Chapter 144 - Primrose Merchant Association
After checking on Lilith's recovery, Leon strolled through the streets of the Upper District seeking opportunities to make money. He once intended to open a pill store, but it would require a lot of his time to manage.
The best solution was to find some disciples to pass on him alchemy skills and have them manage the store in his stead, but so far, he had not met anyone suitable.
With the absence of the Alchemist Association, it puts him at a loss. In his memory, there used to be a branch in the Capital.
However, it collapsed from within overnight. The exact reasons were not privy to him, who didn't have much contact wiht the Upper District, outside of the Campus as a commoner.
His previous self was like a textbook geek that excelled in class, but lacked every other bit of knowledge outside his studies. The world of the Upper District and its nobles were unknown to him. Even in the Lower District, he did not venture to many places due to the dangers.
He was endowed with intelligence, but he did not make effective use of it. Intelligence without knowledge, is like a pigeon without wings, utterly useless.
...
"Get lost, kid! Grandmaster Cato isn't looking for disciples." A middle-aged man hollered, before ordering, "Toss him out!"
A 16-year old youth was thrown onto the pavement from the building by a brawny servant. The fall scraped his skin and injured his flesh, causing the youth to crease his brows in pain.
However, the youth did not seem to mind the ill treatment and pleaded, "Please let me see Grandmaster Cato! I sincerely wish to learn alchemy from the Grandmaster!"
Despite the youth's pleading, the middle-aged man was not moved and said coldly, "If you continue making trouble, I will order the servants to break your legs!"
The man was the floor manager of the Primrose Merchant Association building, while Grandmaster Cato was one of the three grandmaster alchemists belonging to the Primrose Merchant Association.
"How can you be so unreasonable? Why won't you even let me meet the grandmaster?" The youth complained.
"Hmph! You think the grandmaster is someone just anyone can meet, boy? So what if you are the son of a Baron? You're not even the main heir." The manager satirized, before no longer paying the youth any attention. He reentered the building. "Break his legs if he tries to enter again."
"Yes, sir." The servants complied and guarded the entrance. They eyed the youth with a dangerous glint.
The youth felt a chill down his spine and became disheartened. He picked himself up, before dusting off the dirt on his clothes.
"Surely, this was just a coincidence, right?" Leon wore a dubious expression as he witnessed this scene in front of him. Making his way over, he asked, "You alright, kid?"
The boy glanced at Leon, who is wearing ordinary clothes and only seemed 1-2 years older than him, yet treating him like a junior.
"I'm alright." The boy answered without much change in expression. He did not look down on commoners. His status wasn't much higher than one.
As the prince, Leon would be too eye catching if he strolled around in his royal attire, thus he donned his normal commoner clothes before he headed out. He didn't want to stop for every Tom, Dick and Harry that tries to get close to him on the road. Those kinds of people were too fake.
"What's your name?" Leon inquired curiously. "Who is Grandmaster Cato? Why do you want to learn alchemy from him so badly?"
"You don't even know who Grandmaster Cato is?" The boy looked at him in shock, before realizing the discourtesy in his behavior. "Ahem, my apologies. I am Reginald of the Graeme family, 3rd son of Baron Morven. Grandmaster Cato is ranked two among the ten grandmaster alchemists in the kingdom.
I want to learn alchemy from the best alchemist, but it's impossible to come in contact with the elusive grandmaster Don, who always resides in the Royal Palace so I can only settle for second best. I don't think there needs to be a particular reason for wanting to learn alchemy. It is interesting and profound, I just wish to learn it."
After his explanations, Leon rubbed his chin in approval. "My alchemy is the best in the kingdom. If you kowtow and take me as your master, I will teach you alchemy. If you're diligent, you can surpass this Grandmaster Cato in a few months."
His only standards for his disciple are that they had to be good natured. This person was simple and straight forward enough. He had no malice even after such ill-treatments. He was a suitable candidate.
However, Reginald was flabbergasted when he heard Leon's words. It was too unbelievable. There had to be a limit to boasting, right? Their age didn't defer by much. How can he be the best? Before he could voice his response, someone else had beaten him to the chase.
"Utter bullshit!" A voice thundered from the second floor of the Primrose Merchant Association building. A man in his 40s jumped down and roared, "How dare you look down on my teacher! You think alchemy is child's play, brat!?"
"Primrose family head..." Reginald muttered in fear on the side. "It's over... This person offended the Primrose family head, Vigo Primrose."
"If you're talking about Grandmaster Cato's attainment in alchemy, it is indeed child's play to me." Leon responded, unaware if Reginald's thoughts and unperturbed.
All the grandmaster alchemists in the kingdom was nothing to him. Tier 1 Alchemists could only be called an Adept Alchemists, while Tier 2 Alchemists are called Master Alchemists. Only Tier 3 Alchemists can be called Grandmaster Alchemists, but he was a Tier 5 Alchemist Sovereign.
A Tier 3 Alchemist was capable of refining pills for practitioners of the Revolving Core Realm. After witnessing the prowess of Grandpa Don, he came to understand that an early-level Transcendent wield the same strength as Revolving Core Realm practitioners. His previous assumptions had been incorrect.
"Y-You!" Vigo flushed with anger. "You dare disrespect my teacher twice! You need to be taught a lesson for your arrogance, brat!"
The man raised his hand for a slap but it was caught be Leon. "Impossible! You're just a brat. How can you stop me? Who the hell are you?" Vigo questioned in disbelief.
Leon shoved the man back and made him stumble shamefully onto his rear. "Who I am is not important. What is important is you should really mind your own god damn business! Stop seeking humiliation!"
"Hmph! I will remember this!" Vigo retreated inside his Primrose Merchant Association building.
...
Inside the Primrose Merchant Association building. "President, are you going to let them leave like that?"
"Of course not! Send someone to check out that bastard's background!" Vigo ordered.
He was a 7th step Awakener, but he was easily overpowered by a kid more than half his age. As a merchant, he had learnt to be cautious from a young age in his trade.
Since he didn't understand who the person was, they have to find out first before teaching the person a lesson, less they offend someone they couldn't afford to offend.
"Yes, president." The person complied and left quickly.
...
"So, did you want to become my disciple?" Leon asked again.
"Dude, you're very strong, but you offended the Primrose Merchant Association. You have to be careful." Reginald warned, before adding, "Besides, I don't even know how good your alchemy is."
Inwardly, he was unwilling. His impression was this person was a braggart. Furthermore, he wasn't much older than him. How can he be his master?
"They won't find me for trouble unless they don't want to operate in the Capital anymore." Leon shook his head and said, "If you're not willing then never mind."
"What do you mean by that?" Reginald couldn't comprehend where the person gets his confidence and arrogance from.
Leon was too lazy to explain with words and directly display his needles floating above his palm. Reginald immediately muttered in shock, "Metal manipulation! You are royalty!"
Leon shrugged his shoulders and began walking off. He doesn't publicize his status, but that didn't mean he is hiding it.
"Wait, master! Accept this disciple's kowtow!" Reginald's attitude quickly changed as he gave three kowtows on the ground, before catching up excitedly. "Where are we going? When can I start learning alchemy?"
Leon paused his steps and poked him on the forehead. A string of information was transmitted into his mind upon contact. Such methods were much more effective than a thousand words and demonstrations.
"Go back and digest what you learnt. If you can comprehend everything, you will already be half way to becoming a qualified Grandmaster Alchemist." Leon stated.
He was not stingy in his treatment, since the other party has kowtowed to him. They only just met and it was impossible to see through a person's true heart, but he had seen that the boy had a good character and that was enough. Only a fool would oppose royalty and throw away the great opportunity bestowed upon them.
"Y-Yes, master." Reginald said excitedly.
He readily accepted the other party as his master because he would have chances to come in contact with Grandmaster Don by following the person around.
But Leon had immediately subverted his understanding of the world and changed his mind through his magical means. Just based on the information he received; the person was not boasting when he said he was the best in the kingdom. The person was arrogant, but he had the right to be arrogant.
Reginald returned home quickly. He feared if he didn't quickly digest all the information, he would forget them.
Leon continued to look for more suitable candidates and a good location for his pill store. One was not enough to manage the pill store. He was certain that if he sold the healing pills and ointments, it would surely sell like hot cakes.
"This young master, would you like to come in and have a great time?" A seductive and coquettish voice suddenly made its way into his ear.
Leon looked over to see a young lady in revealing clothes and heavy makeup waving to him from the entrance. He looked up and read the plaque on top of the building; Heaven's Paradise. It was a high-class brothel.
He was filled with a peculiar and nostalgic feeling, before shaking his head. "Thanks, but no thank you."
In this life, it was best to steer clear from these sorts of places.