Things had quickly progressed in exactly the way Haemish had predicted. He was now sitting at a desk with four other, inferior and annoying Alchemists that had not even reached Level 100 yet to evolve their classes to more specialist options.

“Why do I have to work with these amateurs?” Haemish pouted.

“Sir, my apologies we will try to stay out of your way and we are here to assist you with anything you need at any anytime! We are eager to learn from a skilled Potions Master such as yourself sir!” One of the junior Alchemists said.

Haemish thought his name was Talon or Valor or something like that. He hadn’t realised he had spoken out loud and little colour flushed his tanned cheek at the embarrassment of being caught grumbling. Damn, hours and hours working alone! This time he was sure to keep his thoughts to himself.

In all fairness to the palace, they had sent a couple of runners out to his luxurious home in Pleutr Forest (if he did say so himself) where he was. Upon realising that his house was in a bit of shambles, to put it mildly, one of the runners had immediately turned around and gone back to the palace to report while the other stayed with him to help organise his items and materials and continue the work of cataloguing what was salvageable.

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In the days that it had taken them to get his home Haemish had already catalogued much of what was left of his lab and the rest of his home. He had also quickly and efficiently restored his Health, Mana and Stamina though the latter didn’t really need it, he always kept some powerful healing potions about his person in case of emergencies and this absolutely qualified! So by the time the runners got to him he was packing up for the inevitable collection.

The runner that had stayed with him, Haren, had been very nice to him. Taking orders from him and executing them efficiently. In short order, Haren had organised his belongings that were to be taken with them, what they were to remove and dispose of and what was to be removed but returned to the house once the building had been repaired.

“Sir, please do not worry about how much you would like to take with you. I have been given express orders from the King himself that I should attend to your every need. I swear it, or my name isn’t Haren Brean.” Haren humbly stated.

“Thank you young one, no need to be so formal though. Yes, as I have mentioned this is enough. Not to worry, much of what I had in my lab, as you can see is no longer worth anything as it has all mixed up. The explosiveness of the concoction has been expended so there is no danger left here either.” Haemish was not pleased with having to leave but he sighed and thought there was not much choice left.

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So here he sat, in the lab, very dejectedly. By now Haren would have made it back to his cottage, having promised Haemish that he would personally oversee the reconstruction effort. Haemish knew it was a lie of course. Haren didn’t have the Construction skill or the Foreman Class, unless it was hidden from his Identify, in all likelihood Haren was working hard on his personal goals while working for the palace. It was still a comfort. On the journey from Pleutr Forest to the capital Brewyn, they had gotten to know each other a little better.

He’s a good lad, he’ll go far Haemish thought.

Telling him about the work he did as a runner for the palace and his aspirations to become a member of the Royal Guard, the elites of the soldiers in Darf. He was certainly ambitious, only one in one hundred thousand of the individuals that applied made it into the Elites, and certainly, they all had a combat-related class that Haren did not have. The young man had made a surprising impression on Haemish. He would need to watch Haren closely.

“Sir…. Mr Grauff…..SIR!” Taler Rant the Alchemist yelled the last closer to Haemish’s ear than he probably should have.

Jostled from his deep and contemplative thoughts Haemish jerked, his whole body twitched. Nearly unseating him from the stool he was currently perched on.

“What is it Talon!! Can’t you see I am trying to work out the combination of materials to create the cure!” Haemish spoke irritably but more for having been rudely awakened and caught daydreaming than any real anger.

“It’s Taler, Sir. But I apologise. I will leave you to your thoughts.” Taler inclined his head in respect before slowly backing away.

“No, no, never mind, you have made me lose my line of thought, what is it?” Haemish again sighed deeply, he seemed to be doing that an awful lot since getting to the capital. He would need to be more aware and immediately stop that. It would not do to be caught sighing in front of the King.

“Sir, I received a message from the Head Healer. You said you need to see the Prince at the first chance when he was awake?” Taler extended a hand hesitantly with a smaller scroll of paper, barely a section of his little finger but Haemish snatched it quickly from him.

“Why didn’t you bring this to me sooner Valor!?” Haemish was quickly going from irritated to livid.

“Taler, sir…never mind, we just received the message, sir!” Taler realized too late that correcting his superior’s words was probably not a smart move right now with him in this emotional state.

The Prince is awake. Please come and have a look at what could be the problem.

Yours Sincerely Head Healer Marasa Brean

Well, this was certainly an interesting development, a relation of Haren’s perhaps? Haemish couldn’t say he wasn’t curious.