Meeting Muriel Mercer

Devin's keen hearing allowed him to catch snippets of the guard's message, revealing that the situation had deteriorated. This was both good and bad news for Devin. The good news was that, hopefully, the information he had shared with Harrington would prompt him to contact Devin within the next two days. The bad news was the worsening condition that had prompted Harrington's sudden departure.

Knowing the urgency of the situation, Devin ordered pharmacist Ethan to accompany Gary back to the village instead of sailing back with the ship. He needed Ethan to reach the village as soon as possible.

As they boarded the ship, Ethan questioned Devin about the state of the village. Devin glanced at Alex, who responded with a shrug. "I didn't think the pharmacist guild would be safe," Alex shared.

Devin suggested they talk once they were on the ship. Congratulating Ethan on his intermediate pharmacist certification, Devin expressed his gratitude. "Thanks to you, your prescription opened new doors in my thinking," Devin acknowledged.

Ethan seemed curious as he asked, "Is there something wrong with the village?"

Devin carefully chose his words. "It's not good nor bad, but my intuition tells me that things are going to get chaotic in Serene City. We might find ourselves in the heart of it, so I thought it would be safer for you on the island."

Concerned, Ethan questioned the severity of the situation. "Is it that bad?"

Instead of revealing everything, Devin simply replied, "my intuition tells me it's going to be chaotic." He decided not to share the details of the sacrifice with Ethan.

Ethan considered the situation and realized he had no pressing matters at the moment. "Well, I don't have anything important to do right now. Going back to the village doesn't sound bad. Besides, I can learn a lot of traditional knowledge from the priest."

Devin was relieved by Ethan's response. "That's good to hear. You can purchase the herbs you need or send Gary to help you. He will come to Serene City every week now."

Ethan agreed, "Okay, no problem." With everything settled, Devin and Alex watched as the ship set sail before they left the port, ready to face the uncertain events that awaited them in Serene City.

"Why didn't you tell him about the sacrifice?" Alex asked, his curiosity piqued.

Devin responded calmly, "The fewer people who know about, the safer it is."

Alex nodded in agreement, understanding the risks involved. "True, the organization is capable of killing grandmasters, which means there must be powerful individuals within their ranks."

Devin added, "Not only that, but I suspect the organization is involved in covert operations. They may have infiltrated all the major families in the city. That's the only way they could keep things under wraps."

Alex listened intently, his mind processing the information. He raised another point, "I've noticed that more pharmacists have been entering the city lord's mansion lately, under the guise of treating the city lord's sick wife."

Devin nodded, confirming Alex's observation. "Yes, that's what I've discovered as well. The city lord's condition has worsened. I think the young city lord hasn't use the energy source water."

Curiosity peaked, Alex inquired, "Do you have an interest in the energy source water?"

Devin replied, "Yes, I do. I hope the young city lord doesn't waste it. Moreover, using the energy source water will only make the situation worse. That entity craves vitality, so imagine what will happen when it absorbs such pure energy."

Alex realized the implications and responded, "It will only make it stronger."

Devin nodded in agreement. "Exactly. I informed Harrington about the village and the symptoms. He should be conducting his investigations today and tomorrow, and he will contact me when he has any updates. That will be our cue to act."

Devin's analysis had been accurate, as Harrington invited him and Alex to a private restaurant for a serious discussion. However, when they entered the room, they found someone else present, a person wearing a cloak.

Devin questioned Harrington, asking why he had been so mysterious with his invitation. Harrington explained that it was a necessary precaution due to a serious matter he needed to discuss, as he was unsure who might be listening or monitoring them.

Curious, Devin assured Harrington, "If it's something I can help you with, I won't shy away from it."

Harrington responded, "You are a good friend, and I appreciate that. But it's not me who wants to see you; it's the young city lord." Harrington gestured towards the person under the cloak, who then revealed himself as Muriel Mercer, a young man exuding confidence and sophistication.

Introducing themselves as Adventurers, Devin and Alex acknowledged that Muriel must have investigated them and gathered information about Sun Haven Village, or else they wouldn't be in this situation. They requested to cut to the chase.

Muriel explained the predicament, stating that his father had been injured by a traitor who was close to him. Initially, they thought nothing of it after eliminating the traitor. However, his father used a high-grade healing potion, and soon after, he started showing symptoms similar to those in Sun Haven Village. Despite their efforts, they were unable to find a solution. Thus, Muriel decided to give Devin a chance to help.

Devin insisted on seeing the city lord to confirm the situation, to which Muriel agreed but expressed his concerns about too many people attracting attention due to the mansion being heavily monitored. Devin reassured Muriel, "My brother has to be with me. I don't feel safe going alone. Don't worry, we work well together."

After considering the proposal, Muriel agreed, acknowledging that they were the ones who needed help. He informed them that his trusted guard would contact them at night to arrange a covert meeting with his father.

With the agreement settled, Devin and Alex left the restaurant separately, ready to begin their task.

"We can finally start this task," Alex remarked.

Devin nodded in agreement, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that this situation wouldn't be as simple as the one in Sun Haven Village. "True. So, let's make the necessary preparations before visiting the city lord mansion," he suggested.

They both understood the gravity of the upcoming challenge and were determined to approach it with thorough preparation and caution.

Devin and Alex were led to the city lord mansion by Muriel's guard, as promised. Once inside, Muriel made an announcement, requesting everyone to leave and stating that he wanted to be alone with his father for the night.

Although the request seemed odd to the pharmacists present, they didn't question it except for the senior pharmacist. He voiced his concern, stating, "Master Muriel, we are at a critical junction."

Muriel responded stoically, "I know, but you don't need my father for your further experiment. You already have his blood and everything else you need, so there shouldn't be any issue." Muriel's patience was wearing thin with these pharmacists, especially the senior one. The only reason he still showed respect was because this elder held significant influence within the pharmacist guild.

The senior pharmacist snorted in disapproval as he left the room, and another pharmacist followed suit. Concerned, the butler approached Muriel, asking if his decision was alright. The butler understood that the pharmacists were overbearing, but he also acknowledged that they had limited options.

Muriel responded firmly, "Why do you think I condone their misappropriation? Do they think my city lord mansion is an easy target? We don't want to make things public, or else it won't be their turn." His frustration was evident.

"Young master, you have to continue tolerating them until your father is cured. Then, we will assert our authority tenfold," the butler advised, his eyes gleaming with determination.

Muriel then instructed the butler to increase the number of guards monitoring the pharmacists, ensuring that nothing would disturb their private time.

Meanwhile, the pharmacists who had left the room gathered in a large meeting room.

"Elder, why do you think the young city lord doesn't want us in the room when he's the one who's been urging us?" a senior pharmacist asked, perplexed.

"Could it be that he wants to use the energy source water?" another pharmacist speculated.

The great pharmacist, with a frown on his face, considered the question. He, too, had been coveting the energy source water, as it would allow him to level up to a pharmacist instructor and escape from this low-level place.

"He won't use it," the elder declared confidently. "We have already emphasized the consequences of using it. Moreover, the young city lord still needs our services, especially for something that nobody in this city can solve."

"And no pharmacist would dare to offend the elder," another pharmacist added.

Unbeknownst to them, someone who didn't care about offending them had already arrived at the mansion.