Published: January 22, 2026
I arrived at the shop, opened the door, and stepped inside.
The interior was reasonably spacious, but given the time of day, there wasn’t a single customer present.
I walked straight to the counter, where a female employee on the other side asked, “How can I help you?”
“Is there an apothecary named Ms. Aida here? I’m on an errand and would like to meet her.”
“I’m sorry, but my grandmother is extremely busy right now…”
It seemed she was Ms. Aida’s granddaughter.
Still, hearing that she was busy at this timing raised some suspicions, but perhaps I simply didn’t know—Ms. Aida might be a well-known apothecary after all.
After all, considering that Grandpa entrusted her with some important magic stones, it seemed unlikely she was just an ordinary apothecary.
“I see… Then could you please give this letter to Ms. Aida? If she still can’t meet immediately, I’ll come back another day.”
I handed her the letter Grandpa had entrusted me with.
Judging from her tone, she’d probably be busy tomorrow and the day after as well.
Luckily, since my business with Count Bowell finished early, I hoped to leave the Royal Capital by tomorrow morning.
I was aware I was asking a lot, but I wanted to finish my errands today if possible.
“Alright… I’ll deliver this to my grandmother. Please understand if you have to give up for today.”
“Yes, I promise.”
She reluctantly took the letter from Grandpa and disappeared into the back of the building.
After a while, I could faintly hear two people talking back there, but I couldn’t make out what they said.
After waiting a bit longer, Ms. Aida’s granddaughter returned with a confused look.
“She says she will see you. Please come this way,” she said, removing the barrier on the counter and letting me inside.
She led me to a certain room and then returned to the shop, leaving me alone to enter.
As I stepped inside, a distinctive scent, mixed with various herbs and medicines, pricked my nose.
The room was filled with glass containers holding liquids of many colors and various herbs scattered about—truly the workspace of an apothecary.
At the far end sat an elderly woman with streaks of white in her hair, fixing me with a sharp gaze through her glasses.
“…Are you the agent of ‘Cavi’?”
Ms. Aida asked me as I entered.
Cavi was Grandpa’s nickname.
Grandpa’s real name was Cavadel Evans.
He was recognized as a genius magical tool artisan who revolutionized magical tool technology.
However, Cavadel Evans was said to have died about ten years ago.
Currently, Grandpa was using an alias.
Since that alias clearly wouldn’t produce the nickname “Cavi,” it seemed this woman knew that Cavadel Evans was alive and that Grandpa was in fact that person.
“Yes. I was asked by him to come receive the magic stones he entrusted to you.”
“…Is that so. Is that fool really going through with it?”
Ms. Aida muttered with an expression that was both angry and sorrowful, a complicated mix.
“Grandpa—what does he intend to do?”
I asked, sensing something off in her expression.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t say. Even small details could cause significant fluctuations.”
“I see.”
I had learned most of what I knew about magic from Grandpa.
The more I studied magic, the more I was impressed by Cavadel Evans’s brilliance.
While I now had some confidence that I was approaching his level, his shadow still felt distant.
From Ms. Aida’s words, it seemed Grandpa was about to carry out some plan—so meticulous or grand that even a small misstep could make the outcome unpredictable.
I trusted Grandpa completely, just as if he were my real grandfather.
Still, something about this felt off.
For one, it was strange that he asked me to run this errand.
As mentioned, Grandpa was an exceptional magical tool artisan and a top-tier mage.
It wouldn’t be strange if he had a way to travel from Tsutolairu to the Royal Capital without a carriage.
It felt as if he deliberately sent me to the Royal Capital just to—