Chapter 62
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 62
Of course, this wasn't the full extent of her talent.
Felicia was a genius in every sense, from her extraordinary eyes to her sense of power control and even her ability to teach others.
However, possessing a field of vision different from others meant starting with an overwhelming advantage.
‘At the very least, I feel like I could knock down a whole crowd of knights at my level even if they all rushed me at once.’
Whooooosh.
It was just as Lucian clenched his fists in excitement.
The swirling torrent of mana began to subside little by little. It seemed the effects of the Nectar were finally wearing off.
“Is everyone alright?”
Fwoosh!
“Gah! Third Young Master, you mustn't speak right now!”
Oops.
Lucian quickly shut his mouth as the mana, reacting to his brief words, lashed out at Raymond. It was lucky that it hit Raymond; had it been Ian, the force would have knocked him unconscious instantly.
Psssssssh.
Only after several minutes did the mana completely die down, sounding like a campfire being extinguished. He worried that his newly acquired vision might vanish along with the mana, but fortunately, that didn't happen.
‘I need to start my swordsmanship training the moment I get back.’
Lucian checked several times to ensure there was no residual mana before speaking again.
“I was worried since you were struck by the mana earlier, but you seem fine. As expected of a Black Lion.”
“That’s my line! What on earth was that just now?! Where did all that mana suddenly come from?!”
“What else? This medicine amplified my mana. Its effect is a bit excessive, but it’s a good medicine.”
“Excessive doesn't even begin to cover it! That level of mana isn't something a human should be able to contain! A normal person would have exploded and died instantly...?”
Raymond stopped shouting and stared at Lucian with strange eyes. Come to think of it, that density was something no human could possibly withstand. How did he manage it?
“My constitution is a bit unique. I might succumb to poison, but I won't die just because the quantity of mana is high.”
“No, what does that even mean? Are you hiding something else again?”
“I’ll tell you later. For now, I think we need to take care of that fellow first.”
Raymond turned his head in the direction Lucian was pointing. There, Ian lay collapsed, having used a fallen bookshelf as cover.
“Ugh... uuuuh... eeee...”
Even though the mana had subsided, Ian was still incoherent, muttering nonsense. It seemed the sudden pressure combined with his frail body had caused a temporary shock.
“It would be a disaster if he died like this. He’s the genius of the century who will turn the world upside down, after all.”
Raymond couldn't even laugh at Lucian’s joke. The boy had achieved something that even the phrase 'genius of the century' failed to fully capture.
‘It’s an unbelievable mana amplification effect. Taking it as is would make one’s body explode, but if it were diluted to a level a human could handle...’
Even by the most conservative estimate, it would be equivalent to decades of mana circulation. Furthermore, with that level of purity, the amount produced through dilution would be staggering.
If this could be produced stably even once every few years, it was an item that could shift the entire power balance of the continent. Just imagining the ripple effect made cold sweat drench Raymond's back.
“Raymond.”
Lost in thought, Raymond flinched and looked up at the sound of his name. Lucian spoke in a tone so serious it was unimaginable compared to his usual way of speaking.
“Who is your lord?”
“....”
Raymond closed his eyes at the question, which was loaded with meaning. Strictly speaking, his current lord was Grand Duke Sigmund. If he were to fulfill his duty as a knight, he would have to report everything he saw today to the Grand Duke.
However, feeling the hesitation in his heart, Raymond asked himself:
‘Is that truly the right thing to do?’
Setting aside his loyalty to the Grand Duke, this truth was far too heavy. He doubted whether even Grand Duke Sigmund could handle this weight without being crushed by it. Above all, the House of Valdek was currently in the middle of a fierce competition for succession. They didn't have the luxury of reaching out for something that might flip the continent upside down if mishandled.
‘If it were His Grace the Grand Duke, he would surely uncover the manufacturing method and then bury it deep. He isn't the type to invite more trouble when there's already internal conflict. He wouldn't touch this elixir in earnest until after the next family head is decided.’
Considering the time needed for stable production, it would likely only be properly utilized by the next family head rather than the current Grand Duke. In other words, the moment this information was delivered, one of the Grand Duke’s sons would gain the power to dictate the fate of the world.
As his thoughts reached that point, Raymond felt his heart turn cold.
‘How horrific.’
The eldest, Tristan, was a conservative, narrow-minded aristocrat; the second, Jordi, was an egoist who would discard even his most loyal followers once they outlived their usefulness. The fourth, Joshua, had never shown anything substantial, but he seemed mediocre at best.
If they held the power to change the continent, would the world truly become a better place?
‘I can’t imagine a future where things get better—only worse.’
With a bitter smile, Raymond looked up at Lucian again. The Third Young Master of the House of Valdek, who still held countless secrets. If the future had to be entrusted to the next generation, was there any candidate more suitable than Lucian?
‘Come to think of it, it was the Third Young Master who brought the information about this boy and the medicine in the first place.’
Raymond felt a sudden sense of relief. If the power had already passed to the right person, there was no need for him to agonize over it.
Having made his decision, Raymond knelt on one knee before Lucian.
“Ref Norsega, who swore loyalty to the Lion’s Blood, seeks to serve a new lord according to the flow of that blood.”
The words that flowed out along with his long-unused real name were part of an ancient covenant. Reciting the dusty, old ritual, Ref bowed his head deeply.
“Young Lion, I offer you my sword; use it as you will.”
Lucian smiled broadly at Ref’s oath and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“From this moment on, your sword shall always rest in my scabbard, and we shall share every battlefield together.”
Lucian responded with the ancient pledge as well and helped Ref to his feet. The ambiguous relationship between a father’s vassal and a lord’s son had transformed into a true bond of lord and servant.
*
Although his real name had been revealed through the oath, Raymond still preferred the name Raymond. He had been called Raymond for so long, and he had no good memories of the time he lived under his birth name.
“So, there is no need to call me by my real name. You may continue to call me Raymond as before. Everyone knows me by that name anyway.”
“I suppose so. It would look strange if I suddenly started calling you something else after all this time.”
As long as one's roots were clear, names could change depending on circumstances. Since nobles were sometimes granted new names by their lords or the Emperor, there was no issue with calling him whatever he wished.
“By the way, that fellow isn't waking up easily. It wasn't that strong of a shock.”
“He’s probably weak because he’s spent all his time cooped up in a room doing research. He isn't hurt, so until he wakes up...”
—Ian! Get out here, you miserable orphan brat! How dare you lay a hand on your master’s purse?!
Lucian and Raymond, who were sipping cold tea, blinked at the shouting coming from outside. The language was vulgar, unlike before, but the voice itself was familiar.
A moment later, a shadow fell across the entrance as someone kicked the door open and stormed inside.
BAM!
“Come out this instant! Today, I’m going to break one of your legs...?”
Heide, who had been screaming at the top of his lungs, suddenly locked eyes with Lucian. Lucian shrugged and set down his teacup.
“We meet again. Have you been well?”
“A-Ah, no... Lord Lucian, why are you here?”
“I was looking for someone to talk to about Moonlight Grass, and my search led me here. This was the place with the highest purchase volume, after all.”
“Moonlight Grass!”
Heide’s face contorted again. He seemed to remember where his money had gone.
“Ian, that ungrateful bastard...!”
“Calm down. What happened to make you so angry?”
“It’s a personal matter, so you needn't concern yourself. If you’re truly curious, I’ll tell you later.”
“I’d like to hear it now.”
Thud.
Heide flinched at the sound of the teacup being set down firmly. His expression suggested he had realized a beat too late exactly who was standing before him. Hesitating, Heide glanced at Lucian’s face before speaking.
“It’s because of what my disciple did. A fellow named Ian. He was an orphan, and I personally took him in and taught him alchemy.”
“Ho. Come to think of it, there was a boy who opened the door when we visited.”
“That would be him. He’s the one who manages the house when I’m away. But I’ve discovered evidence that he’s been embezzling my research funds...”
A grinding sound came clearly from Heide’s jaw. He seemed incredibly resentful that his remaining entertainment funds had vanished.
“I never imagined there could be such an ungrateful wretch in this world. I took in a dying orphan, fed him, housed him, and taught him, and he dares!”
Watching Heide tremble with a sense of betrayal, Lucian scoffed inwardly.
‘Anyone would think he’d been backstabbed by a cherished disciple. This is coming from the man who never even mentioned his disciple’s name in connection with the development of Nectar.’
Seeing Ian try to perform a clinical trial on himself earlier made it easy to guess what had happened in the previous life. Ian had likely experimented on his own body without much thought, just like today, and died from the side effects. Heide must have been horrified to find his disciple dead, only to discover the existence of Nectar while investigating the cause. Since the research journals were detailed, it wouldn't have been difficult to gather the remaining records and recreate it.
‘Though I doubt he even recreated it properly. With that kind of effect, the amount produced through dilution should be substantial, yet the backorders were piled high.’
Since no one knew the truth, Heide had shamelessly used his own name to present the Nectar. But while stolen research results can buy a moment of glory, they cannot hide a lack of actual ability. After Nectar, he failed to make any improvements or new discoveries and spent his time playing around, which likely led to the truth being exposed quickly.
‘He might have even been murdered by high-ranking officials within the guild who were furious. To them, they would have been made fools of by a talentless, pathetic man.’
“The more I think about it, the more my blood boils. I raised him as if he were my own son, yet he touched his master’s money! What a rotten sprout!”
Lucian clicked his tongue and looked at the noisy Heide.
“If you feel that wronged, I shall settle the debt your disciple owes in his stead.”
“It’s not about the money... what?”
“I said I’ll pay it back for him. In exchange, give your disciple to me.”
Unless they had a proper family, an orphan with no ties was practically the property of their master. Setting aside the boy’s own will, if his master, Heide, agreed, no one could complain if Lucian took him.
Blinking at the unexpected proposal, Heide asked, “What do you plan to use him for?”
“He seems to handle Moonlight Grass quite well, so I intend to hire him personally. As I said, I have a great interest in that area.”
“Ahem, is that so?”
The corners of Heide’s mouth twitched upward. After a moment of pretending to be deep in thought, Heide stroked his chin.
“But if Ian leaves, it will be quite troublesome for me in many ways. Ungrateful as he is, he’s a talented fellow. To have the person who handled everything from alchemy assistance to housework vanish in a single day...”
“Is there something you want in return?”
“Just give me this much.”
Heide held up five fingers. Lucian tilted his head at the ambiguous gesture.
“Are you asking for five gold coins?”
“What are you talking about? Five platinum coins.”
Lucian was so dumbfounded he nearly fell backward. Raymond, who had been listening silently, also looked appalled. They were willing to pay a price, but this amount far exceeded any reasonable limit.
“Are you saying that in your right mind?”
“Of course. Though he isn't a formal alchemist, he is a member of the guild. You are trying to take talent from an organization directly under His Majesty the Emperor, so this is a small price to pay.”
Ah, so now he was bringing the Emperor into this? The man’s head worked quite well. If the matter escalated from a personal dispute to a clash of pride between the House of Valdek and the Imperial Family, Lucian would be the one in a difficult position. Heide must have calculated everything—from the impact on the family’s succession race to Lucian’s ambiguous position as the third son.
If Lucian hadn't participated in suppressing the recent rebellion, he might not have had many options. But today, this man had miscalculated—terribly.
“I don't have five platinum coins, but I’ll give you this instead.”
“What is it? Even if it’s a physical good, if it doesn't have that much value...?!”
Heide, who had been snorting in derision, widened his eyes at the bronze plaque Lucian held out. He seemed to recognize the insignia of the Black Scale Knights, the personal guard of the First Prince.
“W-What is your relationship with... His Highness the First Prince?”
“What is my relationship?”
Lucian let out a short laugh and spoke sharply.
“I am Lucian Valdek. I led a thousand elites as the proxy for my father, Grand Duke Sigmund, to suppress the rebellion in Krepelt. I stood shoulder to shoulder with Marquis Bernhardt and traded favors with Duke Blasker.”
“...!”
“Furthermore, when His Highness the First Prince was in danger, I rushed to his side with a thousand troops alongside the Second Prince and swung my sword with Sir Jurgen. When we withdrew, I even had the honor of conversing by the side of His Majesty the Emperor. Do I need to say more?”
The current head of the House of Roglan, the leader of the Flame School, the Emperor’s two sons, the commander of the Black Scale Knights, and even the Emperor himself. As the names of these giants poured out one after another, Heide’s face turned from pale to ghostly white.
Lucian spat out coldly toward the trembling Heide.
“Tell me again, you lowborn wretch. What was that about His Majesty the Emperor?”