Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

"I call this… the Lazarus Project!"

Eren stopped looking at his spectral screen and looked at the scrolls and notes scribbled by Layla. They were written in a language he didn't quite get. It was partially the same language he was used to. But the meaning behind most of those words didn't make sense to him.

Eren closed his spectral screen and stood from his chair. Then he walked up to the table and pulled up another chair before sitting on it. The notes, maps, and everything Layla had gathered was now clearly visible to him. The young witch was on the other side of the table, standing while tilting her body weight on the table's surface with both her hands.

Layla liked that Eren was trying to give her undivided attention. She took a long breath before continuing.

"Eren, you need to understand this before we proceed further. Both master's and Reen's survival depend on these tasks. I'm not trying to pressurize you. Just reminding you is all. I hope you understand this."

Eren smirked at Layla when he heard this. But he didn't say anything. He started tapping his finger on the table, indicating that she get on with whatever she wanted to say to him.

"Alright, we can now proceed since we got that out of the way."

Layla said and started rummaging through her pile of notes and scrolls before pulling out the scroll she was looking for. She opened it in front of Eren for him to see before commenting.

"I'll start with this. Simbelmyne's Flower. Its trees are only found on the mountain peaks. The flower blooms only when the world's mana seeps into it while imbuing it with a part of its consciousness. Hence, even if you can find the trees, you won't necessarily see a fully bloomed flower."

Eren was handed the scroll regarding Simbelmyne's flower along with its possible locations. All locations were outside the kingdom of Edinburgh. Plus, some of the locations seemed to be in the middle of the Badlands.

Eren had stressed lines on his forehead as he kept on reading the scroll. Layla let him think for a while. Then she proceeded forward.

"Don't worry too much though. We don't have to search aimlessly. I zeroed in on the locations using potions and arrays myself.

What's more? When Simbelmyne's Flower blooms naturally in a wild habitat, it is rare. But some potion-makers dabble into farming these kinds of herbs "in the greenhouse."

Eren kept the scroll on the table and looked at Layla who was smirking at him at the time. He tapped his fingers on the table and commented after pondering for a bit.

"Let me guess. The flower can be bought. But since you did all the research by yourself, I'm guessing it won't be easy to buy."

Layla nodded at Eren's answer before replying.

"That's right. The Simbelmyne's Flower is a transcendent-grade treasure. That means it can use any rank's mana to sustain itself. But the concentration of mana needs to be at crazy levels to induce blooming in the greenhouse.

Maintaining a greenhouse for such a ranking resource is not an easy task. The Extols needed to keep the mana generator arrays functional is not something an individual can sustain for a long time…."

Eren shook his head before interrupting Layla.

"Keep that geek stuff to yourself. Just tell me where we could buy this from and how much does it cost?

Layla puffed her cheeks when her explanations were interrupted like these. She liked talking about such topics. But apparently, the butcher would rather be back flirting with Altashia if his patience were tested. So she decided to cut short her description of the Simbelmyne's flower and responded.

"*cough. Alright. The Simbelmyne's flower can not be bought casually. At least not these days. It can only be claimed through auction events. And there is high demand.

That's why I also researched the potential natural locations of the flower. Don't worry. I know you are broke. If we are looking for the flower and reach within a certain distance from it, I have a trick that can make us locate it instantly."

Eren narrowed his eyes on Layla and asked in a low voice.

"Don't try to divert from my question. How much are we talking about?"

Layla laughed nervously before raising her hands and showing "One" with her index finger.

"1000 Extols?"

Eren asked dubiously. Subconsciously, he knew Layla wouldn't hesitate for that much money, even if it meant a lot to him. Layla confirmed his suspicions. She shook her head in denial before responding.

"More than 10,000 Extols. And that's a starting bid. Plus, we might need a batch of four Simbelmyne flowers in case of emergency. So that's… hehe… roughly 50,000 Extols."

Eren stopped tapping his fingers on the table when he heard the amount. Stress lines on his forehead increased. Layla tried to cheer him up with her actions and her words.

After walking close to him, she tapped his shoulder as if she were greeting a long-lost friend.

"That's why I said we can look for the flowers naturally. Don't worry. It shouldn't take long for us…"

Eren shook his head in denial before replying.

"No. After reading these notes, I can guess that finding the flower won't be as easy as you are making it out to be. Not to mention exploring the Badlands would be dangerous. I don't like facing dangers if I can avoid them or if they are not worth it.

I'd rather invest my time in something productive. Although I don't have that much money on me now, I'll…. I'll just have to find ways to make that amount."

Eren narrowed his eyes and thought of something. He then turned his head to his side facing Layla and asked.

"I'm guessing you also know the place that would auction Simbelmyne's Flower?"

Layla nodded at him and responded.

"Yep. For once, I would want your leecher powers to exceed their normal potential. That's because House Remus is known for auctioning precious herbs that are grown in the greenhouse. And Simbelmyne's Flower is included in their occasional auction events.

You need to make a move on that Dianna girl."

AN: Brace yourself for a ten-chapters mass release. ;)