The old steward sighed again. For the recently revived Gilded Rose, this was nothing short of a devastating blow. If it were only the Frostwolf Mercenary Company, it might still be manageable. But usually, more than ten mercenary companies cooperated with the Gilded Rose. Now, every single one claimed to have sold their magical materials elsewhere. This was no joke—it meant the Gilded Rose’s supply of magical materials had effectively been cut off.
As an alchemy shop, losing the source of magical materials was truly a death sentence. No matter how skilled the alchemist, no matter how wondrous the alchemy, no one could conjure alchemical goods out of thin air. If a new source of magical materials couldn’t be found, no matter how hard the Gilded Rose struggled, it would eventually face closure.
"Maybe I’ll go out tomorrow and see what I can do, try to find a new source of magical materials." The old steward racked his brains but couldn’t come up with a better idea. In the end, he decided to go out and contact some of the smaller mercenary companies, reach out to as many as possible, and see if he could scrape together enough magical materials to weather the crisis.
"No need..." Leon shook his head. He understood the old steward’s thinking, but those small mercenary companies were just ragtag groups of a few people, handling jobs worth only a few hundred gold coins at best. Expecting to get much magical material from those missions was pure fantasy. Even if the old steward got lucky and contacted a dozen or so groups, the total haul of magical materials would probably be less than what the Frostwolf Mercenary Company alone could provide.
Such a small amount of magical materials would never be enough to meet the Gilded Rose’s needs.
Relying solely on these small mercenary companies was out of the question. In fact, even the old Frostwolf Mercenary Company wasn’t enough for Leon. Now that the Gilded Rose was growing, it needed a new supplier of magical materials.
As for who this new supplier would be...
Leon had actually started considering this back at the Blackhorn Auction. The matter wasn’t settled yet, so he hadn’t mentioned it to the old steward.
Today’s incident with the Frostwolf Mercenary Company was just the opportunity Leon needed.
"You don’t need to worry about this anymore. Tomorrow, I’ll go out and find a new supplier of magical materials for the Gilded Rose."
"Do you want me to go with you?" The old steward was still uneasy. Even a fool could see that someone was targeting the Gilded Rose behind the scenes. If even the usually reliable Frostwolf Mercenary Company had turned, finding a new supplier was hardly something that could be settled with a few words.
"No, no, just stay and watch the shop..." After sending the old steward off, Leon returned to the alchemy laboratory.
Early the next morning, Leon headed to Lion King Street in the southern part of the city.
Just as Triumph Street belonged to the Mage Guild, Lion King Street was the domain of the mercenary companies. Of the top ten mercenary companies in Seaview City, seven had their headquarters on Lion King Street—including the number one ranked Silvermoon Mercenary Company.
Today, Leon’s target was the Silvermoon Mercenary Company.
He was received by Marco, the vice-captain.
Given Leon’s current status, being received by the vice-captain of the Silvermoon Mercenary Company was already a considerable honor. If it were any ordinary mage, even seeing a squad leader would be a privilege, let alone the vice-captain.
But the problem was, Leon hadn’t come to see the vice-captain. The matter he wanted to discuss was far beyond Marco’s authority. So, after some polite small talk, Leon requested a meeting with Captain Seth.
The moment Leon said this, Marco’s face immediately darkened...
Honestly, you couldn’t really blame Marco for turning sour so quickly.
Think about it—a young mage in his twenties, no background, no connections, just running an alchemy shop. The fact that they sent a vice-captain to greet him was already out of respect for his late father. And yet, he had the nerve to ask for a meeting with Captain Seth.
Did he really think Captain Seth was someone you could just meet? Even Monchi of the Twinmoon Trading Company or Soth from the Viper's Nest—figures at the very top of Seaview City—would have to announce themselves before seeing Captain Seth.
"Captain Seth isn’t available." Marco’s attitude had clearly shifted, his words much less polite than before.
Leon didn’t get angry. He just smiled and quietly said, "It’s about the Phantom Elixir."
"I said Captain Seth isn’t available. What about the Phantom Elixir?" Marco shot Leon an impatient look, ready to say something cutting and send this upstart mage packing—when suddenly, he realized he’d just heard ‘Phantom Elixir’...
Damn—it was the Phantom Elixir!
Marco was so startled he nearly bit his tongue.
"Ph—Phantom Elixir? Mage Merlin, did you just say... Phantom Elixir?"
"Yes, the Phantom Elixir."
"Excuse me, I’ll be right back." Marco, now certain he hadn’t misheard, stood up abruptly, excused himself, and vanished from the reception room.
Then, Seth arrived...
Leon’s conversation with Seth lasted only ten minutes.
Ten minutes later, Leon left the Silvermoon Mercenary Company’s headquarters. By the time he returned to the Gilded Rose, even the old steward had no idea Leon had paid them a visit.
But those brief ten minutes of conversation soon sent shockwaves through the whole of Seaview City.
A day later, Seth made two public announcements.
First, the Silvermoon Mercenary Company would launch an expedition to Razor Rift at the start of next month, aiming to wipe out the Rock Troll Tribe that had occupied the area for over a century and reopen the golden trade route between Seaview City and Angel Coast.
Second, the Silvermoon Mercenary Company and the Gilded Rose would officially establish a partnership. Their cooperation would span several fields: magical material supply, alchemical goods procurement, technology sharing, and even the joint formation of an armed merchant caravan.
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Seth’s two announcements instantly shook the whole of Seaview City...
The campaign against the Rock Troll Tribe was one thing—it was a mission jointly sponsored by all the merchant guilds, posted as a bounty by the Mercenary Guild for over a century. In the past decade, as the Silvermoon Mercenary Company rose to the top of Seaview City, many had realized it was only a matter of time before they marched on Razor Rift.
Completing this century-old bounty would elevate the Silvermoon Mercenary Company’s reputation to new heights. They might even join the ranks of the kingdom’s top mercenary companies.
The decision was a bit sudden, but at least it was within everyone’s expectations.
But the second announcement left many people baffled...
Why would the prestigious Silvermoon Mercenary Company choose an alchemy shop as their partner?
Even if the shop used to be the famed Goldspark Trading Company, that was all in the past. Now, the Gilded Rose consisted of an old man, a youth, four alchemists, and a few dozen apprentices—that was it. What made them worthy of partnering with the Silvermoon Mercenary Company?
And such a close partnership, at that...
It was almost as if the Silvermoon Mercenary Company and the Gilded Rose were now bound together.
From now on, anyone who wanted to target the Gilded Rose would have to consider the Silvermoon Mercenary Company’s response first.
In fact, they didn’t even have to wait for ‘from now on’—someone was already thinking about it.
That someone was Angelo, the leader of the Frostwolf Mercenary Company...
The Frostwolf Mercenary Company’s headquarters was also on Lion King Street in the southern part of the city. News of the Silvermoon Mercenary Company’s partnership with the Gilded Rose reached Angelo almost instantly.
Angelo turned pale with shock...
Why did the Gilded Rose approach the Silvermoon Mercenary Company? Others might not know, but Angelo certainly did. It was all because the Frostwolf Mercenary Company had cut off the Gilded Rose’s supply of magical materials...
In the past, the Frostwolf Mercenary Company’s dealings with the Gilded Rose had always been amicable. But a few days ago, a powerful figure came to Angelo, demanding he cut off the Gilded Rose’s supply—and offered a tempting reward in return. Angelo didn’t think much of it and agreed without hesitation.
First, the terms were generous. Mercenaries risk their lives for profit—if someone offers gold, why refuse?
Besides, the Gilded Rose wasn’t exactly an untouchable client...
In the past, Angelo might have thought twice. After all, the Goldspark Trading Company had once been a major force.
But now, there was no need. Roger Merlin was dead, the Goldspark Trading Company had fallen, and all that remained was a son and a steward. Even if he broke the contract, who would stand up for them?
So, without a second thought, Angelo cut off the Gilded Rose’s supply of magical materials.
But that decision quickly turned into a disaster...
No one expected the Gilded Rose to approach the Silvermoon Mercenary Company, let alone for them to actually form a partnership. Now that was a twist no one saw coming...
Seth was hailed as the Mercenary King of Seaview City, his reputation among mercenaries almost unimaginable. If Seth spoke out, the Frostwolf Mercenary Company would instantly become the enemy of every mercenary in the city. Even their own members might turn against Angelo.
Thinking about all this, Angelo couldn’t help but turn pale...
What now...