Inside a slightly darkened room in a residential house, a couple of men looked in surprise at the person who had just entered the room through the window.

"I didn't think you'd come so quickly, Ninth Prince," said the one who was sitting down.

Ryan smiled.

"I suspected your identity, so I had to come see you," he said, looking at the crest on those guys' clothes. "Men of the Duke of the Mountain, I'm surprised you came to see me."

"How did you suspect our identity?" asked the man again, quite curious about it.

"It's not like there are many people in the capital capable of using Spiritual Projection at that level, you know? The Duke of the Mountain, also known as the Duke of Lightning, is the man with the highest level of Spiritual Projection, so I assumed it was one of his subordinates."

"Haha... a mistake like that can't be called a mistake." The man sighed, but got up. "What if we had been assassins willing to kill you?" he asked.

Ryan shrugged. "Then you wouldn't even be able to track me."

"I don't understand," the man replied.

"Haha, you don't need to. Even if I explain it to you, you won't understand," Ryan replied.

The man sighed and nodded. He wouldn't talk to this kid; that wasn't why he was here. "I apologize for not removing my hood, but I don't want to..."

Ryan interrupted him. "You don't need to. Skip the introductions and just tell me, why are you here? What is the Duke's message for me?"

The man stared at him. This prince was not like the rumors said—reserved and shy. The one in front of him had none of those characteristics.

He was even more direct than he was.

He had to be forced to speak. "The Duke is interested in meeting with you, Ninth Prince," he said.

"If he were interested, he would have come," Ryan said with a chuckle.

"Haha, he will come when you are worthy," he replied. "That is why he sent you on a mission."

He approached Ryan and handed him a piece of paper, which Ryan opened and nodded, frowning slightly.

'What a coincidence,' he thought and looked up.

"Does the Duke want me to give it to him?" he asked, curious.

"No, the Duke doesn't want it for himself. He said that if you create it and manage to handle it, you will be worthy of his support. So it's a test for you."

Ryan nodded. 'A test, but he's basically sending me to strengthen myself. He's a good guy,' he thought approvingly.

What he had ordered was a sword, to be precise. But not just any sword. Even in the novel, it was one of the most powerful swords ever made.

What a coincidence that most of the reward he received from the king was the ingredients needed to make that sword. Even the king gave him a hint about becoming stronger. But he was still missing two ingredients, so he had to find them.

'Just what I'm looking for,' he thought. He nodded to the men in front of him.

"Tell the Duke that it will take me a while, but I will make it," he replied.

"Very well." They both smiled. "Then we await your good news. Let us see the wonder of what a Hidden Path can do." With those few words, they disappeared from the room.

Ryan resumed his journey to the university without giving the matter much thought.

Inside the academy, he headed to his main bedroom and sat near the door, waiting for someone.

He was lucky this time.

Fifteen minutes had passed when a handsome man with vampire-like features caught his eye as he climbed the stairs to his room.

Alaric arrived before him and greeted him as usual. "Ninth Prince." And he continued on his way.

"Wait," Ryan said suddenly, which surprised Alaric.

"Are you calling me?" he asked, turning to see if anyone else was around.

"I want to help your father with something," he said suddenly.

"With something?" Alaric frowned and turned to look at him. The moment he mentioned his father, Ryan had his full attention. "What is it?"

"I'll help you find the traitor who stole the Vampire Blood Orchid formula," he said suddenly.

His eyes widened for a moment, but he quickly calmed down. This was as important to his father as it was to him.

He wanted to avenge his little brother, who had died because of that traitor. Unfortunately, even with all the strength of their territories, it was difficult to find the whereabouts of that guy.

So any help was very welcome.

"What do you want in return?" he asked, and before Ryan could speak, he continued. "My father gave me the authority to decide who will help me, so..."

"I don't ask for much." Ryan got up from the wall where he had been leaning. "I just want the Vampire Blood Orchid and the Dry Tree Bathed in a Thousand Nights."

Once again, his eyes widened. "Isn't that a lot, you say?" Even he, a man of few words, almost choked on the flood of words that came to his mouth and wanted to pour out. "They are two of the most expensive materials in the world!" he declared.

They had many uses. In the alchemy of any Walker, they could be used to make potions, homunculi, mutagens, and even seventh-level golems. In addition, a Combat Alchemist could easily use them to make concoctions, explosives, and even living chemical weapons.

They were extremely useful for Hunters who control fire and blood. They were excessively useful for Puppeteers.

And above all that...

They could be used to make a legendary sword, the Harmflower!

One of the most powerful swords in the world, whose existence is only recounted in stories from the Second Era.

And he was saying that wasn't much?

Ryan laughed. "You are the only ones who can make it, but if that formula is given to someone else, you would completely lose your hegemony over those precious treasures. I don't think that's something you would like, right?"

Although Alaric wanted to reply, everything he had said was true. That formula was still inside the territory, but in an unknown location. For the past two months, no one had entered or left the territory, simply because they couldn't allow it to escape.

The problem was that the bastard knew how to hide very well, and being a vampire, he could easily be in disguise and living inside the city. Only those approved by the Vampire Duke or Alaric could enter, and in the last two months... no one had entered.

So they were at a standstill. Although they were trying to make sure the thief didn't leave the territory, no one knew where he was despite that. They ran the risk that the guy had managed to escape using unknown tactics and that the formula was already in the hands of enemies or rivals. They didn't want to accept it, but they had no other choice.

They needed to find that thief at all costs to put their minds at ease.

Alaric bit his lip and hesitated for a long time, but circumstances forced him to agree.

"I'll take you. If necessary, I'll work with you to get it," he said.

"And the reward if we succeed?"

Alaric clenched his teeth but smiled. "I'll give you whatever you ask for, as long as it's not the formula."

"All right." Ryan smiled happily.

It was time to take the lead.

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