Chapter 61: The Guild and The Medicine (1)

After completing the human experiment of the new potion, I confirmed the usefulness of the Zunana grass’ extract and decided to move towards mass production.

No matter how much powerful it was, it would be useless if I didn’t establish it as a business.

I could say that I was a truly capable business person only if I built a system that allowed me to receive money even if I left it alone.

…Although it would be correct to call me an investor or entrepreneur now, and not businessman.

「So, we have to make a device that can efficiently mass-produce the extracts. 」

「But you need a permit to be able to sell even if you mass-produce it? I don’t think it’s easy to get permission.」

That’s right.

Aside from the flexibility between individual shops, if we wanted to sell potions on a large scale such as opening a proper store, we needed the permission of the Pharmacist Guild.

It would be extremely unlikely that permission would be granted to create a company with the effectiveness and productivity that could destroy the existing apothecaries and potion stores.

That was why I tried to find a solution.

「I’m thinking of selling it as a material, not as a medicine. 」

「Material, you say…? 」

「Yeah, the extract isn’t a medicine, so you won’t need a permit to sell it. 」

「However, permission is required to sell medicines using the extract. Is there a pharmacist who will be willing to buy it?」

「It’s okay to sell it to adventurers as a set along with other materials because it’s good enough to mix, that way it will be easier to get the permission.」

Even if I used such method, there was a high possibility that I’d only be blocked by a small loophole.

「…Do you mean that you’ll sell the raw material to the Pharmacist Guild as it is, and instead of offering the right to process it, you’ll get permission for them to sell the new potion?」

「Yes, it will be profitable for us if we sell the extract at a high price. Moreover, it won’t endanger the other apothecaries and stores.」

It was likely that demand would also expand, as the completion of existing drugs could be used in large quantities if diluted.

This made it possible to create a win-win scenario that could not be established when competing for limited demand.

Adventurers would be happy as well since they’d be able to challenge dangerous and profitable enemies with a peace of mind.

By the way, no one would get too injured anymore because of the medicine consumption.

「Then, we must go there. Would you like to go to the Pharmacist Guild immediately? 」

「No, the result won’t change even if I’m there, so I will leave it to you. Besides, I don’t have much time left until the Broken’s capture battle.」

It would a waste of time to do it in just two days.

「Ah…Then, where are you going, Kaede-san?」

「I’m going to Herrera for a while. It’s because the dwarves are the ones who make great equipment. I also have other business to take care of.」

「I understand. Then, I will go to the Pharmacist Guild. Can I take the medicine we’ve created to prove its effectiveness?」

「Yes, you should take this as well.」

I also gave her the extract before mixing with other ingredients.

With them, Mercia set out for the Pharmacist Guild.

I left for Herrera as it was.

—

I arrived at Herrera in about 2 hours, which was still far away.

Well, it usually took 2 weeks to travel, so if I said that it was far away by travelling for only 2 hours, the merchants would get angry.

「Hello, Ginta-san, I came here today because I want to find tools that have nothing to do with coke or Mithril. Is that okay? 」

「…I will cooperate as much as possible, but the Coal Mining Association is not a blacksmith. What you want is really available at the Coal Mining Association?」

「I wonder about that…It’s kind of a tool used for distillation*. Do you know a store? 」

「If you want a liquor distiller, the blacksmith behind the Guild often works on it. 」

「Thank you, I will go there then. 」

Come to think of it, it would be wrong to ask a coal mine for a distillation device.

At the time of coke, I forgot because the prototype equipment was completed too quickly.

I went to the shop to order it immediately.

There was a device in the store that seemed to be what I was looking for without having to order it.

It was also made of Mithril.

「Ah, excuse me…Is this a distillation device**? 」

For the time being, I spoke to the dwarf that seemed to be the owner.

It was better to ask what it was, because even if it looked like a distillation device, it could be something else. What if I actually bought was a washing machine?

「Hmm? Oh yeah, it’s the one used to distill liquor. 」

The shop owner answered with a very friendly feeling that was unusual for a dwarf.

「Can I buy it? 」

「I don’t have any reservations for it, so if you have money, you can buy it. It’s 5.3 million Tael per unit, so it’s not something you can easily buy by yourself.」

「…Why is it so expensive? 」

「It takes time to make. Therefore, I need the funds to do so. 」

「I want to buy it. Can you tell me how to use it? 」

「Do you have money? 」

The shopkeeper looked at me with suspicious eyes.

If a young man that looked like an adventurer said that he wanted to buy a device that had the price of a house, everyone would be skeptical.

It was best to prove it at times like this.

「Yes. If it has the performance I want, I can buy it right now. 」

With that said, I took out 53 large gold coins in advance from the item box.

「Can I check your coins? 」

「Yes. 」

I said that and handed over the gold coins.

「How surprising. Are you a nobleman or a son of a wealthy merchant? 」

The shopkeeper roughly checked the big gold coins, and then, accepted the fact that I had sufficient money with me.

No detailed confirmation was required.

If I didn’t show anything or showed a cheap imitation of coins, it would be a forgery of money and an immediate thief.

「Can you explain how to use it? 」

「Yeah, leave it to me. 」

And so, the explanation of the distillation device began.

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*Distillation is the most commonly used method for the extraction of essential oils.

**The distillation apparatus, commonly called a ‘still’, consists of a vessel for plant material and water, a condenser to cool and condense the vapour produced and a method of collection, or ‘receiver’. Material from the appropriate part of the plant for extraction is immersed in water in the distillation vessel. This is then heated to boiling point and the steam (water vapour) carries out the volatile oils. The water safeguards some components by preventing overheating as the temperature will not exceed 100 °C (the boiling point of water at normal pressure). However, the distillation can be a long process and the water may damage some other compounds.

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