"I did as the little lady instructed. Unfortunately, there's nothing like those 'things' you've been searching for."
"Ah," CK sighed, "Well, I can't say I wasn't expecting that. I was hoping for a miracle, though."
She was sitting on the edge of the fountain in the greenhouse, the hem of her dress tucked neatly between her legs while she bent lower to feel the rippling water against her hand. Joaquin stood behind CK, reporting to her as soon as his task was finished.
As strange as it is to find the young lady dipping hands into a fountain, Joaquin never made a comment or thought too much about it. The young lady was always up to something whimsical. Not even rumors could hope to be as strange as the real thing, and that was a part of life he already got used to.
"The little lady coming up with these things are a miracle in itself. I've asked merchants all across Pentamerone and none of them have a clue about the materials you asked for," Joaquin shrugged, "Some of these things are downright exotic."
"Nonsense. You're telling me that no one has ever come up with the idea of fermenting a spark salamander's saliva?" CK asked incredulously. "I had no idea that fermenting their saliva could even be a thing," Joaquin sighed.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. They'd make great cauterizing agents in terms of medicine," CK swished her hand underneath the water, "But it takes years before making decent fermented saliva. I was hoping someone would be selling ready-made batches. Hm…"
Fermented salamander saliva was the least bizarre thing on the list that CK gave to Joaquin. If it can't be found, then she shouldn't expect other materials to be available. Calcified dragon blood and processed spirit cores were much difficult to obtain, given that the creatures possessing these things were apex predators in Kelter.
"I could always have a look around again," Joaquin suggested. "Your investigations are always thorough, Joaquin. If you tell me there's nothing, then that's probably it," CK said, gaze focused on the sensation of water washing against her submerged hand.
"Haha. You think too highly of me, little lady," Joaquin said. "I mean it," CK looked over her shoulder, "Were it not for your talents, there'd be no reason for mama and papa to keep you in service."
Then, CK felt a string of energy. The water roused her attention. She tugged at it violently, ripping a pulsing, imaginary heart out of the water.
Hissss…
Joaquin's eyes widened, his hand on the hilt of the dagger hidden behind his belt when the fountain suddenly froze over until it reached the spout. Cold fog rose to the air as the ice took over. CK turned to Joaquin with a proud smile, flames flickering in between her fingers.
Joaquin calmed down, realizing it was CK's doing. His brows rose slightly. Using ice and fire at the same time…?
"Heh. Seems like my theory is right," CK said pleasantly, flipping the tiny orb of flame around her fingers as if it were a coin, "The Law of Exchange is still applicable at this stage."
"You're manipulating elements without relying on energy. Two of them, too. Impressive," Joaquin said. "What papa and the Lightmaster said about my nonexistent energy got me thinking about something I learned in school," CK mused, "'Energy cannot be destroyed'. Perhaps it isn't that my body possesses no energy; it is simply going elsewhere."
"Then where does it go for it to always keep your body void of it?" Joaquin asked curiously. "I can't say. Nearly everything is gone, after all," CK shrugged, though she knew the answer.
'The Pillow Palace,' CK thought. It requires an enormous amount of energy from the dungeon master to sustain and stabilize the dungeon. The Chalk Prison linking CK to Malphas also takes up another portion to ensure Malphas doesn't get the other half of his soul out, leaving CK with little to no energy to conjure a proper incantation.
CK brought the flames closer to her face, admiring the erratic flickers.
"The temperature must be low enough to turn water into ice. Temperature requires heat. Now if I gather all of the heat in this fountain into a single place, heat will be great enough to create fire and water will turn into ice," CK smiled at Joaquin, "Simple enough, no?"
"You make it look simple, but I doubt I'll be able to pull a trick like that off," Joaquin chuckled. He glanced to the side upon hearing a new set of footsteps. Vicente walked towards them, neatly dressed in the uniform of the head of security.
"Young lady CK, Lord Melbourne of House Lochlainn is at the reception area," he reported. "He's late," CK snorted, "Typical of him."
CK tossed the flame orb into the water, watching it burst and scatter across the frozen surface. The ice melted, and the fountain was flowing freely once again. She stood up and wiped her soaked hand with a handkerchief, smiling in amusement when Vicente blinked his eyes in surprise and confusion.
"Was something wrong with the fountain?" he asked. "Nothing that can't be fixed by the little lady," Joaquin replied, making Vicente frown in confusion again.
"I'll go see our guest," CK said. "Shall I ask the maids to send some snacks?" Vicente asked.
"Tea and cake, please," CK nodded. "What about our earlier discussion, my lady?" Joaquin asked.
"Consider it a task accomplished. I was expecting the results anyway," CK replied and winked, "Later."
Humming a foreign tune, CK left them both and walked back into the estate. Joaquin crossed his arms with a chuckle and Vicente adjusted his gloves.
"What did she ask you to do?" Vicente asked. "Nothing much. She gave me a shopping list but no one was selling," Joaquin replied, "I'll return to my other duties now."
"Take caution," Vicente nodded. Joaquin disappeared in the blink of an eye and Vicente walked back into the estate.
CK opened the doors to the waiting room. A young man dressed in maroon sat comfortably on the couch, admiring the décor. His gaze turned to the swinging doors, a broad grin on his face when he saw who was walking through.
"Hah! Seems the rumors aren't far off. You really came back from the dead," he said and stood up to meet CK. "The underground spat me back out before I could get comfortable," CK smirked.
"It was the smartest thing to do. You're more trouble than you're worth," Melbourne chuckled and opened his arms, "Welcome back, CK."
"It's been a while, Mel," CK smiled, accepting the hug as it clasped her tightly. The young man's lips stretched into a devious grin, "Heh."
CK's eyes widened when his arms tightened around her waist. "What the—"
"Hah!" the young man lifted CK off the ground and threw her against the couches, back first. CK twisted her body mid-air and landed on her feet, adjusting her body and throwing the man against the floor by the arm.
Thud!
"Oof!" Mel grunted at the impact. He rubbed his backside as he sat up, "Ow, damn… You've gotten stronger."
"I haven't been slacking," CK towered over him, a smug smile on her face. "I should've guessed," Mel chuckled, "I need to warn any interested bachelors about your throwing abilities."
"They won't have to worry about that so long as they won't give me such a…unique greeting. Come on, we'll talk at the greenhouse," CK said, walking past him. Mel shrugged and got up to follow, mumbling and hissing silently at his newly-acquired bruises.
They arrived at the greenhouse behind the estate, making themselves comfortable on the seats. Two plates of cake slices were on the table along with a pair of teacups and a teapot of freshly-brewed tea. There was a small tray of bite-sized treats waiting patiently for its guests.
"Nice," Mel said, helping himself to a few of the bite-sized treats, "It's been a while since I stopped by. The last time was during Countess Isabella's birthday."
"How was it?" CK asked. "Hm… It was eventful. Noblewomen were delighted to be invited yet were insulted to be in the presence of the Countess. They don't like it when they are not invited and don't like it when they're there—upset one way or another. Mother believes the higher-ranking noblewomen were still too intimidated by the Countess' beauty," Mel shook his head, "I can never understand these kinds of women."
"I see," CK giggled lightly. "Now, another woman in the exact likeness of the Countess comes to the picture. People are anticipating whether you will be making appearances at events. Other ladies your age are as wary as those women are with the Countess," Melbourne chuckled.
"I didn't know you were interested in ladies' gossip, Mel. I thought you hated rumors," CK said amusingly. "Eh. People in all kinds of social circles are talking about it. Even those at the guilds. I have to be up to speed with current events if I were to establish connections," Melbourne justified.
"I see. However, I didn't invite you over just to gossip," CK said, "I overheard a conversation between our fathers during the graduation ball. They say you've been building a reputation as a diplomat. You must be connecting with merchants and other kinds of people."
"So you've heard. I'm guessing my old man was rambling away for hours," Melbourne chuckled. "I didn't stay long enough to hear the end of it," CK smiled.
"Glad you didn't. So, is there a reason why you're bringing it up?" Mel asked, placing a chocolate puff into his mouth.
"Yes. I'm trying to look for some things... Some things that can't be found at normal stores or sold by normal merchants. Some things that can't be accessed easily due to…certain restrictions," CK said carefully. Melbourne's eyes widened.
"I'll be damned. Are you talking about the black market?" he whispered. "That's the one," CK grinned, causing Melbourne to sputter and choke on his food.
He hastily grabbed the cup of tea and gulped down the hot beverage, ignoring the sting on his taste buds. He looked back at CK, an incredulous look on her face.
"Are you out of your mind?! Why would I put you in contact with the black market?! No! The Count's gonna kill me!" he refused, mindful to keep his voice down.
"So you can contact them," CK's eyes twinkled. Melbourne flinched, then sighed loudly.
"I won't justify myself. Sometimes there are things you end up stumbling on and that's it. But there's no reason for you to get involved. The things you will see will scar you for life," he said.
"It's not like what you're thinking," CK rolled her eyes, "Let me explain so hear me out."
"Fine. I'd like to see which cog in your head fell off its gear," Melbourne said sternly. "Thank you. Now, unlike what you're thinking, I haven't developed any…unique tastes or hobbies like our fellow nobles might have. You know why I've been away, right?" CK asked.
"You were at Sasha's school. I have no idea how mother and the old man still haven't figured out, but that's your family's stuff," Mel waved a hand off. "Exactly. That school specializes in teaching things not even scholars in this world could comprehend. Some extremists would even refer to it as forbidden knowledge," CK stated, "As a practitioner of that 'forbidden knowledge', the things I need won't be commonly found in a typical shop."
"And you think you'll find them in the black market?" Melbourne asked doubtfully. "I know I will. It even makes more sense now that trade between worlds and other cultures outside the Farisian Woods is possible," CK said.
Melbourne held his forehead. "Of course, you'll know about otherworld trading… Yes, even with the empire's establishment a few years ago, the public still has no idea that some things from beyond are getting imported," he said.
"See?" CK shrugged. "That doesn't mean you can still get it, though. Yes, it might be at the black market, but other powerhouses will get to it before you," Melbourne said seriously, "Have you heard about the Academy of Dreams lately?"
"Yes. What of it?" CK asked. "Talekeepers graduating from the new curriculum are unlike the rest. Their magic is much more powerful, and they're getting employed under powerful guilds and companies—the kind of people that can be found wearing masks at a black-market auction," Mel said, "You cannot get involved with these people, CK."
"I thought the Marchen is responsible for training the Talekeepers?" CK frowned. Mel grimaced, "Don't look too deep into it, CK. For your own safety, don't."
"I won't if you help me look for what I want," CK said. "No. If the Count's subordinates catch wind of what you're up to and learned I'm involved, I could get into serious trouble," Melbourne said.
"You're difficult," CK said displeasingly. "As the older one between us, I'm supposed to be responsible for you," Melbourne replied.
CK tapped her finger against the table. Then, her eyes glimmered with an idea.
"If you won't do me a favor as a friend, then consider me a client," CK said, linking her hands together over her lap, "Do you accept information as payment?"
"Depends. What kind of information are we talking about?" Melbourne asked. "Hehe," CK smirked, "Did you know that in the southwestern side of the Farisian Woods lies remnants of an alchemist's village?"
Melbourne raised an eyebrow. CK crossed her legs.
"It was said that two centuries ago, an alchemist from the eastern star seas came to Kelter to search for traces of [The Librarian], hoping to gain insight into the past as part of his spiritual journey to unlock the final stage of the Magnum Opus. Only two people managed to accomplish this feat. By searching history, this alchemist hoped to learn how the two masters achieved this feat. On his journey, he came into contact with the creatures deep inside the Farisian Woods, learning their craft and integrating it into his own," CK explained, "Sadly, he never managed to get [The Librarian]'s attention, and he passed away here on Kelter, leaving behind several buildings he built and used to hone his craft."
"These buildings were then referred to as 'the alchemist's village', the last place where most of his belongings would be," CK stated and smiled, "Strange, isn't it? It's only been a few years since knowledge about other worlds came out, but someone from beyond had already visited centuries ago."
"I find it stranger that you know about this," Melbourne said. "I specialize in alchemy. The history of my forebearers has to be taught to us," CK replied and produced a map of the continent.
"You'll find the village by the borders of the Woods, hidden inside the crevices of a cliff. If you're wondering why I'm telling you all of this… It's simple," CK's eyes twinkled, "Anything related to alchemy can be sold at a high price. Be it apparatus or handwritten notes, they will fetch ridiculously high prices when sold to fanatics."
"Do you get it, Mel? This place is a treasure trove! Hahaha! You'd be an idiot to pass this opportunity!" CK giggled excitedly. "Hm… I'll admit, I am tempted with this information," Melbourne said, "Can you be sure it's there?"
"Truthfully? No. Maybe someone has stumbled upon the place during all the time it's been left to catch dust," CK shrugged.
"But then again, I haven't heard about somebody finding this village…" Melbourne held his chin, "If you're right, then whoever finds the village will have an overkill. Selling all things related to alchemy will catch attention."
"Hehe," CK's eyes twinkled again as she ate her cake slice. After a while, Melbourne sighed, "Fine. I'll coordinate with some adventurers and see who's interested in the expedition. This kind of information alone would sell."
"In turn, you will help me, right?" CK asked. "Against my will, yes. We'll need to be careful not to give our identities away," Melbourne said seriously, "The only things I will do is refer to you some contacts and look out for you. As for payments, that's on you."
"Don't worry. Leave that to me," CK smirked, hearing Malphas' chuckle echo at the back of her mind, "Just be sure I'm the first person who will hear about your findings."