Chapter Forty-One: The Potion of Allure (Part One)

“That child suddenly cried out, ‘But the emperor isn’t wearing any clothes!’ And so, just like that, the swindlers’ trickery was exposed…”

After telling the story of “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” it was customary to discuss it, to answer all the many questions Avril had posed.

“Hugh, is it true that everyone in power will be deceived by those who serve them?”

“…Yes, only to differing degrees.”

“So this is what you meant by gain and loss, isn’t it?”

“Yes. When you’re raised above everyone else, power will blind your eyes, making it impossible to see many things. You’ll be misled, deceived, surrounded by lies. Perhaps the greatest difference between a good emperor and a bad one is whether he can discern truth from falsehood.”

Avril fell silent.

As if recalling something, she murmured, “My mother is the Empress of the Empire. She always believed herself to be the most beautiful woman. The maids and servants around her always said so, too. But my father has always been distant with her. She tried desperately to dress up, hoping to win more of his attention, but in the end…”

Avril’s eyes shimmered; crystal tears slid down her cheeks. “She’s already grown old, hasn’t she? It’s impossible for her to stay beautiful forever, is it?”

“Yes,” Gong Hao nodded.

“The maids and servants are all lying, aren’t they?”

“…Yes, Avril, they are lying. They dare not speak the truth because they fear your mother cannot bear the reality that she has grown old.”

“I feel so sad. I realize now that I’ve always lived surrounded by lies.” Avril burrowed under the covers, hiding her head beneath the blanket.

Gong Hao gently lifted the covers and gazed at her tear-streaked little face, speaking softly, “You’re much luckier than your mother, because at least you have a friend—someone who will not deceive you.”

Avril blinked her bright, wide eyes and stared intently at Gong Hao. “Are you saying you’ll never lie to me?”

Gong Hao pondered before answering, “Avril, you must understand, there are many kinds of lies. Some are well-intentioned, some malicious, some for self-interest, and some are told out of helplessness. If you ask whether I will never lie to you, then all I can promise is that I will do my best to protect you and not hurt you. Perhaps in the future I might hide things from you, perhaps I’ll tell harmless lies, but no matter what, I will never let you live in falsehood out of fear, as your servants do.”

Avril sighed. “I don’t think there’s much good about being a princess anymore.”

“Well, as a princess, you may lose some of the joys commoners have, but you’re spared their worries as well. You can’t have everything—that’s inevitable. When you understand that, you’ve already grown up.”

“Yes, I understand now.” Avril smiled secretly to herself, as if recalling how she behaved when she first arrived on the island.

Gong Hao thought Avril had truly improved a lot since he first met her.

“Hugh, do you think I’m pretty?”

“Yes, you are beautiful.”

“Is that the truth?”

“I rather wish I could say you are ugly, to prove I dare to speak honestly. But in front of the most exquisite creation of the gods, I simply cannot profane you. And besides, that would be the real lie.”

“Your flattery is even better than the servants’.” The little princess giggled.

“Even the truth can be spoken beautifully—of course, only for you.”

The princess stuck out her tongue at him, as if half of her earlier sadness stemmed from her suspicion that the servants’ praise of her beauty was all lies. But now, hearing it from Gong Hao, it felt entirely different.

She grew a bit bashful.

“All right, don’t be upset anymore,” Gong Hao smiled. “I think I have some good news for you.”

“What is it?” Avril knew Gong Hao’s good news always excited her.

“Perhaps I can help your mother regain some of your father’s affection.”

“You mean…”

“The youth-restoring potion, you know. But it only slows aging; it can’t make a woman more attractive. I think I might be able to develop a better potion—I call it the Charm Elixir. Of course, all of this is for you, and I hope you’ll keep it secret…”

Avril bit her lower lip hard, looking up at Gong Hao with a slightly tilted, enticing gaze. She whispered, “Hugh, you’re wonderful.”

Gong Hao patted her small hand. “But I’ll need someone to help me. What about lending me one of your maids? I need to test the potion on her to verify its effects. You know that the results of alchemy can be wonderful, but the process is always harsh. I’d rather not experiment on you.”

Avril nodded vigorously.

She shook her bell.

A maid of considerable beauty entered.

“Isadora, Hugh Glair needs a maid for his alchemical experiment. I’m lending you to him for now. From today onward, you are to obey his every command. Do whatever he asks, understand?” Except when she was gentle with Gong Hao, Avril gave her orders to the rest of the staff with an air of unyielding authority, never allowing any dissent. This stark contrast struck Gong Hao as rather odd.

“Yes, Your Highness,” the maid answered, kneeling, before retreating quickly.

“All right, the story’s over. Get some rest; I need to go sleep too. There’s much to do tomorrow.” Gong Hao spoke to Avril.

“Oh, Hugh, I don’t want you to leave.” Avril clung to him, reluctant to let go.

“Come now, Avril, I must go. Before bed, I still need to make you some fireworks. Heaven knows how you managed to use up all the fireworks in a single day. I told you, you’re only to use them when you’re lonely or bored.”

“I’m always lonely when you’re not here.”

Her answer moved Gong Hao.

He squeezed her soft little hand and rose to leave.

He could feel the longing gaze behind him.

He closed the door softly. The maid, Isadora, was still waiting outside.

He said to her, “Come to my laboratory in the Alchemy Tower tomorrow morning. You’ll know what is required of you then.”

“Yes, sir.”

Sir? That was a novel form of address, and Gong Hao was taken aback.

When had he begun to be addressed as “sir”?

He looked around and noticed that, among the other servants and maids, almost all of them now looked at him with unusual respect.

No one dared to see him as a mere lowly servant or a common apprentice any longer.

He shook his head, smiling wryly, and left swiftly.

Back in his room, Gong Hao composed himself and returned to his work.

But not to make fireworks for Avril—rather, he resumed his research into the flesh golems.

After seeing the illusion conjured by the troll god that day, he realized that Electra was likely using elemental resonance in the creation of flesh golems.

He had to conduct repeated experiments to verify his hypothesis.

Tonight was his twenty-eighth experiment.

Calmly, he transferred a cluster of soul energy into the soul orb and began to meditate.

Through meditation, he triggered elemental resonance, adjusting the soul energy to a state of elemental vibration, then used a certain alchemical technique to stabilize the energy within the orb at the same rhythm.

Electra had used a mage’s methods to accomplish alchemy. In a sense, this completely deviated from the original intent of alchemy, which explained why alchemists could never recreate Electra’s brilliance.

After all, no alchemist had ever possessed the innate talent to practice magic.

Within the orb, the soul energy, under the effects of meditation, began to resonate and vibrate, just like the orb in the troll god’s possession, churning and boiling as if it were water on the boil.

Gong Hao carefully adjusted his rhythm, sensing the fluctuations of magical power. He could clearly feel his sensitivity to the elements growing significantly during this process. Threads of mana entered his body, bringing an unprecedented sense of delight.

Success!

Gong Hao’s heart leapt with joy.

At last, he understood why Electra, as a mage, had devoted himself to alchemy.

He wasn’t just performing alchemy; he was also cultivating his magical abilities.

By inducing resonance in soul energy, not only could he create powerful golems, but he could also greatly enhance his own elemental sensitivity—truly, a method that served two purposes at once!

Electra, you were a genius indeed. Without a doubt, he had discovered a way to train magical abilities akin to the ultimate training methods of warriors.

And with even better results, free from the exhaustion that could force a warrior to halt.

After the intense elemental vibration, the energy in the orb gradually calmed, and filaments of soul essence began to drift outward. Gong Hao knew this was because he had yet to master a way to effectively confine the soul energy—clearly, this was a matter belonging to the realm of alchemy.

However, he believed this problem wouldn’t be hard to solve—Heinz could probably manage it.

As long as the issue of increasing soul strength could be resolved, then the problems of improving the power of flesh golems and selecting suitable souls would also be solved. Using elemental resonance to enhance soul strength—such a brilliant method could only have been conceived by Electra.

Although this was only his first success, and it would require many more trials to confirm its feasibility, Gong Hao was confident that this was no longer a real problem. In just a few days, he would be able to report his results to Heinz.

Letting out a long breath, Gong Hao felt a splitting headache.

So, using this method to improve magical skill and soul strength had its aftereffects. Still, after a good night’s sleep, he should be fine.

This was the most peaceful and sweet night’s rest he had had since beginning his research into flesh golems.

In his dreams, he saw himself saving all the boys, then leaving Purgatory Island with them, living a life of freedom.

Maybe he had told too many fairy tales—he himself now felt as if it were all a fairy tale.

Early the next morning, Isadora arrived at Gong Hao’s laboratory.

“Sir, what would you have me do?”

“Drink this,” Gong Hao handed her a vial.

“What is this…” Isadora looked at the blue liquid in the bottle, a little uneasy.

“Don’t worry, it’s not poison. It’s a hormone that stimulates the human body… Hmm, how should I explain? It’s a potion that will help you release a scent that attracts male attention. I made it with charm grass and a few other special ingredients. It will stimulate your body to secrete a particular aroma—irresistibly alluring to men. You already look quite pretty, and after drinking this, I expect you’ll have many admirers.”

Isadora blushed. “But sir…”

Gong Hao cut her off, “I promised the little princess to create a potion that would enhance a woman’s charm. You’re lucky to be the first to try it. If it works, I’ll thank you and give you a few bottles of this potion. Believe me, with it, you’ll find the best man in the future.”

Isadora lowered her head, her heart pounding.

“To test the potion’s effects, I need you to do something for me.”

“What is it, sir?”

“It’s simple. How old are you this year?”

“Fourteen.”

“Good. At your age, you’d usually attract the attention of boys your own age. But with this potion, I want your appeal to extend even to men decades older than you.”

“You mean…”

“Drink the potion and go to Master Pierre’s laboratory on the sixth floor of the Alchemy Tower. I don’t care how you do it, but I want you to ensure that Master Pierre takes notice of you. If you can do that, the potion works. If you can’t, I’ll have to try some other methods on you, and those might not be as easy as drinking potion. By the way, have you ever learned how to seduce a man?”

Isadora shook her head frantically.

“Then I’ll teach you a few tricks. Remember, this is only a small test—you don’t need to worry about consequences. Just get Master Pierre’s attention. But if, instead, you let him discover your purpose, that means not only is the potion useless, but you are as well. You failed to attract him and were outwitted.”

Isadora was flustered. “Couldn’t you… try someone else?”

“No. Master Pierre is the most self-controlled man I know. To verify the potion’s effectiveness, I must test it on him. But I warn you, if you let him know about my experiment, I doubt he’ll be pleased. That could mean I’ll be punished, and the potion would fail. As for you… your princess isn’t the most forgiving person, is she? I doubt she’d accept the failure of my experiment just because of an incompetent maid. So what do you think she’d do to you?”

Isadora shivered. “Yes, sir, I will not let Master Pierre suspect a thing.”

“Good. You have a month to seduce Master Pierre. In that time, I’ll be adjusting the potion for optimal effect. You must report to me daily on his behavior—how he looks at you, what he does, what he says.”

“Yes, sir. But how can I get close to him?”

“I’ll make an excuse for you,” Gong Hao produced several more vials. “After you drink the potion, take these to Master Pierre—say the princess sent you as my assistant, to deliver products, fetch materials, help with errands. The princess wants me to finish soon so I can spend more time with her. After you’ve delivered everything, how you stay there is up to your own skill. You can pretend to trip, or act fascinated by his alchemy. If one day you’re able to stay in his laboratory for at least an hour by his invitation, then you and I have succeeded.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best, sir.”

Hearing Isadora say these words, Gong Hao felt all the stranger.

For the past year and a half, he’d probably said those words more than anyone else; now someone else was saying them to him.

He smiled a little, and placed the vial of blue potion in Isadora’s hand.

“Drink it,” he said.