pertwk Chapter 167 The Lies in the Miracle Medicine Shop
Chapter 167 The Lies in the Miracle Medicine Shop
Chapter 167 The Lies in the Miracle Medicine Shop
Beneath the white walls, the city gate guards waved to the people in the carriage, letting them into the city.
"Thanks, buddy!"
The dark-skinned half-elf blew a kiss to the guard, who deliberately ignored her, pretending not to recognize her.
"Hurry up and move along—next person!"
After entering the city gate, Gebu and the swordswoman jumped off the carriage. Gebu said goodbye to the two of them. Throughout the journey, Gebu's ears were buzzing from the half-elf's chatter. This was the first time Gebu had met someone who could talk more than him. He didn't know where she got so much to say.
From her rambling stories, Geb learned that this Yvette was a bard who, after graduating from the Anecdotes Academy in Silverwater City, traveled around making a living before arriving in Matiana by chance and joining the Grey Ravens. When asked about her role in the Grey Ravens, Yvette evasively replied, "Hahaha, I'm... well, just a nobody." Nobody needs me, but I'm everywhere!
From the book, Gebu learned that the Gray Ravens were neither an army nor a church, and had no strict organizational hierarchy or positions. The entire gang was controlled by a group of powerful "Raven Leaders," whose gatherings were called "Raven Nests."
If disputes arise among the gang leaders, the gang faces external threats, or new money-making opportunities emerge, the members of Raven's Nest will hold a meeting in a secluded place to make a decision.
This loose, roundtable-style structure resulted in the Gray Ravens lacking a single, absolute authority; all decisions were made through struggle and negotiation. In other words, whoever had the biggest fist, the most power, the most funds, and the most friends had the greatest say.
The position of the crow leader is not secure either. "If you can do it, then do it; if I can do it, then I can do it," subservience, and annexation are commonplace. The gray crows don't see anything wrong with this behavior; the motto of the Gray Crow Society is:
Corvus audacibus favet!
The Crow Queen protects the hero!
The bolder the man, the greater the crow's wealth!
Peacock is one of the Crow Leaders, and her herbal medicine business spans the kingdom, holding a near-monopoly on both legal and illegal products. The Seven Seas Herbal Medicine Shop has branches not only in the black market but also in other cities, operating in both the legitimate and criminal worlds. Of course, the openly run herbal medicine shop doesn't sell illegal potions; only members of the Gray Raven Society, who give the correct code, can buy the good stuff.
Geb wanted to ask Yvette about the peacock, but she cleverly changed the subject. It was unclear whether she was afraid of the peacock or distrustful of Geb—perhaps both.
"Goodbye then, my lovely new friends! Remember to come to our rehearsal tonight, Gebu!"
The dark-skinned half-elf waved to the two men and walked into the city with the big man.
After saying goodbye to them, Gebu and Dao Nu first found a nearby inn to settle down and stored their horses in the stable. Then Gebu urged Dao Nu to take him to scout out a few key locations and familiarize themselves with the city's roads for future travel.
This time, Gebu was determined not to cause too much of a commotion. This was the capital of the Rose Kingdom. Although the religious atmosphere of the new kingdom wasn't as oppressive as that of the old kingdom, it was still the territory of the Holy Church of Obak, and he absolutely couldn't reveal his identity.
Moreover, the merchant guild will be passing through this place later. This is the largest port in the kingdom, and we will inevitably pass through here to do business. It's best to establish some connections if possible, and avoid doing things like crossing the river and then burning the bridge.
The delivery time is tomorrow morning, Gebu thought. He needed to sleep for at least an afternoon to get enough rest so he could concentrate and have a morning and an evening to explore the city.
The goblin wizard has a few places he wants to go.
First, there's the Seven Seas Pharmacy in this city.
He wanted to get some information out of the pharmacy clerk; it was Peacock's shop, and if she made any moves, there would definitely be a commotion.
Moreover, Gebu also wanted to replenish his herb stock. Although he could get raw materials from caravans, it involved going through an intermediary, so the price wasn't worthwhile.
This is a big city, and the halfling was planning to buy some precious herbs to concoct some high-level potions—of course, he probably wouldn't have time tonight, so he'd save them for later.
The second location is the Silver Moon Corridor, the brothel.
The brothel is probably closed early in the morning, but you can take a walk around the area and scout out the surroundings. It's always better to be prepared than not.
Gebu also wanted to explore the city's market, visit the port, and sample the seaside cuisine—but unfortunately, there wasn't time for that now; he'd wait until the caravan arrived.
If all goes well, Gebu and the Swordswoman can even stay in the city and wait for the caravan to catch up, without having to make the long journey back.
That's all for later. Right now, the most important thing is to handle the deal with the Golden Mask.
Gebu always carried the communication stone with him, but Golden Mask hadn't contacted him in the past few days, and Gebu hadn't contacted Golden Mask either.
Maintaining a bit of mystery is good. If you already know enough information, asking more questions will only make the Golden Mask less responsive and cause him to doubt his own abilities.
Gebu and the Swordswoman stayed at an inn near the gate to the lower city, not far from the market square where the Seven Seas Pharmacy was located. The Swordswoman led them through the bustling streets, occasionally pointing to the shops and city landmarks along the way, casually introducing the city of Matiana to Gebu.
"—That blacksmith shop is terrible. Although it has a sign that says dwarven blacksmith, the workers inside are all human. I got ripped off once and never went there again."
"This is the Lower Town, where merchants and artisans live. It's better than the Harbor District, but far worse than the Upper Town. If you want to save money and don't mind the mess, you can stay in the Harbor District and buy things here. Everything is expensive in the Upper Town, and the people are pretentious. People will look down on us for what we're wearing." The woman pointed to the end of the street and said, "Look, climb these steps, getting higher and higher, and you'll reach the Upper Town. The higher the elevation in this city, the more noble the residents. The highest point is the Palace of Flowers, the palace of the Rose Queen. Next to it, the pink onion domes are the Rose Chapel, the main church of the New Kingdom Church."
"Quite interesting," Geb replied. Looking at the high, white walls and palaces, he couldn't help but think: the church and the nobility truly are "superior people" in the literal sense.
As they were thinking, the two arrived at the entrance of the Seven Seas Pharmacy. Just as the woman was about to step inside, Gebu called her back, subtly pulling her along as they continued walking forward.
"What are you doing?" the woman with the sword asked in surprise.
"Don't rush, let's go around in circles," Gebu whispered. "First, see who's going in and out—what smells so good?"
Gebu was drawn by a fragrant aroma and stopped in his tracks. Across from the Seven Seas Pharmacy were several small shops, one of which was a bakery bustling with customers, the aroma of baking filling the air.
"Oh, that shop, I've been there—their meat pies are absolutely amazing. The chef uses good butter, not the cheap stuff that's about to go bad—hey? Where are you going?"
Before the woman with the sword could finish speaking, Gebu was led into the bakery by the aroma.
"Have some self-respect! —Speaking of which, it smells so good!"
The woman with the sword looked around and quickly followed him inside.
Two minutes later, Gebu and the woman with the knife were sitting by the roadside, each holding a meat pie bigger than their face, and eating it heartily.
First, open the top lid, eat the filling with a spoon, then use the dough lid to clean up the remaining filling, and finally eat all the pastry around the edges and bottom that has absorbed the oil.
"It smells so good!" Gebu said, puffing out his cheeks, while glancing sideways at the flow of people in the medicine shop.
There were more shop assistants than customers in the shop. Business was slow, but the shop assistants were very busy, going in and out, unloading and loading goods, making it quite lively.
"Do you remember the first time we met? It was in front of the pharmacy," Gebu said to the woman with the knife. "You couldn't afford the potions, so I tried to sell them to you, and you looked down on me."
"—Would you buy something from a goblin?" The swordswoman glared at Geb.
"You're already that poor, and you're still picky?" Gebu mocked. "By the way, you've been a mercenary for a while now, haven't you? Your fees aren't low, yet you're still so poor. Where did all your money go?"
"Is it any of your business?" The swordswoman rolled her eyes at Gebu. "Mercenaries have too many expenses: equipment maintenance, food, clothing, lodging, and transportation. When traveling, they have to burn through money every moment. There's simply no way to save any."
"It's not that bad—" Gebu was about to continue speaking when he saw some movement in the pharmacy out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head and saw several shop assistants coming out of the pharmacy. They were carrying several packages and placing them on the carriage. They were looking around. Gebu quickly lowered his head to avoid their gaze. He only looked up again after he saw the shop assistants leave.
After the shop assistants left, a middle-aged halfling emerged from the pharmacy, looking quite refined. The halfling watched the carriage depart, then returned to the pharmacy and closed the door from the inside.
Is it closed so early in the morning? Gebu felt something was amiss, so he stood up and walked towards the rare medicine shop.
"What do you mean? You don't go when the door is open, but you go when it's closed?" the woman with the sword asked.
"I'll wait for you outside when it's closing time, and we'll keep a low profile."
Gebu arrived at the pharmacy and patted the tightly closed door.
No one responded.
He turned to look at the woman with the knife. She had moved to a secluded alleyway, leaning against the wall, hidden in the shadows, her eyes fixed on him.
Geb knocked on the door again.
"The door is closed!" someone inside shouted.
"Leave the door a crack, so people can get in but the wind can't—we're both birds on the same branch, can't you let me in to take a look?"
Gebu used a set of slang that meant that if one of their own came to buy something, the Gray Raven Society's shops could not refuse.
Footsteps were heard, and then the door opened. The middle-aged half-man glanced at Gebu, realized he didn't recognize him, and his displeasure was barely concealed.
"—Come in, hurry up, I have something to do."
"Two minutes, it'll be over in two minutes."
Gebu slipped inside, and the middle-aged man closed the door again.
"What do you want to buy?" he asked impatiently.
"Let me take a look first." Gebu completely ignored the halfling's rudeness, put his hands behind his back, and wandered around the shop like a big shot.
Behind the counter were thick ledgers, with open ink and a quill pen lying next to them—was this person keeping accounts?
Gebu casually walked to the counter, pretending to check the medicines on the shelf. His eyes glanced at the ledger, and he noticed something interesting.
Below the ledger was an identical notebook, except that the writing on one notebook had dried up, while the other notebook had fresh ink and looked like it had just been written on.
Seeing Gebu approach the ledger, the middle-aged man quickly caught up, closed the ledger, and hid it under the counter. Then, somewhat annoyed, he said to Gebu, "Are you going to buy anything or not? I didn't open the door for you to just browse!"
The middle-aged man looked extremely nervous, his lips trembling involuntarily. Gebu noticed the man's expression, combined with the two account books he saw, and the workers hurrying to move the goods—
Is this guy falsifying accounts?
"Peacock, oh peacock, your gate isn't secure enough," Gebu thought to himself. "But this is a good opportunity to trick this guy."
"Don't rush, don't rush, boss," Gebu reassured him with a slight smile. "I'm here to pick up some goods, but before that, I need to ask you something."
"—You'd better leave now, I don't have time to chat with you."
"Look, if you do this, I'll have no choice but to report the truth to our common leader, saying you're not cooperating. If she blames me, I can't bear the responsibility."
Geb used his Lesser Illusion to conjure a peacock brooch in his hand, imitating the decoration on the old elven woman he had seen before. He waved the brooch in front of the halfling's face, then pretended to tuck it into his sleeve.
Upon hearing the words "shared crow's head" and seeing the "token," the middle-aged man's expression froze. After a moment of reaction, he managed to force out an awkward smile.
"So you're one of Madam's men. One of us, one of us." The man lowered his voice immediately and said humbly, "She—no, not old at all. We are making thorough preparations to welcome Madam's arrival. Everything will be ready before midnight. Please report this to her. There's no need to worry."
Oh dear, the peacocks are coming? Today?
Gebu remained calm, but inside he felt half nervous and half pleased.
The tension stems from the fact that the peacock's arrival today is no coincidence; she is indeed here to cause trouble.
Feeling great? Because I guessed right! Luckily, I was prepared.
"I see your meticulous preparations aren't just for welcoming the lady, are they?" Gebu stared subtly at the man's brow. The man's expression grew increasingly grim. He instinctively stood in front of the counter, using his body to block the hiding place of the account books, remaining silent, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
Seeing the man's guilty look, Gebu found it somewhat amusing. He didn't show it, and said casually, "Hey, I'm not here for that little trinket you've hidden—Madam isn't here to check the accounts, but to take care of important business."
"Excuse me, what is it?" the man asked cautiously, visibly relieved upon hearing that he wasn't there to check the accounts.
"Should you ask?" Gebu's tone was calm, but his face was as cold as winter, scaring the man half to death.
"I shouldn't have asked, I shouldn't have asked—"
"Get the herbs out first; I need to pick up some goods. Then, I have a few questions for you to answer." Gebu snorted and glared at the man. "Hurry up!"
The man immediately scurried out a key, unlocked the mechanism in the front cabinet, revealing a deeper cabinet—
When Gebu took a look, he almost burst out laughing. This cabinet was full of good stuff!