The Secret of the Apprentice Pill

The map showed the whole Zuatania Republic.

The Zuatania Republic covered an extensive area, but it was connected to only two other places, one was the ocean which covered most of the surrounding area while the other was the Anpaes Kingdom, which started at the long mountain range which marked the end of the Zuatania Republic.

The map ended at the mountain range, which covered the whole area from north to south. The map didn't contain information for the Anpaes Kingdom or the rest of the continent.

Yale sighed because he didn't find the Revgen Empire on that map as it wasn't a neighbor country of the Zuatania Republic.

Julie looked at Yale's depressed expression.

"You seem disappointed."

"This map doesn't contain what I wanted. I will need to look for a better map."

"A better map? Even I would be unable to get one of those."

Yale knew that he could do nothing about it. Furthermore, since the Revgen Empire wasn't a neighbor country, he wouldn't dare to go with his current strength.

Inside the Zuatania Republic, he would be quite safe with his identity as the founder of an official Company, at least no one would try to harm him openly. However, if he needed to cross the ocean or the Anpaes Kingdom, his chances of dying would be too high, he couldn't do it alone.

"I know, thank you."

"You don't need to thank me, just say that secret about Wyba."

"This is something that even Oscro doesn't know. Wyba isn't a Frost Wolf; she is a Frost Winged Wolf."

Julie didn't seem happy with Yale's answer.

"Stop joking. A Frost Winged Wolf should have wings while Wyba hasn't any. Moreover, find a Frost Winged Wolf is extremely difficult, how would you manage to get such a cub."

As a lover of fluffy beings, Julie had studied a lot about fluffy beasts, and she knew about the Frost Winged Wolfs, although she had never seen one. It was already difficult to believe that Yale had managed to obtain a Frost Wolf cub like Wyba that was cute and obedient because even with her authority, she didn't manage to get any beast that was as lovely as Wyba.

The captured beasts obeyed her due to the slave contract, but they showed displeasure due to be enslaved so they couldn't compare with Wyba, who was happy to be hugged. After all, Wyba chose to be with Yale. She was his little sister and not his slave, so her situation was different than those beasts Julie had bought.

Hearing Yale's words, Wyba understood his intentions, and she showed her wings.

"Whoa, a pair of wings just grew from her back! She is really a Frost Winged Wolf, but I didn't know that the wings were possible to hide. I can't believe you have such good luck."

Julie started to pat Wyba's fluffy wings; she was pleased with the exchange of information.

"Remember to don't say it to anyone, or maybe Wyba's popularity would grow even more, and Oscro would extend her working hours, decreasing your time with her."

Julie nodded; she didn't plan to tell it to anyone. If she could, she would monopolize Wyba all the time. Of course, she would pay even more than the normal customers, but that would affect Oscro's marketing strategy of using Wyba to attract people.

"Your piece of information seems more valuable than my map. You can ask me something else as compensation."

Julie felt that since Yale didn't seem happy with the map's information while she enjoyed Wyba's secret, the deal wasn't fair and decided to share a bit more of information with Yale because it didn't require any effort to her.

Yale didn't dare to mention the Revgen Empire's name, so he decided to ask about something that was bothering him since he met Oscro.

"Do you have an Apprentice Pill? I want to take a look at one."

Julie didn't expect such a request. Her face turned serious.

"I have one in my spatial artifact. However, you are still too young to eat one of those, with your current prowess you won't need to rely on that pill to reach Rank 1. Your appearance might fool someone like Oscro, but I can see that you are younger than me, although you look like you have my same age due to probably eating some natural treasures, which made you mature faster."

Yale wasn't expecting that Julie discovered that he was younger than what he seemed, but that wasn't something that would harm him even if everyone discovered it. If that fact were known, the Silent Healer fans would probably increase even more.

"I don't plan to eat it. I only want to take a look at one."

Julie chuckled after Yale didn't deny that he was younger than her and then took out an Apprentice Pill, which tossed to Yale.

Yale directly appraised it.

[Apprentice Restraining Pill. It can boost the energy of those who are under Rank 1, but after eating it, the chances of reaching Rank 2 will turn into zero.]

There was indeed something bad with the Apprentice Pill. The rumors about it were too good to be true. For those who were hopeless to advance, it was still a way to live more time, but eating it would make it impossible to promote further later on. That pill was a trap to anyone who had hopes about becoming powerful in the future.

Apprentice Restraining Pill was the Apprentice Pill's complete name. The naming was quite obvious as it blocked the path towards the Rank 2, which was also called the Apprentice Rank.

Yale felt that it was strange that a pill that served to reach Rank 1, the Novice Rank, was called Apprentice Pill, so he was interested in appraising one to unveil its secrets. He was skeptical about that seemingly miraculous pill.

However, although Yale knew that appraisal could reveal its effects, he didn't know how it obtained the pill's real name. With the sword, it was normal to have it as it had a clear relationship with his past life, and the system could have that information from beforehand, but that pill shouldn't have any ties with his past life unless those pills existed since his past life's era.

The fact that such a trap pill could have existed for ages scared Yale. There was no way to know how many talented youngsters had crippled themselves by eating it.

The apprentice stage in swordsmanship or forging had a relationship with Rank 2 because everyone at that rank would find it extremely easy to enter the apprentice stage with weapons or to craft disregarding any Innate Talent.

Of course, they could just enter the stage. Progress in it without talent would be difficult unless they increased their level even more.

"Have you eaten an Apprentice Pill before?"

As Julie had one with her, Yale feared that she had already eaten some of them to boost her power.

"No, I have never eaten any pill to boost my level. Natural treasures to improve my body and pills to restore my used energy were enough for me. I only bought that pill due to curiosity."

Yale sighed in relief as he didn't want Julie to be poisoned by the Apprentice Restraining Pill.

Yale knew that he wouldn't remain forever in the Zuatania Republic. At that moment, he wanted that Oscro still had someone else to cooperate with him because he would lose Wyba and Yale as companions.

Julie had angered Oscro, but she still praised his skills in business, so Yale hoped both could have a good relationship in the future.

"Listen to me, never eat a pill of this kind, nor let anyone you value a bit eat it. I can't explain it to you, but you need to believe me."

Julie smiled after hearing Yale's words.

"So, you also discovered the after-effects of the Apprentice Pill. I needed three months of study to discover it with the help of skilled employees, but you have discovered it with only one glance."

Yale didn't expect that Julie also knew the truth behind the Apprentice Pill.

"I have a special skill to discover this kind of thing, but since I can't prove anything, I doubt someone will believe me. Your method should be more trustful in the eyes of others."

"There is no need of people believing it. This pill is something made by the higher-ups of the Zuatania Merchant Association. No matter what, no one will believe it, and if it turned public, that would only mean problems for you."

Yale didn't want to have problems with the merchant association so he wouldn't make that information public, but he didn't want that the people he knew ate an Apprentice Pill.

Furthermore, he had confirmed that the Apprentice Pill wasn't the thing his past life wanted to obtain. It was something else, but Yale had no clues about it. He had returned at the start point.

"I know that, but Oscro is decided to eat an Apprentice Pill. I need to convince him to don't do it."

Julie sighed.

"I can help you with that. That Oscro is too childish when he gets hit in his weak spot. I can force him to not eat it with that method. I also don't want to cooperate with someone who crippled himself due to his own foolishness."