Chapter 10

She poured the potion from the silver spoon onto a test paper: "Do you know what went wrong here?"

Luo En carefully observed the puddle of potion, and with the help of the 【Herb Identification】 ability, he could see some tiny impurities swimming in the liquid.

"It's the thorn vine." He said after a moment of thought, "When I was peeling off the outer skin, some fibers got mixed in."

"Very good." Madam Ellen finally revealed a satisfied smile:

"Being able to discover this degree of flaw shows that you indeed have talent in this area."

She returned to behind the counter and took out a tattered contract from the drawer: "This is the job content and remuneration for the assistant."

Luo En took the parchment and began to read carefully:

Must arrive one hour early every morning to prepare; responsible for organizing herbs, cleaning utensils; assisting in the completion of basic potion refining...

"The remuneration is..." His gaze stopped on the last line, somewhat incredulous.

"That's right, two magic stone fragments a day, plus free use of the refining equipment in the shop."

Madam Ellen nodded, "Of course, if you can help configure qualified potions, there will be extra dividends."

This treatment was quite generous; you know, the highest remuneration for part-time jobs for most apprentices was only one magic stone fragment a day.

"After talking about the remuneration, let's talk about your work arrangement." Madam Ellen continued:

"You have to work here for three hours every morning, and the rest of the time is free."

She paused: "However, there is one thing to remind you, all formulas learned here must be kept confidential. The consequences of breach of contract..."

The old witch's eyes became cold: "I don't think you want to know."

Luo En nodded; in the Black Mist Forest, the end of violating a contract was often more terrifying than death.

"Then it's settled." Madam Ellen took out a goose feather pen, "Start working tomorrow. Remember, arrive early..."

"Wait." Andre, who had been silent, suddenly spoke:

"You just hired him like this? Don't you need to investigate more?"

"Investigate?" Madam Ellen smiled slightly, "I have lived for so many years, I still have some eye for people."

Her gaze wandered over Luo En: "Have good talent, and study so hard..."

"And..." Madam Ellen continued, "Being able to study "Fundamentals of Potions" to this level in such a short time shows his comprehension in potion study."

She glanced at Andre: "Not everyone can read this book so thoroughly, right?"

Andre shrugged: "Indeed, I studied for half a year and made no progress."

"So..." Madam Ellen pushed the contract and feather pen in front of Luo En:

"This is a win-win choice; you need a place to practice, and I need a talented assistant."

She took out a small bottle from under the counter, inside which was a pale blue liquid: "Before signing, drink this."

Luo En took the bottle without immediate action; he cautiously observed this potion while silently operating the 【Herb Identification】 ability.

The pale blue liquid presented a certain special fluidity in the dim light, with the edges slightly shining.

This characteristic was very similar to the truth potion he saw in "Fundamentals of Potions."

And judging from the transparency and fluidity of the potion, it should be a finished product that has undergone multiple purifications, and there shouldn't be any dangerous components mixed in.

"Is this a truth potion?" Luo En asked feigning ignorance.

"That's right, it can show whether a person carries malice." Madam Ellen nodded, "In the Black Mist Forest, this is a basic preventive measure."

After repeatedly confirming it was a truth potion, Luo En drank it in one gulp.

This level of verification was indeed normal in the Black Mist Forest.

"Very good." Madam Ellen nodded with satisfaction, "I like cautious people; in this kind of place, people who are too reckless don't live long."

Her expression became serious:

"However, there is one thing to remind you, there will often be guests with special identities here. No matter what you see or hear, keep your mouth shut."

Luo En nodded solemnly; this kind of reminder actually made him feel more at ease—

—an employer who explains the rules in advance is always easier to deal with than those who hide things.

………………

Early in the morning, when the sky was still dim, Luo En was already standing at the door of the herb shop.

The morning mist flowed slowly on the street, and occasionally some glowing little insects could be seen dancing in the mist.

These were the "lamp butterflies" unique to the Black Mist Forest; they would be attracted by magic power fluctuations and often appeared near herb shops.

Arriving so early was thanks to Andre's reminder last night.

"That old woman hates people who are not punctual the most." Andre was helping him organize the materials needed for the second body tempering last night:

"Last month, there was also a candidate apprentice who applied, and just because he was five or six seconds late, he was directly whipped out by the two active vines at the door."

So just in case, Luo En deliberately arrived half an hour early.

After he finished meditating last night, he began to review the content about herb preservation and utensil maintenance in "Fundamentals of Potions."

Since he had to start from the most basic organizational work, he must do it perfectly.

This was one of the few useful experiences he learned in the noble manor—if you want to get recognition from others, you must show enough sincerity.

At this time, a long bell rang in the distance.

That was the sign of the alternation of day and night in the Black Mist Forest; it is said that the bell contains some kind of extraordinary power that can dispel the evil spirit accumulated at night.

When the last bell sound dissipated in the morning mist, the shop door opened silently.

"Come in." Madam Ellen's voice came from inside the shop, "You are indeed more punctual than I imagined."

The moment the door was pushed open, various strange smells rushed towards them.

After changing profession to 【Potion Apprentice】, Luo En found that his ability to identify these smells had significantly improved.

The one that was sour but sweet should be the nectar of the night-blooming flower, the main ingredient for making calming potions;

The one that was spicy and fishy was probably the root of the snake-tooth grass, which could neutralize most toxins;

And some smells that couldn't be described, making him feel both familiar and strange.

The layout in the shop seemed to have changed compared to yesterday.

The herbs on the shelves had been rearranged, some rare materials with "Sold" labels were gone, replaced by some new goods he couldn't name.

"Have you seen enough?" Madam Ellen's voice suddenly sounded in his ear: "Organizing these things is much more interesting than just looking."

She pointed to a pile of sundries in the corner: "Put these in categories first. Note, they must be sorted by medicinal properties, don't let them affect each other."

Luo En walked closer and saw that the pile of sundries was filled with various bottles and jars, containing different herbs.

Some had even begun to react with each other, emitting faint fluorescence in the dim light.

(End of this chapter)