Can I Also Receive A Boon?

Robb stood before Workshop No. 14 in the East District, holding a brand-new key.

Though it couldn't compare to the standalone towers of High Apprentices, this two-story building felt luxurious to him now that he had just been promoted to a professional potion master.

Its brick-red exterior, iron-framed windows, and little flower garden in front all showed how highly the school valued potion masters.

Together with Andrey, he carried his few belongings inside. Most furniture had already been delivered earlier, arranged by Gwyneth.

The interior of Workshop 14 was even more spacious than Robb had imagined, on the first floor was a reception area and a potion-making lab; upstairs were a bedroom and a small experimental space.

"Wonderful," he whispered, scanning the bright, well-equipped potion lab filled with fine tools and equipment.

After placing the last box of herbs, Andrey wiped his brow and offered to leave. Though being royal gave him no special privileges, he didn't have to worry about housing, so he politely excused himself while Robb nodded and saw him off.

Robb leaned over the potion bench, about to stock up more supplies in preparation for his shop's grand opening. But suddenly, he felt a strange, but familiar, sensation rising from within. It was neither material nor empty, like a clear spring flowing into his spiritual sea. It came from nowhere yet was distinct.

Even a brief touch brought an unheard-of purity to his mind, washing away lingering shadows. "This is..." he gasped, nearly dropping the test tube. "A 'boon'?"

Lady Elena once said when a student makes a breakthrough under their guidance, the pure energy of their growth returns to the mentor as a "boon."

And he could feel a faint boon entering his own spirit, tiny, but unmistakable, like discovering a drop of water in the desert.

After a moment, he traced its origin. In his mind resurfaced that moment during the Magic Circuit Optimization class, when Erik asked him on stage to share his meditation analogy of "water cleansing a riverbed." He had explained the circular flow clearly and had earned nods and understanding from classmates, especially that skinny bespectacled one who lit up with revelation.

Robb nodded to himself. It made sense, boons didn't require long-term teaching. Even a single lesson that resonated and helped someone grow could yield one.

His heart raced. This meant he could earn boons by sharing insights, gaining experience, tidying his knowledge, and receiving spiritforce purification and mana enhancement.

When the workshop is fully operational, he could take on a few genuinely talented apprentices, next admission day, new candidates would arrive.

The thought of guiding curious faces tinkering at workbenches excited him.

He thought of Lady Elena, his mentor, and the boon she must have received when he passed certification.

A few days earlier...

Walking out of the certification grounds at dusk, he went to the herb shop to share the news.

The shop was nearly empty at that hour; the wind chime tinkled gently. Inside, the familiar scent of herbs gave him a comforting sense of home.

Lady Elena was behind the counter, tallying accounts. She barely glanced up when he opened the door.

"How may I help you?" she asked in her usual hoarse, cold manner.

"It's me, Robb. I passed the potion master certification!"

At this, her emerald-green eyes regarded him analytically. He had expected praise or surprise, but saw only a calm yet remote stillness, as if he were reporting the weather.

"Huh. As expected." She returned to her book and asked, "What grade did Magnus give you?"

His enthusiasm poofed as if doused with cold water. He cleared his throat: "I got 'Excellent,' madam, Lord Magnus gave it himself."

"Excellent?" Her tone remained even, but her fingers paused, ink spilling on the page. "He never gives that grade lightly, that means you did well." Robb caught the shift, and his disappointment eased.

She shut the book and finally looked him in the eye:

"You've always had rare aptitude and comprehension. Passing certification was natural. If you hadn't, I'd wonder if I'd seen wrong."

Not exactly praise, but close enough. He smiled and moved to help tidy the counter as he used to when assisting her.

"Stop." Her voice snapped sternly. "You're a professional potion master now, not an assistant. You shouldn't be doing this."

He froze, surprised. She shook her head ironically, a teasing smile coming to her eyes:

"I can't pay a potion master. Your skills are worth dozens of mana chips per hour, more than my shop makes in half a day."

He laughed. "Lady Elena, I just want to help like before."

"I know." Her green eyes turned sharp once more. "But I'm serious: you need to focus on your research and growth, not waste time running errands."

She stepped around the counter, her frail figure casting a long shadow in the dim shop.

"You're losing a day of growth for every day you stay here, and losing your chance at boons." She sounded earnest.

"I'm counting on you to prolong my craft," she added softly.

He nodded solemnly: "Understood, madam. I won't disappoint you."

She relaxed and pointed: "Go. I heard they assigned Workshop No. 14 to you. Make good use of it, you're too talented to waste here. Magnus's 'Excellent' rating proves it."

He bowed deeply. "Thank you for everything. If you need help, just say so, I'm always at your service."

She nodded: "Go, young man, your future isn't in this little herb shop."

As he opened the door, the chime rang and she watched him leave with a complex look, pride and longing shining briefly.

In the backroom, she closed and locked the door. From under the counter, she pulled out a small silver mirror and surveyed the empty shop carefully before letting down a mental barrier.

In a moment, the old crone transformed, her wrinkled face smoothed, her posture straightened, and her gray hair turned lustrous purple. A breathtaking beauty appeared, her emerald eyes brighter than ever.

Then, just as quickly, she restored her old form, this time deliberately, not forced.

Her hand hovered over a scar that ran from her left rib to her right waist, too much a reminder of her past failure.

"It's astonishing. The purity of that boon... I can feel it outside of active magic."

She tested herself with a potion that measured mental corruption, a blue liquid that faded to light blue when contamination lowered.

"Corruption is down by thirty percent."

She double-checked, incredulous: "This is unreal..."

What once required suppression now felt lifted, like a stone removed from her chest, letting her breathe freely.

"If this continues, maybe... someone of six star potential could save me." Her voice trembled with emotion.

She reached for specialized materials, ashen tongues and crystalline moss, speaking to herself:

"A few more materials... I wonder when he'll gather them. Then I'll let him use it. Pity I can't leave the shop, or else..."