The Innkeeper

The alchemist rushed to the bar and ordered a drink called Roan's special. Roan's special was genuinely a special drink, because Roan would make a different drink depending on who the person ordering the drink was.

Nobody knew exactly how Roan decided which drink which customer needed when the special was ordered, but to date there had never been a customer who had been disappointed by the drink. In fact, many people wished to have it again, but there was a one per month rule which meant they could only order it once a month.

This was perhaps the most contested rule of the tavern. But since the rules could not be changed, on the first of every month a special group of customers gathered who might not be seen at the tavern at any other time, but they were always there on the first.

So far, the alchemist had avoided these drinks because he could not bear to get intoxicated. An alchemist's mind was their most valuable asset, so to dull it on purpose was almost like a sin. But the alchemist had too much trust in the tavern keeper, so today he indulged.

The drink was minty fresh, and instead of intoxicating, gave the alchemist a sudden jolt of mental energy and clarity that he had lacked before. Suddenly, the alchemist fell into a daze, which made sof the regular customers chuckle. They could identify a newbie a mile away. The first twas always a memorable experience.

But the alchemist sensed none of that, for his thoughts were mired in all the alchemy recipes and knowledge he had ever gathered. So many things suddenly started to make sense in such a simple way that the alchemist almost couldn't believe he never caught on before. At the stime, many of the notions he previously held to be true did not seem plausible anymore, and actually seemed to reduce the efficiency of his refining. How could he have never seen that before?

By the tthe alchemist woke up from his daze it was evening, but he didn't even notice. He left Roan a hefty tip as he ran out the door, going as fast as he could. He had no tto waste.

Lex, who had been observing everything from the roof, chuckled and closed his eyes. He had long ago completed his quest to change the destiny of 100 guests, and through that experience learned the subtle art of guiding others.

Lex neither told them what to do, nor did he manipulate people or events. But, if he found a guest worthy, Lex would give them the help necessary so that they could themselves decide the direction of their life. Then, depending on how much he liked those guests, Lex might lend them a little more help than others. For example the huntress.

She was a young girl who relied on no one other than herself, for everyone in this cruel world had used her for their own purposes. But even so, her heart never beccruel despite her many hardships. So, Lex gave her one of the arrays he had recently created by himself.

A few days passed normally, and all was completely normal in the tavern. No matter what happened in the world outside, in the tavern the drinks would still flow and the food would always be fresh. On the third day, however, a major scandal shook the inner city!

A wedding that had been organized between two of the largest families in the inner city had been ruined! Moreover, the people who ruined the wedding turned out to be the bride and groom themselves!

The wedding was organized in such a way that the venue was divided into two, with one side belonging to the girls family, and the other to the boys. When the union would be complete, the division between the two sides was supposed to be removed, as a symbolic gesture showing that the two families had now becone.

But, unexpectedly, in the final moments before the union, the groom suddenly announced that he had beca member of the Alchemy tower, and did not want to get married as it would distract him from his alchemy. Since he had been accepted as a disciple by a Tier 3 alchemist, no one dared bar his path as he had a falling out with his family and left the venue!

The girl was even more domineering! Up on stage she gave a speech about how her family had shunned and used her since her mother died, and had sold her off to someone else just to cement a business alliance. She cut off her ties with her family forever, taking up her mothers name, and left.

When her family, angered by her disclosing their behavior and secrets, tried to attack her to force her back on stage, the girl used sspecial technique that brought everyone to their knees!

Even the veritable Foundation realm family head of her family was brought to his knees, unable to move, as she marched out. Her final words before leaving were a declaration that she would also look into the death of her mother, and if she discovered that someone from the family had been behind it, she would be back for revenge.

The story had rocked the entire city, and was the hot gossip that everyone was talking about. But a lesser known piece of gossip, that only very few people heard about, was that the young alchemist had been brought by his master to the nearby wildlands to harvest a very special herb, but was attacked by a wild beast. Before his master, who was not adept in combat, could do anything, a young maiden of unmatched grave and beauty saved him.

No one knew who she was or where she cfrom, but her valor had one the day, and ssaid, the young alchemist's heart.

Lex, who was sitting in the rumor room, chuckled as he read the slips that updated him on all the latest gossip.

Nami knockedon the door and popped her head in.

"Tavern keeper, that old stinky man is back again. He's thanking you for helping him find the perfect disciple who can represent him in the upcoming alchemy tournament. But he's saying he's never taught a disciple before, and he's already almost got his disciple killed, so he's lost all nerve. He's asking to see you to seek advice on how he should teach him."

"Send him to the roof," Lex said, as he got up from his chair. A tavern keeper's work was never done.