Hawke, the shopkeeper, had been out of work for some time now.
Ever since the potion shop had closed, he had been forced to return to the original apothecary contact point.
In recent weeks, the potion trade in Aspiration City had changed drastically—very few apothecaries and potion-makers remained.
Even if he reopened the contact point, hardly any apothecaries came by to inquire about work.
On the other hand, there were still many customers looking to buy potions, constantly asking when the shop would reopen. These days, getting even a single bottle of potion was incredibly difficult.
Knock, knock, knock, knock!
Early in the morning, the apothecary contact point remained closed.
Suddenly, a firm knocking echoed, the sound reverberating down the brown-gray street.
After a moment, Hawke shuffled over, rubbing his eyes, and opened the door—only to freeze in surprise, instantly becoming wide awake.
"Lord Aven! What brings you here?" Hawke exclaimed in delight.
Since the shop's closure, he hadn't seen Aven once. He had even begun to think the potion shop would never open again.
"It's been a while, Hawke," Aven greeted, carrying a Petilil in his arms. Perched on his shoulder was a Ralts.
When Ralts saw Hawke, it immediately turned its gaze toward him. If one looked closely, one could spot the faint blue glow in its eyes.
Although it appeared to be sitting on Aven's shoulder, Aven didn't feel any weight at all—Ralts was supporting itself entirely with telekinesis, honing its psychic power.
Using telekinesis to make oneself float was considered a basic skill for Psychic-type Pokémon, one that was extremely practical both for travel and in battle.
"Lord Aven, may I ask what brings you here today?" Hawke asked, quickly pouring tea.
"Well, since I've come to you, it's naturally because I want you to resume running the potion shop," Aven said without preamble.
The truth was, Hawke was indeed an outstanding merchant. Under his management, the potion shop had been thriving.
If not for the current trade war, it could have completely monopolized the apothecary market by now, even establishing connections with numerous lords.
"Lord Aven, does this mean the potion shop will reopen?" Hawke's eyes lit up.
"Yes. The potions are already on their way here. But before we officially start selling, I need to give you some instructions," Aven said, sitting across from him.
As they spoke, Aven explained the details about the new potions. Upon hearing about these completely new products, Hawke was amazed—Lord Aven truly was the most exceptional apothecary he had ever seen.
But when he learned of the prices, Hawke was stunned. "Lord Aven… you're really going to set the price this low?"
There was a faint tone of disbelief in his voice—the price Aven named was only half the original cost.
Right now, potions were more than ten times more expensive than before, and yet Aven was pricing them this low. Hawke even worried whether the shop would be able to cover its costs.
"Just do exactly as I've told you. This is also Her Highness's will," Aven said.
Hawke's expression shifted slightly. He could tell there was more to this than met the eye, so he didn't press further. Bowing his head, he replied, "Understood, Lord Aven."
…
"The potion shop has reopened?"
Inside the inner district of Aspiration City, Viscount Daly and Sir Enzo both looked surprised.
Their family was originally a merchant house, operating their own trade caravan.
Due to the Viscount's severe illness, the caravan had nearly collapsed, but after he recovered, they had begun rebuilding it.
Unfortunately, their luck was poor. Just as they reassembled their caravan, the trade war between the Gilded Beast Merchant Guild and Fruitvale Village erupted.
As a result, the Daly family had been keeping a close watch on market developments, hoping to seize an opportunity to restart their trade business.
Now, upon hearing the unexpected news that the potion shop had reopened, Viscount Daly immediately sensed something unusual.
"Sister really is something… she doesn't even tell us news like this in advance," Enzo complained.
He had thought that now that his sister was the treasurer of Fruitvale Village, she would find a way to help the family. But in reality, she had grown even more distant after assuming the position.
To avoid conflicts of interest, she had deliberately excluded the Daly family caravan from territorial trade considerations—though in truth, who she traded with hardly mattered.
"She's right to do so," Viscount Daly said calmly. "To be an excellent treasurer, she must maintain a certain distance from us."
The greater her achievements, the more advantageous it was for the family. After all, she was still his daughter. Even if she never mentioned their relationship, other merchants would still take it into account—sometimes an unspoken understanding was best.
"All right, go to the potion shop and see what's going on," the Viscount instructed.
Though reluctant, Enzo nodded and set off with his servants.
When he arrived at the shop, he found it already crowded with customers—some of whom were young nobles he recognized.
"Hey, Enzo, what brings you here?"
As soon as they spotted him, the other young nobles gathered around.
Drawing closer, they began peppering him with questions.
"Enzo, do you know what's going on?"
"Your sister's with Earl Aven now, right? I bet your family knows something—come on, tell us."
They all spoke at once. They'd all heard about Phyllis going to Fruitvale Village—after all, she was the flower of Aspiration City.
As for why she went, their imaginations had already supplied an answer: a noble lady taking up residence in another noble's territory… wasn't it obvious?
"I've already told you—my sister went to Fruitvale Village purely to serve as their treasurer," Enzo said with a dark expression.
The other nobles exchanged glances, nodding outwardly but inwardly scoffing. A noblewoman as treasurer? Really?
They quickly returned to the main topic. When they learned Enzo also didn't know the details, they frowned and turned their attention back to the shop.
Inside, the potions were selling like wildfire.
With berry and potion prices skyrocketing, and the shop having been closed while potion-makers left in droves, the city had faced an extreme shortage.
Now, not only had the shop reopened, but the potions were selling at half their usual price. The nobles went wild, rushing to buy.
Although they hesitated upon hearing that these potions were somewhat less effective than the originals—and that the most popular Wound Medicine could only treat external wounds—the dual guarantees of Princess Mira and Earl Aven quickly put those doubts to rest.
Besides, the prices were simply too low to resist.
Some of them didn't even need potions immediately—they just wanted to stockpile them. After the shortage they had experienced, having extra potions on hand seemed like a wise move. Perhaps, later on, they could even resell them at a high price.
But to their disappointment, the shop had imposed purchase limits—each customer could only buy a fixed quantity, thwarting any hoarding plans.
"Everyone, please don't worry—there's enough for everyone to get their share!"
"In addition, if any territorial lords require potions, you can register here. Fruitvale Village will deal with you directly—there's no need to fight over the shop's stock."
Hawke, along with his staff, worked to maintain order while explaining the situation to the customers.
Outside, the city lord's guard personally kept watch, upholding the agreement Aven and Lady Mira had made—protecting the shop was their responsibility.
"Half the usual price?"
At last, Enzo grasped what was happening and his eyes went wide.
He truly couldn't figure out what Aven was trying to do. With berry prices so high, wouldn't this lead to massive losses?
"What in the world is he planning?" Enzo muttered, scratching his head in confusion.
After a moment's thought, still unable to understand, he hurried back home to inform Viscount Daly.
"What? Half the normal price?"
"You're sure you don't mean half the increased price, but half the original?"
Even a man as experienced as the Viscount was momentarily taken aback before falling into deep thought.
"Father, is Aven trying to ruin himself?" Enzo asked, still unable to accept it.
"Potion shop… potion shop…" the Viscount murmured, turning the words over in his mouth.
After a long moment, his expression grew solemn.
"No… this is no simple matter," he said gravely. "It's clear that Earl Aven is trying to drive potion prices down. In a way, this will indeed help the market recover."
"That's it—this must be tied to Princess Mira. With prices in Aspiration City soaring, the lords have been deeply troubled. This could be their counterattack!"
The Viscount's breathing quickened. From a purely economic perspective, stabilizing potion prices was certainly beneficial to the lords. The ones who would suffer were obviously the Gilded Beast Merchant Guild.
If potion prices truly dropped this low, the Merchant Guild's high-priced berries would be unsellable—a devastating blow to their finances.
After all, berries couldn't be stored for long. They had to be made into potions quickly. But at these prices, potion sales wouldn't even cover the apothecaries' crafting fees!
(End of Chapter)