Reincarnated as the third son of the Duke-Chapter 140 - The Alchemy of Power

140 The Alchemy of Power

The eldest son, who had withdrawn into isolation ever since his failed attempt to recruit Felicia, looked paler than before.

But his eyes—his eyes burned with renewed determination.

"Well then, it has been quite some time since I’ve seen what you’re capable of. Do you still remember my teachings?"

"Remember? I’ll demonstrate them to you on the battlefield."

"Hm. A fine answer."

The satisfaction in the Grand Duke’s eyes only grew.

Around the room, the rest of the family reacted with varying degrees of shock, relief, and dismay.

It was clear now—he had all but declared that the next lord of the house would be either William or Tristan.

William found himself frowning, fingers absently stroking his chin.

Something felt off.

The meeting had ended, and he now stood alone in quiet contemplation.

One would expect him to be pleased—after all, he had just been acknowledged as one of two final candidates for succession.

But instead of satisfaction, he felt only suspicion.

Not toward his father’s decision, but toward his siblings’ reactions.

’Joshua losing his mind is understandable. He was eliminated before he even had a chance to prove himself. But Jordi…’

William’s eyes narrowed.

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Jordi was not the type to accept anyone else as the head of the family.

If anyone should have been the most furious, it was him.

And yet, during the meeting, he had been unnervingly composed.

Even as he left, he hadn’t spared William so much as a glare.

’What is he plotting?’

Had his maternal relatives secured another position for him?

Even if that were the case, it wasn’t like him to surrender the position of family head so easily.

William debated the matter for a while longer before ultimately shaking his head.

There wasn’t enough information to form a solid conclusion.

And in the end, it didn’t matter—not yet.

’First, I need to deal with the North.’

His list of priorities was already long.

’Now that I think about it, Raymond should be officially assigned under me soon…’

Before he could finish the thought, a frantic voice called out to him.

"Y-young master! Young master!"

William turned, eyebrows raised.

The man rushing toward him was one of Hugo’s subordinates—someone who now served as William’s personal attendant.

"What is it?"

"It—it’s finished!"

"What is?"

"The medicine! The one for that child you asked about—it’s finally complete!"

Before the man could even finish speaking, William lunged forward, clamping a hand over his mouth.

The startled servant froze, eyes wide with fear.

William’s voice was low, almost chilling.

"When?"

"This… this morning! If you’d like, I can fetch it right awa—"

"No."

William released him, stepping back.

"I’ll go myself. You fetch Hugo."

His heart was pounding.

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Taking a deep breath, William steadied himself, forcing his feet into motion.

His destination lay outside the inner city, near the western outskirts—the underbelly of the territory.

Navigating through the labyrinthine alleyways, he finally arrived.

Knocking on the door, he waited.

A moment later, a small hatch slid open.

Click.

"Password."

William narrowed his eyes.

"Look at my face and figure it out."

"What the hell kind of answ—"

The man on the other side stopped mid-sentence, his face draining of color.

A moment of confusion.

A realization.

And then—

"Sh-shit! Open the door!"

The sound of hurried shuffling.

Then, with a groan, the door creaked open.

The thug who had been guarding it bowed hastily.

"I—I apologize, young master! Please forgive me!"

William waved him off.

"Where is Ian?"

"Third floor! He’s in the third floor lab!"

Before the words had fully left the man’s mouth, William was already moving.

Bounding up the stairs three steps at a time, he reached the door in seconds.

Without hesitation, he threw it open.

Inside, Ian turned, startled by the sudden entrance.

A brief moment of surprise.

Then, with a broad grin, he held up a vial filled with glowing, blue liquid.

"Ta-da! It’s done, my lord!"

William’s breath hitched.

Striding forward, he snatched the vial from Ian’s hands, holding it up to the light.

Even without opening it, he could feel the faint pulse of magic emanating from within.

It was weaker than before, but unmistakable.

’This is no mere imitation.’

The original had been volatile—its power uncontrollable.

But this… this was different.

It was stable.

William turned to Ian, his voice urgent.

"How does it compare to the first one? What effects will it have when consumed?"

A wave of blue energy rippled across Hugo’s body.

He stared, dazed, watching the shimmering haze dance along his skin. It wasn’t just a trick of the senses—this wasn’t an illusion brought on by the rush of refreshing energy coursing through his veins. It was magic, tangible and undeniable, something that even an outside observer could see.

"What the hell…?"

The words barely left his lips before the energy surged, flooding his entire body. His breath hitched as his core expanded, the once-narrow pathways of his mana forcefully widened by the overwhelming influx. The sensation was impossible to describe—like a flood carving a deeper riverbed as it rushed through, relentless and unstoppable.

And it didn’t stop there. The mana seeped into his very flesh, threading itself through his muscles and bones, binding itself to him in a way that sent an involuntary tremor through his fingers.

What the hell is this?

A chill ran down his spine. The clarity, the rush of vitality flooding his limbs—it should have filled him with joy. Instead, a deep unease settled in his chest.

It felt unnatural.

Too powerful.

For a fleeting moment, he wondered if he was still human.

This isn’t an elixir. Not a chance.

Hugo had never seen an elixir in his life. As a mere underworld boss, such legendary concoctions had always been nothing more than distant whispers to him. And yet, he knew—he just knew—that this was something else entirely.

It didn’t just purify his mana or smooth the flow of energy through his body. It didn’t just heal minor internal injuries. No, this… this was something far beyond that.

A violent tremor wracked his body.

"Haaah—!"

A long, shuddering breath left him, and with it, a tendril of dark blue smoke escaped from his lips, thick with a rancid stench.

Instinct told him exactly what it was.

Was this… my mana?

Had I really been circulating such impurity-laden filth through my body this entire time?

A hollow laugh escaped him.