NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 403: Chapter 403: Asylum Quota
"Anz, profession: Alchemist, specializing in potions, with the peak strength of a Silver Fifth Rank, you've already secured your qualification to participate in the finals of the potion competition in the royal city of Scaret, correct?"
"Who are you?" Anz, having shaved his beard clean to reveal a handsome youthful face, frowned as he looked at the five people before him.
"Don't be nervous. You still hold your qualification to compete. According to the competition's rules, you are currently under the protection of Duke Muria; no one dares to lay a hand on you."
The palace servant who blocked Anz chuckled at another contestant, Yeheng, who seemed ready to strike, and pointed to the hexagonal dragon head emblem on his robe, "I come from the royal city of Scaret. You recognize this emblem, don't you?"
"Are you one of Duke Muria's men?" Anz, who had participated in more than a dozen competitions, was naturally very familiar with the hexagonal dragon head emblem, a mark of the ruling duke.
"Of course. May I ask if you are Alchemist Anz?" The palace servant, who had already confirmed his identity through a three-dimensional holographic image, bowed slightly and asked again.
"I am Anz." The genius potion master exchanged a glance with his childhood friend Yeheng before looking at the clean-shaven, obviously well-bred servant in front of him.
"Then, Master Anz, do you have time to speak with me now?" The servant asked with an authoritative tone.
"Sure." Anz glanced at the authoritative golden dragon head badge on the servant's chest and readily nodded in agreement. He wasn't in a position to refuse.
"This way, Master Anz." Seeing Anz's willingness to cooperate, the servant's demeanor took an immediate respectful turn as he gestured towards a finely decorated restaurant.
"What does the Regent Duke want with me?" Seated in the restaurant, Anz asked calmly after the fragrant servant had ordered their meal.
The servant, a special status held only within royal and noble families, always represented the will of such dignitaries.
"Master Anz, you are very direct. So I won't beat around the bush either," the servant smiled, then straightened his face, "I'm asking if you would be interested in serving Duke Muria?"
Anz paused briefly, then responded, "I am a resident of the Lockman Kingdom and naturally have a duty to serve Duke Muria."
"Master Anz, you are a smart man, don't play dumb with me," the servant frowned slightly in displeasure. "You understand what I mean. I'm asking if you are willing to follow Duke Muria. Even if His Grace steps down from his position and leaves the Lockman Kingdom in the future, would you still choose to follow him and serve him for life?"
Anz remained silent, and his friend Yeheng started to get agitated, wanting to speak, but Anz grabbed him, preventing his muscle-brained friend from offending anyone.
"Please take your time to consider, Master Anz. You must understand the power of Duke Muria. Having attended His Grace's ruling ceremony, you should have a clear idea."
"The Ten Ancient Dragons!" Anz murmured softly, then asked the servant, "Can you tell me what aspect of me caught Duke Muria's attention?"
"It's your talent as a potion master. His Grace appreciates your stability, calmness, and innovative spirit in potion crafting."
"What would I get if I decide to follow Duke Muria?" Anz asked pragmatically.
Potion mastery is inherently a support and money-burning profession. Serving a major power is a common practice, as independent potion masters rarely succeed in the long run.
"For lower-tier potions, you can freely research and create any you wish without restrictions on materials. For higher-tier potions, materials will be supplied in limited quantities based on your ability.
Furthermore, you will have unrestricted access to all alchemical potion recipes collected by Duke Muria."
"Unrestricted access?" Anz laughed, "That probably means I'd be somewhere I can't communicate with the outside world, like a demiplane. And after seeing those, I'd probably never see the world I currently live in again."
The servant smiled, not commenting further—some things are understood without needing to be explicitly stated. Then, the servant took a stack of highly confidential documents from his spatial ring, laid them in front of Anz, and gestured for him to browse.
Driven by curiosity, Anz started flipping through the documents marked 'Top Secret,' and soon his brows furrowed deeply. The pages contained shocking details about every demonic invasion in the Lockman Kingdom over the past two years—dates, locations, number of demons involved, and their strength were all meticulously recorded along with several line graphs illustrating the increasing frequency and strength of the demonic occurrences.
"Is all
of this real?" Yeheng asked, his face turning pale as he couldn't believe the implications.
"Do we have any reason to fabricate this information just to deceive you? Do you think you're important enough for us to lie to?" The servant asked with a smile but without courtesy.
"Why is this happening?"
"That's not something someone of my status would know," the servant shook his head, pointing to the documents, "So, if you agree to follow Duke Muria, you now have ten slots to bring people into a demiplane where you won't be disturbed by the outside world."
"Ten slots, that's too few."
___________________
(Support with power stones, comments or reviews)
If you guys enjoy this story, In support me on Patreon and get access to +200 advance Chapters
Read Ahead
Patreon.com/INNIT
___________________
50% OFF ON ALL LEVELS WITH CODE 3EFEF ON PATREON