Adventurer of Many Professions

That night, Raymond had dinner with Arya at home. Between bites, he casually mentioned that he had found a blacksmith shop, but he kept the details brief. Afterward, he excused himself, putting on his disguise once again. The gloomy, mysterious "underground pharmacist" persona was back, and he headed to the meeting spot he had arranged with Manik the day before.

The location was on commercial street, in the South District.

Much like commercial street in the East District, this street was lined with women, ordinary, unremarkable women compared to the exotic beauties across the way. The area was dark and quiet, a stark contrast to the bustling, bright main streets.

In a narrow alley, Manik eagerly awaited Raymond's arrival. As soon as he received the five bottles of 'Primary Magic Recovery Potion' from Raymond, a wave of relief and joy washed over his face. He had been hesitant, unsure whether Raymond could actually follow through. But now, with the potions in hand, he was convinced. Raymond was indeed a skilled pharmacist.

"Mr. Rose, here are the herbs you asked for. We've gathered enough to make eight bottles as you requested," Manik said, handing over a leather bag filled with herbs.

Raymond took the bag, pulled out a white Stone, and examined the herbs briefly, making sure everything was in order. He nodded and replied in his usual hoarse voice, "Good. Let's meet here tomorrow. You can pay me for the five bottles of 'Primary Magic Recovery Potion' after deducting the cost of the herbs."

Raymond had already worked out the numbers in his head. Each bottle of potion went for twenty silver coins, and he would take 80% of that price, meaning sixteen silver coins per bottle. After factoring in the herb costs, he'd be making around ten silver coins of profit per bottle. With eight bottles a day, that would add up to 80 silver coins, a solid income!

That was a far cry from the paltry sum he earned last time, when they sold the blood vine grass and barely made four gold coins after expenses. It was hard work for minimal reward, and the money was mostly gone after paying for his armor repairs. But with his professions as a pharmacist and craftsman, Raymond had found a much more profitable way of working.

"Of course, with my ability to repair the leather armor now, we'll get a discount next time," Raymond thought to himself with a grin.

After the exchange, Raymond quickly left commercial Street, making sure no one was following him with his keen hunter's instincts. Once he was sure he wasn't being tailed, he discarded his disguise and returned to his true self. He made his way back to his house on Red Rose Street, relieved that the night had gone smoothly.

Once inside, Arya couldn't wait to help. She immediately began washing the herbs and cutting them into small sections, making them easier to process. Manik had been kind enough to help Raymond collect the medicine tubes, saving him time and effort.

With Arya's help and guidance, Raymond was able to refine all eight bottles of 'Primary Magic Recovery Potion' by the end of the night, much to his satisfaction.

-----

The next morning, Raymond finished his morning exercises and breakfast before getting ready. After applying his makeup and transforming into his "underground pharmacist" persona, he made his way to Pierre's Blacksmith Shop.

When he arrived, he found Pierre already outside, sitting on a chair in front of the shop. The old man was practically glowing with happiness.

"Rose, you're here! Come, come, take a look!" Pierre greeted him eagerly, jumping up from the chair and pointing behind him.

Raymond's eyes followed Pierre's gesture, and he saw the weapon rack outside the shop. It was a surprising sight, Pierre had actually moved the weapon rack outside, showcasing the swords Raymond had made.

But there was something different. The weapons on the rack now had finely crafted wooden handles, and their scabbards were neatly placed beside them. However, Raymond quickly noticed that the long sword he had made yesterday was missing.

"Mr. Pierre, could it be...?" Raymond started to ask, eyeing Pierre with growing curiosity.

"Haha, that's right!" Pierre said with a broad smile. "The long sword sold this morning!"

Raymond's eyes widened in surprise as Pierre continued with his story. After Raymond had left yesterday, Pierre had immediately gone to buy high-quality wood to craft better hilts and scabbards for the weapons. He worked through the night, replacing the old parts and getting them ready for display.

This morning, Pierre couldn't wait to show off the new additions. He set up the weapon rack outside to attract attention, hoping to catch the eye of any potential buyers.

And it worked. A swordsman, who had been passing by and was in need of a replacement for his broken weapon, spotted the new swords. He recognized their quality right away, similar to those from the more established weapon shops. Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

When he learned that these swords were made by a "craftsman," he immediately asked for the price. Pierre, knowing the value of the weapons, quoted eighty silver coins, a fair price for such fine craftsmanship.

"I thought he might haggle," Pierre continued, still beaming, "but to my surprise, he bought it right away without a word!"

Pierre's excitement was contagious. After all, in his years of business, the most expensive items he'd ever sold; kitchen knives, farm tools, or low-quality swords, barely reached ten silver coins. To get eighty silver coins for a single sword was unbelievable.

"Here, Rose," Pierre said, handing Raymond a leather bag. It rustled with the sound of silver coins. "This is your share."@@novelbin@@

Raymond took the bag with a smile, feeling a sense of accomplishment. It was a good start to his plan.

Raymond took the leather bag without hesitation, since it was part of their agreement. But as soon as he held it, he noticed it felt heavier than expected.

"Mr. Pierre, I think there might be too many silver coins in here," Raymond said, frowning slightly.

Old Pierre grinned and replied, "Well, there's forty silver coins in it. I felt like thirty percent was a bit too little, so I decided to split it in half. You deserve more for the good work you did!"

Raymond shook his head, refusing the extra coins. "Mr. Pierre, we agreed on thirty percent. Let's stick with that. I made the weapons, but I didn't do anything else. If there's anything else I get from adventurers, that income is mine."

Old Pierre hesitated for a moment, but then agreed with a sigh, "Alright, I understand. We'll keep it fair. But remember, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Hearing that, Raymond's eyes lit up with an idea. "Actually, Mr. Pierre, could you give me a key to the shop? Sometimes I might not be able to come during the day and may only be able to work at night."

Old Pierre raised an eyebrow, surprised by the request, but then smiled and said, "Of course, I'll give you the key. You can just make a copy whenever you need one."

With that, Old Pierre handed Raymond the key to the shop without further question.

Raymond nodded his thanks, then took the key and got straight to work. He fired up the stove and grabbed a small piece of iron from the ground, getting started on crafting.

An hour later, he had successfully made a duplicate of the key. He tested it by unlocking the shop door, carefully putting the key away after ensuring it worked. This key was important for his future plans, especially since it would give him access to Old Pierre's blacksmith shop whenever he needed to work with the "black iron ore."

Satisfied with his work, Raymond got back to forging.