The three of them left the café and began walking at a leisurely pace.

  "Hey, Kito. I'd like to stock up on some of the potions you made. Do you think I could buy some?" Seneca asked hesitantly.

  "Of course, Seneca. I’ve got a few prototypes as well, so do let me know what you think," Kito replied with a smile.

  "Alright!" Seneca beamed.

  By the way, the prices are close to cost price, as a special deal for friends.

  "Well then, would it be alright if we go pick them up from the Magic Academy? I can get us in, and it would be a good pce to have a more detailed discussion," Kito suggested.

  "Sounds good! Is that okay with you, Maiol?" Seneca turned to her.

  "Yes, I’ve been curious about the pce," Maiol answered.

  The three of them changed direction and continued walking.

  "Actually, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask. I’d like to request a bodyguard for Seneca’s party. I’m considering gathering herbs in the Royal Forest. I can provide potions as payment, and I was wondering if I could get a good price?" Kito asked.

  "That depends on the price, but of course. Would you prefer just Seneca and me?" Maiol replied, though she was the one handling negotiations.

  "Hmm, I’m also interested in someone like Prautia, who has the [Pnt Gathering] skill. It might be easier to manage with four of us, right?" Kito mused.

  "That’s true. With just two, we’d likely only be able to go once a month. And now that I think about it, even if we request the guild, the price shouldn’t change much whether it’s two or four people," Maiol agreed.

  "Alright then, I’ll leave the details to ter. I’ll research the guild's standard rates again," Kito decided.

  "Sounds good. I’ll check on it again myself," Maiol added.

  "I’ll help calcute too! With the matter concerning Kito, it should be easier to figure out," Seneca said eagerly.

  "Yes, that’s probably for the best. It won’t hurt to do it together," Kito agreed.

  And so, it was decided that Kito would make the request for the bodyguard.

  ...

  After about an hour of walking from the café, the Royal Magic Academy came into view, still as grand and imposing as ever.

  Kito passed through the gates with a practiced ease, showing no signs of being stopped.

  After a short walk, Kito led them to a pce called the "Private Room Building."

  "This is where individual rooms are rented out. Uppercssmen get priority, but those with recommendations are given preferential treatment, so I managed to get one," Kito expined.

  The building had a slightly gloomy aura about it.

  They entered and climbed the stairs to the third floor. The building was eerily quiet.

  At the far end of the hall was the room Kito rented.

  Kito pced her student ID against the door, and with a metallic clunk, it unlocked.

  "Alright, come on in," Kito said, opening the door.

  The room was just rge enough to fit the three of them. It was thick with the scent of medicinal herbs.

  Books were piled up on the desk, along with various tools for potion-making such as mortar and pestle and other utensils.

  "Would potions and antidotes be sufficient?" Kito asked.

  "Yes, that sounds good. Also, could you make some monster repellents? The effect of those is fantastic!" Seneca requested eagerly.

  Kito took some bottles from a wooden box on a shelf and pced them on the desk. Alongside the usual bottles, there were smaller bottles, the size typically used for perfumes.

  "These are the usual ones, and these smaller ones are prototypes," Kito expined.

  "Wow, they’re so tiny," Seneca remarked, eyes wide with curiosity.

  "Yes. So, here’s something interesting—I've levelled up to Level 2 and gained a sub-skill called [High Concentration]," Kito revealed.

  "[High Concentration]?" Maiol asked, intrigued.

  "Yes. When making potions, there's often a process of concentration. But now, I can make highly concentrated potions without needing that step," Kito expined.

  "That’s impressive! Was that a skill you wanted?" Maiol asked, raising an eyebrow.

  "Yes. It’s actually trickier to control than I expected, but it's definitely something I wanted," Kito admitted.

  Kito had specuted that, based on Seneca and Maiol's experiences, gaining proficiency in skills like this would reflect in the sub-skills you could acquire when levelling up.

  For Seneca, it had been [Magic Needle], obtained by channeling magic through her needles, while Maiol had gained [Trace] by learning to track the movement of magical energies.

  Kito, having studied the history of potion-making skill holders, had discovered the rare sub-skill [Concentration]. After much training, she managed to acquire it.

  The training was twofold. The first involved combining highly concentrated potions to create even stronger ones. The second was to slowly add materials to a diluted potion to concentrate it gradually.

  To make the training as challenging as possible, Kito used the most difficult-to-make potions avaible.

  Though Kito had come up with the idea and supervised the process, she had relied on Yulia’s advice for the finer details, ensuring a stable training regimen.

  As a result, Kito had unlocked the [High Concentration] sub-skill. It was believed that her determination for efficiency, combined with the brilliant suggestions from being apprentice, had led to her success.

  "I understand now, but what’s the advantage of being able to concentrate potions? It seems like you’re just skipping a step, but surely it’s more than that?" Maiol asked, her expression serious.

  "First, it allows me to concentrate even the most difficult potions. Then, it’s interesting because it means I might be able to make high-purity potions even from low-quality materials. Finally, when the concentration is very high, the potion might even rise in grade," Kito expined.

  Seneca, furrowing her brow in thought, and Maiol, tilting her head as she repeated Kito’s words, both took in the new information.

  Seeing their confusion, Kito decided to eborate further.

  "Some potions take an incredibly long time to concentrate, or it might be difficult to concentrate them at all due to their nature. But if I can make them concentrated from the start, it’s much more efficient," she crified.

  "I get it. It’s like how you can make saltwater more salty by boiling it down, but if it’s something that might be ruined by heat, you’d need to find another way, right?" Maiol asked confidently.

  "Exactly. The second and third points will require testing, but essentially, concentrating a potion can improve its quality," Kito confirmed.

  "So, you're saying we could make good potions even from low-grade herbs, or possibly create mid-level potions from low-level materials?" Seneca asked, her eyes bright with understanding.

  "Exactly! Well done, Seneca," Kito praised, gently ruffling her hair.

  Seneca looked pleased, though she tried to act nonchant.

  "And that means we’ll be the ones testing it, right?" Maiol asked with a mischievous grin.

  "Yes, that's right. I know it's safe for the body, so I’m counting on you. I'd love to hear feedback from adventurers who use potions regurly," Kito said, giving them a hopeful look.

  "Leave it to us!" Maiol decred proudly, thumping her chest.

  "Wait a second… Kito, are you hiding something from us?" Seneca asked, her gaze sharp as she looked at Kito.

  "...It’s bitter," Kito mumbled.

  "What?" Seneca asked, confused.

  "It’s incredibly bitter. Like, the kind of bitterness that feels like the end of the world," Kito expined.

  At that, Maiol burst out ughing.

  "We once got tricked by a Gold-ranked adventurer named Attalos and had to eat the bark of a Pinus tree. If you haven’t experienced the unfiltered bitterness of that bark, you haven’t truly tasted despair," Maiol chuckled, her tone light.

  "Attalos? Isn't he our homeroom teacher?" Seneca asked, her eyes wide.

  "Yeah, he’s our teacher, but he’s also a rival. Right, Seneca?" Maiol grinned.

  Seneca, recognising the underlying danger, wisely kept silent.

  "Alright, I’ll give it a taste," Maiol said, picking up one of the small bottles containing the highly concentrated potion. She took a sip.

  Kito had intended to stop her, but it was too te.

  "Ugh…" Maiol groaned as the bitter taste hit her.

  The potion, indeed, was as bitter as Kito had warned.