It lives! Success.

The glazed black eyes suddenly blinked.

Seemingly trapped in stasis, the body lying on the earthen floor twitched. A sighing groan then escaped from between the burnished lips. Awakening from a tormented induced slumber, the man lay still while focusing on the rafters. His eyes even managed to distinguish the pattern of the wooden shingles under the dim lighting.

As his consciousness spread throughout his body upon remembering the previous pain, he naturally tested the response from the far corners of his extremities. The sound of a steady heart thumped within his ears while his chest rose and subsided in rhythmical silence.

A strength reminding him of vibrant youth flooded his veins and coiled his muscles. Somewhere, an idea surfaced for him to yell with the fortitude of a warrior. The spirited thoughts soon dissipated when he realized a scarf was wrapped around his mouth. A piece of cloth scratched his forehead, reminding him of its previous use as a blindfold. Raising his hand to remove it, an important point suddenly surfaced.

Secured ropes fettered his hands and feet, confirming his status as a captive.

An inquisitive voice reached his ears while he shuffled to a position of comfort.

"He looks alive."

"Really? I thought he was dead when he passed out last night."

"Thank the heavens for the muzzle, or else my ears would have burst!"

The man on the floor listened to the whispers. He easily identified two girls and one boy, sitting on a bench, chatting. The boy closest to him turned to face him while poking the ribs of another whose head rested on the table. Yelping, the sleeping boy jumped and raised a palm. The instigator quickly pointed to the floor.

Rubbing his ribs, Chu stretched and walked over and then gently tugged away at the scarf.

"Lucy, open the windows but keep the curtains closed. So, can you speak? We had to muzzle your mouth because you nearly screamed the house down."

The boy crouched beside the figure on the ground while smiling at the face below. The concerned face and caring tone disarmed the man for the moment.

"I feel better now. Water. I want water."

"Miki, prepare a warm cup of water. Ming, let's help him to a sitting position. Don't worry, everything will be okay."

Confirming with a sip, this cup indeed held water; the man gulped it down. Satisfied while ignoring the liquid dripping down his beard, he focused on his hosts. The additional lighting through the curtains fell on curious gazes. The boy who seemed to be in control placed a stool and sat before him.

"Have you heard of the Tower Mages?"

Blinking in not comprehending the question, the bandit watched the boy fish out a token from his pouch.

"Let's start over. Do you know what this is? I am sure you must have seen a similar pattern on the Tower Outpost in Karst."

The retreating shuffle and wide-open eyes informed Chu that his words provided the desired effect.

"Yes. I am a Tower Mage Apprentice. Whatever you may have heard, it was my master who single-handedly saved this village from the demon beasts. He defeated the same pack which wiped out the village to the north."

Satisfied with his ploy, Chu answered the questioning eyes searching his face in fright.

"My Master is a man who follows the code of the Tower. He serves the people but has one fault. He treats all the people as equals, whether they are good or bad. You and your friends have now benefited from his research. As much as I want to kill you, you are under his protection."

Chu sprang up, knocking the stool away. Cursing loudly, he calmed his anger and turned towards the man.

"Do you know what my Master has given you and your friend?"

Seeing the man shake his head in the negative, he slammed a fist on the table.

"Miki, hand him a mirror. Let this fool see for himself."

The raven-haired girl stepped forward and shoved an object into the man's hand. With a huff, she gazed down on him with scorn.

"Look at yourself, you, country oaf. My Master has gifted you with a long life."

With wide eyes, the man stared into this magical instrument. A strange face greeted him, causing him to gasp and drop the mirror. Miki picked it up and handed it to him while landing a slap on his ruffled head.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"The face is yours, you, idiot. Take a breath and look again. When you settle down, answer the questions of my senior apprentice. We need to take care of the three of you before he returns..."

***

Chu watched Ming lead the bandit out of the hut. Sitting on the bench near the open window, the quill scribbled across a sheet of writing paper. Opposite him, Lucy and Ishara wrote and conversed while using their translation notes. A raven-haired girl entered the hut and dropped beside Chu with a smug look.

"Well, that went well. I had Tapper join Ming in leading our helper to a room in the mill. As you wanted, I told him our Master traveled to Karst this morning with his friend to show the progress of his magic."

"Good. This is why I like living in the countryside. Far from the center of the empire, humans are so gullible. When Ming returns, let's bring the last bandit."

Chu said while drawing a crooked table on his paper.

"Why do you still need the last one?"

Lucy asked from across the table.

"You said Ishara mentioned that only one cup was sufficient. Do you think she meant that if she drank more, it would not change the lifespan already added? Or maybe more would kill the user, like what happened on our first try?"

Replying, the boy tapped the quill on the table. Frowning, he looked at the Hakkin while continuing.

"The second dosage seemed to work quite well. Since the subject survived, we must use this opportunity to the fullest. We will keep the experiment running and monitor them separately until satisfied. Once two months have passed without side effects, we'll get started."

The plan was simple. Come as close as possible to the correct dosage and then distribute it to his companions. As for creating a diluted potion to sell across the empire, he would seal this idea until ready. Currently, he lacks the power to defend such a golden egg and a stable supply of ingredients.

How many times had a small company been gobbled up and its product been copied through corporate espionage?

"Ok, just let us know what you want. Since that's your decision, we can dabble a little to see how long this potion can remain effective. Otherwise, we will be forced to hunt for lifestones in the north."

Miki said. Placing a finger to her lip, she frowned while continuing.

"About using the potion. It's not like the older folks will suddenly look young again. I mean, that man did lose some of his wrinkles and scabs, but it's not like he turned a boy. Although I also do admit I would be shocked at staring at a less wrinkled, firm face. Ishara said they did take it when coming of age."

Chu straightened his back on the bench.

"I guess the older heads will take it since it makes no difference. We can drink it before we head off to Frost City. That way we can maintain our appearance for a long time..."

"Nooo!"

Both girls interrupted him in unison. Chu switched from the blue to the charcoal eyes for answers.

"Remember, you said something about reaching the prime of your life in the twenties? I suggest we wait until then."

"I also agree, Lucy. How about we wait until we are about Big Sis' age? We can carry some potions for her and the Elders. It makes no sense that we waste building our body strength to its prime, right? Right?"

Miki supported.

Chu shifted from the two girls who literally towered over him while expressing their views. Raising his hands, he could only agree.

"Alright, I'll grab something for us to eat and inform Ms. May that they might hear some screams during the day."

Watching his retreating back, Miki sighed. Lucy broke the silence.

"Take the potion now? Then how could we ever come close to competing with Big Sis or Ishara?"

Miki nodded while staring at her developing chest.

"Damn right, Lucy. I'm not drinking a drop of potion until I have a pair of small melons like Ishara."

***

From outside, the crooked building matched its neighbors. Patched wooden shingles on the roof, warped doorways, and propped walls. It resembled an old abandoned church, without the glass windows and bell tower. The wooden windows remained shuttered on the upper and lower floors, patched closed by large boards x's.

A few stragglers fished among the rubbish or wandered around the lanes seeking alms from the scant passersby. Handouts did not come easily for residents living in the slums.

Different from the sordid surroundings, the interiors of this building seemed remarkably different.

In the largest room, tables and benches circled around a small rectangular stage at the center. Each desk held a candle, illuminating the entire room by sheer numbers. A pathway led straight from the barred front door, through it, and then ended at the door to the large kitchen. At the side, a narrow stairway led to the upper floors, which served as sleeping quarters.

Singh sat on a chair next to the raised stage. A candle flickered on the personal desk in front of him, tenanted with scrolls, inks, and parchments. A shuffle beyond the kitchen door shifted his gaze as it creaked open to admit two children. The boy and girl could not be more than ten years old.

"Little Kat, have you eaten already? Didn't you just come in?"

Singh said while watching the little girl.

"I finished eating Big Brother Singh. See? I even washed and changed my clothes."

Smiling at the pouting little girl, Singh waved her to the stage. No one would believe this girl was among the shy ones during the winter.

Patting her little brown but clean sack-shaped dress, Kat mounted the stage.

"I worked at Mrs. Quin's today. I helped her servant clean the large hall and peel some provisions. She is a mean lady. She dresses up in expensive clothes and yells at her servants. I can earn two coppers much more easily if I beg on the streets."

Singh patted her back when she stepped down.

"You shouldn't worry about trivial things. Earning two coppers is not important, so don't think you have worked hard for nothing. Now, go sit by Ran; she is the one who records the happenings on your street."

The girl walked between the rows to join four children occupying one of the benches. A girl sat in the middle, scribbling on a piece of paper.

Before the boy called Pan could take the stage, Chong walked in from the kitchen door.

"Robby the Baker from Cobble Street just visited a den of our Behemoth Gang. He asked for an extension on our protection payment. Word is that because of the Bitzer Raids to the nearby lands, grains have become in short supply. The sellers have nearly tripled the prices, and a few merchants are buying and storing it on the hopes it goes higher."

Singh frowned on hearing the situation. Something like this could cut into their earnings, especially if clients like Baker Robby ended up closing his shop. If conditions persist, a permanent loss of income would occur. A few months ago, they would have panicked given the present situation.

But under the eyes of their distant Boss, this would never happen.

Rising from his chair, Singh scratched his thick black hair. With an expression of awe, he turned to Chong.

"Chong, I think we are following the devil himself..."

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