Kent walked to the door and opened it with a smile on his face.
“Gentlemen, welcome to my home,” he said, extending his hand for a firm handshake. The soldier looked him up and down, not even bothering to accept the handshake.
“Who are you?” he asked. Of course, Kent wasn’t offended he refused his handshake.
“I am Kent, the one and only disciple of the late Master James Hogan,” Kent replied, not even bothering to hide the fact that James had passed away unjustly. He could have simply said his master wasn’t around.
But then again, his grave was just a few minutes away, so lying wasn’t an option either.
“Then sorry for wasting your time. Have a nice day,” the soldier said, turning to leave.
“May I at least know why you sought my master?” Kent asked. He already knew, as his master had known why they were there. He had his memories, after all.
“The head of the Alderford Merchant family needed his services, but since he is no more, there’s no need to trouble you anymore,” the soldier said.
“Oh, I wouldn’t mind filling in for my master. After all, he taught me everything he knew, so it would only be logical if I filled in for him,” Kent said.
The soldier hesitated, looking Kent over. He seemed unsure for a moment but then nodded.
“Well, if you are willing, we can take you to the Alderford family. The head is in need of assistance with an urgent matter.”
Their master had said they shouldn’t return empty-handed, so they wouldn’t be returning empty-handed.
“Then give me a few minutes to get my affairs in order so we can leave,” Kent said before moving back inside. He stood in front of the cauldron and gently placed it inside the space ring. He moved toward the other room and retrieved a sword his master had hidden under his wooden bed.
It was slightly better than the one he was using to train. Of course, it was. After all, James Hogan had bought it for 70 gold coins. It was one of his most valuable possessions.
After collecting all the valuables he might need, Kent left the house and headed toward the carriage where the five soldiers were waiting for him.
“We can leave now,” Kent said, climbing into the carriage.
The soldiers nodded and began moving back toward Caprath City.
Kent wasn’t particularly comfortable in the carriage, so halfway through their trip, he got out and began riding in the open area of the carriage. He wanted to see more of the outside.
“So, what is the Alderford Merchant family like?” Kent suddenly asked. “Don’t get me wrong, I just wanted to know so I can make a good impression. I haven’t been around such influential people before—until today, that is.”
The soldiers hesitated for a minute before one of them spoke up. “Well, there are 13 merchant families in Caprath City, and the Alderford is within the top 5. They are highly influential.”
“I see. I guess I’ll have to try my best to honor my master’s legacy,” Kent said. The soldiers exchanged glances, as if they wanted to ask something, but hesitated.
Kent read their expressions and immediately knew what they wanted to ask.
“Don’t worry. Although I was trained by Master James, I’m not that shameless,” Kent smiled. “Well, maybe a little shameless, but I promise I won’t be a nuisance to the Alderford family,” he added, making the soldiers smile slightly.
“By the way, I presume my master wasn’t the only one summoned?” Kent asked.
“Yes, others have gone to the other cities to see if they can get some other alchemist to come,” one of the soldiers answered.
“Hmm… More, huh? This makes me wonder what they need this many alchemists for,” Kent muttered, making sure the soldiers heard what he said.
After making sure he had their attention, Kent turned to them and asked, “You gentlemen wouldn’t happen to know why they need this many alchemists, would you?”
The soldiers didn’t say anything, which made Kent smile slightly. He added, “Come on, guys, telling me something small wouldn’t do any harm, would it?”
He studied their expressions and could tell they knew what was happening—they just didn’t want to say anything. Suddenly, one of them, named Steve, spoke up.
“One of the daughters of John Alderford is sick, but no healer has been able to diagnose her, so they were hoping a fresh perspective would go a long way.” The soldiers tried to rebuke Steve, but seeing the thoughtful look that appeared on Kent’s face, they held back.
After a few moments, Kent spoke. “Thanks for telling me. And even though I can’t promise I’ll be able to cure her, I will certainly do my best.”
“And hey, if by some miracle I manage to cure her, I’ll be sure to share the reward with you guys,” Kent added, making the soldiers smile.
Kent thought for a moment, then asked, “Do you know what kind of symptoms she has? Or what kind of illness it might be?”
The soldiers exchanged looks, but none of them answered.
“Come on, you must have heard something about it,” Kent pressed. “I can’t help without some idea of what I’m dealing with.”
One of the soldiers shook his head. “We don’t know much. We were only told she’s very ill, but no one could figure out what’s wrong with her.”
Kent frowned, then nodded. “I see. I guess I’ll have to figure it out on my own then.”
He thought for a moment. “Has anyone tried using alchemical remedies on her yet?”
“No, not that we know of,” another soldier replied. “They only sent for alchemists after the healers failed.”
Kent nodded again, deep in thought. “Alright. I’ll do my best to help. But one last thing—how long has she been sick?”
“It’s been a couple of months now,” Steve answered. “They’ve been looking for a solution since she first got sick.”
Kent exhaled slowly. “That’s a long time.” He then closed his eyes and began talking with the tower. Two days later, they arrived in front of the large gate, guarded by dozens of soldiers.
Even from kilometers away, Kent could see hundreds of activities happening inside and outside the gate. It stood tall and strong. Clearly, a lot had been put into this city.
“By the way, I wanted to ask, who are the rulers of this city?” Even his master didn’t know, as he rarely engaged in the affairs of the city.
“The Ashland Noble Family,” Steve answered.
A while later, they entered the city, which was easy and simple considering they were from the Alderford Merchant Family. Their uniforms were enough to show they needed no introduction.
After an hour and a half of moving through the city and an empty road, they arrived in front of a huge mansion, or more like a collection of large houses that made up a mansion.
“This place is beautiful,” Kent muttered, looking at the polished walls, tall buildings, and, well, the whole place exuded luxury.
“Looks like we are the last ones to arrive,” Steve said, noting the dozens of carriages already parked. Kent got down, and then they began moving into the house.
A few minutes later, they were at the entrance of a large building, where dozens of individuals could be seen sitting. Some were talking among themselves, while others were minding their own business.
One didn’t need an introduction to know these people were alchemists. After all, they all had that arrogant aura that screamed they were better than everyone else. You could even see it on their faces.
The moment Kent walked in, the whole place quieted down. He scanned their arrogant faces, then shook his head and went to sit down.
However, just as he was about to sit down, an arrogant voice spoke, “Who is this brat, and what business does he have in the gathering of alchemists?”