Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

Siren's Sanctuary.

In the blink of an eye, a little over five years had elapsed since Eren's arrival in Labh Salem.

The mortal-dominated city of Sunhaven remained largely unaffected by the escalating turmoil among Practitioners. The city maintained its tranquil atmosphere, reminiscent of Eren's initial impression.

It was not that everything was smooth sailing in Sunhaven. The Eldorath kingdom faced its own share of challenges, particularly involving the mortal populace.

For example, the contests among royal scions for positions in the court had created a lot of unrest in the kingdom. Then there were the cases of mysterious deaths of prominent figures. The people bitten by the Sin Snake had died under mysterious circumstances even after they left Sunhaven.

As if this wasn't enough, the faith fabric of the kingdom had also been disturbed. The temple of Sekhmet and the temple of Bastet had to confront a mysterious sea god by organizing various forms of festivals and competitions.

However, these issues seemed to dissipate upon approaching the gates of Sunhaven. It appeared as though a deliberate effort, possibly by a certain entity or organization, was in place to preserve the city's peace and harmony.

Over the past five years, the inhabitants of Sunhaven became acquainted with a highly skilled and prosperous potion artisan named Ren Roman Idril. The widespread recognition affirmed that Siren's Sanctuary was under his capable management.

Eren had endeared himself to the citizens through hard work, consistently providing essential elixirs and remedies. Consequently, the locals trusted the Siren's Sanctuary brand implicitly, swiftly purchasing potions authenticated through the Mesh as soon as they hit the market.

Even the affluent residents of Sunhaven, as well as some Eldorathian royal branch families, became regular patrons of Eren's apothecary, elevating his status and acceptance within the community despite his outsider status.

Siren's Sanctuary brokered numerous agreements with local retailers to optimize the distribution of their potions to Sunhaven's populace. Additionally, they crafted specialized potions for the Temple of Sekhmet's followers, with Royal Scion Wilfer serving as a crucial intermediary between Siren's Sanctuary and the temple.

Siren's Sanctuary had become famous for making debuff potions that especially worked well against the demonic entities. It was as if Eren's potions were blessed by the divine. Those from the temple of Sekhment who used Siren's Sanctuary Potions in their fights against the demonic entities started buying Eren's items faithfully.

Eren's potion enterprise flourished so rapidly within just a couple of years that the Sunhaven city administration began placing routine stock orders. These potions were subsequently exported through authenticated sea routes from Sunhaven harbor, establishing a robust supply chain with neighboring cities and organizations.

Nevertheless, the official Siren's Sanctuary potions were confined to the E-Rank tier, limiting their appeal among Practitioners. F-Rank and E-Rank Practitioners found these potions cost-ineffective, leading only mortals to be the primary consumers.

Seasoned Practitioners speculated that Ren Roman Idril was merely an average potion-maker, content to lead a peaceful life among mortals. Consequently, divine and demonic factions saw no reason to bother him, and he remained undisturbed.

The initial fervor surrounding Ren Roman Idril and his potion enterprise eventually waned. Over five years, Ren and Siren Sanctuary potions became commonplace, seamlessly integrated into the traditional system.

Eren's mastery of social engineering was as effective as his potion-crafting skills, creating an atmosphere where his true identity as a Grand Knight would be dismissed as mere conspiracy theory, even in the face of legitimate proof from someone on the Onianum Continent.

***

Siren's Sanctuary.

Once the subject of numerous town talks, this villa sparked astonishment when it became engulfed in an inexplicable fog, shrouding it in an aura of mystery.

Soon, eerie cries reminiscent of Siren's wails added to the villa's urban legend, firmly implanting a curious fascination in the minds of Sunhaven locals.

As time passed, the villa evolved, selectively hosting a myriad of guests, customers, and influential figures. It almost seemed sentient, allowing only those it deemed worthy to navigate through its enigmatic fog while disorienting others.

On this particular day, another familiar guest joined the ranks of its regular visitors.

"Hahaha. Welcome, Sir Wilfer," Arman greeted the royal scion with a mischievous smile, positioned behind a dedicated counter that had been set up within the villa for him to directly vend potions to the visitors.

In the span of these five years, Arman had experienced a significant growth spurt, transforming into a robust late teenager. No longer scrawny, he had become a permanent resident of Sunhaven, successfully securing the same status as his parents.

Elevating his family from their poor and insignificant roots, Arman had firmly established them in the heart of Sunhaven.

This was not all. Arman also embarked on the journey of a Ranker with Eren's support, achieving a breakthrough into the F-Rank three years ago. Since then, he had steadily advanced, reaching the stage of a solid mana core and standing on the verge of breaking into the esteemed E-Rank.

If he could break into the next Rank, he could supposedly mirror his teacher's Ranking Status. As such, the ex-kid from the boonies was very proud of his progress. He wanted to prove to his teacher that the efforts that the latter took on him were worth it.

Despite Eren's insistence on maintaining an employer- employee dynamic, Arman couldn't help but see him as a mentor, profoundly influenced by his guidance.

Inspired by Eren, Arman had also chosen the path of a potioner.

"Hello, young Arman," Wilfer greeted with a nod. "Where's Rook Ren?" he inquired, scanning the surroundings.

"You know how a teacher is, Sir Wilfer," Arman chuckled wryly. "He's engrossed in a potion-making experiment and won't budge. Can I assist you with anything?"

Arman asked from behind the shop's counter, exuding the air of an experienced shopkeeper. He discerned a prosperous customer in Wilfer.

"I guess I wanted to purchase some new potions and replenish my previous vials," Wilfer replied, smiling at Arman. After a momentary pause, he sighed and continued,

"Yet, I truly wished to meet Rook Ren today and deliver this invitation from the Temple of Sekhmet personally," he said, presenting a sealed scroll.

"Allow me to assist you, Sir Wilfer," a graceful young woman emerged from the villa's inner sanctum, addressing the royal scion. "I'll ensure that Rook Reen receives this invitation," she added, approaching Wilfer.

She was none other than Roza Thaglas, acting both as a shopkeeper and Eren's assistant in potion-making.

She held the unique position of being one of the only two individuals permitted to approach Eren, even during his presumed "potion experiments" inside the villa. Notably, Arman, despite his five years with Eren, wasn't granted such access.

"That... would be great, Miss Roza," Wilfer sighed, handing the scroll to Roza.

Wilfer knew that Eren had anticipated this invitation for an extended period. The royal scion had initially contemplated using the invitation as leverage to extract more from Eren.

However, faced with Eren's immersion in a prolonged concoction process, he found neither the time nor the patience for such games. Allowing Roza to retreat to her previous location, Wilfer engaged Arman in a discussion about the potion supplies he currently sought.

Meanwhile, Roza Thaglas underwent several security checks before descending into the underground facility of Siren's Sanctuary—an area unknown to Sunhaven's native residents.