Chapter 25

" THESE potions..." Duro swallowed hard, his voice trembling, "Hey, partner, have you been studying alchemy these past few days and then made these magic potions?"

He was increasingly convinced that offering Gao Dun a 40% share of the store's income was the best decision he had ever made. How many days had it been? Fifteen, or twenty? When Gao Dun walked into the store with the first Ring of Vigor he had made, Duro thought he had discovered a new enchantment mage with a brilliant mind. But the gods of the Astral Kingdom! Why had Gao Dun, who had shown no alchemical talent whatsoever, managed to concoct such a large batch of magic potions in such a short time?

Gao Dun ignored the tidal wave of emotions surging in Duro's heart. His words almost suffocated the plump middle-aged shopkeeper: "I need to correct you. The time it took to make these magic potions was not a few days, but one day."

"Does that mean you can make twenty magic potions for the store in one day?" Duro drew in a sharp breath. His mind raced, generating countless speculations.

Was Gao Dun taken in as a student by a reclusive legendary mage?

Did Gao Dun find a secret treasure left by his family?

Did Gao Dun receive the favor of a deity?

Despite the numerous possibilities, Duro still couldn't determine what had caused the transformation of Gao Dun, who had once been a destitute mage struggling to buy a gold coin worth of spell components.

Fortunately, Duro understood that prying too deeply was not a good habit, as it could easily damage their relationship and even bring trouble to himself. The shock and confusion in his eyes faded, and he stroked his thick beard, pretending nothing was wrong: "I'll clear the most prominent shelf immediately and put these magic potions on display."

He said and did. Action-oriented Duro ordered two assistants to categorize and neatly arrange the twenty potions on the shelves, then took out a pen to write the names of the potions on blank labels.

"By the way, how should we price them?" Duro asked a crucial question, "Should we lower the prices to attract customers?"

Gao Dun had already considered this: "Of course, we need to lower the prices. We are just starting our magic potion business and can't compete with established stores that have regular customers. Only by lowering prices can we attract attention at the beginning."

"Then, how much should we lower them?" Duro counted on his fingers for a while. Perhaps from dealing with Gao Dun multiple times, he had picked up a bit of data analysis: "The store 'Ogro's Hand' across the street employs six second-level mages and two third-level mages to produce magic potions. They produce two second-level potions and sixteen first-level potions daily. After deducting the cost of materials and labor, 'Ogro's Hand' prices first-level potions at 5 gold coins and second-level potions at 10 gold coins to make a decent profit."

"As for our store, thanks to you, Gao Dun," Duro chuckled, causing the fat on his waist to tremble slightly, "Although our material costs are not advantageous compared to other stores, we save a lot on labor costs. My dear partner, you can do the work of eight or nine ordinary mages. So, we can price first-level potions at 3 gold coins and second-level potions at 6 gold coins, and still have a large profit margin!"

Gao Dun immediately poured cold water on Duro: "This price is too low. It will disrupt the market and make it impossible for others to do business. Cutting off someone's income is like killing their parents. I don't think you want to offend all the shopkeepers on this street, do you? A moderate price reduction will maintain our competitive advantage without causing dissatisfaction from others, which is the ideal state."

After some discussion, the two decided to set the price of first-level potions at 4 gold coins and 90 silver coins, and second-level potions at 9 gold coins and 80 silver coins.

Once the prices were set, everything was in order. Gao Dun took a book and quietly sat in a corner to read.

When the hourglass flipped, indicating it was 9 a.m., the first customer of the day finally appeared at "Duro's Treasure Chest."

It was a middle-aged man with a mustache, wearing chainmail and carrying a longsword on his waist. From his attire and demeanor, he appeared to be the leader of a small mercenary group.

Greeting customers was naturally not Gao Dun's job. Duro approached with a smile: "Is there anything I can do for you, esteemed customer?"

"I am the leader of the Sword of Black Castle mercenary group. We recently accepted a mission to venture into the Cold Fog Mountains, so I came to purchase some supplies," the middle-aged man said with a smile. He seemed to be in a good mood, clearly because the mission's reward was very generous, filling him with anticipation for the future.

The mercenary leader immediately noticed the magic potions displayed prominently on the shelf. He looked at the prices and asked curiously: "First-level potions for 4 gold coins and 90 silver coins, second-level potions for 9 gold coins and 80 silver coins... Why are your magic potions cheaper than those in other stores?"

"We just started selling magic potions, so we are offering some discounts to our customers," Duro explained.

"I see," the mercenary leader nodded, "I'll take two bottles of Invisibility Potion, one bottle of Angel's Eye Potion... and a bottle of Jump Potion for the warlocks in my group."

The mission his mercenary group had accepted was extraordinary, so he had to be well-prepared, spending a considerable amount of money on four magic potions. Ordinary low-level mercenaries typically earned only a few dozen silver coins per mission, and they could never afford such luxury items.

Next, the mercenary leader bought some spell components and various adventure supplies for the spellcasters in his group, including whetstones, trap parts, waterproof cloth, ropes, lighting tools, and water bags. These miscellaneous items, though individually low in profit, were numerous and could bring significant income to the store.

After the leader of the Sword of Black Castle left, it wasn't long before the store welcomed its second customer. For the frugal mercenaries, the magic potions in the store, which were ten silver coins cheaper than the market price, were highly attractive. This time, Duro made another sale of two magic potions.

In less than two hours, all twenty magic potions on the shelf were sold out. Information spread quickly among mercenaries and adventurers. By the morning, the news that "Duro's Treasure Chest" sold cheap magic potions had reached many people.

"Damn! I curse the trolls on the snowy mountains!" A tall and muscular barbarian arrived too late. When he panted and ran to "Duro's Treasure Chest," all the magic potions were already sold out.

"Sorry, strong warrior, please come back tomorrow," Duro said apologetically.

"There's no other way," the barbarian muttered, "I guess I'll have to go to Ogro's Hand."

The barbarian shook his head and left. Gao Dun said to Duro, "It seems the sales of magic potions are going well. I'll leave the afternoon to you."

"Why is a mage's time always more valuable than others!" Duro laughed and pretended to complain, "Don't worry, I'll bring the ledger and today's income to you tonight."

The smooth development of the store lifted Gao Dun's spirits. He returned home, released Aduo and Al from the ring, and ordered the two wind spirits to start their respective tasks: concocting potions and learning to draw the rune array for the Ring of Vigor.

After working all night and spending the morning at "Duro's Treasure Chest," Gao Dun felt exhausted as soon as he lay down on the bed. When he opened his eyes again, it was already afternoon.

Due to not having lunch, Gao Dun's stomach was burning with hunger. He patted his belly and said to himself, "I'll go out and grab something to eat. If only my sister Sienna were at home, her cooking is really good."

As he was thinking, Duro conveniently appeared. The plump shopkeeper held a yellow ledger in one hand and a bag emitting a tempting aroma in the other.

"Hey, partner, are you interested in sharing the honey-cured wolf meat from Old Brown in the southern part of the city?"

Gao Dun, who was starving, naturally wouldn't refuse the food. He led Duro to the long-unused dining room.

"I swear by my warhammer, this is the worst noble dining room I've ever seen!" Duro exclaimed, looking at the dusty, neglected table. Now that they were on good terms, Duro no longer hesitated to discuss Gao Dun's financial situation.

"You know," Gao Dun said helplessly, spreading his hands, "Not long ago, I was a destitute mage who was worried sick over a few gold coins."

"That was in the past. You are now a wealthy man, and the dignity of a noble mage cannot be lost. I think you should hire a few servants and renovate this house properly," Duro chuckled, "Let's eat and talk. Today's ledger will surprise you."

"Really?" Gao Dun was intrigued.

Duro quickly cleaned the table and served the food. For the hungry Gao Dun, the fragrant meat Duro brought was just right. The wolf meat was delicious, tender, and chewy, with a faint sweetness in the succulent juices, making it hard for Gao Dun to stop eating. Considering Gao Dun's habits, Duro only brought a bottle of freshly squeezed blueberry juice to accompany the meal. The refreshing juice paired perfectly with the rich meat, making for a satisfying dinner.

"Burp~ Thank the goddess Vorgin for granting me wealth and the ability to enjoy such fine food!" After a satisfying meal, Duro finally brought out the ledger Gao Dun had been eagerly waiting for.

"Today, the store made a total of 311 gold coins. After deducting costs and taxes, the net profit is 120 gold coins. The profit from magic potions is 70 gold coins, various spell components and alchemical materials 10 gold coins, enchanted items 26 gold coins, and adventure supplies 14 gold coins. You can check the detailed accounts yourself; I don't have the photographic memory of a mage."

"So much?" Gao Dun was surprised.

"Of course, partner. You are the cash cow of 'Duro's Treasure Chest'! Don't underestimate yourself," Duro said, though he hadn't drunk any alcohol, he seemed to be intoxicated by the alluring numbers in the ledger. "I've heard that there's some mysterious treasure in the Cold Fog Mountains, and the number of adventurers in Bluewater City has increased dramatically. Our good days are just beginning!"

"Today's profit means I can take 48 gold coins. This doesn't even include the income from the Ring of Vigor. If this continues for forty days, I can earn at least 1,600 gold coins. If we manage it well, this number will continue to rise. The debt is due in more than two months, and it seems that this house will be safe."

Gao Dun sighed in relief. Since his arrival in this world, the heavy burden of debt that had weighed on his heart could finally be lifted.

"It seems that all the hard work these past few days has not been in vain. A happy life in this world is beckoning to me."