"P-Pectusth Vowlo!" the woman finally spoke, revealing gaps between her front teeth. Blood leaked out of her mouth, as her eyes narrowed. She glared at the figure looming over her.
"I will not ask again, Erica! Who had the foundation stone?!" Pectus Volo looked at the woman hanging upside down, before glancing sideways, where there were two people wearing masks.
The woman bit her lower lip, until it was difficult to tell whether the blood on her mouth was coming from the missing teeth, or the lip. She replied with a question of her own, "Will ywou promisth to let me gwo?"
"You are not in any position to make any demands! By the way, if you think that your child escaped and he's safe, you're gravely mistaken. The only reason I didn't bring him here was due to the respect I have for you … or rather … the respect I had for you!"
Upon hearing this, the woman's face lost all colors. Her eyes widened, before her face finally flushed in anger. With a cold voice, she yelled, "DON'T YWOU DARE!!!"
"All I want to know is who had the foundation stone!" Pectus chuckled as he said this.
The woman grimaced, before letting out a sigh. She replied, "The Bawduk Earth Cwan! When Favena fouwnd it in the crywpt, she wasth chasthed by sthome barbarwians. In hasthte, she hid it near a sthertain trwibe. Water on, I found out that she had been captured and kiwed, awong with mostht of her comradesth. There wasth one who esthcaped, and he towd me thisth. I never got the chancthe to go and retwrieve it, becausthe ywou showed up."
The woman paused. It seemed as if she was having a difficult time talking, thanks to her missing teeth. Also, she was still hanging upside down, so that wasn't helping either.
She continued, "I … I never … I didn't lwie to ywou, Pectusth."
"Is it? So, I will find the Earth foundation stone in this Balduk Earth Clan?" Pectus asked, as he stroked his chin.
"Asthuming it sthtiw ecsthisths…"
Pectus Volo seemed to come to a conclusion. Without hesitation, he turned to the two who were standing beside the woman, and said, "Take her down."
The woman heard this command, and breathed a sigh of relief. She thought it was finally over and she was free, until she heard what he said next.
"And kill her!" As he said this, he walked out of the cabin, leaving the two exchanging a glance, before one of them drew a dagger and slit the woman's throat!
When Pectus Volo was outside, one of the people inside the cabin came out, and asked, "Lord Pectus, was that necessary? What if the information she provided was false?"
"It wasn't. Don't worry too much about it. We need to find out what happened to this Balduk Earth clan of Alvarlon. That's your next task!"
"As you command, Lord Pectus!" the masked man bowed, before Pectus left.
*********************
"Hello Master Jaen, you wanted to see me?" asked Reeve, as he edged closer to the old man, who seemed to be waiting for him.
Master Jaen smiled before replying, "Yes. What was your name again?"
"Reeve. My name is Reeve."
"Right, Reeve. I would like to ask; would you like to officially become my apprentice?"
"Eh? Last time I had to beg you, and you refused because you said that wasn't how things worked… What made you change your mind?"
"You remember the portion that Lady Severin took from you? The unfinished sleeping portion", asked Jaen.
"What about it?"
"It seems like it worked wonders … Lady Severin has been writing me letters asking for me to forgive her and make her some more. And it even seems like she is not the only one who is requesting for such a portion. She told some of her friends, who told their husbands, who told their friends too. Now it looks like everyone wants a sleeping portion!" Jaen paused with a sigh.
He continued, "If I could make one, I would have made more money a long time ago! However, right now I am restricted to making stamina enhancing portions, healing portions and mana replenishing portions. Alchemy is a very difficult field."
"So … you want me to help you to make the sleeping portions? What do I get in return?" asked Reeve, as it seemed like he was hesitating. In truth, he wanted to have a source of income. As long as he could have a source of income, he would be able to rent an apartment in the city, even though he was sure it would be more expensive.
"We can come to an agreement. You'll make the sleeping portions, on request, and the money we charge for them, I will give you half of it. I will also teach you how to make mana replenishing portions, outside of class."
"Sounds like an unfair deal… I mean aren't you supposed to teach us how to make those portions in class already?" asked Reeve, as his eyes narrowed.
"Unfortunately, no! I am supposed to teach you how to make healing portions this semester and the next. As for the remaining semesters, you will learn to make stamina enhancing portions. In Vyren, healing portions fetch a lot of money, but in Tob, mana replenishing portions make so much money that it is hard to count", Jaen paused again.
"If I teach you how to make mana enhancing portions, you can make yourself a lot of money."
"Wait, if you can already make so much money with the other portions, why do you want the sleeping portions so much?"
"Because there is no shortage of healing portions in the capital! In order to make money elsewhere, you need to have friends in the Merchants' guild, who would sell the portions in other cities. Of course, you would share the money with them."
"Is that so? Okay then. I accept your offer, but I have one last question. If we make a mana replenishing portion, am I allowed to sell it outside the school?"
"Of course, since we will not be making the portions here. We will be using our own resources, so the school cannot dictate what we do with the portions."
Reeve finally agreed, and after shaking hands, he left the 'lab'. Eskaria was still waiting for him, and she seemed like she was thinking about something.