Chương 61: Chapter 1.61: Insidious Sweetness

The murderous weight of Brutus's killing intent fell onto Favius like a gavel. He gasped but managed to keep his knees from buckling. The powerful cultivator glared at him, and it took all of Favius's willpower to school his face into a smug smile. He winced a moment later as the pressure redoubled. Footsteps approached out of the store and stopped.

"Oh, it's you." Favius looked over and saw the Rhexioni alchemist glancing first at Brutus, then briefly at the flower bouquet. She immediately straightened her robes and brushed her black hair out of her blushing face. While sweat ran down Favius's back and he shivered as he fought off the weight of Brutus's aura, the woman narrowed her eyes.

"Is... is everything alright?" she ventured, her eyes again turning to the flowers Brutus was holding.

"Oh, everything is just fine," replied Brutus in an all too relaxed voice.

"I'm merely dealing with an unruly child in need of a good spanking." The pressure fell off Favius, and he took in a breath of air, yet even the exertion couldn't keep the grin off his face. Gotcha.

"Oh Brutus," he said, lowering his head to the ground to hide his expression.

"I'm sure you are right that there will be some spanking today." The man's eye twitched as he looked at Favius, and the boy took another breath.

"Well, I'm sure you have important things to discuss, Mentor. I'll just..." He gestured.

"Look around the store for the things we need, you know." Brutus grumbled, and Favius disappeared between the shelves, but soon heard low conversation and muffled laughter from the pair of adults. Favius shook his head. Looks like that worked out well. Seems like bringing someone flowers is a romantic gesture in this world as well. He smirked as he shuffled alongside the shelves again, ignoring the herbs and spices. Though I wonder.

I hope I haven't brought Brutus into a situation where he's now obliged to marry her. But nah, with what he told me about Caliga and given two of the three Consuls of the Republic are women... He let the pneuma circulate across his body, removing the lingering tension of Brutus's aura. Most political scientists or sociologists would probably kill for the chance to study the impact of the personal power from magic on the gender dynamics in society. But... He sniffed.

I'm just happy that I haven't landed in a place that treats women like personal property. While ruminating, he kept reading the labels, and after five minutes of searching, he found an entire shelf of earthen jars. It was labeled glue. He studied the many labels and swallowed. There's like thirty different kinds of glue here and the entity, it just said... well, glue. Favius ran his fingers over the labels. Though unless I'm mistaken, this seems to be about various additives.

But which glue do I need for sizing paper? He turned around and shrugged. No use trying every glue on the shelf, if I can just ask an expert. He returned to the conversation between the warrior and alchemist. Favius noticed with a grin that Brutus had handed the bouquet over to her. She, in turn, was leaning into his personal space and busy poking him in the arm. He cleared his throat.

"Excuse me." The two of them turned around, and she blushed again. Brutus still gave him a glare, yet the mask cracked for a moment when the alchemist wasn't looking. Favius carefully kept his face neutral.

"I am looking to buy some alum," he began, and the woman nodded.

"Yes. Your teacher told me that you are quite fond of alchemical experimentation." She held up a package that Favius recognized as one of their soaps.

"He gave me this. Told me it was made at your estate." Favius nodded.

"Indeed. We need ingredients for something similar." The woman nodded, and Favius continued.

"I need glue." Silence. The alchemist tilted her head slightly and ran a finger along the side of her face.

"Yes? What kind of glue?"

"That's..." Favius swallowed. This sounds so utterly stupid.

"I'm not sure. I found a recipe in a book, and it just says glue is required for this particular project. I saw your shelf. Would you mind explaining why there are so many glues?" The woman smiled again and glanced at Brutus. The Magnicultor gave her a slow nod. She cleared her throat.

"Well, the most basic glue is starch-based glue. It's made from flour and is your cheapest option. The next category is all glue that is derived from pitch. It is rather sticky, yet unlike the starch glue, resistant to water." Favius nodded along. Starch glue. I think that's paste. If I remember correctly, that's the stuff we still used on Earth to put up wallpapers. Starch was mentioned in the recipe as another option, so it's separate from the glue I need.

"And the other options?" he asked.

"Apart from a bunch of rather obscure varieties, the remaining ones are bone, hide, and fish glue."

"I think it's one of those. Can you tell me more about them?"

"Well, if it's fine work you need done, I would recommend fish glue. It is made from the skin and bones of fish. Hide glue is similarly produced, though..." She smiled knowingly.

"It is generally made out of tendons, for the hide is rather valuable."

"And I assume bone glue is made the same way? So it's all just animal parts that are cooked until they fall apart?" She looked over her shoulder at Brutus, who was nodding along while stroking his beard.

"There is more to it than boiling. You see, usually the fat and meat must be removed by caustic essence, otherwise the glue would stink. But," she added hastily, raising two fingers, "I guarantee that all my glue is of the highest quality. You will have no rot or stench as long as you use it properly." Favius briefly considered, but then nodded.

"And the additives are all to improve properties?" She nodded.

"Oh yes. Most of it's just coloring, though some of them preserve the glue." Favius nodded.

"We'll take two pots of each of the five we discussed without any additives, and two pots of alum as well." This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. She nodded, but Favius wasn't done. Buying at an alchemist store for experimentation is one thing, but I should talk to Serran about a continuous supply. But if I understand the economy here correctly...

"Am I correct in assuming that you are also capable of arranging more permanent bulk trade via your Collegium?" She nodded.

"Oh yes. All alchemical substances are controlled by the Collegium. So..." She again looked at Brutus, but he simply shrugged. Why does she keep looking at him for approval?

"If you would like bulk purchases or constant deliveries, I would be able to draw up a contract for you." Favius nodded.

"Are you just establishing the connection? Or do you earn a commission from selling the ingredients to us?" The woman's eyes narrowed, yet a brief flash in them didn't escape Favius's attention.

"Of course I am earning a commission. After all, the Collegium is an association for the interest of all alchemists. But we all must still make profit on our own."

"Very well then. You may expect business from the family in the future." She grinned broadly, and Favius looked at Brutus.

"I think that's everything." But the warrior shook his head.

"No, no. Ilira, you pick up the glue. Favius, go find the lodestones and buy three knuckle-sized ones and a handful of splinters." Favius narrowed his eyebrows. I remember lodestones being here, but how does Brutus know?

"Why?" he ventured. His protector made a vague gesture.

"I can feel them with my aura. In fact, you should be able to as well. And we're gonna need lodestones to train you and your sisters' abilities. So..." He made a shooing gesture.

"Go pick some out. I'll settle the rest of the purchase." Favius smirked as he left behind the shelves. He clearly wants some more privacy. Ilira, is it now? He soon found the shelf with the lodestones and frowned at the metallic pieces. I'm not actually sure what lodestone is. Probably just iron-rich magma that got magnetized by the planet's magnetic field. He opened one of the boxes and concentrated on letting his pneuma flow from his core down his arm and out around his hand.

His face scrunched up in concentration. There is something... Doesn't quite feel like an aura. More like... resistance. As if I'm moving my hand through water instead of air. He clicked his tongue, picked out a few lodestones and a small box full of splinters. They felt weirder somehow, fuzzy to his pneuma-enhanced perception. He let go of the pneuma and soon found Ilira and Brutus loading jars of glue into the cultivator's backpack. She gave him a smile.

"Ah, you found them. Your guardian has already paid. So if there was nothing else..." she said, her question ending on a high note. Favius shook his head.

"No, unless you want to see what other... interesting ingredients are on offer here." He smiled at Brutus and was rewarded with a spike of the man's aura zapping his skin. Favius winced and Ilira's eyes widened a bit, but Brutus chuckled and waved his hand.

"It's merely some training to help him along with his cultivation."

"Oh truly. Your charge is already a Cultor?" Brutus smiled and straightened.

"He is talented, and with my instruction, what else would you expect?" They both chuckled, and Favius rolled his eyes. They walked out of the store, and Ilira waved at them.

"Alright, see you for dinner, Brutus," she called out, and Favius's controlled expression slipped into a shit-eating grin as they walked out of the door. He turned towards Brutus and was hit with another wave of dense killing intent. He did his very best to keep smiling. The Magnicultor's stern expression cracked for a moment before he clenched his jaw.

"Not a single word about this. Is that understood?" Favius blinked innocently.

"About what?" Brutus harrumphed, and they walked down the streets towards the baths where they would meet Marcus and the others. Halfway there, Favius cleared his throat.

"Oh Brutus, what happened to my flowers?" This time, he nearly stumbled onto the street from the force of the aura. But after a moment, the warrior burst out laughing. Favius joined in a moment later. Brutus wiped a tear from his face.

"That, by the Warrior! I keep forgetting that you aren't just a little child. That's the kind of plot one of my comrades might have ambushed me with." He snorted.

"You will fit right in with all those ripe bastards." Favius grinned, and Brutus launched into a story of him and other soldiers messing about on campaign. They continued down the street and soon reached one of the busy main arteries. The bathhouse was a richly decorated building wrought entirely from stone. Favius noticed that several of the statues had cleverly hidden pipes and stood in empty basins. So the bathhouse has a fountain. How appropriately obvious.

He looked around and saw the contingent of bronze-clad guards and attendants surrounding Marcus and his sisters, both of whom were animatedly presenting the day's plunder to the Senator. Favius and Brutus joined them.

"Good, good, everyone appears to be here." Marcus slapped his hands together, cutting off Urania's excited babbling. She turned and grinned at them.

"Look, look! I got this pendant." She held out a silver chain, and Favius noticed an alabaster pearl surrounded by three stones that appeared to be eating up the light.

"Isn't that beautiful? The contrast," she murmured, and Favius was soon nodding along to a stream of descriptions and made the appropriate oohing and ahhing noises at his sister's purchases. Marcus gave him a grateful smile. After a few minutes, the Senator cleared his throat.

"So what have the two of you done so today?"

"Well," Favius began, a grin spreading across his face, "we visited an alchemist and—" Brutus's hand settled around the back of his neck. He felt the electric tingling he had come to associate with a privacy screen. Brutus spoke without moving his lips. His tone was sweet yet rich with menace.

"Boy, if you don't want to train until you fall unconscious for the entire next week, I recommend you keep the exact details of our afternoon private." Favius swallowed and looked in the man's eyes. Yes, yes. He would absolutely put me through another round of hellish training for messing with him. The others were staring at them strangely, but Favius continued after Brutus patted him on the back. The sharp sting of the man's hand was an all too present reminder.

"We made some purchases, and visited the Collegium of Scribes," he finished lamely. Marcus glared at both of them with narrowed eyes.

"If there has been another riot..." he began, but Brutus held up his hand.

"No, no riots. I swear. We just indulged in some of your son's interests."

"Very well. In that case." Marcus gestured, and they made their way through the bustling entrance. Favius noticed that three guardsmen accompanied them while the rest of the retainers and guards left them after Brutus handed over the backpack filled with Favius's purchases. As in the Collegium of Scribes, there were a number of counters, and Marcus strode up straight to one where only a single person was talking to an attendant. They waited their turn before his father greeted the clerk.

"Magister." He placed a few copper senati on the desk.

"For all of us. Full access." The man nodded and turned around. Favius briefly saw a collection of various amulets. He looked over at the other queue, where a man and a woman were walking in, amulets of clay around their necks. He noted that there was a lot of variety with different colors. He considered the ticket system while he accepted one from Marcus that was glittering with golden luster.

"Full access," the Magister nodded.

"Will your guards retain their weapons?"

"Of course," said Marcus and put down a few more coins.

"Very well," replied the man.

"But might I remind the Lord that no blades are permitted within the bathing house?"

"Yes, I am aware." Hence, he gestured, and each of the guards produced a cudgel. Favius swallowed. Good to know that the worst thing that can happen to me in the swimming pool is getting my head bashed in with a mace instead of getting stabbed. They were about to walk deeper into the building when Marcus paused, and Favius focused on a small commotion at the next counter over. A Magister was arguing with a father and three kids. He held out a bent lead coin. Favius frowned. Why is it yellowish?

"Please, it was good just this morning. It's just that my daughter enjoys the taste. She chewed a bit on it." Favius's eyes widened. What? Why would children be chewing on lead coins? That's... that's... His brain was somehow stuttering, unable to catch up with the sheer stupidity of the statement. Marcus cleared his throat.

"Magister." He flipped over a copper coin.

"Please let the man and his family in. And anyone else, for as long as the value of the senati holds." The man's eyes widened before he lowered his head alongside a dozen other people in the queue.

"Honored Dominus. You have my deepest thanks." Marcus waved his hands.

"Oh, it's nothing." They walked into the building, and Favius shook himself out of his surprise. Children licking lead coins. What the fuck? Caliga cleared her throat.

"Father, I know it was nice what you did, and you told me that charity is important for a noble. But why not just give him the lead coin he needed?" Marcus sniffed.

"My little lynx. No person of good breeding ought to stain their pockets with lead coinage. After all, the basest metal is for those of the basest origins." Urania and Caliga nodded, and Favius ventured a question.

"Why? Why would his child enjoy the taste of the lead coin?" Urania gave him a strange look.

"Because it's sweet, obviously."

"Lead is sweet?" he asked, and Marcus nodded.

"Indeed. Whereas we as nobles sweeten our pastries, teas, and wines with honey, our lessers may only enjoy such pleasures because lead sugar is produced so cheaply."