"Unfortunately, I can't answer that question," Lucen said calmly. "This is something important for the Dukedom of Stellhart. If you want to learn more about this object, you'll need to become one of my subordinates and, of course, make a mana-bound oath not to share anything about the research conducted here."
Lucen showed a slight smile when he gave Robert his terms. Of course, Lucen did not believe Robert would agree to such terms and would negotiate instead. As Lucen was getting ready for a rather intense negotiation, Robert said something unexpected.
"Do you want me to make an oath now?" Robert asked, eyes gleaming with manic curiosity.
Robert answered in a serious tone. Lucen was stunned by how fast and confidently Robert answered. The Robert he knew from the game, even though he was crazy about research and learning new things, was still someone who knew the value of his knowledge. The Robert he knew in-game would negotiate for a better deal and try to take as much as he could.
Lucen blinked. Once. Twice. Was this still Robert Duskwell? The Mad Genius of the future? The same man who charged three gold for a few mana potions.
'Ever since I got my past life memories, I guess in the back of my mind, I'm viewing them like NPCs. I've been living in this world for twelve years, I know they aren't just characters in a game. These guys are living, breathing people.'
Lucen quickly regained his composure, preparing to land the catch now that Robert had taken the bait. But before Lucen could speak, Robert scratched his head and cut in.
"Oh right... I don't think I can be your subordinate."
"Hm, why did you change your mind?"
"Even though I truly, really, really want to know what that thing is. I can't just serve you, since I promised the old man."
"Can you tell me what this promise is?"
"I promised old man Thelwin that I would always be part of the Yellow Tower and that I would show everyone the greatness of alchemy."
Seeing the serious expression filled with sincerity on Robert's face, Lucen finally understood why this guy who loves money so much would never leave the fallen Yellow Tower in the future.
Lucen then remembered a line the old Lucen said to the protagonist.
This Tower was the dream of an old man who always believed it could be what it used to be. A dream of an old man who believed in a fool who knew nothing but wanted everything.
"I see..." Lucen murmured. "Then, how about we change the conditions a bit.
Robert raised an eyebrow, curious but cautious. "I'm listening."
"You won't be my subordinate," Lucen said, folding his arms. "Instead, you'll be a collaborator. Independent. You'll keep your allegiance to the Yellow Tower, but for anything we develop together, you'll make a mana-bound oath of secrecy."
"So I become something more akin to a partner than a subordinate." Robert stared at Lucen for a few seconds before continuing. "These terms seemed to be too advantageous to me. What do you get from this?"
"What else, I get the genius of the Yellow Tower to help me create new things that would change this world."
A bright smile appeared on Lucen's face. The second Robert heard Lucen's answer, he could not help but laugh.
"Hahaha! Of course, that's to be expected, isn't it? I guess even a noble brat like you has something. Sure, then I agree to your terms under one condition."
"What condition?"
"If we ever make something that could be sold to others, I want a share. How about ten percent, sound fair to you?"
The smile on Lucen's face grew wider, hearing Robert offer a share of only ten percent was not something he imagined hearing the miser say. Lucen extended his hand forward.
"To a great partnership."
Robert no longer hesitated and grabbed hold of Lucen's hand and shook it.
...
Once the deal was made, Robert made a mana-bound oath of secrecy. Robert extended his hand, and a faint golden thread of mana twined between them, tightening like a binding contract as the words left his mouth.
Lucen then shared with Robert what kind of object the Arquebus was. Robert, who was now holding the Arquebus, was inspecting it.
"So this thing is a weapon. Can you show me how it works?"
"Unfortunately, it's an incomplete product. This is where you come in. Can you tell me if you heard of any of these materials?"
Lucen then started to explain the characteristics of Saltpeter, Sulfur, and Charcoal. Robert already had charcoal at hand, but he still described it to Robert. When Robert heard the description of the items Lucen needed, he had a look of confusion on his face.
"Aren't those things, Seer's ash, Brimstone Dust, and Emberhusk. Those things aren't that hard to find. I already have a few Brimstone Dust and Seer's Ash with me. As for the Emberhusk, you can get that quite easily."
"Don't worry, I already have quite a few at hand," Lucen replied.
"Since we already have all the materials and were here in this lab, can we finish that thing you call Arquebus?" Robert spoke rather excitedly.
Lucen couldn't help but smirk, hearing Robert's excited voice and seeing the sparkling expectation in his eyes.
'It makes one question who's the kid between us.'
"Of course, we can do it here now."
The skill Gun Knowledge granted Lucen the instinctual know-how to make gunpowder. Rolling up his sleeves, he approached the well-equipped lab his father had prepared—a space stocked with mortar and pestle, filters, brass scales, and thick enchanted glass bottles.
His eyes scanned the ingredients Robert and he had laid out earlier: Brimstone Dust, Seer's Ash, and Emberhusk flakes. He picked each bottle up, inspecting the texture and consistency with care.
Robert leaned in beside him, curiosity shining in his eyes. "You said these three will make that weapon work? What exactly are you planning to do?"
Lucen didn't answer as he was focused on the task at hand. He opened the bottles one by one, his hands moving with methodical precision. He began measuring out the ingredients using a set of brass scales, which didn't offer much accuracy, but it was the best the current technology of the world had to offer.
"Seer's Ash, seventy-five parts," Lucen murmured, carefully spooning the soft, almost feathery powder onto a shallow tray.
"Brimstone Dust, fifteen." Lucen tried his best to get as accurate as possible.
"And Emberhusk, ten."
Robert, who was watching from the side, was quite curious as to what would happen with such a combination.
"These three together…" Robert muttered, "I've worked with them separately, but never thought to mix them. Especially not in those ratios."
He leaned closer, sniffed lightly, then immediately recoiled. "Smells like it wants to explode."
Lucen smirked. "Good nose. That's exactly what it's meant to do."
"Hoh, that's rather interesting. How powerful will the explosion be?"
Robert's eyes were truly sparkling now. Usually, when he works with Brimstone Dust, it would have already turned to smoke, seeing as this combination didn't have that effect, made him even more curious.
"Powerful enough for what I want to happen," Lucen answered, a glint of satisfaction crossed Lucen's face
He hunched over the mortar, pouring in the Seer's Ash first. The powder settled like fresh snow. With smooth, even pressure, his hands ground the ash with unhesitating precision, an instinct born not from any experience from this life or the last but from the Gun Knowledge skill. It guided him like muscle memory: the exact pressure, the perfect fineness, the correct order, and how to avoid dangerous static buildup.
Robert watched in silence, brow furrowed, trying to follow what Lucen was doing. "Are you really a twelve-year-old brat? With your level of skill, I don't think you need a teacher, you seem like a fine alchemist already."
"I have much to learn, it's just that I have been thinking about this for a long time."
"How long a time could a twelve-year-old have to think of such things?"
"Trust me, I truly need you to teach me more about alchemy, since I only know about this and a few other things."
"If you say so."
While Lucen was talking, his hands did not stop moving. Lucen moved on to the Brimstone Dust, grinding it into a finer consistency with a new pestle to avoid cross-contamination.
Once he was satisfied, he tapped the mortar carefully over a second tray, the yellowish dust falling in even lines.
Finally, the Emberhusk. This one had a bit more oil to it, and Lucen took extra care, drying it slightly by spreading it thin on parchment and letting it rest by a low, indirect heat source. When it was ready, he repeated the grinding process, his hand never faltering.
The notification sound kept on ringing, informing him that his endurance and dexterity had increased.
After carefully grinding and measuring each component, Lucen mixed them slowly and steadily in a wooden bowl, swirling the powders in a rhythmic figure-eight until fully combined.
Robert, who watched the entire process on the side, felt like he was witnessing something historical as he looked at the black powder that was created.
Lucen had created the gunpowder in this medieval fantasy world. A vicious-looking smile appeared on Lucen's face as he stared at his creation.
This was the black powder that would change the destiny of the North. No, not just the North but of this world itself.