Chapter 89
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I'll purchase divine power with money.
Chapter 89
"Such a warm welcome. I hardly know what to do with myself. Ah, how I've missed you, High Priestess!"
Like old friends reuniting after a year apart, we embraced each other warmly and exchanged enthusiastic greetings.
"Oh, and the cookies you requested—I've entrusted them to Victoria Lawrence. I purchased them from the finest confectionery in the Southern Region, so the quality is guaranteed."
"You bought them yourself? Goodness, a simple recommendation would have sufficed. I'm truly grateful."
I had sent someone to Jun asking for recommendations for a decent cookie shop, but I never expected him to actually purchase them and bring them here.
Such thoughtfulness.
"Monica, bring a box of cookies along with tea. I should try some myself."
"Yes, understood."
"And distribute the rest among the others. Give Jeremy three boxes specially."
"I'll see it done at once."
Monica bowed with a bright smile and left the room.
The moment we were alone, Jun grinned mischievously and spoke.
"High Priestess, you've accomplished quite a lot in just one day, haven't you? Already, rumors about you are spreading throughout the Southern Region."
"The rumors have spread already?"
Of course, I had anticipated news would circulate after touring eight noble houses with the Crown Prince and Duke Kali in tow, but...
This quickly?
"Well, Lumen did lend a hand, so to speak."
At Jun's casual remark, I let out a hollow laugh.
There was no way Lumen had merely "lent a hand" in the slightest.
"Still, if what you accomplished hadn't been noteworthy, no amount of effort from Lumen would have spread the word."
"It was unexpected, certainly. I never imagined the situation in the Southern Region was this dire."
For reasons I couldn't fathom, 'evil' was stirring far more rapidly than anticipated.
It wasn't yet at the level where it would lead monsters into the Southern Region as in the original narrative, but it demanded careful attention nonetheless.
"It seems we must supply potions to the Southern Region immediately."
Jun nodded vigorously at my words.
"I share your assessment. I've thoroughly investigated this region, and potions—both from the Sea God Temple and from the Alchemists Guild—are extraordinarily scarce here."
"Due to supply shortages?"
Given the frequency of combat, the demand for potions was naturally high, making scarcity inevitable compared to other regions.
But the true reason proved far more contemptible than I had imagined.
"More precisely, it's because the Sea God Temple and the Alchemists Guild are exploiting the Southern Region's desperate circumstances for profit."
Profit.
Even as lives hang in the balance, they're working their calculators—that's what this amounts to.
"Are they reducing supply while raising prices?"
"Essentially. The Alchemists' potions are expensive primarily because they refuse to operate in the dangerous South. Yet the Southern Region has never once fallen."
Life is precious, so their caution is understandable to some degree.
Though reducing supply cannot be justified by any argument.
"And the Sea God Temple?"
"Well, that's..."
Jun's lips twisted into a wry smile.
Wow. Even with such an upright face, she can pull off that kind of crooked expression.
"She declared she'd only supply potions to her believers."
"...."
Is she in her right mind?
"Of course it's not free. She's charging for it. And charging quite a lot, at that."
"That's insane."
"Right? Even we merchants don't pull such thuggish stunts."
Unable to hold back any longer, I let out a curse, and Jun nodded vigorously in agreement.
"Actually, I suspect their real target is the Cali Duchy—the Guardian Family of the Southern Region."
Ah, I understood the situation immediately.
The Empire has four ducal families, each protecting one of the four cardinal regions.
But among them, only the Northern Duke is a believer of the Sea God.
As the Temple of the Sun God, which wishes to establish the Sea God as the sole deity of the Continent, they'd naturally want to draw in at least one more region beyond the North....
The Imperial Family is difficult, the Western Region's Siearee is even more formidable, and the Eastern Region follows the Eternal Death God Temple, leaving only Cali of the South.
And conveniently, the Southern Region is suffering from a potion shortage—a perfect opportunity. They really do have a talent for sniffing out people's weaknesses.
"But Duke Cali isn't someone who bows her head easily. If I had to say, I'd think she's second only to our Guild Master among the four ducal families."
"If the Vice Guild Master evaluates her that way, they're still trying to pressure her?"
"I suppose the Southern Region's desperation was more apparent than expected. Though if you ask me, it just seems foolish."
Jun let out a loud snort.
I offered her a round of applause for the accurate assessment.
"It's true that turning others' misfortune into opportunity isn't something a person should do, but I can't deny it works in our favor."
"Exactly. And thanks to what the High Priestess and her party accomplished today, the noble families are already showing considerable goodwill toward us. They're all our customers, after all."
If I'd known the Southern Region's situation was this dire, I would've charged less....
In the original work, there was only an explanation that potions were scarce in the South—these detailed circumstances never came up, so I hadn't thought it through.
Well, I've already received the money, so I might as well use it gratefully and resolve the potion supply issue more quickly.
"As it happens, I brought potions specifically for sale, so let's distribute those immediately."
Jun's eyes widened at my words.
"What? You brought potions for sale separately?"
"Of course. I planned to sell them right away if the situation looked promising."
"Then the potions you used while visiting the families this time were...?"
"Reserve stock. You never know when or where something might happen, so I brought them separately."
Jun's expression went blank—as if she'd taken a heavy blow to the back of her head.
"I naturally assumed you'd contact the Western Region afterward and have them send more potions...."
"Why bother doing the work twice?"
"Hahahaha!"
When I said I absolutely despised such inefficiency, Jun burst into hearty laughter.
Her eyes were brimming with admiration.
"You're absolutely right, High Priestess. There's no point dragging things out. Haha. I can't believe I didn't think of that. I'll reflect on it."
Jun straightened her posture and gazed at me with sparkling eyes.
Her eyes gleamed with the eagerness of a merchant desperate to acquire goods and sell them immediately.
"So how will you market them?"
I was delighted to fulfill her expectations.
"This time I have two types of potions. One is what we've been selling before, and the other is a significantly enhanced version."
I withdrew two bottles of potion from my spatial pouch.
Jun let out an exclamation of admiration at the potion, which shimmered with a golden hue far more potent than the existing sunset-tinted one.
"Just looking at it, this is no ordinary potion."
"By the way, this one here is what neutralizes the toxin of high-grade magical beasts. As the guild master, you'd know exactly how valuable that is, wouldn't you?"
"So the efficacy is at least twice as strong as the existing potion."
"Exactly."
"At that level, it could actually rival the Sea God's potion, couldn't it?"
Well, unless they're selling potions directly blessed by The Saint or High Priestess themselves, there's no comparison.
"Is there a possibility that an even superior potion might emerge?"
"Of course."
If my divine power grows stronger, anything is possible.
"Excellent. Then let's market the existing one as a lower-tier potion and the new one as a mid-tier potion."
"We'll plant the expectation in people's minds that a higher-tier potion will arrive soon."
"Precisely."
Jun smiled contentedly, impressed by my quick judgment.
"Ah, I can't tell you how wonderful this moment of business expansion feels. My heart is racing so hard."
Jun opened his chest wide, asking if I could hear his heartbeat.
"I think I'm beginning to understand that sensation now. I'm truly thrilled."
We looked at each other and broke into grins.
"Speaking of which, I'm curious about something. Duke Kali rejected the Sea God Faction's proposal to become a believer, but there must be other families who accepted it, right?"
The duchy has many strong knights and plenty of wealth, so they would have obtained potions one way or another, but other families would have struggled.
Jun nodded, as expected.
"That's correct. Duke Kali didn't prevent individual choices either."
Among the families I treated today, there were likely believers of the Sea God.
Which raises one question.
"Would the Sea God Faction truly allow believer families to purchase our potions?"
At my words, Jun's face suddenly stiffened.
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