Lynch had been mulling this over ever since he transmigrated, and he had even secretly drawn up numerous blueprints.
Right now, he directed Copperbeard's work with ease. For any parts that weren't readily available, he had Copperbeard forge them on the spot.
Soon, a simple, strangely shaped distillation apparatus was assembled in a corner of the workshop.
He poured in the ale.
He lit a fire to heat it.
The copper pot came to a boil, filling the air with steam.
Before long, liquid droplets condensed in the cooling tube, dripping into a clean crystal bottle. Gradually, nearly half a bottle of amber-colored liquid collected.
He swapped the bottle out for an empty one.
Under Copperbeard's tense and expectant gaze, Lynch poured half of the small bottle of "Water of Life" onto the anvil, then lit it on fire.
WHOOSH~~
Pale blue flames instantly covered the anvil.
Dwarf Copperbeard's mouth fell open, his eyes as wide as saucers. He froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.
His entire worldview was shattered by the shocking sight.
'Alcohol… can actually burn?!'
'This… This is the Water of Life?!'
Lynch handed over the remaining half bottle. "Brother Copperbeard, have a taste of this Water of Life."
Copperbeard's nostrils flared as he sniffed the aroma. His Adam's apple bobbed nonstop. The insatiable desire for fine spirits, an innate part of a dwarf's nature, finally overrode all his hesitation.
He snatched the crystal bottle and, with a GULP, downed it all in one go.
The next instant.
BOOM!
It was as if an invisible flame had exploded in his mouth. A fiery torrent flowed down his throat and into his stomach.
Copperbeard's blood was instantly set ablaze. Warmth spread from his stomach to his limbs. In just a moment, a faint blush appeared on his coarse, dark-red face.
*Burp*~
He couldn't help but let out a drunken burp, feeling as light as a feather, as if he were floating on a cloud.
The light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter.
"Good. Good stuff."
"This is what a real man should drink!!!"
Seeing him like this, Lynch knew his long-gestating plan was a sure thing.
However, he didn't rush to lay his cards on the table.
Instead, he continued the distillation process with Copperbeard, and they drank round after round.
By evening, Copperbeard was thoroughly drunk.
His face was flushed red, and he had completely unleashed his dwarven nature, boasting loudly as spittle flew from his mouth, "Brother Lynch, *hic*~ lemme tell ya, our Copperbeard Clan, we had a Dwarf King in our ancestry! I've got noble, royal blood flowin' through my veins! Otherwise, how could I brew... uh, I mean, soul-extract such a fine spirit."
Lynch played along, showing a look of admiration. "So Brother Copperbeard is a descendant of royal blood! No wonder you're so bold and magnanimous. I knew it was the right choice to partner with you."
"Partner up?" Flattery had Copperbeard floating on air, but he was also a bit baffled.
"Brother Copperbeard, don't you want to sell this Water of Life all over Saint Roland City, all over the entire Grimsby Empire?"
"Don't you want to show everyone what a real hard liquor is? Don't you want our Gold Coins to pile up and fill this blacksmith shop?"
"Don't you want everyone to know just how awesome you, Muradin Bronzebeard, descendant of the noble Dwarf King's bloodline, truly are?"
In that instant.
Copperbeard's breathing quickened. His mind was filled with the wonderful picture Lynch had painted for him.
After that, things fell into place naturally.
Soon, the two formally signed a contract. Copperbeard would be in charge of production and sales, while Lynch would only be responsible for supervising the finances and providing technical support.
In truth, Lynch wasn't asking for much—only a twenty-percent cut of the revenue.
This made Copperbeard even more excited. He thought Lynch was a great guy.
After signing the contract, he drunkenly grabbed Lynch and swore to the heavens, "I, Muradin Bronzebeard, swear on the honor of my ancestors that I will never treat Brother Lynch unfairly!"
Lynch decided to strike while the iron was hot. He pulled a money pouch from his robes and pushed it in front of Copperbeard. "Brother, this is the money for the potions I bought on credit. Sixty Gold Coins in total. You can count it."
Copperbeard looked at the money pouch, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily. His greedy nature made him instinctively want to take the money back.
But then he remembered how he had just been calling Lynch his brother, repeatedly promising not to treat him unfairly. To turn around and take his money right after... that would be a complete betrayal of his own magnanimous identity as a descendant of royal blood.
Instantly, he forced back the ache in his heart and pushed the money pouch back, a generous look on his face. "Brother, we're partners now, and you even call me 'Brother.' This money... just consider it my support for your training."
But to his utter surprise, Lynch pushed the money pouch back again with an air of righteousness, his eyes serious. "Brother, as the saying goes, even brothers must keep clear accounts. I can't accept this. My conscience wouldn't be clear."
Seeing Lynch's firm attitude, Copperbeard held the money pouch, his face filled with shame. "Brother, I... I thought you were a deadbeat who wouldn't pay his debts... *sob*~ I'm a terrible person~~"
"Brother, we didn't know each other well back then. It's understandable, really."
After that, the two chatted for a while longer before Lynch announced his departure, saying he had to go back and prepare for class.
As Copperbeard walked him to the door, Lynch suddenly heaved a deep sigh, his mood instantly plummeting.
"Brother, are you in some kind of trouble?" Out of guilt, Copperbeard quickly showed concern for his good brother.
"Sigh… The academy's unified exam is in three months," Lynch said with a troubled expression. "I'm not afraid of you laughing at me for saying this, Brother."
"To avoid getting beaten, I wanted to try and break through to the next realm to increase my strength. I also wanted to buy a decent piece of Magic Equipment for protection, but my pockets are... a little empty."
"That's all!?" Hearing this, Copperbeard immediately slapped his chest, which resounded with a THUMP THUMP. Reeking of alcohol, he declared heroically, "Leave it to your big brother! How much do you need? I've got plenty of money here."
As he spoke, he was already moving to get his money box.
Lynch quickly stopped him. "Brother, I can't do that! How could I take your money for free? How about this: consider it a loan! When I'm better off, I'll definitely pay you back with interest."
"A loan? What loan? You're being too formal."
"Even brothers must keep clear accounts."
After some back-and-forth, Lynch "borrowed" five hundred Gold Coins from his good brother, the dwarf. And just like that, the sixty-Gold-Coin debt Lynch had just cleared instantly became a new five-hundred-Gold-Coin debt.
Lynch even solemnly wrote out an IOU, noting that the debt could be deducted from his future share of the Water of Life's revenue.
After this series of maneuvers,
Copperbeard reluctantly saw his good brother to the door, repeatedly telling him to come home and visit often. Only after Lynch's figure disappeared around the street corner did he hum a dwarven folk song and stagger back into his shop.
The breeze outside blew away some of the effects of the alcohol, and Copperbeard's mind cleared a little.
He scratched his head. Something felt a little off.
But he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
'Ah, forget it. Brother Lynch is an honest fellow. I must be overthinking things.'
'I'll go back and sleep it off first.'
'*Hic*, this Water of Life is delicious.'
＊＊＊＊
「The Blackthorn Shop.」
When Lynch dropped a heavy bag of Gold Coins onto the counter, the Elf owner was stunned.
He had originally thought it would take at least three days to get the money and had even mentally prepared himself for the other party to default, forcing him to go to the academy to find him.
But he never would have imagined that not even half a day later, this Undead apprentice, who had been "a little empty" in the pockets just before, would return with the full amount in Gold Coins.
Next, of course, was redeeming his student badge and the Focus Potion.
"Respected customer, your credibility is impressive." A new hint of respect appeared in the Elf owner's eyes.
Lynch then took out another one hundred Gold Coins and purchased twenty-two bottles of Awakening Potion. Only then did he take all his things and suavely leave The Blackthorn.
Carrying two large bags of potions, Lynch went straight back to his single dorm room at the academy.
He closed the door and put down the potions.
Then, he waved his Magic Staff and first summoned Bone Jade.
And what came next was the most crucial step.
Lynch cleared his mind of stray thoughts and began to chant the incantation for [Summon Skeleton].
As the syllables of the chant ended, a spatial vortex appeared before him once again. A newly contracted Skeleton Soldier climbed out of it, looked around, and then stood beside Bone Jade.
At the same time, a notification popped up on the invisible panel.
[You have successfully cast Summon Skeleton LV1. EXP +3. Current Skill Level: LV1 (0231/3000)]
'It worked~'
Lynch looked at the two nearly identical Netherworld Skeleton Soldiers standing side by side, his heart bursting with ecstasy.
...