The Peculiar Alchemist

11 || Eager for Answers

It was endlessly amusing to Kellen how out of touch some rich snobs are. He knew them well, and he knew when a rich snob actually bothered to learn how the general population lived and the norms they stuck by.

Someone like Marc was incredibly unaware and probably sheltered.

All he knew throughout his life was how to order around his servants and make them do things for him. Simple everyday things such as making food, buying things, and dressing himself. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, he was just so terribly obvious. There was no way that he could blend in with the rest, he'd always stick out.

In fact, the moment he walked into Agnes' cottage, a few of his family crests were already visible on his person and it didn't take a genius to notice just how expensive and high-quality his clothes were. It was a miracle how nobody attempted to rob him, but then again, with wealth power came in tow in this world they lived in. Nobody was stupid enough to rob a powerful spellcaster.

They'd probably die trying.

At least Aubrey was less conspicuous.

His appearance didn't announce his social status the way Marc's did, it actually made him a little bit harder to spot for when Kellen was about to kidnap him. There were no crests on his person, no valuable things, and nothing that would bring attention to him. Kellen guessed that Aubrey didn't intentionally hide it, he was just too accustomed to going places common to regular people unlike himself.

After all, Kellen found him in a public library.

Still, the two of them were easy to notice by their manners. The way they held things and how they ate. It was as if maintaining a proper manner was drilled into them ever since they were children – actually, Kellen knew that it was the case. It was hard to go against that.

Which is probably why Marc was looking at him in disgust as he uncaringly ate the pie in his hand, but it was his problem not Kellen's. Pies were his favorite thing in the world.

"Can you eat it in a civilized manner?" Marc twitched in annoyance finding the way Kellen ate his pies to be as offensive as they were appalling.

But Kellen was only holding it in her hand, and he took another large bite as he shook his head. "Am hungry, what am I supposed to do?"

Marc sighed in annoyance. "Don't talk with your mouth open."

"Apologies, my liege." Kellen bowed his head, speaking with his mouth open, still chewing. He was being gross on purpose this time.

Honestly Marc would rather be with anyone else, even the fumbling brute, but unfortunately Kellen was the one who seemed to be the closest to Agnes. It was hard getting anything out of her about his father, so he decided to get answers elsewhere but it seemed like luck was not on his side.

Kellen might not walk out of a conversation that was still happening, and he might not rudely dismiss any of his inquiries, but he was just as evasive at Agnes if not more. Everything that he says is either an insult or a lie, and he didn't seem to be so bright.

Perhaps it was because he was hit in the head too many times by Agnes whenever he irritated her. Marc had witnessed at least three instances of this. They were hard hits, too.

It appears that Agnes didn't care for intelligence when it came to her errand boys.

"Seems like all I do here is waste my time." Marc found himself mumbling as he turned his head away from his company. He'd rather look at anything else other than someone shoving pies into their mouth. "Sometimes I suspect you really don't know anything."

Kellen regarded him with an amused look. "You look upset, Marky."

Despite being irritated at the nickname, he ignored it as he spoke. "I am upset. My father has been missing for over a week now and no progress is made. We're no closer to finding him than we were when I first came to you."

"You came for Agnes." Kellen pointlessly corrected and it made Marc sigh.

"I did, but sounds to me like she doesn't know what she's doing." He told him honestly feeling like he was being scammed. At least he didn't pay her anything for her help, but it still didn't change the fact that he was wasting his time. Kellen seemed to find this whole thing amusing as he laughed.

"Try telling her that."

Knowing it was not a good idea, Marc shook his head. "You really don't know anything, do you?"

"Me?" Kellen snorted, sounding even more amused at that. "You're the one who didn't know that his father was trying to be a necromancer."

Marc quickly shushed him as he looked around to see if anyone had heard them. They were in the middle of the street. Anyone could pass by and hear that damning piece of information. However, Kellen stood there relaxedly wondering if Marc realized his frantic manner was what would bring attention to them, not his words.

Nobody would listen in to two random guys talking, that wasn't likely to happen.

But ghosts were invisible, and they were also curious. They knew a bit too much, and those who cannot see them would never know that they're there. Sammy was following them as they spoke, and he listened to their discussion with interest. He was curious about the heir of the Abbott's family, the other guy was not that interesting, though.

They both did not have any marks on their neck, so Sammy thought it was safe to stick around as he spied on the two.

"Do not speak about this in public." Marc hissed at him not liking the carelessness he was met with, but then his manner took more of an imploring one as his anger softened. "Please, just tell me anything you know. Anything at all."

Kellen took a bite out of his pie staring at him with a blank look. "For an Abbott, you really sound desperate."

That response made Marc clench his teeth. "Not thing again..."

"Alright, alright." Kellen sighed deeply wiping his hand on his pants, and while this act made Marc react with evident repulsion, he did not voice it out. But Kellen was more similar to Agnes than anyone would think, and he hated to deal with annoying people who kept pestering him for answers. Marc was annoying him. "What do you want to know?"

"I want to know if I can trust Agnes to find my father, and I also want to know if she knew anything about where he is." Marc repeated himself for the millionth time, but this time he hoped he'd at least get something.

The disappearance of his father was plaguing his mind, and all he needed was some reassurance.

"Let's see, your father suddenly became a lot more reclusive and started researching something. Your mother won't tell you anything about it, and all he left behind was an impressive collection of drawings and candles. Am I correct?"

Marc slowly nodded his head in flabbergast, the detail about his mother shocked him, and everything else was accurate. Suddenly, he didn't know what to think.

"Did you seriously not know he was doing rituals? The candles? Drawings? Did none of that clue you in?" Kellen's lip twitched up as he watched Marc's lip become thinner, he didn't like what he was hearing at all. "Your dad joined a cult, Marky. We just need to find it."

"And how do we do that?"

Marc was stared at as if he was slow. "If I knew, I would have found it."

And that's how Marc was left with his thoughts as he stood in the middle of a busy street wondering how well he knew his family. The only thing he was sure of at that moment was that Agnes and her errand boy knew what they were doing, and he reluctantly decided to trust them.

Even if it seemed unwise of him to do so.

And Sammy couldn't help but think of the whole conversation as interesting.