Chapter 27: The Golden Dragon Apothecary
Elliott's steps naturally turned toward the Golden Dragon Apothecary.
'It's huge.'
At the most valuable intersection in the commercial district, an imposing three-story stone building stood like a fortress.
[Golden Dragon Apothecary]
As though determined to live up to its name, the signboard and pillars at the entrance had been covered in glittering gold leaf. On either side of the doorway stood enormous dragon statues clutching orbs in their jaws, glaring down at passing pedestrians with an intimidating air.
It was the complete opposite of the Hundred Herbs Apothecary, with its quiet atmosphere and faint fragrance of medicinal ingredients.
The moment Elliott stepped inside, his brow furrowed slightly.
'What an awful smell.'
There was no trace of the pleasant scent of herbs. Instead, the interior was filled with a thick artificial fragrance that stung the nose.
It smelled like excessive perfume intended to cover the stale and fishy odors of old medicinal ingredients.
The interior was nothing less than a chaotic bazaar.
"Come, come! This price is only available today! A random bundle of cultivation pills for only one hundred Mana Stones!"
"Take a look at this product! You won't find anything like it elsewhere!"
The attendants behaved more like street hawkers.
They shouted at the top of their lungs and tugged at the sleeves of passing customers. The walls were plastered with glaring red signs that read [Lowest Price], [Limited Stock], and [Massive Discount], making them resemble layers of gaudy runes.
At least, that was how exaggerated they appeared in Elliott's eyes.
'No one would question it if they called this place a market instead of an apothecary.'
Elliott let out a quiet, humorless laugh and blended into the crowd.
+++
The building's size was matched by the number of people moving through it.
Thanks to that, no one paid any attention to Elliott's shabby appearance.
He strolled leisurely between the displays, examining the products.
'I'll admit, their quantity is impressive.'
The counters on the first floor were piled high with products labeled Budget Mana Gathering Pills and Mass-Produced Blood-Staunching Powder.
Most of them were mass-produced goods manufactured in enormous workshops belonging to the Ironblood Consortium.
Elliott picked up a bottle of Mana Gathering Pills and shook it.
An attendant seemed to smell an opportunity and immediately attached himself to Elliott's side.
"Oh! Sir, you have an excellent eye! That is our newest Mana Gathering Pill."
The attendant raised his thumb with an oily smile.
"It is a masterpiece with an absorption rate ten percent higher than the previous version."
"Absorption rate?"
They were discounting something that good?
"Yes, yes! Every Adept in the city is taking them these days. If you do not buy them now, they will be gone before you know it. What do you think?"
Without replying, Elliott raised the bottle before his eyes.
The packaging was covered in gold leaf and looked impressive, but the truth inside could not deceive his eyes.
[Item Information]
[Name: Budget Mana Gathering Pill]
[Quality: Low Grade]
[Condition: Mass-produced item. Contains a greater proportion of fillers, including starch and flour, than medicinal ingredients. Prolonged consumption may result in the accumulation of impurities within the body. Absorption rate is slightly increased.]
'Hmm.'
It was almost absurd.
There was a reason they could sell them so cheaply.
If Adepts became accustomed to purchasing medicine solely because of its low price, the quality of the entire market would eventually decline.
After examining the other discounted products, Elliott found that they were all similarly worthless. Only the items excluded from the discounts and shoved into a corner barely maintained the same standard as the Hundred Herbs Apothecary.
'Are they trying to starve their competitors to death?'
They were flooding the market with low-quality goods to drive honest shops like the Hundred Herbs Apothecary out of business. Once they secured a monopoly, raising the prices would be easy.
To package this as a new product and boast about its improved absorption rate was nothing more than fraud.
'What are they going to do when someone becomes ill after taking this?'
However, Elliott did not show what he was thinking.
He had not come here to act as a champion of justice, nor was he in a position to interfere with someone else's business.
"How much?"
"Fifty Mana Stones per bottle. But if you buy a bundle of three, we can give them to you for only one hundred and forty!"
It was cheap.
Considering the quality, however, it was exactly the price it deserved.
"Give me two bottles."
The moment Elliott expressed his intention to buy, the attendant discreetly pulled a sheet of parchment from beneath the counter and pushed it toward him.
"Sir, would you be interested in joining our Golden Dragon Patron Register? All you need to do is sign here, and we will immediately reduce the price by ten Mana Stones."
Elliott's gaze fell upon the parchment.
It was covered in lines of tiny writing.
"What is this?"
"Oh, it is nothing important. Merely an agreement used to manage our patrons. You will receive discounts in the future and other similar benefits."
The attendant waved his hand as if it were a trivial matter, but Elliott quickly read through the text.
[...The purchaser agrees that the Golden Dragon Apothecary will bear no responsibility for any Purification Response occurring after consumption of this product, including dizziness, vomiting, or related symptoms. The purchaser further agrees not to demand compensation or submit a complaint to the market authorities...]
'Ha.'
Purification Response?
They were side effects.
They clearly knew that their products were worthless and were trying to secure immunity in advance.
They pretended to offer a discount of ten Mana Stones, but the parchment was merely an agreement demanding that the customer remain silent if something went wrong later.
Would something like this truly protect them?
No.
Anyone forced to purchase such products was already weak.
Even if they suffered, would they possess the strength to make their voices heard?
'Disgusting.'
Without hesitation, Elliott pushed the parchment back.
"No, thank you."
He took one hundred Mana Stones from his clothes.
"I do not need the discount. Just give me the products."
The attendant clicked his tongue in disappointment at failing to obtain Elliott's signature. However, the moment he saw the Mana Stones, his servile smile immediately returned.
"Of course! An excellent choice, Sir. Thank you for your purchase! Please visit us again!"
Elliott took the two bottles of Budget Mana Gathering Pills and left the Golden Dragon Apothecary without looking back.
The cries of the hawkers struck his ears once more from behind, but his mind was already occupied with other thoughts.
'So this is the kind of rubbish dominating the market.'
Perhaps it was an opportunity.
If he could sell genuine medicine at an even lower price, the balance of the market might change in an instant.
'The problem is that I don't have a formula or an Alchemy Cauldron.'