Chapter 13: Malice from the Alchemy Department (Please keep reading, add to favorites, and recommend!)

Chapter 13

As one of the wizards of the Magic Herb Garden, Rosalind’s connections allowed Lynn to work directly in the garden.

The Magic Herb Garden was, in fact, a subordinate agency of the Department of Potions, dedicated to cultivating various medicinal herbs and magical plants. It was a vital department within the Crucible.

However, within the Crucible, procedures and formalities were of the utmost importance.

Therefore, before heading to the Magic Herb Garden, Lynn and Colin first had to go to the core hall in the residential area to process the paperwork.

The two others who had passed the assessment alongside Lynn also needed to go to the hall to process their paperwork before heading to their respective departments to seek out patrons or relatives.

When they returned to the core hall of the residential area, Colin had some connections there, so processing Lynn’s employment paperwork was not difficult for him.

However, just as they entered the hall, they saw the man who had previously been covering Colin’s shift at the receptionist’s desk run over in a hurry. He said to them coldly

"The Alchemy Department has already accepted this newcomer's paperwork. Just send him directly to the Alchemy Department."

The man didn't take Lynn seriously at all, his tone laced with a hint of disdain.

However, upon hearing this, both Colin and Lynn immediately furrowed their brows.

The Crucible already had plenty of manpower; otherwise, the number of people admitted this year wouldn't have been just ten, but hundreds or thousands.

Therefore, the Alchemy Department suddenly requesting Lynn to work there seemed extremely unusual.

Lynn had no connections in the Alchemy Department, unless—

The two of them thought of a possibility almost simultaneously

Lynn had snatched a spot intended for someone with connections.

Now it seemed that the person behind the scenes might be trying to use this opportunity to take action against Lynn.

"Have you sent the paperwork off yet?"

Colin’s gaze turned sharp as he stared at the man and asked.

The man was shaken by the sudden serious atmosphere, but he still replied

"Not yet. This is your job, and I didn't want to leave my name on it, especially since you hadn't returned yet."

"That’s good! I’ll treat you to a meal when I have time. Thanks for this."

Colin’s tone relaxed slightly. Seeing the man nod and leave, he felt a bit more at ease.

Then, Colin turned to Lynn and whispered

"Forget about the Alchemy Department. I’ll get your paperwork sorted out first and place you in the Magic Herb Garden of the Potions Department. They won't be able to touch you there."

Lynn naturally thanked his senior brother, Colin, profusely. He also felt fortunate to have passed the beautiful teacher's assessment; otherwise, if this paperwork had transferred him to the Alchemy Department, his life would have been as good as forfeit.

After completing the formal procedures, Colin was still uneasy and decided to personally escort Lynn to the Magic Herb Garden.

The Magic Herb Garden was located outside the residential area. Although it was a bit of a distance away, it covered a significant area—not quite as large as the beast pens, but not far off.

After all, this was where the medicinal herbs and various magical plants required by the Crucible were grown.

As one of the heads of the Magic Herb Garden, Rosalind held a pivotal position here, so Colin was very familiar with this area.

Upon arriving, he immediately sought out an old acquaintance and entrusted Lynn to her care.

"Sonia, I’ll leave him to you. This is Lynn, my teacher’s newly accepted student. Please look after him."

Colin handed Lynn over to a girl named Sonia.

She wore the standard robes of the Crucible, but they could not hide her exquisite figure. Her face was quite beautiful, especially her eyes, which were bright and deep.

When she learned that Lynn was Rosalind’s student, her small mouth opened slightly, clearly surprised.

"Lynn, come with me."

Sonia looked at Lynn’s young face, but there was not much envy in her eyes; instead, there was a hint of pity.

She muttered to herself, "Poor thing, becoming Rosalind’s student at such a young age. I wonder if he’ll live to see his eighteenth birthday and his coming-of-age ceremony..."

Although Sonia appeared young, her age was not what it seemed.

She had been in the Crucible for many years and had gone through countless trials.

She knew that the students Rosalind took in had a distinct characteristic—their combat ability was extremely low, and they seemed to never truly understand the survival rules of a dark wizard.

Almost none of these students lived to their third year—

Except for Colin, of course.

His combat ability wasn't strong either, but he had unique methods, and he had survived until now.

Therefore, in Sonia’s view, becoming Rosalind’s student was almost equivalent to a death sentence.

She hadn't seen Rosalind take on a new student in a long time and had even thought that the wizard who looked like an angel but acted like a devil had stopped tormenting newcomers.

However, Lynn’s arrival today shattered her assumption.

She silently prayed for Lynn for a few seconds, her heart filled with regret.

Despite the sorrow she felt for Lynn’s future, Sonia settled him in and led him to the buildings within the Magic Herb Garden.

All the wizard apprentices working in the Magic Herb Garden lived in these buildings.

Sonia found a decent room for Lynn.

"Lynn, you’re new here, so rest for a day or two. I’ll go see what work arrangements are suitable for you."

Her voice was calm, carrying a hint of concern. "I’ll send someone to bring you bedding and daily necessities later."

The Magic Herb Garden was not short of people; in fact, every department in the Crucible was currently well-staffed with apprentices.

Because of this, Sonia needed to carefully look for which positions were suitable for Lynn.

As for Lynn, as a newcomer who knew nothing about the wizarding world, he certainly wouldn't refuse Sonia’s arrangements.

For him, the most important thing was to adapt to this new environment.

He needed time to understand the life of a wizard and to immerse himself in the books his teacher had provided, slowly digesting the knowledge.

The room was small, with only a wooden bed, a desk, and a wardrobe.

Although the space was simple, Lynn didn't mind. The room was clean and tidy, and there was no problem with living there.

Even though the bed was just a simple wooden board, Lynn lay down without hesitation, his entire body relaxing as if he had shed all his exhaustion.

"This whole day has been so long..."

Early in the morning, he had fought with his life on the line against a boy named Russell, snatching the spot to enter the Crucible from him.

Then, he met Colin and Rosalind and became her student.

After that, he was arranged to enter the Magic Herb Garden and moved into this simple little wooden house.

To Lynn, while most of these were good things, some of the episodes still made him feel displeased.

For instance, the powerful patron behind Russell had actually tried to transfer Lynn through the Alchemy Department.

If he had really gone to the Alchemy Department, it would have almost certainly meant a dead end.

"Always being pushed around..."

Lynn felt helpless. He had no power to choose; after entering the Crucible, this wizarding world, everything seemed to be drifting with the tide.

If he hadn't become Rosalind’s student, he probably would have been crushed by that person in the Alchemy Department long ago.

But was becoming Rosalind’s student really a good thing?

Lynn remembered the look of pity in Sonia’s eyes earlier in the Magic Herb Garden. It seemed that becoming Rosalind’s student was not as glorious as it appeared on the surface.

But now there was no turning back; the die was cast.

At least from what he knew so far, there didn't seem to be any bad news.

After all, his teacher was as gentle as a big sister next door, not at all like those terrifying dark wizards.

"It is what it is, I can only take it one step at a time..."

Lynn sighed, his eyelids growing heavy and drowsy.

As he closed his eyes, the world around him turned dark, and he fell into a deep sleep.

He didn't know how much time had passed when a knock on the door suddenly startled him awake.

"I was so tired today that I actually fell asleep. The person outside must be here to bring me the bedding..."

Lynn got up and walked to the door, preparing to open it and offer his thanks.

But when he saw the face outside the door, his pupils shrank sharply.

That person was actually one of the others who had passed the assessment with him that morning!

Lynn knew that one of them had also gone to the Potions Department, but he hadn't expected that he would also come to the Magic Herb Garden.