Summoner's Second Chance

Chapter 40

"The Venombloods? Yes, I've done business with them before, creepy bunch I tell ya!" The merchant spoke boisterously, not fearing the possibility he would be heard by one of Venomblood's servant. Trace nodded a few times, and inquired further. "If I may ask, in what way are they creepy?" The merchant hummed as he rubbed his somewhat chubby chin. "Y'see, I was invited inside their mansion, and boy do I feel dizzy when I first stepped in. I think there's a really bad smell too, but it disappeared quickly, so I thought it was just my imagination."

Trace nodded a few times, and smiled at the merchant. "Thank you for your cooperation, sir." The merchant guffawed, and climbed onto his wagon's driver seat. "No problem sir!" The merchant was about to whip the horse pulling his wagon before his eyebrows furrow in curiosity, and turned to Trace. "Are you some kind of an investigator?" Trace laughed and nodded. "Something like that, yes."

The merchant tipped his hat to Trace in respect, and drove away from the market area. Trace sighed, and walked away from the market area while rubbing his chin. "Everyone said something about a weird, blood-like scent invading them when they entered, and how the Venombloods are acting. What does this all mean?" Although he had a few run-ins with the Venomblood brothers in his previous life, they were no more than bullies with over-inflated ego.

"This is different too..." Trace stopped in front of a store, and looked through the glass. Inside was various medicinal herbs and flasks in all shapes and sizes. He rested his hand on the mirror, and looked down to his feet. "It appears... I was just as powerless as before..." He shook his head slowly, and continued on his way. "If this is how it is, then I have no choice but to go there myself." Setting his course, Trace quickly made his way south, toward the Grey Gate.

Going through crowded road, Trace finally arrived at his destination. In front of him was a gate with a pair of eyes, symmetrically placed at the top of each gate. Behind it was a large mansion with many windows on each side. Another look told him that the mansion was built unevenly, one side longer than the other, and the main entrance was located on the left side of the mansion.

"Do you have an appointment, sir?" A guard appeared from the guard station behind the gate, and called out to Trace. Trace smiled at him, and nodded. "I am here to sell potions on behalf of my master." Trace took out three bottles with different potions in them, and gave it to the guard. "I hope my master did not inconvenience you by not coming here herself." The guard opened the bottles, and brought them to his nose one by one. He closed the bottles, and a smile spreads through his mouth. "You must be miss Bianca's apprentice then. Please, do come in." The guard opened the gate, and gestured Trace to come in. "A servant will be waiting for you inside." Trace nodded with a smile, and walked inside.

A feeling of anxiousness started to spread through Trace's heart, but he had trained himself to keep his calm in an important or dire situation. His anxiousness became stronger as he approached the wooden double door, and when the door slowly swung open, he almost fell to his knees. When the door swung open, a strong putrid smell invaded his nose, but it was not the worst of it. The strong miasma was almost more he can handle, and that was what almost brought him to his knees.

"You must be miss Bianca's apprentice." A maid stood in front of him, her eyes sharply gazing into his. Even though her eyes were locked on to Trace, he could feel that her gaze was empty. "Please, follow me." The maid gestured Trace to come in. Trace smiled and nodded. "Of course." Lifting his heavy feet, he walked into the mansion.

As the merchant said, a strong putrid smell invaded his nose, and the cause of his dizziness was the miasma. Trace breathing started to become rougher, and his heartbeat started to pound faster, as if something horrible is looming behind him, weapon in its hand, ready to strike him at any time. Trace took one deep breath, and regulated the circulation of magic power inside him; a technique he learned while he was wandering the east part of the world.