The Herb King

Chapter 44: Undercurrents

Leric began refining the second type of pill. It was a pill that can make his Hegel bigger and stronger which would then make it possible for him to store more world essence.

There was such a pill circulating in the market right now, but it was quite difficult to find and also very expensive. Leric also believed that his creation would be more effective than the ones in the market.

Leric cleaned the cauldron first since it still had some residues from the refinement earlier.

After cleaning the cauldron, Leric lit up his Black Pill Fire. This was the true color of his Pill Fire since the Golden Pill Fire was merely a front to fool others.

The dark obsidian flame flickered beneath the cauldron.

After checking that the temperature was perfect, he grabbed the ingredients one by one. Each ingredient requires a different level of temperature so Leric didn’t put them all together.

After extracting their essence, Leric stirred the mixture inside the cauldron to a certain consistency. He looked completely at ease as he mixed the liquid.

.....

“What should I name this pill?” He muttered to himself as he thought of a good name for this pill.

After a moment of silence, his eyes lit up as he said. “Vigor Pellet...”

***

“Anna, can I see Sir Johann? Where is he?” Samira asked expectantly.

Sir Johann was a good friend of her grandfather and she learned a lot of things from him when she was still a child. Too bad she didn’t have talent in Alchemy, but Sir Johann still taught her a few things related to the field. Although it was only superficial knowledge, she was still thankful to Sir Johann for teaching her about it. Other than Alchemy knowledge, she also learned hunting and footwork from Sir Johann. It wasn’t wrong to say that Sir Johann was her teacher.

Anna smiled helplessly as she replied. “I’m sorry, Samira. Grandfather is asleep right now. He just had a major operation earlier so he is very tired at this moment.”

“I see. Too bad. I hope he recovers soon.”

“He will! Sir Aethelwolf told us that grandfather would be fine after a week of recovery.” Anna replied excitedly. Her grandfather’s health has been her greatest worry all this time. Now that he was on his road to recovery, she was incredibly delighted.

“That’s great! Then you guys must come to our residence after he recovers. Our gates are always open for you two!” Samira said eagerly.

“Of course! I miss Lady Antonette’s cooking so much. I want to eat her food again!” Anna had an enraptured look as she recalled the food cooked by Lady Antonette.

Antonette Crossfield is the wife of Harold Reynolds and the mother of Samira Reynolds.

“You are still a glutton...” Samira chuckled as she shook her head with an amused look.

“By the way, I heard from my grandfather that the Emperor is planning to build an academy. Only a few of Leone Empire’s top echelon knows about this. Have you heard of it?” Anna changed the topic.

Samira and her two maids were surprised when they heard this. They have been on the battlefield for months so they haven’t heard anything about this.

“Academy? What kind of academy is it?” Samira asked curiously.

Leone Empire was merely one of the many empires in the Regalis Continent. If the strength and foundation of all the empires in the continent were to be measured, Leone Empire would be rated in the upper middle rank. It wasn’t weak, but it wasn’t that strong either.

This might be good in times of peace, but if there would be a massive war between these empires, the Leone Empire would be in a difficult situation.

Anna shook her head. “I don’t have much information about this. I only know that this academy would accept all young geniuses of the empire. The imperial family, the noble families, and the commoners are all allowed to join.”

Samira held her breath in shock. “The imperial family and the noble families actually agreed to let the commoners have the chance to join this academy? That’s quite surprising! There must be something going on in the continent for them to do this.” She muttered.

Anna nodded her head in agreement. “I also think so. According to my grandfather, the one who proposed this idea was the Emperor himself. I think the rumors about the emergence of the underground creatures are true...”

Samira and her two maids furrowed their eyebrows upon hearing this. They had no idea what Anna was talking about.

When Anna saw their confusion, she immediately continued. “Two months ago, a faraway empire sent news about the emergence of underground creatures in their territory. The passing travelers said that these creatures has humanoid features and they also showed signs of intelligence surpassing that of beasts. Leone Empire has already sent scouts to the said empire, but none of them has come back yet...”

“This matter is indeed serious. The presence of those underground creatures means that there are dangerous beings living underneath the surface. And here I thought that the Northern Viper Group would be our only issue...” Samira shook her head and frowned.

“Not just that. The neighboring Dustin Empire and Ford Empire are also showing signs of aggression. They have been sending scouts and soldiers near our borders, causing minor disputes between our forces.” Anna sighed with a worried look.

Samira’s face became grim. She then stood up and said. “Anna, I have to return to our residence immediately. I’m so sorry that we have to cut our meeting short.”

Anna smiled and waved her hand. “No problem! Stay safe, Samira, and you two ladies as well.”

Samira, Skylar, and Kathlyn smiled at her.

“Thank you for telling me about these things, Anna. We’ll take our leave now.” Samira was grateful that Anna told them about this.

“Sure! No worries! I’ll see you soon, Samira! Goodbye!” Anna sent them off with a tinge of sadness.