📍 The Capital Road | Morning — Continued
Kavato kept talking as they walked.
After two months under Hekima, the old master had sat him down one afternoon and said: "Look at nature. Compare it to what you studied. See it differently. Test it differently. Put your heart in it — think about what you want — then make your dream potion."
That was the day Kavato started working on the sleeping potion.
"By the way," he'd asked Hekima that same day, "what potion did you make to become a master?"
Hekima had smiled the wide smile he saved for things he was genuinely proud of. "The greatest potion in the world. The most significant one. Only one alchemist knows it — me, because I made it."
"What is it?"
"The love potion."
Kavato had stared at him.
"I studied hormones in different animals," Hekima continued, completely unbothered. "Made a compound that causes genuine feelings of attraction. Lasts one night."
"That's the most pervy potion I've ever heard of."
"It's also the most requested."
Kiyoshi laughed once. He couldn't help it.
"He's not wrong," Kavato admitted. "Anyway. That's my master."
Sakura smiled, cracking a small laugh. all her senses were telling her to focus on the surroundings.
They walked a little further before Sakura spoke.
"Why do you need protection for this trip specifically?"
Kavato's expression changed. Not dramatic — just more careful.
"The three alchemy gangs," he said. "If my sleeping potion hits the market at a reasonable price, their sales drop. If I get recognised, Hekima gets recognised, and more students start going to him instead of them. It hurts them in every direction." He paused. "The Hikora gang leader is a man named Alki. He sent his son Toma to offer me a deal — give them the formula, let Toma claim he made it, become a master. I'd get a hundred small gold coins and a good position in the gang."
"That's not a bad offer," Kiyoshi said.
"No. But it's my formula. And it disrespects Hekima." He shrugged. "So I said no. Now they want to take it by force."
Sakura said nothing. She was already scanning the treeline.
Kavato's voice settled into something quieter.
Hekima was an orphan. His mother told him his father was an alchemist — that was why he'd loved the craft, chased it, stolen a book from a market stall at twelve just to read it. The book belonged to Benjiro — old man, long beard, permanent smile, former guild master. Benjiro caught him with the book and enrolled him the same day.
"Benjiro was like a father to him," Kavato said. "When Hekima was eighteen, Benjiro was killed. That's when Hekima got his master title — but too young to teach, they said. Not enough experience."
"So he waited," Kiyoshi said.
"He took a student at twenty. Trained him in the forest. The student was bitten by a snake and took a standard antidote — didn't tell Hekima because he thought it was nothing. It wasn't nothing. It was a Taipan. The student died." Kavato paused. "Everyone blamed Hekima. The three gangs spread it — murderer, pervert, dangerous. No student would go near him after that."
"So he went to the mountains," Kiyoshi said.
"He went to the mountains. Treats sick people, sells herbs. That's his life." Kavato looked at the road. "He took me in anyway."
📍 The Capital Road — Forest Section | Midday
"Someone's close," Sakura said.
She didn't slow down or change her posture. Just said it, quiet, the way she said things she was certain about.
Kiyoshi's hand moved to his sword.
Three figures stepped out from the trees ahead. Two were lackeys — the kind hired for situations like this, standing slightly behind the one in front, who was young and dressed well and had the expression of someone who'd never been told no by anyone who mattered.
Toma. It had to be.
"Kavato," Toma said. "Hand over the formula. Your friends might survive."
Kavato had gone still.
And then — from behind them — another voice.
"Brother?"
Kavato turned.
A man stood on the road. Tall, composed, holding a folded document at his side. He looked at Kavato the way you look at something you've already made a decision about.
Tora. Kavato's older brother.
Toma's voice sharpened. "You — stay out of this. Silence, or—"
The mana pressure came without warning.
It didn't feel like anything at first. Then it felt like the air had weight. Kiyoshi's hand froze on his sword hilt. He tried to activate Eye of Wisdom and felt it simply stop. Like trying to open a door that had been bolted from the other side. His nose started bleeding.
One of Toma's lackeys dropped to his knees, bleeding from the nose and ears.
Toma and the other one dropped completely. They hit the ground and didn't move.
The kneeling lackey looked up at Tora with wide eyes. "Forgive me. No disrespect. Please—"
Tora didn't look at him. "Leave."
He left.
The pressure eased.
Kiyoshi breathed. His nose was still bleeding. He wiped it on his sleeve and looked at Kavato, who had a thin trickle of red running from his nostril and was standing very straight.
Tora walked up to his brother and held out the document.
"From tomorrow," he said, "your connection to the Ramiya family officially ends. Father's decision." He paused. "You've failed as a son."
Kavato took the papers. His hands were steady.
"Maybe," he said quietly. "Maybe it's for the best."
Tora looked at him for one more second. Then he turned and walked back into the trees without another word.
The road was quiet.
Kiyoshi wiped his nose again. "Who was that."
"My brother." Kavato folded the document and put it in his bag. "Tora. The blazing sword of the Ramiya family. Firstborn son." He said it without bitterness. Just fact. "He's been S rank for two years."
Kiyoshi looked at the spot where Toma and his lackey were still on the ground.
"He killed them," Kiyoshi said. "Just from pressure."
"Yes."
Sakura crouched beside one of them briefly. Stood back up. "They're gone."
Nobody said anything for a moment.
Then Kavato picked up his bag, straightened his collar, and looked at the road ahead.
"Capital's still a few hours," he said. "Should we keep moving?"
Kiyoshi looked at him — the papers in his bag, the blood on his lip, the same slight smile he always wore.
"Yeah," Kiyoshi said. "Let's go."
✦ CODEX — Chapter Nineteen ✦
World Archive: Entries Relevant to Chapter Nineteen
ENTRY 073 — HEKIMA: FULL BACKGROUND
Born an orphan. Mother told him his father was an alchemist. She died when he was ten.
At twelve, he stole an alchemy book from Benjiro, former guild master, renowned teacher. Benjiro caught him and enrolled him instead of punishing him. Benjiro was the closest thing Hekima had to a father. Benjiro was killed when Hekima was eighteen.
Hekima received his master title at eighteen but was barred from teaching due to age. At twenty he took a student who was bitten by a Taipan snake during forest training. The student hid the bite, took a standard antidote, and died. Hekima was blamed. The three alchemy gangs spread the story — murderer, pervert, dangerous. No student would approach him after.
Now thirty. Lives in the End Mountains. Treats the sick who reach him. Sells rare herbs. Took Kavato in after three days outside his door.
His master formula: a love potion. Synthesised from hormonal compounds across multiple animal species. One night effect. He considers it the most significant potion ever made.
ENTRY 074 — HEKIMA: THE LOVE POTION
Hekima's master-level potion. Created through study of attraction hormones across multiple animal species. Induces genuine feelings for one target. Duration: one night. Only Hekima knows the formula.
He considers it the greatest potion ever made. His student disagrees.
ENTRY 075 — THE HIKORA GANG
One of the three alchemy gangs operating in Ramiya. Leader: Alki. Son: Toma — deceased, killed by mana pressure on the capital road.
Their interest in Kavato's sleeping potion formula is financial. If the potion reaches the market independently, their comparable products lose value and Hekima gains students. Both outcomes threaten their position.
Toma's death ends direct pressure from this angle. Alki's response is unknown.
ENTRY 076 — TORA RAMIYA
Kavato's eldest brother. S rank — held for two years. Title: the Blazing Sword of Ramiya. Firstborn son of the Ramiya lord.
Delivered Kavato's disinheritance papers personally. Said seven words to his brother. Killed two people with passive mana pressure and did not acknowledge it.
His feelings about the disinheritance, if any, were not shown.
ENTRY 077 — MANA PRESSURE
A passive effect produced by high-rank individuals with significant mana levels. At S rank, the ambient pressure can cause physical symptoms in lower-rank people nearby — nosebleeds, disorientation, organ stress. At sufficient intensity, it is lethal to E-rank targets without requiring any active skill.
Kiyoshi could not activate Eye of Wisdom while inside Tora's pressure field.
End of Chapter Nineteen Codex.