Chapter 65: Ch 65: Grandmistress
The morning sun had barely cleared the spires of the Central District when the heavy door of Tomorrow’s Apothecary swung open with a violent crash.
The little silver bell chimed frantically, as if protesting the rough treatment.
Master Garrick stepped over the threshold.
He wore his finest crimson robes, the fabric heavy with intricate gold embroidery that clearly broadcasted his elite status. He did not look like a man coming to welcome a new neighbor.
He looked like a king coming to execute a traitor.
Surveying the pristine interior of the shop, his face twisted into pure disgust.
"So, This is the pathetic little shack I have been hearing about all morning. I must admit, I expected a bit more theatricality from a pair of street charlatans."
Naida stood calmly behind the wooden counter. She was currently wiping down a crystal mortar with a clean white cloth. She did not stop her work.
"Welcome to Tomorrow’s Apothecary. We are currently organizing our morning stock. If you are here to purchase a remedy for your obvious high blood pressure, please form a line outside." she said without looking up.
"Hmph." Garrick let out a harsh hurrumph.
He stepped closer to the counter, slamming his manicured hands down flat against the wood.
"Do you have any idea who you are speaking to, little girl? I am Master Garrick. I am the absolute authority on medicinal brewing in this entire kingdom. My family has supplied the royal court for three generations. And you think you can set up a stall in my district and peddle colored water to my clients?"
Naida finally stopped wiping the morta, then she met his furious gaze with chilling serenity.
"If your clients are coming to my shop, then perhaps you are no longer the absolute authority you believe yourself to be."
Hearing her, Garrick’s face flushed a deep, angry purple.
"Insolence. Pure insolence. I came here out of professional courtesy to warn you. Shut this circus down today, or I will have the Alchemist Guild strip you of whatever fake credentials you bought in the slums."
"You are welcome to try," Naida replied. She gestured gracefully to the four glowing vials resting on the top shelf behind her. "But I suspect the Guild Master will be far more interested in my creations than your complaints."
Garrick followed her hand. His eyes locked onto the perfectly translucent, ruby red liquid of the Ascendant Flesh elixir.
He sneered, though a tiny flicker of genuine confusion crossed his face.
"What absolute garbage is that? It looks like cheap berry wine. You call that a healing potion? Real healing potions are thick. They are murky with the residue of life-giving earth magic."
Naida replied effortlessly,
"Real healing potions are murky because the brewer is too unskilled to filter out the toxic byproducts of the catalyst. You leave the heavy residue in your crimson potions because you lack the spiritual control to separate the healing properties from the raw magical waste."
"How dare you lecture me on alchemical theory!" Garrick roared, slamming the counter again. "I have read every text in the Grand Library! To achieve a red hue that vibrant, you would have to use something highly volatile. Troll marrow, perhaps? But any novice knows Troll marrow causes violent mutations if ingested by a human! You are going to turn the entire mercenary guild into disfigured monsters!"
Naida’s eyes shone with the terrifying depth of her newfound divine knowledge.
"Troll marrow only causes mutations if the chaotic mana within the bone is left intact. The standard brass cauldrons and coal fires you use at the Gilded Mortar cannot reach the necessary spiritual temperature to burn away that chaos. You boil your ingredients. I purify mine."
Garrick stared at her, his mouth opening and closing as he searched for a counterargument.
"Purify? There is no fire in this city capable of burning away the chaotic nature of Troll marrow without destroying the regenerative properties along with it! It is a fundamental law of alchemy!"
"It is a fundamental law of mortal alchemy," a new voice interrupted smoothly from the back room.
Raidan stepped out into the shop. He was not wearing his Verde disguise. He wore his normal tunics, completely relaxed. He leaned against the doorframe, a highly amused smirk plastered across his face.
"And who might you be?" Garrick snapped, turning his fury toward Raidan. "The hired muscle? Or just another ignorant beggar pretending to understand high society?"
"I am her business partner," Raidan said casually, walking over to stand beside Naida. "I handle the logistics, the ingredient sourcing, and most importantly, the customer feedback. And I must tell you, Master Garrick, the feedback regarding your products has been incredibly poor lately."
"My products are flawless!" Garrick shouted, spit flying from his lips. "I saved the Captain of the Royal Guard last year from a lethal beast venom!"
"Yes, you did," Raidan nodded agreeably. "And it took him six months of bed rest to recover from the side effects of your so called cure. Meanwhile, a silver rank mercenary named Sigfrid drank one of our strength vials yesterday. He punched a Mutated Swamp Basilisk to death and went drinking at the tavern three hours later with absolutely no muscle fatigue."
"Lies!" Garrick hissed. "Mercenary tavern tales! Drunken exaggerations!"
"Is Lord Varis a drunken exaggeration?" Raidan asked, raising a single eyebrow. "He sent his personal guard here this morning to purchase three more vials of our Ambrosia. He specifically mentioned he will no longer be needing your expensive, headache inducing stamina powders."
Garrick physically recoiled. The color completely drained from his face. Lord Varis was one of his most lucrative private clients. Losing him was a massive financial blow.
"Varis is a fool easily swayed by flashy lights and sweet tasting syrup. He will come crawling back to me when your sugar water fails him in a week."
"What about Patriarch Thorne?" Naida asked.
Garrick froze completely.
Naida continued,
"I saw the Patriarch’s carriage pass by earlier. His son, Elian, was cursed with a Blood Poison hex. I believe your exact diagnosis was that the boy was absolutely doomed, and you still charged the family a massive consulting fee for delivering that death sentence."
"That curse was Ancient in origin! No mortal medicine can purify a curse of that magnitude! It requires a Bishop of the Holy Church!" Garrick defended in panic.
"No, it merely requires a Pill of the Weeping Saint. We sold one to the Thorne family guard yesterday. Young Elian is currently eating a hearty breakfast and walking around his family estate."
Garrick shook his head violently. "I do not believe a single word you are saying. You are trying to play mind games with me. You are trying to intimidate me into backing down."
Suddenly, the front door of the shop opened again. The silver bell chimed merrily.
A massive man covered in heavy plate armor squeezed his way into the shop. He wore the crest of the Thorne family on his chest. It was the captain of the guard. He took one look at Master Garrick standing near the counter and immediately sneered in disgust.
"Master Garrick," the captain rumbled, "What an unpleasant surprise. I was instructed by Patriarch Thorne to deliver a message to you if I ever saw your face again."
Garrick swallowed hard, trying to maintain his arrogant posture.
"I am busy inspecting this illegal operation, Captain. Speak quickly."
The captain said,
"The Patriarch formally revokes all financial backing for the Gilded Mortar. Furthermore, if you or any of your apprentices step foot near the Thorne estate ever again, you will be arrested for fraud and extortion."
Garrick looked as if he had been physically struck. He staggered sideways, grabbing the edge of a display shelf to keep himself from collapsing.
The captain completely ignored the devastated alchemist and turned to Naida.
His stern expression instantly melted into a look of profound reverence. He bowed deeply from the waist.
"Grandmistress, The Patriarch sends his absolute highest regards. Young master Elian is fully cured. The holy barrier from your pill is still glowing faintly around his skin. My lord wishes to offer House Thorne’s personal guard to secure your storefront from the chaotic crowds outside."
Naida smiled warmly at the large man. "Please tell the Patriarch I am incredibly happy to hear Elian is doing well. We would gladly accept a few guards to help manage the line outside. It has been quite overwhelming."
"It will be done immediately, Grandmistress," the captain promised, bowing one more time before turning around and marching right back out the door.
The shop descended into a heavy, suffocating silence.
Garrick stood near the wall. His chest was heaving. His entire world was crumbling around him in real time. The wealth, the prestige, the absolute monopoly he had enjoyed for a decade was evaporating right in front of his eyes.
He looked up at Naida and Raidan. He did not look angry anymore.
"You think you have won?
You think you can just walk into this city, steal my clients, humiliate me in front of noble guards, and take over my market? You have absolutely no idea how things truly work in the capital."
"I think we have a very clear idea.You provide terrible products at extortionate prices. We provide miracles for fair coin. The market naturally corrects itself."
"The Alchemist Guild is not a free market, bky! It is a syndicate! We control the supply lines! We control the ingredient merchants! We control the laws regarding magical distribution! I am a senior council member! I will have you both blacklisted from every single supplier in the kingdom!"
"Go ahead. I do not need your corrupted suppliers. I can brew a divine elixir from the weeds growing between the cobblestones outside. Your monopoly relies on controlling resources. My alchemy relies on absolute skill. You cannot blacklist pure talent."