"Thank you, Eren. I… I don't know what else to say."
Agatha hugged Eren while the potion vials and scroll were still between them. Those items were getting in the way. So she released her grip and stored all those items in her storage before hugging her guild master once again.
For quite some time now, Agatha had been stuck in the solid stage of the Novice rank. She wanted to remind Eren of his promise. She noticed, however, that he was extremely busy with his plans. So she had decided to hold until the guild started running its basic operation.
Eren fulfilling his promise to her without her reminding him of the same came as a shock to her. She couldn't help getting emotional over the fact that she won't have to worry about getting anthrope-specific techniques anymore. Her path to higher ranks had just been paved by her master.
"No need to thank me."
While caressing Agatha's back, Eren spoke. Then he thought of something and chuckled before slapping her exposed buns with both his hands.
"Or to be precise, no need to thank me anymore. You already paid the price with your mushy buns."
Agatha hugged Eren some more as she heard it. The butcher was again going to have another erection at the time. But he controlled his urges and tapped at Agatha's back before saying.
"Miss manager, why don't you try practicing the technique now after drinking the potion. I want to see its effects."
Eren said and looked at Agatha who was a bit surprised by his haste. But she didn't mind. She wasn't sleepy and all her stress was relieved due to receiving a thorough pounding from Eren. Plus, she was excited about her technique too.
Eren watched in silence while sitting on the edge of the bed as Agatha got ready to practice her ranking technique. Since she was practicing in front of Eren, she didn't bother wearing clothes and sat on the ground with her legs folded. She started reading the book and understood its nuances quickly. That's because the technique was based on the one she was already using.
She then closed her eyes and re-reviewed the technique in her head while calming her senses and internal organs. Then she retrieved the required potion vial from her storage and uncorked it. Smelling the potion with her nose out of force of habit, Agatha closed her eyes and drank it in one gulp.
She could feel that the potion caused a disturbance in her mana circuits. And it was a bit painful for her. But the pain wasn't something she couldn't tolerate. So she took a long breath before channeling her mana through her body as per the procedure described in the technique.
'Alephee, are you there?'
Eren asked Alephee while looking at Agatha's progress carefully. He got an answer to his question soon after.
'Yeah. I'm trying not to fall into another uncontrolled slumber. Let's just say that I have a nasty headache.
What are you up to?'
Alephee asked in a low voice. The butcher could sense that Alephee was not in her previous condition. But he had to ask her and call out to her this time.
'Well, headaches are the most bothersome. So I won't force you. But could you keep tabs on Agatha with your soul sense and find out if anything is wrong with her technique or the potion she has just drunk?'
Alephee pondered for a bit before replying.
'You don't trust Layla?'
Eren chuckled as he heard Alephee's doubtful expressions. He narrowed her eyes on Agatha as she started channeling her technique. But one could tell that he wasn't completely focused on her.
Eren had decided to take Layla's help ever since he found out Agatha was a half-blood. The young witch had done a lot of half-blood-related experiments. So her mastery over her spells was unquestioned.
Layla referred to Agatha's existing technique that the no-aware-yet had given him a copy of. Soon, she found a workaround in the form of a potion. She first adjusted the technique her way and then created a potion to rectify a few problems.
'I'd be a fool to trust Layla blindsided. And gigantic fool at that. A few friendly interactions with her won't mean she is my ally. Neither I nor she is naive enough to think like that. No matter how childish she may act.
What we have is a business transaction. She helped me. And I help her. But I won't expect loyalty from her when her loyalty lies with Eliza.'
Eren addressed Alephee while folding his hand. Alephee wanted to take some more rest. But she decided to heed Eren's call since she too found it reasonable that Eren doesn't trust Layla completely.
Alephee spreads her soul sense just enough so that Agatha gets covered in it and analyzes her progress silently with it. She then pays close attention to her mana circuits and her mana pits.
'Hmm. The technique Layla has come up with is not bad per se. And everything is working as it should. But there's something she hasn't told you about the potion.'
Eren narrowed his eyes when he heard Alephee's analysis. But he thought he should let her complete her speech before he made any judgment.
'Don't worry. It isn't harmful to Agatha. The potion does its job in making her mana circuits adaptable to the ranking technique Layla had come up with for Agatha. But that's not all the potion can do.
It is also purifying her bloodline and nurturing the mutagen within it. With the potion involved, Layla has turned it into a quasi-half-blood technique for Agatha.'
Eren's understanding grew as he understood what Layla had done.
'That research freak must have been treating Agatha as one of her experiment subjects. She thinks she is still in Purgatory. And that can get away with doing anything.'
Eren snorted and kept his eyes on Agatha as he added to his previous statement.
'Heh! I'll let her assume just that. I don't mind Agatha having a half-blood technique's effects anyway.'
Eren had not asked Agatha about her past because he feared he might derail her from her current mindset by doing that. She had just gotten out of her revenge drive and was focusing solely on their guild. For his benefit as well as hers, he wanted to keep things this way for both of them.
Plus, he was not yet ready to get involved with half-blood forces yet. He had so many things to do. Frankly, he was running short on time. So he didn't want to open another front for himself and get burned in the process.
'You might want to stop pondering over random things. Pay attention to what's in front of you.
Agatha is breaking into the Ace rank.'
