A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor-Chapter 602: A Stronger Foundation - Part 4

"You likely have," Oliver agreed. "You’ve been handling both the brewing and the distribution. It is no wonder that you are dissatisfied with our current agreement."

Nebular’s shoulders visibly relaxed. It seemed as though he’d expected Oliver to drive a harder bargain.

"Well, yes," Nebular said, clearing his throat. "I was going to point that out. Whilst I have the greatest respect for what you do in the Grand Forest, with your slaying, and I know no other student could possibly fill that role… I do seek a more equitable arrangement, however. Fifty-fifty?"

"Is that the ratio of students within the alchemy course that would be capable of brewing the same regeneration potion as you should they be given the opportunity?" Verdant interrupted.

The alchemist’s eyebrow twitched. "Well… perhaps. I am not disputing that it is the most difficult potion to make… but every potion has a knack. They would not be able to brew it first time, just as I was not able to."

"Why is it not in my Lord’s favour to merely snatch an alchemist retainer and have them brew for him?" Verdant said. "What is it that we need a nobleman specifically for?"

"The distribution," Nebular said hesitantly. "I have my networks…"

"You’ve been selling it directly to the medical department, haven’t you?" Oliver interrupted. "I do not think I would find much difficulty in doing that. I am also of the opinion that we need to renegotiate our arrangement, Nebular, but I’m not necessarily out to make less coin. We need to go bigger."

Once more they had to stand to the side as a particularly large horse was led – fully saddled – down the all too small path that they were stranded on. They had not even reached the stables yet. They were set in rows amongst the trees on the other side of the equestrian court. There looked to be hundreds of them.

"Sorry, Ser Patrick… If you could speak plainly, it would be better for me," Nebular said.

"Well, I’m just wondering," Oliver mused, as he glanced around at the facilities. "What sort of access do you have to the systems of trade outside Academy walls?"

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

"Pardon?" Nebular said, freezing in place.

"The fifty-fifty trade deal that you mentioned. Perhaps that’s a fine idea, but you need to be doing more. I’m asking, if you had access to trading contacts outside of the Academy, would you be able to secure higher profits?" Oliver said.

To Oliver’s side, the priest maintained his silence, though he could not hide his smile as he heard Oliver’s plan.

"You want to go… outside the walls of the Academy? Is that even allowed?" Nebular said, furrowing his brow. "Who would we even trade with? Why would that bring greater benefit to us?"

"What we are producing now is a regeneration potion, is it not? War-torn areas, like border towns, are going to be far more wanting of such a thing than the quiet Academy. Of course, I know that our hospitals are still always rather full, but the medical department is buying them for benevolent reasons.

Rich nobility would likely be able to give more if they wanted them for personal use, no?" Oliver asked.

"…I get the feeling that you’re far more adept in the business department than me, Ser Oliver," Nebular said hesitantly. "I would feel far more comfortable keeping our business located within the Academy. At least then if something went wrong, the professors are there to provide a safety net."

Oliver sighed. "Well, I suppose that’s fine, but we will need to diversify away from Hobgoblin’s regardless. There’s been a limit imposed on how much we hunt. What other creatures are there that could yield a similar sort of profit?"

"Strength to profit ratio?" Nebular murmured.

"No, more like weight to profit. The strength of the creature is not particularly relevant any longer. We simply need to worry about how much we are able to carry back with us. Ideally, Nebular, I would like to increase the rate at which we make coin to a hundred gold a week," Oliver said.

"I’m asking for you to take on roles that would make that happen, if you allow me and my men to handle the hunting."

"A hundred gold a week!?" Nebular said incredulously, earning him a strange look from a passing stable boy. He quickly hurried to lower his voice. They were almost at the stables now and the number of people near them was only beginning to increase. "But, if I may, Ser Patrick, forty golds in a week – as you received this week – is frightfully admirable for a student to be making.

I’d thought you would be rather satisfied with that…"

"Admirable for a student or not, I am not in that kind of position," Oliver said with a thin smile. "I do not have the luxury of saying ’it’s good for a student’. I have a house to rebuild, Troy Nebular. This is merely the first step. A hundred gold in a week, with my strength, it is doable, is it not?"

Nebular went quiet, wearing a frown on his face, as he rushed into urgent thought. Oliver left him to it.

"Have I missed anything out, Verdant?" Oliver asked as they walked.

"In regards to business, I would think not. A hundred golds a week is an admirable aim. It might even exceed the coin that young Lord Gargon is earning – an amount that he has generated with the full backing of his house. However, as far as the stables go, we’ve missed a turn," Verdant said with a small smile. "My mount is down in the first row of stalls." Stay connected with novelbuddy

"Gah? Really? Why didn’t you say?"

"I didn’t want to interrupt when you were in the very heart of your discussion," Verdant said, taking the lead as he steered them in the right direction. Now that they were in the stable properly, the scent of horses intensified tenfold.

To both sides of them now, there were horse stalls as big as village houses, all tightly packed together, many of which had large horses peeking out over the top of them, as they busily munched the bales of hay hanging outside.