Chapter 37: A Colorless Flower
"Elixer of life."
Everyone becomes quiet and a pin-drop silence enveloped the room. Including the healer everyone presents inside the room knew about the 'Elixer of life', it was something very precious.
It wasn't a potion or anything one could easily make. Elixer of life was a special 9-leaf herb only found at the depth of the Dark forest. A beautiful colorless flower would sprout on top of the herb after spending five hundred years growing.
It was said that as long as one was not dead, the 'Elixer of life' could cure any disease, even those standing on the death door.
But the problem was its rarity, because of its preciousness for a normal person getting or finding the 'Elixir of life' was almost impossible. And even if by chance it appeared in the market, there's no way the rich nobles would let go of such a precious herb.
It has been more than three hundred years since the last time the 'Elixir of Life' appeared inside Kingdom Escalante.
Kyle glanced at Baron Ohan who seemed to have lost all hope. Baron Ohan was a merchant, over the years of working he had accumulated a lot of wealth. He could buy all the high-grade potions for his sons but even he knew that Elixir of Life was something he could not afford.
With a face filled with despair, he was shaking while a few tears welled up inside his eyes.
On the other hand, Kyle wasn't someone who was going to just accept everything and do nothing. He walked toward his father with a serious expression.
"No matter what I will find the Elixir even If I have to enter the Dark forest."
Baron Ohan gazed at Kyle with wet eyes, his two elder sons were already standing at death door, how can he bear it if something happened to his youngest?
"K..yl.e"
He called out to Kyle with a choked voice before shaking his head. He knew there was nothing they could do. Thinking how the only thing he could do was to watch them die made him feel useless and ashamed of himself.
On the other hand, Kyle didn't care what his father was thinking.
'I can't let them die! No matter what, I will do anything.'
Gazing at the crying old man once more, Kyle walked toward the butler and the healer. He ordered them to follow him outside.
Baron Ohan wanted to stop Kyle but he was not even able to utter a single word, the only thing he could do was watch Kyle's fading image leaving the room.
After coming out from the study room with a calm composure, Kyle ordered the butler to bring all the records of the money they currently have.
The old butler looked at Kyle's strong frame with complicated emotions and sighed before nodding his head in reply.
It took Kyle half a day to gather all the money they currently have. According to the total amount he divided it into different portions, first the funds for basic house needs, second he ordered some trusted servants to buy enough high-rank potions that could be used for the next eight months.
Afterward, Kyle talked to the healers and convinced them to stay at the manor and take care of the patients for eight months. He promised them enough rewards and also no matter what he would return with the Elixir.
And without caring about the consequences Kyle started preparing to enter the Dark forest because he knew even if the Elixir appeared inside the Kingdom there was no way he would be able to get his hands on it.
'I promised to bring the Elixir even if I have to search the whole Dark forest.'
He didn't care about the danger nor himself, as long as he could save his brothers he would do everything.
Among the hundreds of thoughts going around inside Kyle's head, not once did it occur to him that he would fail. It was an unfamiliar emotion he felt for the first time like he could do anything as long as he tried.
While Kyle was packing and handling all the matters related to the Ohan household, Nine returned with the mission items the next day. He also brought a piece of news that changed Kyle's plans of entering the Dark Forest.
The 'Tower of Opportunity' was going to open in a month, the only place after the Dark forest where finding the Elixir of life' was guaranteed.
.....
Meanwhile, In the Royal Academy everything was going as usual. Professor Aliza entered the classroom and frowned.
'They are absent again?'
Today was the third day both Kyle and Nine were absent. She got information through the mission hall that they took on a mission, but seeing they hadn't returned even after three days had passed Aliza was quite furious.
Usually after entering the Academy the new students don't take on missions and only focus on improving themselves, but it's the second time Kyle took a mission. She would have understood if the mission was about hunting monsters but the mission Kyle and Nine took was about collecting some herbs! And to top it off those herbs were not even rare, because they could be easily found all around inside the mountains surrounding the Academy.
'Just how long can it take to collect some herbs? What the hell are they doing!'
Aliza was quite angry because Kyle have been showing a lot of improvement recently. She was happy to see someone with low talent improve with such a fast speed, but now that he disappeared without a word she was once again changing her perspective of Kyle.
'And he also took Nine with him. What the? If you want to roam around just go alone.'
According to her Kyle has been a bad influence on Nine as Nine was always hard-working but recently he has been following Kyle around a lot and neglecting his training.
Alec was also a little worried about not seeing Kyle for consecutive three days. He went to Kyle's dorm to check but found no one.
A few days ago he used the system appraisal skill on Kyle again but the results he got were the same as before. He was curious as to what Kyle had been doing recently.
After asking around the class, he finally got some news from a classmate that he saw both Kyle and Nine taking a mission and leaving the Academy.
He would have inquired more as to why Kyle suddenly left the Academy, but the system which was too quiet recently unexpectedly gave out a big mission to Alec. A mission he couldn't fail no matter what! That's why he forgot to find out more about Kyle.
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'Mission; xX'
Enter the 'Tower of Opportunity' and get the Artifact 'Sword of Power' before anyone else.
Reward:
2× Sub-ranks increase.
1×(S)-Rank skill.
Penalty:
-1×Rank.
The sword will go into the wrong hands.
???
Time remaining: 7 months.
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