What witch? The Deadly Pharmacist!

“You’re right. It would be too heartless to let her miss her mother’s funeral again.” Dean Tran was persuaded. “You were recommended by Sir Aaron and are also the head of the Inquisition. I’m at ease with you taking charge. I’ll make the arrangements for you right away.”

An hour later, after completing the formalities, Leon said goodbye to Melissa and Sister Tran and left the reformatory.

They boarded a carriage and returned to Hamel Town. When they arrived at the Grey Wolf Tavern, Leon quickly led Melissa to a private room upstairs. As soon as he opened the door, Sally, who was waiting inside, stood up.

"mom!"

Although she already knew about Leon's arrangements, Melissa couldn't help but exclaim in surprise when she saw her mother standing unharmed in front of her.

She quickly stepped forward and gave her mother a hug.

“Melissa, that’s great… Mom missed you so much!” Celie hugged her daughter, gently stroking her hair, her heart filled with mixed emotions as she thought about the nearly one year they had been apart.

"Mom, are you feeling better?" After they separated, Melissa tentatively touched Sally's arm.

She could no longer feel the unpleasant rough, hard, grainy texture that she used to often touch on Selene's body.

Thanks to the special medicine given to her by Weiss, Celie's condition improved significantly.

"It'll be done soon, almost done." Sally nodded repeatedly to Melissa.

“We can talk about our reunion on the way,” Leon interrupted them, then handed a bottle of potion to Selena. “Mrs. Hersh, here you go.”

"What is this?" Sally asked.

"Your medicine, this is the undiluted form, you need to dilute it before taking it. Drink it according to the prescription. I made a nine-month supply, so don't lose it. Theoretically, it should be enough to cure you. When you get to the hideout, you'll find enough food and water, some daily necessities, and some money I left behind..." Leon instructed very quickly.

"Brother Leon, what...what are you saying?" Melissa looked bewildered.

Selena looked bewildered. Leon only told them that due to some circumstances, Selena needed to be rescued ahead of schedule. Then, without delay, he used a corpse to exchange for Selena and brought Melissa here to reunite with Selena.

But Leon's expression remained serious, with a hint of anxiety, as if he were in a hurry.

“Listen up, I’m going to take you to a hiding place outside town that only I know about. If nothing unexpected happens within five days, I’ll come to pick you up…”

At this point in Leon's speech, Melissa suddenly sensed something was amiss: "Could something unexpected happen?"

Leon's expression darkened upon hearing this, and he turned to Sally and said, "If I don't come to pick you up in five days, you should leave Nangang County and head west. You can go to any county in the west, but never go back to the east. Find a place to live in anonymity, understand?"

“Mr. Leon,” Ms. Sally’s expression turned serious; she was beginning to sense an emergency. “Could you tell us what happened?”

“Someone wants to kill me, and war is about to break out! My enemies know you, and they might use you to retaliate against me, so you have to leave here! If I win, we'll all be safe, but if I lose, this place is too dangerous for you!” Leon explained the situation simply. “Remember, the seven eastern counties are all dangerous. Never come back. If possible, try to leave the Empire altogether, okay?”

Sally and Melissa were both a little taken aback by what they heard.

When Leon brought them together again, they thought things were going well. But then Leon announced that he was leaving them, and that this parting might be forever!

"Why did the war suddenly break out? Could it be related to us?" Sally asked cautiously.

She was quite perceptive; Leon had previously mentioned that he had made a deal with someone to gain an opportunity to help them.

Leon wouldn't easily reveal their secrets to others. The fact that their so-called enemies knew about them meant they were likely involved in the deal, and perhaps the deal had gone wrong.

“I used to think I was doing it for you guys, but after thinking about it carefully, I’ve realized that I’m doing it for myself!” Leon chuckled softly at this moment.

He smiled with relief; yes, he had figured it out by now.

The lives of Weiss and Sally were just a trigger. Ultimately, it was because he didn't want to give in to the Earl that things turned out this way. He didn't care how much money he made and was willing to retire from crime because he didn't like this kind of life controlled by the Earl at all!

Even without this incident, given his nature, his conflict with the Earl was inevitable. Did the Earl think he could treat him like a dog, kicking him whenever he wanted? Then the Earl deserved to die! To hell with the Earl!!

"I don't want to! I don't want Brother Leon to die!" Melissa blurted out, tears welling up in her eyes.

Wasn't everything going in a positive direction? How come Leon suddenly said he might die?

She couldn't even imagine that Leon would die. What was even more painful was that she still couldn't do anything for Leon.

“Melissa…” Leon looked at Melissa, realizing that what he had said was not so easy for her to accept. “Don’t cry, I didn’t say I was going to die.”

Seeing this, Sally reached out and hugged Melissa to comfort her, then said to Leon, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

The initial arrangement of paying off the debt and her taking Lena's place in prison was a mutually agreeable deal, but now Leon has rescued her and given her hope of curing her illness.

They owe Leon so much kindness that they can never repay it all. Now that she has the power of the witch, she will do anything for Leon, even if it means risking her life.

“Your blood has already helped us a lot. You don’t need to take such a big risk. I can’t be distracted by protecting you while you’re with us. You just need to hide and pray that I win,” Leon said calmly.

Chapter 176 A Surprise Attack on the Count's Daughter

A farm south of the town of Burano, on the edge of the Foley region.

Several farm workers were deftly pushing and securing bundles of straw, tied into cylindrical shapes, onto a cart. They were handling the bundles with great care because deep within these straw piles lay magical potions to be sold. Each bundle of straw, worth a dozen or so copper coins, contained magical potions worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of copper coins.

These potions will then be sent to another base, where the local executives, acting as distributors, will sell them to their respective customers.

This suburban farm was actually a potion workshop set up in the early days of Count Frye's business. The owner who managed it was the Count's daughter, Ophelia. Shortly after the Count and the witches established a trade, she returned from her apprenticeship under Alexie and began to help her father with the business.

Magic essence and various potion ingredients were smuggled in from Moyland in a steady stream, and then mixed into potions and shipped to various places.

Now that her business has expanded to this extent, Ophelia rarely prepares potions herself anymore, leaving it all to the pharmacists she has trained, while she focuses more on managing the organization.

But she still lives here most of the time because it's secluded and safe enough.

An insider dressed as a farm laborer drove in a horse-drawn carriage. The gatekeeper glanced at him to confirm his appearance and let him through. There were no secret signals or searches. The gatekeeper didn't notice that the man's eyes looked much duller than usual, nor did he realize that... there were actually several intruders hiding inside the carriage.

This place has always been known only to people whom the Count absolutely trusts. From the early days of the Count's cooperation with the Witch's Gathering to the present day, no church or competitor has ever discovered it.

Now that the Earl has power, the Church will not easily investigate him, and the Earl no longer has any competitors. The possibility of something going wrong here has become much lower, and vigilance has become much more relaxed compared to the early days of the business.

The farmhand drove the carriage through the bustling farm, then headed deeper into the farm and stopped in front of a farmhouse.

At this moment, another guard dressed as a maid, who was standing in front of the farmhouse, frowned and stepped forward to shout at the farm worker: "What are you doing? Park the car in the yard over there. If the young lady comes out and sees that you parked the car here, you're dead!"

The dilapidated farmhouse behind her is actually the workshop of Countess Ophelia. Above is an ordinary farm tool warehouse, and below is a huge cellar that has been carved out, containing a beautifully decorated study and lounge. Ophelia works most of the time down there.

"..." The farm worker did not reply immediately, his expression was somewhat blank, he was in a hypnotic state.

"What's going on? What's in the car?" The female guard became alert, pulled a shotgun from the haystack beside her, aimed it at the other person, and cautiously approached.

Just as she was about to call for others, her heart suddenly felt like it was being squeezed, her blood flow stopped abruptly, and a strong feeling of suffocation suddenly stuck in her throat.

Inside the carriage, Weiss, transformed into a vampire, closed her eyes and sensed the heartbeat outside the carriage, concentrating her "Blood Exhaustion" blessing on the person, instantly rendering her unable to move.

"Bring her in." Then, Lena, transformed into a succubus, leaned close to the car window and whispered.

The order reached the hypnotized farm worker, who immediately stepped forward to support the fallen female guard. The female guard stared wide-eyed and tried to resist, but was unable to move due to numbness and lack of blood flow to her limbs.

As she was being dragged to the side of the carriage, the door suddenly opened, and a large, furry paw reached out, picked her up like a chick, pulled her onto the train, and then closed the door.

Two minutes later, the car door opened again, and the hypnotized female guard got out of the car on her own, her eyes now vacant and lifeless.

She mechanically walked to the farmhouse door, unlocked it with her key, and stood guard at the entrance, as if inviting a guest to come in.

A dark figure flashed past at incredible speed and rushed inside.

Meanwhile, Ophelia was sitting in her underground study, engrossed in reviewing the financial reports submitted by her subordinates with the assistance of another personal attendant.

A moment later, both of them heard the noise in the passageway outside. Ophelia, without looking up, called out, "What is it?"

Normally, a trustworthy guard would stand guard outside as a messenger. When Ophelia was working, anything that needed to be reported to her would first go through her.

The person outside the door did not respond immediately, but both of them heard a strange sound, like something melting into liquid and flowing inside the door.

Outside the door, Weiss stood behind Leon, casting the Creator's second-tier basic blessing, temporarily transforming the thick, sturdy lock core of the steel door from a solid state into a liquid state, making it like soft mud.

Ophelia suddenly stood up. The servant noticed something was wrong and had already placed his hand on the gun handle. At that moment, Leon kicked the iron door, and the door was kicked open.

The servant drew his gun at lightning speed, but it was like a slow-motion replay in front of Leon, who had activated time acceleration. Leon drew his gun first, and the blood flowing from his fingertips gathered into a thin line at the muzzle. The moment he fired, the bullet stained with the blood of the curse hit the servant's right arm, and the accelerated poison immediately paralyzed the man's arm.

The next moment, he pulled out a second gun and pointed it at Ophelia.

The moment the time acceleration was reversed, the maid lost her balance and fell to the ground. Ophelia stared wide-eyed at the gun barrel and the werewolf holding the gun, and asked in shock, "Who are you? How did you get in?!"

“Long time no see, Ophelia,” Leon said.

In his werewolf form, his voice was unusually deep and very different from his original voice, making him unrecognizable.

But Ophelia pondered for a moment and then realized: "It really is you, the traitor Leon Seth!"

The Count and Bishop Beckett shared information with her in a timely manner. The Count's revenge plan was thwarted by a werewolf with the ability to accelerate time, and that werewolf is now highly suspected to be Leon.

However, her information stopped there, because Bishop Beckett was captured by Leon, and the Count and Ophelia lost further intelligence.

Now, the werewolf in front of her said it had been a long time, which basically confirmed that the other party was Leon, whom she had met before. Leon's ambush of her hideout was something neither the Count nor Ophelia had anticipated!

Ophelia stared at the gun barrel, feeling a chill run down her spine.

“Don’t be nervous, Miss Ophelia. Before I choose to shoot you, you have one more option,” Leon said slowly, staring at Ophelia. “How about we make a deal?”

"What did you say?" Ophelia frowned.

Chapter 177 Your supply sources are already outdated

“To put it simply, I want you to join me in killing your father,” Leon stated his request directly.

Ophelia glanced at Leon in surprise, then burst into laughter.

"Are you really insane? What makes you think I'd agree to your conditions? You think you can force me to kill my father by pointing a gun at me? I'll die anyway if I help you!" Ophelia replied with a cold laugh.

She helped Leon kill her own father. No matter how sentimental her father was, he wouldn't go easy on her. With his strength, crushing them would be like crushing ants for him.

Even if she had the chance to kill her father, the man in front of her might not necessarily give her a chance to live after she succeeded.

“Your father never expected you to kill him. He had a weakness in front of you, and by the time he wanted to kill you, he was already dead. After your father’s death, the entire underworld will undergo a dramatic change. Those executives will either want to avenge the Earl or see me as a threat. I need someone to solve this problem.”

"You are the Earl's heir, and the Earl has certainly paved the way for you. You will always have loyal subordinates who will listen to you. If you cooperate with me, I will support you, and we will unify the organization. Therefore, I will not kill you, and you have a chance to survive," Leon said slowly.

“You’re supporting me?” Ophelia looked Leon up and down as if she had seen some rare animal. “You think you have the ability to control the underworld just because you have a production base on Arend Island? Others can control labyrinths, and I can make magic elements myself. Why do I need your support? Who do you think you are?”

"Can you make this?" Leon asked, pulling a test tube from his person. Inside was a crystal-clear magic crystal.

Ophelia's expression changed slightly. Leon tossed the test tube to Ophelia, who caught it and examined it carefully.

She was also a witch, apprenticed to the great witch Alexia, so of course she could tell that the purity in this test tube was unlike anything she had ever seen before.

"This purity, ninety-five percent?" Ophelia estimated.

“It’s 96.7 percent,” Leon corrected.

To mass-produce magic essence with a purity of over 95%, two conditions are required. One is the availability of level 4 monster materials, which Leon, as the master of the labyrinth, can use to create earth dragon eggs in the labyrinth on Arend Island. The other is Weiss's refining ability and technology, which is something that can only be produced stably by him and Weiss working together.

Of course, the experiments showed that creating earth dragon eggs would consume an extreme amount of magic power from the maze, and it would take many days for the maze's magic power to recover. Producing this kind of top-purity magic element would come at the cost of sacrificing the total output of magic element.

However, the purity of this precipitous lead is completely different from having a strategic concept. Just like no matter how many pistols you have, their strategic value and deterrent power cannot compare to a nuclear bomb.

"I also have the potion formulas held by the St. Rosalia Research Institute. With this magic element, we can create potions with unprecedented effects! Having these top-notch products will make the most elite customers flock to us."

"As long as we set purchase thresholds for these top-tier potions, allowing only our most loyal and high-spending customers to buy them, we can make them buy as many ordinary-quality potions as we want, and use their power to provide us with as many conveniences as we desire! With this, do you think it's not enough to control the underworld?" Leon stared at Ophelia and asked rhetorically.

"..." This time, Ophelia no longer sneered. She held the test tube with a solemn expression.

She was well aware of the competitive advantage that allowed someone to produce magic essence of this purity and put it on the market. If she and her father had encountered an opponent like Leon when they were just starting out, their magic potions would never have been able to compete with Leon, and her father would never have been able to sit on the throne of the underworld emperor.

In terms of supply, Leon has now surpassed them.

"You've always relied on your cooperation with the Witches' Guild for your supplies. Your supplies are actually controlled by them; they only supply 80% of the goods, so you only get 80%. If they cut off the supply, you can't produce anything. You must also know that the Witches' Guild is trying to persuade your father to rebel against the Empire, which is why your father wanted to try my production model."

"Of course, you might be able to replicate my production model in other mazes in the future, but don't even think about achieving this level of purity. Your supply system is outdated; in terms of market competitiveness alone, you have absolutely no chance of surpassing me," Leon said.

“You’ve never seen this level of purity before. So this is Weiss Rogers’s technique?” Ophelia immediately understood. “We actually knew before that she could refine it to a purity of over 90%, but we didn’t know the limit would be this extreme.”

“Weis Rogers is now under my control, but your father wants to kill her. Your father doesn’t need such a high level of purity; he’s already the kingpin of the underworld, and he’s more interested in fulfilling his desire for revenge. He won’t tolerate me, this unstable element, but I think there’s still room for negotiation with you.”

"You can't control all of the Earl's power. You can't inherit his title or his connections in the church. After he's gone, you'll inherit his underground business. Even if some people are loyal to you, there's no guarantee that others won't covet your position. But I can help you. Your father once arranged for me to assist you, which means I'm the best choice, isn't it?" Leon stared at Ophelia and said slowly.

“Is it possible that Archbishop Rogers forced my mother to her death, and I would also want revenge?” Ophelia countered.

“I have some new information to share with you on this matter.” Leon took out a roll of parchment and tossed it over.

Ophelia took it with a puzzled look, unfolded it, and glanced at it. Her brows furrowed immediately.

Leon gave her a case file, the file from twenty years ago, detailing the capture of the witch Elena Garrett in the Foley region.

The witch Elena is none other than Count Frye's former lover and Ophelia's biological mother.

This is an excerpt from the case file.

According to the case file, Bernard Rogers, who was serving as the Inquisitor for Heresy at the time, had discovered that Elena had accomplices. After interrogating Elena multiple times without getting any information about her accomplices, he finally offered her a deal.

The deal involved the church publicly guaranteeing that if Elena provided information about her accomplices and persuaded them to confess truthfully, the church would give Elena and her accomplices the lightest possible sentence and guarantee the livelihood of their families in the name of the church.