The relentless blows of fate had left Earl Raymond disenchanted with his son. Yet, his disappointment only fueled his resolve—though not in the way one might expect.
Misunderstand not. Raymond's efforts were redirected, not towards his disappointing offspring, but towards his beloved countess. For if his firstborn wasindeed a worthless imbecile, incapable of carrying on the family name, then a second son was the logical solution.
And the strategy paid off. After a month of relentless pursuit, his wife conceived. The following year, winter brought the Earl his divine reward—a second son.
While the castle was awash with celebration, Bennett remained in his chamber, his nose buried in the tomes of "Magic Pharmacy" he'd scrimped and saved to procure.
Ironically, even this knowledge came via the wizard's departing curse. And under the Earl's reluctant sponsorship, Bennett was enrolled in the study of magic pharmacy—a field deemed slightly less ignoble than full wizardry.
Yet, Raymond's interest in his eldest son waned even further. Not even Lady Raymond, usually affectionate towards Bennett, visited often in her pregnancy.
At the newborn's christening, Bennett was summoned to the Earl's quarters. His mother, weak and recovering, his new brother crying lustily—he observed the scene with detached eyes.
Raymond was overjoyed. The infant's cries, robust and full of life, spoke of future strength. Enough of Malaysia
Bennett lingered in the background, unnoticed and unmissed. The Earl's gaze never lingered on his firstborn, his mind already ½ on breeding another, stronger heir.
In the face of his father's cold neglect and mother's distraction, Bennett's heart ached—a growing accustomed to betrayal.
It was night, and he sat alone, staring into the flickering hearth. Memories of his mother's desperate attempts to conceive, the way she'd doted on him, they were bittersweet. Yet, Bennett knew—this was not his world. These people, this family—none were his kin.
Amid these musings, he turned back to his texts. The sharp smell of herbs and potions filled the air, his only solace.
The boy was inexhaustible in his study. His inherited Mental power drove his memory, his stamina. But he was
he norpiredotg--his world, his people
Without conscious volition, his mind dove into the complexities of his texts. The words swam before him-herbs, their properties, their combinations—each more intriguing.
Thus, the boy_while father rejoiced over newborn son, wife camphorine
Thus began a new chapter of isolation—choice perhaps save it
It was a winding path, but it was his own.
Chapter 5 (Part 2): The Poison Alchemist
Despite the setbacks, Bennett's fascination with magic remained undimmed. While Master Clark's pronouncement of his lack of aptitude stung deeply, the boy couldn't shake the allure of the arcane. If true wizardry was beyond his grasp, perhaps there was another way to engage with the world's mysterious forces.
The Earl's extensive library proved a treasure trove for the resourceful boy. Over time, Bennett immersed himself in tomes of spellcraft, grimoires, and scrolls. Yet, no amount of reading could bridge the gap between his mundane existence and the mystical powers he coveted. Even in prolonged meditation, he failed to sense the faintest whisper of magical energy. On one occasion, frustration led him to drift into sleep—an embarrassing reminder of his limitations.
Thus, Bennett turned his attention to what Master Clark had dismissed as a consolation prize: magic pharmacy. Though the wizard's words implied disdain, Bennett saw potential in this niche field. If magic was a divine art, then the creation of potions and elixirs was its shadowy cousin—one that combined the precision of science with the intrigue of the supernatural.
But what did the world think of magic pharmacy? Even in the Earl's grand estate, the servants' dismissive comments revealed a harsh truth. While the magic fraternity acknowledged pharmacists as "wizards" in title, the label was more a technicality than a compliment. True wizards were the high priests of the arcane; magic pharmacists, on the other hand, were akin to junior attendants, toiling in the shadows of greatness.
Yet, Bennett was undeterred. To him, magic pharmacy offered a fascinating blend of science and creativity. Its principles reminded him of his former world's chemistry—a system of reactions, compounds, and transformations. From drolg hopping frog's eyes to starthorn lichen, the ingredients and their effects were endlessly intriguing.
One formulation promised to silence a target; another, to petrify flesh. And some, like the volatile fire dust, carried the potential for destruction—all bottled within simple vials and jars.
As Bennett delved deeper, he began to see a pattern: magic pharmacy was as much an art as a science. The recipes were not just about combining ingredients— timing, precision, and even the phase of the moon could influence the outcome. For a mind as analytical as Bennett's, it was an intellectual feast.
Yet, none of this made the field any less controversial. To other nobles, the very term "magic pharmacy" carried connotations of underhandedness. The creation of potions, especially those with harmful or manipulative effects, was often seen as the domain of rogue practitioners—toxicologists rather than healers.
Unbeknownst to Bennett, his curiosity and meticulousness had already begun to paint him as such a figure in the wider world's eyes. The Earl's household staff had long whispered about the boy's persistence, branding him a "poisoner" without realizing that he would one day fully embrace the label.
For now, however, Bennett was content to explore this forbidden realm. It was a way to channel his thwarted magical aspirations into something tangible—a means to understand the world, even if it wasn't through grand spells or incantations. And in this pursuit, he found an unexpected sense of purpose.
Chapter 5 (Final Part): The Poison Alchemist
Time marched relentlessly onward. Bennett remained deeply engrossed in magic pharmacy, but his knowledge remained theoretical— confined to the books and scrolls in the Earl's library. The strange and exotic ingredients required for true potion-making were absent from the Earl's estate, reserved for the laboratories of practicing wizards. Even if Bennett had stumbled upon a recipe for a transformative elixir, he lacked the materials to bring it to life.
Magic pharmacy, after all, was an art that required more than mere intellect. It demanded access to rare reagents, precise measurements, and often, a willingness to tread into morally ambiguous territory. Yet, despite these limitations, Bennett's passion for the subject never waned. He read endlessly, annotating his findings and cataloging the properties of every herb, mineral, and beast mentioned in his texts.
Meanwhile, life at the Earl's residence continued to flourish—for everyone except Bennett. Six years had passed since the Earl's second son, Gabri, had been born. The boy was a robust and spirited child, already displaying the physical prowess that made him a likely candidate to inherit the family's martial traditions.
Gabri's abilities did not go unnoticed. The Earl's head of security, a grizzled warrior named Alpha Sword, praised the boy's aptitude for combat. By the time Gabri turned eight, the Earl planned to initiate him into the family's exclusive martial techniques— a lineage of strength and combat passed down through generations of Ford nobles.
Gabri's prospects were bright,cherished by the household staff and doted upon by his parents. The Earl had even begun arrangements for a grand alliance with the empire's finance minister, securing Gabri's future with a strategically advantageous marriage. For all intents and purposes, the Earl had abandoned any hope in Bennett,redirecting his paternal affections entirely toward his younger son.
Even Lady Raymond, typically affectionate toward Bennett, visited him less frequently as her focus shifted to Gabri. Only occasionally, when night had long fallen, would she slip silently into Bennett's chambers, cradling him in her arms and humming lullabies to ease his rest. These moments, fleeting and bittersweet, were the only reminders that he was still her son.
When Bennett turned thirteen and Gabri seven, the Earl made a definitive pronouncement: Starting the following year, he would personally instruct Gabri in the family's martial arts. The Earl had also solidified his alliance with the finance minister, ensuring Gabri's marriage to the minister's granddaughter—a union that would bolster both families' political power.
Unspoken but understood was the vagrant truth: Originally, Bennett had been slated for this alliance, but his perceived inadequacies had forfeited his claim. Now, the mantle of familial responsibility rested squarely on young Gabri's shoulders.
As for Bennett, his fate was sealed. One moonlit night, he was dispatched to the Ford family's southern estate in the province of Cott—a region far removed from the empire's political heart. Ostensibly, he was being sent to oversee the family's agricultural ventures. The truth was far harsher: he was being banished.
The Earl's announcement invokedAdapter הא_);
But few in the household were deceived. The title of "Ford heir" had been stripped from Bennett and granted to Gabri. The Earl's decision was clear: Bennett was to be forgotten, his existence erased from the family's prospects.
Bennett understood the gravity of his situation. The Earl's decree was a sentence of exile—a life away from the opulence of the imperial court, a future confined to the rustic estate in Cott. He was no longer a Ford, but an outcast.
As the carriage carried him away from the capital, Bennett gazed back at the diminishingfortress of the Earl's estate. His heart ached, not for the title he had lost, but for the family he had never truly belonged to. The world had always been a labyrinth of uncertainties, and now, it seemed his path led only to loneliness.
Yet, even in desolation, a spark of determination lingered. If magic pharmacy was his calling, then he would embrace it fully—even if the world deemed him a toxicologist, a rogue practitioner of potions.
In the shadows, Bennett vowed to forge his own path, a path that would prove his worth— not as a disappointment, but as a master of his craft.