The Evil Dragon Bar
November 25, 1346
After selling her potions for the day, Altair took the opportunity to visit Vlad Street. She wanted to ask Rosen how his herb cultivation was going and when she could get the next batch of materials. Of course, the main reason was also to kill some time.
When the doorbell rang, Rosen smiled and looked up at the door, but upon seeing that it was Altair, his expression instantly changed. He then gritted his teeth and said, "Rosen Folk Herbal Shop is not welcome to you, sir!"
But Rosen's words didn't deter Altair; instead, they piqued her interest. She teased, "Look at you, what kind of attitude is this? Wouldn't it be better to work for me? I've specially arranged for a Sequence Seven Beyonder to act as your bodyguard, just to protect you."
"In the Loen Kingdom, only high-ranking Baron can enjoy such treatment."
"And don't worry, as long as you work hard for me from now on, I guarantee I'll provide you with the Beyonder Characteristic you'll acquire later."
After hearing Altair's last sentence, Rosen softened his tone slightly and asked questioningly, "Which Pathway of Beyonder are you? I'm certain you're not Seer, because they don't have your kind of ability."
"Guess," Altair said with a smile, then changed the subject, asking, "How are the plants growing? Have any of them matured yet? I urgently need these special medicinal herbs."
Rosen looked at the girl before him, who refused to reveal anything, and could only sigh helplessly, replying, "No, it was only planted recently, how could it be mature yet? It will take at least another half month."
After saying that, Rosen turned around and went to attend to other things, figuring out of sight, out of mind.
Altair, still leaning against the counter, said, "Actually, I feel you should try a different Pathway. ' Apothecary ' isn't suitable for you. I personally recommend ' The Planter '."
"If you had chosen this Pathway back then, I estimate you would be at least Sequence Seven by now."
"Have you heard of this Pathway? It's controlled by the Church of the Earth Mother... I think it's called ' The God's Favor.' Yes, that's what the Church of the Earth Mother calls the Beyonder follow this Pathway."
"Do you want to switch Pathway? I can help you become Beyonder through this Pathway..."
Even after Altair had said all the nice things he could think of, he couldn't get Rosen to turn his head again.
After all, for Rosen, it was a case of "once bitten, twice shy," and he was terrified that Altair would use his power again and affect him.
Fifteen minutes later, feeling bored, Altair had no choice but to leave the herbal shop on his own.
Now, after buying the potion, Altair enters a period of boring free time, and lately he has been looking for things to do to pass the time.
Unfortunately, there's really nothing fun to do in Tingen City. Altair spent his time visiting the opera house and the circus, but couldn't find anywhere to kill time.
Furthermore, she had already processed the last batch of materials into a special potion yesterday afternoon and sold it today. So she has nothing to do when she goes back now.
After leaving "Rosen's Folk Herbs" shop, Altair waved for a carriage and headed straight for the Dock District.
She planned to check the Underground Market at the "Evil Dragon Bar" to see if she could find the herbal ingredients she needed. If she did, that would be great; she could buy them, make them into potions, and then sell them. If not, she would have to take a break for a while.
When the carriage stopped diagonally opposite the bar, Altair got off and paid 10 pence for the fare.
As soon as Altair reached the bar entrance, he heard lively sounds coming from inside.
Pushing open Chen Zhong's door and stepping inside, she was almost overwhelmed by the sweltering heat, the smell of alcohol, and the stench of Han people.
When Altair entered the "Evil Dragon Bar," she attracted the attention of some people. The men around her would whistle and wink at her whenever they saw her.
She ignored them and, after bypassing the central boxing ring, saw several billiard rooms.
After a few quick glances, Altair spotted Swain, a burly, blue-eyed old man wearing a worn-out naval officer's coat.
Upon approaching, Altair spoke:
"I heard there's a market for people interested in the occult here. Could you tell me how to get in?"
After hearing someone speak to him, Swain turned around, looked at the person in front of him, and asked curiously, "There is indeed such a trading market, but who introduced you here?"
"Amos, Amos Clayton," Altair hadn't expected that she would need an introducer to enter the market, so she could only give the old butler's youngest son's name, hoping it would be helpful.
After hearing the introducer's name, Swain nodded and said to Altair, "Come with me."
After walking a few steps, Swain stopped behind a pool table, opened a hidden door, and gestured for Altair to go in.
But before going in, he added:
"If you see something you like but don't have enough money, you can borrow it from me without paying extra interest."
After listening to his words, Altair asked curiously, "It seems the name Amos Clayton is quite effective with you, since you don't even need to pay interest."
"It would be more useful if you applied to Sheffield," Swain replied expressionlessly.
Altair thought for a moment, then nodded and went straight into the secret door.
After walking through several rooms, she finally arrived at her destination, a huge indoor space where many people had set up stalls piled high with all sorts of bottles and jars. Some people were walking between the stalls, while others were standing or half-squatting, negotiating deals.
After calming herself down, she walked through stall after stall until she finally found Merchant selling medicinal herbs.
As Altair approached, the stall owner, dressed in a dark coat and dark trousers, asked, "Miss, what materials would you like to buy?"
"Moon Flower, Night Fragrant Grass, Night Glazed Grass, Moon Lily... chamomile..." Altair rattled off all the items he needed, as if reciting a menu.
The Merchant was briefly taken aback upon hearing the name of the medicine she mentioned, then quickly began packing it up. Once everything was packed, he announced the final price, "Madam, I'll give you a discount; you only need to pay me £6."
"Okay." After saying that, Altair took out 6 pounds from his pouch, handed it to Merchant herbalist, and took the paper bag he offered.