Chapter Fifteen

Mikael's stomach grumbled as he sat cross-legged inside the dungeon. He'd been locked up here for a more than a week already. Every day, he was forced to eat nothing but stale bread and water. Although he was a knight and his body was stronger than most people, he was starting to feel the effects of emaciation. His cheeks had become sunken and dark marks encircled his eyes. 

For the King. I have to endure. Just a bit more.

With his skills, it would have been easy to escape this underground jail, but doing so would blow his cover. Furthermore, the allegations and suspicious cast on him would be solidified once he escaped. 

Mikael breathed in. This place was dark. No windows. The air was humid and stale. 

Metallic sounds echoed, and the iron gate of the dungeon creaked open. Several footsteps reverberated. 

Mikael momentarily squinted his eyes when the light from torches touched his cell. Five people stood outside his jail. 

"Is that him, Sir?" A guard asked the fat man next to him. 

The fat man nodded. "That's definitely my client." He glared at the guards and snarled. "He looks famished! You should have at least fed him!"

The guards jumped from the sudden holler. 

The fat man shouted, "What are you waiting for?! Release him!"

Immediately, the guards took out the keys and unlocked the cell. They nervously approached Mikael and bowed their heads. "W-We're sorry, Sir! We had to lock you up make sure that—"

"—Enough!" the fat man shoved the guards away and approached Mikael. He scrutinized the prisoner from head to toe. He sighed. "I'm sorry. By the time I woke up, it's been already more than a week since that incident. Who would have thought that these imbeciles will lock you up?"

With the torches illuminating the entire cell, the fat man's apologetic face was apparent. Mikael knew this man well. Big Bun, the leader of One Stop Clop. Also the brother of Big Mona, the Head Merchant of the Lion City. 

Almost two weeks ago, hell befell the garrisons stationed next to the Lake of the Full Moon. Despite the presence of a Myonite Stone, monsters still attacked the soldiers, their numbers bordering tens of thousands. It was a number enough to overthrow the entire Capital. 

Luckily, the soldiers had a backup plan in-case the Myonite failed to work during a full moon. The leader of the soldiers quickly ordered his men to retreat back to the Lion City. Dozens of soldiers lost their lives that day, and it was a miracle that Mikael and this fat merchant actually managed to escape and survive. 

Unfortunately, Big Bun was gravely injured during the escape, and it took him several days before he finally woke up after the treatment. Naturally, the suspicious eyes of the soldiers fell on Mikael, a serf. They locked him up to be sure, at least until Big Bun finally woke up. 

"Money is the law," said Big Bun. "As a merchant, it hurts my pride that my client's been locked up here because of my mistakes. Like I've told you before, you'll be under the protection of my caravan until you reached Blackstone Town. I've failed as a merchant. Forgive me."

Mikael's eyes momentarily widened upon seeing Big Bun bowing his head to him. He disliked this fat man because of his greed for money, but it seemed that he, too, have his pride and convictions. 

Mikael shook his head. He still had his act as a serf to play. "It's fine, honorable Sir. I totally understand." He stood up and pretended to wobble. Big Bun immediately grabbed his arm and helped him stand. 

"Are you alright?" said the merchant. "Damn it. This is really hurting my pride. What a blunder." He shouted at the guards, "Prepare the bath and make a sumptuous feast! Now!"

The guards stiffened. "Yes, Sir!"

"And you—" Big Bun said to the guard next to him. "Lead me to where my brother is."

"Understood!"

***

Since Big Bun was the brother of the Head of the Merchant Guild, everyone immediately heeded his orders. Although Mikael was under the guise of a serf, several servants assisted him in taking a bath. After his body was cleansed, he was immediately led to a room inside the Merchants Guild. A sumptuous feast enough for a dozen men had been already prepared. 

Upon seeing this, Mikael's stomach grumbled. Despite being a knight, eating nothing but stale bread for several days made him unconsciously salivate. 

"Please eat to your heart's content." A servant led him to a seat. 

Mikael sat down and began eating to his heart's content. The food prepared here were almost comparable to the ones prepared in Behemoth City's Castle. 

The door of the room opened and several men entered. Big Bun was among them. After looking at the fat man next to Big Bun, Mikael immediately knew that he was the brother and the Head of the Merchant Guild. Their semblance was so high that it was uncanny to even mistake them as strangers. 

"Is that the serf locked up by my men?" said Big Mona, haughtily. Unlike Big Bun, he looked at Mikael condescendingly. "You still haven't changed, little brother. I do understand that he's a client, but to think that you'll allow him to partake in our little feast."

Big Bun frowned. "This is my pride as a merchant. He paid. And I promised him that I'll take him back to his old man. I will not go back on my word, big brother."

Big Mona arrogantly waved his hand as he sighed. "Fine. I'm hungry. Let's eat."

The two sat down, together with the men that arrived with them. Mikael silently listened as he ate. After following their discussions, he learned that the men sitting in this room were all prominent merchants of the Lion City. 

He could feel the discontent of the merchants around him. They surely did not like having a mere serf sharing a table with them. But since Big Bun himself allowed Mikael to partake in this feast, they did not even dare spout a single word about it. 

"I'm glad you survived that incident." Big Mona spoke, his mouth still full of meat. "When I heard the news, I immediately mobilized my personal army to rescue you. Thank God the Commander of the garrison's smart enough to immediately escape. I plan on giving him a reward later."

Big Bun frowned. "I don't even want to remember that incident. I've never been so close to death in my entire life. I'm just glad that those monsters come out only during a full moon. Otherwise, this City would have been reduced to rubbles long ago."

Mikael could still vividly remember everything. The tens of thousands of monsters coming out of the lake. The humanoid wolf standing at its center. Once he gets to Blackstone Town, he would write a report about it to the King. 

"Ah, I've heard of a peculiar news, brother," said Big Bun. "Is it true that you visited the Lord's Castle? That you personally met that damnable Valcres?" 

The hatred within Big Bun's voice was apparent. Back in the Capital, Mikael heard from Big Bun that the Lord of this City had a weird fetish for beastmen meat. It was among the things he decided to investigate and include in his reports later. 

Big Mona paused. His eyes narrowed. "I didn't like to, but it's not like I have a choice. Bun, have you heard of the Bloodstone before?"

"Of course," said Big Bun. "It's the dream of all Alchemists. The ultimate potion capable of healing even the gravest of wounds. But that thing is a mere legend. It's impossible to create a miracle drug of such quality."

Big Mona sipped from his goblet. He breathed in. "If I do things right, I might get my hands on that thing."

Everyone in the room froze, including Mikael. The claim of Big Mona was preposterous. 

"W-What are you talking about?" Big Bun stuttered. 

Big Mona paused and looked at the merchants. "Everyone of you here are my trusted comrades." He momentarily looked at Mikael but quickly averted his gaze, as though dismissing the presence of a mere serf. "All of you have been with me even when we were mere upstarts, merchants without any power or background. I trust that all of you will keep this a secret." 

Big Mona took out a small vial from his pocket and placed it on top of the table. "This here is a potion comparable to the one created by the Master Herbalist and Alchemists in the Capital." He momentarily paused. "No, it's even better than that."

"Its vial is different from those kept in the King's Castle." Big Bun noticed. "Are you telling us that a different group made that thing?"

"Exactly," said Big Mona. "This potion is capable of healing cuts in a matter of seconds. And I've just gained the formula on how to create this one – en masse."

Everyone held their breaths. 

"T-Then we can compete with the Capital! We'll easily gain enough power to rival the Merchant Guild in Behemoth City!"

"Please order us to immediately procure the materials, Sir!"

"That's right!"

Big Mona slammed his fist on the table. Everyone quieted down. "This thing's nothing but garbage when compared to the real thing."

"Real thing?" said Big Bun. 

"That's right." Big Mona nodded. "If I successfully help that damn brat in defending his town from those beastmen, I'll be getting my hands on the Bloodstone."

Although Lark called the promised medicine a middle-grade potion, Big Mona was sure that it was the legendary Bloodstone. After all, only a bloodstone could display healing power far greater than this potion he currently held in his hand.   

Big Mona continued with his story. According to him, the Lord of Blackstone Town requested him for a thousand soldiers to help repel the invasion of beastmen. It was a peculiar request, since according to their intel, the Valley of Witches had yet to fall in the hands of the United Grakas Alliance. As long as Alexander was alive, the beastmen would be unable to penetrate the Eastern Region of the Kingdom. 

But the peculiarity of the request did not matter to the merchants. What mattered was the reward. And if the reason behind the request was indeed true, then they would also benefit from it. After all, Blackstone Town was close to Lion City. If the beastmen had indeed managed to penetrate that far into the Kingdom's territory, then it would only be a matter of time before they targeted Lion City. 

As Mikael listened to the conversation, his interest of Lark Marcus grew. That young noble single-handedly stirred up these merchants, and now, he was requesting for a thousand soldiers to repel the invasion from United Grakas Alliance. 

Could he actually do it? Judging by the story, it seemed that the army of beastmen numbered more than ten thousand. 

And there was also the fact that Lark Marcus was the one who gave the recipe for the healing potion to Big Mona. Where did he get it? Did he steal it from the Herbalist Association? From the Capital?

There were so many questions that needed an answer. 

That young noble was dubbed as incompetent by all other nobles and competitors for the throne. Even his daughter, Elaine, believed that Lark Marcus had the least possibility of winning the competition for the throne. 

Mikael's instinct was screaming at him that there was something wrong with the rumors.

"So, what happened with the meeting with Valcres?" said Big Bun. 

Big Mona grinned. "It took me some sacrifices, but I managed to convince the damn bastard. He'll be lending me eight hundred soldiers. For the remaining two hundred, I'll personally provide it by hiring the small mercenary guilds in the City."

"You bribed him with beastmen meat, huh?" Big Bun conjectured. 

"Close enough." Big Mona nodded. "But that alone wouldn't be enough." He grinned. "I gave him an offer he wouldn't be able to refuse. Who would have thought that that event in the past would have its use? Amusing."

Big Bun seemed to have understood what his brother was saying. "That thing, huh? He wouldn't be able to refuse you if you told him that. As expected of my brother."

The two laughed, and the rest of the merchants joined in. Mikael could not believe his luck that he was allowed to partake in this feast, giving him the perfect opportunity to eavesdrop in such important topics. He could already see the reaction of the King once he reported these findings

Big Bun looked at him. "Mikael."

Mikael acted afraid and lightly lowered his head. "Sir?"

"Good news," said Big Bun. "The army will depart tomorrow morning. You can come together with them towards that place. And since it's a promise, I'll personally come with you and take you to Blackstone Town. You'll see your old man soon. How about it?"

Mikael meekly replied, "I'm really grateful, Sir."