Chapter 483: Going to the Secret Hideout

After leaving the bath, we called a servant to our room and discussed the plans for the following day. As expected, gathering everything we needed in a single day would be impossible, so our visit to the secret hideout would have to wait a few days.

Ah, my return to the House Heine estate kept being delayed. I had known this might happen, but I still worried that Rosalia and Mira were sulking. I had been corresponding with Lady Fabienne every day, so I did not think she was too lonely.

I wished I could communicate with Mira through something like telepathy, but they did not seem to possess that ability yet. Perhaps it would manifest eventually, just as they had learned to enlarge their body and fly. Or perhaps Mira could already do it without realising. Who knew?

The next day, at His Majesty the King’s suggestion, we were allowed to tour the royal castle.

The restoration of the Holy Sword could not be made public, so the tour was probably His Majesty’s way of expressing his gratitude. Refusing might have placed him in a difficult position, so we gratefully accepted.

“This is the treasury, right? Are we really allowed to go in?”

“We were guided here, so I guess it’s okay?”

“There’s no doubt we’re being treated exceptionally well.”

We were standing inside the treasury beneath the castle. How had matters come to this? Brother Alex and Sister-in-law Daniela both looked tense—expressions I rarely saw on them. I was beginning to feel nervous too.

Princess Sophia, who was guiding us, turned to face us.

“I heard that the treasury contains several suits of armour. I would like to take one to the secret hideout.”

“I see. Of course, you’ve received His Majesty’s permission, haven’t you?”

“Yes. He said, ‘Do as you like.’”

Whoa. That’s quite a bit of trust. Then again, it makes sense—it’s a national crisis. They must want us to defeat the Bone Dragon no matter what. If that means a few secrets leak out, so be it.

We decided to use an old suit of armour from the treasury. It had apparently belonged to the ancient hero Ark. Ornate gold decorations covered parts of it, but my Appraisal skill revealed that the armour itself was ordinary. Its impressive qualities seemed to be purely cosmetic.

“Does that mean preparations are complete now?”

“Yes. I believe the equipment is being delivered as we speak.”

“Because of me, the house is going to feel cramped.”

I did not know how large the hideout was, but bringing in all the equipment needed for potion compounding would completely fill at least one room. There was no question that Princess Sophia and Sir Erwin’s love nest would be ruined.

“I don’t mind at all. In fact, I was thinking it would make a nice memory.”

A memory of what!? Princess Sophia giggled at my startled expression. Had she… just teased me? I could not help laughing, and everyone else joined in. It seemed Princess Sophia’s genuine smile was finally returning.

A few days later, we all headed to the secret hideout on the outskirts of the royal capital. Officially, it was a sightseeing excursion. I had heard that the preparations would require several days, but they had clearly rushed the work. I could not have been more grateful.

From the carriage window, we saw a manor that appeared to belong to a fairly wealthy family.

It was a two-storey wooden house with a red roof. Beautiful flowers decorated the bay windows, and blossoms of many colours filled the garden. The neighbouring houses stood some distance away, making it seem like a peaceful place to spend a quiet day. It was rather lovely.

“It’s a lovely house. Feels calming.”

“Doesn’t it? It’s such a comfortable place. It’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.”

“I understand that feeling completely.”

Princess Sophia apparently preferred a more modest way of life. I thought I was the same. It was difficult to relax while surrounded by expensive furnishings, although I had become more accustomed to them lately.

Princess Sophia showed us around the house. Sir Erwin was once again undergoing intense training at the royal castle’s practice grounds. The last time I saw him, he had injured himself so badly that I hurriedly gave him an elementary healing potion. He recovered immediately after drinking it.

“When he shouted, ‘Julius’s elementary healing potion is on another level!’ I didn’t know how to respond.”

I understood that he did not want to lose again, but destroying his body before the rematch would defeat the entire purpose. I would have to ask Princess Sophia to warn him.

“This is the compounding room. What do you think?”

“This equipment is more than sufficient, and all the ingredients seem to be ready. I’ll begin compounding the Holy Coating Agent at once.”

The equipment was basic, but it was more than adequate for the task. Waiting for more elaborate tools would only have cost us additional time.

While I compounded the potion, I asked Brother Alex and the others to prepare the armour.

The Holy Coating Agent needed to be applied immediately after completion. Afterwards, we would also have to test its durability.

I arranged the ingredients on the table: Black Slime mucus, Green Neutralizer, Poison-Removal Grass, powdered obsidian and Mira’s fur. Then I began compounding. As a precaution, I had also requested various unrelated ingredients to serve as decoys.

Even someone with malicious intentions should not be able to determine which ingredients were actually used in the Holy Coating Agent. And even if they somehow did, they could not reproduce it without the key ingredient—Mira’s fur. Better safe than sorry.

Because I had compounded it before, I completed the Holy Coating Agent quickly. All that remained was to apply it to the armour we had brought from the castle.

Nero had been waiting outside, so I asked him where everyone was. He told me that they were taking tea in the largest room and that the armour was there as well. I asked him to guide me.

“The Holy Coating Agent is complete.”

“Good work. Want to have some tea first?”

At Brother Alex’s invitation, I sat down. Nero promptly served tea and sweets. I had not noticed how tired I was, but they tasted wonderful. I must have consumed more mana than expected. Was Mira’s fur the reason? High-grade ingredients tended to demand a great deal of mana.

“We’re always putting the burden on you, Julius.”

Brother Alex furrowed his brow apologetically. Sister-in-law Daniela and Princess Sophia wore the same expression. I quickly shook my head.

“Not at all. I’m doing this because I want to. No matter how often I do it, compounding potions is always enjoyable.”

That was how I genuinely felt. Compounding was fun, and when the potions I made helped someone or brought them happiness, the work became even more satisfying.