Correcting Time (Part Two)

"That was what happened... When I returned to the village, everyone there was dead. I wanted to exchange the holy water I had sold for money and leave this place, but... then I ran into that elf again... In the end, the money was gone too. Now I can only stay under Mr. Eliyi's protection and see whether I can repay his life-saving kindness with this Refined Dragonblood formula..."

Denolan sat on the left side of the bed and told Tiadam everything he had seen and heard over the past few days.

"It sounds plausible enough, but—" Tiadam rolled over and sat up from the right side of the bed. "Do you know what a Dragonblood Gem actually is?"

"Mm-mm..." Denolan shook his head. "I only know that Dragonblood Gems are valuable. If I could successfully refine one and sell it to some wealthy noble in Canfor, I'd have enough money to bribe the guards of Alderbu and leave Canfor."

"Ah..." Denolan's innocence truly gave Tiadam a headache. "Do you know why Dragonblood Gems are so expensive?"

"N-No... I don't..."

"Then I'll tell you..." Tiadam turned over and sat up. "A Dragonblood Gem isn't merely an accessory or gemstone. It's a weapon created by concentrating intense magical power."

"A... a weapon?"

"As expected, you don't understand anything..." Tiadam glanced at Denolan. "Dragons are pure magical creatures. Their origin lies with the Elemental Empress among the Northern Old Gods—Wenslan Naga. The blood of true dragons itself contains tremendously powerful elemental energy. Compressing and fusing that elemental energy from dragon blood, then turning it into a solid, produces Refined Dragonblood. Because these solids contain elemental magic, they are called Dragonblood Gems. If the energy within one of these gems is released all at once, its power is enough to hold back an army of thousands."

"That... that sounds... dangerous..." Denolan seemed at a loss. "I just thought... dragons were rare and difficult to deal with..."

"The strength and rarity of dragons are only one reason they're valuable. The more important reason is..." Tiadam grabbed Denolan by the collar. "Refined Dragonblood is one of the ten alchemical arts banned throughout the nation. If you're discovered, you could be sent to the guillotine."

"The... guillotine..." Denolan felt as though the world were spinning around him.

"Don't be afraid..." Tiadam patted Denolan on the shoulder. "Although researching Refined Dragonblood is strictly forbidden, most cities outside the royal capital turn a blind eye to it."

"But... it's still against the law..." Denolan added.

"That's why Eliyi pushed the whole matter onto us while he provided the money from behind the scenes." Tiadam sounded rather smug. "That brat often pulls tricks like this. I'm used to it by now."

"But... but earlier, he told me to go find merchant mages everywhere... to cooperate with..."

"Maybe his identity isn't something he wants others to know about..." Tiadam sat back down on the bed. "They say he's an old acquaintance of some important figure in the royal capital. If that person's political enemies got hold of some leverage, it would be troublesome. So having you seek cooperation from mages who resell magical goods was probably to protect that important person behind him."

"Oh, that makes sense." Denolan nodded as though he half understood.

"I'm guessing the first person he had you look for was Oyana." Tiadam put an arm around Denolan's shoulders. "And he probably told you that if Oyana asked who sent you, you had to keep your teeth clenched and never reveal his name."

"H-How do you know all that...?"

"Of course I do." Tiadam spoke smugly. "I've dealt with Eliyi, Oyana, and those people plenty of times. I've seen more than enough of their little games. Let me guess further—Oyana definitely didn't give you a clear answer. She only told you to go back and wait for news."

"Y-You can even guess that?"

"Oyana's skill at brushing people off isn't exaggerated." Tiadam's brows furrowed slightly. "But if Oyana didn't answer directly... then I'd say trying to recruit partners from other magic shops would be a waste of effort too."

"W-Why?" Denolan asked.

"Most magic shops in Canfor are run by witches, and Oyana is the leader of all the witches in Canfor. If she didn't agree outright, then there's basically no hope with the witches, the magic guilds that do business with them, or their shops. You'd only be turned away at the door..." Tiadam looked at Denolan's face. "Earlier, you hurriedly said that a merchant was willing to cooperate with you. That merchant couldn't be... someone from the church, could it?"

"Mm—" Denolan shook his head. "This time, you guessed wrong. I never went to the Ouston Church or the secondhand shops under its control."

"Not the church? Then... who else has such influence in Canfor? Who would do business in something like Refined Dragonblood?" Tiadam muttered to himself.

"Who it is, we'll find out when we go tonight," Denolan said.

"Tonight?"

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"Yes—tonight, they invited us to their residence for dinner. Look, the invitation has already arrived..." Denolan pulled an opened letter from his clothes. "You know... this letter flew in through the window when I opened it this morning. At first, I saw a pigeon, but when it flew into my hand, it turned into a letter. Magic really is amazing..."

There was a hint of longing in the way Denolan spoke of magic.

"'Please come to my residence at dusk for a meal, so that we may discuss our cooperation...'" Tiadam read over the letter. "They didn't even specify the location of the dinner. These mages really do love playing mysterious."

Denolan asked, "So, are you going or not?"

"Of course we're going—" Tiadam took Denolan's hand. "But before we go, we need to make some preparations."

"P-Preparations? What preparations..." Denolan, who had never attended a dinner banquet, asked, "Do we need to buy gifts for them?"

"Gifts are for after the cooperation is settled. What we need to buy now is something more important than gifts," Tiadam replied.

"Then what about the money?"

"Borrow it from the innkeeper. Eliyi will cover it in the end anyway. We can't work ourselves to death for him for nothing!"

"Has the letter been delivered?" Yetara reclined sideways in his mansion, still wrapped in a heavy sable fur coat.

"The letter has been delivered, my master."

The maid placed a plate of fragrant braised steak before Yetara.

"Today's lunch is steak from the Ailanfa Divine Cattle brought from the royal capital. The spices used are pepper, Sichuan pepper, fennel, cumin, wormwood, and premium white matsutake mushrooms dug from beneath the cedars of Deidan. First, heat Larideli green-shell coconut oil over a low flame for two to three minutes. Then add the pepper, Sichuan pepper, fennel, cumin, and wormwood to the pot and cook until fragrant. Afterward, strain out the spice residue, then add the Ailanfa Divine Cattle steak. Once both sides are seared golden brown, pour in a vegetable broth that has been simmered for two days beforehand. Simmer it slowly over low heat for two hours, then serve it to you at noon..."

"It'll do." Yetara wiped his mouth with a napkin. "How are the preparations for the dinner coming along? Have all the ingredients been selected?"

"Well..." The maid hesitated before answering, "The merchants' association has prepared most of the ingredients, but... we're short on rose salt produced in the Chilabudan Archipelago."

"Oh, is that so..." Yetara said absentmindedly. "Have the seasonal vegetables from the lower district been collected? Give me a brief report of the accounts..."

"Yes—" The maid took an account book from beneath her skirt. It clearly recorded the taxes collected by Canfor this winter from outside the North City and West City.

"Although agricultural output in the West City and North City districts has risen somewhat, Rosa Kevin's Curse has made most ingredients inedible. According to the policy you established previously, we treated all food severely contaminated by the curse as tax payments from the farmers of the West City and North City districts. At present, Canfor's inner treasury holds approximately 197,000 pounds of contaminated pumpkins, 2.8 million pounds of contaminated potatoes, 3.2 million pounds of contaminated radishes, 1.1 million pounds of contaminated sweet potatoes, and another 1.5 million pounds of cabbage, mustard greens, and other remaining produce..."

"Strange?" Yetara pondered silently. "Rosa Kevin's Curse has struck more frequently this year than last, so why have this year's tax revenues increased by so little compared to last year?"

"Perhaps because of the Ouston Church..." The maid stood up. "This year, Brother Abelato of the Ouston Church recommended a policy of free holy water to Bishop Labrador, exchanging contaminated food for holy water. I heard it has already been promoted in the East City district, where the curse is most severe, but the results have been mediocre... The curse in the East City district has even worsened."

"They promoted it in the East City district, yet the taxes from the North City and West City districts were affected. That damned old swindler Labrador, always playing these boring tricks. If it weren't for..." Yetara slammed his hand against the duck-down cushion on the sofa, gritting his teeth. "If it weren't for those little brats! I... I... Forget it. Once I recover my body, I'll settle the score with them slowly."

"How are the undead creatures outside the city?" Yetara asked.

"The situation is not optimistic. Those monsters have begun corroding the barrier of the Three Angels. I believe Canfor will face a great battle before long."

"How long is 'before long'?" Yetara seemed to be in a rather foul mood.

"Two days. My lord, should you leave this place? Go to Alderbu?"

"Bullshit—" Yetara cursed. "If I could leave, would I still stay in this damned place? The Northern Old Gods ordered me to keep a close eye on Risala's Spider Demons and stop them from making contact with Myude's people. If I leave Canfor now, the Northern Old Gods won't let me off easily."

"Then what should we do now?"

"What should we do..." Yetara let out a long sigh. "Naturally, summon the mages, witches, martyrs, and the remaining Forest Elves in Canfor to face the undead monsters' attack together. Then ask Lapidemi, the commander guarding Alderbu, for help and see if he can send holy knights as reinforcements. If that truly doesn't work... then we can only pack up and run..."

"Then should I go sort through the merchants' association and the inner treasury now?"

"Uh... Don't make your movements too conspicuous. Try to pick out valuable magic books and ancient texts." Yetara slumped over his sofa. "What a pity, the work of so many decades... I wonder whether I could buy such a fine mansion and furniture elsewhere... My heart aches..."