A Peacock Husband of Five Princesses by day, a Noble Assassin by Night-Chapter 82 : The Alchemist Request

After a while, Kael walked through the woods, his lord's attire now back in place. His hand moved in a casual wave, and from the shadows, Nyx—his spectral wolf—emerged, padding silently beside him. Its presence wasn't to scare the monsters that could be roaming around, but a part of acting as Lord Moonstone.

Their camp was about twenty kilometers away, nestled in the same mountain range. As he approached, he could already hear Laura's voice, sharp and filled with frustration. She was pacing back and forth, complaining to herself.

The moment she spotted him, she rushed forward, fuming.

"Hubby, where have you been?!" she snapped, hands on her hips. "You said you'd be back in a few minutes, and now it's been over half an hour!"

Kael rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward. "Uh… I just went further away. It felt a bit… embarrassing to go pee, nearby."

Laura narrowed her eyes. Not convinced.

"You disappeared into the woods, alone, for thirty minutes. What if a monster attacked you? What if assassins were waiting? We didn't even bring any knights with us!"

Kael gave a small shrug, gesturing at Nyx. "I had Nyx with me. She would have looked after me. She is a Tier-7 monster you know."

The spectral wolf grunted in response, as if it was complaining that it wasn't a guard. Kael gave a side glare to it and the monster averted its gaze with a low whimper.

Meanwhile, Laura crossed her arms. Still unimpressed.

"Nyx is a lone beast," she retorted. "No matter how strong it was, what could it do if there were multiple enemies? A pack of monsters? A group of assassins? You can't just disappear like that!"

Kael sighed, knowing he can't get out of this argument that easily. Instead of arguing logic with a woman, it is best to admit defeat and stay silent.

Just as Kael was about to give an apology, Brianna, the mercenary team captain, let out a chuckle and crossed her arms.

"Look, I get it, Lord Moonstone," she said, tilting her head. "Being the only guy in a group full of women, you probably wanted some privacy and walked a bit far away from the campsite. That's understandable. But wandering off so far that none of us could sense your presence anymore? That's just reckless and foolish."

She gave him a pointed look.

"You're just a Tier-1, Lord Moonstone. Do you have any idea how many toxic plants grow in these mountains? Even a simple venomous vine could kill you if you weren't careful. The monster could handle monsters but it cannot handle toxic plants and gases."

Before Kael could even open his mouth, Laura whirled around, eyes flashing.

"Butt out, Captain Brianna!" she snapped at the captain, all of a sudden.

Brianna frowned, taken aback, but Laura wasn't done.

"It's not your place to lecture my husband," she said firmly. "Only I get to scold him. Got that?"

Silence fell over the group. Even Brianna, a Tier-7 warrior, seemed momentarily surprised.

Nearby, Penelope, Laura's friend and the client who hired the mercenaries, sighed and gave a quick bow. "I apologize," Penelope said. "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

Laura turned to her, voice cool but sharp. "As your friend, I expect you to ensure that none of your hired goons make these kinds of comments in the future."

Brianna said nothing, her frown deepening, but she didn't argue back.

Kael, who still hadn't said a single word, barely had time to react before Laura grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward their tent.

"Come on," she muttered. "Let me check if you were exposed to any toxins."

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Kael sighed as he was dragged away.

As Laura disappeared into the tent with Kael, the air remained tense between the remaining group.

Penelope let out a small sigh and turned to Brianna. "I'm sorry for Laura's reaction," she said, offering an apologetic look.

Brianna, arms crossed, merely shrugged.

"None taken," she replied. "She's an imperial princess, after all. It's obvious she wouldn't want 'commoners' like us speaking in such a tone to her husband—the Queen's son-in-law."

Her words were calm, but there was a hint of bitterness beneath them.

She then glanced toward the tent, her voice lowering slightly. "But… she should remember where we are. This isn't the capital. This isn't some noble's estate where her word is absolute. We're in the wilderness. Monsters are everywhere. If something happens, she'll have to depend on our team for protection."

Penelope could only give an awkward smile, not sure how to respond.

She understood both sides, but this situation was a mess.

After spending the night in the mountains, the group descended from the wilderness without encountering any trouble. The journey back was uneventful, and by the time they reached the nearest town, the sun had already begun its slow descent beyond the horizon.

As soon as they entered the inn, Penelope turned to Kael, adjusting her satchel, her expression shifting to one of business rather than casual conversation.

"As you already know, I need your help with two things," she stated firmly.

Kael nodded, remembering the contents of the quest, although it only contained vague information.

Basically, this person named Penelope isn't just some random traveler tagged along with them. She was a researcher, the client who had actually hired them for this expedition. The whole purpose of this mission had been to collect the sap of a Thyrelm tree, a rare ingredient she needed to refine a special tonic, which they were doing all day.

She had chosen to hire mercenaries instead of adventurers for a simple reason—mercenaries cared only about money. They were muscle-for-hire, nothing more. Unlike adventurers, who were bound to report anything unusual to their guild, mercenaries asked no questions as long as they were paid.

As for why Kael is here, of course, he is a merchant but that's not the important factor. The fact she chose him is because she was Laura's friend and Penelope was a brilliant researcher, but like most in her field, she wasn't the most outgoing person when it came to business. Researchers preferred working with familiar people rather than trusting strangers. That was why Kael was here, despite the fact that he is a rookie merchant.

Of course, another reason was that Kael was the Queen's son-in-law and his name carried a lot of weight. If trouble occurs, she could use him, except that she never thought Laura would tag along with her husband, too.

Back to the present, Kael was given two jobs. First, secure an alchemist lab in this town for three days. She'll need a proper space to refine the tonic and test its properties.

That made sense. An ordinary inn wasn't suitable for conducting alchemical experiments, especially with volatile ingredients like Thyrelm sap.

"And second?" Kael asked. This was the request that was kept vague in the quest parchment.

"If my formula is successful, I need you to find a market for the tonic—secure deals in advance if possible. The more buyers I have lined up, the easier it will be to get more funding for my research."

Kael rubbed his chin in thought. "I guess that could be done. By the time you had completed the recipe, I could bring a couple of buyers using our influence, but the sale entirely depends on the prototype you will prepare."

Penelope adjusted her glasses and nodded. "That goes without saying, Lord Moonstone."

Sometime later;

Kael and Laura walked through the bustling commercial district, their pace slow and relaxed despite the task at hand. The town was lively, with merchants calling out their wares and customers haggling over prices.

Laura clung to Kael's arm, her fingers intertwined with his, making no effort to hide her affection.

"You don't have to come with me, you know. The town is safe," Kael muttered, glancing at her as they strolled past a row of potion shops.

"Of course, it is." Laura smiled mischievously. "I'm protecting you. Without Nyx around, someone might snatch you away. You remembered last time we were in town and that lady tried to do that?"

Kael sighed but didn't argue. He knew better. Once Laura made up her mind, there was no point in protesting.

Anyway, their goal was simple: find a suitable alchemist lab for rent within their budget—300 gold coins for three days. That meant 100 gold per day at most.

However, they couldn't just rent any empty space. Since Penelope was working on a new elixir formula, there was a high chance of explosions or accidental chemical reactions. That meant the lab had to meet several requirements:

Thick walls to contain any accidents.

Not in a crowded area to avoid harming civilians.

A standalone building, not part of a larger complex with other shops.

"This is harder than I thought," Laura commented, scanning the signs outside each shop.

Kael nodded in agreement, already feeling the weight of the task. Most alchemy labs either charged too much or were too close to public areas. He'd have to negotiate hard if they wanted a decent deal.

As they continued their search for an alchemist lab, Laura suddenly stopped in front of a clothing store. Her eyes gleamed as she gazed at the luxurious fabrics displayed behind the glass.

"Let's take a look inside," she said, pulling Kael in without waiting for a response.

Kael sighed but followed along. Shopping wasn't exactly his idea of fun, but he knew better than to argue.

Inside, the store was filled with rolls of exquisite fabric, each shimmering under the warm lantern light. Laura ran her fingers along a deep blue silk embroidered with golden threads, her face lighting up with appreciation.