Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 140 Dew of Love

Although the effects may not be obvious at first, given enough time, this talent can transform an ordinary person into a true powerhouse.

"You two continue working."

Mrs. Allen waved her hand, signaling her two assistants to return to their posts, then turned to Ron:

"Come with me to the backyard, let's have a good talk."

The backyard remained a tranquil little world, with a few simple wooden chairs placed in the shade of an old oak tree.

Various rare herbs were planted in the corner, and a faint floral fragrance filled the air.

"Does seeing those two remind you of yourself back then?"

Mrs. Allen asked with a smile, handing Ron a cup of hot tea.

Ron took the teacup and took a small sip.

The familiar taste made him feel warm and fuzzy: "There are some similarities, but they seemed to be much more diligent when they were in the shop than I was back then."

“Diligence is one aspect.” Mrs. Allen nodded, her gaze shifting to the two busy figures inside the shop.

“Fina is very intelligent and has a strong understanding of medicinal herbs and formulas, but she is sometimes too cautious and lacks the courage to break with convention.”

She paused for a moment, then added:

"Lilia, on the other hand, started slowly but was very hardworking, innovative, and unafraid of failure. Most importantly, she had rare perseverance and patience."

Ron understood immediately; this matched his earlier observation.

A complex emotion flashed in Mrs. Allen's eyes:

"Actually, she and you are somewhat similar, aren't you? You both have unexpected potential."

"To be honest, I didn't expect that you would have found two new assistants just two months after I left."

Ron didn't respond to that question, but instead half-jokingly asked, "Was it because I didn't perform well enough?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Mrs. Allen gently tapped the back of his hand.
“You’ve already graduated and have your own workshop and customers. You can’t keep learning those basics from me forever, can you?”

She took a sip of tea, a hint of concern flashing in her eyes:
"Besides, I've heard that you've been performing quite well in the candidate wizard sequence lately?"

“Not bad,” Ron said modestly, and then briefly recounted his main experiences during this period.

This includes access to various advanced courses, special guidance from Sauron and Yuni, and advancement in the ranking of the candidate wizard sequence.

Mrs. Allen listened quietly, her expression slightly complicated:
"Your growth rate is indeed astonishing; it seems my initial assessment was correct. However..."

Her tone suddenly became serious:

"The faster you grow, the more opportunities you will be exposed to the gaze of those in high positions. Be extra careful, especially of those who suddenly show unusual interest in you."

Ron felt a chill run down his spine, knowing what Mrs. Allen was referring to.

“I’ll be careful,” Ron nodded earnestly, then changed the subject.

The two talked for a long time, from the development of the new formula to the rumors about the bloodline altar, from the changes in power within the school to the latest developments of the distant crystal spire.

Ron discovers that although Mrs. Allen lives in seclusion in this small herbal medicine shop, her understanding of the outside world is far broader and deeper than he imagined.

"It's getting late, I should go back."

Ron glanced at the sky, then rose to take his leave:

"Next time you have time, you can come to my workshop and see how it's developing."

"Hehe... I appreciate the kind offer, but my old arms and legs can't take any more strain."

Mrs. Allen, leaning on her cane, also stood up, seemingly unaffected by her student's departure.

"By the way, Lilia seems to have developed some interest in you after learning who you are. She might come to you in a few days. If you need a potion-making assistant, you can keep her."

She narrowed her deep green eyes slightly, her words carrying a hidden meaning:
"You should have some understanding of the wonder of receiving 'favors' by now, so how about making this child your first personal student?"

"This...won't affect your work here, Madam..."

Ron hesitated, yet was also tempted. Just as he was wondering what to say, he noticed that Mrs. Allen had already waved her hand, signaling him to leave.
"Alright, that's all I have to say. If there's nothing else, you should head back now."

………………

On the other side, Lilia stood by the window of the herbal medicine shop, watching Ron's departing figure, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

She gently smoothed out the non-existent wrinkles on her apron, as if doing so could also calm the turmoil in her heart.

From Ron's conversation with Mrs. Allen, she had learned that this young potion master's status was far higher than she had imagined.

"Intermediate Apprentice, Professional Potions Master, Candidate Wizard..."

She counted them silently in her heart, each title seeming as unattainable as an insurmountable chasm.

"Lilia, come help me sort this batch of moonflowers." Fina's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Okay, come right away."

Lilia snapped out of her daze and quickly walked to the workbench.

But out of the corner of my eye, I still unconsciously drifted towards the door, as if I could still see that figure that had already disappeared.

"You're very interested in that Ron apprentice?"

Fina asked calmly as she carefully sorted the moonflowers.

Lilia paused for a moment, then forced a smile and said:

"Just out of curiosity. After all, a genius like him... is rare even in a school of thought, right?"

“That’s certainly rare.” Fina nodded, a hint of admiration flashing in her eyes.
"To achieve such success in such a short time, one must possess extraordinary talent and hard work."

Lilia didn't reply, but kept her head down and continued working, though she was already thinking about something.

The following evening, after Fina left, Lilia stayed behind alone to sort out the day's accounts and inventory. This was a task she had volunteered for, just so she could have some time alone.

She sat behind the counter, flipping through a small, exquisite notebook filled with densely packed information she had gathered:

The location of Ron's workshop, his daily routine, his known achievements and abilities... every detail was written in great detail.

“One year ago…I came to the Black Mist Forest from the Kingdom…Sixth-rank spiritual power aptitude…In less than half a year, I became a mid-level apprentice…I am Lady Allen’s only private apprentice…”

Lilia silently read the contents of her notebook, a resolute light flashing in her eyes.

She closed her notebook, walked to the small well in the backyard, filled a basin with water, and began to wash up.

Her delicate and beautiful face was reflected in the water:

A high, straight nose, clear eyes, and lips as soft as flower petals—every feature is meticulously sculpted to perfection.

Lilia stared blankly at her reflection in the water, her memories involuntarily drifting back to the distant past.

An old castle belonging to the Baron Visol family, located in a small territory on the southwestern frontier.

A beautiful maid's chance encounter with a lord, the birth and growth of a concubine's daughter...

"You little bitch, do you know why you've survived until now?"

The baroness's cold voice still echoes in her ears:

"It's all because of your face, which looks exactly like your wretched mother's. If it weren't for the fact that the master thinks you look like her, you would have been thrown into the moat to feed the fish along with that wretched woman long ago."

Because of this upbringing, Lilia learned from a young age to please everyone who might be able to help her, and to survive in the cracks.

When she was fifteen, she overheard her stepmother and older sister talking in a corner of the castle.

Upon learning that the Baron had agreed to give her as a "gift" to a lecherous old nobleman in a neighboring country, she was so desperate that she wanted to flee immediately.

Fortunately, every cloud has a silver lining. The annual wizard's "seed selection" gave her a chance to escape her family.

Although the results of the mental strength test were not excellent, it at least gave her a chance to become a candidate apprentice.

However, the harsh reality soon made her realize that ordinary people without great talent also faced great difficulties here.

Just when she was about to give up hope, she met Fina: a girl with an outstanding family background and exceptional talent.

Using all the tricks she had learned since childhood, Lilia ingratiated herself with Fina in various ways and became her best friend here.

After Fina successfully won over Mrs. Allen, she cleverly managed to stay at the herbal medicine shop as well.

All of this was to avoid the middle-level apprentice who had been eyeing her: Aug Caines, a guy who enjoyed collecting beautiful female slaves.

“I will never become his plaything.” Lilia looked at her reflection in the water, her eyes resolute and cold.

She knew that Keynes already had three female slaves, and without exception, their fates were extremely tragic:
They either get bored and are disposed of at will, or they die painfully in bizarre experiments.

After washing up, Lilia returned to her dormitory and took out a flat wooden box from the bottom of her suitcase.

Upon opening the box, one finds an exquisite dress and cosmetics—precious keepsakes left to her by her mother.

“Ron Ralph…”

She murmured the name: "A genius in the candidate wizarding lineage, Mrs. Allen's prized student, a professional potion master..."

After observation and investigation, Lilia has determined that Ron is the best backer she can find at the moment.

He was powerful enough to protect her from Keynes's harassment;
He has a fairly mild personality and I have never heard of him deliberately making things difficult for others.

Most importantly, it is said that he has not had any intimate relationship with any woman here so far, which is a huge advantage for Lilia.

She had already found out the exact location of Ron's workshop and had even secretly observed it several times.

Tomorrow, she will risk going there to ask to become his assistant or... whatever role he needs.

"Compared to being treated as a plaything by that Keynes, being Ron... at least he looks like a normal person."

Lilia smiled bitterly to herself, but a resolute glint flashed in her eyes.

In this cruel and extraordinary world, attaching oneself to the strong is the only way for the weak to survive.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Lilia asked Mrs. Allen for leave, lying that she had to go back to take care of her sick roommate.

She returned to her residence and carefully groomed herself.

First, bathe your whole body with a special petal dew to leave your skin with a faint fragrance;

Then she changed into her treasured outfit: a well-tailored light blue dress that was both elegant and perfectly accentuated her graceful figure.

Finally, a touch of light makeup perfectly accentuated the contours of the eyes and lips.

The girl in the mirror was stunningly beautiful, possessing both girlish innocence and a mature charm due to her makeup.

Lilia practiced several expressions in front of the mirror, making sure she looked humble yet dignified.

“Final preparations…” She took a small bottle from the bottom of the cabinet; it contained a pale pink liquid.
"Love Dew," a mild and harmless potion that enhances charm.

She carefully applied one drop each to her neck and wrist.

The medicine quickly penetrates the skin, emitting an irresistible, subtle fragrance that is said to evoke a protective instinct and attraction in the opposite sex.

With everything ready, Lilia took a deep breath and stepped out of the room.

Today will be a turning point in her life.

………………

Ron was standing in the center of the workshop's training ground, carefully sensing the elemental energy flowing within his body.

His recent intensive training has made him more proficient in controlling the light and fire elements, to the point where he can do so almost at will.

(End of this chapter)