Chapter 47 – Branding (Start)
In a flash, it was almost the second month. Today, the sun was shining gloriously high up.
The long persisting cold weather had finally left the small town of Ricca. The sun in the sky, once again displayed its brilliant force, warmly shining over the lands.
The once formerly snow buried regions at this time, had already become the rivers of heavens.
The snow on the earthen lands had also changed.
People also thawed in a way, beginning to emerge out of their houses. Calling people and greeting friends, or hard at work.
The Adventurers also began to as squads, advance into the forest of monsters. The few days halted Ricca town, had once again became bustling. And at this time, a few people with good eyes had discovered that at the store entrance of Rumont’s drugstore, there was a public announcement that was surprisingly erected there.
Upon the public announcement, there was a few eye-grabbing lines of words. Those that could read shook their heads at it and also walked towards Rumont’s store.
Those few that couldn’t read, inquired the others that knew. It turns out, it was an announcement of a new type of medicine launched by Rumont’s drugstore.
In accordance to what the announcement had written, the price of this type of new medicine was equivalent to the past Mending vulnerary, but its efficacy was increased even higher.
Despite a lot of townsfolk having read the sign, they only shook their heads after reading, and departed with a face of indifference.
However, when the Adventurers read it, it generated a strong amount of interest towards the new type of new medicine in the large majority. Under the current type of cold weather situation, quite a lot of the therapeutic medicines and methods would usually be at a comparatively greater discount.
Therefore, a type of low pricing as well as still of outstanding efficacy medicine would as the Adventurers saw it, be really and genuinely be important.
As a result, after Rumont had gotten others to place the announcement post out, not ever 10 minutes had passed, when the Adventurers had inquisitively entered the store to ask.
But because Rumont was not currently a high Ranking Druid, therefore there were many that had asked, with scarcely a few buying. Rumont also didn’t bother with nonsense and just gave out the 20 bottles of medicines. Allowing a currently hesitating Adventurer to take it, saying they could use it free of charge.
“This bottle is free of charge?” the Adventurer inquisitively looked at the small bottle in his hand and asked.
Rumont responded with a faint smile: “of course.”
Immediately, the Adventurers didn’t hesitate, hehe laughingly stashing away the bottle of medicine in his clothes. Even though they still didn’t know of the therapeutic efficacy of the medicines, but items that were free, who wouldn’t enjoy it?
There having a first to take it, there was definitely a second. Those Adventurers that were originally planning on having a look, also in succession came over to take the free medicines.
Quite quickly, the Adventurers that were originally intending to go to the opposing Jeff’s drugstore, had also been attracted over.
“Master, look at them!” a young maiden dressed in gorgeously warm clothes stamped her foot, pouting playfully inside of Jeff’s drugstore, with quite a corresponding manner of indignance.
Sitting opposite of her, was Druid Jeff that had came over today to inspect the situation of the store. Seeing his beloved apprentice in such a indignantly distressed manner, he also couldn’t but help it.
“It’s only a temporary novelty, let it be, it’s nothing.” He faintly laughed and placated.
“But……” the young maiden pouted her lips, unwilling. “I was compounding medicines up to how late yesterday, and unexpectedly there’s nobody to buy them today, it’s too annoying!”
Seeing his beloved apprentice’s angry manner, Jeff could only again helplessly shake his head, while at the same time sight his version towards the other store.
“An increased efficacy strengthen medicine?” he again shook his head, Jeff had a disapproving laugh.
The basis of synthesizing medicines was one of many sections within the system that a Druid learnt about. Every single Druid would go through studies to be able to start synthesizing medicines. Merely, the higher the Rank a Druid was, the influence he had during synthesizing medicines would also be higher, the necessary production costs would also lessen; the final therapeutic efficacy would also become greater.
Furthermore, after all was said and done, medicines were merely a model for a Druid to become more adept at grasping the natural characteristics of plants. Being able to make a medical prescription, or perhaps making a living out of it when their Rank was low, wasn’t the main duty.
A real Druid was one that protected Nature as their professional responsibility. Any Druid would not willingly, in the long-term, compound medicines as their occupation———although it was like this, the innumerable succession of Druids over countless of years, were already deeply entrenched in the studies regarding a plant’s therapeutic characteristics, as well as prescriptions; which was sufficient enough for them to go apply and perfect.
Therefore, in regards to Rumont’s actions, Jeff’s first feeling was disdain. The second feeling was of preposterousness. Originally, he still felt that Rumont, under the circumstances of having no guidance, being able to be truly self-reliant and rapidly progress to a Rank 2 Druid like that, was indeed a touch of being heavenly gifted.
However, after this event, his original feelings of Rumont who was only concerned with profits, the inner image of him changed to one with being self-conceited.
Putting off the fact for later on whether a Druid would invest his energy into developing new medicines. Even if there really were people that were interested in such a field of research, it would still required an advanced mid Ranking Druid to prescribe out a new medicine.
Rumont, a trivial Rank 2 Druid was presumptuous in wanting to develop a new medicine. Even if he did undergo a bit of improvement, it was still a joke in front of his many seniors!
No, it was simply overestimating his own capabilities. As one that had once formerly guided Rumont, Jeff understood deeply that even though Rumont’s power had already reached the standard of Rank 2, he was yet lacking in guidance of the more profound. As a matter of fact, Rumont, in regards to the knowledge relating to a Druid, was utterly lacking.
As far as being familiar with medicines, it would still be limited to the simple compounding of medicines.
Even if it was his current beloved apprentice Willow, even though she only had a standard of a Rank 1 Druid, yet in regards to knowledge on compounding medicines, she would still be better than Rumont by a fair bit.
This was also the leading cause for the changing disparity in Rumont’s store’s business———lacking in knowledge, lacking in power.
This but a half-baked Druid surprisingly wanted to create a new medicine, with an efficacy exceeding that of his predecessors, how would it not cause Jeff to think it ridiculous.
And meanwhile, in some room within the Shrine, a young Priest was also repeating what Jeff just said.
“An increased efficacy strengthen medicine?” in a similar disdaining manner, only, it also a contained a thread of malice in the speech. He incinerated a secret letter without much trouble. Afterwards, he laughed grimly.
Naturally, it was a malice filled grim laugh, that one would let out when they saw a type of idiocy.
The reason was quite simple, acting as someone that had once watched Rumont, successfully become a Rank 2 Druid from an apprentice, he also didn’t believe that Rumont was able to develop a somehow newly strengthened version of a medicine.
“So long as the efficacy of his medicine isn’t as good as what he said, then, there would be good theatrics afterwards.” the young Priest sneered, grabbing a pencil to write a letter.
Wrapping the letter around the leg of a carrier pigeon, he then watched as it spread its wings and took off. The smile on his face was even more prominent.
“Barcas, I’ll have to see how capable you are as a Tax Officer.” After a few minutes, at another end of the small town, the carrier pigeon dropped down on the Tax Officer’s home window.
Taking the letter from the carrier pigeon’s leg, the Tax Officer read it with a glance and exposed an understanding smile.
“Take the opportunity to give Rumont a criminal charge? Good idea!” destroying the letter in a similar way, the Tax Officer talked out loud to himself.
“Crime of derising everyone? This kind of criminal charge is really fitting for Rumont!” clasping his hands together behind his back, he looked to the skies. His face exposed a sneer similar in appearance to the Priest’s.
As for the small town, apart from a few Adventurers taking a few free of charge medicines back, in regards to Rumont’s drugstore launching a new medicine, a large majority of the townsfolk all maintained a spectator-type approach.
After all, the popular group mentality was that the current Rumont was merely a Rank 2 Druid, there was no way of comparing him to the Rank 5 Druid Jeff.
As for the things that the Rank 5 Druid Jeff couldn’t achieve, would Rumont really be able to do it? Moreover, as far as those injury treating medicines were concerned, it really wasn’t very useful.
“Rumont, there’s still nobody coming, ah say, uh is it because our medicines aren’t effective.”
It was already the mid month, the weather gradually turned warmer. Right at the end of last month, Rumont’s store had launched a new type of medicine. Practically nobody was buying it. Only the initially prepared 20 bottles was given out free of charge.
Furthermore, the people that asked for it were basically the few Adventurers. Still, ever since those people took away the medicines, it again lacked any sort of interest.
Rumont’s drugstore was still as before, wide open for business, pitifully without people. However, this type of scenario was long expected by Rumont.
Because the first month was the season with the least amount of monster sightings, therefore, even though there would be a few Adventurers heading towards the forest, the chances of meeting monsters would be few and far-between.
Without anyone receiving injuries, there would naturally be nobody that would use his medicines. Therefore currently, not having the slightest of reactions was normal. However, just because he thought this way, didn’t represent the others in also thinking in this way.
Although there was quite the amount of confidence in Rumont’s new medicine at the beginning, yet as the following days passed by, as the store manager, Nick was starting to lose confidence. That’s why, taking advantage of the lack of people, he quietly asked the above mentioned.
Rumont laughed happily at him. “What’s the matter, you’re worried about the medicines that I compounded?”
“It’s not that, only……” Nick scratched his head, feeling a touch embarrassed. “It’s already been half a month, there’s still nobody coming around to ask, it honestly makes people worried ah.”
“You hah.” Rumont looked towards the fretting body and shook his head. “No need to hurry, there’ll be people that come to buy it.”
Seeing that he still wasn’t too convinced, he patted the other’s shoulder. “Nick, you’ll just have to wait and see then, I’ve never scammed anyone, believe in me.”
“Mm! I believe in you!” under Rumont’s pledge, Nick at long last had confidence again.
“That’s more like it.” Rumont laughed. His vision swept over to people in the outside area, he was still feeling depressed inside.
If even Nick didn’t believe too much in the efficacy of the new medicine, he feared, that more than half the others would also be like this. However, after giving out those 20 bottles of medicines, free of charge last month, there should already be people that were starting to use them!
Because the weather in the recent few days was beginning to warm, as a result, the activities of Adventurers were also increasingly more frequent.
Presumably, his strengthened version of medicine would also display its use quickly. Why would there still be nobody? It couldn’t be that when people used his new medicine, that it really had no effect?
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Author note: I had something today, won’t be in at noon, will be delayed, the nightly release is as usual.
Bo~ 