The Herb King

At the dining area of the Reynolds Household, Leric saw a long table with a variety of mouthwatering dishes.

A delightful aroma lingered in the air. Leric could hardly control the drool that was about to leak from the corner of his lips. If not for his [Demon Heart] skill, he would have destroyed the image he built for his second identity, Aethelwolf.

Leric put on a light smile as he glanced at the table that was filled with delicacies.

Lord Harold and Madam Antonette were both observing his reaction and saw that he seemed pleased with the food.

"We weren't informed that our daughter would be back from the frontlines. I hope you don't mind our food, Sir Aethelwolf." Lord Harold smiled humbly as he looked at Leric.

Leric turned his head at him and chuckled. "Lord Harold, you jest. How could the food served by the Reynolds Household be mediocre? Thank you for having me here…"

Lord Harold laughed heartily at his response. "Of course! Sir Aethelwolf is a friend of my daughter so you are welcome here anytime!"

"Come on, you two! Let's take a seat first and chat as we eat. The ladies might be hungry from the long journey." Madam Antonette invited them to sit down.

Leric nodded his head and sat next to Samira.

"Sir Aethelwolf, can we ask the purpose of your visit to our humble residence?" Madam Antonette stared at him as she placed some food on Leric's plate.

"About that…Miss Samira invited me to come here and check Sir Julius' condition." Leric answered calmly.

Hearing this, the eyes of Madam Antonette and Lord Harold glowed, but they soon dimmed down.

Lord Harold shook his head and sighed. "My father has been sick for a long time now. We tried various ways to help him recover and we even invited the best Alchemists and doctors in the empire to check his condition, but all of them failed. Sir Aethelwolf, please help him!"

"Dad, I believe Sir Aethelwolf can help grandpa! He managed to heal Sir Johann from his illness! Sir Johann is now resting and will completely recover in a week!" Samira suddenly jumped into the conversation.

Madam Antonette and Lord Harold were surprised upon hearing her words. Both Sir Johann and Sir Julius were injured after coming back from one of the most dangerous places on the continent, the Death Basin Valley. The two old men were Level 4 Espers, but they returned with various wounds after going to that place. Lord Julius' wound never healed and it only worsened as the days passed by.

"Sir Aethelwolf cured Sir Johann?" The couple was shocked.

They knew that Sir Johann's health was also declining and he only used various life-extending herbs to prolong his lifespan. Lord Karman, the best Alchemist of the empire also failed to cure him, but the man in front of them managed to do the impossible!

After recovering from the shock, the couple stared at Leric with hope.

"Don't worry. I will do the best that I can." Leric smiled at them confidently.

The atmosphere in the dining area was filled with hope and anticipation.

After eating, they immediately brought Leric to the room of Julius Reynolds.

"Sir Aethelwolf, my father is inside this room. Come, I'll take you to see him." Lord Harold knocked on the door twice before pushing it open. "Father, I brought someone to see you." His voice was low and filled with sadness.

Cough! Cough!

"Oh? Bring them here." A frail voice echoed inside the room.

Leric could already smell the thick scent of medicinal herbs scattered throughout the room. Their quality wasn't something to scoff about. This showed how much the Reynolds Household cared for Julius Reynolds.

Other than the couple, only Leric and Samira entered the room. Skylar and Kathlyn tactfully chose to stay outside.

Leric finally saw the famous, Julius Reynolds, but he no longer have the glorious image of his past. He has a long white hair that flowed down his back. His dim, cloudy eyes scanned his visitors and when he saw his granddaughter, he immediately revealed a smile. "My pretty granddaughter, I heard from the servants that you're back. I'm sorry that I couldn't join you guys to dine…"

Tears trickled down from her eyes as Samira slowly walked towards her grandfather. She then held his hands and continued sobbing.

Julius Reynolds smiled affectionately. "Come on. Don't cry. You're already a grownup, but you still cry every time you visit me."

Lord Harold's eyelashes trembled as he looked at this scene, while Madam Antonette covered her mouth as she silently sobbed.

Hm?

Julius Reynolds suddenly noticed an unfamiliar person inside the room. He furrowed his eyebrows and relaxed them after a moment. "And this is?"

"Oh! Right! Father, this is Sir Aethelwolf. He is the Alchemist who helped General Gavin in defeating Solas' brigands. Samira invited him here after seeing his skills. Don't underestimate his youthful face. Sir Aethelwolf is a Level 4 Alchemist!" Lord Harold hurriedly introduced.

Julius Reynolds' eyes turned warmer, but he was a bit skeptical when he heard that this young man was a Level 4 Alchemist. Even his friend, Johann, who was lauded as an Alchemy genius in his youth failed to become a Level 4 Alchemist.

Seeing the doubt in the old man's eyes, Leric opened his palm and summoned a dazzling golden flame.

"Golden Pill Fire!" Julius Reynolds jolted in shock as he looked at the golden flame on top of Leric's palm. Even Lord Harold and Madam Antonette were amazed when they saw the dancing golden flame.

"Sir Julius, my name is Aethelwolf. I'm a wandering Alchemist. It's a pleasure to meet you." Leric smiled at the stunned old man.

Julius Reynolds swiftly controlled his emotions and nodded his head. "The pleasure is mine, Sir Aethelwolf."

"Sir Julius, do you mind if I check your pulse?"

The old man shook his head and replied. "Not at all. Go ahead, Sir Aethelwolf."

He smiled as he extended his right hand to Leric. He didn't have high hopes even after knowing that Leric was a Level 4 Alchemist.

Leric gently grabbed his arm and placed two fingers on the old man's wrist. He then closed his eyes and listened to Julius' heartbeat.

Thump. Thump.

It was weak.

Leric opened his eyes and observed the festering wound on the old man's right leg. He saw that it was smeared with an herb paste.

"Indeed I was right. This is a sign of Necrotizing fasciitis." Leric mumbled.

"Sir Aethelwolf, is there still hope for my grandfather?" Samira could not help but ask.

Leric nodded his head and smiled at her. "Of course! Didn't I tell you that I've already prepared a medicinal pill for Sir Julius?" He took out a bluish-green pill from his storage space and showed it to everyone. "Luckily, this Recovery Pellet is enough to completely cure Sir Julius."

Everyone stared at the pill in his hand with yearning.

Leric handed the pill to the old man and said. "Sir Julius, please."

Julius Reynolds could barely lift his arms, but he found strength and managed to grab the pill from Leric's hand and he swiftly tossed it in his mouth.

Then, a magical scene appeared before everyone's eyes.

The purplish bumps and swollen wounds were slowly recovering to normal!