“Right,” Ludwig said, “I’ll try and fetch those whenever I can. As for now I need potions to use immediately,” Ludwig said.
“For a thousand Kronas, I’d recommend these,” she said as she pointed Ludwig to three sets of potions.
Three blue ones, three red, and three green.
Ludwig could immediately tell which is which.
“I even added flavor to them, since they’re usually bitter, they’re now Raspberry, Blueberry and lemon-Mint respectfully.” She said in a beaming smile.
“I don’t need the stamina ones,” Ludwig said, “I’ll just get the others,” Ludwig said.
“Hmm, stamina potions are usually the most sought, since people tend to avoid being injured or mana sapped, but stamina is what they can’t help but waste. But hey, who am I to judge, the client is king,” she said as she removed the stamina potions, “Your total is 450 Kronas,” she said.
“Thank you,” Ludwig said, he didn’t know if he was being scammed or not, or if this was the right price, so he handed her the amount immediately and took the potions in his ring.
“Stay safe!” she said as Ludwig was leaving the store.
Ludwig walked out of the store and headed to the teleportation sector, but just as he arrived there, a hand touched his shoulder.
Turning, he saw Van Dijk who seemed to have had no sleep, but at the same time didn’t look exhausted one bit.
“I can smell the wafting aroma of potions on you,” Van Dijk said.
“Yes, since we were planning on going to the bog, I wanted to prepare,” Ludwig said.
“You think that I’d leave my disciple without potio-” Van Dijk’s words stalled for a second, and almost immediately Ludwig felt an aura of incredible danger emanating from him.
[You Are In a Hostile Environment!]
“Ludwig… I’ll ask you a question, and you better answer me honestly,” Van Dijk said.
His face was contorting, shivering even, and his pupils were widening, waning between black and red, as if trying to hold a beast from coming outside.
“Who did you meet today?”
“I guess I know what you mean, you’re talking about the werewolf?” Ludwig said.
Van Dijk’s hand which was on Ludwig’s shoulder tightened.
[Your Shoulder has dislocated]
-180hp
Ludwig’s left arm went limp. Though he didn’t experience any pain, the look on Van Dijk’s face was enough to tell that he was not playing games.
“Speak… in detail!” he iterated.
Mana like nothing Ludwig had seen before began radiating from Van Dijk, who seemed desperate in trying to keep it contained.
This was unbridled rage.
“I met him some time ago, probably about half an hour at most, at a Potion Store back in an ally over there,” Ludwig pointed with his still functional arm.
“Stay here,” Van Dijk said, and immediately burst out into tens of thousands of small bats that spread all over the city like a massive cloud.
The people around the teleportation gate immediately ran away in fear, and a few guards came rushing toward Ludwig.
“What’s going on here?” one of the guards asked.
Almost immediately three knights rushed in, one of them was Banner, and two other knights with him that Ludwig recognized.
“Oh, it’s the boy from yesterday,” one of Banner’s companions said.
“What’s going on here?” Banner asked, until he noticed Ludwig’s shoulder which was out of place.
“What happened to you? Did a Djinn do this?” Banner asked as he pointed at Ludwig’s shoulder.
Ludwig finally took a better look at his shoulder and simply popped it back in place. Causing everyone around him to cringe from the audible sound of bone snapping back in place.
“Hah, little monster, that would make me at least wince,” Banner said, “But tell me what’s with this malicious-looking aura and magic?” he asked.
“My master, he got in a pretty bad mood, I don’t know the reason, but he’ll be back soon,” Ludwig explained.
Banner sighed, “Tell the squad to uphold order, nothing to see here, it’s just an angry mage. He won’t cause trouble when the Lord is here, I hope,” Banner said.
After what seemed to be a very long time, the cloud of bats soon gathered and amassed itself back in the square right next to Ludwig.
“Ahem,” Van Dijk said as he realized that everyone was looking at him.
“It seems that there was a rabid dog here in the city. I followed his tracks, but he had already left…” Van Dijk said.
“Do I need to call lord Sirou?” Banner asked.
“No need, the thing I was looking for has already left,” Van Dijk said in an annoyed manner, he seemed frustrated.
“Ludwig,” he said, “You need to have a way to contact me when things like this happen again, you could have died without even realizing it.”
“It sure felt like it, he was terrifying,” Ludwig said.
“What did you notice about him?” Van Dijk said as he pulled Ludwig to the side, “Tell me every boring little detail,” he said in all seriousness.
Ludwig began describing the encounter, and all that the man said and the exact location and what he wore.
And after he was done though he didn’t have much to say, he asked, “Is there history between you?”
“History? Nah, there is only blood. Bad, nefarious, filthy blood. Regardless, as frustrating as it is, chasing after him is pointless right now. I placed some eyes in Rima, if he ever comes back, I’ll handle it.”
“Would it be bad if we go back to the potion store and ask the store owner what he sold to him? Wouldn’t that help us at least know his objective or where he’s going?” Ludwig asked.
“Hah, you can go and do that, but if you die don’t blame me. There are things you should know, and things you shouldn’t, and then there are things you should fear, and things you must never disturb, as for that shop owner, she is all of them. Act rudely to her or her customers… well, all I can say is, she is someone even I don’t want to fight unless I have to.”
Ludwig gulped down hard, that young ten-year-old?
“Huh, you must be confused about her. But polymorph is their best magic. So don’t treat her as a young girl, or else you’ll be devoured.”
“You make her sound like she is some sort of dragon,” Ludwig said.
“I knew you were smart,” Van Dijk snickered, “Follow me, we’ll be going to the bog earlier than we expected.”