Of course, this couldn't possibly be the full extent of her talent.
Felicia wasn't a genius merely because she had sharp eyes—everything about her was extraordinary, from her sense of controlling power to her ability to teach others.
Still, possessing a different way of seeing the world meant starting with an overwhelming advantage.
At the very least, against knights of the same level, I could probably beat them all down even if they came at me in a group.
Huuuu—
It was as Lucian clenched both fists tightly in excitement.
The raging torrent of mana began to gradually subside.
It seemed the effects of the Nektar were finally wearing off.
"Is everyone all right?"
Puhwak!
"Ghk! Third Young Master, you mustn't speak right now!"
Oops.
Lucian promptly shut his mouth when he saw mana react even to his brief words and lash out at Raymond.
Fortunately, it was Raymond who took the hit—if it had been Ian, he would have passed out on the spot.
Pshiiii—
Only after several minutes did the mana completely die down, accompanied by a sound like a campfire going out.
He briefly worried that the newly gained vision might fade along with the mana, but fortunately, that didn't happen.
Once I get back, I'll have to start sword training right away.
After checking several times to make sure no residual mana remained, Lucian finally spoke again.
"I was worried when you got hit by the mana earlier, but it looks like you're fine. As expected of the Black Lion."
"That's what I should be saying! What on earth was that just now?! Where did all that mana suddenly come from?!"
"What else? This potion amplified my mana. The only flaw is that the effect was excessive—but it's a good potion."
"Excessive doesn't even begin to cover it! That mana was beyond what a human can endure! Any human would have burst and died on the spot—?!"
Raymond cut himself off mid-shout and stared at Lucian with strange eyes.
Come to think of it, the density had indeed been something no human could possibly withstand—so how?
"My constitution's a bit special. Unless it's poison, I won't die just because there's too much of something."
"That makes no sense at all. Are you hiding something else from me again?"
"I'll tell you later. For now, I think we should take care of that kid first."
Raymond turned his head in the direction Lucian pointed.
At the end of his gaze, Ian was collapsed, using a fallen bookshelf as cover.
"Uh… ugh… uhh…"
Even though the mana had subsided, Ian was still muttering incoherently, unable to regain his senses.
It seemed the sudden pressure, combined with his frail body, had left him temporarily shocked.
"It'd be a real problem if he died like this. After all, he's a once-in-a-century genius who could turn the world upside down."
Despite Lucian's joke, Raymond couldn't bring himself to laugh.
He had achieved results so great that even calling him a once-in-a-century genius felt insufficient.
An utterly absurd mana amplification effect. Taken as-is, the body would burst apart—but if it were diluted down to a level a human can withstand…
Even at the most conservative estimate, it would yield effects equivalent to several decades of mana circulation.
And with purity like that, the amount obtainable after dilution would be enormous.
If it could be produced stably even once every few years, it would be enough to overturn the balance of power across the continent.
Just imagining its ripple effects was enough to make cold sweat soak into his back.
"Raymond."
Lost in thought, Raymond flinched and looked up at the voice calling him from beside.
From Lucian came a tone so serious it was unimaginable for him under normal circumstances.
"Who is your liege?"
At the question, laden with countless implications, Raymond closed his eyes.
Strictly speaking, his current liege was Duke Sigmund.
If he were to fulfill his duty as a knight, everything he had seen today should be reported to the duke.
And yet, feeling hesitation well up in his chest, Raymond asked himself—
Is that truly the right thing to do?
Setting aside his loyalty to the duke, wasn't this truth far too heavy?
He even doubted whether Duke Sigmund himself could bear and handle it without being crushed.
More than anything, the Valdeck ducal house was currently in the midst of a fierce succession struggle for the next head.
They had no leeway to recklessly involve themselves in something that could overturn the continent if mishandled.
If it were His Grace the Duke, he would surely investigate the method thoroughly and then bury it again. With internal competition already raging, he's not the kind of man to invite yet another source of trouble. If he were to seriously lay hands on this divine medicine, it would only be after the next head of the house had been decided…
Considering even the stable manufacture of the potion, it would only truly be usable once the next head of the house took power, rather than by the current duke.
In other words, the moment this information was passed on, one of the duke's sons would gain the power to dominate the world.
When his thoughts reached that point, Raymond felt his heart grow cold.
How horrifying.
The first son, Tristan, was a suffocating aristocrat to the point of being rigidly conservative.
The second, Jordi, was an egotist who would discard even those loyal to him once they were no longer useful.
The fourth, Joshua, had never shown anything noteworthy—no matter how one looked at him, he failed to rise above mediocrity.
If any of them were to obtain power capable of changing the continent, would the world truly become better than it was now?
If anything, it would only get worse. I can't imagine a future where things improve.
With a bitter smile, Raymond lifted his head again and looked at Lucian.
The Third Young Master of House Valdeck, still harboring countless secrets.
If the future had to be entrusted to the next generation, was there really anyone more suitable than Lucian?
Come to think of it, it was the Third Young Master who brought back the information about that boy and the potion in the first place.
In that instant, Raymond felt a sense of clarity wash over his heart.
If power had already passed into the right hands, there was no need for him to agonize over it any further.
Having made his decision, Raymond went down on one knee before Lucian.
"I, Leph Norse, who swore loyalty to the blood of the lion, now seek to serve a new liege in accordance with the flow of blood."
The words that flowed out with the true name he had not used in a long time were an ancient oath.
Uttering an old, timeworn ritual seldom spoken of in the present age, Leph bowed his head deeply.
"Young Lion, I offer you my sword—use it as you will."
At Leph's oath, Lucian smiled softly and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"From this moment on, your sword shall always rest in my scabbard, and we will stand together on any battlefield."
Lucian answered in kind with an ancient covenant of his own and helped Leph to his feet.
It was the moment an ambiguous relationship—between a father's retainer and a lord's son—became a true bond between ruler and vassal.
Though his true name had been revealed through the oath, Raymond still preferred the name Raymond over his birth name.
He had been called Raymond for far too long, and he had few fond memories of the days when he lived under his true name.
"So there's no need to switch and call me by my real name. Just keep calling me Raymond like before. That's what everyone knows me as anyway."
"Fair enough. Changing the name we've used all this time would just feel strange."
As long as one's roots were clear, a name could change with circumstances.
For nobles, it wasn't unusual to be granted a new name by a lord or even the Emperor, so calling him what he preferred posed no problem.
"That aside, that kid still hasn't woken up. It didn't seem like such a severe shock."
"He's probably weak since he's spent all his time cooped up doing research. He's not injured anywhere, so until he wakes—"
—Ian! Get out here, you bastard orphan I'll tear apart! How dare you put your hands on your master's purse?!
Lucian and Raymond, who had been sipping their now-cold tea, blinked at the shouting coming from outside.
The vulgar language was new, but the voice itself was familiar.
A moment later, a shadow cast across the doorway, and someone kicked the door open and stormed inside.
Bam!
"Come out right now! Today, I'll break one of your legs—?!"
Haide, who had been shouting at the top of his lungs, soon locked eyes with Lucian.
Lucian shrugged and set his teacup down.
"Seems we meet again. I trust you've been well?"
"Ah—n-no… Why is Lord Lucian here?"
"I came by while looking for someone to talk to about Wilgwang Grass. This place had the largest purchase volume, after all."
"Wilgwang Grass!"
Haide's face twisted into a fierce scowl once more.
It seemed he had just recalled where his money had gone.
"Ian, that ungrateful bastard…!"
"Calm yourself. What happened to make you so angry?"
"It's a personal matter. There's no need for you to concern yourself. If you're truly curious, I can tell you later."
"I want to hear it now."
Bang.
At the sharp sound of the teacup being slammed down, Haide flinched.
A beat too late, he seemed to realize who the man in front of him was.
After hesitating, Haide glanced at Lucian's expression and finally spoke.
"It's because of something my disciple did. The boy's named Ian. He was an orphan, and I personally took him in and taught him alchemy."
"Oh? Come to think of it, there was a boy who opened the door when we came earlier."
"That would be him. He also manages the house when I'm away. But it turns out that brat embezzled my research funds and spent them however he pleased…"
A distinct grinding sound escaped from Haide's mouth.
It seemed the loss of his remaining entertainment money had struck a nerve.
"There are truly such ungrateful wretches in this world. I took in a dying orphan, fed him, gave him a place to sleep, taught him—and he dares to do this!"
Watching Haide tremble with betrayal, Lucian snorted inwardly.
Anyone would think he'd been stabbed in the back by a beloved disciple. And yet he never mentioned the disciple's name even once when it came to developing Nektar.
Seeing how Ian had tried to conduct a clinical test on himself earlier, it wasn't hard to guess what must have happened in a previous life.
Ian had probably experimented on his own body just as recklessly and died from the side effects.
Haide would have panicked upon finding his disciple dead, then discovered the existence of Nektar while investigating the process.
With the research journals being so detailed, it wouldn't have been difficult to piece together the remaining records and reproduce it.
Though whether he truly reproduced it properly is another question. With effects like that, even the diluted yield should've been enormous—yet reservations were booked solid.
Since no one knew the truth, Haide must have brazenly presented Nektar under his own name.
But stolen research can only steal a moment of glory—it can't conceal a lack of true ability.
After Nektar, he failed to make any improvements or new discoveries, spending his days in idleness, and it wouldn't have taken long for the truth to come out.
He might even have been killed by enraged senior members of the guild. From their perspective, they'd been deceived and toyed with by a pathetic man with no real skill.
"The more I think about it, the angrier I get! I raised him like a son, and he dares lay hands on his master's money! You could tell he was rotten to the core from the start!"
Clicking his tongue, Lucian looked at the loudly ranting Haide.
"If you feel that wronged, I'll repay the money your disciple embezzled."
"Money isn't the probl—what?"
"I said I'll pay it back for you. In exchange, give me your disciple."
If the boy had a proper family, it might be different—but an orphan with no connections was, in practice, half his master's property.
Regardless of the disciple's own wishes, if Haide as the master agreed, no one would object to Lucian taking him.
Caught completely off guard by the proposal, Haide blinked and asked again.
"Whatever would you use that boy for?"
"He seems to handle Wilgwang Grass rather well, so I'm thinking of hiring him privately. As I said, I have a keen interest in that area."
"Hm hm, is that so?"
Haide cleared his throat, the corners of his mouth subtly lifting.
After a moment, he stroked his chin as if pondering something deeply.
"But if Ian disappears, that would put me in quite a bind as well. Ungrateful as he is, he was a capable fellow. He handled everything from assisting with alchemy to managing the household. Losing him overnight would be troublesome."
"And what compensation do you want?"
"Just this much will do."
Haide spread all five fingers wide as he spoke.
At the ambiguous gesture, Lucian tilted his head.
"You're asking for five gold coins?"
"What nonsense. Five platinum coins."
Lucian nearly toppled backward from sheer disbelief.
Raymond, who had been silently listening until now, wore an equally stunned expression.
Lucian had been willing to pay compensation—but even so, this was far beyond any reasonable line.
"Are you in your right mind?"
"Of course I am. He may not be a formal alchemist, but he is still officially affiliated with the guild. You're trying to take talent from an institution directly under His Majesty the Emperor—this is a cheap price for that."
Ah, so now he meant to drag the Emperor into it.
The man's mind worked quickly, at least.
If this escalated from a personal dispute into a clash of pride between House Valdeck and the imperial court, the one who'd be inconvenienced would be Lucian.
He must have calculated everything—the impact on the house's succession struggle, even Lucian's ambiguous position as the Third Young Master—before speaking.
If Lucian hadn't taken part in suppressing the previous rebellion, he might truly have had no good options.
But today, the man had miscalculated—badly.
"I don't have five platinum coins. Instead, I'll give you this."
"What is that? Even if it's payment in kind, if it's not worth that much—?!"
Snorting derisively, Haide abruptly widened his eyes when he saw the bronze token Lucian held out.
He had clearly recognized the emblem of the Black Scale Knights, the personal guard of the First Prince.
"Y-You… what connection do you have with His Highness the First Prince?"
"What connection, you ask?"
Lucian let out a short laugh, then spoke sharply.
"I am Lucian Valdeck. I led a thousand elite troops on behalf of my father, His Grace Duke Sigmund, in the suppression of the Krepfeld Rebellion. I stood shoulder to shoulder with Marquis Bernhardt and exchanged debts with Duke Blasker."
"I also led a thousand soldiers to rush to His Highness the First Prince's aid in his moment of crisis, together with His Highness the Second Prince, and crossed blades alongside Sir Jurgen. And when we withdrew, I was granted the honor of conversing at His Majesty the Emperor's side. Do you need me to go on?"
The current head of House Logran, the leader of the Flame School, the Emperor's two sons, the commander of the Black Scale Knights—
even the Emperor himself.
As one heavyweight name after another poured out, Haide's face went beyond pale, draining to a deathly white.
Lucian looked down coldly at the trembling Haide and spat out his words.
"Say it again, you lowborn wretch. What was that you were saying about His Majesty the Emperor?"
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