Chapter 60 - 59: Hostile Takeover

Chapter 60: Chapter 59: Hostile Takeover

"Alright. Once Mage Seda returns, I will pass on your message to him."

By Nature, Gaode had no intention of selling the Medicinal Garden, especially since Mage Seda was already gone. However, given the circumstances, he couldn’t think of a better countermeasure and could only resort to stalling.

"Before he left, he mentioned that his research on Magic Potion formulas had been stalled for a long time. He decided to take a break and return to his hometown to visit his relatives. I don’t know when he’ll be back," Gaode explained.

Hearing this, Oliver’s expression shifted. Gaode noticed the subtle change. His heart tightened, but he continued to act as if nothing was wrong. "I have mastered all of Mage Seda’s Magic Potion knowledge. That is why he temporarily left the Medicinal Garden in my care until his return."

Oliver’s eyes suddenly lit up at those words, though a hint of suspicion remained. "Are you saying you have mastered all of Mage Seda’s Magic Potion knowledge?"

It was obvious he had his reservations about this claim, remaining half-skeptical. After all, Gaode simply looked far too young.

Gaode nodded with absolute certainty. "Mage Seda has already taught me both the Basic Spider Venom Potion and the Basic Endurance Potion. I have mastered them completely."

"If that is truly the case, we would be more than willing to hire you as an Alchemist for our store," Oliver said with a chuckle. "Furthermore, if Mage Seda does not return anytime soon, it wouldn’t be impossible for you to make certain decisions."

He put on a show of looking around the Medicinal Garden before holding up two fingers on his right hand. "Two hundred Gold Coins. I am willing to offer two hundred Gold Coins to purchase your Medicinal Garden."

Hearing this price, Gaode gritted his teeth in hidden resentment. Setting everything else aside, when Mage Seda first acquired this Medicinal Garden, the cost alone was far more than two hundred Gold Coins—not to mention the various renovations and constructions that followed. Add in the four meticulously cultivated fields that now yielded a stable harvest, and even doubling that two hundred Gold Coins wouldn’t be an overstatement.

"The Mage only asked me to manage the Medicinal Garden temporarily. How could I dare to make such a decision without authorization? It would be best to wait for Mage Seda to return before we settle this." Despite the bitter anger in his heart, Gaode maintained a polite, smiling facade.

"True enough," Oliver replied dismissively. "However, opportunities like this have a time limit. I am in quite a hurry and cannot give you too much time. You should think it over carefully.

"I believe that even if Mage Seda returns, he will understand your decision. After all, being able to join Phil’s Magic Pharmacy is the ultimate privilege."

Leaving behind those words with a chuckle, Oliver waved his hand, boarded the carriage parked beneath a nearby tree, and left at a leisurely pace.

"What a two-faced hypocrite," Gaode cursed inwardly after seeing Oliver’s group off.

For a brief moment earlier, he had a clear Detection of the malicious intent Oliver emitted. That was exactly why he had taken the initiative to reveal that he had inherited all of Mage Seda’s Magic Potion knowledge. It was both a display of his own worth and a strategy to stall the other party. Only by proving his value could he make them think twice before acting. However, it was hard to say how long this hesitation would last or how effective it would be.

"Gaode, what do we do?" Amy, who had witnessed the entire exchange from the sidelines, couldn’t maintain Gaode’s level of calm. He had been completely panicked the whole time, only forcing himself to keep it together in front of outsiders. Now that Oliver and his men were gone, he could no longer hold it in and blurted out in a panic, "Mage Seda is already—" ℴ

"Don’t tell anyone else about this for now. Let me think," Gaode interrupted, knowing exactly what Amy meant.

Meanwhile, on the second floor of Phil’s Magic Pharmacy.

A long mahogany table divided the room into two spaces. Behind the table sat a man radiating authority. He had deep-set eyes, slightly pronounced brow bones, and a neatly trimmed beard. He wore a custom-made robe tailored from an Advanced deep purple fabric, with an obscure crest embroidered on the chest. He was clearly a man of exceptionally high status.

Oliver, the manager of the Magic Pharmacy, stood respectfully before the long table. He showed absolutely none of the smug arrogance he had displayed at the Seda Medicinal Garden earlier that day.

"Baron, today I visited the Seda Medicinal Garden and the Iberian Herb Garden on the outskirts of the city. The Iberian Herb Garden has already agreed to sell their property to me. As for the Seda Medicinal Garden, the situation is a bit more complicated."

"How so?" the man addressed as the Baron asked.

"When I went there, I didn’t see their master, Mage Seda. According to the apprentices in the Medicinal Garden, he had returned to his hometown to visit relatives.

"However, I suspect that Mage Seda didn’t actually return home, but died of old age, and that group of apprentices simply covered it up.

"Mage Seda was already quite old. The last time he came to the store to pick up Spirit Communication Bone Powder, I received him personally. At that time, his complexion was incredibly ashen. He looked like a man on the brink of death.

"Furthermore, Mage Seda has spent the last ten years researching his High Tier Magic Potion. He poured untold amounts of money and energy into it. He had long since gone mad with obsession, vowing never to stop until he succeeded. How could someone like that suddenly pause his research to visit relatives?

"Besides, for an Elder Mage who has lived as a recluse for ten years, it’s hard to say if he even has any living family left. Who would believe he went to visit relatives?

"And speaking of this visit, I sent someone to ask at the city’s posthouse. There are no records of Mage Seda renting a horse from either the posthouse or the carriage company. Given his advanced age, how could he possibly travel far without renting a horse or a carriage? Could he walk there? Does he even have the strength for that?

"Nine times out of ten, it’s exactly as I said: he died of old age in the Medicinal Garden. The apprentices just had the absolute audacity to try and create the illusion that the Elder Mage is still alive so they can continue running his property.

"I must admit, if you hadn’t instructed me to start acquiring the Medicinal Gardens in the city, I really wouldn’t have noticed the Seda Medicinal Garden. They almost got away with it.

"I went today to scout out the situation. If I could confirm the Elder Mage was dead, I planned to simply fabricate some charges against those apprentices, throw them in prison for a while, and seize the masterless Medicinal Garden. A bunch of apprentices born as nothing more than beggars are completely at my mercy."

"Then why didn’t you make a move?" the authoritative man seated behind the long table finally asked after listening for a good while.

"There was a slight unexpected development. One of the apprentices at the Medicinal Garden claimed to have inherited all of the Elder Mage’s Magic Potion knowledge.

"That apprentice looks exceedingly young, probably only thirteen or fourteen. If what he says is true, I see immense potential in nurturing him. That is why I temporarily shelved my plan and decided to observe a bit longer.

"A talent like that should join Phil’s Magic Pharmacy to brew Potions for us. With his age and his talent in the field of Magic Potions, there’s no telling how much money he could make us in the future.

"To throw him in prison over a small sum of money would be a bit short-sighted. Therefore, I thought it would be better to acquire their Medicinal Garden in a more peaceful manner."

"Put that way..." The authoritative man lightly tapped his knuckles against the tabletop. "You are not wrong. Get this done as quickly as possible, and do not make any mistakes, otherwise..."

"Rest assured, Baron. I will handle this matter perfectly," Oliver promised. "It won’t be long before he agrees to sell the Medicinal Garden to me and becomes an Alchemist for our pharmacy."