Bruno entered Billy's quarters as instructed. The captain sat leisurely behind his desk, legs propped on top of it. Standing by the open window, gazing at the vast, raging ocean, was the enigmatic bald man. Marco lurked in the corner, his presence barely noticed amidst the roaring waves and howling wind, which seemed impossible to ignore.
"I've been told you wished to speak with me," the young alchemist said loudly yet calmly, concealing any hint of emotion. He kept his feelings suppressed, even though the sight of the bald man standing behind Billy's back did startle him.
Without waiting for an invitation, Bruno quickly settled down in front of Captain Fisher. But it wasn't Billy who spoke next.
"It wasn't him who wished to speak with you," the mysterious man replied, his gaze still fixed on the waves, a product of the magic he had conjured to propel the ship. Despite speaking normally, his voice somehow reached the ears of everybody in the room, completely defying logic, as if it somehow could ignore the noise produced by the sea.
"I told him about you," Billy almost yelled, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb. "Now I'm starting to understand why Hugo sent the rainbow cockatoo with the message to go from Blackrock straight to the headquarters, so this ship would be the one to pick you up, kid."
"The famous rainbow birds?" Bruno asked, managing a slight smile. "The messengers of the sea, as they call them."
The words were mostly pointless, designed to seemingly showcase his disinterest in the situation. His expression was almost completely a facade; inside, Bruno was intensely curious about the situation.
"By the way, I hope you haven't dealt with the alchemy guild yet," the boy quickly added. "I would like to contribute something as well. You know… They say that revenge tastes quite sweet."
"No. I didn't have the time," Billy replied. "But they will get what they deserve for messing with me."
"There is no rush. You can get them anytime, and I would like to be there to at least see the process. However, as you know, I'm currently busy. So, if it's not inconvenient, I would ask you to wait," the young alchemist suggested.
"I guess I could do that, as long as you cooperate with whatever Hugo is trying to achieve here," the captain smiled, once again pointing at the mysterious man with his thumb.
"Depends on what this whole thing is about," Bruno said, shifting his gaze to the bald mage.
The man slowly turned around, finally tearing his gaze away from the captivating waves. The shutters closed as he did so, slightly lowering the volume of the noise produced by the sea.
"I heard about you, boy, and got intrigued. My name is Heb Horemm, and I'm an archmage of destruction from Harothep," he stated calmly.
A shiver ran down Bruno's spine, and the atmosphere in the room shifted noticeably. Billy and Marco seemed to sense it too. There was this unspoken threat hanging in the air, as if the executioner’s axe was about to behead them all, carried by the invisible hand of the bald man.
‘If those are true words, he is a monster,’ the boy thought to himself. ‘I need to step carefully.’
His knowledge about the mysterious school hidden in Almawt, the deadly desert, revealed that it was ruled by a council of the most powerful mages, each titled "Archmage" and presiding over a cathedral dedicated to a specific discipline of magic. But in other parts of the world, the title had been usurped by those in high positions in various kingdoms, seeking to steal its prestige. That is why nowadays each kingdom had its own archmage—a tasteless mimicry of those who really held the title.
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"What do you want from me?" Bruno asked, abandoning the pretense that he was in complete control. Seriousness etched across his face, knowing this was no mere game.
"I heard your story. A nobody turned alchemist in the local guild, then a slave to the archmage Mamun, only to become his assistant, and finally a traitor who fled with the princess to deliver her to the pirates. Quite an achievement, to steal a princess," the man chuckled. "You certainly have an imagination. I've also heard that you helped this Mamun develop a formula to gift others with magic. Outside of Harothep, it may be seen as a recent discovery, but we are well aware of several methods to achieve that. It's considered a taboo, for obvious reasons."
"Mamun told me that he developed it by himself," the boy pointed out. "I guess that was a lie."
"Probably. In the end, it's not important. What matters is that you perfected his formula. Is that the truth, or a simple misunderstanding?" the man inquired.
"Truth," the young alchemist quickly confirmed.
"Good. You must possess a very sharp mind if, in just over a single year, you achieved expertise sufficient to perfect even the worst formula that this Mamun could possibly steal from Harothep. I might have a use for you in the future. Not to mention, I'm intrigued. But perhaps we should discuss this later. For now, let's focus on Hugo Wagner. He promised to quietly help me move to Frontier Island, and back. The price was that I would teach his men magic. I accepted this ridiculous offer, suspecting he had few men with a talent for magic whom he wished to use. However, hearing your story, I know I was wrong," the man explained.
"He doesn't have the formula. I didn't give it to him," Bruno denied, ensuring the mage wouldn't jump to any conclusions.
"But he knows about it, and he already wants it. You have to know that using those artificial means is forbidden by Harothep. In normal circumstances, you all would die, but there might be a way out for all of you. I bet if your king knew about this little taboo, he wouldn't have made a deal with me… Or maybe that was the reason he did. After all, he is quite an audacious man as well," the man chuckled as he suddenly placed his hand on Billy's shoulder.
The captain almost jumped in his seat.
"Relax," the mage added quickly. "As I said, there might be a way for you to keep your lives. I can speak with the council on your behalf, and you might be forgiven, but there are a few conditions. First, this Mamun... He has to die. Judging from the story you've told me, I bet it's both yours and Smenkhkare's goal, so I'll consider it done. The next condition is that I will supervise who has access to the formula and where the elixirs would go. You will be the one held responsible if your product suddenly appears somewhere it wasn't supposed to be. You will also help me with a little thing," Heb's eyes once again focused on Bruno. "When the time comes, that is."
"Teach me magic, and I'll agree," the young alchemist said without hesitation.
The mage snorted quietly. "Right now, I'm busy. I can teach you when I give a few lessons to the pirates, as I agreed with your king," he said.
"We are both on this ship right now with nowhere to go. We both have nothing to do, and there are still a few days until we reach the island," Bruno pointed out. „Besides… Hugo is not my king.”
"Magic is not something that can be taught easily," Heb argued, as the last remark brought a smile to his face.
"I already had a few lessons from Mamun. I know a bit, and I learn very fast," said the boy, determination painted all over his face, which made the archmage laugh.
"Very well... I'll test you. It might be fun," he added. „We shall see… The important thing for you is to remember my words. If you want to live, you have to obey the rules. We will speak about this more when the time comes. Now you both are free.”
Bruno bowed slightly as he stood from his chair, but to the boy’s surprise, he wasn’t the only one. Billy got up as well, and the two of them headed out of the quarters despite the bald mage being the guest. Marco joined them along the way with a sly smirk on his lips.
It felt annoying to the young alchemist, but he was not the only one with such an opinion, as Billy quietly whispered, „Stop or I’ll wipe that smirk from your ugly mug.”