When Viki entered Bruno’s laboratory after a few days, she noticed multiple changes. It was now filled with furniture and equipment, featuring multiple tables covered in glassware and strange copper objects they brought along on the 'Blue Whale'.

A desk with papers, books, and a quill rested next to a bottle of ink, illuminated by light pouring in from a large window under the ceiling of the warehouse. Wooden racks with potted plants lined the walls, and the corners held supplies stored in bags, chests, and wooden crates. There was even a bookshelf, though filled with only a few positions—everything Bruno brought on this journey since Bahir failed to provide him with new positions.

The young alchemist was busy, moving among the tables, mixing various ingredients. A stove in the corner crackled with fire, and a cauldron atop it received occasional additions to the brewing mixture.

"Good morning," he tossed in her direction without looking.

"Good morning," she replied, taking a moment to appreciate the changes in the workshop's interior. Instead, she approached the young man.

"How can I help you, V?" he asked, noticing her closing the distance.

He quickly attended to the essential part of his work, then stepped forward to meet her halfway.

"Uhm..." She lost her resolve when he appeared in front of her and had to gather her thoughts, but Bruno gave her enough time. "I found him," she informed, lowering her voice. "You will not believe who he is."

A smirk appeared on the young alchemist’s lips as he tilted his head slightly to the side, raising a single eyebrow. "I won't believe? This awfully sounds like a challenge. How about we make a little bet?"

"A bet?" She asked, slightly surprised. "About what?"

"I’ll ask you one question, and you will answer. If I can correctly tell you who the agent of the rebels is, then I win. If I’m not correct, then you win. How does that sound?"

"What is the reward for the winner?" she asked, narrowing her eyes while crossing her arms on her chest.

"If you win, I’ll give you whatever you want, as long as I’m able to afford it. If I win, I get a little kiss, right here," he pointed at his lips.

Blush bloomed on Viki’s cheeks. She twisted her lips a little before giving him a firm nod. "Agreed. Now ask."

"You said I will never believe who that person was. This suggests I’ve at least seen them once, but you wouldn’t use these words if it wasn’t somebody even closer. I must be seeing them regularly. At least to the point of knowing who they are. So my question is this. Have I ever spoken with that person?" He said with confidence after putting his hands in his pockets and staring down at Viki.

"Yes. You did," she responded, equally confidently.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"In this town, I spoke only with a few people. The workers moving the furniture and equipment inside the workshop, those whom I instructed to make racks for the samples, and those who worked on the stove, the chimney, and the window. I also spoke with your drunkard," the smirk reappeared on his lips, "the wagoner and the local man who gathered the samples for me. But you don’t know any of them. This leaves the maid who cleans the rooms in the inn and the bartender. The maid is a decent prospect, but the bartender is even better, so I’m betting on him."

Viki’s jaw dropped. "How did you know?"

Bruno responded with a chuckle. "Deduction. Something you will have to work on to get better at your job, but don’t worry. I’ll teach you. Now..." He took a step forward, leaning slightly toward her, then pulled his hand from his pocket and touched his lower lip. "My reward..."

At first, frustration emerged on her face, but she contained it quickly, not because of good self-control, but rather because the embarrassment pushed it away. With her cheeks as red as tomatoes, she moved forward and delicately pressed her lips against his, only to immediately peel them off.

"Happy?!" she shouted.

"Satisfied," he agreed, turned on his heel, and marched away to take care of the alchemical processes in progress in several different places.

Viki hesitated for a second before beginning to stroll around. She kept her silence for a couple of moments, but eventually, she had to ask, to give herself a legitimate reason to stay around. "What are you working on?"

"Several projects," he replied, adding some ingredients to the cauldron and stirring it properly. "Some necessary, and some just for fun. I made several different recipes for elixir of growth which I will start testing soon. I’m also working on invisible ink, a special oil, and other little tricks."

"Invisible ink? What for?" She stopped as his words made her curious enough to focus her eyes on him.

Bruno pointed toward the desk without stopping to work. This prompted Viki to approach the piece of furniture. There she found an open book, densely covered with words.

"A diary, or something?" She asked.

"This book is many things in one. Insurance, pet project, a notebook, my personal way to have fun, and a bait," he said with a grin full of confidence on his lips.

"What?" Viki asked with confusion painted all over her face.

"At some point, you will see with your own eyes, but before that, I’m going to explain what it is to you and the others, but right now, it’s too early."

"Why is it too early?"

"Because it’s not ready, and if I can make it ready, it will be worthless. Right now you could call it my personal hope. Hope that I can make it a useful tool, but before it becomes one, there is nothing to speak of."

"Sometimes you are so weird," she sighed while shaking her head.

Her words made him chuckle.

She watched him, gathering resolve, managing to muster enough to approach him. Bruno noticed, quickly ensuring everything was properly taken care of, so he could lose sight of the ongoing alchemical processes for at least a moment.

"Can we talk about what happened that day?" she asked quietly, standing right next to him. She even pinched the edge of his shirt.

She looked so sweet that a smile appeared on his face. "No, V. We can’t," the words surprised her, and anger began appearing on her face, so he quickly added. "But we will talk about this when everything is taken care of. Then we will have the time, but now you have to wait."

She didn’t respond to his words, but her face didn’t indicate that she was getting angry.

He actually couldn’t read her emotions, which prompted him to speak again. "If you really want to talk about this, then take care of your end of the plan. Establish communication with the rebels. I need to be able to contact the person in charge. We will need help, and I have to know what type of resources I can get from them and how much."

She nodded slowly. "But when this is over, I won’t let you get away with it," she stated, then headed straight for the door.

He watched her until she vanished with a smile on his face, then returned to the alchemy, which needed his attention.