"Yeah, it's mine. Why?“

”You mean you are a top-ranked alchemist?"

Glunn's words struck Ennid as unusual. It wasn't unusual for a noble from the city to recognize the credentials. But it was strange that an eight-year-old child recognized it.

“That's right, I'm certified to the rank you mentioned. Shall I show you?”

It's not something you see every day, Ennid thought, and handed over his credentials. It bore the emblems of the Kingdom of Chelsea and the Alchemists' Society. Ennid's name was engraved at the bottom. Glunn stared at it, expressionless.

'It’s not even a laughing matter anymore.'

A remote and rural independent territory, a handsome man who looks like an embodiment of my tastes, and a top-notch, certified alchemist. What are the odds of all this fitting together?

Glunn recalled the middle-aged man who had been spying on him. That man had pretended to be sold into slavery with him, feigning a casual approach. Glunn assumed that Ennid's approach was scripted similarly.

‘The wheels of the slave dealers’ wagon broke...... maybe this man set a trap to break them.’

No, they broke because the road was rough.

‘This certificate must be forged.’

No, it was genuine. But to Glunn, who is incurably suspicious, the whole situation felt like a contrived trap.

“If a commoner got a top-tier certificate, there would be a fuss. I don't think I have heard any rumors of that.”

Glunn said, trying to gauge Ennid's reaction. He traveled across the continent to break his curse. He had scoured the lists of the most prominent sorcerers and alchemists. But the name Ennid was not there. Ennid made a small ‘ah’ sound at Glunn's words.

“There’s no way you would have heard the rumors. The Society isn't exactly the kind of place that where a commoner can get ahead.”

“What do you mean?”

“The day I was certified, the Society started a series of rumors, big and small.”

An affair between nobles, a bastard child in a certain family, a sensationalized rumor that someone was having fun with sodomy. There were even false rumors of war between continents. The social circles were buzzing with gossip.

“Thanks to them, news about me was buried without being mentioned. If you're in the industry, you might know...... but the average person has probably never heard of me.”

It was the reason Glunn hadn't heard the name Ennid before, otherwise he would have recognized him when he revealed his name.