"If you want to meet them, turn yourself into an asset they can't ignore," Ralgar said, turning towards the working desk and pulling the flask of crimson fluid out of the fire with a long set of pliers.

Luciflorae Revelation Concoction. [Identify] Alchemical Brew. An alchemical reagent that glows upon touching plants from the Luciflorae family. Magical concentration: Low.

Ralgar poured a few drops of the Energy Boost Potion into the revelation concoction and stirred it with a glass rod until it turned a brownish-yellow hue. There was no sign of glowing. The boy sighed, unhappy with the results.

"You met the people behind the anti-nobility rally. Are you an asset to them?" Firana asked, bringing her hand towards her hidden sword.

Ralgar didn't even look in her direction.

"I'm the disgruntled recognized bastard of a duke. That is exactly what any anti-nobility movement is looking for, but no. I don't have an interest in politics. I just wanted this," he said, showing the purple potion. "They contacted me while I was cleaning the pumpkin patch and invited me to a rally in an abandoned tavern in the eastern ward."

The vial was half empty.

"You shouldn't drink that," I said.

"I know it's dangerous, Lord Clarke. That's precisely why I'm trying to make a safer version," he said, signaling to his brewing equipment. Then, he pulled a stack of parchment from an old folder and handed it to me. "If you wanted to drink it, you would be safe if you only had one vial every ninety-two days."

The parchment was covered in data tables and equations: Toxicity Buildup, Toxicity Decay Ratios for each group of Classes and bracket levels, and charts of Potion Efficiency Coefficients for every level of mana toxicity buildup. Ralgar's paper seemed to follow the inductive method. He started from specific cases and built up his equations from that. The math wasn't particularly difficult to follow. Classes with better mana growth ratings and high-level individuals got rid of mana toxicity faster.

The purification process accelerated exponentially at higher levels until the equation broke near level sixty.

I always found borderline cases interesting.

"What happens at level sixty?" I asked.

Ralgar's eyes gleamed.

"Well, it's hard to tell. The data suggest that by level sixty, any Class with a B rank mana growth would achieve infinite mana, and toxicity will be instantly cleansed. However, reaching level sixty seems to require infinite experience," he explained, seemingly forgetting the failed experiment on his workbench.

I nodded in silence. Reaching Lv.10 required a year, Lv.20 half a decade, and Lv.40 could take a lifetime. If I had to guess, that was a design decision by the Man in Yellow. The individuals above level fifty were outliers—the jet-set of the kingdom. Izabeka, the Marquis, and chieftain Alton were in their low-fifties. Rumor said that Lord Herran, Lord Gairon, and Prince Adrien were in their mid-fifties, but at that point, secrecy became more important than keeping a strong appearance.

Firana hit my shoulder.

"We are not here to discuss research papers."

I cleared my throat.

"Do you know anything else about the people behind the anti-nobility rally? How do they look or speak? Anything that makes them recognizable?" I asked.

Ralgar slowly shook his head.

"I'd love to be more useful to you, Lord Clarke, but that is as much as I have on them. They have no names, no emblems, and apparently no mission other than 'helping' commoners cultivate their Classes through these potions," he said, glancing at the half-empty vial. "I haven't been able to contact them since the first time, and potion dealers don't have Energy Boost Potions in their inventories anymore, so I can only think they lost interest in turning librarians to their cause."

[Foresight] told me Ralgar was being truthful.

A low-level Herbalist shouldn't have any skill to obfuscate my detection.

I probed him with a couple more questions, but all lines led to the same ending. The anti-nobility faction had seemingly retreated from the Library. I scratched my chin, wondering how Vanira got enough potions to corrupt herself. She might have been insightful enough to hoard Energy Boost Potions when they were common in the market.

I closed my eyes and let [Foresight] run wild, analyzing every interaction I had since the selection exam. As I saw it, I had three potential leads, each weaker than the last. First, try to create the context for the anti-nobility faction to contact me. Second, find any surviving thug from the Red Hawk Trading Company. The third one, I wasn't sure I wanted to follow.

During the selection exam, a handful of cadets performed almost too well compared to the rest, mainly those from Astur's squad. I couldn't guarantee that they used Energy Boost Potions or any other performance-enhancing potions, but it was a possibility that they were juiced up to the marrow. Investigating Astur's squad wasn't something I was eager to do. The Grandmaster was almost as powerful as Prince Adrien, and the prince was hundreds of miles away on a diplomatic visit. I couldn't count on his protection.

Vanira's corrupted body haunted me. I couldn't allow that to happen to another student. Still, Firana and the others were Astur's hostages until they graduated.

I might as well explore the other two possibilities before investigating Astur.

Having already decided, I had something else to talk to Ralgar about.

"Would you give us a moment alone, Firana?" I asked.

The girl nodded and exited the room.

I wasn't expecting her to be so obedient.

"Is there something else I can help you, Lord Clarke?" Ralgar asked.

"I know we barely know each other, but I must ask you to reconsider your stance on Odo and Harwin's punishment," I said, changing to a firmer voice. "What they did isn't okay, but revenge will not 'make you whole', Ralgar. Don't let their behavior turn you into something you are not. What you need is justice, not revenge. Talk to me and I will make sure Odo and Harwin atone."

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Ralgar gave me a confused look.

"We are not children, Lord Clarke. This isn't a kid's fight," he said, raising to his full height. He was way taller than Malkah, maybe even with a better physique to become a Blood Reaver. "I have already stated my price, and I've upheld my end of the bargain. If you don't have anything else to discuss, I must excuse myself. I have a lot of work to do."

I opened my mouth to reply, but couldn't find the right words. A month ago, I had killed nine people during my meeting with Red, and I didn't feel fit to talk about justice and forgiveness. Objectively, my actions had disqualified me from taking any moral high ground long ago.

"Please be careful with that potion," I said.

"I'm a professional," Ralgar said, with a courteous bow. "Lord Clarke."

I left the research papers on the desk, but I couldn't get myself to leave the room just yet.

Hypocrisy aside, I still wanted to make things better for my students.

"Do you know why Odo broke your nose, Ralgar?" I asked.

This time, my voice came out more forceful than I intended.

"Because he's a brute who enjoys making the weak suffer," he replied.

I couldn't help but smile. Odo was a brute, but not the kind Ralgar thought. If anything, his loyalty to Malkah was misdirected.

"I'm not blaming you for what happened, Ralgar. Odo's actions are inexcusable. But, he thinks he is protecting Malkah," I said, crossing my arms and letting my presence fill the room.

"I bet those pumpkins were quite a danger for my brother," Ralgar said through gritted teeth.

"They were," I snapped back. "Malkah has been owning up to your actions in front of your father. He has been punished every time you disobey. Did you know that? You didn't, right?"

As soon as I mentioned Lord Kigria, Ralgar paled and looked away.

If I had to guess, Lord Kigria put the 'tough' in tough love.

Ralgar remained silent, so I continued.

"Let's end this charade, now. Speak with Malkah. Set the record straight, and only then will we proceed with their fair punishment."

Ralgar's mouth opened and closed like a fish.

I gave him a moment to collect his thoughts.

"You aren't seriously implying you'll also punish Malkah. He's the ducal heir!"

"Malkah is my student, and I have every right to educate him." I was serious.

Malkah hadn't been completely comfortable with Odo punching Ralgar back at the pumpkin patch, but he also chose not to interfere to put a stop to the situation.

"I'm being serious, Ralgar. Speak to your brother. If your father has issues with my teaching methods, I will gladly meet him. Understood?"

Ralgar nodded, suddenly shrinking like a kid being scolded. Even if they were considered adults in this world, they were still too young. Without another word, I broke the [Silence Dome] and exited the room.

Firana was waiting for me outside, arms crossed over her chest, leaning against the wall.

"Did the fatherly conversation work?"

"Were you listening?"

"Not through your [Silence Dome], that's for sure," she said with a cocky grin.

I sighed, wondering if I was that predictable.

"Let's go, I want to see if any other potion dealers know anything," I said.

[Foresight] pinged my brain just as Firana jumped and wrapped her hands around my neck. Her feet dragged over the wooden floor as I walked down the corridor. I looked at her out of the corner of my eye just to find a massive grin on her face.

"You said I was your daughter."

Unfortunately, [Foresight] wasn't strong enough to hide my blushing face.

"Can we focus on the important things? Byrne, Corruption, the System? The end of the world?" I replied as I dragged her out of the sleeping quarters. The librarians gave us curious looks as they passed by our side. "Also, you are a grown woman now, not a cat. You can't use me as your climbing toy. Not in public."

Firana's smugness was reaching dangerous levels.

"The world's ending can wait a few decades, I'm sure. What bothers me is that you called me your daughter, yet I've noticed you are much more affectionate with Zaon and Wolf than with me," she said with a melodious tone.

[Foresight] gently presented me with solid data that revealed my bias.

I cut back the skill's mana supply.

"It must be your imagination," I lied.

Firana's eyes gleamed with mock innocence. "It's okay. I understand. I just never thought favoritism would come from my own father," she said, dragging the last word with gusto.

I sighed and pried her off my neck with much more difficulty than I wanted to admit.

"You are asking to get grounded."

"Please do, I've never been grounded," Firana replied, grabbing my arm.

[Foresight] warned me I wasn't going to win.

We left the Nature Circle and returned to the library to meet a few more known dealers and cross-reference Ralgar's information. Laying the trap was surprisingly easy; we just had to sit in a quiet corner of the library and wait for a potion dealer to approach us. None seemed to suspect we could be anything other than two members of the Academic Circle.

Firana's acting skills were almost scary.

Most dealers knew the purple Energy Boost Potion, but none had it in stock. A few of them even told us the same story as Ralgar: nobody had managed to get their hands on them in the past month. The fact that librarians were extremely easy to bribe helped us expedite the investigation. No one was particularly worried about being caught dealing with potions, at least not the legal ones.

The lack of Energy Boost Potions in circulation vexed me. Back at the Red Hawk Trading Company headquarters, there were boxes upon boxes of them. Even by my most conservative estimations, Red must've had two or three hundred units. That couldn't be the only batch.

When the sun set, we exited the Imperial Library with the crowd of librarians going to the taverns and cafés. The guards at the entrance didn't even look at us, although I noticed their number had increased since the day Vanira got corrupted.

"Don't you think the librarians from the Academic Circle all look the same?" Firana asked with a giggle.

She was having fun

I could tell she'd been waiting to say that for some time, and she was right. The members of the Academic Circle fit into one of two types: lanky, scruffy, kinda laid back like they aren't entirely there, or hyper fixated in their study field to the point you can hear their brain buzz. Absentees and maniacs.

There was one thing that unified them, though. All of them consumed some sort of magical stimulant, whether it was some variation of the Stamina Potions or their weaker cousin, Stamina Essences. I wondered if the Academy was the same.

"Now you are 'absenteeing' instead of answering my question," Firana said matter-of-factly. "No wonder Miss Elincia gets mad at you."

"I'm sorry. I was thinking," I replied.

Firana dragged me into a bakery, a café, and a music show.

For someone who had learned about the Fountain's cycle, she was in a great mood. Still, Firana had a point. People had survived the Corruption buildup even before the Man in Yellow introduced the System. Our fight wasn't lost yet. I just needed to figure out what to do with Byrne.

I shoved those worries aside, and I enjoyed Firana's company for a moment.

"Do you think they will compose songs about us?"

"When this all ends, I just want to be left alone," I replied, for the first time contemplating the possibility of this ordeal finishing at some point.

"And make me a little brother with Miss Elincia? Maybe two? Three?" Firana asked with a mischievous smile.

"Let's not summon bad luck and focus on the Energy Boost Potions."

At least now we had a lead.

The Red Hawk Trading Company, the rally Vanira had assisted with Avry Oen-Nara, and the rally Ralgar were invited to all happen to be in the Eastern Ward.

"I am a known supporter of the royalist faction, so the anti-nobility people will not come for me; however, I know a group of extremely loyal commoners in a high position inside the Academy. I also know that the anti-nobility faction operates in the Eastern Ward," I said.

Firana gave me a knowing look.

"The Wolfpack." She grinned. "You got the right people for the job, Robert. They love cheap mead and talking smack about nobles."

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