Ashton Harbor

"Yark, welcome to Renwell," said the man with the staff. "Thank you, my lord," replied Yark, and bowed deeply.

"How was the journey?" the man with the staff asked. "

I wish, I didn't have to come so sneakily," replied Yark, with a sigh.

"It is temporary once we capture the region. Moving openly through the sea won't be a problem," replied the man with the staff.

His enemies are recruiting forces, but he is not standing still either.

He is bringing people from the island. People he trusts, while sending back those he did not. The third of the people he wants has already arrived and the rest won't take time.

It wouldn't have taken more than a week. If they had a safe route, but the imperials and merchants are patrolling the sea like sharks.

It was wise to not bring them together.

One of the ships bringing a group had simply disappeared a week ago.

There is no response from them. Its complete silence. One didn't have to guess for long to know what had happened.

So, caution is necessary.

It will only be a little longer, till then, I will let my enemies enjoy the little time they have. Who knows, the one in the Greltheaven might take his legacy to Grade IV.

That would be wonderful.

...…

Carla Salt

"I want to, Miss Carla," said the middle-aged man in front of me.

It is the words I had heard from the tens of alchemists I had met in the past few weeks, but it is what comes after, that makes me so angry and frustrated.

"I mean, who doesn't want to work with the emotion's essence? It is a dream of every alchemist, but I can't come to Greltheaven for it," he said, shaking his head.

I could see him glancing at the doors. Behind it are my guards, but also the person sent by the city to show me around.

I have been dropping the invitations around the western empire while trying to poach the alchemists.

It is hard because they want to come, but they can't.

Alchemists are war assets.

The potions and other things they craft are instrumental to the wars. No, lord would let them leave, especially at a time like these.

"Thank you for your time, Alchemist Nahil," I said and got off my chair.

"If you change your mind, remember the doors of Greltheaven are always open to you," I added and walked toward the door.

I am not surprised by the results. Remus had already told me to expect it.

He said we aim to meet them. Tell them our doors are open for them. If somehow, they were able to slip through, they would think about us.

It will also spread the news across their connections.

Still, his rejection couldn't help, but disappoint me. Especially when every single alchemist, I had met across the cities had said the same thing.

Click!

I opened the door and walked out of the, with my guards and Najin following beside me.

"I hope, you had a good meeting, Ms. Carla?" asked Hejin. He was polite, but I could see the mirth in the eyes of the blond man.

"It was excellent, Mr. Hejin; it went better than I had thought," I replied smoothly, and the man smiled.

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He is from the city hall. He is a guide, but in reality. He is the ears and eyes of them. He will report my every move, might even be reporting now.

I am used to people like him; every city sends someone like him.

At least, he isn't boring like many others had been.

Soon, we walked off the four-story building, into the evening night.

I have a meeting in three hours with Lord Kanas Raul; son of Count Raul. Once than done, I will be finished here and my work.

I will take the ship from Ertburn and return to Greltheaven.

I might not have been able to bring any alchemist, but I have done my other job, and it went better than I had imagined. With those things, the opening would be even more impressive.

I pushed those thoughts and looked around myself.

I am in the alchemy street; there are alchemy stores everywhere. I had already met five alchemists and, like Alchemist Nahil; everyone declined my offer in not so many words.

Right now, I am Ertburn; the city is as big as Inam.

It is a prosperous port city, and the war has made its economy flourish. That now it is as rich as Mirstone; the capital of the Randav region, it's part of.

I hope Greltheaven will become as prosperous as this city.

People would laugh at such a thought, but it will happen. I am confident it will happen.

He will do it.

"No!"

I was in my thoughts when I heard a loud scream.

I turned and saw a woman and man in their late twenties held down by the city guards, while other guards sealed the building behind them.

"Yes, seal the shop. You should also jail them for years," said the middle-aged bald man angrily.

"They deserve it and more, after what they had done to the face of my beautiful wife," he added and turned at the woman beside him, whose face had turned dark red.

I first thought it had been burned, but it's not. It seemed like a reaction.

"What did we do? It's your fault this happened. We had clearly told you, that the cream is only for those with oily skin, but the skin of your wife is sensitive,"

"You shouldn't have let your wife use it," countered the raven-haired man beside the woman.

The woman with a red face turned to her husband, with clear anger in her eyes.

"You did not," he refuted with his face turned beat red.

The man was clearly lying, everybody could see that. Even his wife; it's why she had got even angry.

"He must have brought it for his mistress,"

Someone quipped loudly, making the man turn angrily to look for the person.

Feeling curious, I walked toward them to watch the fun.

There is nothing for me to do. I had met the merchants and important people and made the offer to the alchemist.

Now, I only have to meet Count Raul's son, but that is two hours away.

"Alchemist Sansa, Alchemist Kauns. This is your ninth offense, in the past six months,"

"You have left us with no choice but to seal your workshop and suspend your license for a year," said the man wearing the suit and plastered a notice across the wall.

Seeing it, the man and woman shook and tears welled up in their eyes.

Like the notice is a mountain that crushed their hopes and dreams.

"What is happening?" I asked Hejin.

'Those two are beauty alchemists. Quite talented, but uncontrollable. Their wares had harmed a lot of people; the red face is a mild case,"

"One of their potions had left a people in pain for days and another woman paralyzed for a month with their salve," replied Hejin with a shake of his head.

People began to walk away, and I wanted to do that too, but those expressions stopped me.

I had been too familiar with it. Saw it far too many times on my friends and family, and experienced it myself.

'I shouldn't do this,' I thought, but sighed and walked toward the two. They are slumped by the wall of their workshop wall, with tears streaming down their eyes.

I appeared beside them, and they turned to me.

I took out a delicate scroll from my bag before handing it to them.

"Think about it," I said to them and walked away, while they stared at me in confusion.

That scroll was for the alchemist we have chosen. The ones we thought were skilled enough to use the emotion essence.

I could have given them a card and asked them to come to the Greltheaven, but I gave them that scroll. I don't know what I was thinking, but I don't regret it.

Hejin looked at me, but I didn't say anything to him.

Soon, an hour and half a passed, and I explored this beautiful city before my carriage entered the city hall again.

I got out and followed Hejin.

A few minutes later, I reached the place with golden doors and a beautiful waiting room. A little ostentatious, with too much gold, but it looks good.

"Carla Salt, I have a meeting with Lord Raul," I said to the redheaded receptionist.

She looked at me with contempt and jealousy I was too familiar with. That I had started ignoring it.

"He will see you for fifteen minutes," she replied curtly.

I nodded and walked into the waiting room.

I sat down and picked up the weekly newsletter. I didn't get a chance to read it earlier, with a busy schedule, I had since I came to the city in late afternoon.

"Miss Swan, Lord Raul will see you now," said the receptionist.

She was still sitting behind her table, but her voice felt like, she was right next to me. It is a skill; a few girls in the legacy have a skill like this.

I got up and walked toward the golden door.

Click!

The guards opened the door as I reached, and I stepped inside the office.

It is big and beautifully decorated. There are a lot of beautiful art pieces and tables, that Remus would envy.

Behind the table was a handsome man, who looked to be in his early thirties.

He is well-built, with a thick platinum blond and a piercing blue eye, that are now looking at me shamelessly with a clear lust in his eyes.

He isn't even trying to hide it.

Seeing it, I couldn't help but sigh internally. I have come across many people like him and know how to deal with them, but it is always tricky.

Dealing with this one is going to be the trickiest. I heard a thing about him.

Bad things that his house tried to suppress.

It didn't matter to me. I am going to hand him the invitation and get the hell out of here.