Potion Supplier

Father had been gone for quite some time, yet Kraun still sat upright in his chair.

His heaving chest showed that his heart was far from calm.

One hundred and eight Gold Shields in exchange for an uncertain promise. He knew he should not place his hopes in someone else's character, but he wanted to take a gamble.

Make money, go all in!

If he won, he would step through the gates of the Mystic world. If he lost, his Marksmanship skill was no joke either.

If he plotted carefully enough to get revenge, he would always find an opportunity!

Perhaps the Golden Wall had given him confidence. Without realizing it, the cowardice in Kraun's personality, from both this life and his previous one, gradually faded away, replaced by decisive boldness.

On the eastern side of town, the steam engines at the Quarry roared deafeningly.

Basalt was produced here. The townspeople mined the raw stone, then ground and polished it into exquisite flooring or carved it into various objects.

Quarrying was one of Zack Town's pillar industries, supporting more than half the town's population.

Riding a rented mule, Kraun passed through the noisy Quarry and continued eastward.

Along the way, he occasionally encountered Steam Locomotives hauling cargo.

After crossing a hill, he arrived at a gentle slope.

There were two ranches and a slaughterhouse here.

Around a quarter of Rhine City's supply of pork, beef, mutton, and other meats came from here.

Kraun's true major clients were all concentrated along this slope.

As an Herbalist, he mainly served animals. In a sense, Kraun was more like a veterinarian.

For example, the pink Potion Old Moya supplied to Yalu and the others was a diluted version of a Potion used on breeding horses and pigs. He needed to recalculate the proper dosage for humans.

With the memories he had retained, his current Herbalism level was no lower than his father's. His skill in brewing Potions even far surpassed his father's.

Another effect of proficiency was that once he succeeded at something, the lowest level he could achieve next time would match the highest level he had achieved before.

People were emotional creatures, and their condition always fluctuated, but his condition would remain at that peak.

It was as if he was always in his former best condition. That was terrifying.

Kraun arrived at the gate of a ranch, dismounted from his mule, tied it to a wooden post nearby, and called for the ranch owner.

"Mr. Ronnie, it's Kraun. Please open the gate."

The iron gate tangled with thorns was soon opened, and a tall, burly middle-aged man with a red beard and a square face stepped out.

The man spread his arms and gave Kraun a bear hug. "I offer my deepest condolences for what happened to your family."

After squeezing him tightly a few times, the man placed both hands on Kraun's shoulders and carefully examined his complexion. "You look strong. It seems you've already emerged from your grief."

"The departed have returned to the embrace of the Lord of Flame, while the living must face this world. I chose to face it with a smile."

"Good. The first time I dealt with your father was over twenty years ago. You hadn't even been born then. If you need help with anything, come find your Uncle Ronnie."

Kraun smiled shyly. "Thank you. I've discovered that I have quite a talent for making Potions. Uncle, could I continue supplying Potions to your ranch?"

An awkward expression flashed across Ronnie's face. Rather than answer directly, he pulled Kraun into a building inside the ranch.

"Wait here for a while. Caloven needs me, so I have to go check on him."

Kraun had come here many times with his father. He knew that Caloven was a brown stallion with a golden mane, the most valuable property on Ronnie's ranch.

He was a fine breeding stallion with mixed Morgan blood.

It was said that even the viscount of Rhine City had used Caloven to breed the mares of his family.

Ronnie's excuse was within Kraun's expectations. The previous Kraun had been dull by nature and had never displayed exceptional talent in Herbalism.

Herbalists were like traditional Chinese physicians from his previous life—the older they were, the more valuable they became.

Based on the previous Kraun's performance, it was impossible for him to earn Ronnie's regard.

Now that Kraun had opened his mouth and asked to continue supplying the ranch with Potions, Ronnie naturally wanted to avoid the matter.

Kraun immediately stood and grabbed Ronnie's arm. The middle-aged man's expression instantly turned cold.

As if he had not seen the chill in the other man's eyes, he placed his wooden case on the table and said, "Uncle, why not examine my Potions before we discuss cooperation? If they don't work, I won't pester you. I'll leave immediately."

Since he had put it that way, Ronnie did not leave, but the distrust in his eyes remained intense.

He still did not believe that a young man in his twenties could reach his father's level in Herbalism.

If he had not truly been on good terms with Kraun's father, he would probably have thrown him out already.

The Potions Kraun brought came in three kinds. The first treated dysentery, the second treated bloating, and the third increased a breeding stallion's interest.

They were all standard Potions at ranches. In a sense, they were fast-moving goods.

After dilution, these Potions could also be used on humans, but the dosage had to be handled with great care.

Opening the wooden case, Kraun took out one vial of each Potion and handed them to Ronnie.

The man accepted the Potions, shook them a few times, and held them close to inspect them carefully.

"Eh?" he exclaimed in surprise.

Judging from their color, these Potions were not inferior to Kraun's father's work in the slightest. They were even somewhat better.

Ronnie narrowed his eyes. "Did you really make these? They weren't left behind by your father, were they?"

"If I didn't make them, how many times could I possibly keep it hidden?"

The man nodded, accepting the explanation. "I'll test their effects. If they can match your father's Potions, I agree to continue our cooperation at the same price as before."

Old Moya had been the only Herbalist in town. If Ronnie could not purchase from Little Claun, he would have to buy from traveling merchants or Pharmacists in Rhine City, which would increase the cost considerably.

"Of course."

Sensing Kraun's confidence, Ronnie nodded. "If the Potions are good, I'll purchase from you long-term."

The two of them went together to test the Potions on animals.

An hour and a half later, Ronnie watched Caloven toil atop a mare for nearly an hour. Then he looked at the foal that was no longer bloated and the sheepdog whose stool was clearly no longer so watery, nodding repeatedly.

He generously took a batch of Potions from Kraun and placed an order as well.

The two parted on good terms, and Kraun mounted his mule and headed for the next ranch.

Using the same method, he obtained the right to supply Potions from Mr. Lockent without any surprises.

Kraun bade Lockent farewell. "I'll come once a week from now on. If there's an emergency, sir, you can also send someone to find me in town."

Lockent patted him on the back and nodded. "Understood. Seeing you like this now, Old Moya must be very gratified. He has someone to carry on his legacy."

"Sir, I found that several more turkeys are missing from the chicken farm."

A fat woman came running out of the ranch in a panic, shouting from far away.

"Damn chicken thief! Don't let me catch you!"

Lockent cursed, then turned back. "Sorry, I need to deal with the chicken farm first."

"Goodbye, sir." Kraun swung himself onto the mule and left.