Hale was someone completely out of his league.
But that didn't mean he hadn't heard of the man.
It was precisely because he had only heard of Hale that he was even more curious about just how skilled this highly praised traditional doctor actually was.
He had been deeply regretful when he heard of Hale's passing.
So, now that Hale's student had suddenly appeared on his turf, how could he possibly pass up the chance to meet her?
"She's way too young," Xavier muttered to himself.
Claire wasn't deaf, so naturally, she heard him.
She didn't engage, leaving Dr. Duncan to handle the negotiations with Xavier.
When it came to using the tools, Claire finally turned to Xavier and expressed her thanks.
"Ancient medicine preparation methods are rarely seen these days, and even fewer people have the patience for it."
"If you don't mind my two clumsy students, let them be your assistants."
Xavier was testing Claire's skills while simultaneously pushing his own students.
He wanted to show them what a real master looked like, so they wouldn't go around
acting like experts when they only had a superficial grasp of the craft.
He believed that someone Abbott praised so highly definitely had some genuine skill.
But still, didn't that need to be verified first?
"Do they know how to process the herbs?"
Claire knew exactly what he was trying to do and didn't refuse; having people help out would make things easier for her anyway.
"How do you want them processed? I'll do it for you."
In the end, it was Xavier himself who ended up playing assistant, while his two students stood on the sidelines, completely useless.
They truly had no idea what to do, and Xavier quickly realized that bringing his two students along was a bit of a humiliation; not only were they unhelpful, but they were actually getting in the way.
By the end of it, he refused to let them lift a finger.
Xavier willingly acted as Claire's assistant, and processing the herbs went much faster.
The actual medicine preparation process flowed perfectly naturally.
Watching Claire's practiced, fluid movements, Xavier knew she was the real deal.
Brewing the medicine took a
painfully long time, and most people would
heir patience, b credibly cut Claire
Xavier couldn't be of much help later on, so he spent the time lecturing his two students.
He told them to take notes and learn.
The two students were usually considered the cream of the crop, but compared to Claire they really had nothing to say.
This time, they were utterly convinced of their own inferiority.
"Now you finally realize there's always someone better out there, right?"
Seeing his two students looking completely utterly defeated, Xavier mercilessly laughed at them.
Dr. Duncan hadn't stayed in the room the whole time, so Claire let him know when the medicine was finally ready.
The paste was sitting in the pot, needing to cool down for a bit before it could be applied to the patient.
She only called Dr. Duncan over once she judged the temperature was right.
"Claire, aren't you going to use a thermometer to check?" one of Xavier's students asked.
Before Claire could even open her mouth, Xavier snapped at his own student. "Do you think she's like you?"
"Only beginners like you need to rely on measuring tools for everything."
"Someone like Claire can tell the exact temperature just by touching It is like dispensing herbs, she has an instinctive feel for the weight, like a human scale."
The student was chewed out so badly she couldn't say a word.
She really did need a scale; if the dosage was off, it could cost someone their life.
Hadn't their professor always taught them that medicine required the utmost precision?
Why was she getting yelled at for it now?
Claire smiled. "Director Barrett is right. Practice makes perfect. You'll be able to do it
too one day."