Whether one judged by appearance or scent, there was only one word to describe it: perfect. If this were to be evaluated by the Pharmacists‘ Guild, it would fetch an S+ rating, if not higher.


    Niki nced at Mirabe, who now wore a hint of fatigue. An eighteen–year–old top–tier alchemist – what a concept! If the Guild ever caught wind of this, they’d lose their minds!


    Moreover, she had crafted twenty pills in one go, and in just three hours… Trembling slightly. Niki ced the pills into their special bottle, opened his mouth, and then, breaking the silence of the apothecary, he blurted out. “Mirabe, would you consider taking an apprentice? I know I’m a bit long in the tooth, but I swear, my talents are still sharp.”


    Mirabe, who had just taken a sip of water, choked on her drink, spraying it out.


    She coughed a few times and said, “You’re pulling my leg. Niki.” Then, as if fearing he might continue in a simr vein, she quickly grabbed the bottle of pills and hurried out the door.


    Lately, it seemed everyone wanted to be her apprentice.


    No sooner had Mirabe stepped outside than Wyatt and Curtis approached her. “Ms. Mirabe, have the medicines been prepared?”


    She handed the bottle to Wyatt, “There, that’s all I’ve crafted. It’s not much, so make itst, will you?”


    Behind her. Niki, who had just managed to get one leg over the threshold, nearly tripped at her words.


    Were twenty pills not much?!


    Did this little prodigy have any idea that with the same amount of ingredients, a senior alchemist might’ve, at best, produced only five or six pills?


    11:01


    Today felt like the most humbling day of Niki’s life.


    Wyatt opened the bottle and was momentarily startled. While not an alchemist himself, he had a basic understanding due to James‘ health needs and knew that it was nearly impossible for an apothecary to produce so many in one batch.


    Instinctively, Wyatt’s gaze drifted back to Niki. Catching Wyatt’s look, Niki cleared his throat, stepped fully out of the doorway, and pped Wyatt’s hand with a smack before snapping the box shut. “Such a precious medicine shouldn’t be left open to the air. Do you want all the potency to evaporate?”