The next day, as the sun rose,
Kiyoshi and Sakura received a letter from KAVATO. The letter stated:
"I am heading to the capital for registration. Could you two guard me on the way? It's a quest, and I intend to give you 4 gold coins."
The following day, they all gathered at the front gate of the Alchemy Guild. KAVATO was visibly excited as he greeted Kiyoshi and Sakura.
"Kiyoshi, how do you do? I heard about you and Sakura – the Healing Sword and the Lightning Reaper," he exclaimed.
"I'm doing well here. How about you?" Kiyoshi replied.
KAVATO proudly announced, "I am an alchemist now."
"That's cool," Kiyoshi acknowledged.
"Let's move. We can talk on the way," Sakura suggested, eager to begin their journey.
Curiosity got the better of him, and Kiyoshi asked KAVATO about his purpose for heading to the capital. KAVATO explained that he had developed a new potion called the "Sleeping Potion," derived from the pollen of a carnivorous plant.
"The red flower of this plant is very beautiful, but when an animal or human touches it, it pops pollen. By inhaling it, they sleep for around 3 hours. Within these 3 hours, the plant traps the prey in its vine, covers it, then presses it to death, sucking the blood through the spines in the veins."
"A potion was made from the pollen I extracted from the flower. The potion is in 2 forms: powder and liquid. It can be used as a medical treatment and can even put monsters to sleep."
Impressed, Sakura commended him, "It is amazing to become an alchemy master at such an early age."
Eager to understand more, Kiyoshi asked, "What will this potion do exactly?"
KAVATO elaborated, "The powder form can make an E-ranker sleep for 1 to 3 hours depending on how much they inhale, taking effect in 30 seconds. It also has an antidote that can reverse its effects within 30 seconds. The liquid form will induce a two-hour sleep for E-rankers, taking effect in 15 seconds, with a reversal antidote available within 30 minutes."
Intrigued, Kiyoshi requested, "Then I need a favor from you. I need some of that liquid. It would be very helpful if we could use this as a weapon."
With a warm smile, KAVATO agreed, "Okay, the first potion is for you, Kiyoshi."
"Thanks," Kiyoshi expressed his gratitude.
As they embarked on their journey, Sakura questioned KAVATO about the need for protection.
Kavato let out a long, heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping as he stared at the flickering fire between them. "It's a mess of a story, honestly. My master—Hekima—he always said I was the first Awakened to get an alchemy type. You'd think that'd be something to brag about, right? But nah, not in my family. Alchemists are small-time to them—just lowlifes mixing pots. My father, my two brothers—they're all warriors, sword-wielders through and through. Our family's got this famous sword style, passed down forever. And me? The youngest, the one supposed to be the next Lord of Ramiya? They couldn't stomach it. I'm weaker than my brothers and an alchemist to boot. So now they're shoving the title at my second brother instead."
He poked at the fire with a stick, the crackling embers mirroring the frustration simmering in his chest. "After we split up months ago, I figured I'd prove myself. There are four alchemy masters in Ramiya—only four. Three run these big-shot gangs, controlling potions, prices, everything. The Alchemy Guild keeps them in line, sort of. I thought joining one'd be my ticket, but…" He trailed off, his voice tightening. "None of them would take me. I'm the Lord's son—could've thrown my weight around, forced my way in—but I didn't want that. Didn't want to lean on a name they'd already stripped from me. Pretty sure my father paid them off to keep me out anyway. He banned me from even saying I'm his son."
Kavato's eyes flicked up, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "So I went to the fourth master—Hekima. He's… different. Lazy as hell, doesn't take students, lives out in the End Mountains like some mad hermit. You know how crazy that place is? Poison dripping from every leaf, beasts that'll kill you just for breathing near 'em. They say there's a three-headed Taipan snake out there—legendary, venom so deadly it could drop 200 E-rank in a heartbeat. And that's where I went."
He chuckled, but it was hollow, tinged with the memory of desperation. "I showed up at his door, spilled my guts about everything—family, rejection, all of it. And you know what he said? 'Huh. Sounds rough, kid. Now beat it.' Slammed the door in my face. I didn't budge, though. Stood there three days—rain, wind, my stomach growling louder than the wolves. Finally, he cracked the door open, grumbling, 'Fine, you stubborn brat. Get in, but you're doing the chores.' I hauled water from a river miles off 'cause the one nearby'd turn your insides black. Every afternoon, after lunch, he'd sit me down and ramble about formulas—how to mix 'em, tweak 'em, make 'em sing."
Kavato's voice softened, a flicker of awe breaking through. "Two months in, he got this look in his eye and said, 'Hey, kid, stop scribbling for a sec. Go look at nature—really look. Compare it to those books. Mess with it, twist it, feel it in your bones. Figure out what you want, then pour your heart into a potion that's yours.' I couldn't help myself—I had to ask, 'Master, what'd you make to become a master?'"
Hekima's weathered face split into a grin, wide and mischievous, his eyes glinting like he'd just pulled off the world's best prank. "Oh, boy, it's the greatest damn potion ever. One of a kind—mine, 'cause I cooked it up myself."
Kavato leaned in, curiosity tugging at him despite the ache of his own story. "What's so special about it?"
Hekima laughed, a deep, rolling sound that echoed off the mountain walls. "It's a love potion, kid. Spent years poking at animal hormones—figuring out what makes hearts race and eyes go soft. One whiff of this, and any woman—or man, if that's your thing—falls head over heels for you. Lasts a night, then poof, gone."
Kavato snorted, shaking his head. "That's the perviest thing I've ever heard."
Meanwhile, in the shadows of Hekima's past…
Hekima wasn't always the gruff loner Kavato knew. He'd been a scrawny orphan once, clinging to his mother's skirts in a crumbling shack. She'd whisper to him at night, "Your dad was an alchemist, you know. A good one." Those words stuck, lighting a fire in him—alchemy became his dream. But when he was 10, his mom passed away, quiet and cold, leaving him alone in that creaky house.
By 12, he was scrambling through the End Mountains, hands stained green from yanking herbs, selling them at the market to scrape by. He'd stolen alchemy books from Benjiro—Master Benjiro, with his long white beard and that warm, crinkly smile that never faded. The old man caught him red-handed one day, but instead of a beating, Benjiro sat him down. "You've got a knack, kid," he'd said, voice soft as a breeze. "Let's see what you can do." Benjiro, the former guild master, took him in and taught him everything—mixing, brewing, and dreaming. He was the father Hekima had never had.
Then, at 18, it all shattered. Benjiro was murdered—some gang grudge, they said—and Hekima found him sprawled in his workshop, that smile gone forever. The grief clawed at him, raw and relentless, but that same year, he clawed his way to master rank with a potion no one could match. Too young to teach, they told him, too green. At 20, he tried anyway—took a student into the forest. A venomous snake struck him, and the kid panicked, chugging basic antivenom like it'd save him. It didn't. He died screaming, and the blame landed square on Hekima's shoulders. Cruel, they called him. A killer.
Now, at 30, he was a ghost to the alchemy world. The three gangs—power-hungry, coin-chasing—spread whispers: pervert, murderer, stay away. No student dared knock on his door. They snapped up the talent and kept their potion empires fat. Hekima didn't care. He roamed the mountains, brewed cures for the sick, and sold rare herbs to folks who didn't spit at his name. Alone, but alive—his heart still beating with alchemy and a flicker of that old, reckless charm.
KAVATO continued: "I'm targeted by the three gangs because if my potion hits the market at this price, their sales will drop. If I gain fame, my master will too, and more students will seek us out. This is bad for them. One gang leader, ALKI, wants my potion formula. He offered me a deal – if I give him the formula, his son TOMA will claim he invented it and become the master. I'd get 100 small gold coins and a job as assistant leader."
"It was a good deal, but it's hard to give up the formula I worked so hard to create. It would also disrespect my master. So the HIKORA gang is trying to take the formula by force. That's why I need protection."
As they cautiously moved forward, Sakura suddenly alerted, "There is someone near." The atmosphere grew tense as they prepared to face any threats that might come their way, realizing that their journey was now fraught with danger and intrigue. The trio braced themselves for the challenges ahead.