Chapter 80 - 71: Heart of the Brave and Alchemy Workshop
Chapter 80: Chapter 71: Heart of the Brave and Alchemy Workshop
Mary was currently teaching Bai Mao how to wash pots, bleed and gut prey, control the water level and heat, and add seasoning.
Bai Mao, meanwhile, looked thoughtful. She would occasionally steal a glance at Shire, a hint of a question in her eyes. Shire could only look away and offer an apologetic smile.
"Study hard. I’m not asking you to cook the kind of food that shoots a pillar of light into the sky when you lift the lid, but at least make it edible," Shire muttered to himself.
Little John heard him, looked over, and chuckled. "Mary’s cooking is only so-so, and yet she’s promised to make me smoked fish over rice for the rest of our lives."
However, he wisely shut his mouth when he saw the intense jealousy in Shire’s cold gaze.
"Still, Mary is a fine young woman," Shire said, changing the subject.
Having heard Little John’s story, Shire found himself greatly admiring the astonishingly bold young woman. Anyone who could bravely abandon everything, shatter their shackles, and choose the one they love under such circumstances was worthy of admiration.
"I probably won’t be able to attend your wedding," Shire said with a smile. "But I wish you all the best."
"Boss, you know about that too?" Little John asked, surprised that a goblin would know about human customs.
Shire didn’t say anything, only offering a mysterious smile. After a moment’s thought, he said, "Perhaps I have a job for Mary."
"What is it, Boss?" Little John asked immediately.
"Is Mary literate? Can she handle accounts?" Shire didn’t answer directly, inquiring about her first.
"She is. Mary attended grammar school for a year," Little John nodded quickly. "Although her damned father didn’t let her continue her studies, she’s been borrowing my books and teaching herself ever since."
"In that case, have her come over," Shire said, patting Little John on the shoulder.
Little John quickly ran over and led Mary back by the hand.
"Hello, Miss Mary." Shire stood up and greeted her with a smile.
"Hello, Bo— Mr. Shire." Mary was a little flustered. Her hands fidgeted at her sides before she clutched the tattered edge of her long skirt.
Shire gestured for her to relax, as if to say he was just a kind goblin. He then asked, "How much has Bai Mao learned?"
"Bai Mao... Miss Bai Mao is very smart and has some cooking experience. She just needs more practice," Mary said cautiously, glancing back at Bai Mao, who was frowning as she handled the meat.
"As for her cooking skills... I can only apologize. Little John has seen them firsthand," Shire said with a laugh. Standing beside Mary, Little John thought for a moment and started laughing as well.
Recalling Bai Mao’s description of how the goblins used to prepare their meals, Mary also covered her mouth and laughed.
"I’ll have to ask you to do your best teaching her." Shire looked at Bai Mao cutting meat in the distance, a smile of encouragement on his face. "Also, there’s one more thing. Little John just mentioned you’re looking for work."
"Yes, Mr. Shire. I was planning to continue working as a laundress." Mary turned and gave Little John an affectionate glance.
"I happen to have a job to offer you, if you’re willing to accept."
"Mr. Shire, I can’t be an Adventurer," Mary said, lowering her head apologetically. Little John placed a hand on his girlfriend’s shoulder, trying to comfort her.
"No, not an Adventurer. That work is too dangerous for you." Shire spread his hands and spoke with casual confidence. "I want to hire you as a clerk for the ’Drink Undying’ Alchemy Workshop. You’ll help me serve customers and sell various potions. Of course, you’ll also need to take note of any intelligence you can glean from the Adventurers’ conversations. It will help us take measures for our own protection."
"Doesn’t the Alchemy Workshop belong to Lady Virdini?" Little John asked, stunned.
"Oh, she had some business to attend to. I’m the owner of the workshop now," Shire said casually. Agatha was currently so immersed in her research on Ancient Runes that she was completely ignoring the workshop. He had no choice but to hire someone to keep it running.
’Besides, Chief Engineer Claw is over there stirring the cauldrons with incredible diligence. I’m starting to wonder if he’s a connecting rod from a factory flywheel that’s come to life. He can spin in so many circles without getting dizzy, it’s like he has the constitution of a Giant Pendulum from an amusement park. The only issue is that his ’battery’ is a little low; he has to go for a soak in a Magic Potion after every pot he stirs.’
Shire planned to use the Alchemy Workshop as a trading post for commerce with humans. Through it, he could sell large quantities of goods from the forest and, in turn, purchase supplies the goblins needed. This required a trustworthy person to manage the workshop. He had already discussed the matter with Agatha, and she had approved.
’Mary has been to school, she’s literate, she can do arithmetic, she’s smart, and she’s willing to learn. She also has good judgment and courage. Most importantly, she’s a good person—worth trusting and training.’
"So, how about it? I’m offering you a salary of 2 Gold Coins a month. That’s much more than a typical clerk earns—it’s more like a manager’s salary. If you accept, I’ll need you to start learning as soon as possible. You’ll have to familiarize yourself with the effects and ingredients of all the different potions," Shire said with a smile.
"Boss, is this for real?" Little John exclaimed in delight.
He had already fully accepted that the secret owner of the "Drink Undying" Alchemy Workshop was a goblin. After his tour of the Fortress today, he had become numb to it all; this sort of thing now seemed perfectly normal. He even pictured the elderly Lady Virdini hobbling into the forest alone, only to come sprinting back to the Fortress gate with surprising agility to sign a transfer agreement with Shire.
’What? You’re saying an old woman couldn’t just waltz in and out of the forest? Are you kidding me? If she could transfer a workshop popular with Adventurers to a goblin, what’s so impossible about that?’
Shire nodded, watching Mary with a smile as he awaited her reply.
Little John took his girlfriend’s hand and said softly, "This is wonderful, Mary. The pay is really good, almost on par with an Adventurer’s. And you wouldn’t have to risk life and limb like they do."
"Alright, I accept, Mr. Shire." After a moment of consideration, Mary finally nodded.
"You should call him Boss," Little John said with a laugh.
"In that case, you two should head to the Alchemy Workshop as soon as possible and get familiar with things. I’ll give you the key in a moment." Shire made a mental note to tell Agatha later that she would need to train Mary.
"Oh, right. When you get to the workshop, go ahead and buy the warehouse behind it. We’ll need it for storing and transferring goods." Shire patted his clothes and pulled out a small cloth pouch. "This was... a gift from a friend of mine. You can take what’s inside and use it."
He handed Mary the deposit slip and small seal he had previously acquired from Coulson. The 350-plus Gold Coins it represented were more than enough to buy the warehouse.
’Once the warehouse is purchased, I can have it connected to the workshop. That way, the front can receive Adventurers, while large-scale trade can go through the warehouse’s back door, avoiding unwanted attention.’
"Yes, Boss." Mary accepted the small pouch with a grave expression. Having heard Shire’s explanation, she understood it contained a deposit slip for what was likely a large sum. She tucked it carefully inside her clothes, making sure it was secure.
"Alright, that’s settled. You can go back to teaching Bai Mao now. Otherwise, who knows what will happen to that pot of food," Shire said with a smile and a wave, urging Mary to go stop whatever Bai Mao was planning to do with the seasoning.
"Thank you, Boss." Little John stood beside Shire, happily watching Mary and Bai Mao bustling around the large cauldrons, with a few female goblins assisting them.
"It’s nothing, my friend," Shire said, waving it off.
The forest trees were lush and green, filled with the constant sound of birdsong.
At the gate of the Fortress, a neat line of goblins queued up. They approached the large cauldrons with their legs splayed, walking like crabs to get their share of the food. Mary and Bai Mao happily filled their wooden bowls. At one point, a green arm holding a bowl shot out from the shadows, nearly startling Mary, but she quickly recovered and filled it.
"Finally, it’s edible." After a few bites, Shire looked at Bai Mao, who was smiling as radiantly as a flower, and gave her an approving nod.