My travels lasted a few more days after I left Count Kaelen's manor.

I spent most of my time sleeping, recovering from the headaches and physical pains borne from exhausting myself. I also tried my best not to move around too much, lest I over-consume the food I brought along for the journey.

Because of this, the entire trip was a blur, and I didn't even realize it when I reached my Aunt's residence.

My coachman had to gently wake me, and when I opened my eyes, I found myself in the compound of a certain Noble.

After a few blurry seconds, I now realize that this is Duke Krawford's residence.

The vast, beautiful garden, and the raised fence that's at least ten meters in height, almost as though this were a prison. Then, the house—a mansion of stone and metal, brimming with all kinds of brilliant colors.

I came here quite a few times in my past life.

Of course, at that time, all the colors had long faded, and the garden looked a lot more desolate.

Because of the Kingdom's recession, even High Nobles had a very hard time, not to mention a Lesser Noble like this. Lord Krawford is among the wealthiest Lesser Nobles around, and that's due to his land's extremely fertile ground.

How else would he have been able to support my Aunt's career as an Alchemist?

Right now, though, he is reaping the benefits.

Aunt Leila is a renowned Alchemist around these parts, and her business is quite lucrative. Even as an Intermediate Alchemist, she's doing well for herself and raking in a lot of money.

My mother's household only had two daughters—my mother and my aunt. Mother once told me that her younger sister was a very lackadaisical girl since childhood, neglecting the family's expectations of her and always shirking her duties.

Unlike her, my mother followed the will of her parents and married my father.

At first, it seemed like a brilliant choice.

Marrying into a Knight Household doesn't promise money, but it comes with other perks—for example, respect and security. Her family had a bit of wealth, so by forming an alliance with my Aditi Household, they gained the security to boot.

Aunt Leila was also supposed to follow suit, but she ran away from home and, in a fortuitous encounter, ran into the young Lord, who is now her husband. Apparently, it was love at first sight.

Not only did Aunt Leila secure a marriage with an extremely wealthy family, marrying someone she loved, but she also had the opportunity to pursue her dreams and became extremely successful afterwards.

Now that I see my Aunt swimming in money, I can only imagine my mother's frustrations.

Some people have all the luck, I suppose.

There's no guarantee my mum would have experienced the same happy ending if she defied her family and carved her own path. One need not look any further than at Uncle Damon. He defied his duties and suffered for it. Meanwhile, Aunt Leila did the same and reaped benefits.

In life, there will always be Uncle Damons and Aunt Leilas.

People who carve their own paths have to be prepared to encounter failure or success.

It is a risky venture—a gamble.

Because of this danger, many would rather play it safe and simply follow the format laid out for them. After all, there is assurance of success, and even if they fail, they can always blame it on those who led them down that path.

It is far more difficult to walk on your own road, stumbling along the way due to having no guidance or prior records on how to travel on it.

But this is the irony of life.

Ultimately, there is no true path that a man can walk besides his own.

Everyone lives life on their own metric of time. Once their time runs out, they die, leaving the rest of the world to continue living in their own timeline. The illusion of walking down a predestined path or a road prepared by one's parents or friends only serves as a comforting idea.

Everyone's life is unique.

So it doesn't matter how much everyone insists you travel on a certain road, or how much you believe you are walking on the same road as your parents; it simply isn't true.

You are merely mimicking their movements while walking down your own path.

In my past life, I walked down my path while following the instructions of my parents and the Aditi Household, living according to the expectations of others. In this life, I chose to discard those instructions and follow my path as I saw fit.

The difference lies there.

If I didn't have my past life's knowledge, I would have likely fallen into the category of the Uncle Damons. However, I cannot call myself an Aunt Leila.

I would be an exception.

I have experienced great success since I chose to walk my own path, but the loss has also been staggering. In the end, I have to take all of this in stride and continue to walk forward, regretting nothing while looking forward to everything.

This is what I would like to call the road of life… the path of destiny.

"Here you go, sir." My coachman hands me a token, which I accept with a calm expression.

Before I went to sleep, I gave it to him so he could verify my identity once we reached Lord Krawford's manor. That's the only reason he was able to drive the carriage into the main estate.

"Haa…" Now fully awake, I step out of the carriage and inhale the fresh breeze. "I feel much better now. It's refreshing—"

"Javier! Is that you?" A loud voice pierces the air, forcing me to wince a little as I turn in the direction of the sound. There, I see a woman who appears to be in her mid-twenties, having pale yellow hair and fair skin.

Her elegant, slightly seductive attire—a long, glossy purple gown, coupled with a white fur coat—accentuates her slender frame. The tight corset around her waist, however, causes her breasts to perk up, nearly spilling out of her off-shoulder dress.

I would have shielded my eyes in mild embarrassment if this were my first time seeing Aunt Leila this way, but I'm used to this.

My Aunt likes to dress rather loosely, and it's almost like she has no self-awareness whatsoever.

Since her husband hasn't yet complained about it, I have no reason to bring it up.

"Aunt Leila…" I laugh warmly, a bead of sweat trickling down my face. "It's nice to see y—"

Before I can finish, she charges at me, hugging me tightly and even lifting me with an absurd level of strength.

Yes, my aunt has always been the rough and playful type.

It's this raw, unfiltered personality of hers that made Lord Krawford fall for her.

She once told me that the two of them had fought during their first meeting. She beat him silly to the point that he ran away naked, begging for mercy. It was an unforgettable experience for the two of them, and ever since that moment… they had been in love.

Strange, I know.

But… who am I to judge?

'She's actually in her early thirties, but she looks so young for her age. Must be the effect of living a stress-free life along with using Potions.' I sigh, realizing that she doesn't look much younger than when I used to visit her in my past life.

It's like she doesn't age at all.

"You're so light! Have you lost weight? You aren't eating properly, are you?" She keeps yammering on, almost as if she can't be bothered that a dainty woman like her is raising a grown man with such monstrous strength.

"Y-yes, actually. Also, this is a little embarrassing…" I laugh awkwardly, trying to get her to let me down.

But this woman has no self-awareness.

"Nonsense! What's wrong with an aunt carrying her only nephew? I've missed you so much, Javier! It's been so long since I saw you last! You've grown into a fine young man. Hahaha!" She keeps talking, even swinging my body around as though I were a doll.

This woman only puts me down after a minute or two has passed, when she is done having fun.

"Urgh…" I feel a little sick, which is strange because I felt refreshed just moments earlier.

"Where's your husband?" I ask with deep concern. Right now, he's the only one who can tame this woman and protect me from any further mishandling.

"Oh, he traveled."

"E-eh?"

"You actually just missed him. He's going on a long trip and won't be back in a week or two."

'Noooooooooo!!!'

How could this man do this to me?

Can I survive that long with just me and Aunt Leila in this house? It might look like a massive abode, but at the moment, it resembles a confinement chamber.

My Aunt has always been a bit extra.

This makes her a refreshing person to be around, but only in small doses. The best way to enjoy her company is when her husband is around; that way, he can curb her excesses. But not only is the man away, but I also have to spend an unknown period of time here figuring out a solution to my nutrition problem.

I can only hope Aunt Leila has made a lot of progress. That way, I can be out of here in the next couple of days.

But… somehow, I highly doubt that.

***************

"Now, let's get down to business." Aunt Leila puts on her glasses, which is a sign that she's about to get serious.

I heave a sigh of relief, taking a seat opposite her as we sit in an outdoor garden.

A table is set before us, with an assortment of fruits and drinks, which I help myself to without feeling an ounce of restriction. The main reason is due to my hunger, but there's also the deep sense of familiarity I have with this woman.

I don't think I could ever feel stifled in her presence.

She crosses her legs, revealing hints of her smooth thighs, with hints of pink seeping through her fair complexion.

After our reunion, she has changed to a more 'casual' outfit, which reveals even more of her body.

But I'm not one to chastise others for their choices.

Besides, Aunt Leila is family, so her current appearance isn't in any way scandalous to me. I have never once viewed her in such a light, so this is nothing to me.

"As an Intermediate Alchemist, my limit is Grade 3 Potions. Even then, there is a low success rate." I nod slowly at her explanations, watching her flip through a large book while handing me a much smaller note.

"The tasks you had me do were very strenuous. I had many sleepless nights as a result, to the point that I even aged considerably."

"R-really? I didn't notice."

"Ah! Surely you jest, Javier!" Aunt Leila sighs, shaking her head in a sad manner.

This shameless woman!

She doesn't look a day over twenty-five despite being in her thirties, yet she's talking about aging.

Despite my inner thoughts, I make an understanding smile, itching my head while laughing heartily. "Sorry about all the stress."

"Oh, no… no! Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining or anything. I actually quite enjoyed myself. The challenge was really fun!"

"Is that so…?"

She nods energetically, her eyes glittering with brilliance as fumes escape her nose. Her face turns red from excitement, and she clenches both her hands to display an eager expression.

Even with her glasses, my aunt's childlike nature sometimes seeps out.

Thankfully, she recovers from this, and her seriousness returns with immediate effect.

"The results of my tireless experimentations are in the note I just handed over to you. Feel free to look over them and tell me your thoughts."

I do as Aunt Leila tells me, calmly assessing her procedures without bias.

All I can say is… IMPRESSIVE!

I'm thoroughly impressed by her methodology. Not only does she take very innovative approaches to these Special Resources, but she records her thought process in doing so, which I find to be largely justifiable.

Even the ones I consider to be extreme are due to our different thought processes in Alchemy.

I'm more conservative with my style, while Aunt Leila seems to be rather liberal.

As a result, she is able to make more bold choices.

But this is good.

Progress is faster because of such people, and thanks to her many innovations, I now have many insights into these Special Resources and their reactions with one another.

"These are really good! I can't imagine the amount of time that went into this. It's shocking you were able to do all of these in such a short period!" I exclaim, airing my honest thoughts.

"Haha! As much as I'd like to take all the credit, I'll be honest with you. Frankly, I'm not that impressive."

"W-what are you talking about? These are all amazing—!"

"Javier, I know my limitations clearly." Aunt Leila raises her hand to stop me before I can go on with further assessments. "I honestly would not have made so much progress without the help of this book you lent me."

I glance at the book she is referring to and smile wryly.

—Esther's Grimoire.

I sent it to her alongside the Special Resources with hopes that it would help her in her experimentation. It looks like that was the right call.

After my friends died, I inherited most of their possessions and accumulated wealth.

Since many of them didn't have families, and the ones that did wanted nothing to do with them, I was the closest living 'relative' they had. Because of this, I have mementos from all of them with me, treasures I don't treat lightly.

If the situation weren't so urgent, I wouldn't have lent Aunt Leila this Grimoire.

'If I remember correctly, Esther found it in a mysterious ruin at the Kingdom's border.' I sigh lightly, casting a complex gaze on the book.

It was thanks to this Grimoire that Esther became a renowned Alchemist among Mercenaries despite having no formal education whatsoever. In the hands of my Aunt, who is already an Intermediate Alchemist, it ended up becoming even more useful.

"I've been able to navigate a lot of potential Potion formulas and paths of experimentation, but with my current limitations, there will be too many failure rates, and even the successes will have far too many impurities. Because of that, I held off on further work until your arrival."

"Oh?" My eyes gleam as I begin to understand what Aunt Leila is driving at. "You want my help in brewing the Potions!"

She nods gently, smiling at me. "You don't have a certification in Alchemy besides your First Rate Scholar degree, but from the other notes you sent, and your past experiences brewing Potions, I can tell you have considerable skills."

"Thank you."

"It's no problem. With your help, the brewing process should be smoother, and we'll be able to raise the level of purity considerably. Are you up for it?"

Is this a trick question?

"Of course!" I laugh in excitement. "How soon can we get started?"

This is already far more progress than I expected. Of course, brewing Potions won't be easy, but at the very least, most of the theoretical aspects have been taken care of. The only thing we might need to do is adjust the ratios of certain ingredients, or perhaps supplement recipes after figuring out areas they are lacking in.

Honestly, I'm relieved by the extent of my Aunt's work.

She didn't let me down.

"We can get started right away!" She jumps to her feet, and I hurriedly do the same.

'Hehe… I can't wait for the results!'

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