Chapter 4

Chapter 4
## Chapter 4

Lucian marched directly toward the local herbalist.

While he would have favored the comfort of a carriage, he couldn’t risk the unwanted attention it might bring. Instead, he pulled a deep hood over his face and made the journey on foot.

Hans kept pace beside him, offering physical support while wearing an expression of total bewilderment.

“Young Master, I have to ask—what on earth are we doing at a common herbalist’s shop?”

“What do you think one does at an herbalist’s? I am purchasing herbs.”

“But why are you the one doing the shopping? Couldn’t you simply procure your medicine from the Alchemist Guild?”

Both the herbalist and the Alchemist Guild dealt in flora, so they shared some common ground. However, their social standing was worlds apart.

An herbalist shop, which did little more than harvest, sort, and sell raw vegetation, was a facility utilized by peasants or low-ranking knights at the very best. Compared to the Alchemist Guild, which oversaw everything from rigorous quality control to the synthesis of sophisticated medicine, it was nothing more than a dingy hole-in-the-wall.

A single professional gatherer would be at the beck and call of even a mere apprentice, let alone a fully realized alchemist. Naturally, anyone with even a shred of status frequented the Alchemist Guild, never an herbalist.

“I don’t know what you’re imagining, but an herbalist is just a corner bodega. They have nothing superior to the Guild. In fact, they sell all their premium stock to the Guild and only retain the sub-par leftovers for themselves.”

“I’m well aware, so quit your nagging. Do you honestly think I’m heading there in hopes of stumbling upon some legendary spirit grass?”

“You aren’t?”

“Of course not. I’m visiting the herbalist because they stock items the Alchemist Guild doesn’t even bother to carry.”

“What sort of herb would the Guild not have? They usually vacuum up everything of value.”

“Herbs that cannot be synthesized into medicine. They are at their most potent when consumed raw.”

To be more precise, it was more accurate to say they were plants for which a viable recipe hadn’t been discovered yet. A functional formula wouldn’t be unearthed for another few years.

Moonlight Grass.

It flourished near lakeshores bathed in strong moonlight and possessed a significant impact on physical development. The medicinal properties themselves were top-tier, making it rather pricey, but since there was no known method to process it, it was a white elephant to the alchemists.

To high-ranking nobles with sprawling territories, it was equally disregarded because they had access to far more expensive and effective tonics. At most, it was something a few low-tier nobles or commoners might consider a stroke of luck to find.

With the coin I have on me, I can probably buy out the entire shop. A year from now, the market value will skyrocket so much that this amount wouldn’t even buy a handful.

In a year’s time, the Alchemist Guild would corner the market on every scrap of Moonlight Grass available. It wouldn’t be revealed until much later that the catalyst was the creation of Nectar.

Looking back, they likely also wanted to artificially inflate the rarity of Nectar. Therefore, I had to secure as much Moonlight Grass as possible before the Alchemist Guild made its move.

Lucian finished his internal calculations and prepared to head toward the lower village beneath the castle walls.

Come to think of it, is the ‘me’ from my previous life still at his post?

To verify this, Lucian went to seek out the Guard Captain at the local guardhouse.

Fortunately, the Guard Captain was the same man he remembered. Initially, the Captain failed to recognize Lucian, but once the realization hit, he scrambled to his feet in a state of shock.

“Young Master, what brings a person of your stature here?”

“It’s nothing of great importance. I’m simply searching for someone among your recent enlistments.”

“The new recruits, sir?”

“Yes. Was it not just a month ago that you took on new guards due to the rising number of retirees leaving from injuries?”

The Guard Captain reflexively sucked in a sharp breath.

How did the Third Prince, who had been a shut-in until now, possess such specific knowledge?

“T-that is indeed correct. Seven new men were brought on.”

“Is there a man named Jake among them? He’s nineteen, has black hair, and he likely carried a bow with him when he applied.”

In his past life, he had arrived with a bow, claiming he was applying to be a guardian. He hadn’t even known how to fire it correctly, but he figured he required some form of weaponry. He had been ridiculed for it, but they had passed him easily because they respected his initiative.

He had been well-known among his peers, so with this much detail, the Captain should be able to identify him instantly.

“I’m terribly sorry, sir. There is no such soldier in our ranks.”

“What? No one at all?”

But the Guard Captain’s response was entirely startling.

“No, sir. Who would bring a bow to a city guard application? If someone had done something that strange, the rumors would have reached every corner of the barracks by now.”

“Then what about a nineteen-year-old youth with black hair?”

“None of those either. Black hair is not a common shade, and I haven’t seen a single soldier with it.”

He wasn’t there? He should have been on duty for over a month by this point.

Just to be certain, Lucian even inspected the official ledger, but the name Jake was nowhere to be found. Instead, a different name occupied the slot. When he requested a description, he was told the man was a blond-haired youth of twenty-five.

It seemed he was one of the individuals who had failed the guard examination in his past life.

It’s a bit jarring, but… well, it’s not a negative outcome.

It would have been bizarre if his former self were alive and well with the same character. Whether his previous existence had simply vanished or history had shifted, it was for the best if their paths never crossed.

Having satisfied his final curiosity, Lucian proceeded to his primary destination, the herbalist, with Hans in tow.

Clatter.

“Who’s there? It’s currently my break, so return later.”

“The herbalists in this district certainly have quite the nerve. Forcing a member of the nobility to wait.”

“What kind of gibberish is— Gasp!”

The slouching shop owner immediately threw himself to the floor upon realizing Lucian’s true identity. He clearly hadn’t anticipated a noble visiting such a dilapidated shop.

“M-my Lord, what brings you to a humble place like this…?”

“I came to purchase herbs, obviously. Did you assume I came here for a home-cooked meal?”

Lucian intentionally leaned into the sarcasm. This was the very shopkeeper who used to fleece him mercilessly when he served as a guard. When he had been gravely injured once, the man had extorted three months’ worth of his wages for a few bundles of herbs.

Since the tables had turned, he intended to enjoy a small bit of retribution.

“I am deeply sorry! I asked a foolish question!”

“It was a foolish question indeed. So hold your tongue and bring out the stock.”

“I-I will bring everything! What exactly are you seeking…?”

“Moonlight Grass, Red Thorn, Winged Lantern, and Stem Flower. Particularly the Moonlight Grass—bring every single blade you have. Bear in mind, if I discover later that you withheld some to sell elsewhere, I’ll have your head.”

Petrified by Lucian’s icy demeanor, the owner sprinted toward the storehouse. Whether driven by guilt or sheer terror, as soon as the items were demanded, he frantically ransacked his warehouse and dumped out every bit of Moonlight Grass he could find.

As expected of a high-value material, the total quantity wasn’t massive, but it was a significant haul for a single local shop.

“This is every bit of Moonlight Grass we have in the building!”

“The quality is only average. Is this truly all of it?”

“I-I’m sorry! I’ll give it all to you for free, so please, find it in your heart to forgive me…!”

“Fine. I’ll pay the standard price.”

His reputation was already tarnished enough; there was no need to add the infamy of extorting a shopkeeper using his royal authority. When Lucian paid exactly the fair market value for the time, the herbalist wore a look of utter confusion. He had likely hoped a noble would pay a lavish premium—or at least stop threatening him.

A dry, short laugh escaped Lucian’s lips. How many seconds had passed since the man offered to give it all away for nothing?

“Is it not sufficient? Then I’ll add more. But I’ll also have to invoice you for your earlier disrespect.”

“N-no, sir! I have committed a grave sin!”

Only after watching the herbalist strike his forehead against the floor several times did Lucian step back outside. Seeing the shop owner’s face smeared with tears and grime made him feel genuinely refreshed.

Is this the true power of status?

Hans, who had observed the entire exchange, muttered with a stunned expression.

“Young Master, you seem to have changed quite a bit.”

“Hmm?”

“Before, you were a person who couldn’t utter a harsh word to a soul. But now…”

“How exactly have I changed?”

“You’ve grown confident. You even carry a bit of true dignity now.”

Lucian felt a small pang of guilt. Hans hadn’t served him for very long, but he was still his personal attendant. Was he already picking up on the inconsistency?

“Is it odd?”

“Odd? Not at all. It’s fantastic. Now I can walk with my head held high among the other household servants.”

Fortunately, Hans was simply delighted by his master’s evolution. Lucian chuckled and handed the bundle of Moonlight Grass to Hans.

“Don’t worry. I won’t just make it so you don’t have to walk on eggshells around the other staff; I’ll make it so they have to walk on eggshells around you.”

“I’m grateful just for the sentiment, sir.”

“I’m being serious.”

If nothing else, he knew full well that a master’s standing was the servant’s armor. The reason Hans had been dismissed until now was because Lucian himself had been so pitiable.

But from this moment on, things would change. The Lucian of the past and the Lucian of the present were entirely different entities.

Before heading back, Lucian stopped at a general store to pick up a few additional items. They were simple tools commoners utilized when preparing medicine. They were low-grade implements that the Alchemist Guild wouldn’t even deign to touch, but for Lucian, they were preferable.

I only know how to operate these, anyway.

Back when he was a penniless nobody, how could he have ever purchased the exorbitant equipment used in professional alchemy? The tools commoners used to crudely mash and boil plants were his limit. Even if he bought high-end laboratory gear now, he wouldn’t even know where to start.

Having completed the preparations, Lucian spoke with a solemn expression.

“Remain outside the door and ensure no one enters. If someone tries to force their way in, block them with your entire body. If you cannot stop them, at least scream to warn me. If anyone complains, I will take the full responsibility.”

“Even if the other Young Masters arrive?”

“Even if my father himself comes, you are to block him.”

Hans was visibly frightened, but seeing the intensity in Lucian’s eyes, he nodded with a determined face.

Left alone, Lucian cleared the cluttered books into a corner and began the process of compounding the medicine. Even calling it ‘compounding’ was a bit of a reach; it was essentially just mashing herbs to extract their juices and blending them in a specific ratio.

However, if even this primitive recipe were to be leaked, it would turn the entire world upside down. That was why he had Hans standing guard even though no one was likely to drop by. Even discovering a tiny clue could create a massive ripple in his plans.

As Lucian squeezed the herbal juices, mixed them, and heated the concoction with a small lamp, a sharp, pungent odor began to fill the room. As time ticked by, the acrid scent grew so powerful that his eyes began to sting and water.

I swear, what was I thinking consuming this in my previous life?

No matter how he analyzed it, a sane person would assume it was a deadly poison, not a remedy. He wouldn’t have touched it if he hadn’t been absolutely desperate for a miracle.

When the liquid finally shifted to a deep red hue, Lucian extinguished the lamp. The smell gradually dissipated as the liquid cooled, leaving only the red tonic behind.

Lucian took a steadying breath and swallowed the medicine in a single go.

Gulp.

“Phew!”

The searing liquid slid down Lucian’s throat and settled in his stomach. A moment later, he felt a pulsing, wriggling energy erupting in his lower midsection.

Mana!

The result of a human being converting the raw power of nature into their own internal force. And, depending on its application, the power that could transform a human into a legendary superhuman.

Now is the turning point.

Controlling the mana, Lucian concentrated and directed its flow. As he rekindled his old instincts, the mana slowly migrated toward his core.

A sigh of relief escaped him when the initial attempt proved successful. The biggest obstacle had been overcome.

No, it’s too early to celebrate. The circulation still remains.

The process of distributing the energy throughout the body via the mana pathways and then pulling it back. This was the ‘circulation’ that had to be perfected before one could truly claim the title of a knight.

With a standard elixir, the mana would simply soak into the body and slightly expand the pathways. But Nectar was different; it could strengthen muscles and bone density, and even force open pathways that were previously obstructed.

The issue was that the less conditioned a person was, the more excruciating the circulation process became. It would become much easier after the first instance, but that first circulation was the nightmare. It was a sensation like having a blocked pipe violently gouged open from the inside!

Ugh, this is going to be incredibly painful.

Lucian’s current body had never even performed manual labor, so it would likely be far worse than in his past life. Bracing himself for the impending agony, Lucian squeezed his eyes shut and pushed the mana forward.

However, no matter how much time ticked by, not a single spark of pain arrived.

A moment later, Lucian snapped his eyes open, stunned by the bizarre turn of events.

What is happening? Why is there no resistance at all?