Chapter 290
Aivina continued to press for answers, not giving Adele a moment to think.
After hearing Aivina's words, Adele hesitated before replying, “It seems… no, it’s just the volunteer medical team from the Church of the Savior and the Redemption Society…”
The initiative in the conversation had swiftly shifted to Aivina's hands.
“Do you know how many people have died over there?” Aivina asked. “Unofficial estimates put the number close to a million.”
“The order there is on the brink of collapse. How many ‘instigators,’ ‘butchers,’ and ‘killers’ will take the opportunity to exploit the chaos for their own gain? And how many ‘poison makers’ will seize the chance to create new plagues?”
“With so many corpses, how many ‘coroners’ will swoop in like vultures? And what about the ‘adventurers’ who are drawn by the scent of danger…”
At this point, Aivina paused briefly before continuing, “I believe the Church of the Savior and the Redemption Society’s actions this time surely didn’t receive approval from the higher-ups in Ansu. Will there be ‘detectives’ from the upper echelons sent to assist with the investigation? Will local officials cooperate with your efforts?”
A barrage of questions left Adele feeling dizzy. She lowered her head, biting her lip, wanting to retort but unsure of what to say, feeling a wave of grievance wash over her.
Aivina’s expression was already quite neutral, and with her slightly more assertive tone, the pressure was intense.
Adele felt completely overwhelmed, with no room to resist in front of Aivina.
As Aivina’s face flushed with fervor, Charles stepped forward a few paces, gently patting Adele on the shoulder, and spoke softly to comfort her, “We’re not against you helping the people of North Ansu. We’re deeply pained by the plight of the impoverished there…”
“But I think, with your talents, Adele, you shouldn’t be on the front lines providing medical aid. Instead, you should stay back and work with like-minded extraordinary individuals to research a cure for the plant plague.”
“Aimi is looking to drink the ‘Gardener’ potion, right? During this time, let Aivina speed up her search for the ‘Gardener’ potion, and have her find someone to bring back some of the affected crops and seeds from North Ansu. You and Aimi can study them together; that’s where your abilities can be best utilized.”
“If you don’t believe me, you can ask Professor Ashford. He’s a high-ranking member of the Redemption Society, and he wouldn’t recommend you go to North Ansu. You’re a research-oriented talent, not a ‘field doctor.’”
Charles’s words were laced with praise, showcasing the art of language.
Initially overwhelmed by Aivina’s barrage of questions, Adele felt a flicker of rebellion, but upon hearing Charles’s gentle words, that rebellion faded, and she began to see the sense in what he was saying.
Moreover, Charles had brought up Ashford from the Redemption Society—Adele held a great deal of respect for knowledge and medical professors. If Ashford truly didn’t recommend her going to North Ansu, she would indeed reconsider.
It was like coaxing a child.
This combination of a big stick and a carrot could fool most children.
Adele had now lowered her head, lost in thought, seemingly swayed by Charles’s plan. Charles turned back and exchanged a knowing glance with Aivina, both of them slightly curling their lips into a smile.
Even without a prepared script, their cooperation was still seamless.
Seeing Adele on the verge of changing her mind, Charles added fuel to the fire.
“If you have time, you could learn a bit about business from Aivina. If you really can’t manage business, you could start a medical consulting service or create some special potions to sell to the nobles, making a hefty profit from those wealthy merchants, and then use that money to buy food for North Ansu.”
Charles continued, “For North Ansu right now, clean food and water are equally important.”
His final words seemed to be the last straw that broke the camel’s back. Adele finally abandoned her previous thoughts and obediently said, “Alright…”
But soon, Adele looked up at Charles and asked, “Selling potions to nobles and wealthy merchants? There are plenty of potions that ordinary people can use, but others are also selling them…”
Making money from the wealthy was something other extraordinary individuals were already doing, and Adele had a high moral standard; she wouldn’t deliberately add harmful ingredients that could affect ordinary people’s health. In the eyes of the common folk, her potions would be less effective than those of others, so sales would naturally be low.
Hearing Adele’s question, Charles fell silent, turning to Aivina with a look full of pleading.
After all, the idea of selling potions was something Charles had just made up, and she hadn’t anticipated that Adele would directly challenge this point.
“Uh…”
Seeing the pleading look in Charles’s eyes, Aivina’s mind raced.
This was one of the few questions that could stump Charles; she had to provide a perfect answer here. After all, Aivina was quite familiar with this field in the upper echelons, and even if she didn’t know much, she had heard a thing or two.
Quickly, a memory of something a noble girl had once mentioned surged into Aivina’s mind. Without much hesitation, she blurted out, “‘Sexual Health Potion.’”
Adele: “Sexual health…”
Charles: “Potion?”
Noticing the growing skepticism in Charles’s eyes, Aivina realized the gravity of what she had just said. After locking eyes with Charles for a few seconds, she finally faltered, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks as she looked away.
“I only heard about it… Right now, among the nobles and wealthy merchants, there’s a trend for a potion called ‘Sexual Health Potion,’ but it seems to contain a lot of toxic ingredients. I heard someone say that someone died from excessive excitement after drinking it…”
The more Aivina spoke, the lower her voice became.
“So I was thinking, with such a large market for this kind of thing, if we could develop a potion with minimal side effects, it would definitely sell well… After all, those nobles, their private lives aren’t exactly above board…”
Charles looked at Aivina, his eyes narrowing slightly.
What on earth was Aivina thinking? Wasn’t this teaching bad habits?
At this moment, Adele tilted her head slightly, seemingly still grappling with what this “Sexual Health Potion” was.
“Have you bought it?”
Charles asked with a smirk, his tone implying something more.
“I haven’t! I’ve never bought it; I just heard about it,” Aivina quickly denied, then added, “I’ve only bought some extraordinary materials that have no side effects, just materials for assisting with hypnosis…”
“When did you buy it?”
Charles blinked, curious.
“The day before the Dedton Manor collapsed.”
Aivina’s blush faded slightly as she spoke, “Didn’t you see me buy it?”
Indeed… that night, Aivina had bought quite a few things, but Charles wasn’t clear on what their effects were.
“Confiscated.”
Charles said expressionlessly.
With such “dangerous” items in Aivina’s possession, he had a nagging feeling she might use them against him… After all, Charles could sense that Aivina seemed dissatisfied with being under his thumb.
Want to turn the tables?
Unfortunately, Charles wouldn’t easily grant her wish.
“On what grounds?”
Aivina raised her chin slightly, seemingly indignant. “I bought it with my own money.”
Charles looked at Aivina, offering a faint smile without saying anything further. But just that smile made Aivina feel a bit guilty.
This Aivina… when others are around, she gets bold… She knows I wouldn’t dare to act against her in front of others.
She still needed a bit more “love.”
“Let’s not argue… What is that potion? Is there a finished product? I can reverse-engineer its ingredients.”
Adele, noticing the two seemed to be getting into a heated argument, quickly changed the subject.
“There’s no need to make that potion. If you have time to mass-produce potions, it’s better to spend more time researching the potato plague.”
Charles shook her head, thinking of a compromise. She continued, “If you want to donate to North Ansu, you can give the money to Aivina and let her help you invest. The profits might be more than what you’d earn from selling potions.”
“Oh…”
Adele stood up, showing no hesitation as she walked to a corner and rummaged through a bag. She quickly pulled out a wallet.
She ran back to Aivina, holding the wallet filled with some old shillings and small denominations of Su pounds, and said, “Including my work during this time, I’ve saved over one hundred and fifty pounds… Is this enough?”
At a glance, it was clear that Adele was putting all her savings on the table.
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