Chapter 57
However, in Xie Lun's case, even if the ritual for promotion succeeded, he would end up like the "Crown Guardian" Niya, severely assimilated by the potion to the point of altering his life form. This would effectively cut off any chance of further advancement.
Adele was no longer the carefree girl she used to be, nor did she resemble the timid yet defiant child who hid behind her sister, making faces at Xia Er in their simulations.
She covered her face and sobbed softly, likely holding back her tears since she learned of this matter the night before last.
Adele didn’t dare to tell her sister or confide in anyone else. The shadow of being deceived by her beloved teacher, which nearly led to the deaths of thousands, weighed heavily on her heart.
Perhaps the whispers of the potion had a profound effect, prompting Adele to seek out the "Listener" Ai Wei Na, someone outside any organization, to share her burden.
Neither Xia Er nor Ai Wei Na spoke, allowing Adele to cry in silence across from them.
Xia Er was unsure of what to say, while Ai Wei Na worried that if she spoke, Adele might be consumed by the potion right then and there.
After seeing a few patients, Ai Wei Na had gained some awareness of her own abilities.
Gradually, Adele's shoulders stopped shaking. After wiping her tears haphazardly, she noticed the handkerchief Ai Wei Na had offered.
“Thank you...” Adele took the handkerchief and dried her tears, taking a deep breath. “I feel much better after saying it out loud.”
Seeing her newfound openness, Xia Er couldn’t help but ask, “So, where are you planning to go now?”
She began to worry that this girl might do something drastic or seek redemption by turning herself in.
In this situation, there was a significant chance that Adele would be deemed an accomplice.
If she sought redemption with guilt weighing on her, she might end up in prison until her resolve shattered and she was consumed by the potion.
It was her kindness that led to this; if she lowered her moral standards just a bit, many problems would resolve themselves—this was Xia Er's life experience.
“I’m planning to go to Dedun Manor,” Adele sniffed and said.
“Dedun Manor?” Ai Wei Na blinked, momentarily unable to grasp Adele's reasoning.
She couldn’t help but glance back at Xia Er, finding the same look of confusion reflected in her eyes.
Both were at a loss.
“I want to use the money I’ve saved to buy the ‘Plague Doctor’ potion,” Adele said earnestly, taking a deep breath. “I want to save more people and stop more ‘Harbingers of Disease’ to atone for my mistakes.”
Once Adele finished speaking, both Xia Er and Ai Wei Na couldn’t help but feel a sense of respect for her.
It seemed they had misjudged her; Adele's inner strength and kindness far exceeded Xia Er's expectations.
Though she didn’t appear serious in simulations, she was indeed a good person.
Her guilt had driven her away from the Redemption Society, but after crying it out, she was ready to rely on her own hands to achieve her redemption.
“Are you planning to go to Dedun Manor right now?” Ai Wei Na asked.
“Yes,” Adele nodded. “I’m going now.”
“By the way, I was also planning to go to Dedun Manor to buy some spare materials for the ‘Psychologist’ potion. Can we go together?” Ai Wei Na said with a faint, practiced smile, while her left hand slipped under the table, making a subtle beckoning gesture toward Xia Er.
Although Adele couldn’t see Ai Wei Na’s movement, it was quite noticeable from Xia Er’s perspective.
Is she... planning to make Adele my third recommender?
Understanding Ai Wei Na’s intention, Xia Er also asked, “Dedun Manor?”
“Oh right, Xia Er, you haven’t been to Dedun Manor yet, have you?” Ai Wei Na pretended to ponder, mumbling, “But with me and Niya, we only have two recommenders…”
“Sorry, Xia Er, you’ll have to go home and read by yourself. There are plenty of books for you to read for a few more days. Ai Wei Na and I are going to Dedun Manor; after all, we’re short one recommender, and you can’t come along.” Ai Wei Na sighed in a rehearsed manner, casting a discreet glance at Adele.
At that moment, Adele was still a bit hesitant.
This Miss Xia Er clearly seemed like an ordinary person. Was it really okay for her to go to Dedun Manor?
But when she heard that if she didn’t go, she’d be sent home to read for several days, memories of her own days spent reading flooded back.
What a hellish existence!
No, I have to save her!
“I can be Miss Xia Er’s third recommender,” Adele said. “If you don’t mind, it’s just a small effort.”
Plan successful!
“Great, thank you, Adele.” Ai Wei Na instantly dropped her practiced smile, turning to Xia Er. “Let’s go home and get the money.”
“Miss Adele, we’ll head home first to get the money. Can you wait here for a bit?” Ai Wei Na looked back at Adele.
“Uh... sure, no problem.” Adele nodded, not in a hurry.
Adele vaguely sensed that something was off, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.
Once Ai Wei Na and Xia Er got into the carriage, Xia Er couldn’t help but ask, “If you just talked to her directly, wouldn’t she agree?”
“Then she’d be curious about why you want to go, wouldn’t she?” Ai Wei Na tilted her head slightly, seemingly pleased with her maneuver.
This sense of understanding with Xia Er brought her joy.
“Alright then.” Xia Er nodded, then asked, “I’d like to know, how much do I have?”
“I’ve already calculated it for you.” Ai Wei Na reached into her pocket, pulled out a notepad, opened a page, and handed it to Xia Er.
As Xia Er took the notepad to look, Ai Wei Na explained.
“Generally speaking, a first-tier potion without the ritual process costs around 800 Su pounds. Due to the rarity of the ‘Avenger’ potion, that price can go up by 50 pounds, but this bottle can’t be sold whole.”
“I’ll send it to a contact who can break it down into materials for resale, but that will significantly reduce the price, probably to around 500 Su pounds, since without the formula, no one else can brew the potion.”
“After deducting 100 Su pounds for protecting your sister and arranging work, you’ll receive 400 Su pounds.”
While Ai Wei Na spoke, Xia Er’s eyes were glued to the notepad.
“As for Xie Lun, the main material for the second-tier ‘Harbinger of Disease’ can sell for around 1150 pounds. Such a ritual is quite inhumane, so the price is lower due to the low success rate, and not many dare to buy it. The complete third-tier potion ‘Source of Chaos’ without the ritual and notes fluctuates around 6000 pounds.”
“After deducting my 30%, plus that 400 Su pounds, you’ll have…”
Before Ai Wei Na could finish, Xia Er had already read the number aloud.
“5405 Su pounds…” Xia Er felt a bit breathless; it was the first time she realized how dazzling that number was.
If, as Ai Wei Na said, first-tier potions cost around 800 Su pounds each...
She could buy six bottles in one go and still have some left over!
Keep in mind, the purchasing power of Su pounds is quite high, directly linked to gold!
The sudden wealth left Xia Er feeling dizzy.
With so much money... what should I do?
Maybe buy a house...
As soon as that thought crossed her mind, she dismissed it.
Having been poor for so long, her mind hadn’t caught up yet.
This money should be saved to enhance her own strength; her own abilities were her true capital.
“Although this money is only enough to buy a small house with a garden of about 3000 Su square feet in An Su, it would be sufficient for purchasing first and second-tier potions,” Ai Wei Na said in a neutral tone.
A 3000 Su square foot house with a garden costs about 5000 pounds... roughly 300 square meters...
For Ai Wei Na, that was indeed a small house, but for Xia Er, it was something she wouldn’t have dared to dream of just a few days ago.
These capitalists are really wealthy! They earn more than extraordinary beings!
Given Ai Wei Na’s wealth, wouldn’t her path to advancement be smooth sailing?
“What about fourth-tier potions? How much do they cost?” Xia Er pulled her gaze from the 5405 and looked at Ai Wei Na, handing the notepad back to her.
“Priceless.” Ai Wei Na shook her head. “Third-tier potions are already hard to come by; anything above that can’t be measured in money.”
As expected...
Otherwise, the path to the extraordinary would have long been monopolized by capitalists.
“Will many noble merchants become extraordinary beings?” Xia Er asked curiously.
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