The fresh smell of a new morning whisked through the air, weaving and blending itself into the dense mountain fog. It was a strange wonder to see every dawn—Soren thought that he would get used to it by now, but that couldn't have been further from the case.

He watched the sun casting its shine from the horizon as it slowly rose higher and higher—its light piercing through the gaps of the sloping marble buildings and the smooth surfaces of domed roofs.

A truly breathtaking view. Sadly, his days in this city were numbered.

Soren yawned as he leaned against the street lantern pole. At the moment, the streets were relatively empty. Aside from a few men and women getting up early to set up their shops and stands, everyone else was likely still asleep or just now waking up.

"Admiring the view?" A soft voice entered his ear from the left. Soren glanced over to look.

Myrin.

He had changed out of his usual robe to a more sleek white blouse paired with a well decorated black surcoat. His long, blonde hair was also tied into a ponytail that hung over his shoulder.

Soren smiled. "Celestine… It's crazy to think that this entire city built atop a mountain is hiding such a deep secret… Even that beautiful castle I see everyday when I walk down these streets traces its roots to the ancient Avalon Empire…"

"Indeed…" He glanced up at the castle and smiled, moving his hair behind his sharp ear. "However, that castle is anything but wonderful. All you'll find inside is a stifling air of arrogance and elitism."

"A royal prince hating royalty…" Soren chuckled. "Never seen that before."

As he said this, he walked ahead of Myrin. His clothes were also different today.

After telling everyone the news about the guild disbanding and their plans to journey north, Tina had offered to modify his checkered robe for the coming journey. She transformed it into two pieces: a mantle draped over his shoulders, and a sarong-like wrap tied around his waist. Together, they not only gave him ample protection from the elements just like before, but also granted him greater freedom of movement.

The most unexpected detail, however, was the mantle's clasp. She had sewn the broken Philosopher's Stone from his first Spellfocus into it, turning the fractured relic into a decorative gem…

According to her, it was meant to symbolize his belonging to the guild. Even though they are now all going their separate ways, he will always have a place to return to… A home. The memories they all shared together might have been short, but they were most definitely worth remembering.

Touching as that may have been, Soren was more shocked at how skilled Tina was at sewing. When he asked Joyce, she said that the both of them learned all of these skills at their nun training back when they were a part of the Silver Moon Church.

It got him to wonder about the coming journey… The Silver Moon Church—he had seen both its good and its bad. Although he disliked them, he was still not completely sure whether his judgement was correct or not.

I guess I'll have to see it for myself in Staterra…

"So we're heading toward that damned guild, right?" Myrin's voice interrupted his string of thoughts.

Soren nodded, "It's the only guild in the area that sells high quality potions. Alchemy is a very rare profession, after all."

He sighed, "Indeed…" Walking next to Soren, he pulled out his Artist's Wand from his pocket and turned it into its flute form. A soft tune drifted through the empty morning streets—silent to those he excluded, yet vivid to those it meant to reach.

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With each rhythm, the haze of waking early lifted from Soren's mind. He turned to his companion and smiled softly, "Thanks."

Myrin nodded, "Still, those guys are really annoying to deal with."

"You've dealt with them before?" He asked while admiring the view of the castle.

"I have, yes," he nodded again. "Because they are the only guild that sells potions around this area, they tend to overcharge. And they also have this elitist attitude about magi." He shrugged while sighing, "though to be fair, that is mainly due to the competition between the two fields. Alchemy and Magecraft go hand in hand for most things, and yet the scholars in each field are always at each other's throats. At least, that's what the mistress told me."

Soren didn't really understand this feud, until he remembered his time in college. Even there, physics majors and chemistry majors always had snarky things to say about each other. Of course, a modern society like Earth tends to find such things as nothing more than mundane humor or petty squabbles between academics at best. To think it would be this serious in this world…

Is it because they are more primitive? No, that sounds too simplistic of an answer. The root of this cause was probably due to nobility and the power structure these two fields introduced.

Unlike Earth, academics in fields like physics and chemistry were just that—academics. However, in this world, magecraft was not only a field of study, but a show of force and power.

Magi in the 3rd Circle were considered prized soldiers if they joined the military. Those higher in the circles were even seen as walking disasters… In such a world where your field of study dictates your place in the hierarchy, fierce competition will deepen even more…

And unlike Magi who cast their spellforms on their own, Alchemists manipulate nature by altering objects of anima to invoke power. Their influence is more indirect and subtle, creating a major discrepancy in their perceived capabilities in combat compared to the actual potency of the things they produce.

Soren sighed, "I'll just leave all the talking to you, I will witness the drama from the back."

Hearing this, Myrin's lips twitched slightly. "Soren, I believe it's best that you converse with them instead. It will give you valuable experience in future negotiations!"

"Oh, how kind of you! But I must decline that offer! I learn best from seeing others do things first!~"

"My, my, aren't you being too shy, Soren? You'll do just fine! Trust in yourself!~"

"Trust is a scarce thing for me, my friend! Do not fret, I will cheer you on from the back!"

They bickered on and on until Myrin finally led them to a shady alleyway that seemed both familiar yet unfamiliar. Though, to be fair, most of the shady places in Celestine looked the same to him no matter which part of the city he was in… The lower districts were even more homogeneous in appearance.

A few twists and turns finally took them to where they needed to be. A rotten wooden sign displaying their name proudly in Vinuan came into view.

Soren frowned, "You know, for a group of alchemists proud of their profession, they sure don't put much effort in crafting their appearance."

Myrin shook his head with a smile, "That's simply the outside. Wait until you see the inside." And with just a knock and a twist of the knob, the pair of magi entered inside.

Just as Myrin had stated, the difference between the outside and the inside was night and day. Lavish chandeliers, leather furniture in every corner, golden ornaments lining the walls… It was as if they had entered into a royal castle. Well, that would have been the case if not for the lack of subtlety… The amount of expensive ornaments on display made the place seem tactless, rather than premium.

"Are you saying you won't take responsibility?!" A roaring voice startled them both. They glanced at the front desk in awe.

A middle-aged man wearing disheveled leather armor with a sword strapped to his back was holding tightly to the collar of the young man behind the desk. Two other individuals stood to the sides—one of them visibly looking sick or injured.

"Your potions caused my friend to be poisoned! What do you have to say for yourself?!" He shouted at the young man behind the desk. It was a person wearing a greenish white robe and turban paired with a monocle over his right eye. His frantic expression was as clear as the golden ornaments lining the counters and walls.

"That's impossible! Our potions are perfect!" He yelled back, but the colossal middle-aged man was having none of it. He held tightly to the clerk from his collar while holding the hilt of his sword with his other hand, as if to tell the terrified young man to decide quickly what the truth really was.

Soren looked at the spectacle—his face slowly warping into a frown.

"Where have I seen those three before…" He activated [Eyes of the Fairy] swiftly to scan over their information.

The one who was claiming to be poisoned… was pretending. His status showed no visible ailments. As for their general information, Soren finally recognized them.

They were the trio that broke into Gunther's store when he was purchasing his wand! He had shooed them away on behalf of that mysterious old man in exchange for a discount.

Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind. He glanced over at Myrin who seemed to have reached the same conclusion. Both of their lips curled up into devious smiles…

Smiles filled with both greed and opportunism.

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