Chapter 24: Knockoff Health Potion
If anyone from his first life were watching him right now, they'd immediately recognize what he was performing using all of the ingredients he possesses in an instant.
Concocting a Small Health Potion!
That's right. He's creating a slightly inferior but more affordable version of the popular Health Potion, which was believed to be exclusively produced by the Royal Family of the Sylvaris Kingdom, as they are the only ones allowed to use the Fruit of Life.
*Whoosh!
Kael poured an entire bucket of water on the fire to extinguish its flame and stop the pot from continuing to cook. Taking out a wet towel, he pulled out the pot and put it on top of the table before opening its lid to let the hot air out.
If only he had enough money, he wouldn't have needed to do that just to stop the pot from continuing to cook, as he could simply turn off the fire.
"It's done?" Lawrence was slightly taken aback at how fast Kael finished his concoction of the still unknown potion. It has only been five minutes.
Looking inside the pot, what appeared was a yellow colored liquid that seemed sticky and disgusting. It sparks under the brightness of the sun and releases this pungent but fragrant smell that's so hard to describe.
"What exactly did you make?" Jayem couldn't help asking as he stared at the liquid inside the pot.
To tell the truth, all they know about is that Kael's making a potion, that's all. The reason for not telling them what kind of potion is that he doesn't want a possible slip of tongue today because it's the most crucial for this operation he is planning.
"It's better to test it first," Kael took out a small glass bottle that he bought from the Alchemy store. Using a ladle, he scooped and filled the bottle with the unknown concoction.
After doing that, he took out a dagger from his waist and asked the duo, "Who wants to try it first?"
"Me!" Lawrence excitedly volunteered. He doesn't care what's inside the glass bottle. He simply trusts that Kael wouldn't do anything to harm him.
"In that case,"
With one swift motion, Kael made a cut on Lawrence's shoulder.
"Arg!" Lawrence let out a low growl in pain as he glanced at his shoulder and asked. "Why?"
"You may drink the potion," Kael gestured with his hand to the glass bottle in front of them.
"Okay…" Lawrence still doesn't understand, but he followed Kael's instruction anyway.
While drinking the potion, Lawrence could feel a slightly hot and gluey liquid sliding down from his throat. It felt disgusting at first. But after a brief moment of the liquid entering his stomach, some sort of refreshing explosion suddenly burst out from the inside and started spreading out to his entire body. The feeling was like the mana he sensed in their surroundings, entering and refreshing his body.
In the next moment, the wound that Kael made with his dagger could be seen slowly and evidently closing. Until finally, there was no longer any wound at all.
"How?!" Jayem was completely in shock at the scene. "That means what you were making was a Health Potion!"
"A Health Potion?" Lawrence doubted what he had just heard. But it only took a second for him to realize it. "Didn't you just mention only the Royal Family of the Sylvaris Kingdom could manufacture the Health Potion?"
"Don't tell me…" Jayem couldn't help but assume something.
"I'm not a member of their Royal Family," Kael immediately dismisses such a ridiculous assumption.
"Then how?" Lawrence was doubtful about that. That might not be the case, but surely he is related to them in one way or another. That could also explain how he was able to read their alphabet and how he knows a lot about the world of Avalon.
But if that wasn't indeed the case, then how exactly could Kael make a Health Potion?
"Wait!" Jayem realized something after he briefly looked at the ingredients Kael used. "You didn't use a Fruit of Life!"
"Oh, yeah! You're right!" Lawrence also realized. "Then that means you're not related to them. But that still begs the question of how you made this?"
"Let's just say, I know a friend," Kael smiled meaningfully. He did know who originally created the Health Potion. It was Nexus. And obviously, they're not his friend. That was why he didn't hesitate to bring this ahead of time, because by doing so, he would eliminate an advantage from Nexus.
"You're obviously not going to tell us," Jayem rolled his eyes. If Kael really knows someone who taught him how to make a Health Potion, then that person would have long been one of the richest people in the entire Noverra.
"We'll just believe you," Lawrence decided to give up on his questioning since it obviously wouldn't lead to anything. "Anyways, what should we do with this Health Potion? We obviously can't sell this in the Sylvaris Kingdom because that would just set off an alarm from their Royal Family,"
"You're right!" Kael was aware of that.
Naturally, the existence of a knockoff version of their Health Potion would make the Royal Family of the Sylvaris Kingdom believe that someone in their family had leaked the formula to an outsider, which, in this case, was him. Meaning, they'll make a supposedly legit claim that the Health Potion he invented is their property, as it is created using their formula, and steal it from him. They would then forbid him from manufacturing it and ban him from visiting their kingdom in the future. And even if they discover later on that they're wrong, they would still not think that what they did is wrong because they're just protecting their family. Moreover, in the process, they got themselves a slightly less expensive version of their Health Potion for free.
Although what they've done would still not prevent him from continuing to make the knockoff Health Potion, that still doesn't change the fact that, by really doing it, it would bring him so much trouble and potentially more enemies.
For that reason, he doesn't have the intention of selling his knockoff version of Health Potion in Sylvaris Kingdom. At least, not yet. Not now, he needs to wait for the right time.
"So, where are you going to sell it?" Lawrence fell into deep thought.
"If you can't sell in the Sylvaris Kingdom, are you perhaps planning to sell it in the Murkwatch Kingdom to the far south of this forest?" Jayem assumed.
"That would only make us an even bigger target!" Kael shook his head. "It's already common knowledge that only the Sylvaris Kingdom could manufacture Health Potions. So, what do you think would happen if someone outside of their family could do it? Naturally, every kingdom in Avalon would target that person!"
"Don't tell me…" Lawrence finally realized what Kael was planning to do. "But Nexus might target you!"
"They could, but we could always just run away and stay in Avalon forever," Kael explained. They might not be able to do it in the case of Avalon because they can't afford to remain in Noverra forever, but they could always do it the opposite way. If Nexus targets them, then they'll leave Noverra and stay in Avalon forever.
Being a pioneer always brings about great risk, no matter what area one chooses. That is why they need to take the risk that they could handle as they continue with their journey to reach the top.
And right now, the risk they could handle is with Nexus finding out that they're the inventor of a knockoff version of the Health Potion.
If it turns out badly, then they escape to Avalon. But if it turns out nicely, then they'll gain a huge popularity in Noverra and might even earn the support of Nexus, without the latter even knowing or realizing that they are just being used to create a force that will become their biggest enemy in the future.
Moreover, if they truly earn Nexus support, that means they could enter the market of Avalon without any problem.
"Fair enough," Jayem agrees. Nexus was only powerful in Noverra, but in Avalon, they're barely at the level of the forces of a kingdom in this world. He's confident that if things go badly with them, they have nothing to worry about at all as long as Avalon exists.
"In that case, shouldn't we continue producing more potions right now?" Lawrence smiled in excitement.
"Let's go!"
With that being said, Kael poured out the rest of the liquid for the knockoff Health Potion into the glass bottles before cleaning the pot and continuing with the rest of the remaining ingredients.
It took about an hour or two before Kael was finally done with all the ingredients they had.
In total, they were able to make exactly ninety-nine pieces of knockoff Health Potions, minus the one that Lawrence used to test its effect.
It was exactly the right amount that Kael had calculated when he was purchasing the ingredients earlier.
"Let's bring ten pieces first to Manager Drex in the morning to hear his opinion on our product. If everything goes well, we will bring the rest to him."
"Okay!"
Now that it was finished, Kael decided to leave the duo to do whatever they intended on doing with the rest of their time, while he would go ahead to take a rest and prepare for tomorrow.