The guards released the man, the soldier holding the ball warily as the Alchemist snatched it away, and spoke up. "These<em>thugs</em>grasped me and shoved me back when I was walking in, I wasn't sneaking or anything but they stopped my approach on the spot." He gestured at the men restraining him. "One of the balls in my outfit came loose and one of them kicked it." He gestured at a soldier laying a bit further off, his outfit's boot literally<em>gone</em>but his foot still there, looking painfully burnt though, but being tended to by an acolyte, simple little heal cast on the foot. The acolyte focused on the task, having been around since the practice began, in case of any unexpected serious injuries.<br/><br/>"I heard the tax-break and all that and came to offer my services. Not as a soldier, but as alchemist. I can go on a battlefield of course, I got the bombs to prove it too, but mainly to try and help out where I can with what I do best." He smirked and pat the various colorful vials on his chest. "Little potions at the right place, right time, and I might boost a person to achieve greatness, or consume these myself and fight like a beast. The thing is I cant remove them from my presence for long or they lose potency." He spoke entirely seriously.<br/><br/>"And though there's no real pay, I face two problems. If this place is taken over, I might lose a<em>lot</em>in the fighting. Second, my taxes are killing me." He let out a laugh. "Former adventurer, you perhaps see the problem when I dont make as much as I used to." The guy wasn't that old, and his name wasn't known.