Chapter 127

I pushed the doors of Lord Vedras chambers open. The tall windows let light pour into the well-furnished room, casting white and silver glimmers on the glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Bookshelves and mosaics with scenes of a hunt covered the wall. I recognized the shape of the distant mountains in the background. The artist copied the landscape from the first valley after climbing the hill north of Farcrest.

Lord Vedras sat at a long table under the main window, surrounded by copper and brass alchemic tools. Blue fumes emerged from a small stove, and the scent of cinnamon and anise filled the room. The presence of mana around the alchemy station was so intense I could see it with my naked eye. Currents of magic flowed across the room, forming multicolor whirlwinds and waves. Elincia’s alchemy was child's play compared with what Lord Vedras was doing in his makeshift workshop.

I felt a chill in my bones. Despite being rooted in a crating class, Transmuter was a Prestige Class with high enough stats to rival Advanced spellcasting classes. [Awareness] didn’t help calm my nerves as it showed me the Transmuter page in the Book of Classes—their ‘magic’ stat was comparable with the one of a Flame Mage.

I ignored the alarms inside my mind and stepped inside Lord Vedras’ chambers, closing the doors behind me. The cards in my hand were limited. I had no leverage against Lord Vedras but hoped his hatred towards the Osgirians was enough. To deal with Kellaren, I would need all the help I could get.

Lord Vedras raised his head and removed his goggles. The thick fumes from the brew obscured his expression, but I could tell he didn’t expect me to visit. I stood, frozen among the whirls of mana, with my guard up.

“Rob?” Lord Vedras asked, his voice filled with surprise.

“Greetings, Lord Vedras,” I replied with a slight bow of the head.

At least, his first reaction wasn’t to throw acid vials.

“I’m sorry for the mess. I was testing new recipes,” Lord Vedras added, although his working area was much more organized than Elincia’s. “Please, take a seat while I deal with this.”

I cautiously walked to the couch by the corner of the room as Lord Vedras snuffed the fire out with a hand movement. Then, the brass instruments moved on their own, forming a net row by the table's edge. I sat on the couch before an ornate coffee table, wondering if that was a high-level Alchemist skill or a trick he had learned as a Transmuter. The surge of mana slowly died, and the show of lights disappeared.

Lord Vedras rang a bell, and a young half-elf with blonde hair and silver eyes, dressed in simple green and yellow attire, entered the room and put a tea set on the table. She channeled mana into her hands and transferred it to the teapot until it started steaming. Then, she poured two cups and gave me a friendly smile before disappearing through a lateral door. The realization slowly sunk in. I definitely had a type.

I glanced at the beautiful tea cup with concern. Having tea with a known poisoner wasn’t high within my priorities. Lord Vedras put the bubbling potion he had been brewing next to the teapot and sat across the table. Despite the beautiful blue and purple whirls of mana, I had to refrain from fleeing.

Mysterious Brew. [Identify]: ???

Not even my enhanced [Identify] seemed capable of going through the potion.

Lord Vedras sat across the coffee table and sipped from his cup. A blissful expression appeared on his face. Nothing seemed to indicate he was actually under house arrest. “It’s a special blend created by the Herbalists of Mariposa,” Lord Vedras said. “You should try it.”

Chieftain Alton’s warning echoed in my mind, and Enric of Osgiria's withered body appeared behind my eyelids. The infusion smelled great, but I avoided touching anything. Knowing the extent of Lord Vedras’ skills, he might have tampered with the handle or the plate with contact poison instead of the tea itself.

Mariposa’s White Jasmine Tea [Identify]: Edible. A unique blend created by the Herbalists of Mariposa and brewed by the servant of a known poisoner. No sugar has been added. Relaxing effect. Diminishes the effects of [Mana Toxicity].

Lord Vedras seemed to notice my reticence.

“What is the reason for your visit? I assume it’s not something related to our common friend,” Lord Vedras asked.

“No, I am here of my own free will. I’m curious about the Farlands Campaign, and I wanted the perspective of a non-combatant like me,” I replied, minding my words. I needed to know if I could exploit Lord Vedras’ hatred towards House Osgiria, and, above all, I needed guarantees that the royal faction could win.

Vedras sighed.

“I guess we are in the same boat after all,” he said.

That was a way to put it. We both were tied to the royalist faction for entirely different reasons. Should I trust Lord Vedras? He wouldn’t dare to poison me and draw the Prince’s anger towards him, but I wasn’t so sure. Lord Vedras had already risked an open conflict between houses to get revenge on Enric Osgiria.

“You are smarter and more pleasant than half of the nobles in this city, Rob, but we can’t work together without trusting each other,” Lord Vedras said. I didn’t expect him to set conditions, considering he was under house arrest. “Drink the tea. It’s not poisoned. I swear.”

I looked at the steaming cup. The yellowy tea seemed like a perfectly cut citrine gem; its smell was delicious, but I didn’t trust my [Identify] to go through the tricks of a Prestige Class. If it weren’t for me, Vedras would’ve gotten away with murder.

I kept my hands to myself.

Lord Vedras rang his bell, and the servant entered the room.

“Drink the tea,” Vedras ordered with a polite voice.

The elven woman nodded and took a small sip, and her expression lit up. Then, she took a bigger sip before leaving the cup on the table. A moment passed, and the girl didn’t turn into a withered corpse. The display didn’t make me feel any more trustful.

“With all due respect, Lord Vedras, it could be a delayed-effect poison. Let’s not ignore the fact you are under arrest because of me,” I said.

Lord Vedras put his cup on the table and leaned back.

“Caution has never killed anyone, but I don’t think you understand my position, Rob,” Lord Vedras said. “Can you bring me that, Halessia?”

The elven servant rummaged through a chest and grabbed a square package wrapped in white silk. She deposited it on the table and untied the knot. Inside, there was a pile of books and journals. Lord Vedras signaled me to take them without an explanation. I grabbed the journal, an old volume of worn-out leather and yellow pages, on top of the pile. The lettering was clean and stylized, but I had difficulties decoding the paragraphs. There were several words that I hadn’t encountered yet in this world. Diagrams that made no sense at all. The only part of the page that wasn’t muddled by technical language was a list of ingredients and ratios.

I skimmed through the journal pages, recognizing the names of common plants and herbs Elincia used in her potions.

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“Recipes?” I asked.

“Yes. The Vedras family has a long tradition of high-level Alchemists. Those are the recipes that I can disclose without causing a stir among my family,” Lord Vedras said, pointing at the pile of books. “I thought you’d appreciate such a donation to the orphanage.”

I had no doubt Elincia would be jumping for joy after seeing the recipe books, but the sudden offering left me baffled.

“I don’t understand,” I admitted, going through the pile of books. The Vedras dukedom was well known for its alchemists and healers, and the knowledge within the pages had to be worth more than its weight in gold.

What did I do to be worthy of such a gift?

Lord Vedras seemed amused by the situation.

“Isn’t it obvious? Thanks to your detective skills, I not only got away with my revenge, but I also got rewarded for it,” Lord Vedras said.

Although I had obscured the events that led to Enric Osgiria’s death from the public, I had done it for my personal gain, not to cover for Lord Vedras. My goal during the feast was to show Prince Adrien that I was a valuable asset to the royal faction. Sure, I felt sympathy for Lord Vedras and his vengeance. Enric Osgiria’s strategic decisions led to the death of hundreds of healers and alchemists of House Vedras. He had chased glory in combat instead of guaranteeing the safety of the non-combatants under his command.

“Come on, Rob, your tea will get cold,” Lord Vedras said.

“I still don’t get it,” I said.

Lord Vedras exchanged an amused expression with Halessia, then leaned forward, dead serious.

“Do I have to spell it out to you? I killed the second most important member of the Osgirian family. In the worst case, that would result in war between the dukedoms and my premature death. Instead of hanging from the neck, I’m going to marry into the royal family,” Lord Vedras whispered with a smile. “It’s not official. I still have to meet Prince Adrien’s cousin and ‘fall in love’ with her so other houses don’t suspect the truth of our union. The ceremony is set for summer this year. We also agreed on a big potions deal, so, if anything, I have to thank you, Rob.”

Prince Adrien really wanted Lord Vedras as close to the royal family as possible if he was willing to risk angering the other dukes with such a union. It didn’t hit me as a surprise, though. Lord Vedras' skills were unique in the kingdom.

“Politics isn’t a zero-sum game, Rob. Prince Adrien doesn’t have me captive against my will. He is protecting me in case Osgirians realize I was behind the killing of Enric, and he isn’t forcing me to collaborate with the royalist faction. Prince Adrien offered me a good deal despite having enough leverage to force me to do anything he said,” Lord Vedras said, lowering his head. Before I could realize it, he was bowing. “Please consider the recipes as a token of appreciation and a declaration of my intentions.”

“Are you offering me an alliance?” I asked.

The situation had taken a strange turn.

“Yes. After seeing your performance at the feast, I believe working together would benefit both of us,” Lord Vedras said. “I’d like to see a world where non-combatants aren’t treated as second-class citizens, and I think your knowledge and influence over the Prince can help me achieve it.”

I examined Lord Vedras’ face, and [Awareness] told me he was being sincere.

“Also, if I wanted you dead, I would’ve asked Halessia to throw a few drops of heart-stopping poison in your mouth during your sleep. She’s my master of assassins,” Lord Vedras added, pointing at the elf woman beside me.

I turned around. Nothing seemed to indicate she was anything but an ordinary servant.

“Hey,” she greeted me with a wink.

“Hey,” I replied.

After everything I had seen, I couldn’t help but believe Lord Vedras. During the feast, he had shown his contempt against combat classes, and we had hit it off just right. He was humble and offered us his friendship despite our social class differences. Even when Lord Osgiria showed me the cold shoulder, he stood by our table, signaling to the other low-rank nobles it was okay to stay.

It wasn’t a risk-free decision, but I had limited alternatives. I grabbed the cup and brought it to my lips. The tea was already cold, but the flavors danced inside my mouth, relaxing my body and mind. I feared I would get hooked on it.

“I would like to ask a favor,” I said, carefully choosing my words. “There’s a certain artifact I need to acquire without the owner noticing. The problem is that a powerful faction protects the owner, and the artifact might be under severe vigilance.”

Vedras nodded in silence, but his face brightened as soon as I finished speaking.

“Would you like to brew a potion with me?” He stood and walked to the center table. The brass instruments moved on their own, lining up before him. Several compartmentalized chests lined in velvet came down the shelves, revealing small flasks of mana-infused ingredients.

I sat across the table and channeled my mana. Following Vedras' process was easy. After brewing for hundreds of hours with Elincia, intruding into an ongoing alchemical process was as natural as riding a bike. I created a protective barrier around the ingredients, leaving the environmental mana outside and the ingredient’s mana inside. Lord Vedras’ mana pool was greater than what I expected. It almost seemed like he had his own Fountain in his chest.

“You are very good,” Vedras commented.

“I’ve been practicing,” I replied.

I didn’t expect my visit to end up like this. Lord Vedras barely used his hands, leaving the tedious work of preparing and weighing the ingredients to tiny mana pincers connected to his mana pool. In practice, Lord Vedras had eight small hands doing the work of four alchemists simultaneously.

Halessia observed us from the coffee table, and [Awareness] informed me she poured herself another cup of tea behind Lord Vedras’ back.

Lord Vedras brewed a mix of Etherbloom, Shadowmoss, and a Silverleaf with a base of more common plants. The mana shone to the point I couldn’t use my mana sense directly on the potion. I had to focus to keep my barrier up. Whatever Vedras was brewing, it was beyond anything Elincia could do. The mere amount of energy required seemed dangerous.

“Truth is, I have another reason to help you,” Lord Vedras said. “Grand Alchemist Lowell was my teacher at the Circle of Mariposa. I thought he had founded an Alchemy School here, but I didn’t expect it to be an orphanage.”

“Mister Lowell was your teacher?” I asked, surprised.

“For a brief time only. I’m not that old,” Vedras shrugged. “My father wasn’t a fan of Master Lowell’s educational principles, which led to his departure. But I liked the man and his ideas. In the beginning, I wasn’t a great Alchemist, truth be told, but he didn’t give up on me.”

I nodded. In a sense, Mister Lowell’s ideas about teaching weren’t far from mine.

“Look at me now, I’m a Transmuter. Master Lowell changed my world,” Vedras smiled as he orchestrated his mana appendages. For a moment, all trace of the duke disappeared to leave only an Alchemist enjoying his powers, “When we arrived at Farcrest, I hoped he was still alive, but it seems he succumbed to an incurable illness.”

“Yes. Mister Lowell died a decade ago. Before I arrived at the orphanage,” I replied. “But why not reveal that earlier?”

Lord Vedras’ eyes jumped between the ingredients and my face.

“I thought you would appreciate a transactional relationship better than the desires born of emotion of a spoiled noble,” Lord Vedras replied, gathering the last traces of mana and bottling them inside the vial.

It was good to know Vedras had a soft spot.

The mana died down, leaving a small glass vial with a gray sparkling liquid floating in its interior. I used [Identify], and a System prompt appeared before my eyes.

Invisibility Potion [Identify]: A rare potion that turns the user invisible to the naked eye for a limited amount of time. The user still casts a shadow and produces noise. No sugar has been added. Toxicity: Low.

“The effect only lasts for a couple of minutes. You will not be completely invisible to detection skills, but I hope it helps you retrieve the artifact,” Vedras grinned.

“What do you want in exchange?” I asked, but Vedras shook his head.

“Consider it payment for keeping Master Lowell’s legacy alive. We will talk about implementing Mister Lowell’s educational principles in the Vedras Dukedom on a later date,” Lord Vedras said.

I grabbed the potion, breathing more calmly. Lord Vedras’ endgame wasn’t as dissimilar as Prince Adrien’s desires for worthy Imperial Cadets. Both wanted competent individuals to bolster their ranks. However, Lord Vedras focused more on skillful non-combatants to improve his dukedom. It didn’t sound half as bad.

“I’ll be leaving, then. The kids are waiting for me,” I said.

Lord Vedras stood and guided me to the door while Halessia handed me the recipes.

“One last thing, Rob,” Lord Vedras said as we exchanged pleasantries. “If Elincia wants to spend a season studying Alchemy, I can get her a place in the Circle of Mariposa. It’s the least I can do for Mister Lowell’s last disciple.”