"Black Knight" Potion Formula

Inside the Round Tower, the staircase spiraled upwards. Derrick ascended the stairs under the light of the torch until he arrived at the door of "Chief" Colin Iliad.

As he pushed open the door, a tall, white-haired old man stood in the room, scrutinizing him with his deep eyes.

Hanging on the wall behind the "Chief" were two crossed straight swords, the very weapons Colin was accustomed to using. It was with these two unassuming weapons that he hunted countless Monsters, defended City of Silver, and became a hero in everyone's eyes.

"Your Excellency."

Derrick bowed.

"Derrick Berg, you did a very good job on the last mission."

Colin said calmly, "Is there something you need to see me about today?"

"Your Excellency."

Derrick hesitated for a moment, then decided to get straight to the point, "I heard that Elder Lovia has presented the city-state with a precious Sequence 4 Potion recipe."

Yes, that's true.

Colin waited for his next sentence.

"I would like to ask you, if someone in the city-state were interested in this Potion recipe, what kind of contribution would they have to make to have a chance to obtain it?"

Derrick asked, seemingly determined to go all out.

He didn't explicitly say that he wanted the formula, but rather hinted at it indirectly, asking Colin's asking price.

"."

Colin was unusually silent for a moment.

"Potion recipes don't have a physical form like extraordinary materials; they're just information that can be copied and shared multiple times."

Just as Derrick was feeling uneasy about the silence, Colin spoke up, "But even so, the information above is extremely valuable and cannot be easily leaked, and there are also requirements for the applicants' qualifications."

His Your Excellency did not refuse!

There's room for discussion!

Derrick was secretly pleased and couldn't help but ask, "Your Excellency, am I qualified?"

"Have."

Colin said slowly, "However, your current contributions are not enough to earn it."

"Okay, so what do you think would match the value of Potion recipe?"

Derrick continued to ask.

He was still too young and completely oblivious to his wording. The chief could easily deduce things from this, such as that someone behind him was very interested in the formula and willing to pay a high price for it.

"For City of Silver, the most valuable thing is a way to change the current situation," Colin said calmly. "If someone can bring a bright future to everyone in the city-state, their contribution will be immeasurable."

So, does His Your Excellency mean to seek a way to save City of Silver? Mr. Fool might be able to do that, but Mr. Temperance is only Sequence 5; it's far too difficult for him.

Derrick was dumbfounded.

Fortunately, the chief wasn't finished speaking. He changed his tone, "Of course, this is just my ideal. A Sequence 4 Potion recipe can be obtained by exchanging items of equal quality, Potion Sequence 4 other Pathway."

As if afraid Derrick wouldn't understand his hint, the chief explained it very clearly, and after finishing, he even asked him, "Did you remember that?"

"I've got it."

Derrick answered Consciousness, then paused slightly.

Your Excellency seems to have already guessed that I have someone backing me.

He ended the conversation in a daze and unease, only gradually calming down after walking down the Round Tower.

His Your Excellency is so intelligent, he can naturally guess a lot. However, at least I successfully got the price from His Your Excellency, which gives Mr. [Temperance] an explanation.

Derrick thought to himself, half pleased and half worried.

Backlund, Empress Borough, House of Lords.

"Creak--"

Several black carriages stopped at the foot of the high steps of the House of Lords, and a group of capable members stepped out of the carriages one by one. Although they were wearing ordinary uniforms, their eyes were sharp, their movements were standard, and they had the air of soldiers and an unquestionable authority.

That's right, these people are members of MI9.

Today is the day the House of Lords holds its regular meeting, and they are here to provide security as required.

While using classified intelligence personnel as bodyguards for regular meetings might seem like overkill, the House of Lords is comprised of the most prestigious nobles in Loen, so it seems reasonable for them to receive special treatment.

"Cons, how was your day at home yesterday? Did you have a memorable time with your family?"

Levi took a few steps and spoke to a young man who had gotten out of another car.

The other person turned around and gave him a relaxed and cheerful smile.

"Of course, I had a great time yesterday."

"Cons" replied, "Mr. Levi, thank you very much."

"I'm glad you're happy. You seem to be in a good mood today. You're not as lost as before, which is a good thing."

Levi didn't notice anything amiss with Cons. He chuckled, patted Constance on the shoulder, and said, "Let's get going. Those gentlemen are hard to please. We need to check the surrounding streets before they arrive."

Two teams from MI9 came today. Group One continued their usual inspections inside the building, while the Group Two was much more exhausted, tasked with patrolling the area around the House of Lords to ensure there were no "dangerous elements" or rebellious individuals spying on "national affairs" on the streets and in the surrounding buildings.

Of course, the "national affairs" that the noblemen talked about were really just decadent topics like the inheritance of titles and the hierarchy of superiors and inferiors. They couldn't give up their pride and dignity, nor could they really offer any constructive suggestions, so they could only maintain their last shred of dignity in this way.

In present-day Loen, opportunities abound. Savvy nobles have already humbled themselves, selling their leased land to start factories and companies. These forces, along with merchants and the emerging middle class, are influencing each other and gradually increasing their influence in the House of Commons.

Only the most stubborn and conservative among them maintained the old traditions, surrounding the Duke Negan, the Conservative Party's biggest supporter, in an attempt to restore the Great Old One glory.

Today, the Duke Negan is to address the House of Lords, a matter of great importance to the Councilor, with a large number of attendees, making MI9 even busier.

"Damn noblemen."

As Levi checked the passing carriages, he muttered a complaint, "Oh, Cons, sorry, I didn't mean to insult you."

"It's alright, Mr. Levi."

"Cons" smiled nonchalantly. "By the way, Mr. Levi, if those nobles really do die as you wish, what price are you willing to pay for this outcome?"

His tone was seductive as he said this.

"Ah?"

Levi paused, seemingly puzzled by the abrupt question. His eyes quickly became unfocused, Consciousness replied, "I'm willing to use it."

"Creak--"

Just then, a high-class carriage drove up, but was stopped by the checkpoint they had set up, interrupting their conversation.

The carriage bore the coat of arms of the Hall Family.