"Why is he here? Who does he think he is to use our clan's influence to get himself and his lowly troupe of jesters into an exclusive event like this?" Gilim Ougi asked one of his companions from a few rows in front of Eik and company.

Eik wasn't sure if the man was stupid enough to have simultaneously forgotten that Eik had obliterated an S-rank monster right in front of his eyes in a single minute on his own and that they had a fight coming up within a couple of days, or if he was stupid enough to think another A-ranker couldn't hear what he said at such a short distance. Either way, the guy was stupid.

They were not seated at the front but not at the back either. And most important of all, they had seats inside the venue, which was a luxury that most of the spectators who had shown up to witness the revelation could not claim.

"Did you bring the gifts?" Gilim asked one of his entourage.

A subtle nod in the affirmative.

"Good. We have to make a good first impression. I wonder what family they're going to be from. Someone must have invested heavily to make a genius like that. I'm going to get my hands on as many of those damned pills as I want."

Eik had to clamp his hands over his own mouth to keep down the giggles.

From the foremost rows to the very back, voices buzzed with eager speculation and discussion about who could possibly have kept secret their identity as the creator of the Legendary Mystery Medicine. A few even tossed members of the Ougi clan into the hat of guesses. It was nearly only members of prestigious and powerful families who were assumed capable of such a feat.

None would expect, even in their wildest dreams, that a person from a no-name, non-elite family could be a contender. Much less someone from a new world. Even though he was the head of a moderately successful new alchemy business, Eik's name was never even considered.

Well, whatever. They would soon know.

The stage was raised, a speaker's podium placed in the center. As many people as possible had been crammed into the event space—a huge courtyard within the perimeter of the grounds of the Alchemist Guild. It was open above so the sun was baking on everybody waiting for the big moment.

Eik had discussed it with Aohan earlier and they had agreed that it wouldn't be quite as dramatic if he simply came through a door and stepped up onto the stage from the back. There was a more impactful way to do it.

It was a bit past the scheduled time by the time an old man stepped onto stage. Like a stereotypically wise old man, he looked frail and kept his beard long, white, and full. He wore a thick and heavy robe, decorated intricately with ornate patterns stitched into the fabric by a skilled hand. A large, glittering emblem on his breast signified his rank. The guild master of the Alchemist Guild of Gimleh.

With his back hunched, he shuffled up to the podium where he could barely see over the wooden structure. Out of the corner of his eye, Eik saw one of the organizers swallow hard when he realized that he had made a mistake with the size of the podium, or at least forgotten to put out a stool to stand on.

Whether the old man then coughed or cleared his throat was difficult to know, but he started speaking soon after nonetheless.

"Honored guests, if I may have your attention. My name is Ganyak hir Gawak, and I am the master of this guild of alchemy. In the past, I may have been worthy of the important role I hold in this establishment, but now," he said, tapping the podium lightly with his fingers, eliciting good-natured laughter throughout the onlookers. "I feel like I can barely see what's going on in front of me." He chuckled.

With a grunt he waddled out and stood at the very edge of the front of the stage, now in full view of the audience. "Aah, much better," he said, mostly to himself. "As I said, my capabilities are not what they used to be. Particularly my physical body has unfortunately begun to fail me more and more with every year that passes. And ever since I first noticed it, something has weighed on my mind and caused me to lay awake at night, anxiously tossing and turning in my bed and annoying my poor wife to no apparent end." Again, waves of laughter rolled through the onlookers.

Say what you want about the old man, but he sure knew how to speak with confidence and comfort in front of hundreds—thousands or even tens of thousands if you counted the numerous screens installed around the outside of the guild.

"What will happen once I am no longer able to stand on this stage? Once my hand and fingers tremble too much to continue the delicate work that I lead others in? Once my legs finally refuse to let me get out of bed?" he said, and some of the guild members scattered among the crowd wiped at their eyes. "I agonized over this question until my hair fell out. Or rather, I should say, until the last five of them fell out." Nervous as he was, Eik found himself pulled along by the old man's relaxed presence and felt some of his own anxiety vanish.

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"But then I found out, to my relief, that all I have to do is look around, anywhere really, and the solution to my worries reveals itself. There is not shortage of young, blossoming talent to take up the baton and carry us into even more exciting times. Isn't that just so wonderful?" Applause began somewhere a few rows behind Eik's seat but quickly spread to the entire courtyard.

The guild master waited for the applause to settle before he continued.

"And how could I demonstrate this truth more perfectly than by having the honor of introducing one such blossoming young talent? And I'm sure none of you would doubt that talent is is an apt descriptor for this individual—and perhaps even too modest. For he has done what none have done before him. He has done what should have been impossible! I thought it was impossible, and could not believe what I was hearing when it was first reported to me!" Ganyak hir Gawak cried, his voice becoming louder than Eik had thought possible for his frail body.

"Please give a warm welcome to the inventor and sole creator of the so-called Legendary Mystery Medicine! And his name is… Eik Magnasen!"

"What?" Gilim's shrill voice yelped as Eik stood from his seat, trying and failing to put on his most confident smile. He did manage to send Gilim the most shit-eating of shit-eating grins as he passed by his seat. The fucker looked up at him with a mixture of anger and disbelief painted clearly across his face. His parents looked no less surprised but had a healthy dose of dread mixed in as well.

Finally they had realized that Eik was not just their niece's boyfriend. He was also not just the monstrous fighter he had proven to be during the crucible test. He was a pioneer that would pave the way for a new world. And they had put themselves firmly on his naughty list.

He resisted the urge to blow them a kiss as he approached the stage. Everybody else was cheering and clapping as he took the stage.

Following one of the more common gestures of greeting, Eik clasped the old guild master's bicep as his own was gripped in turn. He had been prepared to be extra careful to avoid hurting the old man, but the hand that took his arm felt unexpectedly packed with power.

"Congratulations, Eik Magnasen. What an absolutely incredible feat," Ganyak hir Gawak praised him enthusiastically. Then he leaned in closer and covered his mouth with a flat hand, as if that would do much against the interested high-rankers present. Well, perhaps with all the applause, it would help a bit. "Now tell me, how did you do it? What's the secret? An ingredient? A technique? Something else?"

Eik looked at him with surprise, but a mischievous smirk peeked out through the guild master's full, wispy beard. Eik laughed and stepped up to the podium. A last round of applause settled as he stood tall, face unworried, heart racing away at a million kilometers per hour.

He cleared his throat as he stared out across the throng, numerous alien races gathered to bear witness. His nerves were alleviated somewhat by the expressions of pride on the faces of his friends and family, and the troubled looks on Gilim and company.

"Thank you very much, Guild Master Ganyak hir Gawak," Eik said, amplifying his own voice to easily reach every ear. "Oh, a little low, isn't it?" he remarked as he tapped the podium with a hand, the guild master shaking a fist in the air as he walked off stage. The chuckles from the crowd lightened his anxiety a bit more.

"And to all of you as well, thank you for the kind welcome. And yes, I am the person who made the Legendary Mystery Medicine, or Eik's Legendary Mystery Medicine as it is more accurately called. I still regret naming it that but I try to not think about it too much." Yes, good, if he could just keep talking like this, it was easier to pretend that the spectators didn't exist.

"And thank you to Mr. Aohan, the representative of the Alchemist Guild of Gimleh for hearing me out when he thought I was talking out my ass and asking for a venue. I wasn't sure if revealing my identity publicly was a good idea but now that I'm standing here, I'm sure that this is the right choice. I don't really have much more to say about it than that. I made it and that's all. Questions?"

Many raised hands and Eik picked the first he saw.

"Will you be releasing the method of production publicly as well?" a member of the guild asked.

"I have no plans of doing that, no. I'll hold on to the secret for now."

The next person was a woman dressed in expensive-looking clothing. "When will the Legendary Mystery Medicine be available for mass purchase?"

Eik pursed his lips as he gave it some thought. "Not any time soon, I imagine. I can only make so much. For now purchase of Eik's Legendary Mystery Medicine will proceed as it has thus far."

"What family are you from?" someone shouted.

"The Magnasen family, I suppose," he answered, eyes seeking the speaker.

"And what world are they from?" someone else added.

"Earth."

"Exactly how effective are these pills?"

"Depends on how many you take, doesn't it?" Eik shot back. "Not as strong as a regular potion, but permanent as it is, it could be the difference between defeat and victory—life and death."

"Have you taken any yourself?" The questions were flying at him now that people had gotten a taste of it. There were more than he could respond to, so he just stuck to the ones that he had an answer for and that hadn't been asked yet.

"Of course."

"How many?"

An evil thought struck him. "How about you come see for yourself? In a couple of days, I'll be fighting that guy," Eik said, pointing straight at Gilim who did everything he could to sink into the seat of his chair. "His name is Gilim, from the Ougi clan, so if you would like to see how big of a difference there is between me and an… ordinary A-ranker, then this is your chance."

Eik looked out over the many onlookers. He searched for Gilim's face but the Ougi heir was now nowhere to be seen.

He shrugged. "Any other questions?"

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