Andrew let out a cold laugh. "Let's cut to the chase. The elder from the Divine Alchemist is one of Theon's people, right? And Theon's using his connections upstairs to push Brielle around and come after me, isn't he?" Amari's voice dripped with bitterness. "That's exactly it. Andrew, when we get in there, if things look bad, maybe we should play it smart and let Theon have this one." Andrew let out a cold snort. "Let him have it? I'm not interested in that. Worst case, I just walk away from Sovereign's Apothecary and start fresh somewhere else." Before long, Brielle led the way into Theon's courtyard, her purple veil swaying gracefully behind her. Andrew and Amari followed close behind. "Madam Baxter, you've arrived! Please, have a seat," Theon called out cheerfully, standing up from where he had been chatting with an elderly man. He flashed a warm smile at Brielle, but he completely ignored Andrew and Amari. In the courtyard, Mikayla and Caden stood watching the scene u

Seeing Titus refuse to budge, Brielle's fury reached a breaking point. "Titus, do you even understand what you're saying? Have you lost your mind? Every sect would kill to have a ninth-grade supreme alchemist, and you're trying to drive him away? Do you have any idea how much effort it took me to convince Andrew to stay here in the first place?" Titus let out a cold snort. "I neither know nor care to know. All you need to do is follow my orders." Brielle exploded. "Titus, are you completely out of your mind? I've already told you that Mr. Lloyd is a ninth-grade supreme alchemist, vastly superior to that Theon standing next to you. You already know this, yet you still want to treat him this way? Fine then, I'll report this directly to Mr. Bowen and let him decide how to handle your incompetence." Titus smiled with contempt. "Go ahead. Report it. But let me remind you, Mr. Bowen himself ordered that this man not remain in the Sovereign's Apothecary. You still don't seem to underst

Andrew just asked Mikayla one simple question. "You want me to work for the Owens family? Come on. "Mikayla, you're not exactly a kid anymore. Do you really think the Owens family deserves me? Or are you saying you do?" Mikayla's face flushed bright red with anger and humiliation. "Fine! Since you don't know what's good for you, forget it. Without the Sovereign's Apothecary backing you and with the Divine Alchemists actively suppressing you from above, I'd like to see how far you get in the world of alchemy." Andrew could not even be bothered to respond, simply turning and walking away without another word. Amari let out a bitter laugh as they left. "Andrew, walking away like this feels good and all, but Sovereign's Apothecary is still the most prestigious alchemist institution in all of Chetvine. Are we really going to start from scratch now? "Setting everything else aside, if we don't find a reliable group to align with, just securing the raw materials for alchemy is going t

Brielle shook her head slowly. "I know what you're thinking, Andrew. You're a truly dangerous person. The Divine Alchemists are recognized as the foremost alchemy sect in the world; they have the skills, resources, and influence to command respect from alchemists everywhere. "Yet, here you are, barely thrown out the door and already planning to challenge them head-on. Honestly, if I were Julius, I wouldn't feel safe with you around either. You're like a blade with sharp edges on all sides, always capable of striking back at any moment, so of course, he'd want to eliminate you first." Andrew scoffed dismissively. "I really can't agree with that logic. Julius is the one who expelled me and tried to suppress me. Why should I show him any respect? I don't care if he's the leader of the Divine Alchemists or a martial emperor; I'm just here to practice alchemy, and he's the one pulling this power play nonsense. The one thing I absolutely can't stand is people trying to push me around."

Andrew's expression turned serious. "Madam Baxter, come with us. I know you have deep feelings for the Sovereign's Apothecary, but trust me, one day, I'll help you reclaim it." Brielle shook her head firmly. "You should know by now that I won't leave with you. If I walked away, I wouldn't be me anymore." Andrew did not push further and patted Amari on the shoulder. "Alright then, let's go." Amari looked confused as he followed Andrew toward the exit. "Andrew, we can leave, sure, but shouldn't you try harder to convince Madam Baxter? We've worked together for so many years, and I've never even seen what she looks like under that veil." Andrew replied irritably, "You think I've seen her face? She's not someone you can talk into anything. She's sentimental, no matter the cost. Even if Julius treats her poorly, she won't walk away, not when her heart's still bound by that promise she made to her mentor." Amari muttered under his breath. "That promise she mentioned… What do you th