Dark King

They left the room. Nightingale looked at Dudian. Her eyes were shining brightly as the light flashing could be seen behind the owl mask: “Congratulations. You were able to become an official alchemist from the first try.”

“Congratulations.” Gold said.

Rose blinked her eyes as she curiously asked: “What have you submitted that she called it ‘special’?”

Dudian smiled and replied: “It was an ordinary subject.”

Rose didn’t ask for more as she saw Dudian avoiding to directly answer.

Nightingale said to Dudian: “I should take you to meet Mouse. Maybe his laziness will be cured if he knows that you have become an official alchemist.”

Dudian thought for a moment and shook his head: “No, I’m sorry but I have other things to do. Maybe another day.”

“Alright.” Nightingale nodded.

Nightingale and the other didn’t immediately leave the place. They walked around the square to check the shops. Occassionay they see rare materials that would be hard to get somewhere else.

Dudian accompanied them while they visited the shops. He noted that dark church wasn’t only about alchemists only. There was another profession which was very popular. Magic potioners.

If alchemists were equivalent to the scientists of the old era then potioners were the group that developed variatey of toxins and potions for the personal interests. In a sense they were as crazy as alchemists from life faction. In hisorty of giant wall of the Silva there have been quite a few mad potioners who had gone to kill noble families, erazed whole towns and went for terrible destructions.

According to Rosyard’s alchemy notes Holy Church tried to not to offend magic potioners as their methods were more ruthless and unordinary. You wouldn’t know that you have been poisoned unless you would feel extreme pain at doorsteps of death.

“Potioners … … Toxins shoul play a great role as a weapon if used outside the giant wall to hunt the monsters.” Dudian secretly thought in his mind.

After some time, he left the cove with the others.

“Would you like me to take you back?” Nightingale asked Dudian as they came out of the manor.

Dudian shook his head.: “Thanks, I’m good.”

Nightingale nodded. In fact, she asked out of politeness. In reality, she has never been in the compartment of the carriage alone with anyone but her close relatives and family members.

Gold and Rose went to their carriages and departed.

Dudian came to a dark corner of the town. He confirmed that he hasn’t been followed and there was no one in the surroundings. He took off his mask and put away the robe. He quietly left the town.

…

…

In a secret hall.

At the dark office a person was sitting by the table. He was busy going through the documents on the desk. He suddenly heard the vibration sound coming off the metal pipe close to the desk. He turned around and saw a snake covered in black scales slowly coming out of the metal pipe.

The figure slowly stretched out his hand and touched snake’s head.

Black snake slowly opened its mouth. There was a black reel in between its fangs.

The person took out the reel and took out the message from it. He rolled out the paper and read the letter. He murmured.: ” ‘Inferno burst’? Almost the same method?” He knew that recently there were many alchemists who were closely connected to nobility.

He pondered for a while and wrote a letter. He put it into the reel and put back into black snake’s mouth.

Black snake swallowed the reel and wriggled its body. It retracted its body back to the metal pipe.

…

…

Mount Er. Burong family.

Two people were sitting around a table in a spacious room. There were lots of documents on the table.

“According to our investigation, the murderer is likely to be his friend.” A judge wearing golden robe gently tapped onto the paper.: “We should focus on this information.”

A pretty, slim figure was sitting across the table. She was wearing a pale green skirt. Her eyes were focused on plants that were growing up on pots next to the window. She recovered the instant she heard judge’s words. She glanced back at him and suddenly asked.: “Teacher, is our family in trouble?”

Judge Jason was surprised. She looked at alluring and pretty girl.: “Why do you think so?”

“Recently, my father deliberately hasn’t let me go out of the castle. He has recited that there is trouble lurking outside. It seems that someone wrong has happened and my father doesn’t want me to know about it.” Girl looked up at him.: “Can you tell me what’s happening?”

Judge Jason looked at her bright eyes.: “Your family is an old aristocratic lineage controlling huge industries. How could something affect your family? But recently there have been some alchemists running wild. So most probably your father is worried that something may happen to you if you go outside.”

“Is it all?” The girl stared at him.

Judge Jason put down the document onto the table: “We had found some clues today. Surely, you are tired too. I’ll go to send someone to investigate.” Having said that he left the room.

Her room was big enough to be called a hall. She sat quietly for a while then felt tired. She got up and went towards the window. Looking at fruit trees and flowers relieved her mood. Suddenly, she saw a carriage coming down. A dark red distinctive flag was stuck on top of the carriage.

Her eyes brightened as she quickly went down.

The carriage came to courtyard and stopped. A tall, white-skinned, dark red haired girl with slender body got off the carriage. At the same time she saw the green skirted girl to ran out from the castle. She was surprised. : “Jenny!”

Jenny looked happy: “Sarah, thanks for visiting me! ”

“I knew that you will be suffocated by being alone so I came to play with you.” Sarah Mel laughed.

“Good, let’s go in.” Jenny grabbed her hand and led her into her room.

The sun was setting down.

Sarah Mel was holding to one of Jenn’y plush dolls as she was standing by the window and looking at sky.: “It’s getting late, I should head back.”

Jenny said: “Why don’t you stay at my house tonight?”

Sarah gently shook her head. “I gotta go today. Tomorrow there is a party I have to attend. Ah, yes, I’m here to tell you good news.”

“Good news?” Jenny was surprised.

Sarah Mel chuckled: “You know, the poet hunter from before. Recently he was released on bail. Tomorrow, I may meet him at the party.”

“Hunter …” Jenny was startled and looked at her. “Y-You, you’re talking about Dean?”

Sarah shrugged her shoulders: “I don’t remember his name but I know that he was released on bail. I think he is going to face a lot of trouble as the noble who got him bailed out also wants to set up a consortium.”

Jenny was startled: “My father said that he couldn’t be released on bail because of what he had committed.”

“What? Come on, it was just a theft. It’s very easy for us to bail him out. Especially families such as mine or yours.”

Jenny bowed her head. “Yes, but jail time was fair to him. He was a trainee in magistrate so he could understand that he had to go to prison for theft.”