Chapter 39 – Totto’s Identity
He said that he was ‘there’ as far back as he could remember.
The small atelier and room. Just him and his mother.
They ate two times a day. Always the same food.
His mother was a brilliant alchemist, and with the materials they were given, she would somehow ensure that there was a little left for Totto’s nourishment. Totto’s alchemy methods had also been devised by his mother.
Eventually, when Totto was ten years old, his mother was ordered to teach him. As someone who had been raised on magic potions, Totto had incredible magic energy within.
Upon noticing this, the lord had Totto’s status assessed. This could only be done at the church.
And so Totto was escorted there, his status exposed, and then he was registered as an alchemist.
At the lord’s mansion, Totto and his mother worked as hostages for years. And they were forced to make illegal magic potions.
“And then my mother…was drained of energy…and without any way to recover it…she weakened…and died.”
As she weakened, she told Totto about the illegal potions, about normal potions, and about the mansion. And how someone was spreading the illegal potions.
“I…found an opportunity when no one was looking, and escaped… As my mother’s body was taken to the morgue, I begged to be able to meet her. And on the way… I was desperate, because there were always people from the Wind Blast Gang around the house.”
“Wind Blast Gang?”
That sounded a lot like the name of the people they had destroyed earlier? Menew’s eyes widened.
Ralph had never heard of them either, but it seemed strange.
“The Wind Blast Gang are a pillar of the Wind House… The lord here is only a single pawn. They produce and sell illegal potions all over the continent. Mother said they are a giant organization.”
They had already done something to attract attention from the Wind House, and did not want to get more involved. However, they could not leave Totto either.
“Once the Lord had the Wind House’s protection, he was able to use that to gain influence at the Knights Guild… Even if they know it is wrong, the people there cannot defy him. Knowing that one word could cause violent riots across the continent…I would probably not say anything either…”
After thinking about this for a moment, Ralph carefully opened his mouth.
“No… We conducted an internal investigation with the help of the other guilds, and the Wind House never contacted the Knights Guild. The Lord must be bluffing.”
“If people think that the cost would be too high to intervene, they would leave them alone.”
Ralph nodded at Menew’s words.
“It was like that with Mamnak as well. They are being smart, and just cutting off the rotten parts while conducting business.”
“If the head is fine, well, it seems like a business where most parts are fine all of the time. And so the only thing to do is take this lord down.”
Totto was stunned as he listened to the two men in front of him.
They were making detailed plans quickly, and Totto started to think that it was all possible.
The small atelier with his mother had been his whole world once. But now he was seeing much more.
“The fall of the lord… It would help if we could get someone from the Wind Blast Gang to say that they have no intention of getting involved with the Knights Guild.”
“Even if we don’t go that far, the Knights Guild will have to act if the people raise their voices enough. While smaller things can be erased, if there are too many witnesses, it will be a different story.”
It was one thing to be silent yourself. But to silence others…no knight would do that.
If the Knights Guild did not react to trouble…that could cause riots in itself.
And so if the lord did something to that degree, both the Knights Guild and Wind Blast Gang would withdraw.
“So we should make as big a scene as possible then.”
“…Isn’t that what you always do?”
“Shut up.”
Totto’s eyes were wide and filled with tears.
Why did they think that they could do something about it? He did not understand.
“This is a once in a lifetime catch!”
Menew grinned, completely oblivious of Totto.
GO GET ‘EM!
Thanks for the chapter!