Chapter 275 - 248: Who to Sell Red Bull

Chapter 275: Chapter 248: Who to Sell Red Bull

What kind of medicine sells best? In Shire’s opinion, life-saving potions were only second-tier. There were four types that sold best: growth and intelligence potions for children, anti-aging potions for the elderly, beauty potions for women, and for men—aphrodisiacs.

Though many people would publicly refuse such a drug, if you told a man it worked, he would surely chew you out, declaring, "Who are you looking down on? You think I need this stuff?" Yet, that didn’t stop many from privately asking about it or jokingly asking each other where they could get some.

"A price of Two Gold Coins is indeed a bit steep," Shire said slowly, stroking his chin. "But it’s understandable. Perfume Lily Avenue in Plantagenet City is a favorite haunt of nobles from all over."

"Then, Young Master, are we still going to sell Red Bull?" Musa sat up a little straighter and asked.

"We are, of course we are," Shire’s lips curved into a smirk. "Those hedonistic nobles are probably just waiting for us to come and save them."

"Then what should we set the price at?" Uncle Musa had already automatically slipped into the role of the family’s distributor. He had previously considered trying to haggle down Shire’s price, but now he simply asked, confident that the young master would decide on a good one.

"If that Little Blue Star can sell for 2 Gold Coins, let’s make ours a little cheaper." Shire jumped off his chair, went over to a low cabinet, and pulled out a bag of Red Bull Powder. "How about one Gold Coin for a small spoonful like this?"

Uncle Musa smiled as he looked at the wooden spoon in Shire’s hand, which looked no different from an ordinary soup spoon. "Will they accept that?"

"They definitely will." Shire walked back to the table with the bag and sat down. "You don’t know what these nobles are like. They’re shameless and greedy—more goblin than actual goblins. But they’re also obsessed with their reputations. Hedonism is a vital part of their lives. Red Bull works as an aphrodisiac when mixed with deer blood, but drinking it on its own relieves fatigue with zero side effects. To them, it’s practically a supreme panacea from a Divine Being."

"However," he paused for a few seconds, a smile playing on his lips as he looked at Uncle Musa across from him, "to make it sell even better, we can’t market it directly."

"Then what should we do?" Uncle Musa asked after a brief hesitation. "I don’t think the nobles will be quick to accept something that comes from the Nightmare Forest."

"Exactly. That’s why we need a story." Shire rested his palm on the table, his fingers tapping out a steady rhythm. "Only a good story will draw them in and make those hedonists more willing to accept Red Bull."

Uncle Musa watched Shire in silence, careful not to interrupt his thoughts. It took Shire less than a minute to make up his mind.

"Let’s say it’s from the Archipelago... no, from the deep sea." Shire’s fingers curled into a fist and he gently thumped the tabletop. "This is a product of the Naga Race. The Naga have been around in legends for millennia, so it would be plausible to claim they’ve been rediscovered in the ocean."

"The Naga?" Musa raised an eyebrow. "Those oceanic nomads?"

"That’s right, them. The Race that has been the subject of legends in every Kingdom for thousands of years. The Race that created Wish Ink and Magic Potions. They’ve been hunted and harassed by humans and other Races for millennia, but they’re still alive."

"They’re really alive?" Uncle Musa asked. "They were certainly the stuff of legends, but there hasn’t been any news about the Naga Race for decades. Vivian even mentioned once that if she could get some Magical Ink, she might be able to find you quickly. It’s a shame the Naga were probably all wiped out, just like the cave dwellers."

"They are. They’re still alive." Shire sighed softly. If he hadn’t seen a Naga Prince with his own two eyes, he would have assumed the Naga were extinct, just like the cave dwellers. The cave dwellers had another name: Cave Goblins. They were a Race that lived deep underground, different from green-skinned surface goblins like Shire. Their skin was a dull, grayish color, but they possessed brilliant blue eyes. That beautiful blue became the Cave Goblins’ death knell. A perfectly preserved eyeball, after special treatment, would become an incredibly precious "Gemstone" known as the Eye of the Sky. Unfortunately, the cave dwellers are now long extinct. The number of Eyes of the Sky is extremely limited, and their price is astronomical.

"Let’s borrow the Naga’s name. It’s not like those Bounty Hunters, Adventurers, or even High Tier Mages can find them easily," Shire said to Uncle Musa with a wave of his hand. "Of course, that’s a story we’ll only use as a last resort. To start, we can just say Red Bull is a product of the Archipelago."

"So, what do we need to do, Young Master?" Uncle Musa clenched his jaw. "I don’t think we should tell Vivian, or..."

Shire quickly waved his hands. "This can have nothing to do with Vivian. It would attract unwanted attention from people with ulterior motives."

Seeing Uncle Musa’s look of slight relief, Shire’s lips pressed into a thin line. "Don’t worry, Uncle. I would never let Vivian do something so dangerous. She’s better off staying with her teacher."

Then Shire tapped the table again. "We can’t be the ones selling this out in the open. We have to use someone else."

"Use someone else?"

"Exactly. The profits are too big. Even a minor noble would attract the attention of... those people," Shire said, his brow furrowed. The lesson of the Merlot Clan had taught him to be more cautious.

"So, we should find a Great Noble?" Musa ventured.

"No, not a noble." Shire looked at Uncle Musa. "Uncle, did you hear anything when you passed through Black Lion City?"

"Hear what?" Musa looked up, thinking. The question seemed to have stumped him. He recalled for a moment before saying, "Nothing much, really. Besides the merchants grumbling about Valentine raising taxes, the talk was mostly about the monsters in the Nightmare Forest."

"Oh, right," Uncle Musa added. "When I came through before, I ran into Valentine’s son, Philip. He bought all the Healing Potions I’d gotten from you. But when I passed through Black Lion City this time, I heard Count Valentine wasn’t there."

"Not in the city?" Shire immediately asked.

"He’s supposedly departed for the Plantagenet Royal City, so a lot of paperwork and procedures have been held up," Musa said with a nod.

"Plantagenet City..." Shire mused, repeating the name. Then, a smile spread across his face as he looked at Uncle Musa. "I know who we can use as a front."

Musa returned the goblin’s gaze, his eyes full of questions. He heard Shire say slowly:

"The Third Prince."