Chapter 18

Longge Riter looked at the flustered Dengwei and sighed inwardly.

He had two sons. His younger son, Salando Riter, had awakened the arcane bloodline power in his body at a very young age and was taken under the wing of a high-ranking sorcerer to study. The responsibility of inheriting the family naturally fell on his elder son, Dengwei.

Originally, according to Longge's plan, the younger son, with his notable sorcerer potential, could serve as a solid military backing for the Riter family after completing his apprenticeship, while the elder son would focus on expanding the family's wealth and power, eventually making the Riter family a true, deeply-rooted noble family.

Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. Although his elder son was somewhat stronger than ordinary spoiled children, he was far from capable of managing a family.

"You must keep the matter of hiring Mendoza to assassinate Gorden to yourself. If there are any other informants, they must all be eliminated." Longge made a throat-slitting gesture and said sternly, "If the messengers of the Three Saints Baptist Church come to investigate, you must shift all the blame onto Gorden. Additionally, we need to find a mage proficient in the school of divination to use arcane power to disrupt the past, making it impossible for anyone to uncover the truth."

"What about Gorden? Since he can defeat Mendoza and four wanderers, it shows that he has far more strength than he appears. There are many fallen nobles in Bishui City. If it's just for the noble title, we can find someone else..." Dengwei said.

"You weak gelatinous creature!" Longge, like an enraged wild boar, raised his thick palm high, but ultimately did not strike.

"Do you think it was easy for me to amass this wealth? If you think of retreating whenever you encounter difficulties, then the Riter family's business will have to be handed over to your younger brother in the future."

"Father..."

"If you know you were wrong, then think carefully about how to deal with Gorden. No more rash and foolish assassinations! If he wants to make money, just don't let him. Remember, time is on our side. Now, go." Longge waved his hand, feeling exhausted from his continuous anger.

"I understand, Father." Dengwei bowed and respectfully left the room.

Longge Riter moved his short, stout body to the wall. He opened a mechanism and took out an oil painting from a hidden storage compartment in the wall.

The painting depicted a noblewoman. She had jet-black hair and eyes like the night sky, her hair piled high, her expression gentle, and her features bore a resemblance to Gorden's sister, Siuna.

Longge stared at the oil painting with a look of intense passion and obsession. However, his focus was not on the noblewoman but on the necklace she wore—a peculiar ornament shaped like a gear, made from gray stone.

"Fated Stone, I must obtain you!" Longge muttered, as if possessed.

...

With no need to work at the cemetery and having plenty of free time, Gorden had been enjoying himself these past two days. If one ignored the fact that he was being targeted by a demon lord and the heavy debt of three thousand gold coins, this was almost the ideal life he had envisioned—well, it would be even better if there was a pretty maid to warm his bed.

He spent a lot of time studying the two magic books he had found on Mendoza.

"The Alchemical Compendium of Joras" was taken from a luckless alchemist named Joras after Mendoza killed him. The compendium contained dozens of potion recipes and a wealth of experience in raw material processing, extraction, and purification. The system informed Gorden that if he finished reading "The Alchemical Compendium of Joras," he would gain 400 experience points and increase his alchemy skill by five levels.

For Gorden, making magic potions through alchemy was a more profitable method than creating magic items.

While the profit per piece of a magic item was much higher than that of a magic potion, the production volume was too low. Even for a low-end magic item like the Vigor Ring, Gorden could only make one per day at most.

Making magic potions, on the other hand, required much less time since there were no complex and precise processes like drawing rune arrays, which had a high failure rate. The main factor limiting the production of magic potions was the spell slots of the mage.

For example, a common third-level mage had two first-level spell slots. If he memorized the Feather Fall spell in both slots, he could only make two bottles of Feather Fall potion per day.

However, Gorden, who cast spells using mana, was different. A first-level spell consumed 2 points of mana, and with his current 60 points of mana, he could produce 30 first-level magic potions per day.

Gorden thought that making magic potions to earn money was a good idea. Before improving his alchemy skills by reading "The Alchemical Compendium of Joras," he decided to prepare some alchemical materials first.

Activating the silver brooch given to him by Duro, Gorden sent a message.

Soon, "Duro's Treasure Chest" delivered the materials Gorden had ordered. However, what surprised him was that the delivery person was not a shop assistant but Duro himself.

"Mr. Gorden, aren't you going to invite me in for a sit?" Duro stood at the door, his bearded face breaking into a hearty smile.

Gorden stepped aside, "Of course, please come in."

They walked through the dilapidated corridor on the first floor and climbed the creaky stairs, which seemed to groan under their weight, to Gorden's small study on the second floor.

As they walked, Duro kept looking around. He had a thorough understanding of Gorden's financial situation, but the plump shop owner did not show any signs of disdain. Or rather, he made no noticeable facial expressions to avoid offending the sensitive pride of the fallen noble mage—though Gorden did not have such a ridiculous thing.

"Is there something specific you need, Mr. Duro? Have the Vigor Rings sold out?" Gorden asked straightforwardly.

According to noble etiquette, he should have had a servant serve tea or coffee as a welcome, but Gorden clearly did not have such conditions. Duro, a former mercenary, did not mind these details.

"Um..." Duro, who had spent decades as a mercenary and was not yet accustomed to the roundabout way of speaking of merchants, hesitated and then laughed bitterly, "Mr. Gorden, I did come to see you specifically about the Vigor Rings. It's been several days, and not a single one has been sold."

"Uh..." Gorden had considered many scenarios, but he had not anticipated this one.

"Can you tell me more about the situation?"

"The situation?" Duro was taken aback, "What more is there to the situation? I placed your rings in the most prominent spot in the store and had the assistants try their best to sell them. Isn't that enough? Other stores do the same!"

"My honest friend, have you considered the target market for the Vigor Rings?"

"Honest" was not a flattering term for a merchant. Duro's face turned a bit sour, but he was more interested in the new term "target market."

Gorden continued, "Have you thought about who you want to sell the Vigor Rings to?"

"Of course, rich people."

"Right. But your store mainly sells to mercenaries and adventurers, doesn't it?"

"What's wrong with mercenaries and adventurers? There are plenty of rich people in that group." Duro countered.

"True," Gorden did not deny it, "Many mercenaries and adventurers are wealthy and willing to spend hundreds or even thousands of gold coins on equipment to enhance their strength."

Gorden then changed his tone, "But for a merchant, judging whether a customer is rich is not about how much money they have in their pockets, but how much they are willing to spend in the store. Clearly, few adventurers would be interested in the Vigor Rings I made."

"Why? Male adventurers are people too and need women."

"Yes, you're right, Mr. Duro. But you're overlooking one point: most adventurers need to maintain their physical fitness through rigorous training and hone their skills in harsh battles. Do you think these healthy, strong adventurers need a small ring to enhance their male abilities? Selling them Vigor Rings is as pointless as selling sunscreen to dark elves in the Underdark."

Gorden's words finally enlightened Duro. The plump merchant laughed bitterly, "I thought my years of experience as a mercenary and dealing with many merchants were enough. I never realized that running a small store was already beyond my capabilities... By the way, Mr. Gorden, what should I do next to sell the Vigor Rings?"

After a moment's thought, Gorden said, "I believe with Mr. Duro's connections, you must know people in the entertainment venues in Bishui City, especially the high-end ones. You can use them to sell the Vigor Rings to wealthy patrons. You can also hire people to sell them door-to-door in the rich residential areas. Even better, you could try your luck at the Temple of the Love Goddess. The followers of Lady Anisha would be very interested in items that enhance the affection between couples."

"Heaven, are you a chosen one of the Goddess Wogin?" Duro stood up excitedly and gave Gorden a bear hug. If Gorden had not dodged in time, he might have been scratched by Duro's thick beard.

Ignoring Gorden's awkward expression, Duro said, "Mr. Gorden, I have a proposal. How about becoming my partner and co-managing 'Duro's Treasure Chest'? I can give you 40% of the store's profits."

Duro was once a mercenary, always on the edge of danger and death. This experience shaped his impulsive and decisive style, which had little to do with caution, prudence, or careful deliberation.

He admitted that the idea of bringing Gorden on board was a spur-of-the-moment decision, but he did not think it was a foolish one.

From their conversation, Duro realized his business acumen was limited. He could manage a small store, but making big money was difficult. Gorden's insight and abilities far exceeded his own.

Moreover, Gorden was an enchanter who could create Vigor Rings. Not only that, but Gorden had just ordered a batch of alchemical materials from the store—Duro immediately deduced that Gorden was about to start making magic potions.

An enchanter, an alchemist, and someone with a sharp business mind! Such a person was in dire need of money. Duro felt that if he did not invest heavily to win Gorden's favor now, he might never have the chance again.