"Looks like we'll have to keep that cousin around for a few more days..." Leon smiled, instructing the household servants to take good care of the cousin before heading out with Perry, the old butler, to the Gilded Rose.
Recently, the Gilded Rose has grown at a staggering pace. In just ten days, Perry managed to open thirteen new branches, spreading the Gilded Rose to every corner of Seaview City. Yet, most people refer to the branches by their street names—Lion King Street Gilded Rose, Charlie Street Gilded Rose. Only the one on Triumph Avenue is simply called the Gilded Rose.
Now, the Gilded Rose has become a behemoth on Triumph Avenue, occupying an entire street. In terms of scale, it's already on par with the Sage's Spire across the way.
Still, neither Perry nor Leon thought it wise to sell too many alchemical items in one place.
So the entire street was rebuilt as a technology center, filled with alchemical workshops and laboratories, giving every alchemist the best possible work environment. Only the original Gilded Rose storefront remained, and many first-time visitors couldn't believe this was Seaview City's number one alchemy shop.
After entering the Gilded Rose, Leon greeted a few alchemists before heading straight to the second-floor alchemy lab.
Ever since business at the Gilded Rose took off, Leon hadn't personally made any alchemical items for a long time. Even when rare magical materials came his way, he would hand them over to Farrow without a second thought, not caring if Farrow wasted them.
This saved Leon a lot of time—and Farrow gained a lot of experience in the process...
Two days ago, this young alchemist finally broke through his bottleneck and became a true Grand Alchemist.
He is the first Grand Alchemist at the Gilded Rose besides Leon himself.
Leon had come today specifically to talk with Farrow, to help him chart a path forward.
You see, the Grand Alchemist rank is a pivotal one. Back in the golden age of magical civilization, entering the ranks of Grand Alchemist meant truly stepping into the world of alchemy. But if you take a wrong turn at this stage, it’s not as easy to recover as it once was. Some mistakes, once made, can keep a promising Grand Alchemist from ever reaching greater heights.
Leon waited in the alchemy lab for a while, until a knock sounded at the door. But when he opened it, it wasn’t Farrow—it was Remy.
"Remy? What are you doing here?"
"Well, Boss Merlin, there’s a guest outside who says he’s your cousin. He wants you to come down and meet him right away..." Remy, now a certified alchemist, still couldn’t help but feel nervous in Leon’s presence.
As one of the earliest employees at the Gilded Rose, Remy knew this young boss far better than the newer alchemists. He’d seen Mason swallow a glass bottle whole, and watched a Grand Mage get slapped senseless by Leon.
Remy understood better than anyone that this young boss, who always wore a friendly smile, was nowhere near as gentle as he appeared...
...Leon felt the veins on his forehead twitch. Was William Merlin ever going to let up?
After several deep breaths, Leon finally suppressed the urge to curse. He just said, face darkening, "Alright, Remy. I get it. Go on."
Leon quickly made his way to the main hall downstairs, where he found quite a crowd: Farrow, Howes, Remy, William Merlin, and a middle-aged man in a black robe.
Apparently, William Merlin was growing impatient. His face was sour, and when Leon came down, he snorted, "I'll say this one more time: my time is very limited. You've already kept me waiting twice. I don't intend to wait a third time."
...
"In short, I don't want this to happen again. Otherwise, I'll leave Seaview City and never care about your fate again." William Merlin finished sternly, then looked over the Gilded Rose with open disdain. "Matthew Merlin, I have to say, you've run the Gilded Rose terribly. Look at this—your father left you a shop in prime territory, and you can barely keep it afloat. Tell me, do you even have a hundred alchemical items in stock?"
"Probably just over a hundred..." Leon thought seriously for a moment—it really wasn’t much. Ten days ago, wagonloads of Nether Iron Ore and magic gemstones had filled every warehouse at the Gilded Rose. To make space, Perry had even commandeered the main hall, sending most alchemical items to the branches. Now, there were barely more than a hundred left here...
"So you know there are only a hundred or so?" William Merlin glared at Leon, his tone full of disappointment. "I've investigated this—Triumph Avenue is the most valuable street in Seaview City. And yet, you only display a hundred alchemical items in your shop. Is your Gilded Rose’s alchemy really that weak?"
"Hey, watch your mouth!" Leon hadn’t even opened his mouth yet, but Farrow couldn’t hold back.
Now, aside from Leon, Farrow was the youngest Grand Alchemist in Seaview City. When he broke through, nearly every faction in the city sent congratulations, and many tried to recruit him. The offers were so generous that even Farrow, who’d worked at the Blackhorn Auction House for years, was stunned...
But after that, Farrow didn’t hesitate for a second—he turned down every invitation.
Because Farrow knew that the only reason he became a Grand Alchemist in his twenties wasn’t his talent or his work ethic. It was simply because he worked at the Gilded Rose—and the boss of the Gilded Rose was Matthew Merlin. That’s all there is to it...
***************
The novel’s first Alliance Leader has been born—thanks to Alliance Leader Huaxuejian for the generous support!