"Tch— This is ridiculous!"
Jack exclaimed as soon as he learned about the Fate Temple.
According to Lizzy, only one was nearby, located on certain "Fortuna Mountain". The only issue was that reaching it was near impossible for the current him.
One had to go there… alone?!
Not only would his tiny legs get tired during the mountain ascension, but the area was also teeming with wild monsters… making it a freaking suicide mission!
"Ridiculous? Of course, it is! What else should a Fate god be except whimsical?" Lizzy shrugged, low-key enjoying seeing her new master at a loss for the first time ever.
The official story went —> The monsters will leave you alone if you are worthy!
Worthy? What if Jack's invitation had been a mistake? What if it was meant to enslave him / bait him to perish? He wasn't about to risk it… not without being prepared!
"Still, isn't Fortuna Mountain merely an hour away from the City? Shouldn't the Dawn Guard hunt those monsters or something?" Jack grumbled.
"Pfft— As if! The Dawn Guard seldom leaves the City, and there's no way the Adventurer's Guild could possibly keep up with the monsters' spawn rate. After all…"
The more the Old Ghost explained, the more Jack felt like a greenhouse flower. Turns out, monsters would spontaneously spawn out there thanks to the enormous Mana in Eternia.
The Cities were the only bastions of human life! In fact, had the monsters out there been slightly more intelligent, humanity would have long fallen.
This only left Jack one course of action…
"I see. Mandrake it is, then. Lizzy, I'll be counting on you!"
Her face instantly turned dark. With the Underground a no-go, she still knew one place to get it, but it would only work if she went herself. Except, she didn't want to, AT ALL!
"You really need that Mandrake, eh?"
"REALLY!"
Fine. It seemed like it was time for her to confront her demons. She closed her shop, heading for the one place she hated the most in this world. Then before long…
Welcome to the Alchemy Tower! |
Jack had expected some shady shop… but wasn't this a little too official? Contrary to the name, it was a circular one-story stone building that looked pretty nice.
If anything, it had an academic atmosphere. Tons of robe-wearing peeps went in and out, all mage-like. Many could be heard muttering to themselves, lost in thoughts.
People came here to study, showcase their research, or buy rarer materials. It looked like an Alchemist Haven, if nothing else.
"This is the place you dreaded to come?" Jack couldn't help but remark.
"You don't understand. This place looks neat on the surface, but it's hell! Everyone here are stuck-up bitches that only care about what's "proper".
Before he could react, a voice came from behind them.
"Stuck up bitches? That's rich coming from the Tower's Black sheep! If anyone's a bitch, it ought to be you, who sold her soul and turned away from True Alchemy! Humph!"
A nearby Alchemist was already raining insults down on Lizzy. Many bystanders even pointed at her, showing evident disgust… and this was just the entrance!
"See, that's why I hate this place!" She spat out.
But this was just the beginning. Insults were one thing, but seeing her, a couple of Alchemists even banded together to block her from entering the building.
"If it isn't Lizzy Lamprey, the shame of the Tower! Turn around. We don't want trash like you in here, see?" One of them pointed at posters on the walls.
There were tons of drawings of Lizzy, with captions so unflattering that bitch and slut would have seen like a compliment in comparison! She was definitely INFAMOUS!
School bullying, was it? But instead of cowering, Lizzy had simply kept fighting. Even now, she continued on her path, brewing Aphrodisiacs left and right.
"Out of the way, rabble. I'm still a registered Alchemist." Lizzy sneered, knowing their hatred was born of jealousy and a misguided sense of morality.
This was definitely not the first time she had a run-in with those people! Jack expected them to say some D-trash line and move away… but they stood their ground!
"Registered Alchemist? Yes, indeed! Or are you?"
The bully simply pointed at a golden notice near the entrance while sneering. It glowed with incredible color and was impossible to miss!
DAWN GUARD! Registered Alchemist Draft Notice! |
It was so eye-catching that Lizzy was perhaps the only Alchemist that hadn't seen it yet… just because she avoided the place like the plague.
The content was pretty simple: Given the recent terrorist EVENTS (Demonic Legion), the Dawn Guard had received permission from the Lords to Draft Alchemists Forcefully.
But the more Jack read, the less he understood. What the heck was this?! Of all the EVENTS listed… 8 were unrelated to him! Someone else was blaming his fictive faction!
- Alleyways Terrorism? Sure
- Mass Thievery? No way!
- Mass murder? Nope!
- Bank Robbery? As if!
- … Some more BS
But that wasn't the issue… The deadline for handing out the potions was already past! Didn't this mean that Lizzy's Alchemy License was revoked or about to be?!
Her petite frame started trembling.
Her shop was registered; someone should have sent her the notice too. It had to be those conniving bitches; they had somehow intercepted the messenger!
She knew it, but could she even prove it?! This meant that she was deep in shit! She knew it, and the snickering assholes knew it as they saw her face turn white as a sheet.
Yet, she didn't want to give them the satisfaction.
"So what? I'm still a registered alchemist, so get out of my way NOW! She barked, the bullies freezing. What was she so confident for? Her time was counted!
But as soon as Jack and Lizzy were out of their sight…
"We're fucked! Forget the Mandrake; I'm about to lose my Emporium! Crap, if only I had come sooner, if only I…." But just as she was spiraling, she felt a tiny yet warm hand.
"Lizzy, you forgot something."
"?!?"
No matter how she racked her brain, she felt at an impasse. Was there something obvious she had missed? That's when he gave her a smile that somehow eased all her troubles.
"Them bullying you means they're bullying me."
Lizzy unconsciously shivered… but with delight?! Would even the Flame Mansion get involved?! Why did it feel like he was about to go nuclear on their asses?!
As for what Jack was planning… he'd make them shit blood just from hearing the name Lizzy Lamprey! Hehehe…