Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 534

The potion recipe from the elf wasn't complex—not nearly as challenging as the 'Witch's Kiss' Jenkins had brewed—but the ingredients were another matter entirely.

One of them, the Water of Life, was something Mr. Hood had long been trying to acquire. It was a sacred water that only the Church of All Things and Nature could produce, possessing certain healing properties.

However, Jenkins was a Benefactor of an Orthodox Church, so the Nolan diocese likely had some in reserve.

Elfwood and Cinderflame Mint were easy enough to locate; Jenkins had seen them more than once in Nolan's black markets, but they were prohibitively expensive. The former was sourced exclusively from the uninhabited rainforests at the southern tip of the continent, within the Cheslan Kingdom, while the latter grew only near active volcanoes in the outer seas.

Finding the two ingredients wasn't the hard part—it was the thought of what they would do to his wallet that pained Jenkins.

The unicorn hair was no issue, though Jenkins wasn't sure if his own unicorn was old enough. The heartwood, however, was the very core of an ancient tree's trunk. Jenkins had never seen a specimen over a thousand years old, and he suspected that even if he did, he wouldn't be able to afford it.

The final ingredient, Unmelting Ice, was a material found only beneath the ice caps of the far north, an essential component for nearly all high-level frost rituals. It was exceptionally rare; at the very least, no one in Nolan City had ever offered it for sale.

"But this is Ruen," he mused, "and the Hamparvo Kingdom is the world's largest producer of the material."

At this thought, he cleared his throat, signaling to Miss Miller and Miss Stuart that they could turn back around.

Miss Stuart asked, blinking with curiosity.

At sixteen, she was still in that age of innocent wonder, and her curious expression was more captivating than the carefully composed faces of any high-society lady.

"It worked perfectly. Thank you very much."

He said this as he handed the mirror back to Julia, who promptly tucked it into her small satchel.

"I was expecting something rather personal, but my friend sent me a potion recipe instead. It's a shame he didn't specify what the potion does, but I intend to brew it and find out."

Noticing the cat on his shoulder craning its neck, he offered it the note. The cat stretched its head forward, sniffed the paper, then batted it aside with a paw before returning to its favorite spot on the softest part of the rug by the fireplace. Official source ıs novelFirｅ.net

"Mr. Williams, you know how to brew potions?"

The question came from Julia, who rarely joined their conversations.

Miss Miller, for her part, showed no surprise. After all, she had been the one to help Jenkins find distribution channels for 'Witch's Kiss'.

"I do, though I'm hardly an expert."

Jenkins nodded, confirming his own assessment. "If it's a simple recipe with detailed instructions, I imagine I could manage it. Why do you ask, Miss Minnewick? Do you need a potion brewed? I would be happy to help."

"Oh no, I was just surprised," Julia replied. "After all, alchemists are even rarer than healers."

Julia shook her head gently, then glanced at her princess.

Jenkins then asked Miss Stuart if she could help him acquire some Unmelting Ice. The third princess immediately replied that she had a personal supply and could sell some to him at a good price.

She had initially offered it as a gift, but both Jenkins and Julia strongly objected.

"I believe the cost of these materials is far too high for me to accept as a gift. I wouldn't want something to put a strain on our friendship."

As the words left his lips, he suddenly recalled another woman saying something very similar to him not long ago.

Miss Miller watched from the side with a knowing smile, saying nothing. She had always known that she and Jenkins were cut from the same cloth.

Jenkins didn't have any cash on him in Ruen, but the plants he'd brought out of the Mysterious Realm were still with Miss Miller. He and Miss Stuart agreed to a barter: Jenkins traded all of his plants, including the potted Frost-Proof Flower, and in exchange, Miss Stuart would provide him with the Unmelting Ice, Elfwood, and Cinderflame Mint the following week.

With that, he had secured half the ingredients for the unknown potion. It seemed this task wouldn't be so difficult after all.

For the remainder of the evening, Miss Miller took on the role of Julia's rune instructor, while Miss Stuart resumed Jenkins's etiquette lessons.

She subtly but continuously pried into the details of Jenkins's life, explaining that she needed to tailor a more practical curriculum to his daily routine. Jenkins had to agree with her logic; there were, after all, certain points of etiquette he would likely never have occasion to use.

During a lull in the lesson, Jenkins asked about the auction fraud Miss Stuart had encountered a few weeks prior. She replied vaguely that new leads had surfaced and the investigation was ongoing. However, when the princess excused herself to change into a more suitable dress, Julia turned to Jenkins and Miss Miller with a worried expression and said:

"That incident... it likely involves the first prince, Sarrot Stuart. Yes, the very one Miss Miller met at the palace last week. But Her Highness doesn't wish to worry either of you, and she forbade me from speaking of it."

The firewood crackled in the hearth, casting their long shadows across the room. Jenkins was completely taken aback; he had assumed the fraud was just an isolated incident.

But instinct told Jenkins that Miss Miller would likely try to leverage this information. So, after the princess and her maid had taken their leave, he broached the subject with her, albeit in a very roundabout way:

"I hope that while you're growing closer to her, you'll also make an effort to protect our friend. I'm sure it wouldn't be difficult for you."

"Of course, Jenkins. I hope you don't think I'm some kind of villain."

She said, her tone tinged with mock indignation.

Jenkins shook his head apologetically and let the matter drop.

According to Miss Miller's ongoing investigation, the Hamparvo Kingdom's current situation was hardly any better than the Fidektri Kingdom's.

Though the kingdom had a surplus of royal heirs, in Miss Miller's opinion, most of them were the sort of rulers who would bring a nation to ruin. She did, however, believe that Miss Dolores Stuart's abilities were far superior to those of her many siblings, but unfortunately, the third princess had no interest in the crown.

"So, you're certain now? The person behind the auction fraud was indeed Sarrot Stuart?"

"Yes, the evidence is overwhelming. His Highness may be cautious, but he has a terrible eye for subordinates. In my opinion, he is far inferior to his younger sister in every respect—character, talent, you name it. I'll keep a close watch on the situation. I can promise you, our friend won't come to any harm."