Chapter 69 - 68: Absconding with the Money

Chapter 69: Chapter 68: Absconding with the Money

The coin pouch was made of dark brown leather. Its surface had been meticulously polished, and its edges were reinforced with exquisite linen thread. The opening was secured with a sturdy design using threaded ropes. The knot was intricate yet ingeniously designed—easy for the owner to open quickly, but difficult for outsiders to untie, thereby ensuring the safety of the Gold Coins inside. The pouch itself was likely worth quite a few Silver Coins.

Gaode quickly picked up the pouch and untied the opening, revealing a lining of soft wool fabric inside. This design was meant to reduce the clinking sound of the Gold Coins colliding, while also protecting the coins from scratches or corrosion. Hundreds of Sean Gold Coins lay quietly within the pouch, their glittering gold making Gaode’s eyes light up. Their heavy weight was particularly reassuring.

"Three hundred Sean Gold Coins. Count them carefully. Don’t come back later saying the amount is short, because I won’t acknowledge it," Oliver said calmly.

Gaode gave a sheepish smile. "How could I not trust you?"

He poured the Gold Coins out of the pouch, carefully counted them twice, and then put them back in. Stuffing the pouch into his pocket, Gaode took out the Secret Technique Box he had prepared earlier and handed it to Oliver. "The item you wanted."

Oliver’s eyes lit up slightly. He took the Secret Technique Box, then forcefully pried at it with his right hand, attempting to open it—just like Gaode had done before, knowing full well it wouldn’t open, but still wanting to try. After confirming that the Secret Technique Box couldn’t be opened, Oliver gave up and gently shook it. A RUSTLE came from inside the Secret Technique Box, like the sound of fine sand slipping.

Listening to the sounds from the Secret Technique Box and weighing it in his hand, Oliver revealed a satisfied smile. Based on his experience, he could already confirm that the Secret Technique Box contained quite a few sheets of paper. Clearly, it was more than just the land and property deeds. And for an Alchemist, what other papers could he possibly hide in a Secret Technique Box besides the deeds to the Medicinal Garden?

With the signing of the transfer contract and the employment contract, the "watchers" who had been loitering outside the Seda Medicinal Garden finally disappeared. Next came a series of transfer procedures. Of course, for Oliver, the most important thing was to open the Secret Technique Box and take out the land and property deeds inside. In any case, this would still take a few days.

However, this didn’t affect the apprentices in the Medicinal Garden from continuing their work; in fact, they worked even harder. After all, they had just gotten a new boss and needed to prove themselves. Naturally, they also continued to maintain their respect for Gaode, even though he was no longer the Master of the Medicine Garden. But everyone also knew that Gaode had already been hired by Phil’s Magic Pharmacy as an Alchemist—a status clearly a First Class above theirs. Whether out of sentiment or reason, their attitude toward Gaode wouldn’t change in the slightest.

Flame Flower Moon, the 25th.

Phil’s Magic Pharmacy, second floor.

Oliver, dressed in a dark silk robe, hurried back to his room with a Magic Scroll in his hand, his eyes gleaming. After closing the door, he bent down and took out a beautifully carved wooden box from the cabinet under the table. Operating a Magic Pharmacy as large as Phil’s Magic Pharmacy, there was no reason Oliver wouldn’t possess the same knowledge that Pierre did. Therefore, on the very first day he learned of the Secret Technique Box’s existence from Gaode, he had already sent someone to Bremen City to purchase a Tapping Technique Magic Scroll.

Now, seven days had passed, and the Tapping Technique Magic Scroll was finally in his hands.

Placing the Secret Technique Box on the table, Oliver rubbed his hands together with considerable excitement, then opened the Magic Scroll. After a burst of Magic fluctuation, the Scroll turned to ashes and disappeared. The Secret Technique Box was successfully unsealed for a second time.

Excitedly, Oliver picked up the Secret Technique Box and gave it a gentle push. The box, which had previously remained motionless no matter how much force was applied, opened just like that. What met his eyes was a box full of paper pages, exactly as he had expected...

"Huh?" His fleeting joy vanished before it could even fully surface. Frowning, Oliver took out the topmost sheet of paper from inside:

"Name: Seda Medicinal Garden

"Personnel: 8

"Fixed Assets: One Medicinal Garden, four medicine fields (producing Snake Tooth Grass, Mountain Wormwood, High Mountain Iron Wood Root, and Fiery Sun Fruit, respectively)

"Cash on Hand: 8 Copper Coins

"Fixed Expenses: 4-5 Silver Coins/day (Living expenses)

"Income: 15-20 Silver Coins/day (Fixed output of Basic Spider Venom Potion), unpredictable non-fixed income temporarily excluded

"Non-fixed Expenses: Herb seedlings, fertilizer, materials required for ’Nutrient Earth’ formulation..."

As his gaze swept over the contents on the paper, Oliver’s expression froze. "What is... this?"

Still somewhat in disbelief, he blankly set this page aside and took out the second sheet from the Secret Technique Box. Then the third sheet, the fourth sheet...

Finally, Oliver stopped taking out the pages one by one. He grabbed the box and flung it hard, instantly scattering all the papers inside and sending them fluttering around the room.

What property deeds, land deeds, and the incomplete One Tier Magic Potion recipe he had envisioned... Nothing. There was absolutely nothing! It was just a pile of waste paper!

"Gaode! Gaode!"

Oliver’s gnashing, furious voice echoed within the room.

Meanwhile, Amy, much like Oliver, was staring blankly at a note in a daze. After finishing his meal and returning to his room, he found this note and five Sean Gold Coins gleaming with a faint golden light left on his table.

The note had been left by Gaode. The contents were very simple, merely telling him that Hogan City was not a place to stay for long. Gaode had left him a sum for travel expenses, advising that if Amy trusted him, he should find a way to leave as soon as possible.

After being stunned for a moment, Amy suddenly snapped to his senses. He abruptly grabbed the note, ran out of the house, and rushed toward Gaode’s room. The door wasn’t locked; it swung open with a push. However, upon looking inside, there was no sign of Gaode anywhere.

Amy closed the door again, dashed out of the Medicinal Garden, and looked around in all directions at the entrance. Everywhere he looked, roads extended in all directions—either vast and empty or leading into lush green mountain forests. Beyond this small Medicinal Garden, the world was so vast. Who could possibly know which direction Gaode, a man with no relatives or friends, had gone?

Amy stood frozen in place, utterly crestfallen, lost in his own thoughts. After standing motionless for a long time, he seemed to finally recover his wits. With a soft sigh, Amy murmured to the empty air, "I hope you take good care of yourself!"

Then, he turned and walked back toward the Medicinal Garden, his lonely silhouette quickly vanishing into the shadows.

A small merchant caravan consisting of over a dozen horse-drawn carriages was departing from the city.

Ever since the coal veins in the Nottingham coal mines had dried up, Hogan City had to purchase its required coal from other regions. Because of this, many small merchant caravans specialized in purchasing coal and transporting it to Hogan City for resale had sprung up. This caravan was precisely in that line of business.

Gaode was currently sitting on one of the somewhat empty carriages. The carriage was originally used to carry coal, but since the coal had already been unloaded in Hogan City, it was naturally empty on the return trip. Therefore, after some haggling, Gaode only paid fifteen Silver Coins to get the caravan leader to agree to give him a ride.

This cargo-transporting carriage was not clean; it was covered in coal dust left behind by the cargo. Furthermore, the ride was quite bumpy and far from comfortable. However, because it was a cargo carriage, the two horses pulling it were in their prime and ran vigorously. The overall number of people in the caravan wasn’t large; they were all simple folks earning hard-earned money. The driver of his carriage was a dark, thin, and reticent middle-aged man. Aside from exchanging a couple of words with Gaode when boarding, he hardly opened his mouth again. This left Gaode feeling very satisfied.

Sitting on the carriage, a cool breeze brushed against his face.

He thought, "This is a caravan I found at the last minute. Before today, even I didn’t know which caravan I would follow to leave. So no matter how resourceful Oliver is, he definitely won’t be able to find out how I left."

Gaode touched the pouch that he had carefully placed over his chest. Listening to the continuous CREAK CREAK of the wooden wheels rolling over the ground, he felt exceptionally at ease.

In this world, the outside of the city was extremely dangerous. Even the official roads built and maintained by the authorities were not necessarily safe. Ferocious beasts and even Earth Vein Creatures would frequently dart out. Therefore, most commoners generally wouldn’t easily leave their cities. Even if they did, they mostly traveled in groups.

Although Gaode was a Mage Apprentice, it didn’t mean he was unafraid of the dangers in the wilderness. More importantly, he was not familiar with the roads. Although his name was Gaode, it didn’t mean he wouldn’t actually get lost. Thus, leaving the city by following a caravan that was extremely familiar with the official roads around Hogan City and had enough people to look out for each other was absolutely the best choice at present.

As the caravan traveled further and further away, looking at the silhouette of Hogan City gradually fading over the horizon, Gaode said silently in his heart, "Goodbye, Hogan City!"