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Chapter 38: Magic Rose 2
“...you're completely insane, in a good way.”
With a dull clunk, Saioji placed the slightly bluish-purple potion on the table before her.
If sold on the black market, a single bottle would be worth several million. But at the end of the day, a potion was still a consumable item.
Unlike weapons and armor that could be used for years, potions had expiration dates whether they were used or not, and that deadline was steadily approaching even at this very moment.
That was why I felt it would be a waste to let the completed Purple Potion sit unused and decided to ask Saioji for advice.
W е b́ n̆ӧ vе̇l Eń ŭm а̂
“Just so we're clear, you can't casually put this on the market. On the other hand, it's not like situations where we'd actually need to use this potion come up very often either...”
“But wasting it isn't good either, right? Why not sell it to the Guild?”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Although it's referred to as the black market, selling goods outside the Guild isn't actually illegal under the kingdom's laws. As long as taxes were paid, the kingdom didn't particularly care.
The ones who would be displeased if a Purple Potion were sold through the black market would be the Adventurers' Guild. However, the Dawnmoon Brigade intended to maintain a good relationship with the Guild, so participating in activities that the Guild disliked wasn't exactly ideal.
“You've got it backward. Selling something like this through the Guild would actually hurt our reputation more. And besides, the Guild wouldn't necessarily feel grateful for it.”
Cling.
Ëṅum а .і̇ d̀
Saioji flicked the glass bottle containing the potion with her fingertip.
“Our reputation?”
“Yes. If you're unable to sell something this valuable through the black market, people will assume you're bad at negotiations. And the one whose reputation suffers from that is you.”
In the royal capital's black market, goods were often bought and sold for several times the prices established by the Guild or the kingdom. But it was a place where schemes and conspiracies filled every negotiation.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Since neither the kingdom nor the Guild intervened, there were no protections. Even if someone overcharged you, underpaid you, or sold you a fraudulent product, there was little recourse. No one would be punished, and no one could be held accountable.
It was a lawless world where anyone unfamiliar with its workings was likely to suffer losses.
E̊ñ ũm̂а̂
“...That would be a problem.”
“People in the capital would think you're someone incapable of selling goods without going through the Guild. Not just fellow merchants, even Guild employees would secretly think that.”
If sold to the Guild, transactions followed the Guild's official price list. Prices varied depending on the condition of the goods, but outrageous demands like those found on the black market were rare. It was certainly safer.
However, among merchants and adventurers, relying solely on Guild sales was apparently seen as taking the easy way out. People would assume you lacked the negotiating skills necessary to earn money independently.
For someone like me who wanted to become a merchant in the future, that evaluation would be extremely problematic. At first glance, being viewed as an honest and law-abiding merchant might not sound so bad. But in this line of work, honest people often ended up being the ones who suffered.
“See? At the same time, wasting something worth millions would make you look even more foolish. So here's a good opportunity. Consider it a learning experience and go visit the black market.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“But...”
“There's no need to hide the brigade's name. If we worried about being inconvenienced by every little thing like this, we'd never get anything done.”
As though she had read my thoughts, Saioji preemptively shut down my concerns.
...Saioji, you're really a high school girl, right?
I was pretty sure I had more life experience than her. Then again, unlike me, she was the daughter of one of the country's major corporate groups.
So this is what the daughter of a major company is like...
W ё ḃń ǒv̊ е̂ l̂ Е n̂ ům а
While thinking that, I listened to Saioji's orders.
“Oh, and keep this matter secret from the other members. Also, Aina will accompany you.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Whaaaaat!? Me too!?”
After wrapping things up, Saioji casually added that Aina, who was sitting beside me, would be joining me. Having listened to the discussion as though it had nothing to do with her, Aina's eyes widened in shock.
“Of course. Even if it's only one of your duties, you're still this brigade's supply officer. If things go well, you'll be negotiating a deal worth five million. How can the person in charge be absent?”
As Saioji spoke as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, I found myself nodding in agreement.
Е n ù ḿа .і̆d̊.
...Ah. I completely forgot to ask her what we're supposed to do with the remaining five potions.
So these really could turn into five million...
My room in the team house was mainly used as a gateway between Japan and Asphial, so it contained little more than the bare minimum of furniture. It was almost absurdly barren, like the room of an extreme minimalist.
The one thing occupying the desk was a potion bubbling away over the flame of an alcohol lamp. At a glance, the setup resembled a middle-school science experiment, and honestly, there wasn't much difference.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
The reason I was making potions myself was simple: I couldn't afford to reveal the existence of the Magic Roses any further. The only people who knew about them were Brigade Captain Saioji, my supervisor Aina, and myself.
Although Mei had brewed the Purple Potion, she didn't know the Magic Roses were entirely artificial medicinal plants. She knew the potion existed, but not the truth behind it.
Eň u_m̂ӑ
Likewise, I hadn't informed Tsukamoto, the researcher whose suggestion had ultimately led to their creation. Saioji had explicitly ordered me not to report it.
Given the circumstances, there was no way I could ask Mei to make another batch of Purple Potions. So I was forced to do it myself.
I threw everything in there... Is that really okay?
Although I had gathered all the necessary equipment in Japan, I decided to make everything in one batch and threw the remaining fifty Magic Roses into the extractor all at once.
Using a commercial hand press, I squeezed out the potion concentrate, heated it, filtered it, and repeatedly refined it to increase its purity. Then, after experimenting with various adjustments...
“Hm? Red?”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
After processing all fifty Magic Roses at once, the final result was only a few drops of potion so concentrated it approached its absolute limit.
At first, I thought I had failed. But when I reached toward the liquid, I felt a faint stinging sensation in the air itself.
Considering fifty Magic Roses had gone into it, the extract seemed to contain an enormous amount of magical essence. The few drops of liquid were so dark that they appeared almost black, far beyond purple.
Curious, I placed a sample on a microscope slide and held it beneath a light. When the light passed through it, the liquid seemed to possess a faint reddish tint.
...Could it actually be red?
