/
Chapter 42
“Besides, it will take quite some time to get a business permit or open a store and establish a certain position. You’re smart, so you will catch up immediately.”
“Okay. I understand.”
At the adult’s whispering voice, Valletta eventually gave up. She let out a heavy sigh.
The only thing that she regretted was that she had to follow something she didn’t want to.
“If you need something or have any concerns, you can look for me any time.”
“When will the class start?”
“It’ll be good to start after 3 days. Since there are alot of things to prepare.”
Does she need to continue living meaninglessly for the next 3 days? Still, 3 three days with a promised plan was better than 2 weeks with nothing.
Valletta finally nodded.
“Do you have any alchemy tools?”
“We have the simple tools, but the rest…”
Alchemy tools were essential to alchemists. In an alchemist’s workshop, there would be a pen and paper for drawing sigils, an empty vial for the potions made, and usually a container of herbs with preservation formula on it.
Whether it was for the alchemy circle or for the magic circle, the basics of the basics was the circle. If the circle was distorted or if the symmetry of either side was not correct, it could not exert its power.
A magic circle could be drawn by magicians using magic, but an alchemy circle had to be drawn by hand. So in an alchemist’s workshop, a compass and a drafting tool should be provided.
Of course, there was Valletta who could do with or without it, but it was not usually done like that. Most of the items had disappeared along with the Count’s residence.
“Don’t you have the ones from the Count’s residence? As an alchemist, a tool should be something that you get attached to…”
At Carlon Delphine’s questioning words, Valletta’s forehead became deeply wrinkled.
She tilted her head with a puzzled expression and slowly opened her mouth.
“What kind of attachment would you have to tools?”
“… Doesn’t it usually happen to tools that have been used for a long time? Since you do it by hand.”
Valletta frowned on the contrary, showing that she could not understand it.
“I don’t know, since I’ve never given tools another meaning.”
If it changes, then it changes. If taken away, then it’s taken away. Count Delight would always change the furniture in her workshop whenever he was bored, so there was no time for obsession.
“… I see, I see.”
Carlon Delphine nodded.
“Then let’s go buy some materials and tools. It’s better to choose tools that you want after touching them.”
“Didn’t you tell me not to go out?”
“It won’t matter if you go out with me. Of course, you would be wearing a robe.”
With a smile as he said that, Valletta drank the cold tea and replied that she understood.
“And we also have to go to a dressmaker’s shop for measurements. For banquet clothes and casual clothes.”
“… Don’t you usually call a tailor to your mansion?”
“We can do it like that, if that’s what you prefer, but I don’t want anyone who is not my person stepping into my mansion.”
Valletta silently nodded her head. But the inside of her head got complicated.
After all, money is needed for dress fitting. And for it to look like it was sponsored by the Duke, the dress needs to be a formal kind.
‘I’m glad I have a way to earn money.’
“Can I ask you one thing?”
“Anything.”
“How are potions usually priced? I know that they are ranked according to their purity – low, intermediate, high and advance grade. I’m curious about their value outside.”
After hearing Valletta’s question, Carlon Delphine put down his tea cup, and leaned against the chair.
This kind of knowledge should also be something that is commonly known. However, it seemed like Valletta had no one to give her advice.
“As the number of alchemists decreased and with the Imperial palace monopolization of alchemists, potions became difficult for the common people to obtain.”
“Yes.”
“In fact, even aristocrats can only obtain low to intermediate potions if they have a certain amount of money. Because the Imperial Family sells them to aristocrats as well.”
Valletta’s eyes widened at Carlon Delphine’s words.
The Imperial Family monopolizes potions and sells them as well. This was the first time she heard about this.
The life she would have if she had married the Crown Prince, were drawn over her eyelid.
“The price set by the Imperial Family for a low-grade potion is 5 millon bel. That’s 5 gold coins. The medium-grade points are 10 million bel and that’s 10 gold coins.”
After hearing his explanation, Valletta bit her lips and grimaced. It was because she did not get the hang of it all at once.
‘What would be the worth of a 5 million bel?’
Since they’re going out, she decided she will ask for it’s value or ask the servant for a hint. Once she knows the value of potions, she will now be able to pay him a reasonable amount as payment for living expenses.
‘If she needs help, then she can just ask for it though.’
That just means that there were a lot of times when she stretched out her hand asking for help but was trampled on.
It was something that she never expected. If you don’t know how to do it, that must mean you have gotten used to worrying, enduring and keeping your mouth shut.
“One million bel is the average cost of living for a common family of four per month. A low-grade potion is worth 5 months of living expenses and an intermediate-grade potion is worth 10 months for commoners.”
Valletta’s eyes widened at the unexpected explanation.
“Then what about the high and the advanced grade?”
“For those, the seller would usually set the price. Especially the advanced-grade potion, not even the Imperial Family owns a few since the people who can make it are very limited.”
“Ah…”
Valletta gulped and sighed.
She was glad she did not say that she could make advanced-grade potions. It would have been a big problem if she had said that she can make 60 advanced-grade potions.
“The Imperial Family doesn’t even want to sell the high-grade potions. Like advance-potions, only 1 or 2 would come out a year, though they are not lacking potions since a serious injury could be easily healed by an intermediate-grade.”
Valletta listened well to Carlon Delphine.
Obviously, the quality of information of what she heard from rumors and hearing the explanation by herself was different.
“They are often put on auction and sold by bidding.”
“… An auction?”
“Yes, you are doing business with a person’s life.”
“It’s certainly not a bad idea to set up a competition like that to sell a very limited product at a high price.”
Valletta muttered as she thought of something.
At those words, Carlon Delphine’s eyes widened. It was an expression that heard something unexpected.
Valletta was slightly startled after seeing such an expression on Carlon Delphine.
‘Ah…’
She slowly pondered about what she had just said, and then she blinked.
Then as if sighing, she rubbed her forehead.
At Valletta’s action, Carlon Delphine’s mouth formed a wry smile and then concealed it.
This was an idea from a child who has yet to master various emotions at the right time.
It was as if her world was divided into things that were beneficial to her and to those that were not.
The more they talked, the more he looked at her, and the more he could see the rotten and decaying inside of this seemingly normal child on the outside.
Although she doesn’t seem to realize it herself.
“So, how much is it usually?”
“The minimum price is 20 millon bel, and the average price is 35 million bel. In some cases, it would reach up to 50 million bel depending on the demand.”
“How about an advance-grade potion?”
“It has never come out, but if it goes up to auction, the estimated minimum price would be 100 million bel. I honestly don’t know how high it could get.”
So an advance-grade’s worth is 100 gold coins. Then it’s roughly the living expenses of a commoner family for 90 months. This means that the minimum price would be accumulated if they do not spend and save their living expenses for 8 years.
It was an amount that feels too expensive to pay for a bottle of potion. Obviously, the price was too high for the commoners to touch.
However, there was nothing that an aristocrat could not buy if they had a certain amount of money and if they put their mind to it.
An advance-grade potion was dangerous. It has enough power to return a limb that was severed.
Being able to make 10 of them per day was a little out of balance.
‘Am I a compensation to this world?’
Valletta slowly wiped her face, feeling frustrated.
‘Still, this person does not know that I can make an advance-grade potion.’
Count Delight had known. She was told to do a public demonstration of alchemy in front of their eyes, so there was no way they wouldn’t know.
She could never keep it as a complete secret. Someone would certainly know her value.
“Is the price of potions sold in the underworld the same?”
“There isn’t that much of a difference. It’s just a bit more premium.”
She nodded at Carlon Delphine’s answer.
She doesn’t know how much the dresses and casual clothes will cost, but two or three high-grade potions seemed to be enough for the child’s clothes.
“Thank you for telling me. I’ll be sure to remember. Well then, I’ll take my leave.”
“By the way, Therion said he wanted to learn the sword, so I thought of giving him a teacher. That child… will it be okay to teach him?”
Valletta, who was about to get up turned around, tilted her head with a puzzled expression.
Carlon Delphine, who had a serious frown on his forehead, looked at her with a blank expression.
“You should ask the child if he wants to do it. I don’t think there’s any need to ask me.”
“Aren’t you his guardian?”
Guardian? It was a little different from that. Valletta didn’t think much of protecting the child.
It was because she was willing to leave the child and move alone if her safety was in danger.
“No, he said he wanted to follow me out of the Magic Tower, that’s all.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, and also, I heard that hateful guy recommended that he learn the sword…”
He must have seen that much potential.
“I guess he has a lot of talent for it.”
Since Renhardt hated someone who was full of nonsense. Valletta blinked her eyes after she answered.
Carlon Delphine gave a heavy nod. Valletta’s indifferent pair of eyes eventually dropped down.
‘… It’s really twisted.’
She had no affection, and there was a line between her and other people. She never crossed the line, so she cut them out neatly like scissors. It was the gaze of someone who was accustomed to killing relationships.
Carlon Delphine continued to look at her teacup that she had emptied out of courtesy. He did not get up from the tea table for a long time.
***