Deliberation

"Ah?!!"

Elan seemed to realize Fran had no idea about any of this. He sighed and said:

"Ever since the Pharmacist Association, an organization that had existed in the City of Apprentices for who knew how many years, collapsed, apothecaries returned to the age of freedom they'd known long ago."

"But they soon realized that this freedom wasn't what they'd imagined. They'd just thought the Pharmacist Association was inexplicably taking a cut of their earnings."

"Only after apothecaries went independent en masse did they realize that while materials weren't hard to find, finding high-quality materials at low prices was."

"In the past, it was the Pharmacist Association's well-established material purchasing system that allowed apothecaries in the City of Apprentices to get materials at such low prices."

Elan continued:

"Now material prices are two to three times what they were before, and the apothecaries just can't take it anymore."

"On top of that, quite a few apothecaries opened shops of their own and tried selling potions independently, only to find that unless they sold at a loss, they couldn't sell anything."

"So now a lot of apothecaries are banding together, organizing groups to purchase materials and sell potions. They've had decent results, which gave them the idea of setting up another association."

Fran really was hearing about this for the first time. When she heard that the apothecaries planned to form another association, she fell into thought as well.

Fundamentally, the old association hadn't treated the apothecaries too badly. The problem was that the embezzlement scandal had come to light, leaving the association short on funds.

The apothecaries didn't trust that the association still had enough money to provide them with services. And the association had changed its prices, sharply raising its sale prices and taking a large share of the profits, which also made the apothecaries unhappy.

From the apothecaries' point of view, I'm the one who processes the materials, and I'm the one who brews the potions. What gives you the right to take so much of the profit?

So even though they knew the association had been forced to raise prices, they were still unhappy. Besides, the association hadn't brought this situation on itself—what did it have to do with them? Had the association ever shared its cut with them?

For all they knew, the apothecaries not only didn't regret the current surge in material prices, but were delighted at the thought of forming their own association and someday taking a cut from their colleagues.

"So? What does that have to do with us?"

Fran couldn't figure out why Elan had brought this up. Weren't they fine just selling a few smuggled goods through the association? Now that the association had collapsed, they'd have to consider their costs before selling anything.

So even though her Pharmacy skill was close to advancing to the next level, Fran wasn't very enthusiastic about it. She only brewed two bottles a day, using up the materials first.

Material prices were simply too high now. If she really started brewing in earnest, she might lose a little money. After earning so much from potions, she found that absolutely intolerable, so she decided to wait until things settled down before grinding Pharmacy.

Elan smiled and said:

"Other people can set up an association. Why can't we? Don't you have a lot of 'friends'? We can get them together and start an association. No matter what, we'll make a profit."

Elan's idea was that everyone was setting up associations now, so he could start one too. Not only were the friends behind Fran highly skilled, capable of brewing so many Energy Potions, but he also had the Apprentice Market's distribution channels, which were far better than those of the other fly-by-night associations.

If they joined forces, they had a good chance of winning the final "battle royale." Even if they didn't win, they could still sell the association off, just as they'd turned their strategic value into profit before, and get a handsome price for it.

But Fran broke into a sweat and hurriedly said:

"Um... I think you're too late... My friends seem to have already joined other associations."

Where would Fran get so many "friends"? She'd made them all up. And the only reason she could make so many Energy Potions was that she was the one brewing them.

If they really wanted to start an association, they'd need to offer all kinds of potions. Fran was fast and precise at brewing, but just gathering the materials for every type of potion would take up most of her time.

There was the processing and preservation of medicinal herbs, and some would expire or rot and need to be cleared out regularly. This wasn't something they could solve just by hiring someone. The management alone would be a huge problem.

"I see..."

Elan hadn't expected that answer, but it made sense to him. He could accept it. Those apothecaries wouldn't just sit idle; even if they'd just made a fortune from Energy Potions, they still wanted more money, and there was nothing he could do to stop them.

Elan let out a long sigh. It was just a matter of timing. If Fran had come to him the day after the association collapsed, they might have had time to make preparations. Now it was already a little late.

Still, he knew Fran was busy trying to advance to Formal Mage, so all he could do was lament their bad luck.

"Fine, then. We'll stick to our old method."

Elan turned around and knocked on a recessed spot in the wall. A small opening appeared, and he took several sheets of paper out of it.

"What's this?"

Fran didn't understand what Elan was doing. Stick to their old method? They'd made so much before because the association had set high prices. Once the associations got established, could they really sell their smuggled goods for less than everyone else?

Elan seemed to understand Fran's confusion. He handed her the papers and explained with a smile:

"These are orders from Antir."

"Orders?"

"Right, orders. The territorial nobles in Antir are busy preparing for war, and stocking up on potions is an important part of that."

"I used my connections to intercept these orders, so we can launch our new business model."

Fran was still confused. What did any of this have to do with anything? Just explain how they were supposed to do it!

Fran glanced over the orders and saw that the two lists called for a very limited range of potions, and they were ones she'd brewed before.

"Healing Potions, Strength Potions..."

"For those territorial nobles, these simple things are what they need most. Healing Potions can treat their knights' wounds, while Strength Potions can help the young men heading to the battlefield for the first time."

"And because the journey is long, and the balance won't be paid until the goods arrive, the price per potion on these orders is very high. It's not as high as it was for Energy Potions, but we can still make a lot."

"I'm sure your friends won't pass up this chance to make money. After all, my price is much higher than what the other associations are offering."

Elan finished explaining everything in one breath, then stood still, waiting for Fran's response.

Fran looked at the quantity on the orders and the agreed-upon payment, checked the deadlines, and decided she could finish them.

"All right, I'll take them. But you'll have to help me get the materials."

Elan replied:

"Sure. Then let's discuss the split per bottle. Different kinds of potions will have different splits."