Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Family Bonding Trip

I didn’t hear about how our potions had gone viral until a month after the attack in the cave, while Dad and I were in the process of making our next batch.

“Mr. Rodeline, do you have any potions stocked up in your inventory? We need to deliver them immediately!”

“Mr. Treasurer? It’s only been a week since our last batch went out. Was there something wrong with the potions? Is there a problem?”

“No! This month's inventory already sold out! Our client shops are in an uproar. They’re all demanding more products!”

“I-is that true?!”

The finance secretary gave us a detailed account of the potion sales metrics. Three stores had been sold out within a week. Things were even more hectic in the shops nearer to the [Contaminated Crystal Cave]. All our products were bought out within two days, with explorers lining up to make reservations for the next batch.

Selling a month’s worth of merchandise in no time was the least of our problems. News about our potions was slowly spreading to neighboring regions by word of mouth, and demand was expected to exponentially increase.

⟬The Voice that Shapes the World cheers in delight and says you just might be able to purchase the genre change ticket from the cash shop.⟭

My dreams of living the good life were rekindled.

⟬The Critic for Balance is still skeptical and says you’ll be an adult by the time you save up ten billion in cash.⟭

⟬The Scale that Judges Souls whispers that sticking with an R-rated romance in this world might not be too bad since the protagonist is hot.⟭

⟬The Eye Overseeing All Chaos wants to know what you think about GL.⟭

⟬The Architect of the Skyscraper of Suffering shouts that the story is perfect as it is since it’s best suited to go up the tower.⟭

Ah, yes. I abandoned what little hope I had for a genre change while each of the gods argued in favor of their own personal preference. Dad sat there in a daze long after the finance secretary left, but soon he regained his senses.

“There’s not a single moment to waste! We’d better hurry up and get started on the next batch!”

“Okay, Dad!”

We dropped everything else we were doing and focused solely on the production line. Even Prinz pitched in. We pulled two all-nighters back-to-back before we had made enough.

“D-Dad, I think this should do it. We’ve made enough to fulfill this week’s orders from the stores.”

“Good work, Allie. I couldn’t have done it without you. Now go rest up.”

“Okay.”

As I snatched Prinz’s blanket from him as he lay passed out on the floor, I asked, “Aren’t going to sleep too, Dad? You look super tired.”

“I’m going to work just a little longer. I need to make another week’s worth of supplies as surplus.”

“Another whole week’s worth?”

Dad smiled brightly, despite his dark, sunken eyes.

“Yes. I need to prepare more if we’re going to go visit the house we lived in with your mother.”

“Ah.” I grumbled discontentedly as I crawled into the bed, “You’re going to collapse if you don’t rest.”

“I’ll be fine, Allie.”

The power of love has the same effect as a stamina potion. Even now, as tired as he was, Dad’s hands were moving with amazing speed and accuracy. I was sure my dad leveled up a lot these past two days.

I was feeling a little more awake, so I continued the conversation. “You said the two of you lived together while you were a working student at the Golden Ivory Tower, right?”

“L-lived together? Uh, yeah, that we did.”

“Then was that house in the Duchy of Heathfenrir? Since the Golden Ivory Tower is located within that region.”

“That’s right.”

It was a small dukedom ruled by Grand Duke Heathfenrir. The dukedom was located in the central region of the continent of Serentra. It made good use of its geographic advantage by taking charge of international trade that had to pass through it, as well as allowing alchemists and various other master artisans to settle down within their lands.

It was not an exaggeration to say that the Duchy of Heathfenrir was the heart of Serentra’s business, commerce, and technology. Dad was fully aware of my apathetic attitude toward my runaway mother, so he tried to pique my interest in other ways.

“There are lots of wonderful, amazing things in the duchy. Think of it like a family trip. Isn’t it exciting?”

A dreadful thing it is, love. It makes a man yearn for a place where he has nothing but bitter memories.

“I’m going to bed.”

“O-okay. Good night, Allie.”

I pulled the covers all the way over my head.

Are you there, Lord Voice? I tried to contact him mentally when a system notification popped up.

⟬«System» The Voice that Shapes the World expends plausibility to grant you a quest.⟭

⟬«Quest» Hometown Exploration (Difficulty Level: D)

Explore your old hometown where your family once used to live happily together.

Reward Upon Success: 30 Packs of Divine Ginseng Extract

Failure Penalty: None⟭

Oh my. And I haven’t even said anything yet. And the reward is ginseng extract to boot?

You’re the best, Lord Voice!

⟬The Critic for Balance complains that the grade of the reward and the quest’s difficulty doesn’t coincide.⟭

⟬The Scale that Judges Souls proposes to change the quest to an S-class difficulty quest.⟭

⟬The Architect of the Skyscraper of Suffering suggests since where they’re going is near the Golden Ivory Tower, the quest should be conquering the highest level of the tower.⟭

⟬The Voice that Shapes the World pretends not to hear anything.⟭

Yet another peaceful day at the Transmigration Bureau. I lulled myself to sleep as the gods continued to bicker.

✠

Duke Heathfenrir’s grand mansion, the Laimian House. Despite being located in the heart of a bustling city, the Laimian House was quite bleak and dreary. It was home to the sovereign Duke Aaron-Jake Heathfenrir. Everyone respected his name and called him the “Grand Duke.” He ruled with indomitable strength and fairness, protecting all those who lived within his duchy. He was revered and loved by his subjects.

Despite his remarkable talents in governing a country, he lacked the ability to manage his own family affairs. Ever since his daughter renounced the family and cut all ties with him, the grand duke became a dejected workaholic.

Fortunately, he had taken up the hobby of working out, else they might have discovered a lifeless body in the duke’s chambers. Two years had already passed since he began to obsess over his physique as a distraction from the pain of being renounced by his daughter.

Things finally got to the point where he relinquished all administrative duties to his cabinet members and shut himself in the dungeons for months at a time, all under the pretext of “training.” Most recently, he simply left a note saying he was going to go train in the [Contaminated Crystal Cave] and disappeared. That was about a month ago. His cabinet members predicted that the duke would not return for at least another two months, but to everyone’s surprise, the head of Laimian House returned home today.

Edgar, his chief of staff, took the duke’s outer garment and asked, “My lord, why didn’t you use the teleportation stone?”

“I know not what perils my daughter is facing right now. How can I, her father, seek comfort or convenience?”

“You say that, but your muscles have grown more beautiful since you left.”

“Ahem...” The duke was not wearing anything beneath his outer garment. His muscles flexed bashfully. “So, what is it? What matter is so urgent and important? It’s very unsettling having to cut my training short.”

He had a difficult time shaking off his elder “young brothers” the day he left the dungeon.

Edgar reported to the disgruntled duke, “We’ve found a lead to Lady Elthea’s whereabouts.”

The duke burst to his feet. “What is it? Where is she?!”

“She is surprisingly close by.”

“She’s close?” the duke repeated.

Edgar spread out a map and continued his report. Looking at where he was pointing, it made sense that he had chosen to wait until the duke returned to the manor before giving his report. Edgar was pointing to a small spur behind a village located on the outskirts of town—it wasn’t too far from Laimian House.

“We’ve found sword marks that we believe to be traces of Lady Elthea’s swordplay.”

It was the first lead they had found of his daughter in thirteen long years. The grand duke’s eyes glinted with hope.

✠

Hmm, so we’re headed here. I was looking at the system’s map. I plotted a point on a quaint village nestled in the mountains on the outskirts of the duchy’s capital.

Today was the day we accompanied our father on a family trip back to our old home. It was almost time to leave. I finished packing the last bit of essentials for our trip and slung the satchel across my shoulder.

“Allie, are you finished packing?” Bianca asked.

“Yeah, I’m bringing a lot more with me than last time.”

“Good idea. It’s a dangerous world out there.”

“We’ll be back in a jiffy. You stay safe and out of trouble, Bia.” I gave Bia one last hug and prepared to leave with my dad.

“Allie, Rinz. Come close to me.”

“Okay!”

Prinz and I answered simultaneously and then hugged him around the waist. With a crunch, the teleportation stone shattered and our vision was flooded by a blinding light.

Soon, a familiar notification popped up.

⟬«System» Welcome to Feronsa, capital of the Duchy of Heathfenrir. Time zone changed to the local time.⟭

We arrived in the heart of the city. Charming little shops lined each side of the neatly paved roads. Everywhere we looked, it was as if we were staring into a landscape painted in watercolor.

“Allie, look over there!”

I followed Prinz’s voice to find the duchy’s primary landmark. The Golden Ivory Tower. A union between gold, the symbol of materialism, and ivory, the symbol of scholars. They stayed true to their motif, as glittering layers of gold dotted the cream-colored outer wall.

Its name was befitting of the structure, as it towered over all of the other buildings in the vicinity. I began scanning each floor with my fingers to count how many stories high it was. And I was sorely disappointed.

“Eh, it’s only nine stories tall.”

Isn’t that a little underwhelming to be called a tower? I was soon corrected by a real specialist in the subject.