Chapter 052

Alvin stood in front of a mirror and was checking to ensure that his dress was in perfect condition. He was wearing a formal suit and tie, holding a brass gold-tipped cane, an outfit he had and used to frequently don when the Hans family was still around.

It was June 6. Bradford had invited him to visit the monthly antique show with him. He had also promised to get him in touch with a desendant of a rather powerful noble. Alvin was pretty sure that the person who he was going to meet would probably be Miss Justice. Hence, he was determined to make a good impression.

"You look really great, just like back when you used to attend banquets in Backlund" said Cheryl who was standing nearby.

"Thank you. So, how is the digestion of your Seer Potion coming along?" asked Alvin.

"Very good. Ever since you told me about the acting method, I feel better than ever. I feel like I will digest the potion in a couple of weeks. And Naomi's digestion is on track too. She thankfully didn't have to suffer like me when she just took the potion. She will probably need more than a month to digest the potion" said Cheryl.

"Well, we have the ingredients and formula for the Clown potion ready. I will work on doing the same for the Doctor potion" said Alvin.

"You told me you digested the Hunter potion and already consumed the Provoker potion? How did you digest the potion so fast?" asked Cheryl?

"It probably had to do with the fact that I behaved like a Hunter long before I consumed the potion. Maybe after you digest your current potion, you can try acting as Magician or Clown" said Alvin.

"Well then. It's almost time. I will leave now" said Alvin, and walked out after kissing Cheryl. He then got onto a carriage he had one of his men pretending to be a servant hire from a few streets down, and secretly got into it.

"Alvin! My friend! I am once again pleased to see you" said Bradford as soon as they met.

"The pleasure is all mine. As you can see, I have dressed up for the occasion" said Alvin, giving a formal curtsy.

"Let's go. The show should have started already. I have two tickets for us. We should enjoy the show for now. I will take you to meet the person I said earlier afterwards" said Bradford.

Alvin nodded, and followed Bradford into the waiting carriage.

"So what do you think?" asked Bradford, as they looked at the various items all around them.

"They look very intriguing and quite pretty. But my interest is really not towards antiques" said Alvin, as he looked around at the various antiques all around. There were multiple glassware, chandeliers, cutleries, paintings and other everyday objects all labelled linking them to various periods of ancient history. While they all looked old and intriguing, and Alvin had a working knowledge on history and antiques he was not that interested.

"Well, you might say that. But for us mysticism enthusiasts who haven't stepped through the door of the Extraordinary world, places like this are filled with hope" said Bradford.

As they were looking around, an old bronze dresser displayed prominently caught his eye. Alvin walked up to it, and observed it quite closely. He then stood in front of it, confused.

"What, do you like it? Is it special in some way?" asked Bradford who came up next to him.

"I can't tell for sure. And it's not easy to recognise Extraordinary items unless they have some visible effects" said Alvin.

"Well, regardless, we can forget about this thing here. The items here are for sale, but just looking at this I can tell that I can't afford it. And such a prominently displayed piece can't be purchased by me. It will just attract unnecessary attention" said Bradford regretfully.

"I don't know if it's an Extraordinary item for sure. It's just that it has some special feel about it. And for some reason that special feel seems somewhat familiar" said Alvin in a low voice.

Bradford shrugged, and led Alvin to other parts of the exhibition, hoping he would find something else with a special feel.

Alvin went along, occasionally making small talk with Bradford. As they were finishing their tour, Alvin suddenly recalled something.

He frowned, and walked back up the mirror which he felt was familiar, wanting to take another look.

When he went near it, he saw the proprietor of the exhibition standing respectfully next to a middle-aged man with blue eyes and a beautifully maintained mustache.

"As you can see sir, this dresser is almost completely preserved, and looks and feels extraordinary. This would make a great addition to the parlour of your home" said the proprietor.

"I am rather fond of it. Name a price" said the man calmly.

"For a price of 4,000 pounds, your distinguished self can have this mirror" said the proprietor.

The man frowned and looked to the left. Alvin spotted a man nodding at the middle-aged man, after which he said, "I wanted to give something like this as a gift to my daughter, so I will take it" and started writing a cheque.

The proprietor happily received the cheque, and called a worker standing at the side and said, "Carefully pack up this dresser and transport it to distinguished Earl's house. Make sure that it isn't damaged when you are moving it"

"Well, that's that I guess. We can't compete with Earl Hall if he wants that dresser, so I won't be tempted to splurge regardless of the consequences" said Bradford sighing.

He then looked at Alvin who was in deep thoughts and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yes I am fine" replied Alvin.

In his head, his thoughts were in a whirl. He remembered why he felt the mirror on the dresser to be familiar. And he remembered where the dresser would end up, and the ultimate fate of the mirror. And that might be the explanation for his rebirth.