After Lann introduced Leo, Jerome nodded and then walked forward with firm steps.
Leo looked very nervous. From the few words he had heard, he could sense that the earl spoke with respect towards this man, which meant that he was someone even more important and fearsome.
Jerome thought for a moment. "It's good that you want him to help Keldar and me. When we have free time, we can also train him in the 'The Choice' stage. But for now, we won't give him any mutagen."
Jerome explained: "The Keldar and Mousesack investigation has reached an impasse."
"We believe it is possible to improve the witchers' mutations, so we will not expose the apprentices to new potion trials for now. The sacrifice would be too great."
Lann nodded and agreed.
The three of them quickly returned to the castle, isolating the snow outside.
First, they found a cape for Leo. Having arrived from White Orchard to the snowy castle, the boy was shivering from the cold.
Then Lann, guided by Jerome, visited Keldar. The old witcher was completely immersed in his research on mutations and magic. He politely greeted Lann and then with equal courtesy asked him out.
"Lately, apart from the regular time he spends cleaning the castle, he spends all his time investigating. He barely talks to me." Jerome said with resignation. "With this child you brought, at least I will have someone to talk to."
Jerome then found a room for Leo, allowing him to get settled and organized. Afterwards, he took Lann to the alchemy laboratory.
Seeing the Chort mutagen that Lann had brought, Jerome carefully picked it up using the experimental equipment and commented: "The Chort is a formidable opponent, especially resistant to Signs. How did you manage to defeat it?"
Lann briefly explained the intervention of Yarpen and Zoltan's teams in the battle.
After listening to Lann's explanation, Jerome took out the materials needed to prepare the Chort decoction and motioned for Lann to help him.
After a while, Lann obtained three glass alchemy bottles with a blue colored potion.
He tried to save the potion in his inventory and the system provided the name: [Chort decoction]
[Chort decoction]: Provides complete resistance to the Stagger effect and reduces the Knock-down effect to Stagger.
According to Jerome, taking this potion would greatly increase body control, allowing for more flexible muscle movements and better adjustment of balance, eliminating stiffness between movements, and allowing for a quicker response after blocking an enemy attack.
Jerome sighed. "This potion is extremely useful for swordsmen, but it is not very suitable for our Gryphon School. Those at the Cat School will probably find it very useful."
"If you encounter Foglets or Forktails, don't let them pass. The decoction made from their mutagens can boost the damage of the Signs."
Finally, Jerome warned: "The toxicity of this potion is much higher than that of ordinary potions. One bottle is equivalent to three or four normal potions. Please control the dosage when using it!"
Lann nodded.
At this moment, a sound from the system rang in his ears.
[Character level improvement +1]
The notification almost made Lann jump, but he managed to maintain his composure so that Jerome wouldn't notice anything.
What's happening? Does brewing potions also grant experience?
No, it can't be that simple. This is not an advanced game with life professions.
Without a quest completion notification and having killed monsters, the source of this experience could only be one.
[Followers]: Followers can provide 20% of their own experience gained and share some abilities.
Lann thought briefly. Currently, he only had three followers: House, Milva, and Ace.
House and Milva were still resting in White Orchard, and they were not interested in doing 'good deeds' for the villagers who had offended them.
Then there is only one possibility: Ace.
With that thought, Lann opened Ace's panel.
[Follower: Ace
Sex: Male
Race: Human
Level: 5
Talent: Magical Aura
Experience value: 0/1000
Health: 250/250
Mana: 250/250
Inventory: Sorcerer's Apprentice Robe, Silk Pants... (+)
Skill column: Advanced Archery, Intermediate Horse Riding, Intermediate Fencing, Basic Meditation, Intermediate Socialization.
Quests: Missing Home, No One to Talk to... (+)]
...
As a member of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, Vilgefortz not only had the Brotherhood fix up a mansion for him on Thanedd Island, but also purchased an additional laboratory.
At this moment, he was looking at the sorcerer's apprentice who was chatting happily with a female student of Arethusa.
Ace, a native of Cintra, a servant of the Lion, and a current magic apprentice.
Not long ago, Triss brought him back, claiming to have discovered his magical talent.
Vilgefortz, famous for his resistance against Nilfgaard, had gained renown even in Cintra, so the Lion asked Triss, who had a good relationship with Vilgefortz, to bring Ace to learn magic from him.
To many sorcerers who were unaware of the details, this only increased Vilgefortz's reputation and power. They were also happy that Cintra, who previously rejected magic, was beginning to accept it.
Vilgefortz has many secret laboratories, and it is naturally impossible to take Ace to those laboratories. And since he was busy with his own affairs, he placed Ace on Thanedd Island under the supervision of his assistant Lydia.
Triss would also come to visit Ace from time to time and pay attention to his learning of magic.
Vilgefortz was observing Ace, when Lydia, who had appeared next to him without him noticing, commented upon seeing the sorcerer's gaze: "Ever since he got permission to visit Aretuza and see Triss, he's been like this."
Vilgefortz asked: "Always like this?"
Lydia nodded. "He seems to like helping others, which resembles Lannister characteristics according to our intelligence."
Vilgefortz smiled disdainfully. "Does he like to help others or just female students? If he devotes his energy to these things, how will he advance his magical studies? Lannister doesn't have a good eye."
Lydia looked towards the door of Aretuza. The female apprentice who was communicating with Ace was leaning slightly towards him, as if to express her gratitude, with a bright smile.
Ace was also saying something, but due to the distance being too far, she couldn't hear clearly.
Lydia took the initiative to explain: "His learning progress is actually going well, and his magic power has been growing."
Vilgefortz shook his head. "Okay. Continue teaching him, keep his level somewhere in the middle. His current habits are fine. Try to make him one of ours and then send him back to Cintra."
After finishing speaking, Vilgefortz did not wait for the female assistant's reaction, took a few steps back to reach a platform, waved his hands and disappeared from Lydia's sight.
From the beginning to the end, his eyes never focused on Lidya for a moment.
Lydia looked in the direction where Vilgefortz left.
Lydia's face could not show any expression due to the accident in the magical experiment that had disfigured the lower half of her face. At that moment, her beautiful appearance was only maintained by an illusory spell, making any subtle movement impossible.
Almost all the mages who knew her knew that Lydia was deeply in love with Vilgefortz. She had loved him silently and persistently for many years.
Vilgefortz knew this but pretended not to.
Lydia had never confessed her feelings. Her thoughts had never revealed such an intention, and when she could still speak, she had not said a word about it.
Lydia was too proud to try to seduce Vilgefortz by just being his assistant.
And Vilgefortz had never responded, because he didn't love her. Almost all the mages who knew them also knew that.
Of course, Vilgefortz can completely make Lydia his lover and make her relationship with him even closer. Many people suggested this, but Vilgefortz was unwilling.
To this day, Lydia didn't know if her feelings towards Vilgefortz had intensified or diminished. Did she still love him, or did she just feel like she should keep loving him?
Lydia didn't know it, but she persisted in staying, if only because she couldn't let go of the years of dedication.
She refused to restore the beauty of her face for this reason, as it gave her an excuse to stay. Lydia, with her face intact, had the power to recruit her own apprentices and assistants. Only the Lydia with the damaged face of her would stay there as an assistant to others.
Suppressing her thoughts, Lydia looked in Ace's direction for a long time after Vilgefortz left.
...
"Thank you very much, Mr. Ace. It is very rude of me to ask Vilgefortz's apprentice, and son of a knight, to help me with this kind of thing."
"But I haven't communicated with my family for a long time and the academy doesn't allow us contact with the outside world. I had no choice but to ask for your help."
The female student who was talking to Ace had her face flushed, lowering her head, unable to look at the young man who combined the strong and athletic physique of a knight with the elegance of a sorcerer.
Ace had heard rumors that the more powerful sorceresses were, the uglier they were when they were young, because it was said that the chaotic magic energy in their bodies would disrupt the growth of the body and lead to deformity. If not controlled in time, it would even lead to premature death.
It was unclear whether the magic in the body of the female student before him was not as powerful or had already been stabilized, but it was very beautiful.
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