VOLUME 10: CHAPTER 9

VOLUME 10:  CHAPTER 9

The next day, the Morton Twins carried out the first part of their mission. After breakfast with the imperial soldiers, they returned to their room, cast a simple concealment spell on themselves, and went out of the estate.

“It should be around here,” said Kazden.

The Morton Twins nimbly jumped through the roofs of the buildings as they moved toward their destination at a frightening speed. Their fast movements, coupled with their concealment spells, would make it hard even for seasoned knights to notice their presence.

“Yellow roof, red wooden door, and a broken pig statue at the entrance,” said Kazden. “There.”

The two landed in front of a two-story building. Out of all the buildings in the Outer District, this was the only one that fitted the description given to them by the Chief Royal Advisor.

After making sure there were no witnesses around them, the two dispelled their concealment spell and entered the building.

A man wearing an eyepatch, who seemed to be the shopkeeper, gazed indifferently at them when they entered. Looking around, the Morton Twins noticed that there were no other costumers.

“The weapons are over there,” the man yawned without covering his mouth. His breath reeked of alcohol. Using his right hand, which was missing three fingers, he pointed to the left shelf. “No swords, just daggers. The spears are over there. If you need an axe or an armor, go to the shop across the second street.”

The Morton Twins checked the weapons being sold in the shop out of amusement. They grabbed one of the spears leaning on the wall and inspected it.

“The blade is dull,” said Kale. “How do you even kill someone with this one?”

The shopkeeper said indifferently, “That’s all we have. If you’re unsatisfied, get out.”

It was a horrible way of doing business. Those who’d heard of this line before always wondered how the shopkeeper managed to keep this place afloat for all these years.

“We aren’t here to buy weapons, old man,” said Kazden. He approached the shopkeeper and placed a silver coin on the counter.

The shopkeeper raised one of his eyebrows. He spat, “You won’t be able to buy even a single dagger with that.”

“I heard that you are keeping some fine wine in the cellar at the back,” said Kazden.

The shopkeeper’s expression took a complete turn. He no longer looked sleepy, grumpy, and disinterested. His eyes turned sharp after hearing the secret code of the Great Empire.

“They’re not for sale, though,” said the shopkeeper. He uttered the second phrase, in order to confirm the authenticity of Kazden’s statement.

“Even if I offer you five gold coins?” said Kazden.

Hearing this, the shopkeeper stood up, hung the ‘we are closed’ sign outside, and closed the door. After making sure that there were no one eavesdropping nearby, he approached the Morton Twins and said, “That’s the code of the Chief Royal Advisor. Who are you guys? And what do you need me to do?”

“We can’t reveal our identities. As for the task, it’s nothing too difficult,” said Kazden. “All we need is information on the Alchemy Tower and the King’s Castle.”

“Alchemy Tower and the castle,” the shopkeeper stroked his chin.

The shopkeeper opened the door at the back, revealing the staircase leading to the second floor. “Follow me.”

Following the shopkeeper, the Morton Twins arrived at the second floor of the shop. Unlike the ground floor, the second floor resembled a small library. Numerous books, scrolls, parchments, and other documents filled the shelves.

“I’ve been living in this Kingdom for several decades,” said the shopkeeper. “A retired knight of my beloved nation, the Great Empire. I lost these fingers after helping suppress the rebellion in the capital twenty-seven years ago, you see. I can no longer wield a sword, but I vowed to serve the nation until my dying breath. That’s why I’m here, living the rest of my life as an informant for the Empire.”

The Morton Twins didn’t really care about the background of the shopkeeper.

Kale spat, “We don’t care about your sob story, old man. Hand out the information. We don’t have all day.”

The shopkeeper didn’t seem to mind the rude remarks of Kale Morton. “I know. Here.”

He handed Kale a rolled-up parchment.

“It’s the map of the Alchemy Tower,” said the shopkeeper. “It took me several attempts to get my hands on that one.”

Kale gave the map to his older brother Kazden. Kazden unfolded the parchment and gazed at the map of the Alchemy Tower. Surprisingly, the map gave out the locations where the traps in the building were located. It also indicated a secret passage that led directly to the fifth floor, the place where the most precious herbs and elixirs were being kept.

“This is a good map, old man,” Kazden grinned.

“That map was created five years ago. There’s a chance that the secret passageway no longer exists,” said the shopkeeper. “It seems that you wish to infiltrate the Alchemy Tower. May I know the reason?”

Kazden folded the map and tucked it into his pocket. “We’ve heard that the Lukasians recently created a cure for the monsterization. We’re here to obtain a sample.”

“Monsterization?” said the shopkeeper. After several seconds, he realized what Kazden was pertaining to. “Ah, parasitization. I see. Those damn pesky demons attacked the Empire too.”

“Based on this map, it seems we have no choice but to go through the main entrance,” said Kazden. “Old man, how strong are the guards protecting that tower?”

The shopkeeper said, “The security of the Alchemy Tower is entrusted to the Patrol. Since the Dragon and the dwarves had just arrived several hours ago, the security should be lax around that area. Commander Danack, the leader of the Patrol in the Capital, is as strong as a royal knight. But the chance of you encountering him in the Alchemy Tower should be almost nil. He's been recently assigned to the Inner District, I believe.”

Although the Morton Twins didn’t mind fighting against this so-called Commander Danack, they also didn’t have any intentions of taking unnecessary risks that could blow their cover. It was still too soon, and if they wished to complete their missions perfectly, they knew that they shouldn’t be discovered this early.

“The only ones you would probably encounter are ordinary soldiers,” said the shopkeeper.

Kale chuckled. “Kakaka! Ordinary soldiers? It turns out this mission is going to be a piece of cake, brother!”

“It’ll be easy to infiltrate the Alchemy Tower,” said the shopkeeper. He took out a thin book from the shelves and handed it to Kazden, “But the Royal Castle is an entirely different matter.”

Kazden flipped through the book given to him by the shopkeeper. It contained hand-written notes regarding the castle – its pathways, rooms, list of guards, servants, officials, and other crucial information. Drawn at the few pages at the back were the maps of various parts of the castle. Just like the map of the Alchemy Tower, the notebook also showed several secret passageways.

“I’m keeping three copies with me,” said the shopkeeper. “Take that one with you. If you’re discovered, and escape is impossible, burn it. Even if you die, make sure the Lukasians don’t discover its existence.”

As expected of an informant highly regarded by the Chief Royal Advisor of the Empire.

Although this shopkeeper looked nothing but a drunkard on the outside, he was a meticulous and devoted man who’d been keeping his eyes on the Kingdom every day, without fail.

This shopkeeper must have even snuck inside the castle before, considering that some of the parts in the map would have been impossible to be drawn otherwise.

“I wasn’t expecting much,” said Kazden. “But coming here is sure worthwhile.”

Kazden pulled out a green gemstone the size of a thumb from his pocket and threw it to the shopkeeper. Despite having lost several fingers, the shopkeeper easily caught it.

“An imperial jadestone!” said the shopkeeper.

“The Chief Royal Advisor told us to give that to you as payment,” said Kazden. “It’ll suffice, right, old man?”

The shopkeeper wiped the tears that had formed at the corner of his eyes. “The Chief Royal Advisor… hadn’t forgotten even after all these years. Of course, this is more than enough!”

For a moment, the shopkeeper looked like a fanatic who would jump naked into a fire for the sake of the Empire.

The shopkeeper bowed to the Morton Twins. “I pray for your success. For the prosperity of the Great Empire!”

The Morton Twins smirked.

Unlike the shopkeeper, they didn’t care what would happen to the Great Empire in the future. Even if it was destroyed by the demons, or if it fell to the hands of another Kingdom – it did not matter.

What mattered to the Twins was the present. As long as they could enjoy this freedom, the exhilarating feeling of massacring their prey, they did not care. The thousands of gold coins they would earn from this mission was just a bonus.

***

After leaving the information broker’s shop, the Morton Twins immediately headed to the Alchemy Tower. Now that they’d confirmed from the shopkeeper that no formidable opponents were guarding that place, they no longer hesitated.

“We’re here,” said Kazden to his little brother. “We’re entering through the main entrance.”

Kale nodded his head.

Their bodies clad in concealment magic, the two ran past the guards at the entrance.

“What was that?” said one of the guards at the gate.

“You felt it too?” said another.

The guards looked around them, but saw no one else nearby. All they felt was a gust of wind after the Morton Twins sped past by.

“Must be the wind,” mumbled the guards.

‘That was easy,’ thought Kazden.

Even the Kalavinka Port had much higher security than this. The Twins thought that the stupid Lukasians must be begging to have the formula for the cure stolen.

The twins quickly moved through the first and second floor. Upon reaching the third floor of the Alchemy Tower, they entered a storage room where the secret pathway to the fifth floor was located.

The two moved a massive shelf to the side, revealing a narrow flight of stairs that led directly to the inner parts of the fifth floor. This secret pathway made it possible for them to bypass the magical traps and restrictions at the fifth floor’s entrance.

“We’re here,” Kazden whispered to his little brother.

The fifth floor was filled with numerous shelves. And each shelf was crammed with potions and concoctions. Large cauldrons sat next to the walls, and dried carcasses hung alongside bundles of herbs near the ceiling.

“Bah. The smell. How disgusting,” whispered Kale. He scrunched up his nose from the stench of medicine.

“We’ll split in two,” said Kazden in a low voice. “You search over there. And I’ll search over here.”

“Understood, brother.”

The two split up and carefully searched through the shelves. After an hour, Kale grumbled, “Damn it. This is taking too long.”

Although the fifth floor wasn’t that large, it was filled with thousands of different herbs, elixirs, and vials.

“Stop complaining,” said Kazden. “Continue searching.”

“I know,” said Kale.

Although they were tasked to obtain only the cure for the monsterization, the twins decided to steal any medicine that caught their attention.

In particular, a medicine called High-grade Healing Potion piqued their interest. The medicine had its own shelf and was enclosed in a metallic container. Without hesitation, they took the potion.

“This journal!” Kale found a notebook on top of a wooden table. “Look, brother. It contains the list of ingredients and the procedure to create the cure for the monsterization!”

Kazden went to his brother’s side and read the notes written in the journal. He gazed at the unassuming vial sitting on top of the table, right next to the notebook.

“This is probably it, brother,” Kazden broadly grinned. “We’re taking this journal and the vial with us.”

“Kakaka!” Kale laughed. “That was easy! That stupid King must have never expected that someone would infiltrate this tower! He didn’t even place any guards on this floor!”

“It’s a shame that there is only a single vial.” Kazden put the journal and the vial inside his bag. “‘Triple Cast’ Fraser would have a hard time completing his mission after this, but that’s no longer our concern. We’re leaving. Our mission here is done.”

“Yes, brother!” said Kale.

After this, all that’s left was to kill either King Lark or Princess Luna. Just the mere thought of murdering those two royals made the twins tremble in excitement. It had been years since they’d last gotten their hands on the blood of a royal.

“Let’s go.”

The twins were about to leave through the secret passage when suddenly, the main entrance to the fifth floor opened. Light seeped in and a shadow was cast in the room. The twins quickly cast a concealment spell on themselves, steadied their breathing, and hid behind the shelves.

Soft thud sounds reverberated in the room as a woman with ashen hair and arched back entered. It was Lady Ropianna, one of the royal court magicians of the Kingdom. After Lark entrusted her with the cure for the parasitization, she’d been spending most of her days here in the Alchemy Tower.

‘It’s just an old woman,’ Kazden inwardly sighed in relief.

The woman looked so fragile that it felt like she would die from the slightest touch. Her limbs were as thin as twigs, and her face was filled with innumerable wrinkles. She looked so ancient that she would have probably fallen down the ground without her walking stick.

‘Should we kill her?’ Kale signaled to his brother.

Kazden signaled back, ‘Not yet. For now, we wait.’

Lady Ropianna halted in her tracks. With one of her hands behind her arched back, she scanned the room. She frowned.

“Come out,” she said. “Whoever you are, I know you’re here.”

The Morton Twins hadn’t expected the old woman to see through their concealment spell. She must be a relatively powerful magician to immediately notice their presence.

Upon receiving no response, Lady Ropianna channeled mana into the gemstone on top of her walking stick. To the Twin’s surprise, the entire room glowed. The walls, the roof, even the ground. It was dark when they entered the room, and they failed to realize that there were numerous magic formations engraved on the fifth floor.

“This is your last warning,” said Lady Ropianna in a raspy voice.

The Morton Twins nodded to each other. They’d been with other since birth that they could practically read what was on each other’s mind.

While Kale was preparing a spell, Kazden canceled his concealment spell and went out of hiding.

“Woah, calm down,” said Kazden. “I’m just an ordinary civilian. You’ll end up killing me, if you activate those runes, lady.”

The three magic formations on the ceiling, veiled by the dried herbs, were of seventh-tier. The twins could block them, but there was a chance they would end up wounded in the process.

“What are you doing here?” said Lady Ropianna in an unfriendly tone.

Hearing this, Kazden suppressed a smile from forming on his face.

The stupid old hag noticed that someone was here, but she didn’t know that there were two of them. This was basically their victory already.

Kazden glanced at the glowing magic formations on the ceiling. He smiled amicably and raised both of his hands up.

“I mean no harm. Look. I’m the new alchemist hired by Tower,” said Kazden. “It’s my first day tod—”

“—Stop lying,” said Lady Ropianna. “Your hands are more callused than the knights of the Royal Castle. And you expect me to believe those words?”

Lady Ropianna threateningly pointed the tip of her walking stick toward Kazden.

“I will give you ten seconds,” said Lady Ropianna. “Who are you?”

Kazden knew that his blatant lie wouldn’t work. But it did not matter. His only aim was to create an opening for his little brother, after all.

“Time’s up,” said Lady Ropianna. “Forgive me for being rough.”

The magic formation in the ceiling glowed even brighter. Lady Ropianna was about to activate the spell and shackle the intruders when suddenly, an invisible blade struck her chest.

Lady Ropianna looked at her chest and saw the blade created using wind magic. Blood profusely dripped down the wound. Her legs wobbled, and even with the help of her walking stick, she fell down the ground.

“Kakaka!” said Kale. “What a fool! She would have been able to capture us if she immediately activated those runes!”

Kale went out of hiding and jeered at the old woman bathing in her own pool of blood.

“Haaa, that was refreshing,” said Kale. “Did you see her expression? She must not have expected it!”

“You did well,” Kazden laughed. “I was worried there for a moment.”

“Brother, let’s cut her head off!” said Kale.

“That’s unnecessary,” said Kazden. “It’s impossible for someone to survive an attack like that. We can’t risk staying here for too long.”

Kale gazed at the old woman. Her skin looked paler than before, and the pool of blood on the floor continued to expand with each passing second. He seemed disappointed, but decided to follow his older brother regardless.

“Let’s go,” said Kazden.

With the older brother at the lead, the Morton Twins left the Alchemy Tower.