His days in the mansion were the same for three days before the first change arrived. He was asked to harvest some leaves by Larza, preparing to send them as a gift to Duke of Fire. The herb's seed was to be provided by her and Arthur would have to use his blessings to grow it.
When Arthur asked around about this Duke, he learned that he was an Evolved of the great Phoenix.
The herbs he would send were of the finest in the garden, meant to treat the duke's daughter. She was a hybrid of the eternal fire of the phoenix and the northern ice spirit.
This herb was called Greatest Harmony, a catalyst for conflicted traits in the demi-humans. A treasure like no other, extinct in the outside world of with only a very few holding its seeds.
"Your blessings are necessary to keep this herb alive, so you need to take it yourself," Larza said after one of their sessions. "I will have Bao accompany you, for your own protection."
She stressed the word protection, making Arthur confirm it would be more of monitoring than protection. However, his show of obedience has been going for a while, earning the benefits that would urge him to keep it going.
"Yes, my lady." Arthur nodded. "I have planted the seeds you gave and we will be ready to set off in a week."
"That's good." Larza smiled happily. Arthur didn't know if it was about the herb or him, the little puppy she had obtained. "Make sure to never meet the duke's daughter, understood?"
"Why is that?" Arthur was confused. "My lady." He hurried to add.
"She's known to be the most beautiful in the land. No one has ever met her and didn't fall for her spells." Larza said, before adding with a smile. "I'm not worried that you would fall for her, but we shouldn't need to wash away your memories."
"My... memories?" Arthur asked with intrigue. "Is there a way to do that?"
"Does losing your arm bring you nightmares?" Larza traced the place his left arm was attached to, misunderstanding his intentions. "There are a few ways. They work like a charm."
"I met someone in the slaves' convoy, he had no memories and had a purple seal on his abdomen," Arthur said casually. "I always wondered how he had ended up that way."
"Hah, he must have been a fool." Larza laughed as she pulled herself from him and picked up her clothes. "It's the mark of the witches, no one usually survives after being captured by them. He got lucky."
"What do you mean?" Arthur asked but Larza has already left him with no answers. He sighed and picked himself up, heading to sleep before working on the Greatest Harmony.
***
His obedience to Larza has earned enough trust to be allowed on the weekly shopping trip. Even Fen began to slack more in keeping an eye on him since he was always there by the time Fen was back.
Arthur's only reason to endure this humiliation was Rae, who relied on him to bring her food each week. She grew quieter the more time went on and the two developed a tactical agreement on where to leave the meals.
He still had no idea of how to treat her, even after Larza told him about 'The Witches.' He asked around in the city but he was either spat on or simply ignored by the nicer folks.
The only info he learned about was through sheer luck, a paragraph that mentioned the witches' dwelling being to the south of Freda.
Sadly, he had to let it go for now and plan their escape. The young man from Freda didn't contact him again and there was no light to follow. The only way for him to find a way out was by going through the ranks upward. He had to go to the Duchy of Fire, where the duke and his daughter were waiting.
He woke up the next day refreshed and went straight to work. The seed he had planted in the ground was already blooming and Arthur marveled at the array of colors that the leaves had.
'Greatest Harmony indeed.' Arthur caressed the petals and they danced in joy as his energy seeped into them. 'It's as if the plant has a soul of its own, fascinating.'
The process was slow but steady. The petals grew more numerous by the day as Arthur took care of feeding them his powers. Even Larza knew better than to drain him while he was working.
It was the last day before their scheduled departure that Arthur went shopping with Fen again. However, this time, it wasn't for the kitchen but Arthur's needs. He needed a mana agent to consolidate the petal's magical properties.
They went to an alchemy market called Forever Young, a delusional yet ambitious name of immortality. When the receptionist realized that Arthur was the one shopping and not Fen, her face contorted in abhorrence.
The money talked and Arthur was soon browsing in their mana agents. He went through a vast catalog of items he could use to strengthen his little creation.
The worker and Fen talked to the side as they pointed fingers at him. Arthur didn't mind and kept looking through the materials. As he was studying a vial of water with various properties, a light appeared on his hand.
'It's here.'
Arthur realized instantly what this light was. It was the promised light that the young man had told him about. Arthur glanced at Fen and the worker. They were chatting away so he had the chance to follow the arrow that appeared on his hand.
The light pointed in a certain direction, where materials were stacked on several shelves side by side. It led him to a spot unseen by others where an old wolf-man waited for him.
"Is it you?" With a long nose and sharp fangs, the old man looked at him as his small beard swirled like a flame under the effect of nonexistent wind. "The Gardener." He looked at Arthur with interest and spoke perfect Yalveran.
"Who are you?" Arthur asked with caution, glancing at Fen from afar. He didn't want to reveal his connection to that young man so easily, not unless this old man proved they were on the same side.
"I go by Traitor." The old man said with a smile. "It's better to use aliases when you're planning a coup."
"Do you mean?"
"I was sent by the Seika La Vega." Traitor said with a smile. "Your turn has arrived, gardener."
"How did you know what I do?" Arthur asked with apprehension. "I didn't tell your Seika anything."
"We have eyes everywhere." Traitor smiled. "All we need to find you is that light in your arm. The moment you were given that light, you were chosen as a part of the storm to come. Now that I've heard how fluent your language is, I see that it was a correct choice."
"Your alias isn't really trust-inducing," Arthur said while pretending to look through the materials, in case Fen checked on him. "What did you mean by my turn?"
"We know that you're going to the Duchy of Fire, to treat the daughter of fire and ice." Traitor followed along and gave Arthur his back while resuming. "We need your help to get the Duke of Fire's help in invading the kingdom."
"Invasion?" Arthur was shocked. "Are you certain this would go well? From what I heard; the war is at a stalemate at the moment."
"That was all planned, we only need an opening to strike." Traitor explained calmly. "The Duke of Fire is one of the major houses in the Alva kingdom. Getting his cooperation to invade the kingdom would make things easier."
"If you expect him to hand you the kingdom on a silver plate, I guess you've never met other Demis. They despise the Freda kingdom and everything it stands for."
"Assistance isn't always offered willingly." Traitor's tone held amusement. "It can be demanded. Do you know what the Duke of Fire treasures the most besides his kingdom?"
"...His daughter." Arthur paused. "That's why you came to me. I'm your way into the duchy." Arthur realized and his heart was dreadful.
"You're smart for a slave." Traitor said. "That's right, we need you to kidnap his daughter."
"You're a bunch of crazy folks. I'm a gardener, that's all. How would you expect me to kidnap one of the most coveted young misses of the kingdom?"
"There's a secret that isn't known to many." Traitor said and stopped in suspense. "The Miss of Ice and Fire is miserable. Use that weakness to lure her away. Well, you can also make her pity you like a cripple." Traitor snickered.
"You want me to manipulate her." Arthur's tone was cold. "That's worse than simply kidnapping her."
"The real tragedy is the war that has been going for years. Humans and Demis alike are killed in the name of honor and glory. It's time we put an end to it all."