Sakeer glanced at Imina.
Her usually cold and composed face now carried a flicker of anger—but to him, it looked rather cute.
"There's no need to waste time on petty schemes like this," he said calmly.
"When the sun shines, even the darkest corners disappear."
He chuckled softly, his gaze flickering with thoughtfulness.
"Besides… this might not be a bad thing."
Imina's amber eyes narrowed slightly.
Sakeer continued, his tone decisive.
"Starting tomorrow, we'll resume selling regenerative potions—but this time, it won't be free."
"Set the price at one gold coin per bottle. Only five bottles per day. We'll sell them publicly at the Adventurer's Guild."
For a brief moment, Imina was stunned.
Then, an uncharacteristically bright smile broke through her usually icy expression.
"Understood."
Three Days Later
The entire potion market in the imperial capital was thrown into chaos.
Every day, only five bottles of Sakeer's regenerative potion were released at the absurdly low price of one gold coin.
Within hours, they were snatched up instantly.
And on the black market, the price skyrocketed—soaring past 100 gold coins per bottle, with no signs of slowing down.
The potion's miraculous ability to heal disabilities, combined with artificial scarcity, had created an unstoppable buying frenzy.
Merchants, workers, and adventurers—those with the keenest sense for profit—descended into madness.
Buying a one-gold-coin potion and reselling it for a hundredfold profit was like printing money.
Even the most expensive high-grade healing potions barely exceeded eight gold coins—making Sakeer's creation incomparable.
No one could resist the temptation.
Originally, the title "Genius Alchemist" had only been whispered in small circles.
Now, his name spread across the entire empire—evolving into the more distinctive moniker:
"The Black-Haired Genius Alchemist."
And just as his reputation soared—
Another explosive piece of news shook the imperial capital.
Two noble families—the Rockbulls and the Iminster—had been completely wiped out overnight.
Not a single member survived.
The sheer brutality of the incident made it difficult to believe—so much so that most people dismissed it as an exaggeration.
At the same time, there seemed to be an unseen force suppressing the spread of the news, preventing it from gaining too much traction.
As for Sakeer—
His recent actions had gone mostly unnoticed.
That night, deep in the aristocratic district, within a newly acquired courtyard—
Sakeer leaned back, relaxed.
He had no intention of making himself a target, so after selling the alchemy potions, he had moved to a new location.
In the past few days—
Aside from crafting a few potions daily, most of his time had been spent injecting mana into the Orb of Death.
The Orb of Death: 90/280
The current mana storage had reached 90 points.
With a total capacity of 280, he didn't need to worry about hitting the limit anytime soon.
As he idly twirled the magical artifact in his fingers, Sakeer's thoughts drifted to the recent rumors.
"Was this Leinas's doing?"
The Rockbulls family—
That was Leinas's own bloodline.
If this had nothing to do with her, he wouldn't believe it for a second.
As for the Iminster family—
He wasn't familiar with them, but if Leinas had acted against them as well, then there was a high chance they were related to her former fiancé.
Sakeer exhaled, shaking his head slightly.
"Wiping out an entire family… this woman…"
For someone who appeared so cold and indifferent, she was shockingly ruthless.
Suddenly—
Imina vaulted over the courtyard wall, her movements as swift and nimble as always.
Upon seeing Sakeer idly petting his little Barghest, she wasted no time and rushed over.
Her purple ponytail flicked behind her, and there was an undeniable excitement in her golden eyes.
"Sakeer, do you know what the price of your regeneration potion is now?!"
Sakeer looked up, already guessing the answer.
Imina grinned.
"Five hundred gold coins! Can you believe it!?"
Her voice was filled with disbelief and exhilaration.
She had witnessed the entire phenomenon firsthand—
A potion that should have cost no more than ten gold coins had gone from a single gold coin to a staggering five hundred.
It was unreal.
Sakeer, however, remained unfazed.
"Five hundred?" he mused.
"Sounds about right."
After all—
The principle of supply and demand was the same in any world.
And right now, his regeneration potion wasn't just a medical breakthrough—
It had become an investment.
Sakeer glanced at Imina.
Her usually cold and composed face now carried a flicker of excitement—but to him, it looked rather adorable.
"Tomorrow, in addition to the five bottles of regenerative potion we normally hand over to the Adventurer's Guild, I'll give you five more to sell on the black market."
His voice was calm, as if he were making a casual remark.
Huh?
Imina's amber eyes widened in surprise and delight.
"You can still do that?"
Suddenly—
"You're being followed."
Sakeer raised his head, his gaze piercing into the shadows at the edge of the courtyard.
"How is that possible?!"
Imina's expression shifted immediately.
She had deliberately taken multiple detours before coming here, ensuring she wasn't being trailed.
With her agility and skill, very few people in the imperial capital could possibly keep up with her.
What's more, she had always been careful to conceal her identity in her daily activities. Hardly anyone should know about her connection to Sakeer.
"Don't blame her."
A soft yet weary voice echoed from the darkness.
The moment she heard that familiar voice—
Imina's breath hitched, and then, her expression shifted from shock to astonishment.
"It's you!"
The imperial capital had been plagued by terrifying rumors recently—rumors she had already reported to Sakeer.
A figure draped in a black robe stepped out from the shadows.
The faint scent of blood clung to the air.
Leinas Rockbruise.
Imina's body instinctively tensed, her guard rising.
But—
Leinas didn't even acknowledge her presence.
With slow, deliberate steps, she approached Sakeer and pulled out a leather pouch from within her cloak.
"There are 5,000 gold coins inside."
Her voice was steady, but there was a faint trace of exhaustion beneath it.
"That's the upper limit of what this magic bag can hold."
She sighed softly.
"A shame—I had to leave a lot of valuables behind."
Her fair and delicate face was a shade paler than usual. Yet, as the corners of her lips lifted slightly, her smile carried an edge of cold amusement.
"Two thousand gold coins? That price was far too low."
Sakeer studied her carefully.
She hadn't changed much in appearance.
But the feeling she gave off—
She seemed… alive again.
"You reek of blood."
Sakeer didn't reach for the magic bag.
Instead, he looked directly at her and spoke calmly.
"How many people did you kill?"
"Enough."
Leinas lifted her chin slightly, her voice unwavering.
"I needed their blood to wash away the humiliation I suffered."
"Do you love killing?"
Sakeer's question was blunt.
Leinas smiled faintly.
"No."
There wasn't the slightest hesitation in her response.
Sakeer shook his head.
"I'm just surprised that you managed to slaughter two noble families by yourself—and still walked away unscathed."
In the original storyline—
After Leinas joined the Four Knights of the Empire, she used the Blood Emperor's power to annihilate her family and exterminate her fiancé's bloodline.
She was a woman that defied simple description.
Hearing his words—
Leinas paused.
Then, an uncharacteristically bright smile bloomed on her pale face.
"I swore long ago… if I ever broke free of my curse, I would reclaim everything."
The air grew heavy.
Leinas's expression shifted—her golden hair swaying as the wind stirred through the courtyard.
Then—
In a single fluid motion—
She knelt on one knee before Sakeer.
Her right hand clenched into a fist and pressed against her chest.
Her head lowered slightly, and her crisp, unwavering voice rang through the courtyard.
"In the light of glory and loyalty."
"I, Leinas Rockbulls, make this declaration of allegiance, dedicating my heart, courage, and life to your honor and glory."
"I swear upon my soul—my devotion to you shall remain unshaken, my blade forever at your command."
"Your will shall be my mission—my duty, my pride."
"Even if the light is swallowed by darkness, I shall remain steadfast."
"If I ever break this vow—may the knight's spear abandon my soul, and may my body be condemned to the depths of hell for eternity."
"!!!"
Imina staggered back, her face pale with disbelief.
Her amber pupils trembled.
This was…
A Knight's Oath!
A sacred and ancient vow—one passed down through generations of nobility!
It was a ritual of absolute fealty!
Typically, such an oath was sworn by lesser nobles to the descendants of great houses, or by knights to their emperor.
But for a noblewoman to kneel before an adventurer…
Unheard of!
Unprecedented!
Sakeer, too, was momentarily taken aback.
But his expression quickly shifted into serious contemplation.
Even though he wasn't well-versed in noble customs, he understood that this kind of solemn vow wasn't something that could be casually refused.
A moment later—
He sighed inwardly, rising from his seat.
Then, stepping forward, he gently placed his palm on Leinas's left shoulder.
He could feel the tension in her body ease.
"I don't believe in gods."
Sakeer's voice was soft, yet carried weight.
"So I can't offer you any divine blessings."
He met her gaze, his tone unwavering.
"But I will do my best."
"To ensure that the name Rockbulls rises again—because of you."
Leinas looked up, her pale lips curving into a quiet smile.
Then—
She gently took Sakeer's left hand from her shoulder—
Bowed her head—
And pressed a light kiss to the back of his hand.
"I, Leinas Rockbulls."
Her voice was steady.
"Will serve you."
(End of Chapter)