"Perfume? Cosmetics? Designer handbags?" Jiang Jie's eyes lit up.
Right, why didn't I think of that?
This world's cosmetics industry was far too backward. It had yet to develop a vast industrial chain, and everyone was using ancient formulas they had figured out themselves. Poor results aside, many cosmetics were even poisonous. Use them long enough, and instead of making you beautiful, they would disfigure you!
The only people truly capable of researching and preparing effective cosmetics were alchemists.
But alchemy was a prestigious profession everywhere. A high-ranking alchemist received treatment no worse than a high-ranking mage. Every alchemist had more work than they could finish. Who had time to research cosmetics?
It was easy to imagine that a cosmetic product, or a whole line of them, with excellent results would surely win the hearts of noblewomen and noble young ladies, earning chests upon chests of gold!
As for how to make them, that was even less of a problem.
The AI Xiao Feng's hard drive stored all kinds of cutting-edge knowledge from the Galactic Federation, including a complete collection of manufacturing methods for tens of thousands of designer cosmetics.
Materials were no problem either. The gaming pod could scan this world's materials directly to analyze their composition, then run its own calculations. Naturally, it could calculate the optimal proportions of ingredients.
It was just too much trouble!
Of course, ordinary pearl powder was good too. Mixed with honey, it could even make the simplest of face masks. But although these methods were novel in this world, they were actually pointless, because this world had no copyright. Once people knew the method, what would they need you for? They could just make it themselves.
"Making finished products to sell isn't practical, but if I sell the formulas directly to merchants..." The corners of Jiang Jie's mouth lifted slightly.
That was a good idea!
He did not have that much time to waste on all this miscellaneous business. The best approach was to exchange formulas directly for gold.
Of course, cosmetics and such were women's favorites. Jiang Jie had no interest in them.
Xiao Feng had gotten one thing wrong:
The easiest money to make in this world was definitely not women's money.
It was money from class professionals!
Especially...
Mage lords' money!
Because they really were very, very rich! The kind that made rogues want to Sap them and pick their pockets on sight, warriors want to Charge them and rob them, and hunters want to unleash a hundred pets to gang up on them and vent! (No offense to any class, but mages really are an aristocratic class. I've played mages, rogues, paladins, warriors, druids, hunters, priests... all of them.)
After lunch, Jiang Jie stopped the little maid as she was about to leave, then tactfully expressed his wish to visit the Trade District.
The little maid immediately bristled!
"Nicholas, are you going to waste money again? What happened to the ten bottles of mana potion I bought you yesterday? You used them all? You weren't drinking them like water, were you? Do you have any idea what ten gold coins mean? A commoner in Darrowshire can work an entire year without earning ten gold coins!" The little maid's eyes widened, her hands planted on her hips, her stance declaring, "You're not leaving through that door until you explain yourself."
Jiang Jie really did not know much about prices or living standards in this world. After all, this body of his was only fifteen years old, and he was a member of the Barov Family. Although he was only an ordinary member, his household was still wealthy, wealthier than ordinary commoners...
"Trust me, I'm not buying mana potions this time. I'm going to buy herbs!" Jiang Jie hurriedly waved his hands and explained.
"Herbs? Who are you trying to fool? What do you need herbs for? To brew potions yourself? Who would believe that? Do you think brewing potions is easy? Do you know how hard it is to become an apothecary? No, you can't keep wasting money!" The little maid refused to let him go.
"Well, Daphne, I'm actually an apprentice alchemist. Back when I was in Andorhal, I studied alchemy under an old alchemist. The mana potions I asked you to buy were for testing. Now I've completely figured out how to brew mana potions! Let's go buy herbs,
and I'll brew mana potions to sell to mages, then pay you back with the money!" Jiang Jie said gently. Of course, he was no apprentice alchemist, but he really was going to buy herbs to brew mana potions!
In fact, the gaming pod had already analyzed the active ingredients and proportions in the mana potions. Next, it only needed to scan and analyze various herbs to determine which ones were needed and in what proportions.
How difficult did you think alchemy in this world was?
It was difficult because the overall standard was low to begin with!
Think about alchemy in the medieval West. It looked mysterious and complicated, but to put it plainly, wasn't that simply because knowledge and technology were limited, and sophisticated analytical and testing capabilities were lacking? Besides, everyone did their own thing. Every alchemist shut themselves away in a little dark room to do research, and no matter how terrible the results were, they let no one else know. Progress really was slow!
Mana potions were not precious potions to begin with, and brewing them would not be very difficult. There were only a few main ingredients. All he had to do was process the materials according to the steps and dosages. As long as he made no mistakes, there would be no problem!
Wasn't it just a matter of the order of chemical reactions? They taught that in secondary-school chemistry!
Strictly speaking, this world's alchemical apparatus was not even as good as the equipment in a secondary-school chemistry lab. It was terribly crude!
"Little brother, are you sure you're not lying to me?" The little maid looked skeptical.
"I swear by the Holy Light!" Jiang Jie declared with utmost solemnity.
Lordaeron, and indeed all the human kingdoms, believed in the Holy Light... It was a universal faith, including among mages and rogues. Make no mistake about that!
After the Troll Wars an unknown number of years ago, certain people in Lordaeron-whether through fantasy or dreams, who knew-had somehow sensed the tangram-shaped "Naaru" somewhere out among the stars. And who knew how shortsighted they had been, but they had actually imagined those tangrams as angels, thus beginning the faith in the Holy Light.
It had started with priests, then spread to the common people, and now there was the additional class of paladin.
By now, at least a thousand years had passed!
The Holy Light had become humanity's universal faith, and could even be called its sole supreme faith. Like the high elves' faith in arcane energy or the goblins' faith in money, it could not be violated.
That made swearing by the Holy Light very effective!
Of course, for Jiang Jie, who knew the truth, those Naaru that were subjected to all kinds of enslavement and mana draining really were nothing to revere or believe in. Someday, when he had nothing else to do, he could get one to play with. Thus, his oath imposed no psychological pressure or restraint on him whatsoever.
"All right, I believe you." An oath by the Holy Light was still very effective, and the little maid finally relented and let him go.
Soon, they arrived in the Trade District.
Lordaeron's Trade District was bustling.
Although Lordaeron was smaller than Stormwind City and lacked its majestic, imposing, unyielding walls, at present it was still the most prosperous place in the human world. Lordaeron's trade far outstripped Stormwind City's.
Dwarves and gnomes were even frequently seen here, and sometimes one could spot the less welcome high elves and half-elves.
Considering that they had only twelve gold coins in their pockets-not a small sum, but not a large one either-Jiang Jie and the little maid did not wander around. They went straight to an herb shop.