Since the poison was prepared, Bruno made arrangements for its delivery to Nathan, accompanied by a message. He entrusted Viki, who worked as a courier, with the task of relaying that he wished to meet with the thug to discuss their future endeavors.
Afterward, the young alchemist focused on the necessary preparations. He granted his workers a day off, creating the perfect opportunity to execute his plan. The teapot, with two holes ingeniously crafted into its handle—one on top and one at the bottom—stood at the ready successfully crafted after his last attempt in the midst of all the work chaos. These openings connected to two internal chambers, one empty and the other filled with poison. Bruno intended to pour the deadly substance into Nathan's cup while discreetly covering the appropriate holes with his fingers. To maintain the illusion, he planned to drink from his own cup, making it appear as if they were celebrating the resolution of their conflict rather than setting a trap.
However, theory and practice diverged significantly, and turning his plan into reality proved no easy feat. It demanded the skill of acting and deception, coupled with nerves of steel, as countless variables threatened to derail the scheme. Fortunately, Bruno possessed ample experience in all those domains from his past life.
Timing posed yet another obstacle, yet he surmised that Nathan would prioritize his own plans and use the poison first before paying a visit. Still, there lingered the possibility that the thug might ignore the invitation altogether, clinging to their existing arrangement without change. They had agreed to discuss the matter, but he could easily disregard it.
Bruno, however, remained unfazed by this prospect. Should it come to pass, he would simply devise an alternative plan to rid himself of the problem.
He meticulously arranged everything for the potential visit—a small table ingeniously fashioned from a crate that once held ingredients procured the previous day, accompanied by two stools his workers occasionally utilized during their brief breaks. Bruno himself never indulged in such reprieve.
With all the preparations complete, he waited, his gaze fixed upon the space before him as he sat beside the makeshift table.
Hours ticked by, morning morphed into midday, and midday surrendered to the afternoon. Finally, Nathan appeared. A flicker of satisfaction nearly escaped Bruno's countenance, yet he swiftly mastered his expression to avoid any such slip-up.
"I never thought I would say this, but it's good to see you," the boy uttered, his tone carefully measured.
The thug snorted dismissively, his skepticism evident. "I hope your poison works," he remarked, his tone laced with derision.
"It does. Please, have a seat. Allow me to prepare something to drink," Bruno insisted, gesturing toward the stool.
"There is no need. I came here to talk," Nathan retorted, dismissing the boy's offer.
"I insist," the young alchemist persisted, his voice firm. "Gentlemen don't engage in conversation with dry throats."
Unmoved by Bruno's insistence, the thief begrudgingly took a seat by the crate, reaching into his pocket to retrieve a piece of chewing tobacco, which he placed in his mouth.
Meanwhile, Bruno proceeded to set a pot of water over the fire. They had a designated area for heating up certain ingredients, which he utilized. Among the alchemical equipment awaited the teapot, accompanied by a collection of dried herbs he had procured from the main building. Bruno crushed the herbs and placed them inside a bowl, intending to prepare tea there before filtering it through a cloth and into the waiting teapot.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
As the water gradually warmed, Bruno returned to Nathan and settled onto the stool he had prepared for himself.
"So..." he began without delay. "As you are already aware, there are individuals within the guild who strongly oppose our meeting."
Nathan shrugged nonchalantly. "That's your problem," he retorted.
"It's your problem too if you expect me to continue providing for you," Bruno countered.
"I suppose you have some kind of way out, then?" the thug inquired with a hint of skepticism.
"I do. We can communicate through Viki, but once Billy returns, I want the three of us to have a proper discussion and resolve this matter," the boy proposed. "I have my hands full with 'Fix,' assisting other alchemists, and dedicating myself to learning. I cannot shoulder all the responsibilities alone."
Nathan snorted once more, his doubt evident. "You can't handle your own job, so you want Billy to bail you out?"
"It's easy for you to say that when you laze around all day, relying on others to do your bidding," Bruno retorted, raising an eyebrow.
The direct insult struck a nerve within Nathan, his lips contorting into a grimace, betraying his simmering anger.
"You have no idea what I do," the thug barked defensively.
"Maybe I do, maybe I don't, but this discussion isn't about you. It's about me," the boy asserted firmly. "I need you to get off my back, at least for now. I have too much on my mind, and there's even more to come. Every day, more senior alchemists approach me with tasks that I need to learn before I can undertake. That's why Billy sent me here."
Bruno intended to elaborate further, but as the water began boiling, he stood up and went to remove the pot from the fire. It was scalding hot, so he carefully used the sleeve of his shirt as makeshift protection to lift it, pouring the boiling water into the bowl of herbs. After giving the tea a brief stir, he filtered it through the cloth and returned it with the teapot to Nathan.
"As I was saying... Billy sent me here to learn, so how about we put our relationship on hold until he returns, and then we can discuss it further? After all, he is the boss here," the young alchemist proposed, extending the olive branch.
Nathan spat out the piece of chewing tobacco onto the ground as Bruno poured the tea. The boy strategically held the top hole of the teapot open while keeping the bottom one closed, and then cleverly switched his grip, feigning difficulty in handling the teapot with one hand. He covered the top hole while leaving the bottom one open.
"Can we drink to that?" he asked, grasping his cup.
Nathan remained silent, making Bruno release a heavy sigh.
"Look... I helped you this time, but I didn't have to. I work for Billy, and that's where my focus lies," the young alchemist emphasized.
"You're just a stupid kid who wants to run under his mom's skirt, but Billy is not your mother," the thug retorted.
The boy nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. "I'm smart, so I chose to work for the top dog. That's it. Should I ask him who the top dog is between the two of you, or can we drink to our agreement and be done with it? All I want are clear rules for our relationship, nothing more. I'm not here to fight over who's above who. I have alchemy, and that's where my focus lies."
"You're a coward, that's what you are," Nathan scoffed, finally picking up his cup.
Bruno took a sip from his own cup, hoping to dispel any suspicions the thug might harbor. "Maybe I am," he conceded. "But there's nothing wrong with that in alchemy."
The thief snorted and took a sip from his cup, albeit reluctantly. "Here. I drank it. Are you happy now?" he grumbled, pouring the remaining contents onto the ground.
Bruno shook his head, disappointed by the thug's behavior. "This conversation is over," Nathan declared, dropping the cup and making his exit.
"It's not perfect, but it has to work," the young alchemist mused to himself, observing the thug's departure.
With the remainder of the day free, Bruno swiftly disposed of any incriminating evidence, closed down the manufactory, and made his way to the marketplace. He had promised Viki a ring, and angering her when she proved to be so useful would be a grave mistake. After some searching, he stumbled upon an iron ring adorned with a small amber teardrop. Although it bore a small crack in the middle, the sellers still demanded a hefty sum of silver for it—a clear scam. However, Bruno, feeling fatigued and not in the mood for an argument, decided to go along with the purchase.
With the ring safely tucked away in his pocket, he returned to the guild to rest for a while. The days when he could finally focus on amassing influence and sowing the seeds of his empire were drawing near.