2025-04-08 23:45:10Meuz was the direct leader of Lazuardy Sword at first, but after assuming the position as Terra's primary protector, Meuz's authority was formally transferred to Leah, an S-rank sorceress. Leah's real identity is unknown, but many believe that when she was younger, she worked for Antonnie Xander, a crazy alchemist and one of Terra's greatest witches. Many members of the Lazuardy Sword dislike Leah since they don't know who she is. Rebellions against Leah's authority have increased in frequency recently. However, Meuz never found another rank S witch to take Leah's place.
Asking the guard, "Do they still reject Leah's presence?" Anthonius questioned.
The two guards simply exchanged a smirk before nodding.
One of the guards remarked, "What else can we do...?"
Another guard remarked, "He... is someone who leads, who wields his power with an iron fist."
Anthonius spoke briefly with the guard at the City of Filanesia's main gate before leaving.
…
When Anthonius reached Filanesia, he remembered the crystal bottle his rescuer had left behind. Anthonius chose to pay a visit to his friend, one of the city's most famous alchemists, because he thought it was still too early to see Meuz. Anthonius was puzzled as to why an alchemist would be in Terra's most dangerous city, and he hoped he would soon find out who had saved him. Why would that alchemist bother traveling to the remains of Winnei City, let alone going inside the Temple of the Dark Dragon? Anthonius was truly curious.
Anthonius visited a modest store on the outskirts of the city that sold various kinds of stones and natural minerals, which were also used as materials for potions and medicines that alchemists usually needed. The owner is An, a dwarf who is around 500 years old. Additionally, it provides forging services for arrows, short swords, and knives.
An was speechless and startled when he saw Anthonius walk into his modest shop. He stared at the young general who was seated in one of the waiting seats, along with a number of other alchemists who were in line to purchase stones and therapeutic minerals.
"I want pure Damascus ore!" said Anthonius, instantly drawing the attention of all the other visitors. "Can you give me just 2 stacks?!" added Antonius.
An, who suddenly came to his senses, immediately asked some of his servants who were busy packing bright blue stones at the end of the room to replace him in serving the customers. And then signaled Anthonius to follow him. They then walked out of the shop. An took Anthonius to an old garage with several abandoned horse-drawn carriages inside.
"100 years you disappeared without a word… And now you suddenly appear just to order Damascus steel," An said with a curt voice. It was clear that An was very shocked by Anthonius's arrival.
Anthonius asked, "Isn't 100 years not a long time for a dwarf?" "An, I need your help to find an alchemist." "You used to be the leader of the Terran alchemists' society, right? Of course... you know a lot of people, don't you?!"
An paused for a moment, looking suspiciously at Anthonius. "I heard you were involved in the investigation of the witch murders in Terra. Is this person related to the case?” With suspicion, An asked. "You know... At my age, which even struggles to forge the arrowheads, I just want a peaceful life far from problems that would burden my life. 500 years is not a young age for me; I am clearly very different from you. You must understand what I mean, don't you?” An, cautioned Anthonius.
Then Antonius grinned and passed a sheet of paper with a code of numbers on it. "Absolutely no connection. He or she is my teammate and helper; however, this alchemist fled before I could express my gratitude. I have to go back to the city to report to Meuz, which is a coincidence. I wanted to express my appreciation for this short time by giving a few jars of cookies," Anthonius explained.
An grinned. Then Anthonius handed him the paper with the code numbers on it, and he took it. "Do you want to find the alchemy that has this bottle number?" An inquired, attempting to infer Antonius's reason for meeting him.
Anthonius gave a nod. "Can it be done right now?" Anthonius said, "I might have to come back with the main investigation team tomorrow."
An remained silent for quite a while, holding the paper containing the numerical code.
"The owner is an alchemist who is still at rank E. Pay attention to the last number in this code!" An said. "10 means alchemy rank E. Eleven for level D, twelve for rank C, and fifteen for rank S. You found this bottle where?" An asked.
An wanted to know how Anthonius got the crystal bottle with the alchemical code written on it. "Rank E should not yet have permission to heal humans. The majority of them will only graduate when they get rank C and must continue their education at the school for an additional four years. This action is actually illegal," An clarified.
"So that's it," Anthonius said, starting to realize why his rescuer had left before he could express gratitude. "He or she was afraid of getting punished because the actions were illegal."
An grinned abruptly. Softly, "Little rascal!" he exclaimed.
Anthonius was perplexed. What made An laugh so quickly?
"She is just a naughty girl who often asks for blue mossy stones from me. If you want, I will take you to her house. She is a little orphan girl who is now adopted by a salt trader. Yes, she didn't study at the academy because her parents regularly moved about," stated An.
"Little girl?" The fact that the person who assisted him was still a child shocked Anthonius.
An chuckled. "He's just a kid. Avoid showing her too much affection. That naughty kid will get too big for her britches!" said An, warning Anthonius.
Anthonius grinned. "If I can meet her today, can you take me there now?" Anthonius, he begged. "But... I will go to the nearest bakery for a moment to buy something as a token of gratitude."
…
"Where does she live?" asked Anthonius while choosing some types of cakes to bring to meet his benefactor.
"One of the camps of the salt traders, in Kelana Field." An put some precious minerals into a rattan basket filled with cakes that Anthonius would give to his savior. "Tell that child to study harder. She is a talented child," said An.
"Alright," replied Antonius.
Anthonius and An headed for Kelana Field after selecting a variety of cookies to present. The two of them did not speak, but An never stopped smiling as they traveled. The alchemist was reminded of his days working for the Crimson Knight with Anthonius and still serving as the association's commander. It's been a century. The fact that Anthonius had not altered at all astounded An.
An pointed to one of the tents and stated, "The girl lives in the tent with several large black barrels filled with salt."
Anthonius questioned, "Are you coming?" as he noticed An beginning to move away from his rescuer's tent and toward one of the tents at the far end.
"Just you. An exclaimed, "I want to buy some frozen crystals from my old friend."
"All right."
…
Hesitantly, Anthonius approached the tent that An was referring to. A woman in her middle years emerged from the tent. She initially appeared shocked to see Anthonius, but after a time she moved closer and smiled amiably at him.
"Honey... come here!" exclaimed the woman. The woman cried out in despair, "Iosif…!" once more.
A chubby man with silver-toned hair and a wrinkly face moves unsteadily. He was damp and filthy. The man was getting ready to ride his horse into the city after cleaning it. The old man's eyes widened, and he stood stunned when he saw Anthonius in front of his tent. Like his wife, he was taken aback.
"Sir…!" stumbled the man.
"May I come in?" Antonius inquired courteously. The couple's disturbance encouraged several other salt traders to come out of their tents and stare at him, which made him uneasy.
"Of course!" the elderly guy exclaimed as he invited Anthonius to join them in their tent.
…
Every three months, the salt traders relocate to a new city. They are among the numerous clans on Terra that continue to live nomadic lifestyles and engage in bartering for specific kinds of items. Though they have pointed ears like elves and shorter bodies than dwarves, salt dealers—the majority of whom are from the Cule Tribe—are generally competent traders. The longevity of the Cule Tribe is not all that different from that of regular humans, despite the fact that they look like elves.
The main tents used by the salt traders are constructed from unique cloth and covered with S-rank defensive barrier magic. In addition to carpets produced from warm wild bear fur, the floor is covered with dry straw. Typically, people only utilize the main tent room to rest. They will erect smaller, more basic tents a little farther from the main tent for cooking and restrooms in the interim. The names of the wedded pair are Motya and Iosif Zaitsev. A couple from the Cule Tribe, originally from the Ares Desert, have been traveling from city to city for nearly two decades in order to sell salt and goods for intrepid travelers, including leather bags and knives.
"I came here to find your daughter." Anthonius clarified the reason for his visit by saying, "She saved me and my colleague but left without giving me a chance to thank her."
"Our Masha?!" With a look of incredulity, Motya said. Motya even fixed her gaze on her husband, who gave her a perplexed look in return.
Iosif, who was still not convinced by Anthonius's statement, asked, "Masha is a naughty child; do you really mean our Masha?"
"Next to the spot where I passed out, there was a crystal bottle with Masha's elixir. An, a former employee of the Central Alchemia Association, has previously been questioned. He is certain that Masha is the owner of the crystal bottle. Therefore, I've come to thank her," Anthonius explained.
"Can I meet him to express my gratitude in person?!" Before reporting to Masha and going back to work the following day, Anthonius hoped to encounter his rescuer.
Motya got up from his seat, then went to the room next to where Iosif and Anthonius were chatting. Before long, a commotion broke out. The sound of a little girl whining could be heard, and Motya was scolding her. Anthonius fell silent for a moment, as if he was quite familiar with the girl's voice he heard. A moment later, the curtain separating the two rooms was drawn back. A 14-year-old girl walked with a frown and messy hair. Her bright blue eyes looked swollen. It seems he just woke up.
As he gazed at Masha's face, Anthonius became quiet. His expression was horrified as the glass he was holding fell.
When Anthonius muttered, "Luda?" Motya and Iosif instantly turned to face him in confusion.
"What?" Masha inquired.
"Sorry, forgive me!" You resemble my friend from childhood so much. Until I mistakenly believed you to be her. Please, forgive me!" Anthonius even bowed to Masha, which naturally confused her and her parents.
"Masha is only a young child. Please, sir, don't apologize to Masha like that." Anthonius was asked by Motya not to bow before his daughter.
"Masha… I came to see you to express my gratitude. Because you saved me and Omar. I don't know why you just left after saving us; it made me feel guilty because I couldn't properly express my gratitude to you." Anthonius gave a basket full of cakes and minerals from An to Masha.
Masha, who was shocked and confused, ended up blushing in front of Anthonius. The girl even accepted all of Anthonius's gifts with trembling hands. On the other hand, Anthonius couldn't take his eyes off Masha for even a second. Masha's face, her smile, and her pair of sapphire eyes are so similar to Luda's. Even Masha's waist-length, coal-black curly hair reminded Anthonius of Luda. Anthonius really wanted to protect Masha amidst the chaotic conditions of Terra, but Anthonius felt that if he did so on their first meeting, Masha might avoid him. Anthonius is very afraid that Masha might become scared or even avoid him. Anthonius was forced to hide his desire until he was able to win over Masha and her family.
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