"Who's that?"
"The emblem on that carriage… it's from Count Belanbera's house."
"A count!"
Murmured exclamations rippled through the crowd.
Since the Bloody Emperor's ascension, many nobles had been purged, but those who remained were true powerhouses.
Noble titles in the Baharuth Empire carried far more weight than in the Re-Estize Kingdom.
The young man held a ruby-encrusted scepter, though his legs showed no impairment, suggesting it was merely decorative.
But soon, someone noticed that his other hand remained hidden within his sleeve.
The golden-haired youth, stepping down from the carriage, immediately fixed his gaze on Adam. Noticing Adam's age and black hair, he narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Good morning, Master Alchemist Adam."
The youth's affable smile held as he gave a graceful bow. "I am Joshua Ster Illa Adbayo Belanbera. May the fragrance of hydrangeas bring you good fortune today."
With that, Joshua turned slightly, his kind smile sweeping over the gathered crowd. "Everyone, would you mind yielding the first opportunity to me?"
Silence fell.
No one spoke, nor did anyone object.
"Then come in." Adam said calmly, observing the scene before turning back into the courtyard.
Joshua followed with a beaming smile, while the butler who accompanied him stood expressionless at the gate, not entering.
As the heavy gate closed, the crowd outside grew tense again. If the first spot was taken, they'd have to vie for the second.
No one knew when this mysterious alchemist might stop offering free treatments.
Inside the courtyard, both parties sat.
"Before we begin, I must warn you: my Regeneration Potion can only heal acquired injuries. Congenital defects cannot be treated." Adam said evenly to the golden-haired Joshua.
Such bluntness might be considered rude to a noble, but Joshua didn't mind.
Those with real talent often had their quirks.
"No cure for congenital disabilities?" Joshua's pupils flickered, but his expression remained unchanged as he raised his hidden right arm.
It was an arm without a hand, the scarred, oval-shaped stump indicating it wasn't congenital.
"Next, I'll need to reopen the wound. It'll hurt. I hope you can endure it." Adam said, his gaze lingering on the ruby scepter Joshua gripped tightly.
It was a magical item, though Adam couldn't discern its specific effects.
"The feeling of missing a hand is nothing compared to a bit of pain." Joshua said with a wry smile.
In the next moment, Adam took a mithril dagger and sliced open Joshua's arm.
Joshua let out a sharp scream, his face paling and contorting in agony.
The treatment took about an hour.
While administering the Regeneration Potion, Adam had to repeatedly trim and adjust the regrowing hand.
When Joshua boarded his carriage to leave, his clothes were soaked with sweat, his body trembling uncontrollably, his face deathly pale.
"Truly an ordinary person." Adam murmured, watching him go. His furrowed brow relaxed, a glint of intrigue in his eyes. He turned to the crowd at the gate. "Next."
…
Elsewhere, Joshua's carriage veered sharply after leaving the noble district, bypassing it entirely to race down the central avenue.
Its speed surged, heading straight for the Imperial Palace, separated from the noble district by the central plaza.
Deep within the Byzantine-style palace, in a lavish chamber with a deep red silk carpet, golden pillars glowed with eternal light, banishing all shadows despite the daylight.
A figure with short, golden hair adorned with four thumb-sized, oval-shaped ornaments resembling a floral crown sat at a desk, poring over documents. Clad in comfortable black-and-gold attire, their slender purple eyes gleamed with profound intensity, exuding an innate aura of dominion.
This was none other than Bloody Emperor Jircniv!
"Your Majesty, he's here." A secretary official said softly, approaching with a slight bow.
"Let him in." Jircniv replied, pausing his work with a smile.
Click.
A faint sound.
Fresh from Adam's courtyard, Joshua entered with utmost respect, dropping to one knee, hand over chest, head bowed. "Your Majesty."
"How did it go?" Jircniv asked, smiling.
"I've obtained it." Joshua replied quickly. He raised the ruby scepter he'd never released, plunging its tip into his newly healed hand.
Splurch!
Blood sprayed as the hand was pierced.
Yet, the blood didn't hit the floor, it was absorbed by the ruby scepter.
The healed hand rapidly withered, like a mummy drained of moisture.
The scepter's ruby glowed vividly, droplets of deep blue, crystal-clear liquid forming at its core.
Within moments, Joshua's restored hand crumbled to ash, the Regeneration Potion fully extracted.
"Your Majesty."
Joshua respectfully raised the scepter.
"Send it to the Ministry of Magic for study." Jircniv said with a wave.
"Well done, Joshua."
A servant stepped forward, taking the scepter.
"It's my duty, Your Majesty." Joshua said deferentially, leaving with the servant.
"What have you learned?" Jircniv asked, lowering his gaze to the documents, his tone casual.
The secretary bowed and reported, "Information is limited. We've confirmed his adventurer identity, registered in the Re-Estize Kingdom."
Jircniv's thumb pressed against a document, twisting slightly. "What's his adventurer rank?"
"The lowest, Copper." The secretary answered promptly.
"Oh?" Jircniv paused, then chuckled. "The Adventurers' Guild, that archaic institution, still clings to such tedious ranking systems."
"Deploy our agents in E-Rantel. Investigate thoroughly."
Jircniv's eyes flashed.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" The secretary replied.
That night, in the noble district courtyard, the Invisible Hound lay on the grass, happily gnawing an ogre's vertebra with sharp teeth.
"Things aren't going well on your end, are they?" Adam said, glancing at Imina, who stood with arms crossed, her face sour.
"Not just 'not well'!" Imina snapped, glaring. "We're being targeted."
"No one's selling ogres anymore. All channels for ogre sales have shut down."
"Quite the hassle." Adam said, chuckling at her complaints.
"Seriously." Imina muttered, shooting him a resentful look. "You should've waited to reveal that miraculous potion, genius alchemist."
Truthfully, she hadn't expected him to actually pull it off.
"Grr!" The Invisible Hound, mid-chew, suddenly raised its head, standing and baring its teeth toward the eastern wall.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three figures effortlessly scaled the wall, stepping into the courtyard, their eyes meeting Adam and Imina's.
"Well, looks like you've got trouble, genius alchemist." Imina said, flicking her purple ponytail, a bright grin spreading across her face. Her hands rested on the twin daggers at her waist. "Need help? I can offer a discount."
The air grew still.
Adam didn't look at the three intruders. Instead, he turned to the opposite direction.
At some point, a figure in a gray robe had appeared by the closed gate.
Imina noticed them too, her expression shifting. She stepped back, positioning herself in front of Adam.
"Hey, want to make a run for it?" She asked, a headache brewing.
***
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