What witch? The Deadly Pharmacist!

Ophelia looks to be in her twenties. If she is Count Frye's daughter, she would obviously not be the current Countess's daughter. Moreover, the Count mentioned that she was trained under the Great Witch of the Witches' Gathering, so she is most likely a witch herself.

In other words, she must be the daughter of Earl Frey and the witch who sacrificed herself twenty years ago.

Chapter 136 What is your relationship?

“Isn’t that a terrible father? Making his shady daughter manage his shady business.” Ophelia said to Leon in a self-deprecating tone.

After listening for a moment, Leon carefully chose his words and replied, "But in other words, the Earl's most important businesses are intended to be handed over to you for inheritance, aren't they?"

With his underground business dealing in magic essence and his connections with the great witches of Moilland, Count Frye was undoubtedly a heretic among heretics in the eyes of the church.

However, according to his information, there was no information about him within the Inquisition, but rumors circulated that the church's higher-ups knew his identity but dared not touch him. This was probably due to the connections that Count Frye had cultivated within the church.

On the surface, Count Frye remains a respectable lord. His other family members show no signs of involvement in the underworld. His eldest son attends a church school in the central diocese of the capital, while his twelve-year-old son still lives within the territory. The countess is the daughter of another powerful marquis in the east.

The legitimate businesses that Count Frye operates within his territory are enough to keep his family wealthy for generations to come, so they don't need to get involved in underground businesses.

However, the underground kingdom he has built is not something he can simply give up.

If Ophelia is the child of the Count and the witch who sacrificed herself twenty years ago, then she would be the Count's eldest child. She has been with the Count since he was a novice knight, yet she is an illegitimate daughter who cannot be publicly acknowledged. Even if she were known to the public, according to imperial law, the inheritance rights of illegitimate children are not protected.

Judging from the fact that she became a witch and is here inspecting things for the Earl, she has probably already started managing this business for him.

She must be the successor to the underground kingdom established by the Earl.

“Let me imagine, if I inherited my father’s business, what would you think?” Ophelia asked with a subtle smile.

Leon thought for a moment, realizing he shouldn't comment on the Earl's choice of successor, so he gave a tactful reply: "I will continue to do my job well, both for the Earl and for you."

“Fenrir, have you seriously considered your future in this line of work?” Ophelia suddenly asked an abrupt question.

What do you mean?

Leon was a little unsure of Ophelia's purpose in asking the question. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "The business here is just getting started. I'm busy enough with the things at hand. I haven't thought about anything that far ahead yet."

“You sound like a hard-working fellow. I hope that’s what I see when I get to the labyrinth,” Ophelia said.

“I will do my best not to let you down,” Leon said.

The carriage arrived at the mine, passed through the gates of the fortress, and led us to the entrance of the maze. Leon helped Ophelia out of the carriage and first showed her around the mine and fortress.

"So this was originally Viscount Arend's territory? And you just used the pretext of the Inquisition's investigation to set up camp here and rent their docks?" Ophelia asked after hearing about the situation.

“That’s right,” Leon replied.

"It sounds like the local lord is a potential threat. Why don't you just kill Viscount Arend and his heir? Throw them into the water and drown them, then dump them on the shore. Find some witnesses to say they saw their boat run aground. Given their current dire situation, no one will investigate further."

Their land will be reclaimed and re-auctioned. As long as my father helps you with the arrangements, we can acquire this land. Or are you planning to buy Viscount Arend's title by marrying his daughter?" Ophelia asked Leon.

Leon was slightly taken aback. Ophelia made the proposal to kill Viscount Arend and his daughter so casually, as if they were discussing breakfast, and even put this option first.

It was clear that such murders were commonplace for Ophelia. At this moment, Leon truly realized that even though she appeared to be just a young and weak woman, Ophelia was, after all, the blood of that underworld tycoon flowing through her veins, and the heir personally groomed by the Count.

“Viscount Arend is a very easy-to-manipulate good-for-nothing. He was framed by the local gang and owed 30 million in gambling debts. I dealt with him through his creditors’ agent, and it worked very well. There’s no need to go that far for now,” Leon replied.

“Then what about marrying Viscount Arend’s daughter to obtain the title?” Ophelia continued to ask.

“I haven’t considered it yet,” Leon replied.

"Is that so? That's fine then." Ophelia said thoughtfully, then her gaze shifted to the entrance of the mine. "Take me to the maze."

“Okay.” Leon led Ophelia into the maze.

They passed through a narrow tunnel and arrived inside a brightly lit maze, where Leon's men were busy around the breeding pools.

"The monsters we mainly raise are headhunting rabbits and slimes, which reproduce relatively quickly, primarily for extracting magic essence. Then there are the raw material creatures needed for potion products, such as mandrakes and giant scorpions. The animal-type monsters are all kept in breeding tanks. When they need to be slaughtered, the individuals are separated, then stabbed from above with spears, and the carcasses are retrieved. The plant-type monsters grow in the fields over there..."

Leon explains to Ophelia the animal husbandry practices within the maze.

"How many monsters are there in total?" Ophelia suddenly asked.

"Excluding cultivated plant-type individuals, there are currently around 230 surviving adult individuals," Leon said.

"For the size of this maze, it's a bit small. What number are you expecting to reach next year?" Ophelia asked.

“The maze is still active, and there is a possibility that new monsters will appear. For now, we are considering keeping the number of monsters we keep within a manageable range.” Leon subtly expressed that he was not considering further expansion at the moment.

In fact, after he became the master of the labyrinth, whether or not monsters would continue to be generated here was entirely under his control. As long as he kept the magic power permeating the area stable, no new monsters would be generated.

However, to avoid arousing suspicion, he would periodically spawn low-level monsters in various parts of the maze and then have his subordinates deal with them.

“You should find a way to solve these problems. The organization’s current demand for magic energy is far from being met by your production scale. You still have markets to expand into.” Ophelia was clearly not very satisfied with this.

She crossed her arms and looked around before turning her gaze to the innermost temple.

"This is the Moirai Temple mentioned in the report? It's definitely in the style of ancient Elander," Ophelia said softly. "I heard you discovered an earth dragon inside?"

"I had a tough time, but thanks to Mr. Johnny's help, he easily took care of that earth dragon," Leon said.

“I’ve asked Uncle Johnny to help me with some things before, but he never gave me the time of day. How come you, a newly joined cadre, were able to get him to help you? I heard you two are kindred spirits?” Ophelia said.

“It’s not that bad. Whether he accepts it or not might just depend on his mood,” Leon said.

"That's not necessarily true," Ophelia chuckled. "So, your witch and apothecary are both inside?"

“The apothecary is in a secret room outside, where only the witch responsible for making magic essence is present,” Leon said.

“A wise choice. It’s best not to let people other than the Moirai followers come and go from this temple too often.” Ophelia nodded. “Take me to see your workshop where you refine magic elements.”

Leon led Ophelia into the temple, with the attendant following behind the whole time.

Once inside the temple, you can see the Moirai altar in the empty space, as well as the workshop they set up next to the altar.

Lena waited inside with her face covered, adjusting the laboratory to prepare for the production of magic essence. When she saw Leon enter with his entourage, she bowed somewhat reservedly to Ophelia.

"You're Lena Lothark?" Ophelia sized Lena up. "I heard you're only seventeen?"

“Yes,” Lena answered softly.

Ophelia continued to stare at Lena, her gaze somewhat indifferent, making Lena feel uneasy.

Just as Leon was also puzzled by this, Ophelia suddenly turned to the instruments on the table and chuckled softly: "So you've just set up ordinary distillation equipment on the altar. How many times do you usually distill?"

“The altars here are quite efficient; one extraction and one purification is enough,” Leon said.

"Then you can get 80% of the magic essence, just from those level one monsters?" Ophelia nodded slightly to Lena. "That's amazing."

"Thank you..." Lena replied softly.

“Give me a demonstration,” Ophelia instructed.

Upon hearing this, Lena began the process of extracting magic essence. Ophelia observed the entire process with her arms crossed, then let out a soft snort of laughter: "This method is quite in line with my impression of witches who inherit individual lineages. It's very common, but the efficiency is questionable. The way you extract it, the original liquid left behind will still have a lot of magic residue. Because of this, the amount of magic essence extracted will be at least fifteen percent less."

"I'm sorry to have made you laugh," Leon replied.

“My father asked me to help you improve the process, but I think it’s quite troublesome.” Ophelia said, raising her hand. Her attendant immediately took out a notebook and placed it in her hand. “I have already compiled it. You can study it yourselves.”

After Ophelia finished speaking, she tossed the notebook to Leon, who caught it and flipped through it. It did indeed contain some information about the process of making magic essence, as well as diagrams of the necessary instruments. It did look more complicated than simply using a distillation apparatus.

"Also, you should keep some unrefined magic essence to mix with the refined magic essence, in order to control the purity of the magic essence. Potions made with low-purity magic essence can be priced lower, and the profits from the low-to-mid-level consumer market are quite considerable. That's all the guidance I can give," Ophelia continued.

"Thank you for your valuable feedback." Leon said, a little bewildered. The purpose of the visit was to improve the process in the laboratory, but Ophelia seemed uninterested and brushed it off perfunctorily.

"Finally, I want to confirm one thing." Ophelia suddenly raised her hand and pointed back and forth between Leon and Reina. "Answer me honestly, what exactly is the relationship between the two of you?"

Chapter 137 This is a blind date

Ophelia's question caught Lena off guard, but Leon quickly replied, "She is my lover."

When Lena heard Leon say that, her face turned so red that her veil could no longer hide it. It was still a little embarrassing for her to make their relationship public in front of others.

“I see, just like them.” Ophelia raised an eyebrow and nodded.

Lena was a little confused, but Leon understood that "they" Ophelia was referring to were Ophelia's parents.

Judging from Ophelia's reaction, although she had specifically asked about it, she didn't seem particularly interested in it.

"That's enough for this inspection." Ophelia looked down and checked her fingernails for a while, then suddenly said, "Don't forget the two points I mentioned: expand production and improve the refining process according to these notes. There is still a lot of room for improvement in your output."

Leon and Rena exchanged glances, both unable to understand Ophelia's attitude. She had come to inspect the place, but seemed to pay little attention to the situation inside the maze.

“Understood,” Leon replied, observing Ophelia’s expression. “So, what are your plans next?”

"It's getting late, why don't you have dinner with me?" Ophelia said to Leon.

Upon hearing this, Lena looked at Ophelia in surprise, then at Leon.

“There are a few good restaurants in Castel City, if you don’t mind…” Leon suggested.

“No, I don’t want to go that far, and southern cuisine isn’t very special,” Ophelia said listlessly.

“If you’re looking for something unique, we do have some here, but for Miss Ophelia, that might not be so appealing,” Leon said.

"What do you mean?" Ophelia raised an eyebrow.

"Monster dishes? We've actually been experimenting with using monsters in our cooking all along. We use headhunter rabbit meat, slime gel to make noodles, giant scorpion shells with meat attached to make soup, and giant spider legs to bake with butter... I hired a chef to specifically research this, and he puts the leftover materials from slaughtered monsters into the canteen to make dishes, which are quite well received," Leon said.

“Mr. Fenrir, how can you feed Miss Ophelia such things?” The older female servant, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up.

Unlike the female attendant, Ophelia smiled and said, "That sounds interesting. Your people are willing to eat monsters?"

In most people's minds, monsters are considered ominous, regardless of whether they are poisonous or not.

As a medicine, it's fine, but as a proper food, it takes a bit of courage to try it.

“Most people were reluctant at first, but they quickly accepted it after trying it. Since it can be used to make potions to drink, why not make it into food to eat? Our dishes have been tested repeatedly and are very safe,” Leon said.

“That sounds interesting.” Ophelia showed a little interest for the first time, but then changed the subject. “But let’s forget it. I never intended to eat what you prepared. What I meant was to invite you to have a simple meal on my ship. I brought a very good chef. Let’s go now.”

Leon realized that Ophelia had made her decision from the beginning, leaving him no room to refuse.

Ophelia didn't trust him enough to eat the food he prepared, but she demanded that he unconditionally agree to eat at the place she had chosen. This reminded him of the meal the Count had invited him to; the father and daughter seemed to like using this method to demonstrate their superior-subordinate relationship.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Leon agreed.

With his werewolf physique, he has extremely strong resistance to poison, so he doesn't need to worry too much about others poisoning him. Moreover, he is now an officer of the Earl, working diligently for the Earl's forces and is of great value to them.

Ophelia's attitude is unpredictable, but it's unlikely to be detrimental to him. Inviting him to dinner probably means she has something to discuss with him.

He glanced at the somewhat nervous Lena, signaling her not to worry, and then left the maze with Ophelia.

They returned to the dock, and then Leon followed Ophelia onto the cargo ship, crossing the deck and entering a room in the cabin.

The cargo ship, which was anchored on the water, was actually rising and falling gently with the waves all the time. But once Leon entered the cabin, he found that the feeling of rising and falling disappeared all at once. The interior was as smooth as an ordinary building. He didn’t know whether it was due to a special process or some kind of special force.

Leon and Ophelia sat facing each other at a small square table. The waitress had initially stood behind Ophelia, but after the first course was served, Ophelia dismissed her.

The waitress bowed and left the room, then Ophelia picked up a spoon first: "Try it, this is a specialty of Moilland, turtle soup."

Leon took a sip, and the soup was indeed very delicious, with a rich and complex aroma of spices.

"I heard from Count Frye that you were mentored by the Great Witch of Moilland?" Leon brought up the topic.

“Yes, I am a disciple of the Great Witch Insect Princess Alexie,” Ophelia replied.

"The one for whom the Church has a bounty of fifty million?" Leon asked after thinking for a moment.

Alexne is a very famous witch in the Empire. It is said that since twenty years ago, as the witch and lord of Moyland, she has had close ties with the Restoration Party of Eland in the eastern part of the Empire. She planned and participated in several terrorist incidents in the eastern part of the Empire and assassinated six church members.

Ten years ago, she even personally appeared within the empire's borders during the war, leading the Eland Restoration Army to fight against the imperial army and massacring many imperial soldiers. This led to her being placed on the church's red-name wanted list with a bounty of fifty million.

However, after the war ten years ago, the restoration party of Eland was destroyed, and Alexne has basically stopped being active in the Empire. Therefore, it would be extremely difficult to go to Moyland to find Alexne and assassinate him.

“That’s right. Perhaps my father told you that the first witch he connected with was her. My father made contact with the witch council through his teacher’s introduction and took the initiative to propose a deal. At that time, the witch council made a condition: they wanted my father to send me to Moilland for training to ensure the success of the first deal. In fact, I was a hostage,” Ophelia said.

"Did your father agree?" Leon asked.

"My father refused. He persuaded the witches' gathering to change the terms and was even prepared to abandon the deal if they couldn't reach an agreement. But I volunteered to go to Moiland, and my teacher assured my father of my safety. This Bauhinia is the ship I took to Moiland back then."

"I worked as an apprentice under my teacher for a while, and after my first successful transaction, I stayed for another two months until my father's fleet came to smuggle for the second time, at which point they took me back," Ophelia said.

"The Earl truly values ​​you highly; he's even willing to give up his business for you," Leon commented.

“He just doesn’t want to go through something like that again,” Ophelia said.

Leon could tell that the Count had once lost Ophelia's mother, and he dared not risk losing his daughter.

“I was only thirteen years old at the time, you could say I was fearless like a newborn calf. I didn’t think too much about it, I just felt that there was unlikely to be any problems, and I was interested in Moilland, so I persuaded my father to agree, and that’s how the business we have now came about.” Ophelia put down her spoon, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and looked up at Leon. “Mr. Fenrir, have you realized what my father really meant by sending me here to inspect this place?”

Upon hearing this, Leon put down his spoon and replied softly, "Forgive my ignorance..."