Click!
He pulled open the heavy, dark-brown door, carved with a type of flower Lyle didn't recognize.
This conspicuous floral emblem must have been the family crest of the minor noble who originally owned this courtyard; it was exquisitely carved, hinting at the door's high price.
However!
The creaking sound of leather and iron buckles rubbing at the wall connections when the door was pushed open proved that these expensive doors had not been maintained for a long time.
A middle-aged man in a black suit, with a well-maintained rosy complexion, looked at Lyle as he appeared in his sight, and the impatience in his eyes immediately vanished.
"Good evening, Your Excellency Tang."
Before Lyle could speak, the middle-aged man had already taken a step forward, bowed slightly, and then spoke with a confident smile.
His professional fake smile, combined with his preemptive speech, seemed complimentary, but in reality, carried an air of exerting pressure.
"You even know my name; it seems you've put in a lot of effort." Lyle's expression was calm, showing no surprise.
Even Imina didn't know his name, "Tang," and as a middleman, the other party didn't need to know the employer's identity.
Knowing where he lived wasn't difficult, after all, all the potions flowed out from here through Imina; they just needed to keep an eye on it for a while to find the address.
"So, it's through the signed lease contract then?" Lyle chuckled; he had used his adventurer identity when signing the contract.
The fake smile on the middle-aged man's face stiffened slightly; this alchemist named Tang was much younger than he had expected.
His pure white priest's robe and gentle expression gave him the initial impression that he would be easy to manipulate.
But with just these one or two sentences,
The middle-aged man realized that this young alchemist was not only a troublesome character but also wouldn't be easily intimidated by a few words.
"My name is Burt, I am a potion master, affiliated with the Herb Guild. Tonight, our guild is hosting a reception, inviting potion masters from various herb workshops."
"Although the alchemical potions Your Excellency produces are not made from herbs, they are still a type of healing potion."
The middle-aged man's face once again showed a professional smile, then continued:
"Our Guild Master has specifically invited Your Excellency Tang to attend."
After speaking, the middle-aged man stepped aside, pointing to a four-wheeled carriage behind him.
"Not interested."
Lyle said indifferently, turning to go back inside.
He had no interest in participating in such scheming activities; it wasn't just a waste of his time, but like being able to flip the table yet choosing to sit down and play along with these people.
It was both boring and uninteresting.
"Your Excellency Tang!"
"Are you sure you want to refuse? This is an opportunity for both of you." The middle-aged man's face turned somewhat cold, and his voice noticeably rose a notch.
If this were before the Blood Emperor's ascension, they wouldn't just be inviting this foreign alchemist; if he dared to sell potions at such a low price so brazenly,
They wouldn't let this young man see the sun the next day!
Of course.
That would be after acquiring the alchemy formula in his possession.
However, since the Blood Emperor Jircniv ascended to power, a large number of new regulations were issued, causing a constant influx of new things from all over the country.
And the Blood Emperor Jircniv also greatly encouraged the emergence of all sorts of new things.
This forced many previous ways of doing things to change.
No one wanted to cause a stir and be targeted by the current Blood Emperor; those who dared to stick their heads out had already been cut down.
The middle-aged man took a deep breath, making his voice soften again: "I see that the alchemical potions Your Excellency creates have a very short storage time. If you lack the 'Preservation' magic that allows for long-term storage,"
"We can provide you with that magic, and even some other alchemy techniques."
"With Your Excellency's talent, mastering these spells and alchemy techniques will surely elevate your alchemy to another level."
At this point,
The middle-aged man's face had once again broken into a smile, "And we only need a little guidance regarding the alchemical potions Your Excellency produces."
Lyle's forward steps paused, and he turned back to look at the middle-aged man, a smile appearing on his face.
The middle-aged man's heart rejoiced, just as he thought Lyle had agreed.
"Not interested."
As soon as his voice fell,
Whoosh!
A sound of something cutting through the air suddenly came.
The black chain transformed into a swimming snake, and before the middle-aged man could react, it had already wrapped around his neck, causing his face to instantly flush red, showing signs of suffocation.
"Roar."
The little Evil Spirit Dog swayed its body, and the bone chain suddenly whipped out, throwing the middle-aged man away and crashing him into the four-wheeled carriage nearby, eliciting a scream.
"Neigh!"
The horses pulling the carriage were suddenly startled, causing a series of whinnies, and they bolted, pulling the damaged carriage away.
Soon, it caused a series of exclamations on the street.
"Your control over the bone chain is getting more proficient."
Lyle praised the little Evil Spirit Dog beside him with satisfaction, then turned and entered the courtyard, the heavy brown door closing behind him.
As for the subsequent trouble this caused,
Lyle didn't care at all; this world has always been a world where the strong rule.
Simply displaying the third-tier "Angel Summon" was enough to deter a large group of people.
The next day.
Under Imina's deliberate promotion, news about Lyle, the mysterious alchemist who had developed a new potion for treating disabilities, began to spread.
Especially in places like the Adventurers' Guild and the "Singing Apple Pavilion," which gathered a large number of worker teams,
It first caused a stir.
The recently popular alchemical potions, which were cheap and had good healing effects, were highly sought after by those who constantly ventured into dangerous areas.
If it weren't for the fact that these alchemical potions had a short storage time, they would have hoarded a batch.
Such thoughts,
Lyle, as the creator, naturally knew that any good thing, once it appeared, would be hoarded in large quantities by those who first encountered it.
And the diluted Regeneration Potion by Lyle not only had its healing effects weakened, but its storage time was also shortened to about five to six days.
This would greatly curb those who wanted to hoard large quantities.
Using the "Preservation" magic could indeed extend the potion's storage time.
But the problem was that a bottle of alchemical potion was only worth eight copper coins; wasting magic to preserve a potion of this level was simply not worth it.
While the news was spreading,
On the other side, Lyle, accompanied by the little Evil Spirit Dog, had uncharacteristically left the noble courtyard.
On the bustling street,
Pedestrians on both sides walked with smiles, laughing and playing on the sidewalks, which were a step higher than the smooth central road, while the center was filled with numerous carriages.
This somewhat modernized design made Lyle, who saw it for the first time half a month ago, pause in surprise.
The more he observed, the more he could truly feel the gap between the Re-Estize Kingdom and the Baharuth Empire.
Lyle moved with the lively crowd, heading towards the central plaza.
The three most famous places in the entire Empire were the Imperial Magic Department, the Imperial Magic Academy, and the Imperial Arena.
Among these three, the Imperial Magic Department was the most mysterious, established by the Fifth Emperor, with a dedicated area opened up in the Imperial Capital, where almost all of the Empire's magic equipment was produced.
Its security forces alone were no less than those of the Imperial Palace, and this area was directly overseen by Fluder.
The Imperial Magic Academy, on the other hand, was established during the Sixth Emperor's reign, and this was where Lyle was currently headed.
Outside the Imperial Magic Academy, inside a small, exquisite restaurant.
The clear red tea on the table emitted a fragrant aroma. Lyle picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and quietly waited for his target to appear.
He didn't have to wait long.
A girl who looked only twelve or thirteen years old, with shoulder-length golden hair, a slender build, and wearing a loose, somewhat wrinkled mage's robe,
Was carefully walking into the restaurant from outside, hugging an iron staff taller than herself.
She first cautiously surveyed the scene inside the restaurant, and soon spotted Lyle sitting by the window.
Because Lyle was waving at her.
"Hello, Your Excellency, did you post the request?" The golden-haired girl walked over, her voice somewhat weak as she spoke.
"That's right, please have a seat first." Lyle said gently, gesturing for her to sit down.
Arche!
This girl's name was Arche, and she was also the most tragic member of the future worker team "Four Armaments."
Lyle sought her out because Arche possessed a natural innate ability called "See Through Magic Eye," and this ability was similar to Fluder's innate ability.
He needed to use this ability to confirm something.