Chapter 40 - Chapter 40: Chapter 39 Major Reforms (2/2)

“Good day, sir, haha! What can I do for you? Feel free to discuss anything with me, especially if it’s about money!”

Nordivar Bank, a giant joint-stock bank spread across the Ouden Continent, is said to have an unusually high number of dwarves among its upper echelons, yet it was the first time Byrne had seen this rare sub-human species in Cyart.

Indeed, today was a day of many firsts for him.

“A loan, I want to borrow money,” Byrne said without hesitation.

The dwarf, standing only about one meter tall and squinting as if he were a stone stump with a human face, laughed heartily, “Hahaha! Good, very good! I swear I like that term you just used! You can call me Milward, I am the head of Nordivar’s branch in Fein City!”

Milward paused for a moment then continued, “However, we are also afraid of bad debts when it comes to loans, so you need to provide some reliable proof.”

Byrne calmly produced the knight identification signed by Duke Black Iron himself, and the dwarf Milward immediately beamed with joy.

“Hahaha! I see, since we are both people of status and identity, it will be easier to talk!”

After leaving the bank, Byrne’s feelings became extremely complex.

The matter of taking out a loan to expand their venture had been discussed with Irene a week earlier, and they both believed that as long as they used the “Pharmacist” ability to continuously develop and improve new potions, the Fischer family could make a steady stream of money.

But after really borrowing a full fifty gold coins, Byrne, borrowing for the first time, felt a heavy psychological burden, because it would be very troublesome if he couldn’t repay the debt eventually.

Later, he found a local merchant in Fein City using the address given by sea merchant John, and they agreed to meet at the merchant’s home.

Byrne, leading his servants and guards, arrived at a glorious mansion, far more beautiful than the town chief’s house and almost as luxurious as Baron Hovern’s residence in Nasir, quickly realizing that he was meeting with a true major merchant.

According to what John said, most of the goods he shipped by sea were sold off nearby with the help of Mr. Gold, whose abilities and connections were extremely strong.

Mr. Gold was a Cyart man, two meters tall and weighing at least three hundred pounds, with a shiny bald head not sporting a single hair, and possessing an intimidating butcher-like gaze.

It was said that his brother-in-law was the lord of Fein City, Viscount Bast.

The interior of Mr. Gold’s mansion could only be described as opulent, and deep inside Byrne hazarded a guess that the ordinary man before him was perhaps even wealthier than Baron Hovern, who was part of the Extraordinary nobility.

Dinner time came, and they started to talk business.

“You want to sell this?”

In his hand, he held a red potion, and his tone was deep, almost aggressively inquisitive, but Byrne sensed no malice—only perplexity.

Byrne, prepared for this moment, nodded briefly, and explained calmly,

“This is a potent detoxifying potion, capable of counteracting all conventional toxins and low-level mysterious creature toxins. The average market price is three gold coins, but my cost is less than one gold coin.”

Mr. Gold pondered for a moment, then asked, “Shelf life and method of transport and storage?”

Byrne went on, “The shelf life is three years, after which the effect will weaken until it becomes ineffective after five years. Remember to avoid impacts during transport and storage.”

He was confident in making money because the cost of the new potent detoxifying potion was too low, at just over a dozen silver coins, leaving a large margin for profit.

Mr. Gold shook his head, gazing at the young man with eyes full of experience and insight, as if reading his character, and spoke calmly,

“Still doesn’t make sense, how many people in the country would be poisoned every day? Ordinary detoxifying potions can handle most situations; the market is too small, not to mention you seem to have forgotten about the costs of storage, transportation, and promotion.”

Byrne was stunned for a while, falling into a long silence. Mr. Gold wasn’t entirely right; he had already considered those costs, but he hadn’t expected Mr. Gold to dismiss those profits entirely.

It turned out that a big merchant backed by the viscount family didn’t care for such small gains; the bald man before him probably only wanted to make big money.

All of a sudden, a smile appeared on Byrne’s face, his eyes brimming with the same confidence once seen in Lucius, as he continued effortlessly,

“In truth, our Fischer family is cooperating with a genius alchemical Spellcaster, who possesses strong research and development capabilities in medicine.”

His eyes gleaming with confidence as if he had already succeeded, Byrne said with a smile,

“As long as you are willing to help, we can bring forth other new potions within a year, and you will be given priority for cooperation.”

Finally, Mr. Gold revealed an intrigued smile, nodding as he said,

“Well, this sounds a bit more interesting now. But I’ll need to sign a contract with you first, and if you can’t bring out something new within a year, I will require compensation from the Fischer family.”

The potent detoxifying potion was only one outcome of the “Pharmacist” ability; Byrne was sure he could produce many more new types of potions in the future.

Unable to hide his excitement, Byrne clenched his fist slightly and said with a smile, “Alright, I’m willing to sign the contract.”