Malena's expression grew serious. This was no small matter.
She had been the one to recruit Ian to the pharmacy. He was a Magic Potion Genius with extraordinary Talent, and she couldn't let anything happen to him.
"Before I came to the Magic Pharmacy, I offended a High Level Apprentice named Nolan. He's from the Shadow Society."
Malena had heard about Nolan recently. She knew he possessed a Silent Flower but hadn't joined the others in trying to seize it.
For one, her Spiritual Power had yet to reach Perfection. For another, she had access to her own channels for such resources; she just needed to save up enough Magic Stones to buy one.
"The Shadow Society... yes, ordinary Apprentices are afraid of them. But you're one of our pharmacy's Magic Potion Alchemists. That makes you different."
Malena was full of confidence, and her tone suggested she didn't think much of the Shadow Society.
"Nolan is a genius, and he's one of the founders of the Shadow Society..."
Afraid that Malena was underestimating his enemy, Ian told her all the intelligence he had gathered.
"He also has a Wizard as a mentor... That's a little troublesome, but still not a major problem."
Malena's calm tone allowed Ian to breathe a sigh of relief.
'It seems the pharmacy's owner, Alevia, is incredibly powerful,' Ian thought. 'So much so that Malena doesn't seem to care much about Official Wizards.'
"I used my Eye of Vigilance and discovered there might be people from the Shadow Society outside."
Malena's expression snapped shut, her charming face instantly darkening.
"Hmph! The nerve! They dare to surveil our Magic Pharmacy? Harvey!"
Malena called out, and a moment later, a middle-aged man strode into the room.
"Steward Malena, what are your orders?"
"Go capture whoever is watching us outside. Interrogate them thoroughly."
The moment Malena gave the order, her full authority as steward returned.
"I'll go at once. Rest assured, Steward, not a single one will get away."
Harvey's expression was grave. He gave a slight bow before exiting the room.
A moment later, chaotic screams erupted outside, only to die down just as quickly.
Ian started to get up to take a look, then sat back down.
"Malena, can Harvey handle this alone? If Nolan is lurking in the shadows, Harvey could be in great danger."
Malena had gone to her bedroom to change out of her sleepwear. She was now sitting upright on a chair, dressed in a crimson long robe.
"Don't worry. Harvey is quite powerful. He's under orders from Alevia Wizard to protect this place. If Nolan dares to show his face, wouldn't that be perfect?"
'Nolan himself is being hunted by organizations like the White Bear Order,' Ian mused. 'He wouldn't dare expose his location so carelessly. He must still be hiding in the shadows.'
After a little while, Harvey returned to report, his clothes spattered with blood.
"Reporting to Steward Malena, I've captured three of them. I just finished my interrogation. They're confirmed to be from the Shadow Society, responsible for monitoring Ian's movements."
After speaking, Harvey glanced at Ian, inwardly surprised.
'When I first entered, I smelled the faint scent of someone who had just bathed,' he thought. 'And this Ian... what is he doing in Malena's room at this hour?'
"What's the matter with you? Someone crept right up to our door and you didn't even notice. Ian was the one who discovered them and told me."
Malena was angry. 'This Harvey is far too careless. How can he be worthy of the trust Lady Alevia placed in him?'
"It was my negligence. They were a good distance from the Magic Pharmacy, so I didn't notice them right away."
Harvey's expression soured. He had been busy with his Witchcraft Cultivation lately and had admittedly let his guard down. Who would have thought someone would dare spy on an Official Wizard's Magic Pharmacy?
"However, I used a few... methods... and got some important information. That Nolan fellow might be right here in Nightfall Town."
He had just learned that this Nolan was also a genius, which piqued his competitive spirit.
Even more exciting was the news that Nolan actually possessed a Silent Flower.
Harvey was something of a homebody. He'd been holed up practicing his Witchcraft and hadn't gone out at all, so he had no idea what had been happening at the High Tower lately.
A look of excitement now replaced his previously grave expression.
He too had occasionally enjoyed the title of "genius" in his youth. Now that he was older, he had gradually faded from the spotlight.
But in the Wizard World, age was never a weakness. The older a Wizard, the more tricks they had up their sleeve.
BANG!
After hearing Harvey's report, Malena slammed her hand on the table and shot to her feet.
"Daring to spy on the Magic Pharmacy is a show of contempt for Lady Alevia. He must be taught a lesson."
Harvey quickly jumped in, "I'll go scout him out first. We can make a proper plan when I get back."
Malena nodded in agreement, adding a word of caution, "Be careful. Nolan is not an easy opponent."
After Harvey left, Malena turned to Ian.
"I don't have the Witchcraft Tools you asked for on hand. You may have to wait a few days."
Ian quickly got to his feet to thank her. "Do you know roughly how much it will cost? If it's too expensive, I can owe you for now."
A smile returned to Malena's face as she watched Ian's awkward expression.
"You don't need to buy it. It would be more cost-effective for you to just rent it."
'I can do that?' Ian was secretly grateful. Malena was treating him incredibly well.
"I have one more request. Could I borrow the Witchcraft Practice Room for a while? I'll pay the maintenance fees."
Malena rolled her eyes and waved her hand dismissively.
"Why are you practicing Witchcraft all day instead of focusing on your Alchemy?"
Seeing she wouldn't budge, Ian could only leave in resignation.
Seeing Ian's dejected expression, Malena pouted.
'Hmph! Causing so much trouble,' she muttered. 'If it weren't for the fact that you're a Magic Potion Genius, I'd have kicked you out on the spot.'
She could see that Ian wanted to buy Witchcraft Tools and practice Witchcraft diligently. 'He's planning to deal with Nolan himself.' The thought was almost laughable.
Malena leaned back in her chair, lost in thought.
'Nolan is a massive vortex right now. Who knows how many people will be drawn in.'
She knew very well how difficult it was to deal with a High Level genius Apprentice. Nolan had killed more than a dozen of his peers and escaped unscathed; his level of danger was easy to imagine.
She had heard from Lady Alevia that a rare few monstrous prodigies could even pose a threat to Official Wizards.
...
「On the outskirts of Nightfall Town, inside an ordinary wooden house.」
Nolan stood in the main room, his face dark. He had wasted more than half a month in this remote place.
The matter he thought would be over in a few days had dragged on without success. That Ian was like a turtle, holed up in the pharmacy, never once stepping outside.
He'd long known the background of that Magic Pharmacy. 'Behind it is a terrifying figure that even my own mentor wouldn't dare provoke.'
If it were any other shop, he would have gone straight in to capture his target, but that wouldn't work here.
He didn't dare to move against the Magic Pharmacy directly, so all he could do was wait for an opportunity.
Now, he too was in deep crisis, with numerous enemies hunting him down from all sides.
"Hmph! Do you really think you can stop me?"
He decided he wouldn't wait any longer. He would make his move now. 'Afterward, I'll flee Shadow Moon Tower's sphere of influence, and once I advance to a full Wizard, I'll return to take my revenge on each and every one of them.'
Nolan slipped out the door and headed toward Nightfall Town, his figure gradually vanishing...
Back in his bedroom, Ian was sitting cross-legged, using Meditation to recover.
These days, besides completing his minimum quota of Potions, he spent all his energy on the Cultivation of his *Crystal Energy Barrier*.
This greatly displeased Malena, but she knew that until the matter with Nolan was resolved, Ian's heart wouldn't be in Alchemy, so she had no choice but to let him be.
Ian felt a sense of urgency as well. With the current crisis, he couldn't afford to be without a Shield Witchcraft.
'It feels like walking naked into a den of wild beasts,' he thought. 'There's no sense of security at all.'
He wasn't counting on Malena and Harvey to kill Nolan for him; that was unrealistic.
He was already more than satisfied that the Magic Pharmacy had sheltered him for this long. It would be even better if they could drive Nolan away for good this time.
But ultimately, this was a problem Ian had to solve himself.