I arrived at the shop and stepped inside.
The interior was fairly spacious, but given the late hour, not a single customer was in sight. I walked up to the counter, where a woman working there looked up.
"How can I help you?" she asked.
"Is there a pharmacist named Aida here? I’m on an errand for someone and was hoping to meet with her."
"I’m sorry, but my grandmother is extremely busy right now..."
So, she was Aida's granddaughter.
The fact that she was "busy" at a time like this made me suspicious, but it was possible Aida was just a famous pharmacist and I was the only one who didn't know it. Besides, since she was the person Grandpa had entrusted with what seemed like a vital Magic Stone, it was hard to imagine she was just an ordinary shopkeeper.
"I see. In that case, could you please give this letter to her? If she still can’t see me immediately after reading it, I’ll come back another day."
I handed her the letter Grandpa had given me. Based on the girl's tone, she would likely claim Aida was busy tomorrow and the day after as well.
Fortunately, my business with Count Bowell had concluded early, and I was hoping to leave the Royal Capital tomorrow morning. I knew I was being pushy, but I wanted to finish my errands today if at all possible.
"A-Alright... I’ll go give this to her. But if she says no, you have to give up for today, okay?"
"I understand. I promise."
She accepted the letter with a dissatisfied pout and disappeared into the back of the building. I could faintly hear the murmur of two people talking, but I couldn't make out the words.
After a short wait, the granddaughter returned with a look of utter bewilderment.
"My grandmother says she’ll see you. This way, please." She opened the counter partition and ushered me inside.
She led me to a specific room and then headed back to the storefront, leaving me to enter alone.
The moment I stepped inside, the unique, pungent aroma of blended medicines pricked my nose. The room was packed with glass containers filled with colorful liquids and piles of various medicinal herbs. It was clearly a pharmacist’s workshop.
At the back of the room, an old woman with streaks of white in her hair sat in a work chair, peering at me with a sharp gaze through her glasses.
"............Are you 'Cavi's' proxy?"
Cavi was likely Grandpa's nickname.
His real name was Cavadele Evans. He was a man recognized by history as a genius Magic Artificer—the man who had single-handedly advanced the technology of Magic Tools by leaps and bounds. However, the world believed Cavadele Evans had died about ten years ago.
Currently, Grandpa used a pseudonym. Since that name couldn't possibly be shortened to "Cavi," it was safe to assume this woman knew Cavadele was alive and knew exactly who he was.
"Yes. He asked me to come and collect the Magic Stone he left with you."
"I see. Is that idiot really going to go through with it?" Aida muttered with a complex expression, one that looked both angry and profoundly sad.
"Grandpa—what exactly does he intend to do?"
I asked the question immediately, sensing something ominous in her expression.
"I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you. Even a tiny detail could cause a massive shift in the outcome."
"I... see."
I had learned nearly everything I knew about magic from Grandpa. The more I studied the subject, the more I was confronted by the sheer magnitude of Cavadele Evans’s greatness. Even now, while I took some pride in having finally approached his level, his back still felt miles away.
From Aida’s comment, I could infer that Grandpa was about to execute a plan he had been preparing for a long time—something so meticulous or large-scale that even the slightest variable could make the future unpredictable.
I trusted Grandpa with my life; he had treated me like his own flesh and blood. Yet, something about this entire situation felt wrong.
Even the fact that he had sent me on this errand was strange. As I’ve said, Grandpa was a Magic Artificer of unparalleled skill. On top of that, he was a top-tier Mage. A man like that would have no trouble traveling from Tsutrail to the Royal Capital even without a carriage.
It felt almost as if he had manufactured a reason to send me here—.
"Here. This is the Magic Stone I was holding. Take it."
I had been drifting in a sea of thought, searching for an answer to the doubts that had suddenly bubbled up, but Aida’s voice snapped me back to reality.
I’ll have to put these questions on hold for now, I told myself.
I switched gears and accepted the small wooden box Aida held out. When I opened the lid, I found it packed with cotton cushioning. In the center lay a fist-sized Magic Stone.
It was unlike any I had ever seen. It looked like a transparent glass orb with a Black Mist trapped inside its core.
"I’ve received it. I’ll make sure it reaches him."
"I’m counting on you."
"You can leave it to me. Well then, I’ll be going. I’m sorry for intruding while you were busy."
I bowed to apologize for the interruption and turned to leave.
"Orun."
Aida called out to my back. I stopped and turned around to face her again.
"I... I believe that nothing in this world is truly useless. No matter how painful an experience is, or even if it feels like everything has gone to waste, it is still a valuable experience. So, even when you face hardships, please don’t let them be in vain."
Aida spoke with a dead-serious expression. I didn’t know what prompted the advice, but I felt there was truth in her words.
The tragedy where my family and village were slaughtered by bandits was the most painful event of my life. Yet, looking back, I was only the man I was today because of that day. I could never forgive the bandits, and I would never claim what happened was "good," but since it had happened, I had to use it as fuel to move forward.
"Thank you for the advice. I’ll take those words to heart."
Aida nodded with a weak but satisfied smile, and I finally left the room.
Come to think of it, I never told her my name. How did she know who I was? Was it in the letter? Well, it didn't matter.
As I stepped out of the shop, I spotted a pair of people approaching from a short distance away, deep in conversation.
"I really saw him! Why would I lie about something like that!?"
The shorter of the two was desperately trying to convince her companion.
"Yes, yes, I hear you. But trying to follow someone like that... don't come crying to me if you get reported as a stalker."
The other person, a woman with short hair, rebuked her companion with an exasperated sigh. As they drew closer, their features became clear. Once I got a good look at the short-haired woman, I realized I knew her.
"...Loretta?"
It was Loretta Waver, the ace of the Jade Gale party from Tsutrail.
"Huh? Orun? I can’t believe you’re actually here in the capital..." Loretta gave a wry, awkward smile.
I turned my attention to the petite figure who had been arguing so passionately. She was wearing a black hooded cloak that obscured her face and gender, though her voice had sounded feminine.
"I know that! They probably disappeared because they noticed me following them. —Wait, ............eh?"
Wait... was she the one following me earlier?
The cloaked woman looked up, finally bringing my face into view. The moment she recognized me, her expression turned into one of pure, wide-eyed shock.
She had golden hair that seemed to glow even in the dim light of the night and striking crimson eyes. Despite her youthful, doll-like features, she carried an unmistakable air of nobility that no plain cloak could hide. Everything about her screamed that she was far from an ordinary citizen.
I had never met her in person, so I couldn't be absolutely certain, but based on her descriptions, she was likely—.
"Ah—... I’ll apologize now. Sorry, Orun," Loretta said, sounding like she had already given up on the situation.
What exactly are you apologizing for?
As my head grew even more cluttered with questions, the cloaked woman’s eyes began to sparkle.
"—I’ve wanted to meet you for so long, Master Orun!"
...Excuse me? ...Master... Orun...?