Chapter 33. Negotiation
“Ah?!!”
Elan seemed to realize that Fulan truly knew nothing about the matter. He sighed and said,
“Ever since the Alchemists’ Association—an organization that had existed in the City of Apprentices for who knows how many years—collapsed, alchemists have returned to the so-called free era from long ago.”
“But very quickly, they discovered that this freedom was not what they imagined. Before, they only felt that the Alchemists’ Association was randomly taking a cut of their money.”
“Only after the alchemists collectively became independent did they realize that while materials themselves are not difficult to obtain, finding high-quality materials at low prices is extremely difficult.”
“In the past, it was the Association’s well-developed material procurement system that allowed alchemists in the City of Apprentices to obtain materials at such low prices.”
Elan continued,
“Now the price of all materials is two to three times what it used to be. The alchemists simply cannot endure it anymore.”
“On top of that, many alchemists tried opening their own shops and selling potions independently. They quickly discovered that unless they sold at a loss, their potions would not sell at all.”
“So now many alchemists have begun forming groups. They arrange for people to collectively purchase materials and sell potions, and the results have been fairly good. This has made them start considering establishing new Associations.”
This was the first time Fulan had heard such news. When she heard that the alchemists intended to establish new Associations, she fell into thought.
Fundamentally speaking, the old Association had not treated the alchemists too poorly.
The real problem was the scandal involving the embezzlement of funds, which had caused the Association’s finances to become strained.
The alchemists no longer believed the Association could continue supporting its services.
Furthermore, the Association had raised potion prices dramatically and taken a large share of the profits before making reforms, which angered the alchemists.
From the alchemists’ perspective, they were the ones who processed the materials and brewed the potions.
Why should the Association take such a large portion of the profits?
Even though they understood that the Association had raised prices out of necessity, they still resented it.
Besides, the Association’s situation had been caused by its own mistakes—why should they bear the consequences? The Association’s profit cuts had never been shared with them anyway.
Perhaps now the alchemists were not regretting the skyrocketing material prices at all.
Instead, they might even be delighted, thinking that if they formed their own Associations, they too could take a cut from their peers in the future.
“So? What does this have to do with us?”
Fulan could not understand why Elan had brought this up.
Previously, they had simply sold a few smuggled goods under the Association’s system. Now that the Association had collapsed, they even had to consider production costs when selling.
For that reason, although her Pharmacology skill was close to leveling up, Fulan had not been particularly enthusiastic about it.
She only brewed two potions each day, just to use up her remaining materials.
Material prices were simply too high now. If she brewed in large quantities, she might actually lose money.
After having earned so much from potions before, even a small loss felt completely unacceptable to her.
So she had decided to wait until the situation stabilized before continuing to train Pharmacology.
Elan smiled and said,
“If others can establish Associations, why can we not do the same?”
“Do you not have many ‘friends’? We can gather them together and build our own Association. No matter what happens, we will earn a considerable profit.”
Elan’s reasoning was simple.
Everyone else was establishing Associations, so he might as well do the same.
Not only did Fulan’s “friends” possess impressive alchemical skills—capable of producing large quantities of Energy Potions—but his distribution channels within the Apprentice Market were also far superior to those of those amateur Associations.
If they combined their strengths, they had a strong chance of winning the final “survival competition.”
Even if they did not win in the end, they could still sell the Association itself once it gained enough influence, which would fetch a significant price.
However, a bead of sweat slid down Fulan’s forehead.
She hurriedly said,
“Well… it seems you are a little late. My friends have already joined other Associations.”
In truth, Fulan had no such friends.
She had fabricated them all herself, and the only reason she had been able to produce so many Energy Potions was because that was the one potion she could efficiently brew.
If they truly established an Association, they would have to produce all kinds of potions.
Although Fulan could brew quickly and accurately, managing the materials for every type of potion would consume most of her time.
There would be herb processing and preservation to handle, and spoiled materials would need to be regularly discarded.
This was not something that could simply be solved by hiring workers. Managing everything alone would already be a massive problem.
“I see…”
Elan was surprised by the answer, yet it also made sense.
After all, those alchemists would not remain idle. Even if they had recently earned a fortune from Energy Potions, no one would refuse the chance to earn even more.
Elan let out a long sigh.
It was a matter of timing.
If Fulan had come to him the very day after the Association collapsed, they might still have had the chance to prepare something. But now it was already too late.
Of course, he also knew that Fulan had been busy focusing on becoming a formal mage. All he could do was lament their missed opportunity.
“In that case, let us continue using our old method.”
Elan turned around and tapped on a recessed section of the wall. A small opening appeared, from which he retrieved several sheets of paper.
“What are these?”
Fulan did not understand what he meant.
Continue the old method?
Previously, they had been able to profit because the Association had set high prices. Once these new Associations stabilized, could their smuggled potions really be cheaper than others?
Elan seemed to notice her confusion.
He handed the papers to Fulan and explained with a smile,
“These are orders from Antir.”
“Orders?”
“That is right. Orders. The noble lords of Antir are currently preparing for war, and stocking up on potions is an essential part of their preparations.”
“I used my connections to intercept several of these orders. That is how we will launch our new model.”
Fulan was still confused.
What exactly was this supposed to mean? At least explain how the plan would work.
She glanced at the contents of the orders.
To her surprise, the types of potions requested were very limited—and they were ones she had brewed before.
“Healing Potions… Strength Potions…”
“For those territorial nobles, simple potions like these are exactly what they need,” Elan explained.
“Healing Potions can treat the wounds of their subordinate knights, while Strength Potions can be given to young men heading onto the battlefield.”
“Because of the long distance—and because the final payment will only be made after delivery—the unit price listed in these orders is quite high.”
“It may not reach the level of Energy Potions during the boom, but we can still make a substantial profit.”
“I believe your friends will not miss such a lucrative opportunity. After all, the price I am offering is far higher than what other Associations are paying for purchases.”
Elan finished explaining everything in one breath and stood there, waiting for Fulan’s reply.
Fulan looked at the order quantities and the promised payment written on the paper.
She calculated the delivery deadline.
After confirming that it was feasible, she finally nodded.
“Alright. I will take it. But you will need to help with the materials.”
Elan replied,
“That is fine. Now let us discuss how to divide the profits per potion.”
“Different types of potions will have different profit shares.”