Hours passed......

  "Professor Raelingrim, I’ve finished brewing all the potions."

  Hulim placed the finished potions in front of Raelingrim.

  "Hmm, well done."

  Raelingrim put all the vials away without hesitation.

  "Professor, aren’t you going to test them?"

  Hulim asked in confusion.

  Raelingrim shook his head with a smile.

  "There’s no need for that. I’ve studied potions for decades—I can tell if a potion’s a success, whether it’s of fine or superior quality, just by watching the brewing process. No extra tests required. Student Hulim—"

  Raelingrim paused, then announced:

  "The potions you brewed are undoubtedly top-quality. I’m awarding you a perfect score!"

  "Woohoo! Way to go, Hulim! You got a perfect score~!"

  Miko cheered excitedly.

  Raelingrim smiled at the three of them.

  "You all did wonderfully. Both Student Miko and Student Alicia were excellent assistants. It’s a shame you’ll be graduating soon—I would’ve loved to hire you as my lab aides."

  "Huh, really? Hehe~!"

  Miko scratched her head awkwardly, looking bashful.

  "Professor Raelingrim, you flatter us. We only managed so well because of Hulim’s guidance."

  Alicia replied politely.

  "Mm~!" Raelingrim nodded, turning to look at Hulim. "Alicia’s absolutely right. Student Hulim, you’re truly remarkable!"

  "To be honest, watching you brew those potions left me utterly astounded. Your movements were as precise and graceful as those Elven potion masters who’ve dedicated centuries to this craft!"

  "I used to be skeptical about the concept of raw talent, but after seeing you, I have no choice but to believe in it now."

  Hulim: "......"

  "Speaking of which......"

  At that moment, Miko stared intently at Hulim’s profile and said:

  "Ever since you came back, I’ve felt like something about you has changed."

  "Changed? Do I look any different......"

  Hulim looked at the two of them in confusion.

  "You do! Definitely!" Miko nodded vigorously, then frowned as she racked her brain. "Hmm, but what exactly is different......"

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  "Mm......" Alicia studied Hulim carefully, also deep in thought. "You’re right. There’s definitely something different about you now."

  "......"

  "Ah—!"

  Miko suddenly snapped her fingers as if she’d figured it out.

  "I know! It’s Grandma Eperu!"

  Hulim: "???"

  "Uh, no, I don’t mean you look like Grandma Eperu. It’s more like...... How should I put it? The way you carry yourself? No, it’s your aura? Wait, that’s not right either! Ugh, why do I keep thinking of Grandma Eperu......"

  "I get it!"

  Alicia seemed to have found the answer too.

  "I can’t put it into words exactly, but you have this...... aura of someone with centuries of experience under their belt."

  "Yes! Yes! That’s exactly it!"

  "......"

  How do you two have such sharp intuition......

  Afraid the conversation would veer too far off track, Hulim quickly turned to Raelingrim and said:

  "Professor, now that the exam’s over, can you issue the official result?"

  Raelingrim replied: "Of course. Follow me."

  Raelingrim led the three into his study.

  As soon as they stepped inside, Hulim’s eyes were drawn to the rows of bookshelves that stretched all the way to the ceiling. Even the walls were lined with books of every kind—turning the room into a veritable sea of literature.

  "You have quite an impressive collection of books, Professor Raelingrim."

  "Just a little hobby of mine. It’s still far inferior to the libraries owned by the great noble families~."

  Comparing yourself to the great nobles...... So this means your collection is bigger than those of ordinary minor nobles......

  "Professor, may I browse through your books?"

  "By all means. Feel free to look at whatever catches your eye."

  Raelingrim replied casually, then walked to a desk, sat down, and began writing Hulim’s exam report.

  With his permission, Hulim wandered around the study, curious to see if there were any interesting titles.

  She pulled a book off the shelf at random, flipped through a few pages, then put it back.

  A few steps later, she picked up another book, leafed through it briefly, and returned it to its place. After that, she skimmed through the rest of the collection.

  There are so many books about life studies......

  Books on animals, plants, even magical beasts. It was the first time Hulim had seen someone collect such a vast number of works on this subject.

  Is this Professor Raelingrim’s main area of research......

  Hulim thought to herself, gradually getting lost in her own musings.

  "Students, the report’s ready."

  Raelingrim’s voice called out from outside the maze of bookshelves.

  Hulim stepped out from between the shelves.

  "Student Hulim, please verify this."

  "Thank you, Professor."

  After Hulim confirmed that the final exam results were correct, Raelingrim sealed the report. He would later take it back to the academy for safekeeping.

  "Now, even though the exam’s over, could I trouble you to spare a bit more time, Student Hulim?"

  "Did you need something, Professor?"

  Raelingrim nodded.

  "It’s nothing too important."

  As he spoke, Raelingrim took out the potions Hulim had just brewed, selected one vial, and placed it inside a box.

  "I occasionally take on commissions from nobles."

  "They ask me to brew custom potions for them. Today, I was supposed to deliver a potion to a noble’s wife—and that potion is exactly the one you just made."

  "I thought I’d use the potion you brewed for the delivery, and I’d like to invite you to come along and see the actual effects of your work."

  "I see. That’s fine with me."

  Hulim nodded in agreement, then asked:

  "Which noble is this for?"

  "Filkorn Billing, Vice Captain of the Imperial Guard Knights."

  "Huh???"

  "His wife has been in poor health for some time. She needs this potion for long-term treatment. Don’t worry—he’s currently staying at his country estate outside the city. It’s not too far from here......"

  Wait, who was that again???

  ......

  ......

  "I never expected it would be Sir Filkorn. What a pleasant surprise."

  At the gate of Filkorn’s country estate outside the city,

  Hulim and her companions waited for Filkorn to arrive.

  Before long, Filkorn and his wife came out to greet them.

  "Welcome. I never imagined Your Highness Alicia would grace my humble estate with a visit."

  "The pleasure is mine, Sir Filkorn. Please don’t stand on ceremony. We were just finishing up Professor Raelingrim’s Potions exam, and we happened to be delivering a potion on his behalf. We had no idea the recipient would be you."

  "I see!"

  Filkorn laughed heartily.

  "Then this must be my lucky day. Please, come inside."