Alistair moved with deceptive urgency toward the south stables, the scent of fresh Nightshade Blossoms already in his mind. The subtle, sympathetic victory over Maid Eliza was exhilarating; his Acting Master trait had proven more potent than any sword.
He found the neglected garden behind a rotting wood shed—a plot choked with weeds, perfect cover for a marginalized outcast. He crouched down, his mind, fueled by the \text{INT 20} and Elias's medical knowledge, instantly analyzing the flora. He located the deadly nightshade and began the delicate process of harvesting.
Active Skill: Eye of Judgment (Lvl 1) activated.
System Notification: Nightshade Blossom (Toxin Grade: Dangerous). Primary Reagents: Atropine Analogues, Corrupted Mana Trace (Low).
He pulled the plants with surgical precision, ignoring the strain on his low {STR 5} body.
System Notification: [Training] Repetitive fine motor task. {STR} and {AGI} proficiency increasing.
After securing enough of the blossoms, Alistair realized his next crucial obstacle. The Beginner Mana Potion Formula required heat application, precise measurements, and stabilization—tasks impossible in his dusty attic room.
I need a laboratory. A clean, forgotten space with basic equipment.
His memories of the manor quickly yielded a prime candidate: the Old Pharmacy. It was a sealed, disused room in the west wing, historically used for battlefield medicine—perfect for a high-INT secret project.
But the door was always locked. And the key was held by only one person.
Maid Clarissa.
Alistair hurried back toward the main house, his fragile composure shifting from the mournful outcast to the ruthless strategist.
Clarissa was the Head Maid, fiercely loyal to Duke Cassian, and famous for her hatred of Alistair's deceased mother. She would never be swayed by simple grief.
He found Clarissa standing guard over the Duke's receiving lounge. She was formidable—straight-backed, severe, and instantly hostile.
Clarissa narrowed her eyes, the hatred immediate. "Back to your hole, whelp. The Duke is expecting guests."
Alistair activated Eye of Judgment again.
Status Peek: Clarissa, Head Maid. MNA 10. Loyalty: 95% (Duke Cassian).
Blood Mark of the Outcast penalty applied. CHM 24 is severely reduced to CHM 8 effectiveness.
Charm is useless against her.
I must bypass her hatred and appeal only to her loyalty.
Alistair stopped a respectful distance away and bowed slightly, adopting a posture of concerned urgency.
"Forgive me, Maid Clarissa," Alistair said, his voice quiet but clear. "It is not for myself I trespass. It is for the Duke's reputation."
Clarissa's eyes flashed, her posture stiffening. "What impertinence is this?"
"I... I overheard the young Masters talking this morning," Alistair confessed, feigning fear by slightly shaking his hands. "Master Aurelius and Master Silas. They were complaining."
A spike of suspicion entered Clarissa's gaze—she was always suspicious of the legitimate heirs. "About what?"
"About the Old Pharmacy near the west wing," Alistair whispered, leaning in conspiratorially. "They said it smells terrible.
They fear visitors will notice the smell of decay on their way to the training yard, and that it is an embarrassment to the Valerius name."
He knew this was the nuclear option.
Clarissa's obsession with the family's image was her only vulnerability.
"They intend to report it to the Duke," Alistair added, lowering his eyes with faux guilt. "I just thought, since you maintain the Duke's dignity so well... perhaps it needs to be checked quickly, before the Masters speak of it."
Clarissa's face went white with fury—not at Alistair, but at the potential damage to the Valerius reputation.
"The insolence!" Clarissa hissed. She pulled a heavy brass key from her belt. "Whelp, you have done one thing useful. Take this. Go to the Old Pharmacy immediately and open it. If there is a smell, you will report only to me what you find. Do not speak of this to anyone. Understand?"
Alistair took the key, the cold metal heavy and symbolic of his success.
He looked up, his {CHM 24} radiating humble, perfect obedience.
"Thank you, Maid Clarissa. I live only to serve the Valerius name."
He fled the main corridor and quickly unlocked the Pharmacy door. Inside, the dust was thick, but the instruments were intact. He found a small, functional retort, a crude iron burner, and various solvents.
The laboratory was secured.
He combined the Nightshade pulp with an acidic solvent and placed the mixture in the retort. His {INT 20} controlled the heat distribution perfectly. He watched the mixture, waiting for the precise chemical reaction.
He waited until the very last moment, then poured the stabilizer. The mixture flashed a brief, violent emerald before settling into a soft, glowing turquoise.
System Notification: Beginner Mana Potion Formula successfully executed!
Quality: Exceptional (INT 20 Purity).
Reward Unlocked: [Quest] A Path to Dignity - Objective 2 complete.
System Notification: ALISTAIR VALERIUS has Leveled Up! LVL → 2.
Unique Item: Beginner Mana Potion (x1) added to inventory.
[Stat][Old Value][New Value]
[LVL ] [1] [2]
[STR ] [5] [6]
Alistair swallowed the potion in a single gulp. Energy surged through him, replenishing his massive {MNA} pool. The foundation was set.
He turned back to clean his equipment when the jarring sound of heavy, armored boots erupted from the hallway—the heavy, rhythmic thud of angry pursuit.
"Alistair! Show your pathetic face, little worm! Clarissa said you were sneaking around this wing!"
It was Silas Valerius, the middle half-brother.
Status Peek: Silas Valerius. {LVL 5} (Trained Swordsman). STR 14, AGI 13.
The door shuddered under a sudden, powerful kick.
Impossible to fight. Impossible to flee. I must endure.
The System, recognizing the immediate, existential threat to his progression, threw him a challenge.
[Sudden Quest] Interception of the Disruption
Goal: Defend your hidden laboratory. Survive or neutralize the threat (Silas Valerius).
Objective: Endure for 60 seconds without sustaining a crippling injury.
Reward: Stat Optimization Protocol initiated: +1 to STR, AGI, VIT, and STA.
Failure Penalty: Permanent {Fragile Constitution} penalty applied.
Alistair looked at the extraordinary reward—a boost to all his weak physical stats. He had no sword, but he had time.
"Sixty seconds. Thirty seconds of Micro-Slow, and thirty seconds of improvisation," Alistair decided, grabbing a ceramic fragment and the heavy steel stirring rod.
He initiated his ultimate defense.
Unique Skill: Micro-Slow (Lvl 1) activated.
Uses Remaining Today: 3.
The world crashed into silence. Silas's heavy leather boot, mid-kick, froze inches from the door.
Alistair moved to the door. He used his low {STR 5} to push the stirring rod through a small crack, aiming not at Silas, but at his bootlace, then his belt buckle. He quickly twisted the rod, severing the bindings. He pulled the rod back just as the Temporal Recoil Warning flashed.
Temporal Recoil Warning: 10 seconds remaining until safe duration ends.
Alistair cut the power.
Micro-Slow Deactivated.
Duration: 55 seconds. Recoil Threshold NOT exceeded.
The world snapped back. Silas's heavy boot completed its kick, slamming into the door. But his foot immediately got tangled in his own suddenly frayed bootlace.
He stumbled and fell, hitting the floor with a furious groan.
Alistair gently pushed the door open, stepping out with the rusty stirring rod held in a perfect, Valerius First Form guard position.
His face was the picture of wide-eyed innocence and fear.
"M-Master Silas! What are you doing? Are you hurt?" Alistair asked, his voice shaking with feigned terror, masking the absolute control he was exerting.
Silas stared at the pathetic boy holding a piece of junk metal like a sword. He struggled to his feet, enraged by the unexpected embarrassment.
"You brat! You think you can—"
Silas rushed him, but Alistair's {INT 20} had already calculated the optimal evasion path.
Sudden Quest: Interception of the Disruption. Time Remaining: 40 seconds.
Alistair had survived the first second. Now, the real duel of intellect versus brute force began.