In the Lord's Castle at the heart of the City of Ambition.
The lord was listening as her Chief Knight reported on Baron Reiser's condition.
Her long white hair fell over her shoulders. Dressed in a simple black court gown, Mila furrowed her brow and rested two fingers against her chin, lost in thought.
Baron Reiser was the commander of the Knight Order in the City of Ambition. He had watched her grow up, and was one of her most important supporters as the city's lord.
"Your Highness, don't worry. Sir Bellin has already found Petilil."
"The Panacea made from Petilil can cure any injury or illness."
Using Petilil... Mila parted her lips, unable to hide the reluctance in her eyes. But when she thought of Uncle Reiser's condition, she pressed her lips together and kept quiet.
Just then, a knight hurried in from outside and whispered a few words in Kevin's ear.
Kevin gave a slight nod. Once the knight had left, he turned to the lord and said, "Your Highness, there's someone outside... well... an apothecary."
"An apothecary?"
"Then hurry and bring him in to see me."
Mila's eyes lit up. She had put out a bounty earlier, so this apothecary must have come after seeing it.
It wasn't long before she met the man who claimed to be an apothecary.
He wore a worn but fairly clean linen shirt and trousers, and dragged his feet in backless shoes. He looked like a farmer.
Could he be a fraud? Mila wondered, then asked sternly, "You say you're an apothecary?"
Aiven was also sizing up the kindhearted lord before him. Her white hair fell over her shoulders, and though she was dressed like a girl, her expression was far more serious than her appearance suggested.
At her question, he replied calmly, "That's right. I'm an apothecary."
Hmm, this man probably isn't lying... Watching Aiven's calm expression, Mila made her judgment.
Every renowned apothecary in the City of Ambition had gathered at the baron's home. If this man was a fraud, they would be able to tell right away.
"Go over there now..." Mila said after a moment's thought. Then she paused. "Wait. I'll go with you."
A carriage stood in the City of Ambition, but it wasn't drawn by horses. Instead, a rhinoceros covered from head to toe in gray armor pulled it.
It was a Pokémon called an Ironclad Rhinoceros, though in this world it was known as a monster.
Inside the carriage, Mila sat in the seat of honor, while Aiven sat opposite her. Both were quiet.
The lord seems easy to get along with... Aiven was surprised that he could share a carriage with her. In ancient times, social classes had been sharply divided.
Few people walked along the road paved with enormous stones.
The occasional passersby usually wore linen shirts with short, narrow sleeves, matching trousers, and backless shoes.
They watched the Ironclad Rhinoceros Carriage approach at speed from afar and instinctively moved out of its way. Their eyes were filled with awe and fear as they looked at the Ironclad Rhinoceros.
To ordinary people, monsters were incredibly powerful. Only knights who were fully armed and well-trained could handle the Ironclad Rhinoceros before them.
If a monster like this went on a rampage in the city, it would be a catastrophe for ordinary people.
Although knights could use Beast Gear to control monsters and command them in battle, monsters still went out of control every year.
Before long, the Ironclad Rhinoceros pulled the carriage to Baron Reiser's home.
Sir Bellin, who had already received word of their arrival, was waiting at the entrance himself. Then he saw Aiven step down from the carriage.
"Why are you here?"
Sir Bellin's pupils contracted. He looked at Aiven with hostility and spoke in a low voice.
He recognized Aiven as the nephew of the owner of the Fruit Grove, and instinctively assumed he had come to take Petilil back!
"He's an apothecary too..."
Lord Mila didn't know the story behind it, so she simply explained.
Then she hurried into the manor, wanting to see the baron's condition for herself.
An apothecary... Bellin frowned slightly. Could the nephew of the Fruit Grove's owner really be an apothecary?
He didn't believe it for a moment, but the lord had said it, so he had no reason to argue. He turned and led everyone to his father's room.
With the lord here, he didn't think Aiven would do anything rash.
All they had to do was prove he wasn't really an apothecary and throw him out!
Several elderly apothecaries were gathered in the baron's room, discussing something.
Aiven also spotted Petilil inside an iron cage on the table.
Petilil was a Pokémon that looked like a plant. Most of its body was green, and its round head and stripes made it resemble the bulb of an onion or some other plant.
Three oval leaves grew on its head. Its fair face had a pair of large eyes, and a green collar-like marking encircled its neck. Five short, thick stumps formed its lower body: two looked like arms, and two like legs.
The little Pokémon clutched the iron bars with both hands. Its body was covered in wounds, and its round eyes darted around the room. It looked both stubborn and pitiful.
When Aiven entered, Petilil's eyes suddenly lit up, but they quickly dimmed again.
It knew that unpleasant man. Night after night, he had sneaked into the Fruit Grove and picked the leaves that had not yet fully grown on its head.
He definitely didn't come to save me, and he can't save me anyway... Petilil let go of the bars in despair and slumped to the floor.
Petilil, thank goodness I made it in time... Aiven felt relieved.
As a Pokémon Breeder, he loved Pokémon more than most. He hated seeing them hurt.
Resisting the urge to open the cage and free Petilil right away, he turned his attention to Baron Reiser, who lay on the bed.
If he wanted to save Petilil, he first had to get Baron Reiser back on his feet.
As Aiven entered the room, the apothecaries looked at him too, puzzled by why he was there.
After the lord finished introducing Aiven, Haren gave a disdainful snort. Could an ordinary commoner really become an apothecary?
Every one of them had paid a heavy price to learn the art of potion-making from the Master Apothecaries.
For an apothecary, the knowledge they possessed was the only measure of their skill!
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