Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

A broad expanse of the River Lithe. The crystal-like water reflected a clear blue sky above.

One of House Slughorn's main ships Brewmaster's Bounty sailed at a hurried pace on the waters of the River Lithe. One could say that it was eager to complete its journey without a hitch.

Sebastian Slughorn stood on the deck of the vessel, his eyes fixed on the horizon as the Brewmaster's Bounty sailed down the River Lithe. His hunched-back and inwardly arched posture made him look much shorter than he actually was, but there was no mistaking the Master-ranked power that radiated from him.

Sebastian was a man who lived a long life, with a head full of white hair and a long white beard that flowed down to his chest. His wrinkled face was etched with the lines of age, and his green eyes gleamed with cunning intelligence.

He wore a long coat that reached down to his ankles, and a belt with a spatial bag attached to it hung loosely around his waist. A cape was draped over his shoulders, and there were signs of unkemptness on Sebastian that subtly made their presence known.

Sebastian's stoic face didn't reflect the turmoil he felt inside his mind. It was carrying something really sinister dubbed as its regular cargo, something that could potentially turn the tides of the war in Layos' favor dramatically.

The vessel transported a large shipment of potions. The ship's loading bay had been converted into a potion bank to store these crucial batches of potions. Each potion was customized to work for a specific person.

Sebastian was the Myriad Potioner, a title bestowed upon him by Edinburgh. This was because he had a very peculiar Ability– an Ability that allowed him to concoct specialized potions for his friends and foes.

Centuries of long and arduous potioneering sessions had allowed Sebastian to unlock his signature Ability. He could create buff and debuff potions for his allies and enemies that would only affect them. The Ability sounded simple but was very potent against his enemies. It also acted as a life-saving boon for his allies.

What's more? Sebastian could also use his Ability to mimic the effects of a peculiar potion on himself without consuming it for real. Of course, it required him to get familiar with the potion's concoction process and its effects. But once he was able to mimic the effects of the potion through his Ability, he could instantly buff himself while neglecting the potion's side effects for the most part.

Sebastian was a decorated hero of the past era. He used his Ability on various occasions when he was active in the Badlands. In his prime, Sebastian was considered Sage-rank potential. Alas, the reality was harsher than daydreams. In the end, he couldn't even break into the Grandmaster rank.

Sebastian had been at the peak of the Master rank for a very long time. He served as one of the main leaders of House Slughorn ever since he broke into the Master rank. He contributed hugely to growing his clan.

But times changed. A youngster from nowhere undid everything he worked for all his life. So Sebastian decided to take drastic measures to ensure his clan doesn't regress in these difficult times.

Sebastian carried buff and debuff potions made by him personally. These potions could potentially target Edinburgh's rankers, most of whom were deployed at the two kingdoms' borders.

If Layos got their hands on these potions, they could target each deployed Edinburgh ranker individually. Since the potions only affect the person they were made for, they were highly effective for hit-and-run-like operations of Blitzkrieg-type missions.

The Myriad Potioner's concoctions were highly effective. Since Sebastian concocted them after analyzing the targets' mana signatures, they enabled anyone to neutralize the affected rankers in a much easier manner.

Sebastian's debuff potions were not easy to make. He had to add his life force to their process in order to stabilize them. As a result, they were hard to concoct and even harder to counter against.

Sebastian had met with various prominent rankers from Edinburgh. Once the customized potions get into Layos's army, Layos could use them to target a specific ranker.

As for why Sebastian and his clan decided to take such a drastic decision? The reason was the White Raven potions. The White Raven potions dominated Edinburgh's markets these days. House Slughorn was only a husk of its former glory because of the kind of competition it faced these days.

The clan's reputation had been harmed long before it was financially damaged. Sebastian felt isolated and had no allies left in Edinburgh.

The old man saw a huge opportunity in times of war when he and his clan were in such a pinch. This was a rare chance for him and his clan to start anew. If everything turned out according to Sebastian's plans, House Slughorn could bounce back from its current situation, reaching new heights. The war was a perfect time for a potion-making clan like House Slughorn to make such a switch.

House Slughorn betrayed the kingdom of Edinburgh for better opportunities in the kingdom of Layos. Sebastian had been tasked with delivering the potions to their contacts in Layos, and he was determined to see the job through.

Sebastian knew what he was doing was risky, but the potential benefits were too compelling to ignore. If House Slughorn could establish a foothold in the kingdom of Layos, they could rebuild their reputation and rise to prominence again. And he would be remembered as the man who made it all possible.

The Myriad Potioner thought of multiple possibilities and opportunities as he looked at the vast expanse of the River Lithe in front of him. He also remembered Sienna's fiasco and sighed, deciding to finally move on by leaving Edinburgh behind him.

Sorry to disturb Grandpa Sebastian. But in case you haven't been paying attention– House Riverine's ship is closing in on us at 4 O'clock. What should we do?"