A grim atmosphere hovers around me and the one who sits merely a couple of feet away.

I feel the tension wafting through the air.

My brows furrow, and I watch beads of sweat appear all over his face.

"I-I can explain…" He tries to tell me, but I raise my hand to stop him from saying anything more.

I can clearly see the panic on his face.

Klein has never been very good at hiding his true emotions.

Now, it's plain as day.

I have just finished telling him about Seraphina's concerns about him, as well as my knowledge of his Potion Dependency Syndrome, a situation only caused by his excessive ingestion of Potions and the eventual disregard for their dosage.

One look at his expression, and it's clear that the man is crestfallen.

He appears completely defeated.

"So… what are you going to do now? Report me to the Academic board? Tell Seraphina…?" His head hangs shamefully on his shoulder as he mumbles those words, particularly wincing painfully at the last question.

He knows…

His life as an educator is officially over once the truth comes out.

Heck, his life, period.

But—

"Why would I do that?" I shake my head and exhale softly. "If I wanted to report you, I would have already done so. I've known about your situation for some time, after all."

"W-what?"

Shock appears all over his face, to which I merely smile.

"You're my friend, Klein. And while I do not approve of your choices, I understand why you made them." As I say this, I slowly bring out a vial from my pocket while Klein watches me with sheer disbelief.

Gratitude mixed with deep regret is etched on his face.

It's clear that even he does not approve of his own actions, but his desperation made him take that path regardless.

All of these are part of every man's life.

We often make decisions that we know are wrong because of our desires.

Sometimes it is due to a lack of self-control, but at other times it is the result of careful consideration and a deliberate attempt to risk oneself for something greater. The most insidious part about this is that once the consequences start rolling around… all a man can do is regret.

Unless one is a Leviathan, there is no way to truly undo that mistake.

'For some reason, I was able to regress to the past and change some of my decisions, but I have made even more decisions that nearly cause me to regret. Only hope and a strong will to change the past has kept me from despairing…' Looking at Klein now, I'm sure he can also feel the adverse effects of his choices.

His health—both physical and mental—is rapidly deteriorating.

His relationship with Seraphina is strained.

He can feel himself slowly spiraling, barely hanging onto his last shreds of sanity. It won't be long before his problem becomes more pronounced and he gets exposed.

This is a thin line he walks on.

But he cannot stop.

That's the most tragic part about some bad decisions in life.

Even after realizing where they lead, it has already become too late for you to cease your descent.

Destruction… is inevitable.

"I told myself that I wouldn't approach you on this matter until I found a solution." After bringing out the Potion, I place it on the desk that separates the two of us, and then I slide it towards him.

"Here. Drink this."

"A… Potion? You want me to drink a Potion?"

I know how stupid that sounds; telling a person with Potion Dependency Syndrome to drink an unidentified Potion… but this is different.

However, rather than explain it to him, I would like to confirm something.

"Do you trust me?"

After pausing for a moment, alternating gazes between the Potion and me, he finally breaks the silence with a small sigh.

"… Yes."

"Then drink the Potion."

This is the first time I've ever been so stern with Klein.

Not only is he older than me—at least, accounting for this life alone—but he has a higher status as Baron. I've always shown nothing but respect and courtesy to this man, but at the moment, I display a calm and detached coldness.

I wish to see how he will react to his junior telling him what to do.

Of course, all of this hierarchy only exists on the surface level. My status is actually much higher in actuality, but he doesn't know that.

After contemplating for only a moment, Klein nervously takes the Potion and uncorks it.

Then—

"Argh! Javier… what is this?! It's a Grade 5 Potion?!"

—Klein screams in shock.

He couldn't tell before due to the non-transparent vial I used, but after seeing the amount of Trace Elements that rush out of it, he now realizes the value of the Potion he holds.

"You're wasting time…" I remind him.

"O-okay…"

I can still sense hesitance from him, a perfectly natural response, but Klein still downs the Potion in one go—the Impurity Cleansing Potion Anna and I made just for him.

After drinking it, his body quivers for a moment, and his eyes widen.

"T-this… this is… bleugh….!"

Suddenly, he throws up all over the floor.

The vomit is pitch black in color, thick and viscous in appearance. Black sweat also leaks out of his body, and I watch his sickly complexion regain color.

'Looks like his body is being purged of all its impurities. It worked!'

I smile in relief.

But—

"You need to take a thorough shower… and also have someone clean up this place!" I pinch my nose, rising to my feet in a hurry.

Before I realize it, I am several feet away from the dazed Klein.

His eyes are wide open.

He stares at his two hands, at everything around him, and at the pool of toxins that has gathered beneath his feet. It's hard to believe that all of these things were inside him, but they've all been purged at once.

At the moment, Klein is no longer sick.

He… is free.

"Javier…" He looks at me with teary eyes, his body quivering from all manner of emotions.

I can tell that he's grateful.

No, gratitude does not even begin to describe what he is feeling at the moment.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" He bows his head and nearly kneels on the floor, disregarding his pride and status as a High Noble.

I merely smile at this and nod.

"You… you used such a precious Potion… you kept my shameful secret… You actually cured me of this ailment… ahh…" At this point, he actually falls to his knees. "I promise you, Javier… just as you have stood by me as a friend and helped me like this, I swear my utmost loyalty to you. No matter what, I will stand by your side and defend you!"

After hearing this, I laugh awkwardly. "There's no need to go that far. We are friends, aren't we?"

Klein slowly raises his head, picking himself up, before nodding emphatically.

"Yeah! We are friends!"

For a moment, the two of us stand and watch each other, our eyes glistening with camaraderie.

Then, unable to hold it any longer, I finally yell out.

"Now, please go and freshen up!"

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

Klein and I have decided to keep the entire thing a secret from Seraphina.

He'll simply be honest with her about everything else—his deep-seated insecurities and extreme inferiority included—while keeping the Potion Dependency Syndrome issue a secret.

Now that he is healthier, her mind will eventually be at ease.

The deal, of course, is that he must never again abuse Potions. In fact, he is currently on a one-year probation from taking Potions, and he intends to take it seriously. I can only hope that he learns his lesson this time and doesn't jeopardize his second chance.

Not many people get those.

Now that the Klein situation is settled, the heavy subject weighing heavily on my mind has to do with Duke Ravenwood.

Thanks to Anna's efforts over the weekend, the Stroke Cure Potion is ready.

It will undeniably work.

The problem is how to deliver it to the Duke and ensure that it gets used.

I don't trust Julian enough to hand over the one thing that will take him out of power, even if it will help save his father. However, every avenue to deliver the Potion to Duke Ravenwood has its own set of problems associated with it.

All my visitation requests have been turned down as well.

'If push comes to shove, I can use the Royal Family's authority, but I want to avoid depending on them as much as possible… especially in public matters.'

Until I am fully prepared, I'd like to keep my cards hidden for as long as possible.

'My most reliable method is using Serena to get in, since Julian is her husband, but I haven't been able to reach her ever since that prick became acting Duke.' I sigh, internally worried about my dear friend.

I can only hope that her foolish husband isn't subjecting her to too many difficulties.

But I know such hopes are naive.

Well, that issue aside, there's also another issue I have to address, and it looks like the person I've been waiting for just arrived.

"Come in." Before the knock even lands, my voice loudly echoes out.

The door to my residence slowly creaks open, and I watch as a familiar face enters with a calm expression and a gaze of absolute loyalty.

The man has a plain face, with brown hair and ordinary black eyes.

He's none other than my most loyal aide…

"… Leon."

I smile as I watch him close the door behind him and then kneel in front of me.

"It's been a while, Lord Javier."

I nod at him, gesturing for him to take his seat.

He obeys without a sound.

'Look at you, Leon. You've grown quite a bit. Is it due to our separation for so long and your constant travels with Uncle Damon? Or the affairs I've had you manage just recently?'

My smile broadens as I assess him silently.

Once he sits in front of me, I rest in my chair and fold my hands, my eyes flickering ominously as my expression quickly turns serious.

"So tell me how it's going with the Dark Guild. Spare no details."

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