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In the previous chapter, Violet traveled to meet the apothecary who could help her.
Chapter 9
Apothecary
Mage Guild
In the medical ward of a mage guild, far from where Violet hid, Amber Ylenward sat at a patient’s bedside and held her hand.
Ersatz Warlock Test Subject
???
“Uuuuh…” The patient groaned weakly. Like many other sisters, she was eaten away by side effects of the Ersatz Warlock experiments.
Many other subjects lay in the medical ward, crippled by a wide variety of side effects that were yet to be solved.
Sovereign
Amber
“It will be alright. We’ll succeed.” Creating the perfect substitute for blessed heroes was the duty of the Ylenward daughters.
Someday, the sisters would be able to smile together, celebrating their newfound health…
Mage Guild Staff
Student
“Excuse me, Lady Sephinra is calling you.”
Amber nodded and left the medical ward behind.
Head Researcher Office
Sovereign
Amber
“Grandmother.”
Head Researcher Warlock
Sephinra Ylenward
“Are you back? Umbrine really did a number on us.” The young-looking woman leaned back on her chair and let out a sigh.
Sovereign
Amber
“I’ll make her pay for messing with us!” She tightened her fist in anger. Amber was suspended for a few years for the investigation of a Crownbearer’s death.
The Mage Guild had no motive to murder Umbrine’s Crownbearer, but Amber herself was backed by rivals who could gain enormously from the crime so it was difficult to clear the suspicions.
Head Researcher Warlock
Sephinra Ylenward
“There’s more important. I don’t have much time left, yet the project isn’t going anywhere. If only I could study Violet…”
Head Researcher Warlock
Sephinra Ylenward
“But considering Umbrine, she could have already disposed of Violet’s corpse…” She sighed.
Sovereign
Amber
“No, Umbrine would have pinned the blame for the Crownbearer’s death on Violet if she wanted to get rid of her. Instead, she let her escape.”
Head Researcher Warlock
Sephinra Ylenward
“Hmm… I’ll hang onto this hope, then.”
Sephinra wasn’t entirely convinced. The mage guild would have at least received Violet’s corpse if she was officially executed. And Umbrine was too meticulous and hell bent on messing up the project to concede such valuable subject.
Head Researcher Warlock
Sephinra Ylenward
“Finding Violet would be a huge success for the experiment. She was my masterpiece after all.”
Head Researcher Warlock
Sephinra Ylenward
“Amber, I will ask you to spare no effort in the search for Violet.”
Sovereign
Amber
“It will be done.”
In another place:
Former queen tasting street food for the first time
Amber was filled with rage just by thinking about Violet.
While all Ylenward daughters suffered and toiled to complete the project, Violet abandoned her duty and never contacted the mage guild in the past few years.
What was she doing while her sisters were dying and needed her?
In another place:
Former queen gambling for the first time
Sovereign
Amber
“You can’t escape your duty, sister.”
In another place:
Former queen getting wasted at the tavern for the first time
Underground Inn
Violet managed to get an appointment with the famous apothecary with the help of the harpies who could enter the Dungeon safely.
The apothecary was a female dark elf with light blue skin and white hair. She wore comparably more clothes than her fellow dark elves, expressing a sincere sense of professionalism.
However, Violet was still wary and tense. Hekalys had a saying to ‘never trust an elf’.
Back when Violet was a queen, a large portion of her trouble in city management came from the dark elves. They ruled over shady businesses like slavery, gambling, and money lending. They offered drugs and prostitution in their elven lounges and evaded taxes.
It was sincerely difficult to believe that a dark elf had an honourable job such as apothecary.
Without minding Violet’s prejudiced wariness, the dark elf proceeded to a long examination. Her tasks ranged from embarrassing questions (like age and name) to examining Violet’s stools and squeezing all her muscles.
After noting her findings in a notebook, she pondered before explaining her results.
Apothecary
Dark elf
“Your hangover aside, your body sustained internal damages in both macroscopic and cellular level, especially along your mana circuit. It appears to be an unknown disease.”
Destitute Sovereign
Violet
‘How the hell did she find that with only those tools?’
Apothecary
Dark elf
“The temporary solutions are standard healing potions or spells to patch up the tissue breakdown. However, if your body regularly suffer this kind of damages, you will eventually need a Rejuvenating Panacea.”
Destitute Sovereign
Violet
“Ugh… That’s damn expensive, even for a sovereign!”
She was relieved until she heard Panacea.
The Panacea involved maiden blood and all sort of rare materials only found outside of Dungeons. It was a luxury that only high officials could afford.
Apothecary
Dark elf
“Shall I communicate this case to the Mage Guild? They could help find a better remedy for this illness.”
Destitute Sovereign
Violet
“No thanks! I don’t want this to be known! I-I care for my privacy.”
Apothecary
Dark elf
“I understand. Then, how about buying this medicine…”
She unpacked his goods and flaunted the effects of his creations.
The apothecary sold Violet the tonics and healing potions she carried on herself and left.
Then, she headed straight to the thieves’ guild, but it wasn’t to sell her poisons or drugs this time.
Apothecary
Dark elf
“Rather famous, aren’t we?”
She held a stack paper about various Dungeon kingdoms. One of them described the story of how Violet disappeared after a crownbearer died.
