Chapitre 21: Chapter Eleven 1
Although this was the south and much warmer than other places in France, the autumn wind had already begun to bring a chill to the people here.When Ivan went for his usual morning run every day, he could always find many insects lying stiff on the ground along the way.Autumn meant the end of their lives.
It had been a whole week since Mr. Juan told Ivan about the huge plan they were plotting.Ivan himself didn't know why he had agreed to help Mr. Juan. This was originally something that had nothing to do with him.Moreover, it was undeniable that this plan was extremely dangerous.
Pretending to be the heir of an earl was equivalent to the serious crime of treason everywhere. Once discovered, there would be absolutely no way out.What's more, that earl was also a local lord.As for Luxembourg, even Ivan knew that both His Majesty the King and those ministers were all closely watching this piece of tempting fat in their eyes.
The series of tragedies that had happened one after another to the old Lord Medin's family recently were undoubtedly premeditated.It seemed that someone really hoped that all the members of this family would be wiped out.And the role he was about to play was precisely the last legal heir of this unfortunate family that had been viciously cursed by some people.
As long as he died, then the Medin family would naturally disappear from the Kingdom of France.Therefore, Ivan was quite clear that by agreeing to play the role of the heir, he was undoubtedly making himself a target, a target pointed at by countless daggers and crossbows hidden in the deep darkness.Although he knew all this clearly, Ivan still agreed to it.The reason for this was even inexplicable to Ivan himself.Perhaps he was really moved by Mr. Juan's words.
Perhaps, as a native of South Port, he really didn't want the beautiful homeland built by the people of his hometown through generations of hard work to return to its original desolate state because of some people's greed.Perhaps he also hoped that Aunt Jenny, Uncle Karl, the shopkeeper, the young master, and the old master, who had taken care of him and loved him, could live happily.All of these might be reasonable explanations.
However, only Ivan himself knew that there was another reason that was also important to him.Since Mr. Juan told him about the thrilling experience in his youth that completely changed him and influenced his whole life.Ivan was full of longing and yearning for adventures.He was eager to become an adventurer like Mr. Juan one day.
Ivan had originally envied those sailors who roamed on the ocean, but compared with Mr. Juan, those sailors were nothing.Mr. Juan's experience was undoubtedly a huge temptation for Ivan.And now, an adventure that would surely be unforgettable for his whole life was right in front of him. Should he bravely board this adventure ship that he didn't know where it was sailing to and what dangers and difficulties he would encounter along the way, or should he give up this opportunity?
For such a choice, Ivan could get the answer almost without much thought.Besides this reason, there was another thing that more or less influenced him.The portrait hanging in his bedroom was the portrait of that earl's daughter herself, that is, the mother of the real Ivan Este.Ivan had never seen his mother. Since he became sensible, Aunt Jenny had been taking care of him.
His mother had passed away when he was just a baby.Therefore, Ivan could only imagine what his mother looked like.In his imagination, his mother was like the gentle, beautiful, and dignified noblewoman in the portrait.Ivan really regarded Miss Bertha Medin as his mother.The only difficulty was that he couldn't accept that Viscount beidis was his father no matter what.
Ivan and his father had always depended on each other. Although his father had been busy on the sea all year round and seldom had time to stay with Ivan.However, Ivan had always had a close relationship with his father.In Ivan's impression, his father was a brave, determined, and gentle man.
The feeling of his father's rough but powerful and always gentle big hand gently stroking the top of his head still made Ivan feel extremely warm until now.Therefore, Ivan could hardly accept Viscount beidis Este, who had a handsome and elegant appearance but always wore a somewhat cold and haughty smile of a nobleman.He definitely couldn't be compared with his own father.
Ivan really couldn't bring himself to have the slightest bit of concern for this "father".Although this couldn't be said not to be a flaw, Mr. Juan and Odrie believed that this small shortcoming wouldn't cause too big a problem for this plan.In fact, in those noble families, it was quite normal for the relationship between fathers and sons to be rather cold.Even there were many who became enemies.
Besides this, Ivan's performance rather pleased the two of them.To make Ivan familiar with his new identity, they had already prepared a large amount of materials long ago.This was different from the trial. Ivan definitely needed sufficient preparation, because the slightest flaw might make the whole plan come to nothing.
During this month, Ivan had to firmly remember everything about the real Ivan beidis.And that was far from enough. He also had to know every noble in Luxembourg who might come into contact with him.Regarding their relationship with the Medin family, their temperaments, personal preferences, and even the important things they had done, Ivan had to remember them clearly, because his first batch of opponents in the future would be these people.All the materials were delivered by Firth.Ivan was full of curiosity about Firth.
Firth was a hereditary noble. Why did he have to obey Mr. Juan's orders?Moreover, it was completely obvious that Firth's position here was even lower than that of Odrie and Herbert.His duty was to gather information everywhere and build connections for Mr. Juan.Precisely because of this, Firth had a wide range of social connections. In the whole of France, there was hardly a noble he didn't know.
However, Firth's identity was undoubtedly extremely confidential.Mr. Juan had told him that no matter what the situation was, only Firth could come to find him, and he must never take the initiative to approach Firth.This ban was obviously not just for Ivan alone.After running two laps around the manor, Ivan didn't feel tired at all. Now he could easily run thirty or forty miles, which was nothing to him at all.
All of this was entirely due to the blue ointment given to him by Magician Lavash.The ointment had already been used up.Just as Magician Lavash had said, after absorbing this ointment, his skin could quickly gather wind elements.The faster he ran, the greater the amount and density of the wind elements gathered.Naturally, part of his body weight was also shared by the gathered wind elements.Therefore, Ivan felt that the harder he ran, the lighter his body became.
Moreover, when running fast, the wind blowing towards him was no longer a resistance as before.It was as if he was gliding on the wind. That feeling was really wonderful.Of course, an even more wonderful feeling was when he was riding a horse. The speed at which the horse galloped was definitely something his legs couldn't match no matter what.When riding a horse and galloping, Ivan often worried whether he would float into the air.
Because he couldn't feel any weight of his body at all. He seemed to have become a fluffy ball of cotton, gently piled on the horse's back.This feeling was really strange.And it was the jar of ointment given to him by Magician Lavash that had created this miracle.Now, the world of magic was full of irresistible attraction for Ivan.As soon as he returned to Mr. Juan's manor, Ivan immediately ran towards his room on the second floor.
Last night, the magic powder he had carefully refined needed eight hours to be successfully refined.Calculating the current time, the eight hours were almost up.Just as Ivan was walking up to the second floor, suddenly Odrie stuck half of his body out of the study and greeted, "Ivan, come here quickly. There are some things we need to discuss with you."
"Ah, Mr. Odrie, I'm very sorry. I'm refining a potion in my room. Could you allow me to go and take a look first? I'm refining this thing for the first time, so I don't know if something dangerous will happen if the refining time is too long," Ivan quickly explained."Alright then, but don't take too long," Odrie nodded and said."Oh, I understand," Ivan agreed and quickly ran into his own room.
The room had been redecorated. By the west window was placed a long table made of thick teak wood, painted dark red, with patterns carved on the table legs. It was much more elegant than the four oak tables in Magician Lavash's laboratory.On such a large table were placed a crucible, a stove, a stone mortar, a stack of white paper, and several scattered tools, so it looked rather empty.
Ivan had originally just wanted to drag his desk here, but Mr. Juan firmly asked Odrie to buy this experimental table, because he said that every magician should have a decent experimental bench. And when he worked with Magician Lavash, he had seen how crowded Magician Lavash's experimental table was. Maybe this table wouldn't be enough.Ivan took out the parchment left to him by Magician Lavash from the drawer of his original desk.Clear words automatically appeared on the parchment.
Ivan firmly remembered all the matters that needed attention in his mind.He turned around and walked to the large table, picked up a pair of long-nosed pliers and lifted the lid of the crucible.As a puff of purple smoke dissipated, Ivan clearly saw a layer of crystal-clear purple-red crystals condensed at the bottom of the crucible.
Ivan opened all the windows, drove out all the purple smoke in the room, then gently lifted the crucible from the stove and put it aside, and also conveniently extinguished the fire. He did all of this in an orderly manner.Ivan took out a piece of paper from the stack of white paper, then picked up a long silver spatula and carefully scooped down the purple-red crystals condensed in the crucible and placed them on the table with the white paper underneath.
Ivan didn't know what the uses of these crystals were, because there was still a line of text on the parchment that hadn't appeared yet. However, he knew that his experiment had been successful.Ivan took out the parchment.This time, a line of text that hadn't been there before was printed on the parchment.
"The purple-red crystals are called hallucinogenic powder. They are the medium and raw material needed for casting many psychic magic spells. Grind the crystals into fine powder and then dissolve them in castor oil. The solution made in this way can be quickly absorbed by the skin of animals. Once the hallucinogenic powder is absorbed into the body, it will make the recipient have hallucinations, and at the same time, the brain will not be able to work normally, which will further lead to limb weakness.
In severe cases, it can even cause the heart and lungs to fail to work properly and result in death. It's a dangerous potion. A tiny amount of hallucinogenic powder entering the human body can make the brain enter a very pleasant hallucinatory state. However, the hallucinogenic powder will make the recipient gradually become addicted, so that it's difficult to break free from its control. Therefore, unless it's for learning divination, it's best not to try this dangerous potion without permission."
Seeing the words that appeared on the parchment, Ivan thought to himself that the things created by magicians were really all extremely dangerous.
The first simple experimental course that Magician Lavash used to enlighten him was to make such a terrifying potion.
It seemed that this potion had to be carefully preserved, otherwise it would cause big trouble.
Thinking of this, Ivan tightly wrapped the purple-red crystals with that piece of white paper and locked them together with the parchment in the drawer of the desk.
After finishing all this, Ivan felt relieved.
Now, it was time to go to the study. He didn't know what Odrie wanted to talk to him about.
Ivan walked out of his room and came to the door of the study.
Pushing the door open, to Ivan's surprise, almost everyone was sitting around in the study. Mr. Juan was sitting on the rocking chair by the window. On the row of sofas beside him were sitting Odrie, Firth, and Mr. Pam in turn. Herbert was always the same as usual. Ivan had never seen him sitting. Herbert was standing in the darkest corner of the study.
Seeing Ivan enter the study, Mr. Juan asked, "How did your magic experiment go?"
"Thank you for your concern. It was quite successful," Ivan said.
"What good things did you make? Can you tell us about it and let us broaden our horizons?"
Firth was obviously interested in all kinds of strange things.
Ivan thought for a long time and finally felt that it might not matter if he told them. He said, "I just made some hallucinogenic powder. It's the magic potion used by diviners when they want to see the future."
Firth didn't know much about what Ivan said, but Mr. Juan frowned. Obviously, he had a relatively deep understanding of this potion. Sure enough, Mr. Juan said, "Ivan, didn't your teacher tell you other uses of the hallucinogenic powder when teaching you to make it?"
"Other uses?" Ivan was extremely surprised. Had Mr. Juan heard of this potion before?
Thinking about it, he had worked with his teacher for a period of time in the past. Perhaps, Mr. Juan knew its uses better than he did.
"The notes left by my teacher only told me how to make this thing and several properties of this thing, and didn't describe its uses too much. I only know that the hallucinogenic powder is the medium for casting psychic magic and can also be used for divination," Ivan said. Although this wasn't completely a lie, it wasn't the whole truth either.
Mr. Juan thought for a while and nodded, saying, "Ivan, do you know that the hallucinogenic powder is an extremely dangerous potion?"
"Yes, the teacher mentioned that this thing can make the brain have hallucinations, and excessive absorption can be fatal. Moreover, the hallucinogenic powder can be absorbed by the skin, which makes it hard to guard against. However, the hallucinogenic powder needs to be dissolved in castor oil, and this thing has a unique smell. With the skills taught by Herbert, this poison won't have much effect on me," Ivan said.
"No, the danger I'm talking about doesn't refer to its toxicity. As you said, the hallucinogenic powder isn't a very good poison. However, the hallucinogenic powder has a special ability. It can paralyze people instantly, and this is also effective for any fierce beasts," Mr. Juan explained.
"Are you saying that the hallucinogenic powder is a powerful weapon for self-defense? Then I'll go back and make more. There are enough raw materials in the teacher's laboratory," Ivan said enthusiastically.
Mr. Juan looked at Ivan's excited look and nodded again, saying, "It seems that you really didn't deceive us. Lavash really didn't tell you about the terrifying aspects of the hallucinogenic powder. The hallucinogenic powder can indeed subdue most wild beasts. At that time, Lavash prepared a small bag of hallucinogenic powder for each of us just in case. However, the truly terrifying thing about this potion is that it can bring people indescribable joy. Just one milligram can make people feel as if they were in heaven. It's a kind of pleasure that you can't imagine at all..."
Speaking of this, Mr. Juan seemed to be recalling something and unconsciously stopped talking.
"Have you ever tasted this feeling?" Firth asked carefully.
Hearing Firth's question, Mr. Juan came to his senses and nodded again, saying, "Yes, I did such an extremely stupid thing. Although at the beginning, it was just an unintentional act."
"Was the result terrible?" Firth asked.
"It can be said to be terrible, or just the opposite," Mr. Juan explained. "The hallucinogenic powder is addictive. Once addicted, just like a playboy can't live without women and a gambler can't leave the gambling table, you will be deeply obsessed with this potion.
But when you run out of the hallucinogenic powder in your hand, you will feel like you're living in hell. This feeling is also unforgettable for a lifetime. I'm still a bit scared when I think about those hellish days now, and you should know quite well that there aren't many things in this world that can scare me."
"Did you get through it?" Ivan asked.
"Yes, fortunately, I got through it. But others weren't so lucky. They all died," Mr. Juan's tone was extremely heavy.
"Did that include my father?" Odrie asked, his voice extremely cold.
"Yes, including your father," Mr. Juan replied.
Ivan had never thought that there was such a strange relationship between Odrie and Mr. Juan.
"Oh, this hallucinogenic powder really seems to be an extremely dangerous thing. Ivan, you'd better put it away properly, or it will cause big trouble," Firth said.
"Yes, I'll go back and destroy these terrible things right away," Ivan promised.
"No, don't do that," Mr. Juan stopped him. "Lavash taught you to make this potion, and there should be another meaning. Although the hallucinogenic powder is extremely dangerous, it's indeed also a rather useful tool. It might be useful in this plan. You can't imagine how easy it is to control a person with the hallucinogenic powder. Out of a hundred people, not even one can escape the control. What's more, using a little bit of the hallucinogenic powder can bring you any information you need.
The hallucinogenic powder is the best tool to pry open tightly closed mouths. Moreover, in case of injury, the hallucinogenic powder solution is the best painkiller, almost taking effect immediately. It's definitely beneficial to have some on you."
"Didn't you say that thing is extremely dangerous and easy to get addicted to?" Ivan was a bit confused.
"Yes. So you have to make it extremely diluted. You can find a goat to try it. The right dose can make the goat extremely excited, jumping and running around crazily. But once the dose is excessive, the goat will collapse on the ground," Mr. Juan said.
"Will this prevent addiction?" Ivan asked.
"No, it will still cause addiction, but the addiction won't be too severe. It will probably only occur once or twice a month. Once you feel the addiction kicking in, just take a cold bath, and you'll be able to cope with it without it being fatal," Juan said. "Alright, you can experiment with these things slowly by yourself, Ivan. Sit down. There are important things to discuss with you."
Hearing that it was time to talk about serious matters, Ivan didn't dare to slack off. He sat down in the empty seat.
"Odrie, tell Ivan everything you know again," Mr. Juan said.
"Alright," Odrie agreed. "Ivan, you should still remember that butler, right?"
"Yes, I remember. What about him?"
"That butler almost died. The soft armor that he always wore close to his body saved his life. But he's extremely scared. He told us that he would never come forward publicly to testify that Ivan is the real heir to the lordship. Now that guy is in a safe place under our protection. But don't expect him to be of any more help to us.
Besides the butler, almost everyone else is dead. The mercenaries guarding the villa and their captain, and even the servants and the cook working in the villa, were all killed. At the scene, they also left a corpse, the corpse of a child wearing noble clothes. Do you know what this means?" Odrie asked.
"What a vicious means! Then what about our plan?" Ivan asked. "Obviously, the other side has cut off all our connections with Luxembourg. That child's corpse will definitely be regarded as the corpse of Ivan Este."
"Their plan is obviously like this. Fortunately, we had prepared in advance," Mr. Juan said. "I had asked that butler to tell the dean of Luxembourg two months ago that the real Ivan was being taken care of by me secretly. No one else knows about this except us. However, in order to calm people's hearts and prevent the situation from getting worse, Ivan, it's time for you to show up now. You don't have any more time to prepare."
"Are you saying that we must set off during this period of time, right?" Ivan asked.
"Not during this period of time, but right away. Mr. Juan and I have already discussed it. Tomorrow will be the day we set off," Odrie said on the side. "Although the time is a bit rushed, I know that you're almost ready. You already know everything about Luxembourg and Ivan Este like the back of your hand."
"By the way, if we go to Luxembourg tomorrow, we'll definitely pass through Piton. You can say hello to Baron Lipper. If they also plan to go to Luxembourg, I welcome them to travel together," Mr. Juan said slowly.
"That's not necessary," Ivan said.
In fact, he didn't want to be involved with that baron's daughter again.
That beautiful and charming Miss Fanny obviously had a liking for him, the grandson of a lord in name only. But he had been deceiving her and her two amiable parents from the beginning to the end.
This deception made Ivan feel extremely heavy-hearted.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone