What witch? The Deadly Pharmacist!

Lena, who was starting the second extraction, glanced at Leon, remained silent for a moment, and then replied, "It was left by my grandmother."

Chapter 19 First Shipment

"So your grandmother was a witch?" Leon was taken aback, but then realized that this was the most reasonable explanation.

"Yes, when she was young, she moved here and built this altar when the labyrinth appeared. She was almost discovered by the Knights when the labyrinth was sealed. Later, she gave up her life as a witch, married someone and had children."

After my grandfather passed away, she moved to live in the mountains and never used the witch's power again until she contracted the saltification disease. Only then did she start buying monsters from her old sources and begin making potions.

I was raised by my grandmother, and back then I begged her to teach me so I could become a witch too. At first she refused, but later her condition worsened, and she soon became unable to do anything, so she could only ask me for help.

In the end, she couldn't resist my insistence and presided over the ceremony, making me a witch to continue researching the magic potion. Unfortunately... in the end, it still couldn't save her. I think Grandma must have regretted agreeing to let me become a witch in the end," Lena said with a sigh.

Leon gazed at Lena's profile. Ever since he accompanied her to visit Melissa's house to treat Selena's illness, Lena's attitude towards him had softened considerably, and she was no longer wary of him.

When Leon asked questions about the process of obtaining magic essence like a studious student, Lena no longer coldly replied with "None of your business" to cut off the conversation as she used to. Although she occasionally showed impatience, she eventually answered him patiently.

As they spent more time together in the labyrinthine workshop, they became somewhat more familiar with each other than before, and now Lena was even willing to confide in him about these past events.

Of course, this is also because even if Leon knew that her grandmother was a witch, it wouldn't really matter, since she had already passed away and there was no need to worry about being questioned or having any leverage against her.

“I don’t think so. You still have the chance to save others and continue your research with the idea of ​​eradicating salinization disease. If your grandmother knew about this in another world, she would definitely be proud of you,” Leon said softly.

This wasn't just polite talk; he genuinely respected Lena's perseverance in risking her life to research a cure for salinization disease.

Lena turned to look at him with a surprised expression, then turned her face back: "Do you even need to tell me?"

About half an hour later, Lena repeated the process of placing the crystal on the altar and extracting it three times using this magical distillation method. Then she dipped a glass rod into the crystal and placed it into a test tube filled with black reagent, stirring it as she stirred. The reagent gradually turned red and the color became lighter and lighter.

After the color stabilized, Lena observed it against the light for a moment, and finally took out a balance and carefully poured out the finished product to weigh it.

“A six-carat finished product, with a purity of about 70% to 73%, not much different from last time,” she explained to Leon.

“Then that's 24,000 pfennigs.” Leon nodded.

“All you ever think about is money. In your eyes, this thing is no different from a gem that can be exchanged for money,” Lena said.

“Gemstones can’t grow indefinitely like crops in the ground. At this rate, we should be able to get at least ten grams in three months, right?” Leon squinted at the finished product on the scale. This was the first batch of magic essence he had produced since he started working with Lena.

"That is, the monster proliferation does not encounter any difficulties," Lena calmly reminded.

Leon did a rough calculation in his mind. If they could increase production to 30 grams per batch per year, they could make a net profit of 600,000 pfennigs. If split equally, that would be 300,000 pfennigs per person. This would barely meet his expectations. The key was that as the scale of monster breeding expanded next year, the output of magic essence would continue to increase, and there was still room for income to rise.

However, in addition to production, he also needs to ensure the sales channels to achieve this goal.

"Do you need magic essence to prepare your medicine?" Leon asked.

“Just a little bit is enough as an activator. One carat of magic essence is enough to prepare three courses of medicine. The main ingredients of the medicine I prepare are slime and headhunter rabbit blood. The rest are some herbs and minerals,” Lena replied.

“Then I’ll keep one carat, and the rest will be exactly one gram. I’ll take it and sell it first,” Leon said after a moment’s thought.

"Is it really that urgent? Why don't we save it up first?" Lena frowned.

Selling contraband carries the risk of exposure with every transaction, so she naturally had to control the number of transactions. In the past, she would ship twice a year to Hannah Wesland to sell.

“I need to test the goods through my own channels first. My savings from the initial investment are almost gone. Let me recoup some of my costs first,” Leon replied.

Since he started working with Lena, he hasn't actually used that channel to sell goods yet. It's best to test it out as soon as possible so that any problems can be discovered early.

"Alright." Seeing this, Lena no longer objected. "Then when you go back, take the medicine for Ms. Selene with you."

……

That evening, in Shekou Lane, Bourbon Street, Hamel, Leon once again arrived at the recycling shop with the owl engraved on it.

He observed carefully and vaguely caught a glimpse of light coming through the crack in the door, so he went forward and pushed the door open.

As the bell behind the door rang, he stepped into the shop. The shop was dark, with only the oil lamp on the counter illuminating a small patch of dim yellow space.

The gaunt shopkeeper was studying an old book behind the counter, holding up his glasses. Hearing the noise, he casually glanced up, then suddenly squinted and fixed his gaze on Leon.

Clearly, he had some recollection of Leon, even if they had only met once more than two weeks ago.

“Rody introduced me here,” Leon said again, waving the black bag in his hand at the shopkeeper.

Upon hearing this, the shop owner got up, went to the door, peeked out through the small window, locked the door, and gestured for Leon to take the items out and place them on the small table.

After Leon put his things down, the shopkeeper opened the bag, put on gloves, and began to take inventory.

Halfway through the count, he suddenly paused and began rummaging through the bag repeatedly.

Seeing this, Leon had a bad feeling. His bag only contained the corpses of three processed headhunting rabbits and a tube of magic essence, which was obvious and there was no need to search so carefully.

After rummaging through the items, the shop owner looked up again, eyeing Leon suspiciously: "You weren't introduced by Roddy, were you?"

Leon's heart skipped a beat; his worst fears had come true.

It seems that the director handed the goods to the shop owner to sell as stolen goods. In addition to the verbal code, there was some unknown mark or token in the goods. Only if it matched could the shop owner confirm that the goods were from Director Caron. It's not so easy to try to sneak in without knowing the truth!

"You won't accept goods that weren't recommended by Roddy?" Leon remained calm.

This situation was within his expectations. Even if it was discovered that the goods were not stolen goods that the director was selling, the transaction could still continue under certain conditions. This shop owner made money by buying and selling magic essence and monster materials, and no one would refuse a profit that was offered to them.

"If you've touched something you shouldn't have, I advise you to return it now, or your fate will likely be worse than you can imagine," the old shopkeeper said meaningfully, pushing the item back.

It was clear that he suspected Leon of hoarding, or even stealing, the goods seized by the Inquisition and then selling them behind the director's back. This was tantamount to stealing money from Director Caron's pocket right under his nose, which was simply courting death.

“Then I know the consequences better than you. But what if I told you that no one here knows the origin of this shipment except me?” Leon stared into the shopkeeper’s eyes.

The shop owner remained unmoved upon hearing this and shook his head at him: "Young man, if you think that killing the other party when you find these goods will solve everything, then I can only advise you to handle it more cleanly, otherwise you will only have more trouble."

"As long as you keep your mouth shut and I keep mine shut, there won't be any trouble with this shipment," Leon said confidently. "You're in this line of work, you can't be so timid, can you? There's exactly one gram of magic essence here. Are you going to take it or not?"

The shop owner's expression turned serious, and he stared at Leon for a long time, but Leon never looked away.

Then the shop owner spoke up: "Eight thousand pfennigs."

"What?" Leon frowned slightly.

"One gram of magic essence, including those three rabbits, costs eight thousand pfennigs," the shopkeeper repeated expressionlessly. "The origin of your goods is unknown, and considering the risk of this transaction, this is the only price I can offer. If you want to haggle, please leave."

Chapter 20 A Day Worth Celebrating

Upon hearing this offer, Leon's eyes began to fill with rage. This quality of magic essence, no matter how low the price was driven down on the underground market, never fell below 10,000 yuan per gram. The only price lower than this was the purchase price Hannah Wesland paid when she took the unsuspecting Lena for a ride.

But the shop owner just glanced back indifferently. He didn't trust the goods the young man brought, and he was certain that Leon only had him as a channel to ship the goods.

He might consider it if he could make a little more profit for free. He wouldn't care if Leon walked away, it was only a gram of magic essence.

Leon glared at the shopkeeper for a while, but finally managed to suppress his anger and said in a firm tone:

"My asking price is 20,000 yuan per gram, not a penny less!"

Upon hearing this, the shop owner immediately let out a sneer.

"Ha, who do you think you are? I offered Caron Esso that price because he's all-powerful in Hamel Town. You stole some scraps from somewhere and came here to exchange them for some pocket money, thinking you're on par with him?" The shopkeeper's laughter faded, and he pushed the goods on the table towards Leon. "This line of work isn't for a brat like you who doesn't know his place. I'll pretend I didn't see you this time. Please leave and don't ever show your face in my shop again!"

After saying that, the shop owner turned around and prepared to go back behind the counter, determined not to pay any more attention to the kid.

"I will bring ten grams of magic essence in three months," Leon said suddenly to the shopkeeper's back, instead of taking back his goods.

The shop owner stopped and turned around, looking at Leon with a puzzled expression.

“Then I’ll ship another batch before winter, and if all goes well, I should be able to produce even more,” Leon continued.

"What are you talking about?" The shopkeeper frowned.

“I’m afraid we won’t be able to ship in winter, but I can ship two more batches next year, and the year after that… every year.” Leon continued, disregarding the odds. “Can Caron Esso provide you with such a stable supply?”

The shop owner blinked a few times, took two seconds to process Leon's words, and then shook his head with a smile: "You only brought one gram of goods, and then you're bragging to me that you can reliably supply me with at least twenty grams every year?"

“These are just samples.” Leon pointed downwards at the goods on the table. “Before we begin any real transactions, I must first secure the shipping channels.”

"You'll say anything to negotiate the price, won't you? Not bad, kid, that's a skill in itself." The shopkeeper didn't seem convinced.

"So what if I'm bragging? What have you lost?" Leon spread his hands and asked back. "You're not going to pay Caron Esso to sell stolen goods. At 20,000 a gram, you still have a profit margin. I'm just asking you to buy samples at that price, which isn't even a deposit! We're discussing transactions worth hundreds of thousands a year, and you're still eyeing that tiny bit of profit?"

The shop owner fell into deep thought, his expression gradually becoming serious. He began to seriously consider the veracity of everything Leon had said, rather than simply treating it as a fabricated, boastful story.

Even if the price of this batch of goods is reduced to eight thousand, it will only result in an extra profit of more than ten thousand. Even if it is fake, there is no loss.

In fact, this batch of goods is very similar to the batch of stolen goods that were sold last time. That batch of goods was also brought by this young man. If he follows the clues and finds out the source, it's not entirely impossible.

If what he said is true, then the profits... missing out on them would be a huge loss.

"Then come back in three months and bring your ten grams of goods with you to prove your point. At that time, I can naturally offer you the best purchase price." The shop owner chose a safe option.

Leon thought for a moment and nodded: "Of course, but I hope you can understand that a lot can change in three months."

"Looks like your supply isn't so stable either," the shop owner said with a smile, teasingly.

“No, I mean, three months is enough time for me to find other buyers. Once I can prove that I can supply a stable amount of goods, I will naturally be qualified to evaluate who is more suitable to cooperate with me,” Leon said meaningfully.

The smile on the shop owner's face gradually disappeared.

“What I need is a partner with a long-term vision. I can choose who gets the opportunity first, but of course…” Leon smiled at the shop owner, then reached out to take the goods back, “you also have the freedom to give it up.”

Leon slowly reached for the black cloth bag he had brought, when a thin, old hand pressed down on the bag before he could reach it.

Leon raised an eyebrow at the shopkeeper who was extending his hand, deliberately casting an inquiring glance at him.

“Alright, 20,000 per gram, and 800 for each rabbit.” The shopkeeper said, pulling the bag back in front of him and staring into Leon’s eyes as he slowly said, “I hope you can keep your promise in three months, young man.”

“Of course,” Leon replied calmly.

……

That evening, Leon returned to his rented bungalow, satisfied, with a pile of belongings.

The negotiations went smoothly, and now production and sales are secured. All that's needed is a little time and effort to start making money hand over fist.

Having received the 112 Taylors from the shipment, he took the opportunity to buy a whole roast suckling pig at the market—coated with honey, served with potatoes, onions, carrots, and sage, and stuffed with an apple, roasted until the skin and meat were crispy, then sliced ​​and placed in a rented dining basket lined with parchment paper to take home, along with a bottle of cider.

Even for relatively well-off families, such elaborate dishes are only seen on holidays. But today is indeed a day worth celebrating, and it's also a good opportunity to treat Melissa and the others to a better meal.

Leon pushed open the door and called out, "Melissa, are you home? Look what I brought..."

Before he could finish speaking, Melissa rushed down the narrow stairs with rapid, thumping footsteps. Leon looked up at Melissa and was immediately startled: "What's wrong?"

“Brother Leon!” Melissa cried, her eyes brimming with tears. “Mom…”

Suddenly, Sally's violent coughing rang out from the attic.

Leon's expression changed, and he put down what he was holding and rushed past Melissa up to the attic.

Could it be that Lena's medicine has actually triggered some dangerous side effects in people?

When he rushed to the attic, the first thing he saw was Sally lying on the bed, struggling to sit up and coughing desperately toward the edge of the bed.

Leon stood frozen in place. After a moment, Sally seemed to finally catch her breath. With trembling hands, she brushed aside her disheveled hair, looked up at Leon, and forced a weak smile: "Mr. Leon..."

“Mrs. Hershey…” Leon blinked, finally snapping out of his daze, “Your hand… you can move it now?”

Chapter 21 It's more lively to eat dinner together.

More than an hour later, Leon brought Lena from River Mouth Village to Melissa's house for another diagnosis of Selena.

After two courses of medication, Selena's symptoms gradually improved. Just today, her upper limbs regained the strength to move after a bout of pain, and she was even able to sit up with assistance.

But at the same time, she suddenly started coughing. Leon couldn't tell whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, so to be on the safe side, he quickly borrowed a horse and drove out of the city to invite "Bishop Leona" over.

Lena examined Celie for about ten minutes, and finally nodded calmly to Melissa, who looked worried by the bedside: "The medication is working as expected, and Ms. Celie's mobility is recovering. As for the cough, it occasionally occurs in experiments, which may be related to the body's gradual adaptation. It usually subsides in a couple of days. I brought some commonly used medicine with me, which should make her feel better."

"So that means things are starting to get better?" Melissa asked cautiously.

"It should be said that the medicine is working for now." Lena carefully chose her words. "In that case, we can continue to take the medicine at the current dosage. If the medicine is still as effective as expected after two or four more courses of treatment, perhaps the lower limbs can regain some mobility."

"Do I still have a chance... to walk on my own?" Selena leaned against the pillows at the head of the bed and turned to ask Lena.

"Judging from the current situation, it should be possible," Lena replied.

Melissa was overjoyed and grabbed Sally's arm: "Mom! Did you hear that?"

“Hmm…” Sally smiled and gently stroked her daughter’s hand.

When she discovered that her daughter's hands had become much rougher than she remembered, her eyes revealed an overwhelming heartache.