In fact, less than three minutes after the alchemy showcase ended, the Elixir of Hope already had a new owner.
The lucky winner was a third-rank mage apprentice named Cliff. Cliff was twenty-seven or twenty-eight, born without privilege or talent, which meant becoming a true mage was nearly impossible for him. His only consolation was that, aside from being a mage apprentice, he was also a decent alchemy apprentice.
Since becoming an alchemy apprentice, Cliff had drifted from one alchemy shop to another, working for various alchemists. After ten years, he'd managed to save up a considerable sum—exactly two hundred thousand gold coins...
Originally, Cliff had come to the Gilded Rose today just to buy a few enchanted scrolls. He never expected to stumble into the alchemy showcase—and to end up first in line.
And so, that bottle of Elixir of Hope just happened to fall into Cliff's hands...
Under the gaze of hundreds of onlookers, the fortunate third-rank mage apprentice cradled the Elixir of Hope in trembling hands and drank it, sip by sip...
Then, a miracle happened!
The magic within Cliff surged at a frenzied pace—fourth-rank, fifth-rank, sixth-rank... all the way to ninth-rank mage apprentice. In just half an hour, Cliff soared from a mere third-rank apprentice to the pinnacle of ninth-rank, just a step away from forming a Mana Vortex.
All of this happened in plain sight. Hundreds of witnesses saw it unfold, and as Cliff reached ninth-rank, the entire Gilded Rose was shaken. Those mage apprentices who had doubted the showcase now scrambled to inquire about the Elixir of Hope.
Some of those with prestigious backgrounds even offered double or triple the price, demanding a bottle of Elixir of Hope immediately. For them, any problem solvable with gold wasn't a problem at all.
Unfortunately, this time, gold coins couldn't solve the problem...
Because the old butler had made it very clear: there would be no Elixir of Hope this month. If you want to buy it, come early next month.
So, a group of hungry-eyed apprentice mages had no choice but to leave the Gilded Rose with regret and hope.
Of course, some refused to leave...
Most of those who wouldn't budge were the ones with powerful and influential parents. Among them were the children of several major faction leaders, already used to wielding their family's clout to get what they wanted. Just like now—if money couldn't buy the Elixir of Hope, then naturally they'd bring out their parents.
A few with less patience simply announced who their fathers were, demanding the Gilded Rose reserve a bottle of Elixir of Hope for them first, or else...
If Lin Yun were here, he'd probably offer to treat everyone on the spot. No Elixir of Hope, but there'd be plenty of glass bottles—magically enhanced, of course...
But the old butler was never that crude. After serving Roger Merlin for so many years, he certainly knew how to handle these things.
"So many of you—who should I prioritize? Why don't you all discuss it amongst yourselves first?"
Leaving them with that, the old butler walked away, leaving seven or eight high-born apprentice mages staring at each other, none willing to give in. They deadlocked like that for an entire afternoon.
No way—who would give up a chance like this?
If you get the Elixir of Hope a month late, you become a Level Nine apprentice mage a month late. Fall behind once, and you'll keep falling behind. Everyone here comes from powerful factions—none of them want to be left behind.
As for how these high-born apprentice mages would resolve things, the old butler couldn't care less. The decision to sell just one Elixir of Hope per month was made after he discussed it with Lin Yun.
Both agreed that compared to a windfall of millions of gold coins, the reputation of the Gilded Rose mattered more. If they sold all the Elixir of Hope at once, the Gilded Rose would rake in a fortune, but the buzz would last maybe three months at most. Soon enough, people would forget the Elixir of Hope—and even the Gilded Rose itself.
After all, the Gilded Rose's foundation was still too shallow. Compared to alchemy shops that had been around for decades, its reputation and trustworthiness were lacking. Its only edge was having the Elixir of Hope, so naturally, they had to maximize its value.
One bottle of Elixir of Hope per month might mean only two hundred thousand gold coins in revenue, but the craze it sparked kept the Gilded Rose at the center of everyone's attention. Each bottle became the talk of the town, and just as the excitement was fading, another bottle would appear—more stories, more gossip. With the Elixir’s near-miraculous effects, it wouldn’t be long before the Gilded Rose built a solid reputation in Seaview City.
For the Gilded Rose, that was worth far more than tens of thousands of gold coins.
And that’s exactly how things played out...
After the first bottle of Elixir of Hope was sold, Level Three apprentice mage Crew reached Level Nine, and the Gilded Rose instantly became the focus of all Seaview City.
Including the Monchi family...
The analysis of the Volcano Elixir and the Ghost Elixir was nearly complete. According to the two master alchemists from the Black Tower, the technical challenges were mostly solved—only a few minor issues remained, and those would be ironed out with a bit more time.
Back then, Monchi spent four million gold coins to acquire the Volcano Elixir and Ghost Elixir, all to secure alchemical support from the Black Tower for the Monchi family. Now that the analysis of both elixirs was wrapping up, it was time for the Black Tower to help the Monchi family in return.
The two master alchemists had already stepped away from the analysis work and were now fully focused on training Monchi's own alchemists and preparing for the launch of the Monchi family's alchemy shop.
But just then, the Gilded Rose held an alchemy press conference, announcing the Elixir of Hope—sending shockwaves through all of Seaview City.
For countless apprentice mages, this was fantastic news. But for the Monchi family, it was a true disaster.
After word of the alchemy press conference got out, Monchi grew increasingly restless. After some thought, he called for the two master alchemists from the Black Tower again.
"That's impossible!"
The two master alchemists didn't even let Monchi finish before flatly denying the possibility of the Elixir of Hope.
Seeing that Monchi seemed confused, the two master alchemists patiently explained. In their words, for an alchemical potion to let an apprentice mage easily reach Level Nine, it had to use mana-enhancing ingredients. Only mana-enhancing ingredients could substitute for meditation and rapidly accumulate mana.
Once mana-enhancing ingredients are added to an alchemical potion, it’s not something ten or twenty thousand gold coins can buy. For a potion like the Elixir of Hope, even a conservative estimate would put the cost at over a million gold coins. Yet the Gilded Rose was selling it for just two hundred thousand—what kind of joke was that?
"It's a scam, an absolute scam!"
In the end, the two master alchemists delivered their verdict with absolute certainty.
Just then, Jonathan, the Monchi family’s butler, came running in, panting heavily.
"Sir... Sir, Level Nine apprentice mage! He really reached Level Nine!"
"Look at yourself—so flustered!" Monchi scolded Jonathan, then forced a smile as he saw the two master alchemists out.
Once the master alchemists were out of sight, Monchi's face turned completely dark.
"A million gold coins in costs? Heh, what—did the Gilded Rose conjure up the Elixir of Hope out of thin air?"
"Sir..."
"Enough, I already know." Monchi cut Jonathan off before he could say more. "Go find that apprentice mage for me."
"Huh?" Jonathan froze for a moment, thinking the master didn’t believe him, and hurriedly protested, "Sir, that apprentice mage really did reach Level Nine!"
"I said, I already know!" Monchi was already irritated, and seeing Jonathan's anxious face only made it worse. His voice rose: "So what if he's a Level Nine apprentice mage? Can't you just turn him back into a Level Three?"
"Yes, yes, I understand..."
Pressed by Monchi's question, Jonathan nodded repeatedly and fled the study, looking rather embarrassed.
After sending Jonathan away, Monchi sat in the study for a while. Half an hour later, he had someone call Ryan in.
"Ryan, go to the Alchemist Guild and pay a visit to Granger. Tell him the Merchant Alliance has investigated and found serious fraud in the Elixir of Hope sold by the Gilded Rose, which has already caused a very negative impact. The Alliance recommends the Alchemist Guild hold a hearing to get to the bottom of it. Also, mention that our Twin Moon Trading Company will soon have a batch of rare magical materials arriving, and if Master Alchemist Granger is interested, he can get a good discount."
"Yes, Father."
**************Please, please, please vote for me! Don't you want to see the rankings go a bit higher? The top spots really are quite nice...