As the main branch of the Alchemists' Tower, it had access to a wide variety of materials, including animal and plant materials, exotic minerals, and top-quality metals.
As they browsed the shelves on the first floor, the captain stared at Ryan. He wasn't just protecting him; he was also scrutinizing him.
"I've felt your gaze on me for quite some time now. Is something wrong?" Ryan asked without looking him in the eye.
Although many people were in this place, they were far away, so no one but the captain heard him.
"I had heard that the Ninth Prince was a useless man who had no talent for anything except history and was constantly locked up in a library reading," he said.
"Do I seem different from what the rumors say?"
"Haha, sorry to say it like that, Prince. I used to gossip about you, but I've seen you choose alchemy materials that tell me your knowledge is not simple," he said. "Are you really an alchemist?"
Ryan smiled and chose several more before getting up to continue walking. There were many things here, and he had just chosen four different aromatic flowers.
The captain was surprised that he chose those particular ones. 'It's to hide poisons with natural scents,' he thought.
Ryan realized that he had noticed, so he spoke.
"I'm not an alchemist, but as you say, I've read a lot. I know a thing or two. But I can see that you know something too."
"Haha..." He laughed embarrassedly, shaking his head. "I don't know anything, but I'm also a bookworm like you. I've read a few things."
"I like your sincerity, Captain Garner. Reading brought me here, so I like people who read." Finally, Ryan flashed the charismatic smile befitting a prince.
It was the first time such a smile had appeared on his face. Usually, his face (or rather, the face of the old Ryan) was adorned with a shy smile, and he found it difficult to lift his head. But today, he had a smile worthy of an heir to the throne.
That's why Captain Garner was surprised. It seemed that... he had underestimated this prince.
And well, regarding what Ryan said... he is telling the truth, disguised as a lie.
Indeed, he likes to read. He reads fantasy novels, and he came to this world because he was reading a fantasy novel set in this world.
But, to tell the truth, he hadn't read a book in many years. The last one he read...
'Was it 80 years ago? I remember I was at that academy in Arcelia and that crazy old man made me read 15 books in a week...' He shuddered at the memory.
Not only were the books extremely long, but the old man also made him summarize each one. He didn't sleep more than 10 hours the entire week, so he had to spend three days sleeping to recover.
After that bad experience, he never touched a book again.
He continued shopping, and when he was done, he had filled three large baskets with different materials for making poisons, special scents, painkillers, and so on. He finished an hour later when he went to pay.
Everything he had chosen was from the first floor, where the cheapest items were, because he couldn't afford higher-quality materials. He couldn't even manipulate Spirituality, so he would have to make do.
After paying 150 pounds in total, he walked around the city under Captain Garner's guidance and bought some other things.
In total, he spent 285 pounds.
'To think that even as a Divine Hunter, this was an astonishing amount, but now it's just pocket money.' He sighed.
The rich really had it made.
"Would you like to return to the castle, or do you have more things to buy?" Garner asked, concerned that the sun was already beginning to set behind the mountains.
At dusk, the Night Walkers begin carrying out all kinds of missions, making the city problematic.
Although everyone in the capital is extremely careful in their actions, given that the King, a demigod, is there, many have no regard for this. And they know that the King is more concerned with trying to obtain the Key of Divinity than with matters of the city, so murders are more frequent.
Ryan didn't know much about this, but he knew he couldn't delay any longer.
"Let's go back," he replied.
"What do you want us to do with the people my men manage to recruit?" he asked. "Are you really going to take them to that place?"
"No," he waved his hand. "I don't want to cause any more changes," he replied sincerely. Garner couldn't understand this.
"Changes?" He tilted his head, not understanding.
Ryan didn't care. "Just tell them they're not qualified."
Bringing more people with him could create different plot scenarios, which could affect everything in unknown ways. It was already difficult enough to fight Brandon's changes; he didn't want to create more changes when he wasn't even a Walker yet.
Garner nodded, and then they both returned to the castle.
-
Once in his room, Ryan locked himself in and began working.
He carefully organized each part of the materials purchased at the Alchemists' Tower into buckets of water, washed them thoroughly, and then took out the special hot water he had bought.
Ryan had a large storage ring, so he could carry many things. He liked the System's inventory better, but for now, this was fine.
After drawing the special hot water, he poured different materials into it and began to crush them all at once, stirring them with the same wooden mallet. Slowly, the materials began to spread through the water.
At the same time, he crushed several in dry places, in different waters, and also cooked them in a small stove he had bought in the city.
Little by little, the hours passed until midnight.
He had several round glass jars filled with different green, red, and blue poisons... There were a few that were gray, which were painkillers.
He sprinkled several small weapons with poison and carefully stored them in special sheaths, which he then put into his storage ring.
Although they were poisonous potions that lacked Spirituality, they would surely be useful in that place.
At midnight, it was over. Max hadn't shown up all day, so he assumed he was busy.
He tended to be like that. When a mission was coming up, he would lock himself in his room or go train with the guards, losing track of time.
And Ryan wasn't particularly interested in knowing what he was doing.
He was so exhausted that he immediately fell asleep and didn't even have time to shower.
-
KNOCK*
KNOCK*
The loud sound of the door brought him from his deepest dreams back to reality.
"Prince Ryan, the King requests your presence. Please get ready!"
And the loud voice of a royal guard seemed to echo thunderously in his ears.
His mind cleared quickly, and he got up. He didn't respond; he just went to bathe and get ready.
They didn't bother him anymore, but he didn't delay getting ready either.
When he came out, the guards were waiting for him, so he was taken to the Royal Hall. As soon as they reached the door, they withdrew, leaving him alone.
Ryan looked at the massive door in front of him with a frown.
On the other side was his father.
The King of Evigheden.
A man with strength comparable to his when he fought the Divine of Chaos, a demigod.
He hesitated about whether to go in or turn around and run away. He wasn't sure if this old man could see through him and figure out that he wasn't his son.
In fact, his personality had changed drastically.
'Should I act shy, like Ryan used to?' he considered.
But that would be showing weakness in front of him. Was that appropriate?
He didn't like to show weakness in front of anyone, even if it was the king. Besides, he didn't have a very good impression of this man from his inherited memories.
"When the King calls you, your only mission is to enter. Standing at the entrance is an insult to my edicts!" His father's voice woke him up, and at that moment, the giant doors in front of him swung open.
A straight path lit up before him, covered in a red carpet. It wasn't illuminated; it was simply his father's power telling him: if you stray, you will suffer the consequences.
He swallowed hard and entered.
Soon, he had crossed the entire red carpet and stood before his father.
He was the king, so he had to kneel to greet him.
"Father, I have come as you instructed," he said.
"Hmm. You haven't changed at all," he said, disappointedly. Ryan's body trembled slightly. Somehow, he felt his whole inner self was bare before him. He had to say that it was the first time in his life that he had ever felt this way.
But he couldn't speak, because the king spoke again. "But there's a smell of alchemy on you. What have you been doing?"
'Did he notice? Shit, I washed 15 times this morning!' he thought, alarmed.
"Father... I was trying out some things I read in an alchemy book. It's nothing. Just some poisons," he explained quickly.
He nodded, but looked at him suspiciously. 'There's something different about him...' he thought.
After several minutes of silence, he couldn't come up with an answer, so he simply shrugged, turning a blind eye to the fact that he knew as much or less about his son as an unknown guard at the castle.
"Well, as long as nothing happens to you before tomorrow, you can continue with your nonsense," he replied.
'Nonsense?' Ryan raised his eyebrows. 'Damn it, bastard, I'm doing this because you got me into this mess!' he complained in his mind, though that wasn't his response.
The king spoke again. "What do you think about tomorrow? Are you ready to go to that place? It will be your first ruin," he said.
'And the last, if it weren't for the fact that they killed your son in your own castle and you didn't even notice!' Ryan thought, frustrated. He was beginning to suspect that it was the king himself who had ordered that, since he hadn't asked him anything about it.
But Ryan couldn't complain. He could only nod.
"I'm ready, Father. It's just... I have a question," he said.
"Oh, really?" The king waved his hand, allowing him to continue standing.
Ryan finally stood up and spoke. "Why are you sending me to that place? I'm not a Walker, and I'm not even close. I'm afraid that..."
The king raised his hand to stop him from speaking. He had no interest in listening to him.
"A prince needs to be molded in Spirituality. In strength. In war. Not in a library. I'm sending you there because I believe it will be best for you."
Although his eyes widened briefly and his countenance darkened, he soon returned to normal and nodded. His face looked more serious than usual.
"I understand, Father," he replied, almost without emotion.
They stared at each other for a full minute until the King confirmed that he had no further questions, so he dismissed him.
"Go, prepare yourself well. Tomorrow will be a long day."
Ryan then turned and left.
'Why do I feel that I forgot to ask him something?' thought the King, puzzled. But he quickly dismissed the idea that he had forgotten something and simply immersed himself in his own world.