Above the mage!

Chapter 547 How did you do that?
While on the ship, Leni had already inquired beforehand and learned that among the professionals who had come to the North with her, there were twelve, including herself, just among the potion masters.

There was even a third-tier potion master among them, while she was the only first-tier potion master.

Not only is she at the lowest professional rank, but she can only concoct weak potions.
This will undoubtedly put her in a very awkward situation.

Strictly speaking, her status as a first-tier potion master is merely a formality, and she is not qualified.

In this situation, what kind of treatment would the tribal chief provide for her?
The Northwest Barley No. 2 variety we're eating tonight is probably out of the question.

This barley is so amazing; it must be extremely precious and scarce in the North.

She "knew" that the Zhenbing tribe was offering such good things to their new guests because they wanted to make a good impression.

In the future, only those third-tier professionals will be able to enjoy such good food.

As the lowest-ranking member among the hundred professionals, she certainly wouldn't get a turn.

However, Leni quickly shook her head, dismissing these unrealistic hopes.

She had prepared herself mentally before boarding the cargo ship bound for the North.

If one can make a living in the North with this less-than-remarkable skill, without having to live in constant fear for one's life like in Black Sails, then that is already a great stroke of luck.

After tidying everything up, Leni looked around, nodded with satisfaction, and clenched her fist to give herself a quiet pep talk:
"Liannie, don't think too much. Just live a good life here from now on!"

Tuk Tuk——

A rhythmic knock on the door sounded.

This sound was unlike any other knocking sound.

The doors to the buildings in the camp were not made of wood, but of a mixture of stone and animal bones.

It is sturdy and durable, and produces a dull yet clear echo when struck.

Leni Thornton felt a sudden tightness in her chest.

This was a habit she developed in Black Sails City, but she quickly relaxed.

It's been three days since we arrived here, and every night the warden named Claude comes to visit them one by one at this time.

On the first day, I asked them if they had any needs in their daily lives and patiently gave them a brief introduction to Phoenix.

The next evening, they came to collect and inquire about their basic personal information.

They're probably here tonight to confirm the follow-up work arrangements, right?

Leni straightened her robe and tidied her hair to make sure she looked presentable.

Her robe was actually rather thin, but as a mage, she could withstand the cold with her ability to endure the environment.

Leni walked quickly to the door and opened it.

Then, she froze.

Because this time, there were three people standing at the door, not just Claude.

The one on the far left is Claude, whom she knows well.

Today, however, his face was less gentle and more solemn. He stood taller than usual, even bowing his head slightly, as if to highlight the status of the person next to him.

The two people with Claude were people she had never seen at the camp before.

The man and woman were both unusually young, looking no more than twenty years old, yet they exuded a calm and composed aura that belied their age.

The male mage was dressed in an exquisite outfit of blue, white and black. He was tall and straight, but not as burly as the people of the North. He looked more like a human from the outside world.

The female mage, on the other hand, had a completely different aura.

She was tall and slender, dressed in a snow-white robe, with skin as white as the snow and ice of the North, and features so exquisite that even noble ladies from the outside world could not compare.

Especially her eyes, which shone with a cool light, as if they could see through people's hearts. Standing there, she exuded a noble aura. She was beautiful but had a strong sense of distance, making people dare not approach her easily.

What shocked Leni even more was that Claude was actually half a body length behind the two of them.

She knew all too well what this subtle movement meant.

“Lenny, these two are our King God and War Mother Sunefa,” Claude spoke first, his voice more solemn than usual.

He nodded to Leni, then turned to the two men and respectfully introduced them:
“My king, my mother, this is Leni Thornvine.”

The King and War Mother of the Zhenbing Tribe?
The two names exploded in Leni Thornvine's mind like a thunderclap.

The unexpected visit of the two most powerful people in this territory, who held all the power, left her somewhat at a loss.

She instinctively took a half step back, leaned slightly forward, and nervously clasped her hands together, unsure of what kind of etiquette to perform.

In the city of Carmond, she had only seen the lord once from afar, and the commoners bowed in greeting; in the city of Black Sails, there was no such thing as "etiquette".

This is the typical reaction of ordinary people when they meet "important people".

Although he was just a "big shot" in the North, a first-tier potion master cannot be considered a commoner in the usual sense.

While Leni Thornton was stunned by his arrival, God was also sizing her up.

He sized up the potion master who had come all the way from Phoenix to see him as soon as possible after he and Sunefa finished reviewing the information.

Leni Thornton was even less remarkable than described in the materials.

She was less than 1.6 meters tall, and standing at the door, she looked as thin as a piece of paper.

Her light brown hair was casually tied back with a cloth band. Her face was a typical baby face, with low cheekbones, a soft jawline, a small nose, and thin lips, which were now pressed into a straight line due to nervousness.

Its light brown eyes, like the pebbles commonly found along the edges of country fields, were now staring anxiously at the ground, avoiding eye contact with Gao De.

She looked very young, probably only around twenty years old, but Gaode knew that she was actually twenty-five.

The information listed Leni's actual age, but her overly thin frame, childlike face, and lingering rural air made her appear several years younger than her actual age.

Moreover, this "naivety" is incompatible with her identity as a "first-ring mage".

Because every formal mage carries a certain degree of arrogance, but Leni only exudes an inescapable sense of restraint.

However, Gao De was not surprised, because he knew the other party's background and experience.

—In fact, you can roughly determine her background just by looking at Leni Thornton's surname.

Only commoners, especially the poorest commoners in the countryside, would use plants or minerals commonly found in the fields as their surnames.

Surnames like "Wheat," "Limestone," and "Thorns" are typical of commoners in the countryside. Nobles would never use such "cheap" words to define their families.

“Pharmacist Leni, won’t you invite us in?” Gao De broke the silence first, his tone gentle, afraid of aggravating her nervousness.

Leni snapped out of her daze, abruptly raising her head, her light brown eyes filled with panic. She quickly stepped aside to make way, "Your Highness, Mother of the War, please come in, please come in... It's just that the room is a bit small, I'm afraid I'll slight you both..."

She suddenly stopped mid-sentence, her cheeks instantly turning bright red:

This house is a temporary residence assigned by the North, not her own. Saying that the "room is small" is an implication that the North did not provide adequate hospitality.

Feeling she had said something wrong but unsure how to salvage the situation, Leni stood frozen, her face flushed red.

She stood there, clutching the hem of her clothes helplessly, her lips moving but not knowing what to say.

Gao De noticed the other person's nervousness, and naturally stepped into the house, asking as if having a casual chat:
"Don't be nervous, this is your third day in the North."

Leni nodded somewhat stiffly. "Yes, this is the third day."

"How are things? Are you satisfied with life here? Is there anything you need?" (Image: Gaode Map - Typical Leader's Inspection Quotes)

"Very satisfied. There's nothing I need, it's perfect as it is."

Claude had actually asked her these questions on the very first night.

So even though Leni's brain is still in a daze, she still mechanically recited the answer from the day before yesterday.

Upon entering the room, Gao De looked around and noticed that there was only one chair in the entire room, and there were four of them.

Obviously, it's not good to let anyone sit there.

“Claude, we need to furnish the place more; they need to entertain guests in their rooms.” He turned to Claude and said this, naturally choosing to stand and talk.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Claude replied immediately.

Sunefa then chimed in, looking at Leni, her tone equally calm: "The accommodations we've arranged for you so far are temporary and a bit basic. Once your work assignments are finalized, we'll get you better accommodations as soon as possible, so don't worry."

"Huh?!" Leni Thornvine hadn't reacted yet and responded blankly.

Even now, she still doesn't quite understand what Gaode and Sunafa are there for.

If they were to show concern for new talent, they should be looking for those third-tier potion masters and alchemists, not for her, the most inconspicuous first-tier potion master.

Even if the two leaders are very friendly, they shouldn't be this free, right?

And isn't it said that the people of the North are very hostile to outsiders?
These two people in front of me not only look like noble ladies and gentlemen from the outside world, but they are also exceptionally approachable.
Gao De had no idea what Leni was thinking.

However, the existence of [Sensing Emotions+] made him realize that from the moment he and Sunefa appeared until now, the other party's tension had not diminished even slightly.

Although he tried his best to relax the other person by chatting casually, it obviously didn't work.

So he simply skipped all the preamble and stated his purpose directly.

“Sunefa and I came here today for two reasons: first, to welcome you talented people on behalf of Phoenix and to learn about your living conditions; and second, specifically to see you, Pharmacist Leni.”

"You came specifically to see me?"

Leni, you mean me? JPG.

Her voice even changed tone.

The king of a tribe would certainly not joke with her.

But why?

She was just a mage who had been promoted to the first ring by luck, and could only make some weak potions that were "not presentable". She had neither the strength of a high-ring mage nor the skills of a high-level professional. What made her worthy of making them make a special trip?
Gao De nodded, took out a piece of parchment from his pocket, and handed it to the other person.

This is Leni's detailed information.

"I've seen your file. You were born in Acorn Village, southwest of Carmond City, in the Duchy of Farol. You're the daughter of an ordinary farmer, right?"

Leni nodded subconsciously. "Yes, Your Highness."

“A small place like Acorn Village, where there are hardly any mage apprentices, yet you managed to come out of there and become a first-ring mage. That’s remarkable,” Gao De said with affirmation.

Leni lowered her head even further.

Gao De then changed the subject, mentioning her later experiences: "After your father's unexpected death, you left Acorn Village and went to Carmond City."

During your time in Carmond, you launched a cheap, low-potency healing potion, capturing a large share of the city's civilian market and making a considerable amount of money.

"It was during that time that your mage level advanced by leaps and bounds, from a second-level apprentice to a first-ring mage, right?"

Leni nodded mechanically.

"But ever since you arrived in Black Sails City, your weak potions have lost their market. You can't make money, and you can't obtain cultivation resources. Your mage level has been stuck at the early stage of the first ring and hasn't improved since."

Following the records, Gao De continued, his tone devoid of judgment, offering only an objective statement: "Judging from this, your mage talent shouldn't be considered outstanding. Your advancement to the next level was mainly due to the resources you accumulated?"

Upon hearing Gao De's question, Leni lowered her head and said in an extremely humble manner, "Your Highness, you guessed right. My mage talent is quite average. The reason I was able to advance one level quickly was entirely due to the money I earned from selling weak potions, which I used to buy 'energy potions' and 'spirit herb juice'. The final breakthrough was also due to luck."

"I just thought I'd give it a try, and I never expected it to actually work."

At this point, as if she had made up her mind, she simply laid all her cards on the table: "Moreover, my talent in potion-making is also mediocre, even extremely poor. I simply cannot concoct potions with the standard effects that potion-makers of the same level can."

"Those weak potions are actually defective products that I had to make because I couldn't concoct the original potions."

Leni deliberately emphasized the words "defective product," as if she was lowering Gaode's expectations in advance.

She knew her own limitations all too well, and it was better to be honest now than to be found out later that she was "pretending to be something she'd not."

Anyway, she didn't have high expectations for the North: a place to stay, food to eat, and no more worries about being hunted down were enough for her.

As for whether she could be valued or receive better treatment, she didn't even dare to think about it.

Gao De listened quietly without saying a word, while Sunafa stood to the side, her cool gaze falling on Leni's tense face, lost in thought.

Just as Leni was lost in thought, worrying about how the two would react after she revealed her secret, Gao De suddenly asked, "How did you do that?"

Leni didn't immediately understand what Gao De was asking. Her light brown eyes were full of confusion, and she didn't know how to answer.

When Gao De saw that Leni didn't speak, he immediately realized that his question was too vague.

He smiled, slowed his speech, and continued:
"What I mean is, when you were still a second-class mage apprentice in Carmond City, how were you able to concoct so many weak potions all by yourself?"

(End of this chapter)