As the noon sun filtered through the prismatic glass of the academy corridor's vaulted ceiling, casting rainbow-hued flecks of light on the floor, Allen stepped into Public Dining Hall No. 1.
This was the dining hall for all the lower-level apprentices. The space was expansive, decorated with slowly rotating brass orreries and faintly glowing plants. The air was filled with the mingled aromas of various foods.
Allen wasn't particular about food. To him, eating was merely a necessary procedure to replenish his bodily functions.
But he had to admit, the recently introduced "Flametail Drake Tendon in Creamy White Mushroom Soup" was truly delicious.
It was both delicious and provided the energy needed to support the high-intensity Spiritual Power consumption of the afternoon. The only problem was the hefty price tag.
After paying the steep price, Allen carried his tray and scanned the dining hall.
The DSeek interface overlaid a data stream on his retinas, quickly tagging the identity of every recognizable apprentice in his field of view.
His objective was clear: find the two members of his Learning Mutual Aid Group who worked part-time in the Alchemy Workshop Zone.
This wasn't a matter of simply waiting and hoping for a chance encounter; DSeek had calculated this as a high-probability point of intersection based on their class schedules and daily routines.
Soon, the system highlighted two figures at a table for two in a corner of the dining hall with green boxes.
[Target located: Marcus Bell, Thomas Lee.]
Marcus was brawny and was currently wolfing down a huge platter of meat. The calorie count of his meal was at least double Allen's.
Thomas, who sat across from him, was slighter of build. He wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses and was carefully spooning soup into his mouth.
The hems of their Apprentice Robes were stained with a grayish-black dust, like the residue left from processing materials.
Allen walked over to their table. The soft clink of his tray as he set it down made both of them look up simultaneously.
"Mr. Allen!" Marcus mumbled, his mouth stuffed with food. His expression was a mixture of respect and surprise.
Thomas, on the other hand, shot to his feet, looking a little flustered. "Instructor Allen, what brings you here?"
Within the Learning Mutual Aid Group, Allen was the absolute authority. He had earned everyone's complete trust with his indisputable knowledge and the immediate results he produced.
"Sit down. No need to be so formal during a meal."
Allen took an empty seat at their table and began cutting into his fish fillet. "I hear you're working part-time in the Alchemy Workshop Zone."
"Yes, sir," Marcus said, swallowing his food and answering eagerly. "We're in the prep workshop for Hansen Potion Shop, helping process some basic herbs and minerals. The pay isn't great, but it helps subsidize the costs of our training."
Allen nodded. This matched the information DSeek had gathered.
He didn't beat around the bush, getting straight to the point. "I have to go to Alchemy Workshop No. 17 in H District tomorrow, and I wanted to get some information ahead of time. Are you familiar with it?"
Hearing "H District, Number 17," the expressions on both Marcus and Thomas changed.
Thomas pushed up his glasses and lowered his voice. "Instructor, that's not a place someone like us can go. That's Master Draven's workshop."
"Draven?" Allen repeated the name as the DSeek database began to sync and record.
"Draven Craig. An Advanced Apprentice, said to be only a single step away from becoming an Official Wizard."
Thomas's voice was filled with awe. "He's an Advanced Apprentice who has studied for five years in the 'School of Universal Transmutation' within the Alchemy specialization. His workshop has one of the highest rents in all of H District. Part-timers like us only dare to glance at it from a distance."
Marcus added, "I heard from the old-timers at the workshop that Senior Draven mostly does business with the new students. He sells special potions he brews himself, and their effects are way better than the standard stock in the academy store. Of course, the prices are... extremely high."
Allen's fork froze in mid-air. He had latched onto a key piece of information. "Special potions? What kind, specifically?"
"Like... a 'Focus Potion'," Thomas recalled. "They say if you drink one, your Meditation efficiency increases by three hundred percent for an hour. There's also one called 'Spark of Inspiration' that can give you a chance at a breakthrough when you hit a bottleneck constructing a Rune. They're nothing like the run-of-the-mill basic Spiritual Power recovery potions."
"Who are his primary customers?" Allen pressed.
"New students like us, and some of the upper-year apprentices."
Marcus scratched his head. "The ones who come from wealthy families but aren't exactly top-tier in terms of talent are his biggest customers. A single 'Focus Potion' costs fifteen Magic Stones—that's as much as we make in a month of doing odd jobs. I've heard his business hasn't been doing so well lately, though."
The "bakery" and "wheat" analogy, relayed to him earlier by that scrawny new student, instantly clicked into place in Allen's mind.
'Draven sells potions, and his study notes are likely part of his business as well. The "wheat" is what brings him profit.'
'His customers are the new students desperate to become stronger but who lack the proper methods. Now, they are being gathered by my Learning Mutual Aid Group. My group is the "bakery" he was talking about.'
'Draven's invitation... he probably wants to control the "bakery" to sell his products.'
[DSeek Analysis Module initializing...]
[Target: Draven Craig.]
[Business Model: Consumable retail. Products: Self-brewed enhancement potions, study notes, etc.]
[Target Customers: New, lower-level, and Advanced Apprentices. Possess high purchasing power, currently facing training bottlenecks.]
[Inference: Subject views the 'Learning Mutual Aid Group' as a highly concentrated channel of potential customers. The purpose of this invitation is interest consolidation, with the intent of incorporating Allen Wesren's knowledge-service system as a downstream component of his product sales chain.]
"I understand."
Allen wiped his mouth with his napkin and said to the pair, "This information is very useful. I'm waiving your fees for the Learning Mutual Aid Group this month."
Marcus and Thomas both froze, their eyes flaring with overjoyed surprise.
Fifteen Magic Stones was a fortune to them.
"Thank you! Thank you! We can't thank you enough!"
Allen simply gave a calm nod, picked up his tray, and rose to leave.
'He had no interest in maintaining their cheap gratitude. An exchange of value formed the most stable of relationships.'
Instead of returning to his dorm after leaving the dining hall, Allen headed for the academy's Central Library.
The Central Library was one of the most magnificent structures in the Seven Towers Alliance, a breathtaking sight from any angle.
Allen's objective was clear. He stopped in front of a search terminal at the entrance and extended his Spiritual Power to interface with it.
[Keywords entered: School of Alchemy, Universal Transmutation, Potion-making]
[Searching...]
Allen found three introductory books: *An Overview of the School of Alchemy: From Matter to Mystery*, *Fundamentals of Universal Transmutation: Equivalent Exchange and Conservation of Energy*, and *On the Essence of the Soul and the Morphological Variations of Magic Power*.
Once he had his targets, he navigated the stacks, quickly found the three books, and paid the eight-Magic Stone fee.
He went to a nearby reading area, sat down, and began to read intently while DSeek simultaneously recorded and processed the information.
The book, *An Overview of the School of Alchemy: From Matter to Mystery*, contained a description of the School of Alchemy itself.
It was a school that believed "wisdom creates miracles, and divinity can be attained through external means."
Its followers did not rely solely on their innate talent, but rather achieved great leaps in power by studying the laws of the universe and leveraging tools and resources.
Wizards from the School of Alchemy were known for their efficient use of resources and their prowess in large-scale warfare.
But all of this was built on a single foundation: a massive investment of money. The value of a single, fully-equipped Alchemy Workshop was enough to bankrupt an entire Mortal Kingdom.
This explained why Draven was so eager to cash in on the new students.
His research burned through Magic Stones every second.