Word count: 1,017
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*Thud
When the door closed, the inside of the room became pitch black.
"Hey, Robert, why don't you switch on the light?" the boy said.
Robert, the butler, proceeded to turn on the lights in the room.
*Click*
When the lights were turned on, the interior of the room was revealed to them.
The room was tidy, not a speck of dust in sight. In the center of the room, there was a table with an apparatus placed on top of it.
The boy examined all the equipment on the table carefully, looking for any flaws that might have been introduced during the creation process.
After inspecting each object, the boy turned around and looked at Robert with a smile, saying, "Good job, Robert," while giving him a thumbs up.
Robert, seeing the boy's satisfaction, replied, "It will be my honor to serve you, Your Highness," with a smile, bowing slightly.
The boy returned the smile, but as he looked around the room, a frown replaced his previous expression. He then posed a question to Robert, confusion evident in his voice.
"But... where are the herbs?" the boy asked.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but the marketplaces didn't have any of those herbs. They are extremely rare, and even adventurers wouldn't trade them for money, as they know the advantageous effects these herbs can provide to make them stronger," Robert explained.
The boy looked shocked, tapping his foot on the ground while contemplating how to obtain the herbs.
"Isn't there a black market? Why didn't you try finding those herbs there?" the boy asked, frowning at Robert.
"Your Highness, there is no such thing as a black market in the Kingdom of Yoldin. The royal family has banned them, and neighboring nations have done the same. It is incredibly challenging to make transactions for those herbs, considering how far away they are and the trouble it would bring if we were caught dealing with them," Robert explained.
"So, they're incompetent, huh? No wonder they can't infiltrate nobility without being discovered in any nation. They lack a proper leader to guide them and make their organization prosper," the boy muttered, frustrated.
The boy furrowed his brow in frustration.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, someone was searching for him.
"So, where is that boy now?" a beautiful lady asked.
"His Highness is with Robert, Madam," an old lady replied, dressed as a butler, her face lined with wrinkles, and a sword hanging from her waist.
"I see. Tell him later that I want him in my office," the lady said, a small smile playing on her lips.
"As you wish, Your Highness," the old lady replied. She reached into her pocket, revealing a scroll, and infused it with her mana.
"Robert, tell His Highness that the Madam wants him in her office, asap," she said before ending the infusion of mana in the scroll.
"It's done, Madam," the old lady said.
"Mmm," the lady nodded. They reached the door at the end of the corridor.
Robert opened the door, and they stepped inside.
*Shingg*
While Robert was fixated on his master, suddenly, his pocket lit up. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a scroll, and infused it with his mana.
"Robert, tell His Highness that the Madam wants him in her office, asap," the voice on the scroll instructed.
The call ended, and Robert walked over to the boy and said, "Your Highness, your mother is calling for you in her office."
The boy stopped furrowing his brow and stared at Robert. When the usually evasive but
ler didn't look away, the boy sighed and said, "Ugh... fine, I'll go now."
Robert bowed to the boy, who began walking toward his mother's office.
*A few minutes passed.*
They walked along a long corridor, reaching a door at the end. The boy knocked on the door.
*Knock* *Knock*
"Come on in," a female voice sounded from inside the room.
*Creak*
Inside the room, luxurious objects adorned the space. To the side, a mannequin was covered with a gorgeous dress, and the couch was filled with finished dresses. In the center of the room, there was a table covered in papers used for sketches. Behind the table stood a beautiful lady with red hair and blue eyes, in her late 40s. Her name was Mary Curthberth Someer.
When she saw her son enter, she halted her work and looked at him. He spoke, frowning at her.
"Mother, I heard you called me," the boy said.
She raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, I called you. Is there a problem, mister?" Mary asked.
The boy smiled and ran toward her, settling on her lap.
He looked up at her while sitting and said, "There is, Mom. I couldn't find any herbs I needed in the marketplace. Robert said they didn't sell them because of how rare they are. Can you do something about it, Mom, pretty please?" He used his cutest expression.
Surprised by her son's sudden request, Mary smiled, patted his head, and said, "I'll grant your request this time, but next time you need something, you should figure out how to obtain it yourself, understand?" She touched his nose with her finger.
Upon hearing this, the boy immediately nodded excitedly, with a big smile on his face. He then kissed her on the cheek, hugged her, and said, "Thank you, Mom."
She gently ruffled his hair and shifted her gaze to Robert, who stood at the corner beside the door.
"Take him to where all our supplies are located and call Jane. Tell her to give my baby boy what he needs," she instructed Robert. She shifted her gaze back to the boy.
"Now, get off me. I have many things to do... Oh! I almost forgot. Your coming-of-age ceremony is approaching, so you should start preparing for it. Now, shoo," Mary gently nudged the boy off her lap and kissed his forehead.
"Bye, Mom!" the boy waved at her with a broad smile on his face and left.
*Thud*
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That's it for this chapter, let me know what you think.