After thinking it over, Leonius indicated, "Half... that's not impossible."

A trace of pain flashed through Leonius's eyes. "But you need to help me prepare the Furnace Potion, that is, the King's Secret Brew. I need at least two doses. Professor Augustine, are you confident you can do it?"

"I need two doses of King's Secret Brew."

Locke thought for a moment. If this had been a year ago, he probably could only refuse this business, or after careful consideration, see whether to take it on.

But after training at Feathered Serpent Pavilion for a year, things were different now. With his current potion studies level, plus the two treasures of Primordial Fire and Pure Flow Filter Stone, preparing King's Secret Brew, that is, Furnace Potion, was just a matter requiring a bit of effort.

Locke said, "I can, but not today. I need to recover my condition. The day after tomorrow."

Recently, his condition had never fully recovered. After fighting that Nidhogg in the wizard secret realm last time, his mental state had been listless. Preparing Furnace Potion required highly concentrated attention.

After thinking for a moment, Locke still decided to delay to prevent his condition from becoming even worse before fully recovering.

After all, regarding this part, as Witch Yekaterina said, he could currently only recover through natural sleep.

Ultimately, it was because his previous battle with the First Circle crystallization stage wizard using ritual magic was truly too intense.

He should try to avoid battles of that scale in the future. After all, each one was an enormous drain on his energy.

Wizard Leonius heard Locke wanted him to wait a day and was somewhat nervous, but after thinking it over, he said, "Alright, then we'll meet at Feathered Serpent Pavilion tomorrow."

"Before coming, I tattooed Abjuration School's Dimensional Banishment incantation on myself..."

Locke nodded slightly, unconcerned. Every black wizard, for some reason, always felt he might harm them.

But actually, there was no need.

Just like his previous battle losses—as long as there was combat, there would inevitably be consumption.

It wasn't like winning meant anything special. Even though he won before, he was listless for over a week, spending each day almost entirely sleeping.

Even so, his condition hadn't recovered to optimal state.

So trying to obtain desired items through robbery was really quite inefficient. Since there were now methods for peaceful trade, there was no need to fight.

When there was no way to trade, then considering whether to fight was more appropriate.

Locke said, "Do you want me to arrange lodging for you?"

Leonius thought for a moment. "Good. It's hard to find lodging in this White Dragon Tower. If you can arrange something for me, that would be even better."

"Right now, Professor Augustine is quite famous in our archaeologist circles."

Locke showed a puzzled expression. "Warwick shouldn't be spreading this everywhere, right?"

"Wait..."

What was he thinking?

What expectations could he have for archaeology wizards who specifically sold information for a living, hoping they'd keep their mouths shut?

Leonius said, "Warwick often tells other archaeology wizards that you, Professor Augustine, have Primordial Fire and your potion studies level is very profound."

"So over the past year, many archaeology wizards have heard your name."

Locke smiled bitterly.

Forget it. Anyway, he didn't operate in black wizard lands. This way, in the future, some archaeology wizards would actively seek him out, asking him to help them refine potions, and he could take this opportunity to collect archaeology resources.

This was quite beneficial for him.

Let it be this way for now.

As for attracting attention?

Honestly, for him who wanted to explore the path of truth, this was a non-existent false proposition.

Every step toward better wizard lands and better teaching positions eliminated who knows how many wizard competitors.

Take his desire to enter Advanced Origin Academy—every year, the admission quota for Advanced Origin Academy was fixed, subject to macroeconomic regulation by the White Wizard Association headquarters.

If you got in this year, others couldn't.

People were already offended in this process.

To avoid offending people, one could only be mediocre, only go with the flow.

To move upward required letting others know one's name. Keeping a low profile would only miss opportunities.

Of course, attracting too much public attention wasn't good either.

Locke nodded, stood up, and wrote an address for Leonius. "Mr. Leonius, this is a vacant residence. You can stay there first. That residence has some servants you can use freely, but in our White Wizard Association, even servants cannot be killed casually."

"Once targeted by the Ethics Review Committee, problems will be very serious."

He had recently been targeted by the Ethics Review Committee because of Wizard Nidhogg's death. Fortunately, he had a True Sight Orb that recorded the entire process, plus the Plutarch family's influence in the Land of Six Towers' White Wizard Association branch, so he wouldn't receive any punishment.

On the contrary, the Basil family felt guilty and therefore made a series of concessions to the Plutarch family, even transferring several industries to the Plutarch family.

Wizard Leonius smiled. "Alright, I won't cause you trouble. I'm a visiting guest, so naturally I can't cause you trouble."

The two spoke a few sentences, mutually agreed on certain conditions, then Leonius noticed Locke seemed to have something to do and actively left the second-floor quiet room.

Only Locke remained in the quiet room.

Locke summoned the gray stone tablet and saw it continuously vibrating. It was Director Morrison actively contacting him.

Locke chose to accept Director Morrison's video call request. The next moment, Director Morrison's image appeared. He seemed to be in an ecological garden.

That ecological garden was full of potato magical plants floating in midair. These potato-type magical plants were cultivated neither in soil nor water, but in mist.

Potatoes floated in midair. Without touching soil or water sources, some white clouds floating in midair could actively spray rain mixed with nutrient solution to nourish those potatoes.

This was an extremely sophisticated cultivation method. Locke had only seen it in books before. This way could minimize plant diseases as much as possible.

Because there was no need to contact too many things.

Especially potatoes, which were prone to magical fungal diseases.

But using this method for cultivation, if it were ordinary potatoes it would be fine, but First Circle and above potato magical plants required large amounts of nutrients, so the requirements for breeding equipment were extremely high. Therefore, the Land of Six Towers had no laboratories that could do this.

As soon as Director Morrison's image appeared, Locke heard him instructing several First Circle wizard assistants on techniques for operating non-contact cultivation of potato magical plants.

After finishing the instructions, Director Morrison turned to look at Locke and said, "Little Locke, I've been quite busy recently, as you can see."

"However, I still found time in my busy schedule as the Cloud Marsh Cup competition committee to negotiate with two Advanced Origin Academies for you."

Director Morrison said, "By the way, did you meet with Witch Yekaterina?"

"This time she suddenly made many concessions in negotiations with me. How strange. She recently wants to join that Cloud Marsh Wetland Ten-Person Plan."

"Her demand for resources, talents, and projects should be extremely high, but I didn't expect her to be so agreeable this time."

Director Morrison said, "In comparison, unfortunately, Bonifacius University, which I strongly recommended you go to, really disappointed me."

"And let me down."

"They wouldn't even concede project autonomy." A trace of anger flashed through Director Morrison's eyes. "The new Advanced Origin Academy dean who recently took office at Bonifacius, the Third Circle wizard Valentinian, is an Alchemy School textile sub-direction wizard."

"He neither understands breeding studies and botany nor respects them much." Director Morrison had clearly been greatly discouraged and sighed. "If it were last year's breeding studies background Origin Academy dean, I'd still be very confident in negotiating a very good contract for you."

"Unfortunately, this year's Bonifacius Academy Origin Academy dean is a newcomer from Alchemy School background who knows nothing about our botany."