The herbalist nun held the spoonful of green liquid in front of Alvin.
“Can you see it?”
Alvin activated [Alchemy Sense].
He soon noticed, to his astonishment, that from the moment the herbalist nun had scooped out that spoonful, the green ripples in the crucible had grown deeper and gentler.
His gray cat-like eyes narrowed instinctively.
Inside the liquid in the spoon, he saw a thread-like strand drifting through it, so fine it was almost invisible to the naked eye.
“This is…
this is the fascia from a Drowner’s brain.”
Alvin murmured to himself.
The herbalist nun picked up the silver tweezers beside the table and deftly removed the fascia, placing it on a clean tray.
“Noticing that proves your powers of observation are quite good.
But it cannot be denied that the Cat’s eyes granted by your mutation give you an advantage ordinary people rarely have.”
“A Drowner’s brain contains powerful toxins, which require Celandine to neutralize.
But this Drowner fascia counteracts the medicinal effect of the Celandine.”
Alvin picked up the thought.
“So it would weaken the effect of the Swallow Potion.”
The herbalist nun smiled in satisfaction.
“Exactly.
The most important part of alchemy is maintaining the balance of energy.
The ingredients used to make Swallow Potion do not contain much energy, so a small mistake will not cause any serious harm.”
Then her tone shifted.
“Alvin, has Vesemir ever told you the story of Lake Morkvarg?”
Alvin shook his head.
The herbalist nun set down the spoon and straightened her cuff.
“Lake Mokva was once a very beautiful lake.
But after a war, many ghosts began to gather in its waters.”
“In the eyes of you Witchers, those things are wraiths.
At the time, there were so many wraiths that nearly every town and village nearby was affected.
Countless people were killed or injured.
The matter enraged the King, so he sent out his Chief Court Mage.”
“That Mage was a true Master Alchemist.
He threw a single barrel of magical potion into the water, and in an instant, the whole of Lake Mokva boiled.
The night became as bright as day.”
“Not only the ghosts, but even the fish and shrimp disappeared completely.
In just a few minutes, not a single trace of life remained.”
“Even now, Lake Mokva’s ecosystem has yet to fully recover.”
Alvin was shaken.
Alchemy could actually possess such power.
His understanding of alchemy still came from The Witcher game, where Potions were only used to assist in battle.
But from the sound of it, the power of that barrel of magical Potion was practically comparable to the legendary Death Fog.
The herbalist nun’s voice turned grave.
“That is why, even with the simplest alchemy, you must be cautious and meticulous.
Your measurements must be exact.
There can be no room for even the slightest error.”
Alvin nodded solemnly.
“I understand.”
[Herbal Alchemy Experience +30!]
Alvin’s eyes lit up.
Another 30 experience points!
If he could spend a few more days learning at her side, his Herbal Alchemy would level up far faster than if he kept fumbling around on his own.
He absolutely could not let such a good opportunity slip away.
“All right, let’s clean up.
The alchemy lesson is over.”
Alvin came back to himself and poured the Swallow Potion from the crucible into the prepared glass bottle.
After tidying up the workbench, Alvin hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke to the herbalist nun.
“Lady Vries, you are so knowledgeable.
May I learn more alchemy from you?”
The herbalist nun fixed her gaze on Alvin’s cat-like eyes.
She looked for a long while, and in those gray vertical pupils, she saw sincerity, as well as a hunger for alchemy.
She could not remember how many years it had been since she had last seen that, not even in the apprentices who called themselves geniuses.
She shook her head.
“You are a clever child, but unfortunately, I have no intention of taking students at Kaer Morhen.”
Disappointment rose in Alvin’s heart, but he still gave her an Apprentice’s bow.
The herbalist nun chuckled softly.
“You cannot be my student for now.
However, I will still be living in Kaer Morhen for a few months, and I usually need help processing herbs.
Would you be interested in becoming my temporary assistant?”
“As long as you can complete the work I assign you, I can spare some time to guide you when I am free.”
Alvin’s cat-like eyes widened at once, and he answered without hesitation, “Of course.
It would be my honor to work for you.”
“Let me make this clear first.
I am very strict.
If you cannot do the work, I may replace you at any time.”
Alvin straightened his back, his attitude utterly serious.
“I will work hard.”
At the same time, a young man with white hair and a black leather jacket walked into the stone chamber.
He was tall, with a pale face and two swords on his back, giving off a sharp, formidable air.
It was Geralt.
Alvin bowed, and Geralt nodded kindly in return.
“I ran into Paul and the others.
They said you still hadn’t come out, so I came to take a look.”
As Geralt spoke, his amber cat’s eyes swept over the Swallow Potion on the table.
The color of this Swallow Potion was a vivid green filled with the essence of life, a quality rarely seen even in Kaer Morhen’s stores.
He knew the alchemy of the Temple of Melitele was famous throughout the North, but producing such an outstanding top-grade potion under such crude conditions still brought surprise to his eyes.
“Lady Vries, did you brew this Swallow Potion?”
The herbalist nun shook her head.
“Not me.
My new assistant made it.”
“Assistant?”
The herbalist nun turned her face, her gaze falling on Alvin.
Immediately after that came Geralt’s stunned stare.
“Alvin?”
“Is that true?”
As one of the only two current Full-fledged Witchers in Kaer Morhen, Geralt had some understanding of his own Apprentice’s level in alchemy.
Even for him, making a Swallow Potion of this quality would require time and luck.
Yet it had happened with a mere Witcher Apprentice.
A smile touched the herbalist nun’s lips.
“Of course.”
“He has a decent foundation in Alchemy, good talent, and he is earnest and hardworking.
Taking him on as my assistant is only natural.”
“Besides, I do need an assistant to help me with minor tasks.”
“There is nothing to be surprised about.”
Geralt still found it hard to believe.
This herbalist nun had not been in Kaer Morhen for long, but from their brief contact, Geralt had already gained some sense of her temperament.
This Vries before him spoke gently, but at heart she was extremely proud.
Vesemir had even warned him to keep his distance from this herbalist nun whenever possible, preferably avoiding contact altogether.
In short, she was shrouded in mystery.
Still, he quickly suppressed his shock.
As the genius in Vesemir’s eyes, he had no reason to envy an Apprentice four years younger than himself, nor did he have such petty, worldly narrow-mindedness.
Besides, if Kaer Morhen produced an alchemical prodigy, it would undoubtedly be good news worthy of celebration for the Wolf School.
The herbalist nun smoothed the front of her habit with both hands.
“It is getting late.
I should go back.
I have had enough of this basement, and I need a proper bath.”
“Alvin, starting tomorrow, you may come find me every afternoon after training in the second room on the left on the castle’s second floor.”
“Yes.”
“Geralt, see you later.”
Geralt came back to himself and said goodbye.
“See you later, Vries.”
Watching the herbalist nun leave, he turned his cat-like gaze back to the dark-haired youth in front of him.
“Come find me at the training grounds after dinner,” Geralt said, his tone pausing slightly.
“Remember, you alone.”