Axis hired a mechanical carriage to the Ettic Central Library. It was situated in the Eastern District near the University. Ettic’s library was one of the most deserted buildings in the city as barely anyone visited it. The only reason it was still receiving funds was due to it being jam-packed during examination months. It was only during this time when there would be some hustle-bustle in the library.

As the carriage entered the Eastern District, the change of scenery was in striking contrast to the Western District and also brought a wave of nostalgia to Axis.

As the carriage stopped outside the library Axis got off, paid the driver, and started climbing the steps.

The was an imposing building with 3 floors and you could only hear the whistling wind around. The neglected situation was all too familiar to Axis.

Interiorly the library was well lit with lights and was always neat and tidy.

At the reception was a new librarian he had not seen before, but maybe she was not new as Axis hadn’t been here for the past 3 years.

The librarian's name was Ella and seemed like a graduate just out of University.

Axis greeted her and asked if there were any books authored by Veddick Ashville or some books or journals about him.

The library was fitted with pneumatic tubes which passed from the reception to the storage beneath. The librarian writes the keywords or the book you need on parchment and sends it through the tubes. Then the workers in the storage see the request and then send books to the librarian.

Axis waited for around 10 minutes when the librarian returned with a single book. She then told Axis that it was an old publication from the late 5th era year 980. It talks about up-and-coming Alchemists during that time and mentions Veddick.

Axis thanked her and started reading the publication. It was called the Nauk’s Cauldron. There were various articles about different new recipes and some old alchemists and their achievements.

As he kept leafing through the pages he stopped at an article about the New Generation of Alchemists and there was Veddick’s name and his photograph.

Veddick looked like a graduate in his robes and a book he was holding. He seemed tall and was on the thinner side. He had a crazy smile on his face and looked mischievous. Veddick had the classical features of someone from Askeria which was denoted as his nationality. Askeria was a region far to the west of Silversage on another continent and was made up of many republics. The people of Askeria had different skin colors ranging from light-skinned to dark-skinned but the only common feature was their eyes and hair. Askerians have red eyes and red hair and are the only race where both features appear simultaneously. Some scholars had researched this phenomenon and concluded that it was due to some mutation that carried over generations.

Apparently, this mutation was still visible even if only one parent was of Askerian descent.

Other than his Askerian features Veddick was of a paler complexion with well-groomed hair which ended into a pony.

Beneath his image was an article about Veddick. It went as,

“ In the image above you can see Mr. Veddick Ashville, 20 years of age and a prodigy in the field of Herbology And Alchemy. He co-authored his thesis alongside Baron Gurew on the Various Interactions of Potions if produced in Gaseous Form. Now he has been nominated for the Alchemist Guild’s Rookie Star Award. He is the rising star of the current generation and according to insider information is applying for a research grant from the Empire. Keep an eye out for his future contributions to the field of Alchemy.”

As Axis finished reading this article he had far more questions than before. In the 5th era, he was 20 years of age and his workshop was found in the later years of the 6th era. This means he lived for more than 100 years, No a few hundred years. This information came as a shock to Axis. He had never heard of anyone living this long.

This article solidified Axis’s thought that the journal was not simple. Now another question was how was he related to the journal and what was it about.

Axis once again went and requested books authored by Baron Gurew.

This time the wait was not long and he got a stack of books from Ella.

There were various titles from cauldron maintenance to potion recipes to machine lore but nothing with Veddick.

Axis was tired and also disappointed in the fact that there was not enough information about Veddick.

As he was depositing the books looking crestfallen Ella told him some information. “ Sir, if you are looking for certain books or authors regarding Alchemy you can refer to the Department of Alchemical Studies at the University. They have their own private collection of books.”

Hearing this Axis’s mood improved a little and he thanked Ella and rushed out of the library towards the University.

Axis was ready to ask his friend a favor who worked in the Alchemical Department.

He went straight to the department and stopped outside his friend's office. Axis was feeling guilty as he had not talked to his friend in 2 whole years.

He knocked on the door and a charming sweet voice called him to enter.

Axis entered the office and saw Emilia Auteiar. Emilia was an Assistant Researcher at the University and belongs to Axis’s Batch. Emilia was a petite lady of a short height. She had bright golden hair and liked wearing fancy formal dresses. Emilia was of Allfentian descent and thus had very sharp features. She belonged to a rather affluent family of traders.

Axis and Emilia became friends because of an accident on the very first day. Axis mistook Emilia for a little girl lost and took her to the office where the situation turned embarrassing for him.

Emilia looked at Axis fuming and started shouting at him. “You buffoon, idiotic piece of shit. I thought we were friends but I didn’t hear from you for over 2 years. You don’t reply to my letters and don’t even come to the gatherings.”

Axis felt sorry and apologized, “I’m sorry Emilia I was busy with other stuff and now I work as a Senior Apprentice at Cyclops.”

Hearing this Emilia’s expression softened and lightly punched Axis and said, “How come you are here today.”

Axis then sat down on a nearby chair and asked, “ Do you know anything about an alchemist named Veddick Ashville? He was an alchemist from the late 5th era. An accomplished one.”

Emilia started thinking and then asked, “ The only Ashville I remember about is the one who was part of a scandal in the mid 6th era.”

Axis was a bit surprised and Emilia continued, “ He doesn’t seem to be the same one you are asking about as there is a discrepancy of close to 350 years between them.”

Axis urged Emilia to continue, “ The only written record of him available is called The Ashville Notes. According to the notes he was researching psychedelics but was later blamed by the Empire for conspiracy and cult formation and later ran away from the Empire. Only his collection of notes were later published after the formation of Silversage when they were found in the old libraries of the Empire. I have a copy of the notes, do you want to look at them?” asked Emilia.

Axis nodded and thanked her. Emilia searched her bookshelf for some time and then handed a red-covered binder to Axis.

Axis opened the binder and to his surprise, he saw similar words as the journal on the front page.

“ These notes belong to Ashville”

But they were written in different handwriting. The writing seemed to be of a woman.

As Axis turned the pages, all his doubts were dispelled. The same writing as the journal detailing various herbs and their psychedelic effects and some antidotes to them. The binder was filled with various recipes and to his shock, even the famous psychedelic compounds Qaweer and Plokij which were famous among students and mystics all over the world were his creations.

But this binder proved one theory of his. Veddick lived for over 300 years and was someone who was a crazy researcher, nothing like that young innocent rookie when he began.

Another question then arose in his mind. Why had he ran and who was the woman who compiled his notes.

He asked these questions, Emilia.

Emilia contemplated and then replied, “ From the clues that we have and the location from where we found the notes, I can conclude that Ashville had some relationship with a woman of the royalty. As for her identity, we can hypothesize that she was either a family member, princess, a royal concubine, or even the Empress herself. Which makes it self-explanatory as to why he ran.”

“What happened to him afterward is something I am interested in.” Replied Axis.

Emilia also nodded the same and asked Axis where he had learned about Ashville.

Axis had to lie and told that he was checking up on Baron Gurew’s machine lore when he came across an article about Veddick.

Emilia waved her hand and grew a bit angry and said, “ Even though I don’t think both these Ashville’s are one person but as for Baron Gurew, he was a fraud and fake. He usually stole other people's research and even would strong-arm young people to write his name as a co-author. I am happy he met a gruesome end. He was killed by poison and his brain was removed.”

Axis suddenly felt that maybe it was something that Veddick was capable of. That crazy declaration and confidence in the journal seemed consistent with his character.

Axis thanked Emilia and promised to keep in touch with her and as he was leaving he noticed the same words on the binder’s spine.

“KURIOSO MORTENUS AMANSIAS”