"And who are you, young lady?" Mr. F inquired, his eyes narrowing slightly as he took in the sight before him.

Standing before him was a young girl, about the same age as Albert. She had a sprinkle of freckles across her face, long black hair that fell in soft waves down her back, and a pair of large round glasses that magnified her eyes. For a moment, the girl seemed flustered, but she quickly regained her composure.

"My name is Betty, esteemed Mr. F. I have been assigned by Miss Matilda to assist you in your alchemical processes. I am also here to take care of any tasks that may arise. You may utilize my services as you see fit," she said, her voice carrying a tone of practiced politeness.

Mr. F gave her a thorough once-over, from head to toe. Betty began to feel nervous under his scrutiny, her mind racing. I hope he's not a pervert, she thought to herself, her grip tightening around the hem of her dress.

But Mr. F simply turned away from her and said, "Betty, was it? Tell Matilda that I currently do not need a new assistant. Albert is more than sufficient."

Albert, who had been standing to the side, his face etched with worry, let out a sigh of relief. He had feared that Mr. F might replace him with this new assistant, especially since she was already a Rank 2 alchemist.

"But Mr. F," Betty protested, "Albert hasn't even managed to successfully create a Rank 1 elixir. I, on the other hand, am familiar with several Rank 2 elixirs and can produce some of them with a 30% success rate. It would be better for the laboratory if I assisted you in the future."

Mr. F considered her words for a moment and then responded, "Come back in three days, and I will decide then."

Betty seemed ready to argue further, but she ultimately decided that it was pointless to press the issue now. She resolved to follow his instructions for the time being and consult with Matilda later.

As Betty left the laboratory, Albert exhaled deeply, relieved. But Mr. F had other plans in mind. "You'd better not take this lightly," he said as he tossed Albert a piece of paper with a recipe hastily scribbled on it.

"Here is a new Rank 2 recipe. You have one hour to memorize the process, then come back, and we'll begin brewing. If you fail to successfully produce it within three days, I'll release you from your duties and take Betty on as my new assistant."

Albert's face turned pale with shock, and desperation filled his eyes. A Rank 2 recipe? Three days? Dismissed? He looked left and right, pinched his arm to make sure he wasn't dreaming, and then stammered, "But… but I haven't even—"

Mr. F cut him off. "You have 58 minutes left to learn the recipe. I suggest you hurry. If you're late, don't bother coming back."

In a panic, Albert dashed out of the laboratory, only to rush back in five seconds later to pick up the recipe from the floor before sprinting out again.

Mr. F shook his head as he watched Albert's frantic exit and then made his way to the materials distribution center. There, he collected the ingredients needed for the new recipe Albert would have to master, paying a relatively small fee.

On his way back, Mr. F pondered his next steps. Many thoughts swirled in his mind. Originally, his plan was simple: work here until he could gather enough strength to disappear again, extend his lifespan by a few centuries, and then spend his days in solitude, using alchemical potions to eventually reach Rank 10.

But somehow, things hadn't gone as planned. He had started working in this lab, become a member of the higher ranks, and even taken on a student. Even though he hadn't officially accepted Albert as his apprentice, he had already grown fond of the boy.

Wait a minute. Mr. F halted in his tracks. He had grown fond of Albert? What did that even mean?! He once wiped out entire families because they couldn't pay their debts. Another time, he sold an acquaintance into slavery for making an offhand joke at his expense. And then there was that one student whose soul he had used in an experiment without a second thought.

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Since when had Mr. F become someone who got attached to people? He was now certain of it—something had changed in his personality. At first, he could chalk it up to old age or the circumstances he found himself in, but now he was sure something else was influencing him.

Could it be the soul he merged with? Or is it the system that's affecting me?

As if it had read his thoughts, the all-too-familiar letters appeared before him.

[System performing a soul diagnosis...]

[Loading…loading…loading…]

[Soul diagnosis complete.]

[No irregularities detected.]

Mr. F couldn't accept that answer. What do you mean, no irregularities? he shouted in his mind. Something's wrong with me. I'm not acting the way I would have fifty years ago. What has changed?!

[System diagnosis running...]

[Memories being processed...]

[Irregularity detected.]

[Calculating possible causes...]

[Estimated duration: 3 minutes.]

Mr. F decided to wait for the results but not in the hallway. He returned to his laboratory, only to find yet another surprise awaiting him. Matilda was sitting in a chair, reading a book.

When she noticed his presence, she looked up briefly, set the book aside, and met his gaze directly. "May I ask why you refused Betty? She's one of our most promising alchemists. In a few years, she'll achieve great things and be an asset to the family. I was doing you a favor by offering her as your apprentice. You could have established connections with her and, through her, built a network."

Mr. F's mind was elsewhere, but he decided to respond nonetheless. "I like Albert. He's a diligent young man, and I expect great things from him. I've decided to turn him into a fine alchemist, and that decision is final."

Matilda saw the seriousness in Mr. F's eyes. She recognized that look—nothing she said would change his mind.

"Couldn't I have them both as assistants, apprentices, or whatever they may be? It doesn't really matter what they are as long as they're here in my lab."

Matilda considered this for a moment before shaking her head. "They're both the same age, but Betty is already far ahead of Albert in alchemy. Treating them as equals wouldn't be fair to Betty. I'm sure she would have a problem with it, too, for that same reason."

"Let me get this straight," Mr. F inquired, "so it wouldn't be a problem if they were both Rank 2, correct?"

"In general, yes," Matilda replied. "We have colleagues here who train four or five apprentices simultaneously. It all depends on how much time we, as alchemists, are willing to sacrifice to teach our students. If we take on too many, it can become difficult to manage everyone, and some may feel neglected, leading to resentment. Often, these apprentices don't leave their masters out of fear of damaging their reputation or risking their own."

"But Albert is still far from reaching Rank 2," she continued. "Even if he managed to create a Rank 1 potion tomorrow and was recognized as a Rank 1 alchemist, it would take months or even years to reach Rank 2. So, you should really reconsider whether you want Betty as your apprentice."

Mr. F understood Matilda's reasoning, but he knew something no one else did—Albert's unique physique.

"How about we make a bet?" Mr. F suggested.

"A bet?" Matilda asked, raising an eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?"

"I bet that Albert will successfully produce a Rank 2 elixir of my choice within three days. You bet against it. If I win, I get to keep both of them as my apprentices, and I receive work points equivalent to six months of labor. If you win, I'll take on whoever you want as my apprentice, and you won't have to pay me work points for half a year."

Matilda was taken aback by the proposal. Was Mr. F trying to trick her somehow? Could Albert already be a Rank 2 alchemist? Impossible. She had seen his skills firsthand—Albert had no talent for alchemy.

"Agreed," she said finally.

"But be warned—don't try any tricks on me."

"Of course not," Mr. F replied. "Albert will succeed fairly, on his own merit."

Matilda shook her head, still uncertain about what Mr. F was up to, and then brought up another matter. "As a member of the inner circle, you've earned yourself a better laboratory. Here's the key," she said, tossing it to him.

"It's Lab 3C. It's equipped with four rooms, three of which have alchemy cauldrons. If you win the bet, you'll need the extra space."

With that, Matilda left the laboratory, leaving Mr. F alone with his thoughts.

Just then, the system completed its analysis.

[Analysis complete.]

[The altered behavior is due to the side effects of the enhanced Rank 5 elixir, Day's Boost. Among the side effects, there is a condition known as Soul Possession. The altered behavior is a mild form of this. The host is advised that the effect should wear off in a few days. However, if a stronger soul is used in the recipe in the future, the side effects may intensify.]

Mr. F felt both relieved and disappointed. Relieved because it seemed the effect was only temporary, but disappointed because the effect would become more pronounced with stronger souls. This means I'll need to be careful about which souls I consume in the future, he thought quietly.