In the office, Locke was at his workstation, designing the final blueprint for grafting modifications on Emerald Iris Lichen within the Differential Magic Mirror.
Angulo and Essie exchanged glances, both visibly concerned about Locke. Over the past two weeks, Locke had kept to himself, immersed in studying the Magic Plant Curse, and they had noticed.
Their worry wasn't unfounded. There had been cases before where First-Class Wizard Apprentices became so fixated on a problem that they ended up harming themselves.
Sitting at her desk, Essie tried to reassure him: "Locke, you don't need to put so much pressure on yourself. You've only recently been promoted to First-Class Wizard Apprentice, so it's completely normal to encounter problems you can't solve immediately..."
"Look at Angulo and me—we've pretty much given up these days."
"Don't let Carrie Ackerman get to you."
"They wouldn't dare touch the Magic Plant Curse themselves. Besides, the academy seems to be considering sending Mary, a Wizard Seed from Breeding Studies, to help us solve the problem."
"Once they arrive, things will get much easier for us." Essie smiled. "At least our team has managed to ensure that the victims of the Magic Plant Curse remain unharmed over these two weeks—no fatalities and minimal damage. That's progress in itself."
"We owe a lot to Ruixing, that outsider apprentice, for volunteering as a test subject. She's helped our team gain valuable experience in this area."
"Speaking of which, we should also thank you for the Lesser Emerald Potion recipe in your possession. It's been incredibly useful."
The Lesser Emerald Potion was originally a stroke of genius by the Witch Sophia. It simplified the brewing process of a first-tier Magic Potion, allowing Potionology Assistants to enjoy some of the benefits of a first-tier potion without increasing the difficulty of preparation.
Locke even suspected that this creation might have been conceptualized by the Witch Sophia during her own apprenticeship.
Angulo chimed in: "Speaking of potions, Locke, your Memory Ointment has been selling exceptionally well lately."
Locke looked up. "How so?"
Angulo explained: "Do you know a Shapeshifter named Gabby? The day after the Memory Ointment went on sale at the Owl Cauldron shop, Gabby showed up with her friends and classmates to buy it."
"They've been using it for two weeks now."
"According to them, their memory has improved significantly after using the Memory Ointment."
"This has indirectly accelerated their learning speed for transfiguration magic by about 50%."
"Additionally, the Memory Ointment retains the meditation-boosting effects for the Basic Meditation Method. Its applications are broad and noticeable. Even though it's slightly more expensive than Contemplation Balm, it's been selling like hotcakes."
"Over these two weeks, several batches of Second-Class Wizard Apprentices have come to purchase it, and even some First-Class Wizard Apprentices have bought and used it." Angulo grinned. "Those First-Class Wizard Apprentices have been asking me who created the Memory Ointment."
"Based on user feedback, all customers are highly satisfied with your Memory Ointment."
"So Locke, your talent in Potionology is undeniable—it's just that your current experience is still limited."
Angulo and Essie had been in noticeably good spirits lately, clearly because their work with the Memory Ointment had earned them some form of recognition from Madam Irina.
Angulo said, "Essie and I have been collecting usage data on your Memory Ointment to compile one or two reports on its practical applications. We're hoping to produce a couple of B-grade papers."
"Of course, we'd need your permission first. Locke, would you like to join us?"
Locke understood what they meant by "practical application reports." Essie and Angulo were summarizing the issues wizard apprentices encountered during actual usage of various potions, along with general feedback.
Such papers held value.
Moreover, both Essie and Angulo were managers at the Potion Shop, giving them direct access to customers who purchased various potions.
They knew which potions of the same type but from different Pharmaceutical Rooms sold best, which had the worst side effects or were least reliable, and which accumulated toxicity or caused adverse reactions with prolonged use.
By compiling this data into papers, they could publish them in Lilith's Cottage's public library for all First Class Wizard Apprentices to reference.
Ultimately, it was a form of comprehensive summarization.
Locke replied, "I'll pass. Different fields require different expertise. I have my own projects to focus on."
Though Essie and Angulo were using his Memory Ointment as the basis for their application reports, this didn't really concern him. Their invitation was merely a courtesy.
After all, these reports summarized customer feedback on potion usage—a peripheral aspect of Potionology. The compiled data would give customers a more complete picture of the Memory Ointment's effects, benefiting future sales and deeper research.
Thus, Locke saw no reason to stop them, nor any desire to participate.
He'd rather spend the time developing new Magic Potions than working on such marginal papers.
This incident also made Locke realize why academic factions easily formed among Wizards.
A talented Wizard could effortlessly generate significant benefits for their friends and students.
For instance, Shopkeeper Yuli and Zach maintained good relations with him likely because the Magic Plants he supplied allowed them to compile usage data for high-quality papers.
Similarly, Locke could use results from his Lesser Emerald Potion to produce at least B-grade papers.
Turning to Angulo and Essie, Locke said, "I have important matters this afternoon and need to leave the clinic early. Could you two cover for me?"
The two were momentarily surprised before Angulo smiled. "Of course, we're friends."
"A change of scenery will do you good."
"Locke, you've advanced too quickly and probably haven't experienced much failure, so don't worry about these things. Essie and I are different—we've endured so many failures that we've grown accustomed to them."
Essie also comforted Locke, saying, "It doesn't matter if this year's outstanding healer award has nothing to do with us. After all, among all the Potionology Assistants in the treatment center, only four will receive the reward slots."
"The rest are just running alongside."
Locke hesitated but ultimately decided not to tell them that he planned to fully complete his fifth work that very afternoon—and even attempt to refine the Bear Spirit Bile Potion using Emerald Iris Lichen.
From both Potionology and Breeding Studies, he would tackle the Magic Plant Curse from two different angles.
For something like this, it was better to achieve it first before speaking.
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