The Hidden Monster of House Vale

Chapter 104: Chapter - 104 - A Potion Without an Antidote

”An antidote that is made by using Prince Rumil’s blood or Prince Rumil himself” said Lucien with a smile on his face.

”Wh-what? But that’s basically impossible,” said Erion.

Elaria remained silent.

She had never told Erion about this because she didn’t want to put his life in danger. She had wanted to figure out a way to save her mother on her own, without dragging her brother into something that could easily get him killed. But now, the cat was out of the bag.

Lucien stood in the middle of Elaria’s workspace, quietly examining everything around him. A large cauldron sat near the center of the room, surrounded by hundreds of vials containing potions of different colors. Some were clear as water, others were dark enough to look almost black, while several glowed faintly under the room’s light. Ten to twenty books were open at the same time across several tables, their pages filled with notes, formulas, and complicated diagrams. Even more thick books were packed onto the shelves lining the walls.

Anyone could see how hard Elaria had been working.

Every vial, every open book, and every unfinished experiment was proof of the countless hours she had spent trying to save her mother.

Lucien found that impressive.

”There is no such thing as impossible,” said Lucien while touching her books and vials, simply inspecting them.

Erion frowned.

”You don’t know Prince Rumil. I was stealing from his vault just so I could take revenge on my father by destroying him economically, but he is so strong. It’s basically impossible to get near him,” said Erion.

His voice carried both frustration and helplessness.

Erion’s motivation was revenge for his father.

Elaria’s was different.

She wanted to save their mother.

The cause might have looked similar from the outside, but the reasons driving the two siblings were completely different. Erion wanted to hurt someone who had taken something from him. Elaria was trying to protect someone she loved.

Lucien looked between the two siblings for a moment before a faint smile appeared on his face.

”How about this? Want to make a deal with me?” said Lucien with a smile.

”Deal?...but I don’t have anything to give to you,” said Elaria.

”I’ll give you Prince Rumil’s blood to save your mother. In return, I want you to make a poison potion for me,” said Lucien.

Elaria’s eyes narrowed slightly.

”What kind of poison?” asked Elaria.

”Nothing. It’s very simple...something that can erase memories,” said Lucien.

Elaria stared at him.

”Where are you going to use such thing?” asked Elaria.

”Don’t worry...it’s just another prince I’m dealing with,” said Lucien. ”So, do we have a deal?” continued Lucien.

Elaria studied him carefully.

She had already seen how strong Lucien was. His strength alone was enough to make her cautious, but now he was asking her to create something that could erase memories. That made her wonder just how far his plans extended.

Still, she knew what she wanted most.

Her mother’s life.

”Well...it’s not like I have a choice. Let’s see how capable you are. I’ve already seen how strong you are. Let’s see how cunning you are to get blood from the prince,” said Elaria with a smile as she shook hands with Lucien.

The deal was made.

Elaria released Lucien’s hand and reached into her void pocket. After searching inside for a moment, she took out a small green potion.

She held it carefully between her fingers.

”Here. To use this, you need to make them drink it and then use astral energy to enter their brain to remove their memories. You can make new memories as well. This is my original invention, meaning no one knows anything about this, so no one can suspect you. And there is no antidote—not yet,” said Elaria, proudly showing him her invention.

Lucien examined the green liquid inside the vial.

The potion looked harmless.

That was what made it dangerous.

”Ohh, as expected of you. And do not worry about Prince Rumil’s blood. Consider it done,” said Lucien with a smile.

Elaria nodded.

”That’s a bold promise.”

Lucien simply smiled.

”And if you need anything, just tell me. I’ll help as well,” said Erion.

”Of course. I do need your assistance with some of the stuff. Do you have any other partner who is good at fighting?” asked Lucien.

Erion nodded.

”Yeah...there is. She’s not here now because my sister sent her to kill some other Realm Master, and she must be coming right now,” said Erion with a sad look on his face.

Elaria noticed the change in his expression immediately.

She sighed.

”Erion, I know you two love each other, but it was necessary to attack two different places at the same time. Next time you’ll have your mission with her again,” said Elaria.

The sadness on Erion’s face disappeared almost instantly.

Just hearing those words was enough to make him happy again.

Lucien quietly watched the exchange.

’First love, I guess,’ thought Lucien.

He didn’t say anything about it.

Instead, he turned toward the exit.

”Well, I should go now. I need to prepare my plans,” said Lucien.

”Yeah...and please don’t betray us. It’s not like we could do something given how strong you are,” said Elaria.

She then turned toward her mother.

Elaria reached out and gently touched her mother’s hand before continuing.

”I just want to save my mother.”

There was no manipulation in her voice.

No hidden ambition.

Only a simple desire.

Lucien looked at her for a moment.

”Don’t worry,” he said.

The next instant, his figure disappeared into the void.

Elaria remained silent for several seconds after he left.

The room was filled with the smell of herbs and medicine, but her attention was no longer on her experiments.

For the first time in a long while, there was a possibility that she could actually save her mother.

Now, she could only hope Lucien would keep his word.

Somewhere in a royal palace of Azurefall, an elven princess sat on her balcony in the middle of the night, drinking tea while looking out into the darkness.

Her name was Lysandra.

She had short blonde hair and wore a dress in which the pants and top were connected together. It had no sleeves, and the tight-fitting clothing naturally emphasized her figure.

She was also a Realm Master.

Unlike many members of the royal family, Lysandra had little interest in maintaining a pleasant relationship with her brother, Prince Rumil.

In fact, their relationship was terrible.

She hated him.

Although they were brother and sister, Lysandra was stronger than Rumil. Yet strength alone did not determine who could rule Azurefall.

The elven kingdom followed a system in which only men could rule.

Because of that tradition, Prince Rumil had been selected as the future ruler of Azurefall.

Lysandra had never liked that fact.

Still, tonight, she was enjoying her tea and the quiet atmosphere of the palace.

The night was peaceful.

Then a maid suddenly entered her room.

”Lady Lysandra, we have news that Prince Rumil’s vault got stolen, and all the guards who were taking care of his vault were brutally murdered. Rumors are that this is the work of that Man Eater,” said the elven maid.

Lysandra slowly lowered her teacup.

”Man Eater? What kind of stupid name is that? Who gave this name?” asked Lady Lysandra.

”It’s given by Prince Rumil,” said the maid.

Lysandra’s expression immediately became one of mild annoyance.

”No wonder it’s stupid.”

She took another sip of tea before looking toward the darkness beyond the balcony.

”Whoever they are, they are killing Realm Masters who are closer to or have any relation with Prince Rumil. And the reason they disfigured the victims is just to give the message that they are people who don’t even deserve to show their faces,” said Princess Lysandra.

The maid’s eyes widened slightly.

”You’ve figured out so much, Lady Lysandra. You would catch him very easily. Why don’t you help Prince Rumil?” asked the maid.

Lysandra gave a dismissive laugh.

”That fucker deserved it. He only has elven ego. But whoever they are, small fry, they won’t be able to do much unless...” said Lady Lysandra.

The maid leaned forward slightly.

”Unless...my lady?” said the maid.

Lysandra placed her cup down.

”Unless some monstrous being helped this Man Eater, or they did anything big. I might try to meet them, who knows. But until then...” said Princess Lysandra.

She didn’t finish the sentence.

There was no need.

Her interest in the matter had limits.

If the culprit was merely some reckless group attacking Rumil’s belongings, there was little reason for her to interfere. But if something truly powerful was behind them, that would be a different matter.

For now, she returned her attention to her tea.

Morning arrived.

A large number of soldiers stood in an open field, staring at the bodies scattered before them.

Many of them were pale.

Some struggled to look directly at the corpses.

The deaths had been too brutal.

The families of the dead soldiers had also gathered there to take the bodies of their loved ones home.

There were cries.

There was grief.

And yet, Prince Rumil stood among the carnage with an entirely different expression.

He looked at the bodies but felt almost nothing.

His loyal soldiers were dead.

People who had served him had been slaughtered.

But Rumil didn’t feel that he had lost something precious.

To him, being a soldier meant accepting the possibility of death.

It was their job to die for him.

The only thing Rumil truly felt was anger.

His vault was empty.

Someone had stolen his treasures right under his nose, and he had no idea how.

Rather than remain there and allow his frustration to consume him, Prince Rumil decided to take his mind off the matter.

He would go beast hunting in the forest.

Prince Rumil was talented and powerful. Compared to most people in Azurefall, he was exceptionally strong.

But if someone compared him to his sister, Lysandra would be the stronger one.

That fact had never been easy for him to accept.

Still, strength was not the only thing that mattered.

Because of the patriarchy of the elven kingdom, Rumil had been chosen as the future ruler of Azurefall.

He had spent years trying to prove to his father that he was worthy of the position.

Rumil did not feel much connection toward his own subjects.

Even when his loyal soldiers died, he barely cared.

He had also introduced many policies that benefited elves while being unfavorable to humans and half-elves. Considering that a large portion of the workers in Azurefall were humans and half-elves, hatred toward him was common.

Rumil knew this.

But he didn’t care.

As long as he became the ruler of Azurefall, everything else could be dealt with later.

There was also Aelene, his fiancée.

Because of his busy schedule and his efforts to prove himself to his father, Rumil rarely had enough time to meet her.

After the beast hunt, however, he intended to meet Aelene.

At least for a while, he wanted to forget everything else.

The forest welcomed him with silence.

Prince Rumil carried a bow capable of firing multiple arrows made from astral energy.

He moved through the forest alone.

An approaching beast suddenly emerged between the trees.

Rumil raised his bow.

Several astral energy shots appeared.

He released them.

The projectiles tore through the air and struck the beast with deadly accuracy.

It died in a single blow.

Rumil continued forward.

Another group of beasts appeared.

He moved, drew his bow, and fired again.

One after another, the beasts fell.

The feeling was satisfying.

There was no complicated politics here.

No royal expectations.

No arguments.

No need to prove himself.

There was only the hunt.

Taking a life instantly.

Winning.

This was what Rumil enjoyed.

In his actual life, everything was complicated.

Here, it was simple.

A beast appeared.

He killed it.

That was all.

’That felt so good. I shot two beasts at once, probably from the same family...hahahah, who knows,’ thought Prince Rumil.

He laughed quietly as he continued through the forest.

But eventually, his thoughts returned to the problem that had been haunting him.

’Lately, this bastard Man Eater is stealing my treasure and attacking my vault. No matter how many soldiers are securing it, this fucker finds a way to steal it...it’s frustrating,’ thought Prince Rumil.

Whenever Rumil hunted, he preferred going alone.

There were two reasons.

First, he wanted to experience the feeling of winning alone.

Second, if he failed, there would be no one around to see it.

He had been coming to this forest for years.

He knew almost every path.

He knew where many of the beasts lived and which areas were safe.

That familiarity made him comfortable.

But today, his thoughts were too chaotic.

’What should I do? If this goes on, my reputation would be destroyed. I want to become the ruler of Azurefall...everything was going so well, so why?’

His frustration continued to grow.

For an ordinary person, strong emotions could make thinking difficult.

For a Realm Master, the consequences were far more dangerous.

As their emotions intensified, their astral power could become unstable.

Rumil’s frustration continued rising.

He kept walking.

Then, without realizing it, he suddenly reached an unfamiliar location.

His footsteps stopped.

’How...how did I end up here?’ thought Prince Rumil.

He looked around.

The terrain was definitely part of the same forest.

The trees were familiar.

The ground was familiar.

The air carried the same scent.

Yet something was wrong.

He had never been here before.

Not once.

Rumil’s expression slowly changed.

He had spent years exploring this forest, yet this place was completely unfamiliar.

And when someone suddenly finds themselves somewhere they don’t recognize, panic can come quickly.

His emotions became harder to control.

His astral energy fluctuated.

Then—

Five beasts attacked him at the same time.

They burst from different directions, moving together as if they had been waiting for this exact moment.

Rumil’s instincts reacted immediately.

He raised his hand and attempted to materialize his bow.

Nothing happened.

His eyes widened.

He tried again.

Still nothing.

The bow refused to appear.

”What...what’s going on...am I going to die...by some mere beasts?” said Prince Rumil.