Chapter 002: Mirak Potion
With a slight sigh, Du Fan rubbed his neck, which had become stiff from maintaining the same posture for so long, before sitting up straight. He focused his gaze on his nose, adopting the typical demeanor of a shaman, then reached out to pull the copper bell beside his seat.
A moment later, a man with slightly graying hair but still a robust build pushed open the door at the back of the chapel and walked in slowly. He was dressed in a clean suit; though his back was a bit bent, it was clear he must have been tall, strong, and heroic in his youth.
This man was Du Fan’s long-time servant, who had reportedly served Du Fan’s father, Duke Old Green, since very early on. After Du Fan became a shaman six years ago, this servant had continued to serve him.
But Du Fan wasn’t some foolish heir with no sense. From the start, he understood that this servant who served him was likely his best protector in this world. After all, although he couldn’t cultivate combat energy or magic, he was still the third young master of the Green family. No matter how disappointed his father might be in him, he surely wouldn’t let him face any danger. Therefore, the person assigned to protect him must be someone extraordinary.
That’s why Du Fan had always treated his servant well… Of course… How dare you treat your bodyguard poorly? Aren’t you afraid he might “make a mistake” when things get tough?
Seeing the servant enter, Du Fan nodded slightly and said, “Grandpa Mark, you’re here? Didn’t I tell you earlier? If you need anything, just come in and wait for me inside. There’s no need to stand outside every time.”
Old Mark frowned slightly, but a rare smile appeared on his usually cold face. “Third young master, there are rules for the country and rules for the family. The rules set by the Holy Church cannot be changed by anyone. So even if you ask me, I, Old Mark, wouldn’t dare enter here casually. If it weren’t for the ‘guest bell’ ringing just now, I wouldn’t have dared come in at all.”
He pointed to the small copper bell beside Du Fan.
Du Fan smiled faintly and said, “Alright… Grandpa Mark, we’re not strangers. There’s no need to be so formal all the time… Tell me, what’s the matter today? Surely it’s not my mother planning to send me to some banquet again?”
Elder Mark nodded and said, “That’s indeed the case. The Duchess plans to have you attend tonight’s royal banquet. If you have nothing to do right now, why not head home first to get ready? After all, tonight is a rare and grand occasion.”
Du Fan shook his head, looking a bit puzzled. “Grandpa Mark, haven’t these grand banquets always been attended by my eldest and second brothers? When will it be my turn?”
Elder Mark smiled. “Young Master, have you forgotten? The eldest and second masters are already on travels. Even if you don’t want to, you still have to go now.”
Du Fan tilted his head and thought for a moment before nodding. “Alright then. I’ll reluctantly attend the banquet tonight. But Grandpa Mark, as you know, I still have many things to do at the cathedral. How about this… bring me some clothes tonight and wait for me at the back door of the church. I think it’ll be much faster to get to the palace from there.”
Elder Mark showed a strange smile but still nodded. “The back door, yes. It’s indeed much closer to the palace from there. Then I’ll wait for you there tonight, Young Master.”
Du Fan nodded. “Then let’s agree on that. See you tonight.”
Elder Mark gave a slight nod and slowly stepped back. Just before leaving, he suddenly looked up and said, “I almost forgot to remind you, Young Master. It’s said that the royal family will give away that Mirak potion as a gift tonight. Who it will be given to is unknown. Many families are already eager to get their hands on it. Shouldn’t you make some preparations too?”
Du Fan was stunned. Usually calm, he almost jumped up.
The reason was simple: the Mirak potion was extremely important to him. In this world, strength meant everything. Yet neither combat energy nor magic could be mastered by just anyone. Thus, those who were determined at the age of ten to be unable to cultivate combat energy or magic could basically be expected to lead an unremarkable life for the rest of their lives.
But there were always exceptions in this world—things that turned the impossible into possible. The Mirak potion was one such thing.
To put it simply, its function was to transform a person’s physique, which was unsuited for cultivating combat energy or magic, into one that could do so.
Of course, this is of no use to those who already have perfect physiques, but for someone like Du Fan, the Milak potion is nothing short of a savior—it’s something that can change one’s fate! However, crafting this potion is extremely difficult. Not only are the required materials rare, but it also needs to be done by an alchemist of level eight or above to succeed. As is well known, it’s unlikely to find even one magician among a hundred thousand people, let alone an alchemist, let alone one of level eight or higher. Thus, the value of the Milak potion is evident. After learning that Du Fan lacked the aptitude for combat skills and magic, Duke Green also considered obtaining the Milak potion, but first, there weren’t many of them in Roland Continent, and second, even if someone had them, they might not be willing to give them away. So, the matter was eventually dropped. But this time, the royal family of the Gavin Empire seems to have gone mad and actually plans to “give away” the Milak potion? After all, the Gavin Empire has lasted for hundreds of years, with numerous powerful families within it, and among these families, there are certainly many like Du Fan. Now, the royal family offering up this Milak potion is like throwing meat among a pack of wolves. After his excitement subsided, Du Fan quickly calmed down. He was somewhat self-aware—his two brothers were currently on travels, and Old Duke Green was leading troops due to military conflicts. Within the Green family, aside from himself, only his mother in the capital had any influence. But in such a situation, his mother, who always preferred peace, would likely not attend. In other words, if he wanted to get his hands on the Milak potion, he could rely on no one but himself. At this thought, Du Fan felt a headache coming on, but he resolved to try every means necessary, even deception, to obtain it that night. After all, if there’s a chance to be extraordinary, who would want to stay ordinary for life? Taking a deep breath, Du Fan glanced at Old Mark and said, “Grandpa Mark, I understand. I’ll try my best tonight. But if possible, could you help me investigate who else, besides me, is desperate for the Milak potion? And also, what’s driving the royal family to do this—why throw such a thing away?”
Old Mark glanced at Du Fan’s calm expression, nodded slightly, and as he lowered his head, a glint appeared in his cloudy eyes. This was not the third young master he was used to seeing—just this composure alone was beyond what most of his peers could achieve. Old Mark had originally thought that upon hearing this news, his third young master would be so excited he wouldn’t be able to speak. It seemed these six years hadn’t allowed him to truly understand this young master after all. With a slight sigh in his heart, Old Mark said respectfully, “As you wish, as you wish, my dear Young Master Du Fan.” With that, he stepped back a few times and silently left the room. Du Fan slowly stood up, touched his nose, chuckled softly, and muttered to himself, “Mirak potion… Hmph… Mirak potion…” … The sun was nearly setting, and the entire church appeared extremely solemn under the blood-red sky. With his arms crossed, Du Fan walked slowly along one side of the square. He had just come out of the chapel; aside from listening to the confessions of several clergy members and nuns who had engaged in adultery, as well as the accounts of a few noblewomen who had cheated on their husbands, he hadn’t done much else that day. Yet, after hearing those even more violent secrets of the capital than those in pornographic novels, he could hardly suppress his laughter and had to speak in the most sanctimonious tone, saying nonsense like “God will forgive you,” as this was part of his daily routine. Because of this job, Du Fan knew almost all the gossip in the empire—such as how many mistresses the finance minister had, or that the military minister was actually the old emperor’s illegitimate son… Although these things had been useless before, now Du Fan couldn’t help but consider using them to threaten the old emperor into giving him the Mirak potion… But he probably wouldn’t even finish threatening him before turning into a corpse himself. With a bitter smile, he took a deep breath, tapped his fingers on his robe a few times, then slowly walked toward a corner of the square.