Heading South

"Our caravan is also heading south to [Äußerst]. Why don't you come with us, young man? It'll just be another mouth to feed on the road."

To Galan's surprise, the other party actually offered to accompany him, even though his current situation was quite suspicious...

But the other party said they wanted to go to [Äußerst]?

This is conveniently located along my route, and having so many people with me makes me feel much safer.

According to his previous calculations, this year should still be a year of intense conflict between the Demon King's Army and humanity. Five years ago, the Hero of the South single-handedly fought against a group of [Seven Sages of Destruction] and the Great Sage [Schlacht]. That battle further exacerbated the turbulent situation. With the Hero of the South, the strongest hero, gone, many lost faith in the war. Most importantly, the danger of traveling alone in the North was too high; one day, a great Demons might come right at his face, and then it would truly be a matter of life and death...

Why don't we go find Frieren?

However, she was probably still living in seclusion somewhere at that time, so it was impossible to find her.

So, does that mean I have to rely solely on myself...?

"Really? Can I really come along?"

"Of course, I'm a businessman, and businessmen keep their word."

He smiled brightly as he spoke, and Lancelot, standing to the side, glanced at him sideways. Only then did Galan notice that this man, who called himself a merchant named Frog, looked quite young and didn't seem much older than him. To be called "boss" by the caravan members at this age and to lead such a large caravan, he must be no ordinary person.

"Um... thank you very much... boss?"

"Alright, let's not be so formal. You saved Lancelot's men, so you're practically one of our brothers now. Just call me Little Franz."

He casually approached Galan, put his arm around Galan's shoulder, and said with a grin, "This intimate gesture left Galan a little bewildered. Is he really that shameless?"

So, bro, you're the kind of person who's naturally outgoing and friendly?

However, Frog didn't care what Galan thought, and he pushed and shoved him into his carriage, giving off a feeling of a mountain bandit forcibly taking his wife...

After a brief stop, the convoy set off again, continuing its journey South towards the city.

People were still chatting and laughing, as if the battle had just been a minor incident. For them, who had been doing business in the North for many years, such battles and casualties were nothing new. To be able to emerge almost unscathed after the battle, except for one unlucky fellow, was truly a blessing from the Goddess. The wheels rolled on the ground, making a "creak, creak" sound. The clear chirping of birds came from the trees on both sides, giving one the feeling of "what a peaceful day!"

Galan sat next to Frog and chatted with him casually.

"Speaking of Galan, that medicine you were using earlier...:"

"No, mass production is impossible, Xiao Fu, you should just give up on that idea..."

Frog was somewhat embarrassed that he had only spoken halfway through his sentence when the other party had anticipated his move and even refused him firmly.

"Really? Even your technology can't achieve mass production? You should know how much wealth could be generated if this level of drug could be mass-produced."

He blinked reluctantly, wanting to try again.

He truly is a businessman; he sensed a business opportunity the moment he saw the medicine's effects.

In today's war-torn world, such a drug, once it hits the market, would be so expensive that it would be impossible to find a buyer. It's hard to imagine how much profit could be made from it.

One can even imagine that some nobles would stockpile large quantities of these Recovery Potions to save their lives, but unfortunately, as Galan said, he was indeed unable to mass-produce them.

Putting aside the extremely demanding medicinal materials required, even he himself had accumulated them for many years before having the opportunity to refine them. Even if he had all the necessary materials, the difficulty of refining them meant that Galan probably couldn't refine more than twenty bottles a month. As for teaching the technique to others and waiting for them to master the art of alchemy, it would probably take many years. After all, the profession of Apothecary is quite rare, even in this magical world.

Even after Galan developed in Rogley for so many years, no strong competitor ever emerged, so the mass production and sales approach is absolutely not feasible at present.

"If I could, I'd like to too."

He shook his head bitterly, indicating to Frog that it was better to stop daydreaming and give up the idea as soon as possible.

"Really...? But with Galan's skills, he could easily open a store in Imperial Capital [Eisberg's ] and make a fortune."

Despite being rejected again, Frog didn't show any disappointment. Instead, he suggested a few solutions for the other party. He saw great value in Galan; if he could befriend him, his business would definitely have another avenue to explore in the future. The profession of Apothecary... well, it's incredibly sought-after in this day and age.

"Huh? Opening a shop in [Eisberg's ]?"

When Galan heard him say that, he almost spat out the water he had just drunk. "You only gave me this idea because you don't know my identity. If I really went to [Eisberg's ] to stay, I don't know where I would die the next day. With the organization's intelligence gathering capabilities, I would arrive there in the morning and be figured out by the afternoon, and the execution team would arrive that night. What's the difference between that and turning myself in?"

Fortunately, Galan hasn't been born yet in this world, so the so-called "betrayal" is out of the question.

But speaking of which...

My existence is now practically a bug.

If I were to unexpectedly recognize someone I've met before, it might cause some kind of Time Paradox...

He regained his composure and began to think about the problem carefully.

However, in Frog's view, Galan seemed to be interested in his suggestion and was considering how big the store should be.

Perhaps I should offer him some investment and become an angel investor?

Hmm... no rush. Judging from Galan's personality, he probably won't make a decision so quickly. We'll have to push him a couple more times these next couple of days, then we can team up and hehe...

Just imagining that scenario made Frog's mouth water, but he quickly wiped it away, afraid of leaving a strange impression on his future partners.

However, Galan wasn't paying attention to whether he was drooling or not; he rested his chin on his hand, looking somewhat preoccupied.

"Thank goodness I didn't impulsively go looking for Frieren... though I probably wouldn't have found her anyway. She seems to be living in seclusion in the Central Lands right now, so finding her would have been even more impossible. But what about Lia? I remember she said she'd always lived in the North, so where could she be now...?"

Thinking of Lia, Galan's heart skipped a beat. She must be living somewhere now, right?

Well, it's probably better not to meet, since we'll see each other eventually anyway.