"Once a businessman, always a businessman." Forus found himself echoing the sentiment of this message after spending his time inside the city, trying his best to build up funds.
Just like in his previous life, Forus— starting with a measly fund— quickly built up a considerable amount of wealth by exploiting the flow of goods and materials. He bought low and sold high, gaining profit and accumulated them until he had a significant fund to kick-start his real business.
Thankfully, with the basic knowledge of alchemy, Forus could quicken his process of building his reputation by working at a medicine shop, helping those in need while gathering information about the current political landscape of the city.
With the knowledge from the blue-robed sorcerer, Forus managed to brew low-quality potions for the sorcerer apprentices and some ordinary medicines for the mortals. After all, in this city, Flamedouse City, most mortals did not know about the existence of supernatural beings.
In their ordinary eyes, two influential families, Coruscare Family and Ninguis Family, ruled Flamedouse City. They clashed against each other all the time to hopefully reign supreme as the sole ruler of the city.
However, on the side of the supernatural, the two were sorcerer families, led by their respective second-ranked Family Head. Although there were various sorcerer organisations within Flamedouse City, most of them were either small branches or not interested in the power struggle.
Unfortunately, Forus found out that the maiden who spotted him was the Eldest Young Mistress of Coruscare Family, Ocelia Coruscare. Born with a great mind and a talent for sorcery, she was the sole successor of Coruscare Family.
Despite the looming threat, Forus did not cower under the pressure and remained active with his potion-making job. Through it, he received various rewards and connections with vagabond sorcerer apprentices.
Before long, Forus managed to open his potion shop, selling various low-quality potions for Mystical Orbs. Although he could not absorb the impure sorcery energy within them, he could use them to exchange for knowledge and potion recipes.
By using the same tactic with his previous life, Forus organized a lottery shop, making the grand prize be a huge amount of Mystical Orbs. Not only that, but he also added various smaller prizes in exchange for a little bit more expensive tickets.
"Next time, I'm going to get the first prize." The lottery was gambling in disguise, sucking the money out of the addicts while promising a small chance of instant wealth. Those without self-control would easily succumb to their greed and endlessly gambled.
However, taking too much without giving was impossible, and would anger the authority, namely the two sorcerer families. So, Forus made use of his potion shop as the front cover and organized the gamble underground.
By creating a bar beneath his shop, he provided entertainment for his customers while keeping the addicts satisfied. He also maintained a certain understanding with the authority, gifting them various wealth and potions to keep their gaze away from him.
Nevertheless, Forus did not think that Coruscare Family would be so persistent regarding the search of his whereabouts. Even though he decided to live quietly at the edge of the city, trouble still tracked him.
"Mister Forus, you have a visitor." As Forus was detailing his plan, the landlord knocked on his door and announced his message. Along with it, footsteps echoed outside his house. They all ended their track in front of his doorstep, evidently waiting for his presence.
"... Coming..." Forus gently placed down his paper before walking towards the door. Along the way, he took a dagger and concealed it on his back and picked up a potion with him.
Opening the door, Forus revealed a faint smile as he greeted the visitors. Before him, a young man stood arrogantly as a few more people stationed behind him, obviously his servants and accompanying guards.
"So, are you the rumoured alchemist, Forus?" The young man questioned without any sort of kindness in his face. His tone, putting himself on a superior stance, echoed his high status. Judging from his outfits and appearance, he was one of the Young Masters of Coruscare Family.
"Greeting Young Master. What could have bought your presence to this one's house?" Listening to Forus, the Young Master was very pleased by how he conducted himself.
A commoner should be respectful to him.
"The Eldest Young Mistress has requested your presence. To meet her is your honour, Forus; not everyone could see the future Family Head of Coruscare Family." The Young Master delivered her order
. Despite how irrefutable it sounded, his tone remained somewhat warm towards Forus.
After all, if he could establish a connection with Forus, the Young Master could benefit from it when Forus went under the Eldest Young Mistress' wings.
"Guards, prepare a carriage for this man. Remember, he is going to be the sole property of the Eldest Young Mistress; treat him well." Once the Young Master issued his command, the guards were quick to move away to arrange it.
"Young Master, it is my honour to see the esteemed Mistress, but please, allow me to prepare myself for a little bit. If I go to meet her with this appearance, she would not be pleased." Forus carefully delayed the invitation of Coruscare Family. Although he could not out-right deny it, he could still make up excuses to delay it.
"The Mistress demands your presence immediately." The Young Master hardened his voice. Although Forus would become a close-aid of the Eldest Young Mistress, in the end, he was only an outsider and not of Coruscare Bloodline.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Right after the Young Master insisted, Forus immediately flung the prepared liquid at him. The bottle flew and cracked mid-air, spewing up its content. The water quickly evaporated and diffused into a swarm of faint mist.
"Don't touch the mist; retreat at once!" The tallest guard shouted frantically before jumping backwards without any care. He knew better than to stand there and let the vapour touch him.
Unfortunately, one unlucky guard contracted the mist. His face turned pale, and he screamed miserably— but strangely, nothing happened. Nevertheless, his legs gave in, and he collapsed onto the ground, tearing up in confusion and dizzy.
The other guards, upon realising that Forus had tricked them, quickly rushed through the door into the house. However, upon entering, they found that the young man had already escaped.
Forus had chosen this remote place as his residence because of its close distance to the edge of the forest. It was easy for him to escape from any potential pursue.
"You, report to the Eldest Young Mistress; the rest will organise a search team to locate him. Remember, if the Mistress could not see him before the sun sets, your head will roll." The Young Master trembled in anger, but his words remained stiff and indifferent. However, the naked threat of his speech chilled the guards to their very bones.
If they said so, it would happen. The reputation of the strongest sorcerer families within Flamedouse City was not without any evidence.
Nonetheless, being influential did not come without any cost. For this search, Coruscare Family could not mobilize any of their main force, and could only do so in secret, to not tarnish their reputation. After all, it was a disgrace for someone— not even a full-fledged sorcerer— to escape from their grasp.
"Now, get out of my sight!" The Young Master screamed and chased his guards out. Then, in contrast to his rashness and irrational behaviour, he regained his calm after he was alone, looking around the house with a satisfied expression.
Slowly yet steadily, the Young Master wasted no time to walk around the house, surveying the treasure trove he found while picking only the highest quality potions he could find. Although all of them were good for him, he could not hoard everything to himself.
Nevertheless, the Young Master planned to take only the best of the best before sending the rest in to exchange them for contribution merits. If he was lucky, he could gain some recognition from the Family Head.
Once the Young Master reached the final destination of the house, the master bedroom, a beautiful and priceless sight greeted him. Beside the bed, two medium-quality potions laid waiting quietly. Their colourful liquid could stir even the stopped heart of a dead man.
Low-quality potions were for sorcerer apprentices. Although they were precious, their worth paled in comparison to medium-quality potions, which were used by a full-fledged sorcerer.
Even without using it, selling it would be akin to selling a sorcery treasure. The Young Master could gain enormous wealth from one bottle alone.
"Maybe the World Will had finally acknowledged my effort and grant me a fortune!" Without any hesitation, the Young Master walked in and seized the potions into his grip. However, once he pulled them towards himself, the strings attached to them were ripped apart.
Suddenly, the floor beneath his feet broke, revealing a pit of death. As the Young Master fell, countless wooden spikes greeted his body by penetrating through them, letting him dangle in the air.
His body, punctured like a balloon, deflated and gushed out various organs and blood. They gave a crimson shade to the surrounding and blood fragrance to the air.
Twisting, his body struggled against the cruel reality. With the strengthened vitality of a sorcerer apprentice, the Young Master remained alive even after getting pierced through by wooden spikes.
Shortly after, a thunderous noise rang, and darkness quickly swallowed his blurry vision. The magnifying heat and forceful impact tore through his body, killing him instantly without any chance for him to realise it.
Along with his death, the house exploded violently. The blazing flame engulfed every part of the building, destroying both the evidence of the trace as well as the presence of the medium-quality potions.
...
"Young Mistress, it is as you predicted." The old butler whispered his message to his mistress while serving her the freshly-made black tea.
"Then, take me to Orb of Wanderer." After gently taking a sip of the black tea, Ocelia ordered the butler. Her face did not betray any hint of panic or disappointment in the slightest.
"Very well, let us see where will you hide..." Ocelia slowly stood up and let the butler escorted her deeper into the mansion. Her movement was elegant and graceful, with every step echoed in rhythm with each other.
As she paced through the mansion, Ocelia could not stop thinking about those pair of azure eyes. They captivated her desire and heart— if she could get them, she was sure to breakthrough and become a full-fledged sorcerer.
"Young Mistress, we have arrived." The old butler was quick to open the gate for his Young Mistress.
Inside the room, various servants and guards were waiting orderly for the Young Mistress. They were mostly third-layered sorcerer apprentices, designated to serve Ocelia with all their heart and soul.
Ocelia did not even need to lift her finger. She merely had to watch everyone working hard and wait for the result to manifest itself. The butler specifically led her to a tea table and poured her the black tea.
As if the world aligned for it, just as Ocelia finished her black tea, the scene finally manifested itself before her. A middle-aged man was traversing along the wilderness, seemingly escaping from some kinds of pursuit.
Watching that pair of black ordinary eyes, Ocelia was able to discern their original looks. She, entranced by their beauty, reached out and touched scene, trying to physically caress them.
However, as soon as Ocelia touched the scene with her delicate hand, Forus abruptly stopped in his track and gradually looked up, staring deep into her eyes with that pair of azure sky-like pupils.
The moment they made eye contact, both of them slightly jolted as a certain feeling arose within their heart. As if entangled through fate, an invisible and untraceable connection seemingly established itself between them.
It took merely an instant before Forus to snap out of his trance and channelled his power. Using the ring on his finger, he overloaded his sorcery and sent out a wave of disruptive energy towards Orb of Wanderer.
Clashing against the power of Ring of Recollection, Orb of Wanderer could not withstand it and crack, causing a backflow of sorcery energy. Without any moment to prepare, it exploded into a spectacular sight, causing various sorcerer apprentices to suffer severe backlashes.
Although Ocelia was far away from the impact zone and did not suffer any backlash, her moment of entrancement did not end as fast as Forus. She got hit by the impact of the explosion. Her body got flung into the wall, but she did not suffer any internal injuries— only her mind was muddled by the strange turn of event.
"Call the doctor and report this to the Family Head!" The butler's speech echoed inside Ocelia's mind, but she paid no heed to anything happening outside of her. She did not even feel any pain from the impact.
At that moment, Ocelia— ever so strangely enchanted by Forus— felt a certain profound emotion. Her heart and her soul could not get rid of this strangely-wonderful euphoria of that stare— the stare she seemingly waited for since the first day she was born.