"This…"
Marie gasped when she saw the lab in front of her. Eren had given Marie a separate lab to work in. She had all the amenities inside the potion lab along with the must-have array setups and raw ingredients stored nicely in separate spatial storages.
The potioning lab also had a mini library and a study corner Marie could use in case she needed to check on any research material available. She also had a corner for rest. The butcher had provided her with everything an Ace-ranked potioner could ask for.
There was an optimum ambiance, the right amount of ventilation, and moisture control present in the lab even though it was an underground facility. Plus, there were various safety precautions in place to ensure minimal damage occurs to surroundings and raw ingredients in case of concoction failures.
"This is really a dream come true, Ma Cherie. I… I am really impressed by the care Adept Eren had extended for us."
Only now could Marie understand why Master Levine didn't take her as an official disciple. She doubted she could create this kind of setup for just herself, much less for people under her. She even doubted she could have people under her.
Eren hadn't cut corners when it came to potioning. Marie could tell that Eren was a genuine potioner and worthy of being taught by Levine. Because only a true potioner could understand the care given to their labs.
"Hmph! Don't get me wrong Marie. Adept Eren had indeed given us special treatment. But the way this lab looks, it's more like he wants you to stay in this lab forever."
Arizihana derived an alternate meaning behind why Marie was gifted with such a potioning lab. The most effective way to keep a prisoner from staying inside the prison willingly was to make their cell as attractive as possible.
Marie scrunched her nose when she heard Arizihana's words. Part of her couldn't help agreeing with her. But that didn't prevent her from feeling equally grateful.
"Well… he could have chosen to not provide me with this lab and still expected me to deliver the results he wanted. I have seen the rankers operate. And I have seen the way cultists do their things. Both wouldn't have offered me this kind of facility because I'm only a halfling.
I just want to research my potions in peace. I am this close to cracking the code and revolutionizing potioning for all potioners. Hehe! If this lab provides me the way to achieve that, I'm ready to sacrifice my freedom for it."
Arizihana sighed when she heard Marie's statements. But then again, the Marie she knew was exactly like that. She chose to stay with the cultists to follow her own path as a potion maker. She had chosen to cut ties with her sister for this path. Arizihana thought that she shouldn't be surprised when Marie entertained the idea of compromising her freedom to pursue her path.
Swoosh. Bzzt. Boom.
"Who told you you'd have to compromise your freedom to achieve what you want to achieve?"
A deep and curious voice was heard in the lab when Marie finished talking. Both ladies looked back to see a bolt of lightning strike at the space not too far away from them.
Eren had appeared inside Marie's dedicated lab. He was looking at both the ladies with keen expressions as he walked toward them.
"I… I didn't mean to say that, Adept Eren. What I meant was…"
For some reason, Marie would feel a subtle form of suppression whenever Eren was around. Arizihana would be stressed too when he was around. But the halfling could tell the suppression she felt was different.
"It's fine. I was just asking. How did you like this lab? Do you want anything added to the facility?'
Eren asked while putting his hands in his pants' sleeves. His long black hair, his emerald green eyes, and his keen gaze gave him a charm of his own. The light black beard he had on his face made him look mature while maintaining the vibe of his youthfulness.
On one end, Eren would look more mature for his age. On the other hand, he would look like he had barely gotten into adulthood. His aura was different than other rankers too.
Marie and Arizihana could not figure out whether they felt fear whenever Eren was around or were they merely intimidated. He had a certain pull that would usually be felt by everyone around him.
"Hm? Oh! Oh no, Adept Eren. … this is more than enough. In fact, it looks like this lab was made for Adept rankers. An Ace ranker like me won't be able to make full use of it. If you want, I'm fine with having a lab suitable for my rank."
Eren raised his eyebrows when he heard Marie's words. If he was in her shoes, he would never say anything like this. At most, he would highlight his gratitude more than he genuinely felt.
'Hm. I guess she's been fighting all alone for so long that she has forgotten the feeling of being treated nicely.'
Eren sighed when he concluded Marie's condition in his mind. As soon as his soul sense had awakened, he would subconsciously use it to connect with the people around him and know about their true feelings.
"I think you are misunderstanding something. This is indeed a lab meant for Adept rankers. But there's no mismanagement on my part.
I don't want you ladies to slack off in your ranking journeys. You are no use to me if you stay in the same rank for months to come. Find ways to reach Adept rank. Only then can you be of real use to me.
Fortunately or unfortunately depending upon the way you perform and obtain results, you would have to participate in a special rank-up program that will commence shortly."
Eren said matter-of-factly. He wished that he had all the Adept ranker potioners and guild members working for him. But individual growth would take time to take place naturally. Not everybody could use shortcuts like him. And not everybody was as talented as someone like Drin.
Hiring Adept rankers was not an easy task either. Especially since the war was brewing. The kingdom of Edinburgh had basically called dibs on any unaffiliated Ace and Adept rankers. It was also trying to rope in Experts and Masters.
So Eren came up with his own solution.
