“What in the world happened here? And what is this terrible mess?”
Herbert the Herbalist had left Remt Village that morning and returned around sunset. He stared around in bewilderment.
The normally tidy village entrance was now covered in bloodstains and scattered debris.
Joseph happened to notice him and spoke with a weary expression.
“Bandits attacked the village.”
Shock spread across Herbert’s face.
He was also well aware of how unsettled the entire North had become recently.
That was why he had taken far greater care than usual while gathering herbs, causing him to return late.
Yet he had never imagined that bandits would attack while he was away.
“Wh-What? Is that true? N-Now that I think about it, several people are missing. Surely…?”
“…Many died. Half the Guard survived, and nearly twenty men from the village were killed or wounded.”
“Is my family safe?! What about Kate, my daughter?”
“Yes. Aside from the men, no one was seriously injured or killed. None of the women were harmed either.”
How was that possible?
Had the bandits killed only the men while leaving the women entirely untouched?
“What do you mean…?”
In response to Herbert’s confusion, Joseph pointed toward the horses belonging to the knight order, which happened to be visible nearby.
“The Lion Knights arrived just in time and barely saved us. The Goddess truly watched over us.”
Joseph naturally clasped his hands together and raised his head.
Considering how cynical he usually was, the incident must have shaken him deeply.
“The Lion Knights? You mean the knight order from the Duchy of Repen?”
“That is right. The bandits had already torn down the palisade and begun plundering the village, but the knights wiped them out in one stroke.”
“Ah! Could this have something to do with the recent rumors about the Red Wolf?”
Joseph stopped walking for a moment and nodded, his face turning slightly pale.
“…Yes. The man they call the Red Wolf is Young Master Glen—the man known as the Heir to the duchy.”
“The Heir to the Duchy of Repen? Is he the same person you mentioned before…?”
Joseph recoiled in horror and hurriedly stopped him from continuing.
He approached with a thoroughly frightened expression and whispered into Herbert’s ear.
“Quiet! Watch your mouth! When did I ever call Young Master Glen a Good-for-Nothing Son?”
“But when you were drinking before, you clearly—”
“It is true that such rumors once circulated. But surely you know that rumors are merely rumors? Quiet!”
His voice was low, but his expression looked as though he were screaming.
The sight of him speaking with bulging veins was strange.
“Very well. I will watch what I say. But why are you so frightened? Is this Young Master truly so terrifying?”
“…He certainly is frightening.”
“What does he look like? I heard the Red Wolf chews on human hearts and has an enormous horn growing from his forehead….”
Joseph shook his head at the absurd claim.
“No, nothing like that. Judging solely by his appearance, he is remarkably handsome. I have never seen anyone who looked so much like a noble young master.”
“Is that truly so? He has no horns? I heard that he looked like a vicious demon.”
“Vicious, my foot…. Once the Young Master washed himself, the village maidens caused quite a commotion. Even my daughter made an enormous fuss. Good grief.”
“Then what did you mean when you said he was frightening?”
Joseph’s brow furrowed.
“The way he dealt with the bandits at first was somewhat… chilling.”
He shuddered involuntarily.
It must have been extraordinarily brutal.
“In any case, the Young Master was searching for an Herbalist earlier. He may summon you soon.”
“Me? Why would he be looking for me?”
“How should I know? When you meet him, make certain you thank him first. The Young Master was the one who killed the man who tried to assault Kate.”
“Is that true? The Young Master saved her?”
“Why would I lie? Ah, and never act rashly in his presence. He may appear gracious on the surface, but he is a terrifying man. Remember that.”
“U-Understood.”
When Joseph warned him with such intensity, Herbert could only nod.
Why would such an exalted person be looking for a lowly Herbalist?
Herbert walked onward with a strange sense of unease.
A short while later, after evening had fallen—
“Are you Herbert?”
A man who appeared to be a knight had visited moments earlier. Now, a man who was clearly of noble status had appeared at his home without warning.
Herbert instinctively prostrated himself.
“Th-This humble Herbalist greets your noble personage. Are you perhaps Young Master Glen?”
“That is correct.”
Hearing the conversation downstairs, Herbert’s wife and daughter hurried down and prostrated themselves as well.
A noble had personally visited their home. They could hardly ignore him without even offering a greeting.
“There is no need for that. I am the one who has business with you, so naturally I should come personally. Why do all of you not raise your heads first?”
When Herbert raised his head at the man’s gentle tone, he was able to examine Glen’s face properly.
…There truly was no horn on his forehead.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Herbert. You are an Herbalist, correct? There is something I wish to make.”
Far from having a vicious appearance or horns, he was a strikingly handsome man whose red hair suited him well, just as Joseph had said.
“Y-Yes! If there is any way I can assist you, please say the word.”
“I would be grateful…. Ah, now that I look more closely, I have met her before. Is she perhaps your daughter?”
His green eyes turned toward Kate in recognition.
He had realized that she was the blonde young woman who had offered to help him wash earlier.
“That is correct. I heard that you saved my daughter, Kate. I cannot thank you enough.”
“I merely did what anyone should have done. Ha ha. Miss Kate, are you unharmed?”
“Y-Yes?!”
“Kate…! F-Forgive us. My daughter is still young and foolish.”
Kate, who had been staring blankly at Glen, jumped in surprise.
Her behavior was clearly discourteous, so Herbert’s wife hurriedly apologized.
However, Glen did not appear offended.
He merely smiled faintly.
“It is all right. I asked whether you were unharmed.”
“I-I am fine! Th-Thank you for your concern!”
As Kate answered in a peculiar, high-pitched voice with her face bright red, Glen’s expression became slightly bitter.
“You appear very nervous. I have business with your father, so the two of you should return upstairs.”
“B-But….”
When Kate hesitated, her mother hurriedly grabbed her and pulled her away.
Once the two women had disappeared, Glen briefly surveyed the room.
The small space was rather cozy, filled with the crackling sound of the fireplace.
Among the various household objects and bundles of herbs, something unusual caught his eye.
Glen immediately recognized its purpose, and his eyes widened.
“Oh, it appears that you also practice Alchemy.”
“I only know how to work with the herbs I handle. I happened to receive an opportunity to learn.”
Alchemy was an exceedingly rare discipline throughout the continent.
Said to have been passed down from the Elven Druids of ancient times, the mysterious art was renowned for producing various medicines.
Highly skilled Alchemists could occasionally even create Potions, although their stability had not yet been confirmed.
Naturally, mages openly rejected the discipline and denounced Alchemists as frauds.
As a result, Alchemists were generally found only in villages like this one or on the outskirts of small cities.
“Excellent. These are the ingredients I am searching for. Could you obtain them for me?”
Glen handed him a small note.
Herbert moved closer to the fireplace and slowly read its contents.
“Let me see… Frostweed Root, Red Mountain Flower, Sticky Tree Root, and… Screaming Herb? Is that correct?”
“Yes. Do you have any remaining?”
“I do. I happened to gather several Screaming Herbs today, so I have everything. However… forgive my impertinence, but what do you intend to make with them?”
At Herbert’s concerned question, Glen gestured slightly with his chin.
“What do you think it might be? Try to guess.”
“The first three are fairly ordinary…. However, combining them with Screaming Herb could be dangerous. Depending upon how they are prepared, the result could become a deadly poison. Is poison what you seek?”
“Oh? You truly understand your craft. I intend to squeeze the Screaming Herb into juice and boil the remaining ingredients in water. Then I will mix the two together before combining them with a Mandrake that has already been crushed and dried.”
“Y-You obtained a Mandrake? Something so rare….”
“I happened to discover one.”
After briefly expressing surprise over the Mandrake, Herbert carefully considered the recipe he had just heard.
“…That would create an extraordinarily deadly poison. The moment it entered someone’s body, the blood throughout their entire body would run wild. Surely you do not intend to consume it yourself, Young Master?”
“Ha ha. Why would I do such a thing? However, as you said, it is an extremely dangerous poison. That is why I came here personally. Do you understand what that means?”
A chill suddenly ran down Herbert’s back.
He nodded instinctively.
“O-Of course. I will never speak of this matter. I will even keep it hidden from my family.”
“I appreciate a man who understands quickly. Now, could you give me the ingredients I mentioned? I will pay you generously.”
“That will not be necessary. Even someone as humble as I am possesses a sense of decency. I cannot accept money from the benefactor who saved my daughter. That is especially true when the benefactor is someone as noble as you.”
“Ha ha. So you know how to flatter people as well? In any case, show me the ingredients.”
Herbert hurriedly moved about the room and returned a short while later with a bundle.
“Here they are. I selected only the finest ones.”
Glen accepted the bundle and naturally held out a Silver Coin.
“Young Master, as I said, I cannot accept money from my benefactor—”
A single Silver Coin was enough to feed a commoner family of four for an entire month.
Compared to the value of the bundle Herbert had provided, it was an exceedingly generous payment.
“This is hush money. You could call it a bribe.”
TING—!
Glen lightly flicked the Silver Coin toward him, and Herbert awkwardly caught it.
“This was a good transaction. Farewell.”
“Th-Thank you.”
Glen turned away and left without hesitation.
***
“A deadly poison….”
Glen stared thoughtfully at the dark crimson liquid before him.
He had prepared it himself after working busily inside the empty house provided by the Village Chief.
Just as Herbert had said, the substance was practically a deadly poison.
The problem was that it was also an Elixir for initiating oneself into Blood Magic.
In other words, Glen had to drink it.
One finger tapped repeatedly against his folded arm.
Is this truly the best option? Do I have to drink it now?
Ordinarily, another Blood Mage should assist with the initiation.
But where was he supposed to find a Blood Mage in the North?
They were already an insular group and were difficult to encounter even in the South.
His only plausible option would be to seek help through the followers of the Goddess of Winter.
Most Blood Mages were followers of Winter.
But who knows when they will come?
The followers of Winter wandered throughout the continent, so there was a possibility that they might visit the North.
However, there was no way to know when that would happen.
Ultimately, it would be difficult for Glen to receive assistance from another Blood Mage now.
That was the primary source of his hesitation.
To hell with it.
In his Previous Life, he had reached a considerable level as a Blood Mage.
He could not allow himself to struggle with a mere initiation procedure.
After steeling himself, he lifted the cup and drank its contents.
Ugh. This tastes revolting.
…Hmm. This is actually rather tolerable—
“Guh!”
The instant he thought he could endure it, a violent pain tore through his abdomen and spread throughout his entire body.
The method of entering the practice of Blood Magic was surprisingly crude.
One had to imprint Mana-based control upon all the blood within one’s body.
In other words, it was effectively the same as replacing every drop of flowing blood with new blood.
Naturally, the process was not easy.
It was excruciatingly painful.
“Guuuh….”
Glen writhed across the floor like an insect.
He was desperately trying to restrain the streams of blood struggling to escape his body.
It was fortunate that the knights had not yet returned.
After enduring the agony for thirty minutes, the pain gradually began to subside.
Barely maintaining consciousness, Glen practically crawled to the bed and dragged himself onto it.
“Haa… Haa… Fuck.”
He would have to repeat this at least ten times.
The realization naturally drew a curse from him.
He had expected it to be similar to initiating himself with a Vampire Heart, but he had been completely mistaken.
He seriously began considering whether he should search for another method.
Then his consciousness vanished.