No wonder Granger always says these black-hearted merchants are each more troublesome than the last. They claim they're retaliating against those who slandered them, yet offer such dignified reasons, as if they're truly worried about the reputation of the Alchemist Guild.
"Wait a minute..." Bartholomew stood there, dumbfounded for a long time, then suddenly realized something was off. No, no, no, this isn't just a simple provocation—this could be a hint.
With that thought, Bartholomew's eyes suddenly lit up.
That's right, it's most likely a hint—a hint that the Alchemist Guild ought to give the Gilded Rose an explanation.
If it were anyone else, Bartholomew would have spat right in their face. The Alchemist Guild's business, and you want an explanation for your Gilded Rose? Do you even know your own place?
But now...
Bartholomew didn't spit at all. In fact, he nearly burst out laughing.
Earlier, that Mage Merlin may have refused the Ashen Tower's offer to study, but he also made it clear that the alchemical formula could be offered in exchange.
In other words, Mage Merlin isn't unwilling to make the trade—he's just not satisfied with the terms offered.
Business is always about negotiation.
As long as the exchange isn't completely refused, I can always find another way.
What, you say Mage Merlin isn't satisfied with the terms? That's easy—just change the terms! Keep changing them until Mage Merlin is happy!
Maybe, once I swap out the alchemy formula, President Lance will be so pleased that the opportunity to study at the Ashen Tower will land right in my lap.
Now the only problem is, how do I make Mage Merlin satisfied...
But it seems like there's an opportunity right now...
The more Bartholomew thought about it, the more excited he became. For the moment, he couldn't even bother to greet his colleagues—instead, he grabbed the draft paper off the table and left the conference room straight away.
Once out of the conference room, Bartholomew tried to suppress his excitement as he hurried toward President Lance's study. Usually, at this time, President Lance would be in his study reading or receiving guests. If he went now, he should have enough time to report his discovery.
But halfway there, Bartholomew's steps gradually slowed...
Because Bartholomew suddenly remembered Mage Merlin's last words. He was convinced it was a hint, but in truth, Merlin hadn't said anything concrete. If he rashly reported everything to President Lance and things went smoothly, that would be ideal. But if something went wrong and President Lance didn't get the alchemy formula, then he would be in real trouble...
At that point, forget about going to the Ashen Tower this time—he might never get another chance for the rest of his life.