Mr. F began organizing his materials for the elixir's preparation. Albert still stood by the entrance, his face twisted in confusion.

"Are you planning to stand there forever?" Mr. F said, his voice carrying a hint of impatience. "Come here if you want to learn something."

Albert snapped out of his daze, shook his head, and hurried over to Mr. F. "I'm coming!" he yelled, a bit too eagerly.

On his way, Albert tripped and nearly crashed into the table holding the reagents. Mr. F, quick on the uptake, used his magic to catch the young man mid-fall, suspending him in the air before gently setting him back on his feet.

"Stop running around if you can't even stay on your feet," Mr. F chided. "You're here to save me magic, not make me waste more than I already have to."

Albert, chastised but determined, stood still, watching intently as Mr. F gathered his thoughts and began preparing for his first attempt at the elixir. This time, Albert made sure not to let his clumsiness get in the way, standing quietly and observing every movement, eager to learn from the experienced alchemist.

The first attempt ended in yet another failure. However, Mr. F noticed that the elixir didn't foam over as violently as in the previous tries. It was a small improvement, but a sign that he was getting closer to the correct formulation.

Mr. F could easily rely on the system to fine-tune the reagent quantities and ensure success. However, he chose to push forward using his own skills. While the system could provide short-term success, Mr. F knew that it would ultimately hinder his growth as an alchemist if he became too dependent on it.

"Albert, you can—" Mr. F started to say, but before he could finish, Albert had already grabbed a mop and bucket and was on his way to the cauldron. In less than five minutes, the floor was spotless, and the cauldron gleamed as if it were brand new.

Mr. F was taken aback. Despite Albert's clumsiness, he seemed to excel at cleaning.

Albert noticed Mr. F's surprised expression and puffed out his chest with pride. "My previous teachers only had me clean because I often ruined their experiments. That's why my skills in this area are top-notch."

Mr. F was speechless. Was this really something to be proud of?

"Eh, yes. Good work," Mr. F said, somewhat begrudgingly.

Albert's eyes sparkled with delight, clearly thrilled by the rare praise from Mr. F.

The day continued much like the ones before, with Mr. F steadily working through the steps of creating the elusive Mana Burn elixir. Finally, just before dusk, on his 21st attempt, he succeeded in producing his first viable elixir. As Albert busied himself cleaning the cauldron, Mr. F discreetly had the system analyze the elixir.

[System Analysis Complete]

[Elixir Petency: 51%]

[The following errors were made during the brewingprocess: …]

As before, the system began listing the errors, providing detailed feedback on where things had gone wrong. Mr. F carefully compared this information with his own observations and theories. The two aligned perfectly, confirming his thoughts and helping him refine his approach for the next batch. He mentally noted the adjustments he would need to make in his next attempt.

"We're done for today," he said to Albert.

Albert looked puzzled. "But we still have a few hours left."

"I know, but I have something else to take care of." Mr. F tossed the young half-elf the keys. "Finish cleaning up and lock up when you're done. I'll see you tomorrow."

With those words, Mr. F left the lab, leaving behind a confused but dutiful Albert.

Albert completed his tasks and left the lab. After locking up, he looked around cautiously before quickly making his way to Matilda's lab. Once there, he knocked on her door and entered after being invited in.

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"You're here already?" Matilda asked, slightly surprised.

"Yes, Mr. F. finished early today because he had something else to take care of," Albert replied.

Matilda was momentarily puzzled but quickly dismissed it. She gestured toward two chairs beside her and sat down with Albert. He was visibly nervous, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.

Matilda found his nervousness amusing. "You can relax. You haven't killed anyone," she said with a hint of a smile.

"Yes, ma'am!" Albert responded abruptly, before quickly covering his mouth with his hand. How could he not be nervous? He was sitting in front of the head of the alchemy department, a genuine Rank 5 alchemist.

With a wave of her hand, she softly whispered, "Calm Mind." As her magic touched Albert, he visibly calmed down.

Albert then recounted the events of the day while Matilda listened quietly. As he spoke, she wondered to herself, Have I misjudged him?

…

While Albert recounted his day to Matilda, Mr. F left the estate, heading towards a specific establishment in the outer part of the city. Thanks to the Scorpion Brothers, he knew exactly where to find the city's information brokers. Before setting out, he donned a completely black mask with only two slits for his eyes.

Mr. F arrived at his destination—a small teahouse. From the outside, it appeared modest, with space for perhaps only ten people. Upon entering, he was greeted by an older man with a mustache.

"Good day, sir. Would you care to try our latest tea?" the mustached man inquired.

"Only if you serve it without sugar," Mr. F replied.

The man perked up, his curiosity piqued. "And may I offer you some milk with that?"

"Only if it's from goats in the province," Mr. F responded.

The mustached man flashed a broad grin. "Right this way, esteemed guest." He led Mr. F past the counter and down a staircase. Below, a completely different world awaited—luxuriously decorated, with various sections offering different services.

Mr. F knew exactly where to go for information. He handed the man with the mustache some money and made his way to a counter where a woman sat. The upper half of her face was hidden by a mask, leaving only her beautiful smile visible.

Mr. F was certain that a stunning woman sat before him.

After he took his seat, the staff of the establishment served him tea. Mr. F had to slightly lift his mask to drink it, but he was well aware of the house rules. Only after finishing the entire cup of tea did the woman begin to speak.

"How may I assist you, esteemed guest?" she asked with a gentle, yet professional tone.

"I am interested in any open assassination contracts that do not require membership in any organization. The nature of the targets is irrelevant to me. The conditions are that the targets must be of at least Tier 5, the location must be within a 20-kilometer radius of the city, and the contract must be set to occur within the next few days."

The woman was taken aback by the request. Requiring Tier 5 mages in this area was no small feat, suggesting that the mage before her must also be at least Tier 5.

What puzzled her more was why a man of his apparent age was asking for assassination jobs. When he lifted his mask slightly, she caught a glimpse of the wrinkles on his chin and the texture of his skin, indicating his advanced age. However, she quickly reminded herself that such details were none of her concern. Her job was to provide information, not to question her clients' motives.

"This type of information will cost 100 gold coins," she stated.

Now it was Mr. F's turn to be surprised. "So cheap?" he wondered. Nonetheless, he handed her the money and received a sealed envelope in return. Wasting no time, Mr. F exited the teahouse through a different doorway, which led him out into another part of the city's outskirts.

As he walked away, Mr. F opened the envelope and read the information inside before setting both the envelope and its contents ablaze.

It soon became clear to Mr. F why the information had been so inexpensive. Within the next two days, the local baron, Baron Stapler, would be using alchemical materials he won at auction to brew an elixir with the help of a Tier 6 alchemist that would be arriving from another city. The assassination contract's objective was either to kill the baron and the alchemist or to steal the materials and the completed elixir.

While Mr. F was indeed interested in the elixir, he wasn't foolish enough to seek a confrontation with a Tier 6 alchemist. Even if he himself was only Tier 5, a Tier 6 alchemist would possess considerable combat prowess. Additionally, it was not uncommon for alchemists to have guards or allies sworn to protect them in exchange for receiving their elixirs. Becoming an alchemist's companion was the dream of many poor warriors who lacked the means to grow stronger.

Despite the potential dangers, Mr. F was pleased with the information. After all, he didn't need to engage in the fighting himself. There were always ways to reap rewards from behind the scenes, taking advantage of the situation without putting himself at risk.

As Mr. F made his way back to the estate and removed his mask, he remained vigilant throughout the journey. He could feel that a wide-range tracking spell had been cast on him. This spell had been active since he left the estate.

Not wanting to alarm the person who had cast the spell, he chose to leave it undisturbed. However, he did take precautions by blocking the spell's effects as he entered the tea house and then reactivating it once he exited. To the spellcaster, it appeared as though Mr. F had merely entered and then exited the tea house without lingering.

This approach would be effective only if the person tracking him was unaware of the black market services located in the underground section of the tea house. If they were aware, they might suspect that Mr. F's visit involved more than just a simple tea break.

Thus, he continued his journey uninterrupted until he arrived back at his quarters.