Chapter 60: Anytime, anywhere, pulse back~!

Julius was stunned as well. He lowered his head to look at the empty vial in his hand; a few drops of emerald green liquid still clung to the bottom, faintly glimmering in the dim light of the prison cell.

His gaze shifted toward the young man.

Although the young man had regained some clarity of mind, his physical condition was clearly terrible.

He curled up in pain, wounds covering his body still oozing blood. The intense agony had drained the color from his face until it was as pale as paper, and every breath he took trembled noticeably.

Julius watched his suffering, a flicker of inner struggle crossing his eyes.

He was silent for a moment before finally taking out the life-saving potion that Helos had given him from his bosom.

The blood-red liquid inside the bottle stood out vividly in the dark cell.

“Drink this.”

Julius knelt down and brought the vial to the young man’s lips.

The young man weakly parted his mouth, letting the red liquid flow down his throat.

The moment the potion entered, a shocking scene unfolded—

The wounds on the young man’s body began healing at a visible speed. Deep gashes that exposed bone quickly closed and formed scabs, and his pale face gradually regained color.

In just a few breaths’ time, most of his injuries had already healed!

“Th-This can’t be…”

One guard couldn’t help but exclaim, instinctively stepping back.

Another guard stared dumbfounded at the incredible sight, nearly dropping the spear in his hand.

Selina’s eyes widened even more, her face full of disbelief.

“What kind of potion is this? It’s even more miraculous than the Church’s Holy Water?”

Julius, equally shocked, stared at the empty vial in his hand. Although he trusted Helos’s word, he hadn’t expected the potion’s effects to be so immediate.

The young man slowly sat up, trembling as he touched his healed wounds, his eyes filled with the gratitude and confusion of someone who had just escaped death.

His voice shook as he touched the places where his wounds had been.

Julius and Selina exchanged a quick glance.

The boy crouched down, looking levelly at the young man sitting on the ground.

“What’s your name? What do you do?”

“I… My name is Allen.”

The young man spoke weakly, still dazed. “I usually run errands in the Lower District, making some spare change.”

Julius nodded. Though his tone was calm, it held a hint of probing.

“Allen, do you remember how you got poisoned?”

“Poisoned? Wh-What poison?”

Allen shuddered, his face full of bewilderment.

He frantically stared at his hands, his voice growing anxious.

“Am I… poisoned?”

“It’s that special blend of liquor.”

Julius added.

Allen froze, as if struck by something.

The expression on his face surprised Julius for a moment—this guy really seemed unaware that what he had been drinking all along was poison.

“Th-That liquor… it was poison?”

Allen’s eyes widened, disbelief written all over his face.

“No wonder I was in so much pain whenever I didn’t drink for a day…”

He took a deep breath, looked at Julius, and his voice lowered.

“I remember once I got hurt while running an errand, but I couldn’t afford medicine, so I just bandaged it up roughly.”

“At night on my way home, the pain was unbearable, so I sat down by the roadside to rest.”

“Then someone came over and asked what happened.”

“I told him my situation. He said it was fine, that he could help ease the pain.”

“He handed me a bottle of liquor, saying if I drank it, the pain would go away.”

“I trusted him, and after one sip, the pain really did disappear.”

“He said it was a special blend from the ‘Alley Tavern’ next door, tasted great, had good pain relief, and wasn’t expensive. I could go anytime if I wanted.”

“Since then… I became addicted to that liquor. Almost all the money I earned running errands went on it.”

Allen lowered his eyelids, his expression growing hazy.

“As for what happened after… I can’t remember clearly.”

The cell fell silent for a moment, broken only by the faint breathing of the few inside.

Julius stared at Allen, his brow furrowing deeply.

His earlier suspicions were confirmed at this moment, but it only weighed heavier on his heart.

An ordinary person from the Lower District, pushed step by step into the abyss because of momentary injury and helplessness.

Selina slowly withdrew her gaze, her expression stern but her eyes reflecting a complicated light.

She spoke softly to Julius: “It seems those damn scoundrels are deliberately spreading that liquor…”

“Hm.”

The black-haired boy nodded slightly, then stood and looked at Allen with a somewhat solemn tone.

“Mr. Allen, you were intentionally lured into this poison. The treatment we have… can’t yet guarantee a full recovery.”

He paused, a trace of apology in his expression.

“So, you’ll need to stay here for a few days. Sorry for the trouble.”

“No, no, no, it’s me causing trouble for all of you.”

Allen replied instinctively.

But then he looked around the dim cell and at the two silent guards on watch, his eyes showing unease and hesitation.

“But… who exactly are you?”

Julius and Selina exchanged a glance before replying in low voices.

“This is the Duke’s manor. We represent the Duke and the Church and are investigating that so-called ‘special blend liquor.’”

“We might need your cooperation going forward.”

“I see. Then I can rest assured.”

Hearing Julius’s answer, Allen finally relaxed.

“Alright, I’ll stay quietly here.”

***

After briefly instructing the guards, Julius and Selina left the private cell together.

The scorching sun hung high, piercing sunlight pouring over the courtyard through the tall walls.

Selina frowned slightly and instinctively stepped back into the shadows.

“Should I go notify Kyle?” she asked.

“Yes. If possible, we’ll need manpower to secretly monitor the ‘Alley Tavern’ first.”

Julius nodded, his expression never relaxing.

“At the same time, keep observing Allen for a few more days.”

“Got it.”

Selina responded quietly, then seemed to remember something and added.

“By the way, you should ask Miss Helos if she has any spare Antidote.”

“Ah.”

“Hm.”

Julius nodded, but his gaze suddenly froze. He turned toward Selina and whispered.

“About the potion—don’t tell anyone except Mr. Kyle for now.”

Selina raised an eyebrow, pointing toward the private cell.

“Afraid of leaks? But those two guards just saw everything.”

“They’re the Duke’s personal guards. They won’t spread word carelessly.”

Julius took a deep breath, a heavier weight in his eyes.

“Don’t underestimate this matter—it could very well be tied to Miss Helos’s safety.”