Hearing his name called, Sir Walter immediately turned around. At first, he looked confused as he tried to figure out who the two mysterious figures were—both dressed in long cloaks with hoods covering their faces. However, when Dr. Marshal and Shaan lowered their hoods, Sir Walter smiled right away.
"Dr. Marshal. Good to see you here!" Sir Walter said, patting Dr. Marshal’s shoulder enthusiastically. "And who is this?"
"Sir Walter, let me introduce you. His name is Shaan Devansh."
"Hello, Shaan. Nice to meet you," Sir Walter said with a smile. "So, what brings you here? Are you and this young man planning to have a drink here?"
"No, no." Dr. Marshal shook his head quickly. "You’ve misunderstood. I’m not here for that. There’s something important I want to ask you."
"Something important?" Sir Walter paused for a moment. "Hmm... Alright. It’s too noisy here, and I can’t hear you clearly at all. Let’s talk in my office," he said, walking toward his office. "Come on, follow me."
Hearing Sir Walter’s words, the two of them decided to follow Sir Walter to his office. When they arrived, Sir Walter opened the door to his office, and Shaan could only shake his head when he saw the inside of the room.
At first glance, the room looked like a typical office. There was a brown desk, several chairs in matching colors, and a gramophone that looked exactly like the one Isabel’s grandmother owned. However, one thing puzzled Shaan the moment he stepped inside. Right behind Sir Walter’s chair stood two large shelves, filled with colorful glass bottles.
"Wow, I... I never expected to see so many glass bottles."
"You two, sit down," Sir Walter said, gesturing toward the two chairs facing his desk.
"Alright," Shaan and Dr. Shaan said in unison.
"Now, what exactly do you want to discuss, Dr. Shaan?" Sir Walter said, sitting in his chair with a curious expression on his face.
"Well, we actually wanted to ask—"
"Oh, wait a moment." Sir Walter stood up from his chair and walked over to one of the shelves filled with glass bottles behind him. "What would you like? Whiskey? Wine? Or beer?"
"No, thank you, Sir Walter."
"Oh, all right." Sir Walter took a red bottle labeled "wine" from the shelf and opened it. "So, what do you want to ask again?"
"So, we wanted to ask you if you know of any other way to enter the Twilight Sanctum underground cave?"
Sir Walter paused for a moment. "Oh, yes, of course. I know it."
’Thank goodness,’ Shaan sighed. ’At least we’ll be able to get in—’
"But I can’t tell you that."
"Wait, what?" Dr. Marshal’s face turned pale. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean, I can’t tell you because that information is only known by a very select group of people," said Sir Walter as he slowly poured himself a glass of wine. "So unfortunately, I can’t help you."
"B-but we really need that information now, Sir Walter," said Shaan as he stood up from his chair. "Please, we need to get into the mine to prove that I did nothing wrong, that I didn’t cause any of this."
"Mistake?" Sir Walter furrowed his brow. "What do you mean by that?"
Dr. Marshal then explained in detail to Sir Walter what had actually happened and why they needed to enter the Twilight Sanctum underground cave immediately.
"Hmm... Alright, so that’s how it is." Sir Walter slowly sipped his wine. "In that case, I can provide you with this information."
"Oh, that’s good." Shaan smiled contentedly. "Thank you for—"
"However, this information isn’t free." Sir Walter held his wine glass with a sly smile. "Of course, you’ll have to pay for it to obtain this information."
"Damn it," Shaan thought bitterly. "So much for Sir Walter’s kindness—turns out he won’t share anything unless there’s something in it for him."
"How much? How many dark crystals do you want for this information?"
"No, I don’t want any dark crystals," said Sir Walter slowly, swirling his wine glass. "I want something else. Something far more valuable than that."
Dr. Shaan furrowed his brow. "Something? What are you talking about?"
Without saying a word, Sir Walter opened his drawer and took out an old scroll tied with a brown string. He placed the scroll on the table and pushed it toward Dr. Marshal.
"What is this, Sir Walter?" The frown on Dr. Marshal’s forehead was evident. "What is this scroll?"
"Open it and see for yourself."
Still looking confused, Dr. Marshal took the scroll and untied the string. When Dr. Marshal saw the contents of the scroll, his face immediately tensed. Damn. What exactly did Dr. Marshal see?
"Wait, this... this can’t be." Dr. Marshal shook his head. "How did you get this scroll?"
"Dr. Marshal, I have no idea what you’re talking about?" Shaan scratched his head. "What scroll is that exactly?"
"The Black Elixio Scroll, or what is commonly referred to as the Dark Elixir Scroll."
"Dark Elixir scroll?"
"That’s right. This scroll is a type of Curse Object known as a Ritual Artefact, created by an alchemist who went by the name ’The Shadow Alchemist,’" explained Dr. Marshal. "The scroll contains the formula for a mysterious potion that grants special effects to whoever consumes it."
"Then what exactly are those effects?"
"They vary," said Dr. Marshal. "But most of the time, the potion induces euphoria, reduces pain, and creates a sense of deep relaxation for the user. However, if someone takes too much, it starts affecting the nervous system and causes severe addiction. That’s why potions are considered illegal and extremely dangerous."
"So... this potion is basically similar to psychotropic substances." Shaan shook his head. "This is insane. I never imagined a potion could have effects like that."
"Exactly. Everything Dr. Marshal just said is true," said Sir Walter with a smile. "So, Dr. Marshal, what do you think? Are you going to accept my offer?"
"No need to rush. If you’re not sure yet, then maybe I could—"
"We’ll make it for you," Shaan interrupted, his voice loud and firm.
"Shaan, what are you doing?" Dr. Marshal looked at him with a shocked expression. "We can’t just make this potion recklessly. It requires a very specific set of skills."
"But we don’t have a choice," Shaan replied, trying to convince him. "We have to try, or else everything we’ve done will be for nothing. Besides, I believe that if we work together, we can create that potion. I really believe that."
Dr. Marshal fell silent for a moment, considering Shaan’s words. "Alright... then let’s give it a try."
"Good," Sir Walter’s face lit up with a satisfied smile. "I agreement. I’ll be waiting for the results of your potion."