I was getting many glances as I walked down the paved road. Some looked surprised, others scared, yet I eventually got used to the extra attention and naturally dismissed it.

As I walked down my path, I arrived in front of another shop that piqued my interest. The sign above an alleway read "Brevan’s Brews and Trinkets" in ornate lettering. The store wasn’t on the main road, instead I looked inside the alley and saw a small storefront with the same sign. I walked up to the windows and took a peek inside. The shelves were filled with bottles with liquids in every color imaginable, and various strange ingredients were displayed on the shelves inside. The shop had an inviting, mysterious aura that drew me in.

I took a deep breath, feeling a mix of curiosity and anticipation, and stepped inside the alchemy shop.

I barely fit through the entrance as I swung open the door and walked in. A small bell tied at the top of the doorway signaled my arrival to the store owner.

Looking around, the store was covered in various items, each with a purpose beyond my imagination.

As I wondered at the trinkets on display, I heard some rustling from the back of the store as a smaller door swung open and a short mokmire rushed in.

He looked young, maybe too young to own a store, but there was an air of confidence about him that suggested otherwise. His eyes were a piercing amber, glowing faintly with an inner light that seemed almost magical.

He wore a sturdy leather apron, similar to what a blacksmith might wear, but adorned with pockets and loops filled with various alchemical tools and ingredients. Tiny vials of shimmering liquids and pouches of powdered substances hung from his belt, clinking softly as he moved.

“Welcome to Brevan’s Brews and Trinkets, I’m Brevan, how may I assist you… woah!” He said as his eyes shot upwards and met mine.

“Hello there, big f…”

“Juniper! The name is Juniper, pleasure to meet you.” I quickly cut him off.

“Right… of course! How may I assist you today, Juniper?”

"I saw your shop and it piqued my curiosity. What do you sell here?"

Brevan seemed amused as he replied, "Why, you’ve never been inside an alchemist’s shop?" He broke out in a small chuckle.

So this is an alchemist, huh...

"What can you tell me about this?" I asked seriously, lifting my arm to show Brevan my newly acquired bracelet.

Flinching at my sudden request, he hastily recomposed himself as he pulled out a monocle from one of the pockets of his apron and moved closer to examine it.

“Hmm… standard bronze bracelet, dual enchantment… let’s see what else…”

“Wait a second, dual?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

“Indeed, one is quite clear, it’s the one you are using right now after all. It’s a standard Thoughtful Voice enchantment. The other, however, is pretty tricky, not a common enchantment for sure…” He trailed off as he went back to his examination.

“Hard to say, I need my tools to further examine it, but it will cost you, whoever made this took care to hide the second enchantment’s nature.”

Right, of course it wouldn’t be free…

“Lucky for you, you stumbled upon Brevan today! Top of my class at the academy, master alchemist in the making! So what do you say? Want to hire my services?”

I looked up at him with the most deadpan face I could muster, “How much?”

He smiled at me, his chest puffed out. “15 glims and I find you exactly what enchantment was hidden on your bracelet. Guaranteed result.”

“Mmh… 15 glims if you find out the hidden enchantment,” I repeated, putting great emphasis on the “if” part of my sentence.

“Deal!” He said as he held out his hand.

I removed my bracelet and gave it to him, then watched him sprint away to the back of his shop.

I sighed as I heard a rustle of metal clanging and glass shattering coming from behind the closed door.

Let’s hope I’m not getting ripped off here… but I need to know what the Council is scheming.

I waited around 10 minutes before the door swung open again and a happy looking Brevan stormed back towards the counter.

“You hired Brevan’s services, and Brevan delivered!” He paused as he settled the bracelet back on the counter and his eyes locked up with mine.

I grabbed the bracelet and slid it back onto my forearm.

“Well?”

“Money first, Juniper,” he grinned as he held out his hand.

I sighed in annoyance as I opened my satchel and tossed him an orin coin and 5 glims, which quickly disappeared under Brevan’s counter.

“A pleasure doing business. Now, onto the results!” He said as he pulled out a small piece of parchment with a few notes scribbled on top.

“The second enchantment is called Seeker’s Mark.” He began, his voice now switching to a more serious tone.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“The Seeker’s Mark is a tracking enchantment, a quite powerful and precise one at that…” He continued as he picked up the bracelet. “Do you know the alchemist who enchanted this bracelet? Anyone good?”

I shook my head, “I don’t, but I have no doubt it would have been someone very competent.”

Given it was made by the Council, I expected at least as much. I assumed they only had the best alchemists working for them.

“Mmh, right, that makes my analysis a bit less accurate, however! Making the assumption that the enchanter was at least as competent as me, and given the material of the tool in question, the maximum range on the trace would have been around the size of the city, maybe even its direct surroundings.”

So they want to know my whereabouts while I am in Gearford…

“And finally, like I said before, whoever enchanted this bracelet made sure to properly hide the Seeker’s Mark. I dare say not many alchemists in the city would have been able to spot it.”

I carefully listened to Brevan’s analysis, before raising an eyebrow and making an inquiry of my own.

“And how is it that someone as young as you could easily spot it? Are you telling me you are better than most other enchanters in this entire city?”

As he listened to my question, Brevan puffed out his chest once again, his grin returning on his face. “Of course I am! Like I said, I graduated at the top of my class at the academy, and I was even offered a good position at the Council as soon as I finished my studies!”

“That sounds like quite the job opportunity, I assume they don’t offer it to just anyone. Why not take it then?” I continued with a curious tone, attempting to find out more about this seemingly prodigious young alchemist.

“Naah, I value my freedom, Juniper. Sure, jobs at the Council pay well, and the opportunities for growth are many, but!” He paused as he spread his arms, seemingly pointing towards every item in his shop.

“I value this! Being able to make whatever I want, whenever I want, for whomever I want! This is something the alchemists working for the Council can only dream of, their contracts are quite strict you know…”

I nodded in approval. Brevan’s enthusiasm was somewhat contagious, but I had one more request for the young alchemist.

“Very well, I wish to hire you for one more job,” I began, getting his attention once more. “How much for you to erase that enchantment?”

Brevan fell into silence, seemingly contemplating my offer.

“It wouldn’t be easy. As I said, the alchemist who created this bracelet took extra care to properly hide the Seeker’s Mark,” he began while taking another look at the bracelet. “20 orins, and you will have to leave it with me for 2 days. I should also mention that it is not without risk, if I screw it up, it becomes scrap.”

I recoiled back at the mention of such a sum of glims.

20 orins?! That’s 200 glims…

“That’s a lot of coins, and you can’t even assure me a successful job.”

“Correct, however you must understand that removing an enchantment is much harder than adding one, even more with hidden ones like in your case.”

“Mmh… I guess I understand, although I’m afraid that is way beyond my budget…” I said as I pulled my arm back and prepared to leave.

“Well, thank you for your analysis, Brevan. I’ll be sure to come back if I need a skilled alchemist.” I concluded, turning around as I began making my way towards the store’s exit.

I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t find a solution to my problem, but at the very least now I knew about the Council’s little scheme.

I don’t like it one bit, it’s only been a day and I’ve already uncovered one of their hidden agendas…

“Wait!”

I stopped in my tracks just as I was about to walk through the door. Turning around, I looked at Brevan rushing towards me.

“I have a new deal for you,” he began as he showed me another bracelet in one of his hands.

“Trade me your bracelet for this one. It is made of copper, so it is of a slightly lesser quality compared to yours, but it holds the same Thoughtful Voice enchantment with a month long duration.”

I looked at the bracelet as I raised a suspicious eyebrow. “This doesn’t sound like a good deal for me.”

“Without considering the enchantment, a bronze bracelet of this size will run you about 15 glims, 10 more than a copper one.” He said while pointing at the two bracelets in question.

“Under normal circumstances, you would be correct, you would be losing about 10 glims, however!” he paused as his smile quickly morphed into a grin. “Your situation is far from normal, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean?” I asked, feigning ignorance.

“Oh come on! An awakened comes into my shop with a hidden trace enchantment and wants me to remove it.” He paused, his tone now ironic, “it surely happens every day around here!”

Again with this “awakened” term…

I still wasn’t convinced, yet Brevan had a point. I wasn’t exactly discreet in my dealings so far.

Seeing as I still hesitated, the young alchemist continued.

“Look, I wish to study your bracelet, but there is still a chance that I won’t get much out of it. In the worst case scenario I will have to melt it down into a new trinket, so there is some risk involved for me as well!”

I looked at the copper bracelet Brevan held out to me, its dull sheen reflecting the soft light of the shop. The situation was less than ideal, but Brevan's logic was hard to argue with. His enthusiasm was palpable, and his desire to study the bracelet seemed genuine.

I wanted to get rid of the Council’s trace, so losing out 10 glims on this deal might not be the worst outcome for me.

I sighed, the weight of my decision settling over me. "Alright, Brevan. You've got a deal, but you better promise me that this copper one works just as well."

Brevan’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he accepted my bracelet. "You have my word. The Thoughtful Voice enchantment on this copper bracelet is just as effective. It’ll last you a month, no problem."

I took the copper bracelet and fastened it around my wrist. It felt slightly lighter than the bronze one.

I nodded as I felt a momentary warmth as the enchantment activated. “Alright then, seems to work fine.”

“Of course, you’ve conducted your business at Brevan’s Brews and Trinkets, and Brevan always delivers!” He chuckled while putting away my old bracelet.

I faintly smiled as I raised my eyes at yet another pompous remark by the young alchemist.

“Okay Brevan, it’s been a pleasure but I’m afraid I have to get back on the road.”

“Of course, if you ever need a new enchantment, trinket, potion or anything else that pops into that mind of yours, be sure to visit my shop! Till next time, Juniper!” He finally uttered as he rushed back towards his workshop behind the counter.

Does he not have anyone watching his wares? What if someone walks in and steals everything…

I shrugged my shoulders as I stepped out of Brevan’s Brews and Trinkets, the bustling streets of Gearford welcoming me once again.

I glanced up at the sky, noticing the sun already past its zenith, casting long shadows across the cobblestone streets. Time was beginning to slip away, and I was still far from my destination.

Walking with purpose, I resolved to stop wandering through shops and head straight to the Azure Fleet’s headquarters, determined to finally have a chance to chat with Ryone and find out more about this mystical world.