After storing the sign, Alex asked.
"Can you do me a favor?"
"Oh? And what might that be?" Vanessa asked.
"I would like to exchange monster cores for water and wind novice ones," Alex said.
"Sure, how many?" Vanessa asked. Helping Alex become stronger would be beneficial for her as well.
"I don't know. I collected them on the island when I went to get the Saint's Tear, but I didn't have time to count them with all that happened," Alex replied. Since Vanessa already knew of his adventures, he didn't need to lie.
"Okay, pull them out. I'll help you count them, then we'll see," Vanessa said. She expected to see fifty or sixty cores.
Alex took the pocket watch, placed his other hand on the desk, and withdrew all the cores.
It was instantly filled with them, some even dropping to the ground.
"What the fuck, how did you manage to get your hands on so many cores?" Vanessa asked. While for nobles this wasn't much, for a novice commoner mage, this was the equivalent of becoming a millionaire out of thin air.
Alex briefly detailed what happened on the island.
"The carnage that followed after I took the ingredient was insane. I spent one and a half days in constant battle, then a month killing and collecting the cores of monsters that other monsters killed." He concluded.
Vanessa was speechless. 'Did I sign a madman?' She questioned his sanity.
"Do you perhaps wish to enlist in the Royal Guard?" she asked. With skills like his, he would be a perfect fit.
"No, thank you," Alex replied immediately.
Marina squinted at his instantaneous refusal. 'At least think about it for a bit, will you?' she thought.
Then the three started to count the cores.
After an hour, they finished.
"Well, luckily for you, you already have a hundred of each one you need. So, do you still wish to exchange the remaining two hundred forty-six you own into water and mana ones?" Vanessa asked.
446 were the total number of cores Alex collected — no small amount.
"Yes. My mom is also not far from ranking up, so it would be handy to already have the things ready," Alex replied.
"What about the mana crystals? Do you have them?" Vanessa asked.
"They're expensive, so I'm gathering them bit by bit, but I'm still far from done."
"Well, no worries then. We'll do this first, then see about the crystals. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave then. See ya." Vanessa said. She already knew who to ask for the crystals.
'My aunt would like an opportunity to mend her mistake.'
After leaving the place, Vanessa went directly to the castle and looked for Sylvana.
She knocked on her aunt's office. "Come in," Sylvana replied from inside.
Vanessa entered and greeted her. "Hello, aunty."
"Oh, Vanessa, pleasure to see you," Sylvana replied. "Tell me, what do you need?" she then asked.
"Say, do you wish to mend your relationship with Alex?" Vanessa asked.
"It would be nice if I could mend my mistake, yes. Why? Do you have any idea?" Sylvana agreed. As the person most informed about the supposed greatest terrorist group, fixing her relationship with Alex would prove beneficial for future information exchanges.
"Well, then, there is an opportunity," Vanessa said, then recounted what Alex had asked of her.
"Okay, leave it to me. I will bring it back to him as soon as possible," Sylvana said.
Back on the Philosopher's Stone, Alex was making potions with Eve. They now had a daily quota to fill until the royal supply was completed, which was immense.
The good thing was that the plants were supplied, and the potions paid for — though with a big discount, since they did all the work. Alex only had to mix the herbs.
A few hours later, the door to the shop opened.
Susan saw a person who resembled the princess come in.
"Hello, are you perhaps the princess's mom?" Susan asked.
Sylvana chuckled. "Almost, sweetheart. I'm her aunt, Sylvana. Pleased to meet you."
"Fufu, but shouldn't you be the sweetheart? You look quite young," Susan replied, amused by her tone.
"Oh? But I'm almost three thousand years old. You look less than thirty," Sylvana replied with a smile.
Susan choked. "What?"
"Yes. You perhaps didn't notice, but as you grow stronger, you live longer. Right now, you are a novice mage, so your natural lifespan is two hundred and fifty years," Sylvana explained.
"Well, what can I do for you then, highness?" Susan asked.
"Oh, call me Sylvana. Is Alex here? I have something to give him." Sylvana replied.
"Yes, wait for a moment," Susan said, then headed toward the backroom and opened it.
"Alex!" she called.
"Yes, Mom?" Alex's voice resounded.
'Mom?' Sylvana thought. 'Isn't he like twenty, and her mom barely thirty? Did she get pregnant at ten?' Sylvana's thoughts wandered.
"There's a lady called Sylvana looking for you," Susan said.
"Coming," Alex replied.
Shortly after, he came out the door and faced Sylvana.
"Hello, Sylvana. What do you need?" he asked, deadpan.
"Hey, manners," Susan nudged him with her elbow.
"Don't worry, sweetheart, I'm used to his personality," Sylvana replied.
"Is she really your mom? Isn't your age difference not that big?" Sylvana asked.
"I'm adopted," Alex replied.
"Oh. Well, anyway, I'm here to give you something. Can we go somewhere more private?" Sylvana asked.
"Yes, follow me," Alex said and guided her toward his office.
Once in his office, Sylvana went straight to the point.
"I'm here to deliver to you what you asked of Vanessa this morning, plus a small gift, as an apology for what I did to you in the cell. I overstepped that time, and my curiosity brought me to harm the person who saved me — and while he was defenseless. I am truly sorry." She apologized once again.
Alex looked at her. A legendary being apologizing — this had to be a first.
"I see that the reputation of your family doesn't come from nowhere. Apology accepted. I also see that curiosity runs in the family's blood, so I'll tell you the same thing I told Vanessa.
While curiosity is good, remember that it kills more people than magic does. With how long you've lived, I thought you already knew that." Alex said.
Sylvana didn't say anything, since she knew. Instead, she gave him a ring.
Alex looked at it. It was luxurious, but not overly so. It had an elegant presence without attracting too much attention.
"A ring?" Alex asked.
"Look inside. Just like your pocket watch, it is a sub-space artifact," Sylvana replied.
And so Alex did — and he was surprised.
Plans seemed to change once more.