The woman left soon after saying those haunting words, which all but spelled my doom. I knew I couldn’t remain here. However, I also didn’t have the strength to resist yet. My body and Spiritual Power still felt sluggish. If I wanted to have a chance of breaking out and escaping, I needed to regain my strength and bide my time until an opportunity presented itself.
Shutting my eyes, I began slowly circulating my Spiritual Power, trying my best to flush the poison still inside of my body.
Stelys sat in the meeting hall, which was marked by numerous large columns that supported a vaulted ceiling. His chair was located on a slightly elevated platform. Meanwhile, the chairs belonging to the elders of his clan were all situated below him. There were six chairs in total, three on each side of a walkway marked by red carpet, and all of them except one was occupied by an old man in his late sixties. The only one not occupied by a man had a woman with gray hair and dark eyes sitting in it.
The chair at his side was empty.
“Are we sure this is a good idea?” asked Om, who sat on the chair closest to Stelys’s seat. “While the auction certainly helped us a little, it did not give us nearly enough money to put us back on our feet, and now you want us to work with the Alchemist Association? They may have been a prominent group at one point in the past, but that prestige has long since passed. Their glory days are gone. Now they are barely hanging on. If we work with them, I fear they will simply drag us down into their quagmire.”
At least two of the old men murmured their agreement, but the remaining three elders kept silent. Dag and Igmar were the two who had agreed with Om. Garth, Hagen, and Sindri were the ones who said nothing. Of course, saying nothing did not mean they were on Stelys’s side either. They were simply smart enough to hear what he had to say first.
“I understand why you would believe that partnering with the Alchemist Association is a bad idea. Indeed, what you said about their glory days being gone is true,” Stelys acknowledged.
“Then—”
“However—” Stelys raised a hand to block the man from speaking “—I’m also sure that all of you are aware of the new alchemy pills they have created. We all saw the effects of those pills before auctioning them off. They have the power to change the entire market when it comes to healing medicine and even Spiritual Healing Techniques. Those pills were made by the Alchemist Association. If we can partner with them now and begin selling them before anyone else, our profits will surely rise along with theirs.”
“That… may be so,” Om allowed, though his expression remained stubborn. “However, I do not believe it will be as easy as you seem to think. Marketing a brand new product is incredibly difficult, especially when that product is an alchemy pill.”
“Maybe it won’t be easy right away, but I have confidence that once everybody begins to realize how effective these pills are, many people will be flocking to buy them,” Stelys said, infusing as much confidence into his voice as he could.
“You bring up a valid point,” Garth said, at last agreeing with Stelys.
Hagen nodded. “This might be a big risk right now. However, the bigger the risk such an endeavor is, the greater the rewards that will follow when it succeeds.”
“I have to admit that the idea of introducing a new product to the market does sound intriguing.” Sindri also seemed to finally be coming around. She even had a small smile on her slightly wrinkled face. “I would like to aid in this endeavor.”
Stelys didn’t sigh in relief, but he wished he could. While it wasn’t necessary to get the elders behind him in order to implement his plans, it made everything a lot easier, especially since these old geezers tended to cause a ruckus when he did something they disapproved of. He always shut them down; however, it was better to have their agreement right from the beginning.
Just before he could adjourn their meeting, however, Om spoke up again.
“Even if this succeeds, it will still be a long while before we see a significant increase in our funds.” He smiled at everyone there. “At the moment, what we need is a fast method of earning valis. There is one such method…”
“I know what you are going to say, and I refuse.” Stelys gave Om a stern glare. “I will not sell my daughter off to the Leucht Family. They may be one of the most powerful and affluent families in Nevaria, but I’ve heard many rumors about them, none of which are good. I refuse to let a family of questionable reputation have my only daughter.”
Fay was his precious child, the only link he had left to her mother. While he might not have been the best father to her, he still loved her more than anything else in this world. He refused to hand her over to anyone he did not implicitly trust to have her best interests at heart.
What’s more, it was clear that his daughter was in love with Eryk Veiger, the young man who had first approached him about partnering with the Alchemist Association and selling alchemy pills. Stelys might not be a great parent, but he did have an eye for talent. That boy was an incredibly talented individual. He would go places.
If Stelys was going to let his daughter marry anyone, it would be Eryk.
For a moment, Om looked like he wanted to say something. When the Leucht Family had come to them with the marriage proposal, this man had been the first one to jump on board with the idea.
The elders had all been in agreement of following through with it at the time, but now that they had another method of saving themselves, it was unlikely they would allow her to be married off. He must have realized this too. His gaze swept around the room, even going to his two compatriots who almost always sided with him. They both looked away.
Om closed his mouth. Finally…
“If that is how you feel, there is little I can do but agree,” he said at last. “I hope you do not come to regret this decision.”
Stelys frowned at what sounded like a threat, but he let it pass. This old man was always crotchety. However, he did think about what was best for the clan.
“In that case, I believe this meeting can be adjourned. I will send someone to the Alchemist Association to inform them of our decision.”
All the elders nodded in agreement. Stelys watched as they rose from their seats, and then he looked at the empty seat on his right. He sighed at how lonely it appeared without someone there to fill it.
Five days had passed since the auction. With the increase in funds that I had acquired from the auction of my A-Rank Spiritual Fire Technique: Five Finger Flame Whip, I had enough money to buy a lot more ingredients for my alchemy pills. Of course, given that I was now working alongside the Alchemist Association, there wasn’t any need for me to do so.
Instead, I used some of the money to buy clothes. Most of what I bought were merely nice shirts made out of silk from the Giant Silkworm Demon Beast. I also bought several pants, a few jackets, socks, and the proper type of soap that was necessary to clean these expensive clothing. Given that all of it cost me about 30,000 valis, I had no desire to ruin my clothes by washing them using standard methods.
I hadn’t seen Fay at all since that day at the Auction House.
At the moment, I was currently helping Feinrea teach her alchemists how to refine the pills they were going to sell. She and I were in the Refining Hall, the large room where all members of the Alchemist Association could refine their pills. The two of us walked between tables that were neatly lined in rows of five. We would observe the work being done by the alchemists we passed, making sure they were doing everything properly and correcting them if they weren’t. Fortunately, Feinrea had used the knowledge I’d given her wisely and taught everyone else while I was training. Few mistakes were made.
The pouch I was wearing swung around my neck as I walked. It wasn’t heavy since there was only one item inside. I ignored it as I looked at the alchemists going through their work.
“Be careful when crushing the monster core,” I said to the young man with orange-tinted red hair as I walked past. It was Feinrea’s brother. He seemed to possess s
ome skill with Alchemy, but his pestle was shaking a bit, causing some fragments to fall onto the table.
The young man looked up at me, startled, but then he looked at the table and blushed. He nodded at me and muttered a quick “thanks” before getting back to work. He was much more careful after that.
After making our rounds, Feinrea and I met up near the front of the Refining Hall. I expected my business partner to be wearing a satisfied expression. That was why I felt surprised when, instead of smiling, she was wearing a small frown.
“Is something the matter?” I asked.
Feinrea looked startled, but then she shook her head and smiled. “Maybe… I’ve been thinking about something as I walked between the tables and watched everyone refine pills.”
“And what were you thinking about?” I asked.
“That we will probably need more alchemists.” Seeing my confused expression, Feinrea shrugged and educated me on a small issue I hadn’t thought about. “These are all the alchemists we currently have. Just these fifteen people. It takes them about fifteen minutes to refine one pill. That is about two or three pills every hour and seventy-two pills every day if I have them work all day without rest. That would only amount to about 1,080 pills a day. If we wish to sell alchemy pills in bulk, we’ll need to train more alchemists.”
I could see what she was getting at, and I slowly nodded as I realized she was right. The Alchemist Association would eventually need more people. That said…
“It should be fine for now, right?” I looked back at the alchemists who were diligently working. “At the moment, we have only just begun trickling pills into the market. Thanks to the Valstine Family owning several stalls, we’ve been able to reach several consumers in a couple of different locations. This includes the Noble District. So far, our sales have only just begun showing results. Once more people are aware of the alchemy pills and their benefits, more people will begin to respect alchemy. At that time, it shouldn’t be too hard to find eager young men and women willing to join the Alchemist Association.”
“I suppose you are right,” Feinrea conceded. “Perhaps I am overthinking this.”
Over to our left, an older man with no hair, a shiny scalp, and thin fingers was adding monster core powder into a beaker of glowing purple liquid. I nodded as I observed him. While the monster core hadn’t been completely crushed and there were a few larger chunks leftover, it was still satisfactory for now. That man, and everyone else, would hopefully continue to improve with practice.
“Since it looks like everything is working out here, I’ll be heading out,” I said to Feinrea. “Send a message to the library north of the Imperial Royal Palace if there’s any trouble. That’s where I work.”
“You work at a library?” Feinrea looked flabbergasted, and then she sighed and waved her hand. “No. Never mind. Should something come up that requires your attention, I will of course inform you about it.”
“Thank you.”
I left the Refining Hall after saying goodbye, the ends of my shirt and vest swishing around my knees as I walked, and soon I left the Alchemist Association completely.
The library was closed for today. Ms. Nadine had said something about renovations being needed, so I had a good deal of free time. My first stop had been to visit the Alchemist Association, but I had a few other stops to make as well.
My next stop was the blacksmith who I had paid to make the metal cylinders for my weighted clothes. When I entered the smithy, it was to find the man doing what he always did, pounding away at a hunk of molten metal. I waited for him to finish. Wandering over to the weapons and armor hanging from the walls, I studied the quality of each item. They weren’t the best. However, they weren’t the worst I’d seen either.
The Dweorgs would kick his ass in blacksmithing, though.
“Back again, brat? I hope you’re not here to give me another job that requires no effort on my part,” a gruff voice spoke up, causing me to turn around. The man had finished working and was walking toward me.
“This time the job I have for you will require a lot more skill.” I spread my arms out as though to reassure him. “I need you to make me a weapon. However, this weapon is a little… unique. It will require a good deal of talent to make.”
“That so?” Stopping in front of me, the man swung his hammer around a bit, and then rested it on his shoulder. A gleam entered his eyes. “Tell me more about this weapon.”
Nodding, I reached into the pouch at my side and pulled out a goatskin scroll. I gestured for the man to follow me as I walked over to his table and unfurled the scroll on top. He looked a little disgruntled at me, but I merely gestured for him to come over again. When he looked at the scroll from over my shoulder, his eyes widened.
“This is…”
“I call it the Dragon’s Tail Ruler,” I said.
The scroll contained the schematics for a weapon that I had acquired a few years after arriving in Midgard in my previous life. It was a large weapon. From hilt to tip, it reached a length of about two meters. The width measured at thirty centimeters. It looked like it was segmented. Several sections had lines running through it showing where the blade segments could detach from each other. There were eleven places in total. Its last and most prominent feature was the long handle that added another .5 meters to its length and the wide crossguard.
Of course, the schematics for this weapon were very basic. The one I had used was far more complex, but I didn’t think anyone on this plain could build the true Dragon’s Tail Ruler.
“It looks like a giant slab of metal,” the blacksmith muttered.
“It might seem like that at first glance.” I curled my lips in amusement. “However, I want you to look at this. You see these sections here? Each of these sections is segmented and are meant to come apart. What you’ll need to do is create a locking mechanism inside of a hollowed point at these sections so they can unlock and be detached at will.”
The man scratched his head. “And how exactly are you gonna unlock them if they’re on the inside?”
“Don’t worry about that,” I said as if it was inconsequential. “I just need you to make sure they’re strong enough that they won’t unlock unless I do it manually.”
“Well… I suppose I could.” The man looked at me with some consternation and sighed. He gave me an evil eye as if I’d done him a great disservice. “You know, when I said I wanted you to give me something that was challenging, I didn’t quite mean something like this.”
“Consider this a compliment to your skills.” I smiled at him. “I am coming to you with this project because I am confident you can make it.”
The blacksmith’s response was to sigh again.
I arrived home after traveling to the blacksmith. Walking into my room, I glanced at the bed, where the snake lazed around like a freeloader. Because it was over six meters and my bed was barely two meters, a good portion of its body hung over the side. The snake lifted its head and stared at me as I entered. It hissed out a greeting before laying its head back onto my pillow.
Walking over to it, I sat on the bed and began rubbing the creature’s head. It was hard to tell if the snake liked this treatment. The snake couldn’t really make any facial expressions—at least, it couldn’t make any that I recognized. But as I ran my hand over its scaly head, the tip of its tailed thumped against the floor several times.
“I’m about to head out for some training,” I informed the snake. “Do you want to come with me?”
The snake looked up from the bed again, studying me for a moment, and then slowly bobbed its head up and down once. I smiled and stood up from the bed. I grabbed my weighted clothes and the bag of Three-Way Spiritual Widening Pills. Meanwhile, the snake slithered off the bed and wound around my body before climbing onto my shoulders. Because it was so freaking long, it had to curl itself across me, lest its tail drag along the ground.
Most of the people ignored me as I made my way to the training ground. I’m pretty sur
e they had gotten used to seeing the weird feminine boy with green hair and a snake wrapped around his body like a tourniquet. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Speaking of, the snake was resting its head on top of mine. I could feel its tongue occasionally flick against my hair.
I took a carriage that brought me close to the west gate. As I left Nevaria and began traveling past trees and boulders, walking along the dirt, I glanced at my hand. The strange black markings covering my ring finger hadn’t gone away. The rose-like patterns were the same as always. I normally forgot about them, but the snake’s presence right now made me remember.
“Hey,” I said, raising my hand to the snake’s eyes. “What exactly is this thing you gave me?”
The snake hissed and flicked its tongue against my hand, but it didn’t actually answer me—not that I was expecting it to. Smart as this thing seemed to be, it still wasn’t capable of human speech.
I arrived in the clearing that I’d been using as a training ground. I paused, however, when I saw a figure standing in the middle of the clearing. Her fiery red hair was tied with a leather band near the base of her neck. She wore black pants that were covered in pockets, a vest that had similar pockets all over it, and vambraces that were likewise covered in more pockets. Her clothes were basically identical to mine.
After the shock coursed through me, I resumed my walk. The figure turned around. Her red hair whipped over her shoulder as she moved.
“Eryk,” she greeted me in a soft voice.
“Fay…” I wasn’t sure what to say. If she was here, then I believed I could assume her purpose was to resume training. She had her weighted clothes on and everything. At the same time, our last meeting replayed in my mind, causing me to look away in guilt.
“Why are you looking away from me?” asked Fay, placing her hands on her hips. “Aren’t we going to train?”
I glanced back at her to find a soft smile on her face. It wasn’t quite as large as her normal smiles, but the fact that she could smile at all was a good sign. Then again, Fay was strong. I doubt the rejection of some man she’d only known for ninety days would be enough to really get her down.
WIEDERGEBURT: Legend of the Reincarnated Warrior: Volume 2 Page 15