Chapter 63
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 63
Heide fell to his knees, overcome with terror.
“Lo—Lord Lucian. Please, calm yourself. I didn’t mean it that way.”
“You didn’t mean it that way? That’s certainly how it sounded to me. Are you mocking me, suggesting my ears are broken?”
“No! That’s not it...!”
Despite the continued insults, Heide’s mind was ruled not by anger, but by pure dread.
Setting everything else aside, the fact that the word 'Emperor' had been uttered so casually was the real problem.
‘Fabricating lies and mentioning His Majesty the Emperor is an act of disrespect. Even if he is a son of the House of Valdek—no, because it’s the House of Valdek, this is even more dangerous.’
As a Great Family close to the Emperor, any trouble involving them was highly likely to reach the Emperor’s ears. At the same time, a son of a Grand Duke who spoke carelessly of the Emperor would naturally be disqualified from the succession.
Yet, knowing all this, he had openly mentioned the Emperor, his children, and his closest confidants?
It meant it was all true.
‘And he even has the token of the Black Scale Knights, the First Prince’s personal guard...’
“I can practically hear the gears turning in your head. Are you already thinking of what else to demand?”
Lucian’s voice snapped Heide back to reality, and he slammed his forehead against the floor with a loud thud.
“Please, please forgive me! I overstepped my bounds!”
“You certainly did. A mere insect living off the scraps of the Imperial Family’s grace dared to act as if he were the Emperor’s proxy. I’m sure His Majesty would be delighted to hear of it.”
“...!”
“Actually, this works out well. You seem quite proud of your research results, so why don’t we go and have an audience with His Majesty together? He mentioned before that he wanted to speak with me again, so you can just come along.”
Cold sweat poured from Heide’s forehead, soaking the floor like a waterfall.
The Alchemist Guild was already treated as little more than parasites by the Imperial Court. If it came to light that a member of that guild had used the Emperor’s name to pressure a comrade-in-arms who had fought on the same battlefield?
The Alchemist Guild would likely have his head on a pike in the square before the Emperor even had a chance to be offended.
“Do you have anything to say before we go see His Majesty?” Lucian asked coldly, looking down at the terrified Heide.
Realizing the gravity of his situation, Heide spoke while keeping his forehead pressed firmly to the floor.
“I will give you whatever you want! Just... please, spare my life...!”
*
Having established the hierarchy, Lucian waited leisurely for Ian to wake up.
Heide, the master of the house, was forced to huddle in a corner, constantly watching Lucian’s every move.
“Um, if you’d like, I could prepare some tea...”
“Shut up and stay still. I doubt you even know how to brew tea properly. Hospitality, my foot.”
“....”
Stung by the blunt truth, Heide shrank back into his corner.
In truth, Lucian didn’t want Heide out of his sight for a second.
‘It’ll be a headache if he accidentally sees the research data for Nectar. Most of the important stuff is probably on the second floor, but there’s a chance he left some notes elsewhere.’
Heide was a pathetic human being, but he was still an alchemist by trade. If he saw the materials Ian had researched, he would surely recognize their value to some extent. Lucian intended to keep him under watch until every last scrap related to Nectar was recovered.
A short while later, Raymond, who had been checking on Ian, opened the door and stepped out.
“The boy is awake.”
“How does he look?”
“Aside from being a bit tired, he seems fine. He’s fit for a conversation.”
“Good. I’ll go in and talk to him. Keep an eye on this one.”
“Understood.”
“Pardon? But this is my house...”
Lucian ignored Heide’s timid protest and entered the room.
Ian was sitting up in bed, staring at Lucian.
“You just woke up, so you must be confused. I’ll explain everything.”
“I know.”
“What?”
“I wasn’t completely unconscious. I didn't have the strength to move, but I drifted in and out. And actually... the soundproofing in this house isn't very good.”
I see.
It was unexpected, but if he didn't need to explain, all the better.
Ian lowered his head and muttered with a face full of anxiety.
“Am I going to the Grand Ducal House of Valdek now?”
“That’s right. Your master agreed to it. You said you have no other guardians, right?”
“I knew it. You recognized the value of my invention and want it for yourself.”
“...Huh?”
“I know. I’ve made the invention of the century. Who wouldn't covet such a treasure? Since I’ve achieved something unprecedented, you must want my knowledge.”
Lucian blinked blankly.
He wasn't wrong, but the self-praise seemed a bit excessive.
After agonizing for a long moment, Ian trembled and squeezed out his next words.
“I beg of you. I’ll give you the entire recipe, so please just let me continue my research.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I know how it goes. An orphan brat like me holds such incredible knowledge, so you’ll just suck the recipe out of me and throw me away, right? You’ll use all sorts of torture to find out the secret, then slit my throat to keep me quiet...”
“Wait, wait, wait!”
Lucian hurriedly cut Ian off.
He had thought it was a relief not to have to explain, but the boy had fallen into a deep delusion.
“What kind of nonsense is that? Why would I torture you to take your knowledge?”
“Eh? Didn't you come here because you wanted the recipe for that medicine?”
“I do want it, but I don’t need to do that when I can just hire you. And of course, I’d have you continue your research.”
“B-but once you have the knowledge, I’m useless, so wouldn't it be better to silence me...?”
“That’s what happens to people who stumble upon information they can't handle. You’re the creator who researched it from the start. Why would I do something so stupid when I could get even better results by letting you keep working? That’s like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.”
“....”
Ian blinked for a moment, his face turning bright red. It seemed he finally realized that the future he had imagined was nothing but a fantasy.
“Anyway, where did you get such ideas? From what I can see, you’ve done nothing but stay cooped up here and research.”
“F-from The Tragedy of the Silverfall Family.”
“The Tragedy of the Silverfall Family?”
“It’s a novel that was popular in the capital a few years ago...”
Lucian let out a hollow laugh as Ian answered in a tiny, crawling voice. It seemed that for this boy, social studies were more urgent than research.
*
“I look forward to serving you, my Lord!”
As soon as he understood the situation, Ian’s attitude shifted completely, and he bowed politely. Lucian was almost taken aback by his lack of complaints.
“Just to be sure, hiring you doesn't mean you can resume your research immediately. For the next few years, you’ll have to focus solely on manufacturing the medicine you developed today.”
“I don’t mind. After all, I’ve only had one clinical trial result. It’ll be good for me if I can gather more data while producing it repeatedly.”
“We’re short on alchemy books, too. Unlike the guild, there will be many times when you won't be able to find the information you need.”
“I’ve already read every book I had access to anyway. To see more important information, I’d have to rise in rank, and there’s no telling when that would happen.”
Couldn't you rise in rank instantly just by showing them the medicine you made?
As Lucian tilted his head in confusion, Ian read his thoughts and gave a bitter smile.
“To show my research results to others, I have to go through my master. And I know exactly what kind of person he is. He’s my benefactor, but if I showed him this data...”
“He’d strip it all away and announce it as his own achievement. I think I get the picture.”
Ian didn't respond to Lucian’s words and continued organizing his materials. It seemed he still felt uncomfortable speaking ill of his master directly.
“There. I’m finished.”
While they talked, Ian finished organizing his things and smiled brightly. The materials he was taking amounted to only about three large volumes; the rest were piled in one spot like trash.
“What are those?”
“Failed cases due to wrong hypotheses and errors. They aren't important, so you can just throw them away.”
“We’ll burn them before we go, just in case. It would be troublesome if someone saw them and got some useless inspiration.”
Lucian called Raymond and had him throw all the discarded research materials into the fireplace. Only after confirming they had been reduced to ash did Lucian finally let out a sigh of relief.
‘Now, the recipe for Nectar is mine alone.’
He couldn't reveal it to the world yet, but he finally had a weapon that set him apart from everyone else.
A means to attract talent, a medicine to treat a frail body, a way to train powerful soldiers, and a trade good to strengthen his finances. No matter how it was used, Nectar was an incredibly potent treasure.
“Then, we’ll be going. No need to see us out; stay in the house.”
“Um, Lord Lucian... if nothing else, the research funds that fellow embezzled from me...”
“Do you want to have an audience with His Majesty with me?”
“No! I’m sorry!”
Heide, who had tried to wheedle his way back in, quickly retreated at Lucian’s sharp glare. Ian, who had been watching silently, bowed to his master.
“Master, thank you for everything. Though we’re parting ways like this unexpectedly, I will never forget the kindness you showed me.”
“You say you won't forget my kindness, yet you lay a hand on your master’s money? You certainly have thick skin!”
“I am truly sorry for that. But Master, you spent all the government-provided research funds on your own entertainment. Even though I touched the funds, I achieved great results, so please understand me as a fellow scholar.”
“How dare you say such...!”
“....”
“...such admirable words. I am proud of you as your master. I hope you find happiness.”
“Yes, Master.”
Ian gave a bitter smile as he watched his master, who looked ready to cry under the murderous aura radiating from Lucian and Raymond. His master was, as always, incredibly weak against power.
*
Having achieved his goal, Lucian sought out John of the Thieves' Guild one last time before leaving the capital. He intended to establish a thin connection with the Thieves' Guild as a form of insurance for the future.
However, John had gone into hiding and never showed his face to Lucian again.
“Strange. He must have known I was here. Why didn't he come out?”
“It’s a natural reaction for a thief. He likely guessed how close you are to the Imperial Family, my Lord, so of course he’d run. The deal is over, and he probably doesn't want to be involved any further.”
“I suppose that makes sense.”
If he had known this would happen, should he have threatened him to come back one more time? He felt a slight pang of regret, but since it was only meant as insurance anyway, he decided to let it go. If the connection wasn't meant to be, there was nothing he could do.
Taking Ian with him, Lucian returned to the Black Scale Knights' quarters, returned the bronze token, and expressed his gratitude.
“Thank you very much. Thanks to this token, I was able to avoid a great deal of trouble.”
“The honor is ours if it was of help.”
At the sincere thanks, the knight smiled brightly as he took back the token. He seemed happy to have repaid even a small portion of the debt he owed Lucian from the battlefield.
When Lucian received his horses back before leaving, he was inwardly impressed.
‘They’ve been taken care of too well. They’ve put on quite a bit of weight in just a few days.’
It had only been a few days, so normal care would have sufficed, yet they had been pampered to this extent. It was another reminder of the goodwill the Black Scale Knights felt toward him.
“Then, safe travels, Lord Lucian.”
“Yes, I wish you all health as well.”
With a polite send-off, Lucian headed toward the open gate in the wall. Ian muttered with a look of shock at the mechanical device he was seeing for the first time.
“My goodness, to think such an entrance was hidden in the city walls...”
“Don't go blabbing about this everywhere. This is the trust our Lord received from them; you must not break it carelessly.”
“Yes, sir!”
Ian replied to Raymond’s words with a voice full of discipline. It seemed he was trying to learn the mindset of a retainer serving a lord, rather than just a scholar.
Amused by his earnestness, Lucian chuckled and said, “Don't be so tense. You can learn things like mindset slowly by watching your seniors. Focus more on your research. That will be of more help to me.”
“Yes, my Lord!”
Ian shouted vigorously, clearly happy that he could continue his research. Satisfied with the answer, Lucian gripped the reins and picked up the pace.
It was time to return to Kelheim.
*
The journey back was as peaceful as the journey to the capital. It took a bit longer because they had to stop more often due to Ian’s poor physical stamina, but other than that, it was a pleasant trip.
A few days later, when the group arrived in Kelheim, an exclamation burst from Ian’s lips.
“I didn't know there was another city this large besides the capital.”
“It shouldn't be enough to impress someone who lived in the capital.”
“I lived in a small city before that. My master moved me to the capital when he took me in as a disciple, but I thought all cities outside the capital were the same.”
According to Ian, although he lived in the capital, there were so few places he could go that it didn't mean much. His life in the capital had essentially consisted of Heide’s house, the market, and a few herbal shops.
“Master hated it when I went out, saying that if I got a taste for city life, I’d want to spend money on useless things. Will I be able to walk around freely here?”
“Well, as long as it’s not some back alley, I don’t care. I’ll assign one of your seniors to you, so learn your way around.”
“Thank you, my Lord!”
It was as Lucian was entering the outer castle and heading toward the inner castle while chatting with Ian. Raymond, who had been quietly observing their surroundings, leaned in and whispered to Lucian.
“My Lord, the atmosphere around here seems strange.”
“The atmosphere?”
“It’s hard to explain, so please look around for yourself.”
Hearing the title change from 'Third Young Master' to 'my Lord,' Lucian looked around. He saw people gathered in groups here and there, whispering incessantly among themselves.
The atmosphere was indeed different from usual, so Lucian called over a guard patrol passing nearby.
“Hey, friends. A word, if you please.”
“Who goes... L-Lord Lucian! Greetings!”
“Skip the formalities. Let me ask you something. The atmosphere in the territory is strange; did something happen?”
When Lucian asked the terrified, kneeling guards, one of them looked puzzled.
“Haven't you heard? They say the successor of Sir Eisen, the Sword Saint, is being knighted today.”
“Oh, that day has finally come. I suppose everyone is curious about the star of the ceremony?”
“There’s that, but more than that, the other Young Masters are... Gasp!”
The guard quickly clamped his hand over his mouth as if he had made a slip of the tongue, but words once spoken cannot be taken back. Unable to withstand Lucian’s piercing gaze, the guard nervously confessed the internal situation.
“Actually, there are rumors that the other Young Masters are targeting Sir Eisen’s successor. Since he can choose his lord once he becomes a knight after the ceremony, they’re planning to take this opportunity to receive his oath of loyalty...”
“Ho-oh.”
At the guard’s explanation, Lucian’s eyes narrowed.