As the only millennia-old power in Seaview City, the Monty Family's influence was truly terrifying. On the third day of Ryan's visit to Granger, the Gilded Rose received a notice of closure from the Alchemist Guild.
The one who showed up was a middle-aged alchemist, looking to be in his forties or fifties, with a rather thin build. As he stood at the entrance of the Gilded Rose, his eyes gazed skyward, his face radiating an unmistakable air of superiority.
Honestly, this wasn't even specifically aimed at the Gilded Rose.
It was a common problem among members of the Alchemist Guild. As guild members, their attitude toward alchemical shops in Seaview City was always the same—condescending—including toward the Goldspark Trading Company back in the day.
From their perspective, these lucrative alchemy shops might seem impressive, but in reality, they're nothing more than puppets pushed to the forefront by the Alchemist Guild.
Without the Guild's permission, they couldn't even recruit a decent alchemist, because the Alchemist Guild always controlled the rules of the entire industry. The fate of these alchemy shops was, to the Guild, a matter of a single word.
Take this Gilded Rose, for instance...
Just a few days ago, the Elixir of Hope made it the talk of Seaview City, but now, with a single word from the Alchemist Guild, it faces the threat of being shut down.
"Alchemist Morgan, what... what's going on here?" Lin Yun had been staying at the Sage's Spire these past few days, so the Gilded Rose was left with only the old steward. As soon as he heard the Guild people had arrived, he hurried out to greet them. But the moment he reached the hall, the smile on his face froze.
A dozen alchemists in black robes were busy pasting seals on the shelves. With every seal, a dedicated alchemist would tally and record the items. The one overseeing it all was Morgan, whom the old steward had dealt with several times before.
Morgan was the one in charge of market supervision at the Alchemist Guild...
When the Gilded Rose reopened, Perry, the old steward, had made several visits to Morgan to avoid trouble from the Guild, even slipping him a few generous bribes.
At the time, Morgan had patted his chest and promised: from now on, the Gilded Rose's business was his business—if anything came up, just come to him.
Who would have thought that barely a month later, Morgan—the same man who'd sworn to help—would show up with seals to shut the place down...
"Wait, there must be some kind of misunderstanding..." Perry saw the situation and knew trouble had arrived. He scrambled to stop the black-robed alchemists from sealing the shelves, then lowered his voice to plead with Morgan, who'd taken his bribes: "Alchemist Morgan, can we talk privately for a moment?"
"If you've got something to say, say it here." In the past, Morgan might've agreed to a private chat—another chance for a hefty bribe—but this time he didn't even hesitate before refusing outright.
"Uh..." Perry's heart skipped a beat; he knew things had gone south. Still, he forced a smile: "Alright then, Alchemist Morgan, may I ask why the Gilded Rose is being shut down?"
"Why is it being shut down?" Morgan snorted. "Don't tell me you don't know what the Gilded Rose has done. I'll be honest with you, Old Perry—you're in serious trouble this time. Out of respect for our past dealings, here's my advice: don't ask too many questions, just cooperate with my people and get the closure done. Then explain everything clearly at the Guild Hearing. Don't count on luck—the Gilded Rose's problems are very serious."
"Guild Hearing..."
"That's the higher-ups' decision. It won't help to plead with anyone." Morgan finished, eyes skyward, then, seeing his subordinates lagging, grabbed a few seals and started pasting them himself, barking orders: "These, these, these... take all of them back!"
With every order Morgan barked, another seal was slapped onto the shelves.
But there was a difference: the black-robed alchemists sealed only the goods that might have issues, while Morgan targeted the Gilded Rose's most expensive merchandise.
That was the distinction between Morgan and the rest...
Why did Morgan love shutting down alchemy shops so much? Because it meant a hefty payday. Like now—every seal he slapped down represented tens of thousands of gold worth of goods, all of which would be handled personally by Morgan once they reached the Alchemist Guild.
Any losses in the process? Well, that couldn't possibly be Morgan's fault. Alchemical items were fragile anyway—wasn't it normal for a few to get damaged here and there?
Besides, who was going to investigate those losses?
The Gilded Rose, already under lockdown? They'd be better off worrying about surviving the Guild Hearing...
Morgan's beady eyes darted across the shelves, lighting up with excitement and greed at every expensive alchemical item he spotted.
One, two, three...
In just moments, seven or eight pricey alchemical items had been sealed by Morgan. Still unsatisfied, his eyes quickly shifted to the Alchemist's Lab on the second floor. Morgan's instincts told him the truly valuable goods were hidden up there.
"You, you, you, and you—come with me." Morgan pointed at a few of the black-robed alchemists and led them toward the Alchemist's Lab on the second floor.
But just as Morgan set foot on the stairs, a faint sound suddenly rippled through the air.
Morgan didn't even have time to react before he was suddenly sent flying.
Luckily, he didn't go very high.
So Morgan hit the ground again almost immediately.
Face-first, unfortunately...
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"Who—who did this!" Morgan struggled to his feet, his face battered and bruised like a smashed peach—red, green, white, all mixed together. "Who ambushed me? If you've got guts, stand up!"
And then Morgan saw his attacker step forward...
It was a young mage, about twenty, dressed in a brand-new black robe. He was thin and pale, and as he stood there, his right hand still held the guiding gesture for Gale Whip.
"You attacked me?" The Alchemist Guild had always kept a low profile, unlike the Mage Guild, which dominated Seaview City. Yet the Guild held the power to set industry rules, and its members always carried an air of superiority above others.
Especially Morgan, who wielded market supervision like a club—he could walk sideways through Seaview City. Usually, even shops being shut down would treat him with respect, terrified to offend him. Who would have imagined that today, just for trying to seal an Alchemist's Lab, he'd be sent flying by Gale Whip.
It was an utter humiliation!
"My name is Matthew Merlin." Leon—seemingly oblivious to Morgan's outrage—stepped out from the crowd, walked into the Gilded Rose's hall, and stopped in front of the battered Morgan. "The Gilded Rose you're trying to shut down happens to be my property."
"Matthew Merlin?" Morgan paused, then remembered—Roger Merlin did have a son named Matthew Merlin.
But so what if Roger Merlin's son was involved? Even if Roger Merlin himself attacked Morgan, he'd have to pay the price—let alone his son.
"You dare attack me?" Morgan's eyes flickered with rage as he glared at Leon. "Do you have any idea what you're doing? Do you know what will happen to the Gilded Rose if you obstruct the Alchemist Guild's market supervision?"
"What will happen?"
"Heh, you'll find out soon enough when you come with me." Morgan waved, and the black-robed alchemists closed in. "Take him away. Attacking me—what nerve..."
"Yes, sir."
The black-robed alchemists assigned to this task by the Guild were all formidable—every one of them was at least a fifth-level mage, with some even reaching the ninth rank. As soon as Morgan gave the order, a surge of magical energy swept through the Gilded Rose.
"What's all the commotion?" Just then, an elderly voice rose from the crowd.
"The Alchemist Guild is conducting official business. Outsiders would do well to stay clear." Morgan snapped, preparing to have his men seize Leon.
"The Alchemist Guild is certainly throwing its weight around. Go ask Lys if he'd dare tell me to stay clear."
"President Lys's name isn't—" Morgan began to retort, but suddenly realized the elderly voice sounded awfully familiar...
Thinking that, Morgan couldn't help but turn and look.
And then Morgan's face went ghostly pale...
Damn—Salomon!
In that instant, Morgan felt as if he'd been struck by lightning. He froze, eyes wide with terror as he stared at Salomon, as if he were facing a monster. His already battered face twisted into a bizarre mix of horror, fear, and confusion—he looked ready to cry but couldn't quite manage it.
For a moment, Morgan's mind went completely blank. Only one thought echoed over and over—Salomon. Why was it Salomon? What was he doing here?
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A bit late today—I slept in this afternoon.