“Lady Vries, are you…
are you a Sorceress?”
Vries looked at Alvin with a faint, unreadable smile.
“Are you that surprised?”
Alvin nodded.
Vries dispersed the magic in her hand.
“Sorceresses and Witchers alike are creations of magic.
There’s no need to be surprised.”
Her gaze moved to the herb drawers on the shelf.
A silver gleam flashed through her pitch-black pupils as a powerful wave of mental energy swept over them.
“Well done.
Almost all the herbs are classified correctly, though there are a few small mistakes.”
Alvin saw a silver ripple pass over one of the drawers, and it opened on its own.
A red leaf floated out and settled into the drawer labeled “Healing.”
“This is Red Heart Leaf.
It looks very similar to Red Round Leaf, and both can clear heat.
But once crushed, Red Heart Leaf can be applied to wounds and works well for stopping bleeding.”
“Every herb or alchemical item has its own unique aura.
The experts and scholars of Oxenfurt call it ‘Resonance.'”
“A true Master Alchemist must balance the Resonance between these alchemical materials to refine the result they want.”
“Resonance…” Alvin murmured, immediately thinking of his talent, [Alchemy Sense].
‘Could those ripples coming from the materials be Resonance?’
[Herbal Alchemy Experience +5!]
Vries looked at him thoughtfully.
“It seems you’ve gained some insight of your own.” She picked up the Moonflower in her hand.
“Based on your understanding, can you tell which category this Moonflower belongs to?”
“Don’t be afraid.
It doesn’t matter if you’re wrong.”
Alvin took the Moonflower and focused.
[Alchemy Sense] activated.
A faint silver glow spread outward like a heartbeat, but it was very weak.
‘This halo is much weaker than when I first saw it.
I can barely sense it now.
It seems Lady Vries drained all its power just now, meaning its magic.’
‘Wait…’
Beneath that silver light was a layer of deep-green specks, almost too faint to notice.
When he sensed it carefully, his mental energy felt as if it had sunk into a swamp, sticky and uncomfortable.
‘This feeling…’
Alvin’s gaze immediately fixed on the herb drawer marked “Poison.”
“Lady Vries, does this Moonflower contain toxins?”
Vries’s eyes flashed with surprise.
“As I thought.
My observation was correct.
You have a strong talent for mental power and perception.
An ordinary Magic Apprentice would need at least several years to sense the existence of Resonance, and some might never touch it in their entire lives.”
With a sweep of her hand, the drawer marked with the poison symbol opened, and the Moonflower flew into it on its own.
“Click!”
The drawer shut again.
“Indeed.
Aside from containing magic, this Moonflower also contains a mild hallucinogenic toxin.”
“It’s only a pity that you’re already a Witcher Apprentice.
Otherwise, I would recommend you go to Ban Ard City.
It has the finest magic academy in the Kingdom of Kaedwen, and it isn’t far from here.”
“A magic academy…” Alvin murmured.
“Can’t a Witcher Apprentice study at a magic academy?”
Vries turned and sat down on a wooden chair.
“How unusual.
I thought you Witchers weren’t interested in magic.”
“I’ve heard plenty of arrogant claims from Witchers, saying that Mages’ magic is flashy but impractical, that it requires long incantations, and that some spells even need a large number of magical devices just to barely be cast.”
“Your Signs are different.
With a simple gesture, magic pours out like a fountain, enough to kill monsters and even wicked witches in the countryside.”
Alvin quickly said, “No, Lady Vries, I think you’ve misunderstood Witchers.
Signs are only better in terms of convenience.
In terms of power, they’re certainly far inferior to true magic.”
“It’s like archers and warriors on a battlefield.
Each has a different role.”
Vries chuckled softly.
“You’re quite good at defending yourself.”
“So, it seems you yearn for magic?”
Alvin nodded without hesitation.
True magic was right in front of him.
There was no way he could let the chance pass so easily.
Being a Witcher was good, but a melee mage was true romance!
Vries’s gaze was drawn to the burning intensity in Alvin’s cat eyes, but she sighed.
“Ah, as I said, you have already become a Witcher.”
“The mutation has given your body great strength, but it has also changed you irreversibly.”
“That includes your perception of Chaos energy.
Compared with a normal Magic Apprentice, your sensitivity is probably less than one tenth.”
“The more advanced the magic, the higher its demand for perception of Chaos energy.
Otherwise, you Witchers wouldn’t be limited to crude little tricks like Signs.”
“You should give up your fantasies about magic as soon as possible.
You aren’t suited for it.”
Alvin instinctively clenched his fists.
Not suited?
Does that mean Witchers can’t learn advanced magic?
And there were still the Trial of Dreams and the Trial of the Mountains ahead.
If he could learn magic, his chances of survival would definitely improve.
A heavy sense of disappointment tangled in his chest.
‘Wait.’
‘What does Witchers being unable to learn it have to do with me, Alvin?’
‘I have the System.
As long as there’s an experience bar, I just have to grind it, don’t I?’
With that thought, he raised his head, his expression utterly serious.
“Lady Vries, I still want to try.”
Vries sat upright in her chair and adjusted her cuffs with both hands.
“You’re very persistent, but when something cannot be done, a person must learn to give up.
It will do you good.”
After she spoke, Alvin’s expression did not change.
An odd silence settled over the room.
After a long while, Vries saw Alvin’s determination.
She shook her head with a faint smile, and silver light flashed through her pupils.
From the thick volume of The History of the World on the bookshelf behind Alvin, a parchment scroll tied with a red cord suddenly flew out.
Vries raised her hand, and the parchment scroll hovered in her palm.
“However…
persistence in the pursuit of magic is also an essential quality for a Magic Apprentice.”
She pushed her slender hand forward.
The parchment scroll flew to Alvin, the red cord came loose, and the scroll slowly unfurled.
Alvin looked at the densely packed symbols on it, overjoyed.
Vries stood.
“I’ll give you one chance.
This is the most basic form of Basic Meditation, but you only have ten minutes.
Let’s see how much you can remember.”
Alvin’s cat eyes narrowed.
The photographic memory ability from [Dual Soul] activated.
He scanned the writing line by line.
Every word, every symbol, was etched deeply into his mind.
Chaos energy, the four elements of earth, water, air, and fire…
Time passed, second by second.
Alvin focused with all his might, sweat beading on his forehead.
Vries lightly tapped her fingers against the tabletop.
Suddenly, her fingers stopped.
“Time’s up.”
The parchment before Alvin immediately rolled shut.
‘Ten minutes.
I read it from beginning to end twice.
There shouldn’t be any mistakes or omissions.’
[Host has mastered Basic Meditation.
Skill unlocked: Basic Meditation]
[Basic Meditation Lv1: 0/100]