Chapter 119 Ingredients (1/2)
Lord Sevaril and Snowcloud descended the stairs, with Arran warily following a few paces behind them. Lord Sevaril's casual death threat had not come as a complete surprise to Arran — knowing Snowcloud's secrets obviously carried risks — but it had served as yet another reminder of his precarious situation.
The fact of the matter was that he had no powerful backers or allies. If any one of the powerful mages he encountered decided to kill him, there would be nobody to avenge his death. If he was to rely on anyone to protect him, it would have to be himself, and for that, he needed to become more powerful. But gaining power required time and resources, and right now, he was short on both.
A few floors below the chamber where they had first met Lord Sevaril, the man left the staircase and stepped into the hallway, coming to a stop before a heavy wooden door at its far end.
”This is the ingredient storage room,” Lord Sevaril said to Snowcloud. ”You'll find that I have made a fair effort to find all you need, and then some.”
He opened the door without ceremony, then stepped inside, Snowcloud and Arran entering behind him.
When they entered the chamber, Arran was immediately astounded at what he saw. The chamber was vast and full of endless rows of shelves, each carrying a multitude of bottles, jars, flasks, and boxes. If each of these was filled with herbs and other ingredients, then the chamber held a fortune beyond compare.
Snowcloud's shock seemed even greater than Arran's. She stood wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the entrance of the chamber, looking around in silent astonishment.
”All but a few of the ingredients you need should be here,” Lord Sevaril said. ”But going through the entire collection will take you a few days.”
His voice held a tone of barely concealed pride, and Arran couldn't blame him. Gathering such a massive collection of ingredients must have been a monumental task even if the ingredients were common ones, and Arran was certain that many of these would be anything but common — even if he knew little of herbalism, he could Sense the Natural Essence emanating from the shelves.
”I'll get started immediately,” Snowcloud replied in a distracted voice.
Even as she spoke, she kept her eyes focused on the shelves in front of her. It was clear that she had all but forgotten about the world around her, and Arran suspected she did not intend to emerge from the chamber until she had inspected every last ingredient within.
”I'll have a room prepared for your companion,” Lord Sevaril said, apparently having had the same thought as Arran.
Snowcloud did not respond, and quietly, Lord Sevaril motioned for Arran to follow him as he stepped out of the chamber. Captivated by the collection of herbs and ingredients, Snowcloud did not appear to notice their departure.
”Lord Sevaril,” Arran said as they entered the hallway, ”I'm a bit short on Essence Crystals. Could you perhaps tell me the best place in the city to buy some?”
Of course, Arran wasn't just looking for information. Although he did not dare ask directly, having caught a glimpse of Lord Sevaril's wealth, he secretly hoped that the man would decide to show him some generosity as well.