Chapter 23. The Association Is Truly Dood
“Where did you find so many Alchemists?”
Selin looked at the twenty-six bottles of Energy Potion on the table and asked in surprise.
Elan slowly replied,
“Maybe the Alchemist I recruited is finally putting in so real effort. Although she told that many of her friends asked her to sell them for them, I keep thinking there might be another possibility.”
“What if the Alchemist I recruited is a once-in-a-millennium genius who can achieve a fifty percent success rate with Energy Potions? That would explain why she delivered so many potions in such a short ti.”
“And to avoid attracting attention, she deliberately said that she was just helping her friends sell them…”
Selin looked at him with a face full of exasperation.
“What are you even talking about? Sothing like that is impossible. If such a person really existed, the head of the Alchemy School would probably kneel down and beg that Alchemist to join.”
“A success rate like that is pure fantasy. Honestly, your earlier guess that she is working as a middleman makes far more sense.”
Elan chuckled and took a sip of water before continuing.
“Alright, enough idle talk. What is happening with the association? Are they still holding on?”
Selin drank a mouthful of fruit wine before replying.
“I can only say that the situation is not optimistic.”
“Of course, it is the association whose situation is not optimistic.”
“Recently they had another conflict with the Alchemists who produce Energy Potions. Several Alchemists simply stopped producing them altogether, which caused the output of Energy Potions to drop again.”
“Oh? What happened this ti?”
“The inspector they sent to negotiate with the Alchemists got greedy. He secretly kept so of the recovered Energy Potions and pretended those were failed batches.”
“He then quietly sold the potions to several Senior Apprentices he knew in order to make a profit…”
Elan’s smile faded. He tapped the table lightly.
“The association is still the sa as always. When I was preparing for my assessnt back then, I also had to buy from those inspectors who sold things privately.”
“Every ti the assessnts approached, the Alchemists’ Association would claim they had prepared a large supply of materials and that there would be no shortage of potions.”
“But the result was always the sa. My junior brother took the assessnt three tis before becoming a formal mage. He said that every single ti there was a shortage, and he had to run around buying potions everywhere. It drove him crazy.”
Elan continued,
“By the way, there is another matter. An inspector from the association sohow obtained a large batch of materials.”
Selin’s eyes lit up.
“Oh? Another batch of materials? It seems the association is not destined to collapse after all.”
Elan shook his head.
“It is not that the association is safe. It is just that soone has found another way to bleed the association.”
“Tell .”
“You and I both know that the association’s material suppliers have been reducing the quota they send to Lodris.”
“They saw that such a huge scandal had occurred within the association and no longer believe in its future.”
“Now the association can hardly purchase materials in large quantities.”
“That is why this batch of materials is especially valuable.”
“That inspector plans to sell the materials back to the association and make a fortune.”
Selin leaned forward slightly.
“So how did the association discover it?”
“The association only discovered the problem with the materials. During inspection, they found the special inventory identification plates used in the association’s own warehouse.”
“The seller escaped quickly. Only a few sample materials that were being inspected were left behind. Most of the goods are still in his hands.”
“But he still needs to sell them. If he keeps them, they will eventually beco nothing more than useless weeds.”
“So he ca to .”
“And I contacted the Alchemist I work with. Coincidentally, she was complaining that the association’s materials had suddenly beco more expensive. In the end, she bought more than one hundred sets…”
Selin finished her glass of fruit wine and poured herself another.
“And what about the association? Have they discovered which warehouse the materials ca from?”
“No.”
“The association wanted to conduct a full inspection of all warehouses. The newly appointed president even declared that if they investigated thoroughly, they would certainly uncover another thousand sets of materials.”
Selin could not help laughing.
“I think he will never manage to finish inspecting even a single warehouse. Over the years, too many accounts have turned into unsolvable sses.”
“Exactly. His proposal to inspect all warehouses was rejected by every mber of the Committee.”
“And just like that, the matter was quietly dropped.”
Selin sighed.
“Honestly, we might not even need to take action. The association might collapse on its own.”
“But the association has not collapsed yet…”
The two exchanged glances, both showing a hint of helplessness.
In the end, Energy Potions were simply too profitable.
No—rather, those Senior Apprentices were too wealthy.
Even with the association in such chaos, the money from those apprentices was still enough to keep the entire organization afloat.
If this scandal had happened two months earlier, the association would probably have already collapsed.
---
“What am I supposed to do with these materials? I am not an Alchemist!”
Richter said irritably to the man in luxurious clothing.
“Hey, Richter, do not be like that. This batch of goods is excellent. You know that Energy Potions are essential items for apprentices like you.”
“Imagine this: you are holding a surgical knife, and suddenly you co up with a brilliant idea—perhaps even the prototype of a new spell.”
“But then you feel extrely tired.”
“You know that if you stop at that mont, the inspiration might disappear forever.”
“And that is when a bottle of Energy Potion—”
“Enough. I did not call you here to talk about this. If you continue, I will—”
The man imdiately fell silent.
He had heard of Richter’s reputation.
Among Senior Apprentices, Richter was known as a madman.
Since becoming a Senior Apprentice, he had secretly killed several apprentices and had been responsible for the deaths of at least a hundred people.
If it were not for the protection of the Modification School and the talent he had demonstrated, he would have been dealt with long ago.
“Fine. Then why did you ask to et ? Let make one thing clear: I will not help you smuggle corpses into this place again. If you want to do that, you will have to leave Cuilan Academy.”
Richter’s face darkened as he interrupted.
“I will not leave Cuilan Academy before the assessnt. And that is not what I want you to do.”
The man was puzzled.
If it was not about transporting corpses, then why had Richter contacted him?
Their previous dealings had only involved transporting bodies.
The reason he ntioned it just now was simply to raise the price, hoping Richter would offer more money.
After all, Richter’s situation was infamous.
He was hated by nearly everyone.
If he stepped outside and was discovered, he probably would not return alive.
Moreover, if Richter failed to achieve a good ranking in this assessnt, simply passing would not be enough. Without an impressive result, the Modification School would no longer protect him.
“I am talking about sothing that will happen after the assessnt,” Richter said coldly.
“There is an apprentice who interests . I need a secure location.”
The man thought for a mont and understood.
“But what if you do not co back from the assessnt?”
He did not finish the sentence.
What he ant was obvious: What if Richter died and could not pay?
“I will pay you in full right now. Just do what I say.”
If the paynt was made in advance, then there was no problem.
“On the night your assessnt ends, the barren land south of Cuilan Academy will likely be claid by the Alchemists’ Association—assuming it still exists.”
“The next day, magical craftsn will turn all the soil into mud and build foundations there.”
“And everything will be buried underneath.”
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