Reincarnator RB Dragons, ch 45

Kevin sat in a room of Alariel's tower that he'd never seen before. The mage herself sat across from him on a divan, her fingers steepled and a pensive expression on her face. Between them on a table was a sample of the potion that he'd made. Every once in a while, Alariel dipped her eyes down to glance at the potion. Kevin was content to wait her out before she started talking. As the silence stretched, he thought about how in his haste and blind tunnel vision to learn Alchemy, to create a new potion, Kevin hadn't considered how Alariellel herself might react. It was a pretty major oversight, and he was kicking himself for not even considering it before the situation had popped up.

As usual, Alarielle herself was handsome rather than beautiful, but her dress was a work of art.  It was different shades of green, with pearls sewn in patterns and along seams, all of which made her look like a descended goddess.  The dress would be mesmerizing to examine at length, but Kevin couldn’t afford to be distracted.

Finally, the great mage spoke. "Kevin, we need to have a very serious discussion. And, in order to show good faith, I want to remind you that I can detect lies. Or perhaps I am informing you of this if you did not know. I would guess that you already knew, but I want to make sure that our discussion takes place with no subterfuge, intentional or unintentional.”

She didn’t wait for a response.  "Kevin, what you have done is absolutely astounding. Comparing ourselves to others is not only folly but usually a shortcut to feeling dissatisfaction. When comparisons are made between ourselves and someone lower or less fortunate, it is often cruel and pointless.  However, you have been an Alchemist for such a short time, I must use names of those we have in common to illustrate my point, and I doubt you know any Alchemists other than myself and Addison. I taught Addison over six years, off and on. He has been able to accomplish less in his entire career than you were able to achieve in weeks. And then, on top of that, you created an entirely new potion."

"How did you know, and how do you know for sure it's a new potion?" asked Kevin.  This was actually something he’d wondered about before, how he’d know if he’d truly ever made something new, and how he’d prove it if he did.

Alariel shook her head. "Absolutely astonishing.  And you don't even have magic…yet." She rubbed the bridge of her nose between her eyes. "Despite how rapidly your studies have been progressing, you are effectively self-taught.  In a proper academy or as an apprentice, ‘potion origination’ would be one of the first things you learn.  So you would not know this yet, but when an Alchemist crafts a potion the world has never seen before, all Alchemists at master-level or above get an alert through the world’s magic. If we miss it or choose not to follow up on it, then we will never know who crafted it. But if we do follow up on it, those of us with enough talent will be able to see not only who created a potion but what that person looks like.”

“Oh.”

“Indeed.  Since I was so close by in the tower, I immediately knew it was you.  Now I must ask, what do you plan to do with this potion?"

"I guess I haven't really thought about it that far," said Kevin. He frowned.  "I had a deal with you that if I finished something new, I would get the means to learn magic, and that's important to me. But I also had to create a new potion for my cousin… for family matters that would likely bore you."

The powerful mage chuckled. "Kevin, you are a very mysterious goblin.  I know you have your secrets, and I won’t pry.  Out of courtesy I have not used various methods before now to look into your circumstances either, and perhaps part of that is how interesting it is to speculate, instead.”

“Thanks…I think.”

“Indeed.  I have long suspected that you had some natural ability to sense or perfect potions, and this confirms it beyond a doubt.  With all my knowledge, all my experience, I am not sure I could replicate this potion.”

“Why?

“That simple question shows your lack of knowledge.”  Her words were delivered factually, with no malice.  She took a sip of her tea.  “I do not mean to be condescending, just straightforward.  You have probably noticed that your potion is fairly unique in how it goes directly to the stomach and does not actively use alchemical infusion.  Instead, it uses a process called alchemical absorption.  The stomach does not digest the potion’s power, instead it is absorbed naturally throughout the entire body. 

“This takes more time, and the potion fills the stomach until it is done. You might have reasoned these were the two main reasons why most modern potions used standard alchemical transfusions, yes?”

Kevin answered, “That’s right, and also because it’s easier to get a better ingredients-to-power ratio.  It’s more efficient.”

Alarielle smiled.  “Exactly.  However, there’s another reason, too.  Potions that rely on alchemical absorption are notoriously difficult to make.  It’s impossible to rely on a single recipe or even consistent measurements because something as simple as humidity or ambient temperature–even mana movement through the atmosphere–can cause significant changes during the creation process.  The only way to successfully craft an alchemical absorption potion is through a carefully constructed recipe, trial and error, and an enormous amount of talent.  To be honest, I could probably rely on my senses, magic, and talent to create a simple alchemical absorption potion…but what you have made is exponentially more difficult.  Please tell me how you accomplished this.”

Kevin thought hard and fast.  How much should I reveal?  Finally, he decided to be honest but go light on details.  “I can sense sometimes when a potion is not quite perfect, and it’s possible to adjust it slightly.  This potion wasn’t entirely mine.  I found a note in a ruin that I explored with an adventuring team, and they let me have it.  The recipe was not complete, so I’ve been playing around with it, experimenting, and used that foundation to finish it my own way.”

“That does fill in some of the gaps.  I will not even ask to see your recipe, don’t worry.  It won’t do me much good even if I saw it.  Like I said, my talents lie in other areas and I do not believe I could create this potion properly even if I had a recipe and all the time in the world.”

Kevin didn’t respond at first, just watched as she took another sip of tea. He was glad Alariel was not trying to steal his work, but again, he was frustrated at himself for not even thinking about the possibility before.  Life had been too good, living with his parents.  It’s like he’d forgotten about corruption and greed.

When she was done with her tea, Alariel sighed.  “Now what you have done is an amazing achievement, but it might also complicate your life.”

“Because some will know who I am?”

“Yes.  That’s most of it.  But also because you have proven that you have talent, but you are not yet strong  enough to defend yourself.”

He knew it was not said with malice, but he still bristled.  “What does that mean?”

"It wasn't a threat," said Alariel. "If you think about it, I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out. The only reason it wasn't immediately obvious is because of your peculiar worldview and lack of common sense.”

She smiled.  "I will admit, at one time I even thought you might be a dragon, despite the fact that my magic and my instruments told me otherwise. But since then, I have truly come to understand that you are your own unique existence. Not only do you have mysterious powers and uncommon knowledge for a goblin, it almost seems sometimes like you were raised on another world, like all of this is new to you.   Everything. It would not surprise me if you were to ever confide in me that you are from another reality or dimension."

Kevin kept his mouth shut. He was beginning to feel disturbed that people kept being able to see through him this thoroughly.  Alariel  gave him an amused smile and said, "Potions are expensive to buy, even for something simple like the potion you've been making for Addison.  This new potion special.  Not only did you invent it, its existence also proves you capable of experimenting with an entirely new type of potion that most Alchemy masters cannot replicate. Your value from this fact alone goes through the roof.”

“And this is bad?” 

“Any attention can be bad.  It is not completely unheard of for a country to abduct a potion master. They'll call it something different. It will be ‘rescuing’ you or something of this nature. But the end effect is the same. The potion kidnapped master winds up in a gilded cage within whatever country they were captured to and is expected to create potions for the country."

"What happens if they don't?" said Kevin.

Alariel smiled without humor. "If they don't, then some countries would probably be able to justify killing them. After all, if they can't have a potion master's potions, nobody else should either. From a completely ruthless perspective, it makes sense."

Kevin nodded slowly. Again, this was something he hadn't even considered, and he was starting to realize that his perspective had been heavily influenced by his parents–who were some of the most powerful creatures in the entire world—and also by his past lives, where potions did not exist.  Also, his attitude from his life when he was a super-powered knight was probably bleeding over.  He'd been very lucky so far in this life, and was hardly defenseless, but   compared to the power he understood Alariel to have, it was like a blanket fort compared to a proper house.

Alariel saw the expressions crossing his face and gave another one of her grim smiles. "It is my pleasure to kill operatives of any country that would like to abduct a potion master whenever I encounter them. Granted, it has been a long time since any of them have let me know who they were, but there was a time in my career that, despite my reputation, I was subjected to random, cowardly attacks."

"Are potion masters really that valuable to an entire country?" asked Max.

"True masters?  Yes, and the piece of the puzzle you may be missing is the scale at which a potion master can work. After all, all the batches that we make here in the tower are usually smaller scale, but imagine if you were to simply multiply the ratio, each part by one hundred. Imagine if you could create potions for an entire army in a day.  This is why, for combat-related potions, the measurements for each reagent are even more exact than usual."

Kevin immediately understood why. "So if the potion is made at a higher scale, the ratios will still be correct."

"Exactly," said Elariel. "If two armies of five thousand men are facing each other and one army has a healing potion that will bring them back from the brink of death one time, which side do you think will win?"

Kevin nodded and made a face. He really needed to start thinking about things from the perspective of common sense in this world. Sometimes, like now, he wondered if his past memories actually prevented him from acclimating to his new world as quickly as he otherwise might. But it could also very well be that he was studying in a cave for the last twenty years as well.

He decided to be very blunt with Alariel since she'd shown him so much goodwill and they seemed to have a good rapport. "Since you're not going to steal my potion, and you can't even if you wanted to, what now?" he said.

"Ah, now that is a great question," the great mage took another sip of her tea, finishing the cup and setting it aside. "You have not only crafted an entirely new potion, it's a powerful one as well. Are you entirely aware of what this potion does?"

"Most of it," Kevin lied.  "What do you see though?" 

Alariel’s eyes crinkled and she nodded sagely. Kevin didn't know if she spotted his ruse or not, but if she had, she was playing along. "My assessment is that it has several parts.  One is a minor restorative; it actually heals the mind so that somebody can go longer without sleep. It increases focus, increases natural mana, and improves memory for the time that the potion is active.  The effects will last a very long time."

Kevin pursed his lips. "Oh. Perfect for mages, huh?"

"And politicians. And traders. And basically anybody who uses their mind on a regular basis," Alariel shook her head. "Imagine if a delegation needs to work on a trade agreement and negotiate terms, and they are on an aggressive time limit. Imagine what an advantage it would be to have one of these potions for each member of one team."

Kevin nodded slowly. Then Alariel continued, "My suggestion is to go into business with me. It's very simple. If you make batches of this potion, you can always send them to me and I will sell them for a great deal of money. Hopefully, you trust me enough to work with me in that capacity."

"What would be the split?" asked Kevin.

"Sixty-forty, sixty for you," she said, and held up a hand when Kevin opened his mouth again. "I know it seems a bit low, but I am sure that I can get more than double the price that you could on your own. My reputation will mean a great deal to many people with the funding to actually purchase this potion .  Additionally, distribution is one of the most difficult parts of business, any business, but potions business even more so, because potions can sometimes be delicate or affected by weather or temperature. So, in order to transport potions efficiently and effectively, it takes some skill and equipment."

Kevin opened his mouth to talk again, but Alariel held up a forestalling hand for the second time. "As another added benefit for our deal, I will officially institute you into the Alchemist Guild at an Expert level. That is the highest rank that I can give on my own. Any higher than that would require a board and testing.  You will also officially be my apprentice, with all the rights and honors that comes with that.  Honestly, I don’t think you need it.  You seem to be doing just fine with self study, but being my apprentice should offer a certain amount of protection and help you politically in some situations."

Kevin pursed his lips. His past experiences made him extremely suspicious of contracts and deals like this, especially his time on Earth. However, everything Alarial had said made sense. More importantly, Kevin didn't even know what the potions were worth, and she made a very good point that although he was not exactly a pushover, he wasn't strong yet. If his potions were truly valuable, somebody might just kill him for it–even if the recipe wouldn’t actually help them.

“If transportation is such a problem, then why does there seem to be an assumption that I can send you completed potions from wherever I am?”

“I will put out an open contract with the Magi Guild with explicit instructions. All you will need to do is drop off complete potions at the nearest Magi guild branch.  This would not be cost-effecive for most, but I have a special relationship with the guild.

He nodded.  For someone as old and powerful as Alariel, she probably had special relationships with all the major guilds and maybe even a few large merchant companies.  Kevin thought about it as he tapped one clawed finger on the armrest of his chair. "I have two more requests," he said.

Alariel gestured for him to continue, and Kevin said, "I want to name the potion."

"Of course," she said. "As the originator, you have the right to name the potion whatever you choose. "

"Good." Kevin paused. "Second, I want a contract for all of this and a memo from you explaining that I created a new potion and that I am now an expert-level alchemist."

The great mage took the request in stride.  Her expression didn’t even flicker as she waved a hand. "That is easily done. Additionally, I have not forgotten our past, original deal, and even though at the time I thought you might not succeed, or that our deal would conclude after many years, I luckily did already send for what I believe you need."

"You did?" he asked.

"Correct. In fact, the delivery should be getting here in two to three more days. If we do this deal, my original agreement with you would still stand, and you would get what is in the delivery."

"Magic," said Kevin quietly to himself. 

Even though it hadn't been a question, Elariel answered, "Yes."

Kevin mentally examined everything Alariel had said from every angle he possibly could and didn't find any obvious flaws with the proposal. She would even make money on it, and although she had not said so, the prestige of her new apprentice creating a new potion was probably not insignificant.  Nor the fact he was a goblin.  So, eventually, he said, "Okay, but I have to—Actually, wait a moment." 

He scratched the back of his hand.  "How much of this new potion am I going to be expected to make for you?" He made a note to himself to come up with a cool name for the potion as quickly as he could. It was getting annoying just to refer to it vaguely.

“However much you would like to make.  I don’t plan to put a minimum amount in the contract.  After all, anything you make will benefit both of us, and I expect self interest will either lead you or it won’t.

“Fair. Alright.  I want to see the contact and read it before I sign anything, much less make it magically binding, but I think we have a deal.”

“Excellent!”

“Oh, and as long as I keep training here in Clearmine, I would like to keep learning Alchemy.”

Alariel laughed, a full-throated belly laugh.  “Kevin, as my official apprentice, I will always give you access to all of my resources.  After all, your triumphs will be mine, too.  Now that I think about it, you might not be aware of this…since you have never seemed to care about my reputation.  It’s one of the things I find charming about you.  Just know–in all my lifetime, you will be my official, third apprentice.”

“Oh.”  He suddenly felt a little awkward.  “Thank you.”