[STT] Chapter 93: Getting The Pills (Patreon)

Supply Hall Master POV

A commoner walked into the supply hall a little before noon, which was a rather odd sight for the hall master. He even had two captain's men on his tail.

The hall master, as someone of his station would, noticed the guards before he noticed the commoner. After all, the captain didn't put men on people he'd deemed as not important.

So, when he saw the commoner, he paid attention.

The boy was young, thin, and wore House clothes that weren't quite fitting. He had a bird on his shoulder, a peculiar bird made of mana, and the boy himself was a little unnerving to look at, given his eyes. He had the eyes of a dead man.

Regardless, the hall master greeted him with a polite smile.

One could infer that the boy was a commoner despite the clothes, due to a simple fact: the clothes didn't fit, and the way he walked, the way he looked around.

He was a commoner, maybe recently initiated into a branch family? But then the guards wouldn't be there.

Strange.

But not his business.

What was his business, however, was making sure that the supplies for the House were accounted for, and that there were no shortages. House Vane took pride in its efficiency, and he was no exception.

"Welcome to the supply hall. How may I help you?"

The boy looked at him, his eyes flat and his expression unreadable. "I'm here for the pills."

"Ah, I see. What kind?"

"Tempering pills, third grade. Lord Gerald sent me."

The guards exchanged a glance, and the hall master's smile grew strained. Lord Gerald? What was this about? He couldn't recall a new member being inducted, and the boy looked too young to be a retainer. Much less a noble by title. Lord Gerald hadn't left his side of the mansion in years, but this boy was saying that he'd sent him?

The hall master was confused.

"Third grade? Are you sure? That's quite a high dosage. And did I hear you correctly? Lord Gerald sent you?"

Lord Gerald typically never sent anybody for anything. The old man hadn't sent so much as a note to the hall master in years.

"Yes," the boy nodded, his tone flat. "I need them."

The hall master hesitated. "I'm afraid I can't give you the pills without verification. You understand, right?"

Internally, however, he'd already filed away the young man as a new recruit being greedy and lying to get his hands on some pills. It wouldn't be the first time, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

He'd dealt with many a recruit who thought they could get away with such things, and he was not going to fall for it.

Third grade tempering pills were for Tier 3 ascender minimum, and even then, only in special circumstances. And he was to believe a commoner with no name on any list, and no prior visits or presence in the hall, was sent by Lord Gerald for those?

Ridiculous.

"I understand," the boy said, and that was that.

So the boy was lying. Somebody had put him up to it, and knowing the young blood these days, he wouldn't put it past them to use a commoner as a scapegoat. The noble kids got up to all sorts of trouble in their youth, and this one seemed to be taking the fall for one of them.

Ah, come to think of it, Lady Alice was arriving with someone today, wasn't she?

He would have to keep an ear out for rumors, but for now, he had to handle this boy.

"Well, let me be clear: do you understand what you're claiming? A false claim of Lord Gerald's word can get you into a lot of trouble."

"Okay."

The hall master waited for more, but the boy didn't elaborate.

"Third grade is for Tier 3 ascenders at a minimum, boy."

"Huh, then why would Lord Gerald make me get that one?" The boy mumbled to himself.

"Well, to be more specific, you need the mana quality of a Tier 3 at a minimum to benefit from the pill. The grades are set by a testing device, a construct carved into a stone, so we'll have you push your mana through it, and see if you qualify."

The boy nodded, his expression still blank.

Was he nervous? He certainly didn't look it, and that was a bit concerning. The hall master had expected a defensive argument, or the boy going pale, or at least trying to get out of the situation. But he remained firm.

The hall master sighed. "Follow me."

"Sure."

Well, he gave the boy a chance to back out, but if he didn't want to take it, that was fine by him. He would have the proof he needed to report to the proper authorities.

They walked to the back of the hall, where the testing stone was kept, and the guards followed, their hands on their weapons. The stone was surrounded by a hall of its own, a circular room with a pedestal in the middle, on which the stone sat.

The hall master gestured for the boy to approach the stone, and he did, his steps steady. Waist high, grey, the stone looked ordinary if a bit big, and it had five marks cut into its face, one above the other. It was a simple thing, a gauge for the quality of mana.

"Place your hand on the stone, and push your mana into it," the hall master said.

Tempering pills hardened the body to the mana it carried. Or, to be more specific, made it vulnerable to said mana so it can be tempered by it in turn. So a pill above what a body could handle killed instead of helping, so the hall graded them one to five just to make it easier for the people to know what they were getting themselves into.

That was why the stone was helpful. You pushed your mana into it and it lit as far as you could push. Nobody under Tier 3 lit the third mark, the hall master had been here for thirty years and had never seen it light up for anyone below Tier 3.

His own son had gone up to the second mark a month ago, at Tier 2, which was quite impressive, but he had no hopes the boy before him would do the same.

The boy placed his hand on the stone, and mana flowed out of him and into it.

The first mark lit up, and the boy frowned.

As expected—

The second lit up as well.

Is something wrong with the stone?

The hall master was crippled himself, in service of the House, and that was why he was stuck as a hall master. His ambition had been cut short after an injury, but he still held pride in his House. And to see the stone lighting up for someone other than his son irked him.

The boy's frown deepened, and his face scrunched up a little. His eyes focused on the stone, and the third mark lit up.

What?

It was not possible.

It couldn't be. The boy was a fraud, he had to be. Maybe he had a trick, some artifact he'd brought in to fool the stone? That had to be it.

The boy looked at the stone for a moment, his expression unreadable, and then pulled his hand back.

The marks faded.

"Can I get the pills now?"

"The register," he said, his voice a bit strained. "Please state your name."

He had to know who this kid was.

"Ben. Benjamin Vane now, I guess."

The hall master found his clerk and instructed him to fetch the records for Benjamin Vane.

The clerk came back in a moment and started reading. "Benjamin Vane, formerly a commoner, joined the House today, sponsored by Lady Alice. A retainer. Tier 2, no noble title bestowed or usurped. No notable achievements as of yet."

"By whose seal?"

"Lord Gerald's seal."

The hall master turned back to the boy, who stood there waiting, and he had to force himself to not choke on his spit.

Lord Gerald had actually gone and done it. Taken in a random commoner as a retainer, and had him fetch the pills himself.

But why?

And how did a Tier 2 have the mana quality of Tier 3?

The hall master had never heard of such a thing.

The boy was an anomaly, and it made him nervous. It was not often that he met someone like this, and he had a feeling this would not be the last time he heard of Benjamin Vane, either.

To think Lord Gerald would initiate someone like this himself, there had to be a reason. Was he taking in a new student? That wasn't possible, he hadn't done so in years! Then again, this boy did have a rather... peculiar aura about him.

His eyes and the way he carried himself, not to mention the quality of his mana...

The hall master forced his smile to remain friendly.

"Of course. I apologize for the trouble. I will have the pills ready in a moment. Please, excuse me."

He left the room, his mind racing.

A boy with the potential of a Tier 3 at Tier 2. This was going to be interesting. His son had competition, it seemed.

###

Alice POV

Alice was glad to be back home.

The expedition had been a mixed bag, really.

She'd made new friends, and had some fun, but it had been tiring and dangerous, and she was looking forward to some time off. Ben had joined the House, which was great, but her father was not going to be happy about it.

She was glad Ben hadn't been sent to her father directly, that would've been a disaster. Her grandfather had saved her a lot of trouble, and she was thankful for that

Still, she had to face her father sooner or later, and she might as well get it over with. So she went to his office, where he was waiting for her.

He was a formidable looking man, tall and broad, with a stern face and piercing eyes. He was the current head of the House, and he was a powerful warrior. His hair was greying at the temples, and his beard was neatly trimmed.

He sat behind his desk, papers in front of him, and wore this sour expression he got when he was concerned about something.

He looked up as she entered, and she could tell he'd been waiting for her.

"Father," she said, bowing her head.

"Alice. I see you've brought a guest with you."

"Yes, father. Benjamin is a friend of mine. I sponsored him."

"And you thought it was appropriate to bring him here without consulting me first?"

"I... Well, yes."

He sighed. "You're too impulsive, Alice. You always have been. And now, you've brought a commoner into our House, a commoner with no title, and no standing. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking he needed a place to stay, and that he's very talented. And that we could use someone like him."

Her father rubbed his forehead. "Unusually high mana path allocation, the boy wilts before he grows. You want to bring in a failed experiment, Alice?"

"No, father, he's not a failed experiment. He's just... different. He needs guidance, and I believe he can be great."

Her father looked at her for a moment, his expression unreadable. "I see. Well, I will have to see for myself. Bring him to me later, and I will judge his worth. No idea what Eris saw in him."

Her father was always hard to please, and he never liked to be surprised. It only made sense, given that their House was in a bit of a precarious position, but still. She wished he would be more supportive.

"Of course, father."

"Good. Next time, consult me before making such decisions. You are my daughter, and your actions reflect on me. Understand?"

"Yes, father."

"Good. Now, go. I have work to do."

She bowed again, and left his office, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

Well, that could have gone worse.

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