Chapter 855: Splendid Herbalist

Hudson was slightly taken aback by that question. “My Lord… what do you mean?”

Adam couldn’t help but frown a little. “What do you mean, ‘what do I mean?'”

The ash tree before them was, without a doubt, the most valuable thing in Tron right now. Its true potential was simply beyond calculation.

If nurtured properly, it could raise the mana density not just in the surrounding region but quite possibly across the entire planet!

And if that happened… would Tron’s mana ceiling still be limited to the Mana Core Rank?

Although getting to that point may take a long amount of time, the possibility of that happening was quite real.

So that raised the question—why hadn’t the members of the Brotherhood stationed here reported this information to their superiors?

Given the organization’s strict chain of command, Hudson should have relayed news of such a discovery without hesitation.

But he hadn’t.

“Why?” Adam asked again, his brow furrowed.

The whole situation struck him as both perplexing and illogical.

“Why didn’t you report this to the higher-ups? A discovery this astounding deserves to be brought to a Councilor’s attention, in fact. So why didn’t you?”

Hudson blinked a few times, then spoke matter-of-factly. “Because you were the one who planted this tree.”

“Eh?” Adam was sent into a daze. “What did you say?”

“I wanted you to be the first one to know, my lord,” Hudson said earnestly.

He gestured toward the raven-haired youth and continued, “Because you were the one who planted this tree.”

Then, he glanced around at the townfolks, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Over time, he had grown fond of the people here.

Turning back to Adam, he concluded, “And because this town bears your name.”

Adam didn’t know how to respond. After a long time, he couldn’t help but ask, “Are you serious?”

“Very serious, my lord.” Hudson chuckled.

He paused for a moment before adding, “Now that I’ve informed you of this development, I can begin sharing with the higher-ups, if you wish.”

Adam would be lying if he said he wasn’t touched by Hudson’s gesture. But, at the same time, he also found his actions quite foolish.

Withholding information about such a significant discovery from the higher-ups was unwise.

But he really did have to thank Hudson for that.

After all, from what he had learned in his travels recently, he would think twice before trusting the higher-ups of the Twilight Brotherhood.

His eyes suddenly narrowed, and he habitually stroked his chin, thinking to himself, If even Headmistress Godfrey turned out to be a cultist…

Then I fear there might be spies in the Brotherhood as well.

Given that the Cult Leader and Lord Aldo Wagner were sworn brothers, and the Cult of Bones and the Twilight Brotherhood were founded around the same time…

It would be safe to assume that both have planted spies in each other’s ranks.

But if the Cult has infiltrated the upper echelons of the Brotherhood… that would be a serious problem.

There’s only one person I can trust…

He turned to Hudson and calmly stated, “Let me think on it.”

Hudson frowned. “My Lord… is there any problem?”

He had seen the troubling expression on the youth’s face and couldn’t help but wonder if there was something bothering him.

Adam smiled faintly, shaking his head. “I’m just wondering who the best person to share this with would be.”

He turned towards the ash tree and added, “I think having a Herbalist take charge of this matter would be the most ideal solution.”

Hudson’s eyes lit up. “That is correct, my lord. I was of a similar mind as well.”

He paused for a moment, thinking of the right words to say. Actually, he had been waiting for Adam to suggest that idea.

Finally, he spoke, “My Lord, give your close connection to this matter, your status as a Mana Vortex Magus, and your skills as a capable Herbalist… how about you take charge?”

Adam chuckled as he shook his head. “No, I’d rather not.”

Thinking about all the things he had on his plate at the moment, he really didn’t have the time to sit here, study, and protect the ash tree.

But he did have someone in mind who would be more than happy to.

“I know just the person,” he said with a smile. “A splendid Herbalist, better than me, even. And most importantly, he’s also a Mana Core Magus.”

Hudson was pleasantly surprised. He considered himself well-informed on the current affairs of the Twilight Brotherhood, yet he couldn’t recall any Councilor who matched Adam’s description.

“But, my lord,” he began. “I don’t think there is a Herbalist on the Council of Dawn.”

Adam’s lips curled into a smirk. “There will be.”

He then got up from his seat, offering the two a faint nod. “I’ll be staying the night here and then leaving tomorrow morning.”

Hudson and Kenley immediately got to their feat. The former asked eagerly, “My Lord, you will tell me who that Herbalist is, won’t you?”

“Rest assured, my friend,” Adam said with a reassuring smile.

With that, he turned around to walk away.

Right at that moment, Kenley gritted his teeth and gathered the courage to speak, “My Lord, I have a request!”

Adam turned around and shot him an inquisitive gaze. “What is it, Kenley?”

The Acolyte smiled nervously as he conjured dozens of rolled parchments, setting them on the table.

He awkwardly scratched the back of his head and softly muttered, “My Lord, would you… mind signing these for the boys back at the base?”

Adam rolled his eyes. He waved his hand over the table, putting away the parchments inside his earrings.

He turned around and walked away, leaving behind his parting words.

“Take them tomorrow morning.”

***

Adam found a modest inn to spend the night.

After setting up protective runes on the floor, by the door, and across the windows, he changed into a comfortable set of garments and lazily sat down on the bed.

Adjusting the pillows behind him, he leaned back slightly, then conjured a wine gourd and a flat cup from his earrings.

He slowly sipped the wine, lost in thought, pondering the mysteries of the ash tree he had planted.

Why had the Great Mother blessed it?

What would become of Constantine in a few years?

What of Tron in a hundred, or a thousand years?

Would the planet’s mana ceiling truly rise, as he speculated?

As question after question filled his mind, his eyelids grew heavy. Within moments, he drifted off to sleep.

Perhaps it was the fatigue built up from the constant travel.

Or perhaps, it was something else.

But that night, something unusual occurred.

It began… in his dream.

Two more in a few hours…