Chapter 236: Business is Win-Win |
Everything Ambrose had just said was aimed squarely at small and mid-tier nobles. For them, a true Potion of Youth, costing hundreds of thousands, was utterly out of reach. Their entire fortune might barely afford a single bottle. But this diluted version, lasting only a few days, was something everyone could afford.
After hearing Ambrose's explanation, many began to see the logic. At first, they had only thought of selling it to wealthy noble ladies. After all, women would pay generously to stay young and beautiful. But now, they realized its applications went far beyond that. It made sense for every noble household to stock a few bottles—for emergencies, if nothing else.
With the right marketing, this potion could even be branded as something that determined the rise or fall of an entire noble house.
"Nine hundred gold! I bid nine hundred per bottle!" Endel Mark shouted immediately, reigniting the bidding war.
Another round of fierce competition followed, and the wholesale price quickly soared to twelve hundred gold.
Only then did people begin to hesitate. The price crept upward in small increments, until finally, Endel Mark secured the distribution rights at 1,280 gold per bottle.
With a smug smile, he turned to Ambrose. "My apologies. Your insight may be sharper, but it seems the Mark family has deeper pockets."
He couldn't hide his jealousy. Ambrose was younger, better looking, and far more perceptive. The sales angle he'd just outlined was something Endel Mark hadn't even considered.
How could this man be so much better than himself?
The world was full of clever people. But most of them were trapped by their circumstances. Ambrose had clearly seen an opportunity, but without the capital, all he could do was watch someone else profit.
Endel Mark straightened, adopting the posture of a victor. "Let me give you some advice. A little cleverness isn't something you should flaunt. If you hadn't shared all that just now, you might have secured the deal at eight hundred. Instead, you lost the opportunity, and taught me how to make even more."
Ambrose only smiled. "Yes, yes, you're absolutely right. I hope you make a fortune."
Endel Mark frowned. It felt as if he were throwing punches at the air. Why wasn't this man upset?
Was he just feigning indifference? Surely not. If anything, he looked… pleased, as if he were the one who had just profited.
Before Endel Mark could make sense of it, the center of attention herself, Isabel, approached them. Endel Mark assumed she had come to speak with him. After all, they were now business partners.
Furthermore, she was quite beautiful. If he could marry her, wouldn't this potion effectively become his family's asset?
In truth, many of the attendees had the same idea. Upon learning Isabel was unmarried, they had all sent their most promising heirs, hoping to secure both wealth and bride. And now, Endel Mark held the advantage.
Just as he was about to greet her and invite her for dinner, Isabel bowed to the young man he had just left behind. "Master, you're finally back."
"…Master?!"
It wasn't just Endel Mark. Everyone in the room was stunned.
This young man, who looked as if he were barely eighteen, was her master?
In what sense? Surely not in… alchemy?
Ambrose smiled faintly. "You've done well. I'm very impressed, but we can catch up later. Business comes first."
Endel Mark's expression twisted. "You two planned this? Were you trying to cheat me? I refuse to acknowledge the result of that auction!"
Using a planted bidder was indeed grounds for dispute.
But before he could press further, Ambrose said calmly, "You're right. In that case, the previous auction is void. Let's start fresh: twelve hundred gold per bottle. Anyone willing to accept? We can sign a contract immediately."
Several of the forlorn bidders immediately perked up.
"The Osmans will bid twelve hundred gold!"
"Twelve hundred and thirty!"
……
The bidding war reignited instantly. Endel Mark's face turned green, like he'd swallowed a fly.
This was why Ambrose hadn't cared at all. The potion was real. Its effects had been demonstrated. The market demand was real. Whether Ambrose had been "acting" or not changed nothing. Whoever secured the rights would make a fortune.
It was Endel Mark who had mocked Ambrose, not the others. Why should they care about Endel Mark's pride? Profit came first.
Under normal circumstances, Mark would have stormed out, choosing dignity over money.
But the Mark family couldn't afford that.
With the fall of Alkhemia, alchemy had been branded as something that could "destroy the world." Sales had stagnated for a long time. As Ambrose had said, alchemy wouldn't disappear, but the market recovery would take time.
Two months?
The Mark family didn't have two months.
They specialized in transporting alchemical potions. Unlike other nobles who relied on land and production, their entire business depended on this trade. Their funds were nearly depleted. If things continued, they would have to sell not just their castle, but even their land.
For a noble house, selling land was tantamount to suicide.
So no matter how bitter he felt, Mark gritted his teeth. "…My apologies. I spoke rashly. I accept the current highest bid of 1,280 gold per bottle. Let's sign the contract."
Ambrose glanced at him, mildly surprised. He had expected the man to lose control, or even start a fight. The resulting reimbursement he could extort from the Marks would've been more profitable. Instead…
"Well, we can't let you suffer a loss, Young Master Mark," Ambrose said pleasantly. "I was somewhat discourteous earlier. Let's settle at 1,250 gold per bottle. Take the difference as my apology."
Mark blinked. "…You're serious?"
"Of course. Business is about mutual benefit. Only when both sides profit can things last."
Mark suddenly found Ambrose much more agreeable. Thirty gold per bottle wasn't much, but for a distributor, margins like that could make all the difference between profit or loss.
The Mark family desperately needed a turnaround. This potion was their chance, and that small concession made their chances even better.
All thoughts of humiliation vanished. If anything, Endel Mark felt ashamed. He had been the one to provoke Ambrose, and yet Ambrose had responded with generosity.
What magnanimity. No wonder he was Isabel's master.
Beaming, Endel Mark signed the contract without scrutinizing the terms. He didn't notice that his distribution rights were limited strictly to the former territory of Alkhemia.
All other regions remained firmly in Ambrose's grasp.
Once the deal was done, Ambrose had Cardina, still in her youthful form, escort the guests out. Then he and Isabel returned to the castle's alchemy laboratory.
Ambrose sat down in his usual chair. "Sit. No one else is here now. Tell me everything that's happened."
Isabel looked at him, her emotions a tangle of relief, admiration, and embarrassment.
Only after his departure had she realized that the "castle ghost" and her lich master were the same person. And once he left, that "master" had vanished as well.
She had even complained about her workload in front of him before. She wanted to sink into the floor as she reflected on what she had done.
She had recognized him the moment he started bidding, but his voice, at her ear, had quietly instructed her to play along.
And so she had. Just as expected, her master had turned the tables completely, transforming an enemy into a loyal partner.
Just like before.
"After you left, Master… I needed money to maintain the castle, so I tried to earn it through alchemy…"
She recounted everything.
It wasn't complicated. Ambrose had left her with only a small stock of materials and a handful of skeletons for protection, but not a single coin.
She had no choice but to fend for herself.
But ordinary alchemical products wouldn't sell, leaving her frustrated. Then one day, she discovered something strange in a corner of the castle—an orange slime, speckled with white.
By sheer luck, she experimented on mice and found that it could reverse aging. Shocked, she refined it through alchemy. After many trials, she finally stabilized the formula.
"Something from the castle? How did I miss that?"
Ambrose was astonished.
Isabel led him to where she had found the substance. Looking at the strange orange slime, Ambrose suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.
Then it clicked. This was the teleportation trap connected to Alkhemia's sewer system. Back then, he had prepared it thinking that it might lure slimes in on their own. But what exactly had been coming through…?
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