Malena saw how tense Ian looked, nothing like his usual self.
"What happened?"
"On my way back, a heavily injured Nolan caught up to me. I had no choice but to flee into the Wilderness and kill him..."
As Malena listened, her eyes grew wider and wider, her cherry-red lips parting in disbelief.
"You... you really killed Nolan? And you got the Silent Flower?"
Malena shot to her feet, staring fixedly at Ian.
"Can you contact Alevia Wizard? I need her help with something urgent."
After speaking, Ian showed Malena the bright red mark on his hand, which was emitting a faint glow.
"This... this is a Wizard Mark! How did you get marked with this thing? This is bad... It looks like they're trying to locate you!"
Upon seeing the mark, Malena's expression turned grave, all thoughts of the Silent Flower forgotten.
"So, can you help me contact Alevia Wizard? I'm afraid the mark's owner is already on their way!"
Seeing Ian grow increasingly anxious, Malena wasted no more words and quickly went into a room, returning with a green Rune Token.
"This is an emergency contact Talisman from Alevia. But asking a Wizard to intervene comes at a steep price. You need to be prepared for that."
Ian nodded repeatedly. He had already thought it through on his way here; among all his connections, only Malena could get a Wizard to help.
It was the fastest and safest solution. 'As for the price,' he thought, 'what I got from Nolan should be enough, right?'
With a squeeze of her hand, the green Rune Token shattered. A streak of green light flashed once before vanishing, speeding toward the High Tower.
"There. Now we just have to wait here. Don't leave my room before Lady Alevia arrives."
Seeing that Malena also looked a little nervous, Ian nodded vigorously.
At this point, nothing could convince him to step outside.
"Now, you can tell me everything. How did you kill Nolan?"
Her eyes were filled with intense curiosity. Ian, a mere Middle Level Apprentice, had somehow accomplished what four High Level Apprentices had failed to do.
'Just how strong was Nolan?'
Clayton and Kristen were still laid up in bed recuperating; it would take them at least a month to recover.
After casting his final Witchcraft, Harvey's Spiritual Power was completely drained, and the Will Rune in his mind was unstable. He, too, needed to rest and recover slowly.
She herself specialized in Nature Witchcraft, and her recovery abilities were the strongest of the group, yet even she would need ten to fifteen days to recuperate.
"When Nolan caught up to me, he was already severely injured. One of his arms was severed, and half his body was nearly burnt to a crisp."
"Even so, he's not someone a Middle Level Apprentice could just kill. Hmph! Fine, I won't ask anymore. It's your secret."
Seeing Ian being evasive, Malena didn't press the issue.
"Just be more careful in the future. Try not to be quite so shocking when you make a move."
Ian understood she was warning him: being too exceptional wasn't necessarily a good thing.
He was already known as a Magic Potion Genius. Any more displays of excellence wouldn't bring him many benefits, but would likely attract a whole lot of trouble.
Once he had calmed down a bit, Ian took the wooden box out of his bag.
"This is what Nolan left behind. Can you tell if it's the Silent Flower?"
He had already examined it himself; his Basic Magic Potion Recognition Skill Level had even increased a little.
Malena took it carefully and slowly opened the box.
Inside lay a black, bowl-sized flower. Its petals were already dried out, a sign that it had been preliminarily processed, but this wouldn't affect its potency.
The flower had seven petals, spread evenly outward. Their shape resembled the leaves of a medicinal herb from Ian's past life called Zhonglou, but these were black.
Malena's gaze grew hazy as she stared at it, and she finally closed the wooden box with some reluctance.
"It really is the Silent Flower. Ian, you're so lucky."
Ian had a wry look on his face. "I'd rather not have this kind of luck."
"Do you mean that?" Malena looked up at Ian.
"Yes. As long as Alevia Wizard can remove this mark for me, I'm willing to offer the Silent Flower as payment."
Malena's heart began to race. She was about to agree on the spot but managed to restrain herself.
"Let's wait for Lady Alevia to arrive before we discuss it."
Although she felt that Lady Alevia would surely agree, out of respect, she didn't give Ian a firm answer. After all, she wasn't the one who would be performing the service.
"Malena, what's your relationship with Alevia Wizard?"
Ian had wanted to ask this question for a long time, and now seemed like the perfect opportunity.
A nostalgic look appeared on Malena's face, and her voice grew quiet.
"Lady Alevia was my mother's best friend. My mother passed away when I was very young, and I've lived with her ever since. She's treated me very well."
"I'm sorry, Malena. I shouldn't have brought up such a painful subject," Ian quickly apologized.
Malena shook her head. "I've lived in the Shadow Moon Tower for as long as I can remember. My memory of what my mother looked like is very hazy."
Ian suddenly recalled something. "The first time I came to the shop, I saw a woman in a green long robe here. How come I've never seen her again?"
Malena gave Ian a sidelong, flirtatious glance.
"You certainly have a good memory, to remember her so clearly after just one meeting!"
Ian's face flushed with embarrassment, and he quickly waved his hands. "No, it's not like that! I was just making small talk!"
"Hmph! Who knows what you're really thinking," Malena sniffed, ceasing her teasing but also not answering his question.
"Uh... how are Harvey and the others doing now?" Ian hurriedly changed the subject.
"They're not dead, so don't worry." Seeming to sense her tone was a bit harsh, Malena elaborated on their conditions.
"Clayton and Kristen aren't too badly hurt, so there's no need to worry. Generally speaking, as long as a High Level Apprentice isn't killed instantly, there's usually a way to save them."
"That's good." 'It's a shame,' Ian thought with a sigh. 'They gained nothing and ended up with a mountain of injuries.'
'Perhaps this is the reality of being a Wizard. Not every risk comes with a reward.'
Ian noticed the necklace around Malena's neck begin to flash, emitting an emerald-green glow through her clothes.
"Lady Alevia is here." Malena's expression changed, and she quickly rose to open the main door.
Ian rose as well, standing beside Malena.
A moment later, an immense pressure descended upon the Star Leaf Magic Pharmacy. A series of startled gasps rang out from the surrounding area, but they were silenced just as quickly.
A figure familiar to Ian entered the room. It was Alevia Wizard.
"Lady Alevia, I hope I didn't disturb your rest?" Malena stepped forward, took Alevia's hand, and whispered a few words in her ear.
"Alevia Wizard!" Ian also bowed low.
"My Lady, this is Ian, the shop's Magic Potion Alchemist. He's the one who needs your help this time," Malena explained.
"Oh?" Alevia looked at Ian, a thoughtful expression in her eyes.
"I remember you. You attended my class a while ago. You were sitting in the back row."
'There were over a hundred people in that classroom, and it was so long ago, yet she still remembers me. The memory of a Wizard is truly terrifying!'
"Yes, esteemed Alevia Wizard. I have requested your assistance this time to remove the mark on my hand."
Wasting no time, Ian immediately held out his hand for Alevia to inspect.
Alevia glanced at it once and nodded slightly. "This is Douglas's mark. Did you kill one of his relatives or students?"
"Yes. One of his students. I just barely managed to kill him."