Time ticked by. After a while, Ada finally freed herself from the alchemical apparatus.

Wiping the fine beads of sweat from her brow, she gave me a smile.

"Miss Myra, the Azure Belladonna Elixir is ready. Your companion will wake soon."

Ada dissolved all the instruments on the table into grey light, storing them in her Alchemical Pouch. Only a glass bottle remained in her hand.

Larger than the Magic Storm apparatus, it held clear liquid shimmering with a faint azure glow—the finished elixir.

Once everything was packed away, Ada handed me the bottle.

"Just have the girl drink it directly," she instructed.

Staring at the potion, I hesitated.

"Miss Ada... this may be rude to ask, but... are there any dangerous side effects to the Azure Belladonna Elixir?"

Ada chuckled. "Don’t worry. It’s only a Tier-2 potion. Its purpose is simply to maintain alertness and stimulate consciousness—no physical harm. The only ‘side effect’ is temporary insomnia after drinking it."

Her words swept away my worries. My own knowledge confirmed it: no real drawbacks.

I called Eunice back inside, then approached Rosalynd. Carefully uncorking the bottle, I gently poured the elixir down her throat.

I stepped back, clutching the empty bottle, heart pounding. Rosalynd lay motionless on the bed.

No reaction yet?

Silence thickened in the room—so quiet you could hear a pin drop. All eyes fixed on the silver-haired girl, waiting.

But Rosalynd showed no sign of waking. It was as if she’d drunk plain water, not the potent elixir.

Ada’s brow furrowed slightly. She moved to Rosalynd’s side, felt her forehead, then leaned down to listen to the sleeping girl’s heartbeat.

Sighing softly, she turned to Eunice. "What tier is this girl, exactly? Swordsman? Or Knight?"

"Radiant Tier," Eunice replied after a pause. "An exceptionally strong Radiant—nearly matched the strength of the Empire’s Order Knights."

*Nearly? She **is** one.*

"How old is she...?" Ada murmured, slightly taken aback.

Even Rodney of House Morse—a genius by any measure—had barely reached Blazing Gold.

Ada shook her head, gazing at the bedridden girl. "If she truly is Radiant-tier, the Azure Belladonna Elixir won’t work on her."

"Why not?"

So Rosalynd still wouldn’t wake... Disheartened, I lowered my gaze.

"Radiant-tier warriors differ from ordinary people. Her body has activated a self-preservation mechanism during this prolonged slumber."

"Self-preservation? Is that why the elixir failed?"

Ada nodded. "Yes. Her inner power forms a barrier the elixir cannot penetrate. Even Venomheart Vine poison wouldn’t affect her now—it’s a protective instinct."

"I assumed... she’d be at most a Radiant Silver Swordsman," Ada admitted, guilt flickering across her face. "I only prepared the Azure Belladonna..."

"Don’t blame yourself, Miss Ada. I should’ve explained her condition first," I consoled her.

Ada offered an apologetic smile. "I’m sorry. Treatment will take longer. We’ll need Revival Elixir now."

"Revival Elixir?" I asked, intrigued—my mental archives held no record of it.

"A Tier-4 potion," she explained. "It heals internal organs, restoring the body to peak condition. A stab to the heart? Drink this within minutes, and you’ll survive—as long as vital functions remain intact."

I sucked in a quiet breath. *That* potent?

"The Revival Elixir can bypass her self-preservation barrier and rouse her consciousness," Ada continued hesitantly. "But its core ingredients are rare. I only have one on hand."

"We’ll secure the materials," Eunice stated firmly. "How long can she hold on?"

"If she doesn’t wake..." Ada’s voice grew grave. "She’ll sleep until death claims her. Her Radiant-tier power sustains her life through that barrier. When it fades—so does she."

*Six months. Rosalynd has six months left.*

Dusk had fallen by the time we escorted Ada back to her flower shop. Returning to Violet’s quiet home with the alchemical shopping list, my mood darkened with the night.

*We must gather these ingredients—fast.*

But how?

My first thought was Violet’s father, President Bluton. As head of Bluewater City’s largest guild—the Golden Radiance Flower Merchant Guild—he could surely obtain them.

Yet Bluton was a shrewd merchant first, a father second. Would he help without demanding a price? These materials were exceptionally rare.

Eunice, however, remained calm.

"Don’t worry, Myra," she said softly, sensing my unease. "I have a way. We’ll take a four-star commission as freelance mercenaries."

"Freelance? Is it dangerous?"

Unlike large mercenary companies, freelancers handled discreet, personal jobs—too sensitive for guilds. Some even worked as private investigators for wealthy clients.

Four-star commissions were high-risk.

"Danger?" Eunice’s tone was steady. "I’m no ordinary Radiant-tier swordsman myself."