Lucian headed straight for the herbalist.
He would have preferred to ride a carriage if possible, but he couldn't afford to draw attention, so he had no choice but to pull up his hood and walk.
Hans supported Lucian from the side, still wearing a thoroughly bewildered expression.
"What exactly are we going to the herbalist for, sir?"
"Why else would someone go to a herbalist? To buy herbs, obviously."
"That's exactly what I mean—why would you need to buy herbs yourself, young master? You could just purchase medicine directly from the Alchemist Guild."
The herbalist and the Alchemist Guild were similar only in that both dealt with herbs.
But aside from that, their social standing was worlds apart.
A herbalist who merely picked herbs, sorted them, and sold them could at best be considered a place used by commoners or low-ranking knights.
Compared to the Alchemist Guild—responsible for proper quality control and the manufacturing of real medicine—it was nothing more than a tiny hole-in-the-wall shop.
Even an ordinary apprentice, not even a full alchemist, would have a trained herbalist running in circles.
Naturally, anyone with even a bit of status would go to the Alchemist Guild rather than a herbalist.
"I don't know what you're expecting, but a herbalist is just a shop that sells herbs. There isn't a single thing better about it than the Alchemist Guild. In fact, they hand over all the good stuff to the guild and only sell mid-grade or worse."
"I know, so stop complaining. Do you think I'm going because I expect some legendary spirit herb to be lying around in a herbalist?"
"...You weren't?"
"Of course not. I'm going because it's something the Alchemist Guild doesn't handle."
"What kind of herb like that even exists? The guild sweeps up anything worth taking!"
"Because it's an herb that can't be made into medicine. You get the best effect by just chewing it raw."
More precisely, it would be correct to say that no proper method of processing it has been discovered yet.
A few years from now, a proper recipe would finally be found.
Moonlight Herb.
A herb that grows near lakes where moonlight shines well, known to significantly boost stamina.
Its medicinal effect is excellent, so its price is fairly high, but because there is no way to process it, it's nothing but a troublesome item to alchemists.
High nobles with their own territories have far better and more expensive medicines available, so they have no interest in it either.
At best, it's the sort of thing that lower nobles or commoners with land might be thrilled to acquire once in a rare while.
'With the money I have now, I could probably empty out an entire herbalist shop. A year from now, this amount wouldn't even be close to enough—the price skyrockets.'
A year later, the Alchemist Guild would buy up every Moonlight Herb on the market.
The reason—because of Nektar development—wouldn't be revealed until much later.
Thinking back, they must have also intended to deliberately raise Nektar's rarity.
Which meant Lucian had to purchase as much Moonlight Herb as possible before the Alchemist Guild made its move.
Lucian was just about to head toward the village below the castle after finishing his thoughts.
'Come to think of it… is the me from my previous life still on duty right now?'
****
Lucian went to the guard post to check and met with the captain of the guard.
Fortunately, the captain hadn't changed from his previous life.
At first, the captain didn't recognize who Lucian was, but the moment memory returned, he shot up from his seat in shock.
"Master Lucian, what brings you here?"
"Nothing serious. There's someone among the new recruits that I'm looking for."
"A new recruit, sir?"
"Yes. Because of the number of soldiers retiring due to injuries, new guards were recruited just a month ago, correct?"
The captain of the guard swallowed dryly without thinking.
How did the third young master—who had been shut away in his room until now—know about that?
"Y-yes, that's correct. Seven new recruits joined."
"Among the new recruits, there should be someone named Jake, right? Nineteen years old, black hair, and he probably brought a bow when he applied."
In his previous life, he had shown up with a bow when applying to become a guard.
He didn't even know how to shoot properly—he just figured he needed some sort of weapon.
He had been laughed at for it, but they appreciated his preparedness enough that he passed easily.
He had been well-known among his group, so with this much information, they should find him immediately.
"I'm sorry. There is no such recruit."
"What? No such recruit?"
But the captain's answer was completely different from what Lucian expected.
"Yes, none. Who would bring a bow when applying to join the guard? If someone had done that, rumors would've spread instantly."
"Then what about a nineteen-year-old with black hair?"
"Likewise, none. Black hair is extremely rare here. I've seen no such soldier at all."
None? But at this point, he should've already been serving for over a month.
Lucian double-checked the roster just in case, but there truly was no one named Jake.
Instead, a completely different name was listed.
When Lucian asked about the appearance, the captain said it was a brown-haired young man, twenty-five years old.
It seemed most likely that he was one of those who had failed the guard recruitment test in Lucian's previous life.
'It's a bit unsettling… but not a bad outcome.'
If the version of himself from his previous life were alive and walking around with the same personality, it would feel very strange.
Whether that existence had vanished or history had simply changed, as long as they would never run into each other, it was for the best.
Having shaken off his last bit of curiosity, Lucian headed with Hans to their original destination—the herbalist.
Clink—
"Who is it? It's break time. Come back later."
"Herbalists these days seem to have quite the attitude. Making a noble wait."
"What kind of nonsense— huh!?"
The previously cocky herbalist owner immediately collapsed forward in a bow the moment he realized who Lucian was.
He clearly never imagined a noble would visit a shabby little place like this.
"Y-y-your lordship, what brings you here...?"
"Obviously, I came to buy herbs. Did you think I came to have lunch?"
Lucian deliberately replied with sharp sarcasm.
This was the very shop owner who had shamelessly overcharged him countless times when Lucian had been working as a guard.
When he had been seriously injured, the man had even taken a full three months of salary as payment for herbs.
Since he was here anyway, Lucian intended to take a bit of small revenge.
"M-my apologies! A foolish question!"
"Foolish indeed. So keep your mouth shut and bring out the herbs."
"I—I'll bring everything at once! May I ask what you are looking for…?"
"Moonlight Herb, Red Thorn, Wing Lantern, and Stemflower. Especially Moonlight Herb—bring every last bit you have. If I find out later that you hid some to sell separately, you can consider your neck forfeit. Remember that."
At Lucian's icy, threatening tone, the shopkeeper bolted straight to the storage room.
Perhaps because of his guilty conscience, he tore through the shelves like a madman and dumped out all the Moonlight Herb he could find.
As expected of an expensive medicinal ingredient, the quantity wasn't large, but for a single herbalist shop, it was quite a lot.
"This is every Moonlight Herb our shop has!"
"The quality is mediocre. Is this really all?"
"M-my apologies! I'll give you everything—please, show mercy…!"
"That's enough. I'll pay."
His reputation was already bad; there was no need to add a new rumor about a noble abusing power to loot a herbalist.
Lucian paid the exact fair price for this period—no more, no less—and the shopkeeper made a conflicted face.
He had probably expected a noble to pay generously on top of the cost.
Lucian couldn't help but let out a short, incredulous laugh.
How many seconds had passed since he declared he would hand everything over for free?
"Is it not enough? Then I could pay more—though in that case, I'd also have to hold you accountable for the insolence you showed earlier."
"N-no, sir! I have committed a grave offense!"
Only after watching the herbalist bow his head to the floor several times did Lucian finally step outside.
Seeing the man's tear-streaked, snot-covered face was surprisingly refreshing.
So this was the true taste of power?
Hans, who had silently observed the entire exchange, finally muttered in a dazed voice.
"Young master… you seem a little different somehow."
"You used to never say anything harsh to anyone. But now…"
"How have I changed?"
"You've become confident. And… you have a bit of authority to you."
His chest tightened for a moment.
Hans hadn't been serving him long, but he was still a personal attendant.
Was he sensing some kind of inconsistency?
"Does it seem strange?"
"Strange? Not at all. It's great. Now I can walk with my shoulders straight among the other servants."
Fortunately, Hans was simply happy about his master's change.
Lucian smirked slightly and handed the Moonlight Herb to him.
"Don't worry. From now on, it won't be you watching the other servants' moods—they'll be watching yours."
"Just hearing that is an honor."
"I mean it."
If nothing else, Lucian understood well that a master's prestige was also a servant's prestige.
Hans had been ignored precisely because Lucian had been pathetic until now.
But things would be different moving forward.
The Lucian of before and the Lucian of now were completely different beings.
***
Before returning, Lucian stopped by a general store and purchased a few more items.
They were simple tools used by ordinary commoners when making medicine.
The Alchemist Guild didn't even bother handling such low-grade goods, but for Lucian, they were exactly what he needed.
'This is all I know how to use anyway.'
Back when he'd had nothing—penniless and empty-handed—how could he have afforded the expensive equipment used in alchemy?
The tools that commoners used—crushing and boiling herbs into rough medicine—were the only things he had ever worked with.
Even if he bought proper high-grade equipment now, he wouldn't know how to use it correctly.
Lucian finished the basic preparations and then spoke with a serious expression.
"You stand outside the door and don't let anyone in. If someone tries, block them with your body. If you can't, then at least shout. If anyone complains, I'll take responsibility."
"Even if the other young masters come?"
"Even if Father comes."
Hans was horrified at first, but after seeing Lucian's expression, he nodded with a resolute face.
Left alone, Lucian shoved the scattered books into a corner and began combining the medicine.
Though "combining" was a grand word—the entire process was nothing more than crushing the herbs to extract juice and mixing them in fixed proportions.
But even this half-formed recipe, if leaked, could turn the world upside down.
That was why he had Hans block the entrance—despite knowing no one was likely to visit.
Even the smallest hint falling into someone's hands could create enormous disruption.
When Lucian squeezed out the herb juice, mixed it, and heated it with a lamp, a sharp, stinging odor quickly spread.
As time passed, the spiciness intensified until it brought tears to his eyes.
'Honestly, how did I ever drink this in my previous life?'
No matter how he thought about it, any normal person would suspect it was poison rather than medicine.
Only someone desperate enough would dare drink it.
Once the liquid turned red, Lucian extinguished the lamp.
As it cooled, the smell gradually faded, leaving behind only the red medicine.
Lucian took a deep breath, then swallowed it all at once.
Gulp—
"Fuuuuu!"
The burning liquid slid down Lucian's esophagus and into his stomach.
After a moment, he felt a writhing surge of energy roiling in his lower abdomen.
Mana!
The power created when humans convert the force of nature into their own.
And depending on how it was used, it was also the power that could raise a person into the ranks of superhumans.
This is the crucial moment.
Lucian, who once governed mana, focused and began to guide it.
As he rekindled the sensations of his past life, the mana slowly descended toward his pelvis.
His first attempt succeeded, and a sigh of relief escaped him.
He had overcome the biggest hurdle.
No—it's too early to relax. The circulation still remains.
It was the process of spreading mana through the entire body along its pathways and then gathering it back again.
The essential preliminary step required for one to become a knight—circulation.
With a normal elixir, the mana would simply seep through the body and slightly widen the pathways.
But Nektar could do far more—it could open muscles, bones, and even previously blocked channels.
The problem was that the less trained a person was, the more excruciating the circulation process became.
After the first time, it improved significantly, but that first circulation was the issue.
The pain felt like forcibly digging through and tearing open blocked pathways!
Tch, this is going to hurt like hell.
Lucian's body had never done farm work, let alone any real training, so the pain would likely be worse than in his previous life.
Bracing himself for the agony to come, Lucian tightly shut his eyes and guided the mana forward.
But no matter how much time passed, the pain did not come—not even a little.
After a short moment, Lucian's eyes flew open in shock at an outcome he had never expected.
What…? Why aren't there any blockages at all?