Chapter 18 : The Alchemist of Adela (2)
Gabriel Bastin.
During the Unification War, he was an enemy of the empire who had disrupted the Akrishima Empire from the rear.
Among the many titles attached to him, the most famous was the one that had become his very symbol: ‘Drug King’.
But aside from that, there were even more names by which he was called.
‘Merchant of Death and Pain’, ‘Preacher of Decline’, ‘Parasite of the Empire’, ‘Blindfolded Demon’, and so on.
Gabriel created all kinds of narcotics and psychoactive drugs and distributed them across the empire.
As a result, the empire fell into tremendous hardship.
Even if the entire nation had joined forces as one heart and one mind to wage the war, it still would not have been enough, yet a large portion of the people were dazed and staggering from drugs—there was no way the country could function properly.
In the end, after conducting a special capture operation for over a decade, the empire barely managed to arrest Gabriel.
High-ranking inquisitors interrogated him to determine how he had spread the drugs.
Because the damage inflicted upon the empire was so enormous, they suspected that he might be a spy sent by another nation to gnaw away at the empire from within.
All manner of brutal torture was inflicted.
But the answer Gabriel gave was only one.
“You’re asking why I did this? Simple. This kind of world is much better off collapsing.”
With the eyepatch he always wore torn away, exposing the traces of a completely crushed eyeball, he spat venomous words at the world.
That sight could only be called ‘madness’ itself.
Even inquisitors who had seen every manner of horror could not help but grow sick of the vicious malice Gabriel exuded.
In the end, without leaving any particular reason behind, he vanished as dew on the execution ground.
“Welcome to Adela!”
“You’ve come from Reichart territory. Would you please wait a moment? I will immediately send word to the higher-ups.”
And now.
After riding without rest for a full day and night, I, Hein Reichart, arrived before the gates of ‘Adela’, the place where the present-life Gabriel was presumed to be staying.
“It is fine. I have been ordered to handle this quietly, so I would like to remain as discreet as possible.”
I spoke as I presented the official pass Redin had given me before departure.
The official passes I had received from Redin before leaving the Inner Castle were two in total.
A ‘special official pass’ bearing Redin’s signature and seal.
And a ‘general official pass’ used by Reichart administrators.
If I had produced the special official pass here, passing the inspection would have been far easier, but I had no desire to cause a commotion.
“The verification process has been completed. Then we wish you a pleasant journey.”
“Thank you.”
I had rarely shown myself at Reichart’s official events.
Because of that, the guards did not recognize my face.
‘Let’s see. So…….’
After passing through the gate safely, I checked a map and headed toward the place where Gabriel was staying.
‘What should I do once I meet him?’
The worry that had lingered in my mind the entire way to Adela raised its head once more.
Depending on what state he was in, my attitude would have to change as well.
If he was already steeped in the same madness as in my previous life, having committed evil deeds—
Then recruiting Gabriel would be impossible.
In my previous life, Gabriel had been like a bomb that could not be controlled.
But if, instead, he was not yet stained by madness?
‘No matter what, I have to bring him to my side. His Ability is outstanding.’
Gabriel, known by the epithet Drug King, had a true profession: ‘alchemist’.
Alchemy, depending on how it was used, could become ‘deadly poison that kills the world’ or ‘a miracle medicine that saves countless people’.
‘The beginning of that incident a year from now was the outbreak of a plague. If we could have responded properly in the early stage, Reichart would not have suffered such tremendous damage.’
As I recalled what was to come, I bit my lip without realizing it.
That incident that announced Reichart’s full-fledged decline.
To suppress it successfully, Gabriel’s abilities were needed.
‘If I give Gabriel Bastin the information I know alongside his abilities, it should definitely be possible to create a cure for the plague.’
I hurried my steps.
After some time passed.
I arrived at Gabriel’s residence, located on the outskirts beyond the Inner Castle.
And the first thing that welcomed me there was……
Toot-toot-toot-toot!
Thump-thump.
Welcome to Gabriel’s Bubbling Laboratory!
It was a large signboard, flashing brilliantly as it sparkled.
The ‘Bubbling’ that occupied the center of the signboard seemed to be the laboratory’s name.
Around the name, all kinds of effects rippled as if to embody ‘Bubbling’.
‘What is this?’
An utterly unexpected, bizarre sight.
No matter how composed I was, I couldn’t help but be taken aback.
‘……Did this bastard taste like this?’
To me, who only remembered Gabriel who had dyed the continent’s nights entirely in darkness, the sight of the ‘Bubbling Laboratory’ decorated in vivid, dazzling colors was shocking.
‘Did I come to the wrong place?’
I checked the map I had prepared once more.
But the location indicated by the map was undeniably this place.
In the end, as I accepted that fact and was about to knock on the laboratory’s door handle—
“Um…… what brings you here?”
A delicate voice came from behind.
“Do you perhaps have something to say to my brother?”
When I turned around, a brown-haired young lady with a small frame stood there, clutching a large grocery bag to her chest.
Meeting the anxious-looking eyes of the girl, I greeted her with a businesslike smile and a polite tone.
“Hello. I am Riley from the Reichart Treasurer’s Office. Pardon me, but is this the laboratory operated by Mr. Gabriel Bastin?”
***
“Whew, I prepared some tea, but I’m not sure if it will suit your taste.”
The brown-haired young lady who had welcomed me earlier, ‘Elly Bastin’, carefully set a teacup down in front of me and sat across from me.
“A distinguished guest has come, but the house is so messy…….”
Boom! Bubbling.
As if waiting for Elly’s words, a suspicious sound came from the direction of the basement.
Elly’s face, already flushed, turned even redder.
“Not at all. In truth, I have long wanted to visit the workshop of those who practice alchemy at least once, so I consider myself fortunate to be able to feel that atmosphere today.”
I smiled gently—an expression I rarely showed—and brought my hand to the teacup.
‘Mm, the aroma is better than I expected.’
The tea Elly served could not be called a luxury, but it carried a strange fragrance that strongly drew the drinker in.
The source of that strange fragrance was—
‘The bluish-green powder that she sprinkled into the cup just now.’
The one who made that powder was likely not Elly, but the owner of this laboratory.
Slurp.
While drinking the tea, I carefully scanned the interior of the laboratory so Elly would not notice.
It looked somewhat cluttered and disorganized in places.
But it was a truly warm space, filled with the warmth of people and the owner’s affection.
Bubbling, boom!
‘No matter how I look at it, it doesn’t seem like a place where a vicious criminal who flipped the empire upside down with drugs would be.’
Feeling the disparity between the Gabriel I knew and the cozy scenery of the laboratory, I continued drinking.
And when the cup was about half empty, I began speaking.
“The reason I came here is to meet Mr. Gabriel and place a few additional orders.”
“Oh! Really? Ah…… what a relief.”
Hearing my words, Elly clasped her hands together, her expression clearly relieved.
“I was worried, you know. I thought perhaps there was an issue with the goods my brother supplied, and that the Treasurer had come because of it.”
“Of course not. Reichart territory has always been satisfied with the quality of the goods Mr. Gabriel sends.”
That was the truth.
In fact, there had not been a single administrator who expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the goods Gabriel provided.
“The reason I came is to place an additional order. But since the quantity is fairly large, I was ordered to inspect Mr. Gabriel’s laboratory in person before signing a contract.”
“Ah, so that’s what it was?”
“Yes. Of course, I do not doubt Mr. Gabriel’s skill, but the regulations are what they are, so I only ask for your understanding.”
“Of course. Please look around as much as you like. Ah, if my brother knew this, he would be so happy.”
Elly had a delicate appearance, but she seemed to be a girl with a very rich emotional expression.
At the mention that a large additional order was planned, her face bloomed with smiles again and again.
“My brother often said it, you know. He said Reichart territory is great because payment is always clean and they never nitpick for no reason. I have to tell my brother this news quickly!”
Watching Elly look as if she might run off in joy at any moment, I asked her a question.
“Miss Elly, is Mr. Gabriel currently out somewhere?”
“Yes. Actually, my brother has been away from home since last month. But it’s okay. He hasn’t gone far, and it’s not like he can’t be contacted. In fact, my brother is inside the castle, carrying out the lord’s orders.”
“Mr. Gabriel is inside the castle right now?”
“Yes. Please wait just a moment. Just a moment.”
Elly left her seat at a quick pace.
Then a moment later, she returned holding an envelope stuffed with letters.
“These are letters my brother sent from the castle. Because of security issues, he can’t go out or meet people directly, but I can still send him letters. So if you have something to say, I’ll deliver it for you. If it’s alright, would you tell me?”
Perhaps to reassure me, Elly showed me the letters she had exchanged with Gabriel over the past month, one by one.
In Gabriel’s letters, his affection for his younger sister who was guarding the house alone seeped through strongly.
“You must be happy, Miss Elly. To have such a considerate brother.”
“Oh! No, not at all. Actually, my brother is the type who only knows research, so there are so many things he needs help with. Just last month alone……”
As she explained Gabriel, Elly chatted on.
I listened while drinking my tea.
And when the cup was completely empty—
“Then I will be taking my leave.”
“Already? I haven’t even been able to host you properly.”
“No. Being able to drink such good tea is more than enough, and I am grateful.”
I began to rise from my seat.
“Miss Elly, as for the contract, I will meet Mr. Gabriel personally and convey it, so you do not need to trouble yourself.”
“But my brother is currently carrying out the lord’s orders, so he won’t be able to meet outsiders.”
“I am also here to carry out official duties, so the lord will understand. I will first visit the Inner Castle, and if I cannot meet Mr. Gabriel, then I will seek your help at that time.”
“Ah, then you’ll do that?”
“Yes. Thank you for the tea.”
With that greeting, I left the workshop ‘Bubbling’.
Toot! Toot!
Just like when I arrived, Bubbling let out cheerful sounds as it saw me off.
When I had gone far enough that I could no longer hear it—
‘It seems Gabriel’s current situation isn’t good.’
My expression, which had worn a business smile, suddenly turned serious.
‘If Gabriel were staying in the Inner Castle’s guest quarters or waiting room, then either he would be able to come outside, or the handler’s seal would have to be stamped on the envelopes of letters going in and out. But—’
None of the envelopes Elly showed me had any seal stamped on them.
That meant the letters were being carried out through unofficial means, without going through formal procedures.
Typically, the most common place within the castle where letters were carried out in such a manner was—
‘Prison. There’s a high chance Gabriel is currently imprisoned.’
My footsteps naturally quickened.
It seemed I needed to meet Gabriel as soon as possible.
As I moved, I reached into my bosom to confirm the item I had carefully kept there.
‘I might have to use this sooner than I expected.’
Where my fingertips touched.
There, carefully kept, was the ‘special official pass’ engraved with the seal of the Family Head of Reichart.