"This pce serves as a hub for apothecaries."

  "Apothecaries can come here to brew potions, accept and post commissions, or sell their concoctions."

  The shopkeeper grinned proudly. "Of course, everything comes at a price—but a reasonable one."

  A shrewd businessman… Samuel thought to himself. But in the end, it was a win-win situation for apothecaries.

  After all, not every apothecary had the time or energy to run their own shop. Most of their focus was spent on potion crafting and research.

  In such cases, a middleman like the shopkeeper provided convenience for both apothecaries and customers alike.

  "How much does it cost to accept or post a commission?" Samuel asked, pying along.

  The shopkeeper had clearly been waiting for this question. With a knowing smile, he raised a finger. "A ten percent cut. No matter what it is, I take ten percent."

  No doubt about it—he was a sharp businessman.

  Samuel paused for a moment before fshing a smile. "A very reasonable fee."

  "Ha! I know what you're thinking, but for an apothecary, time is the most valuable thing, isn’t it?" The shopkeeper shrugged.

  Samuel agreed. Right now, he was in a hurry to acquire the ingredients for a potent toxic potion. If the price was reasonable, he could make some compromises.

  "And what about potion brewing?" he continued, gncing around at the equipment. This pce seemed like an ideal spot for handling dangerous toxins.

  "Completely free. On top of that, all of our members receive a ten percent discount on any materials purchased here."

  The shopkeeper smiled as he walked over to a piece of equipment. Then, as if it pained him, he added, "Of course… that’s only if you buy the ingredients from my shop."

  A true businessman, through and through… For the third time, Samuel found himself admiring the shopkeeper’s marketing savvy. In another era, he would’ve been a corporate giant.

  Just then, Link burst into the shop, brimming with excitement.

  "Samuel, guess what I got?"

  He held up four vials of violet liquid, shaking them proudly. "Toxicroak, Beedrill, Roserade, and Victreebel venom—four types, all set!"

  Samuel exhaled in relief. While none of these Pokémon were the most venomous species out there, they were still quite potent.

  Especially Roserade and Victreebel—both were dual Grass/Poison types, making their toxins highly compatible with Petilil’s natural properties.

  "All four cost me ten gold coins."

  "I haggled like crazy for this deal—trust me, you won’t find a better price."

  "Aside from these four Monster toxins, the rest of the ingredients are avaible in the shop. I’ll grab them now."

  "Poison herbs… poison herbs… here we go! One silver coin’s worth—after the discount, that’s ninety copper. And this one—after the discount, it’s…"

  Link rattled off the prices one after another, completely oblivious to how the shopkeeper’s expression darkened with each word.

  "Alright, that brings the total to twenty-two silver coins. After the discount, it’s nineteen silver and eighty copper."

  Having tallied up the final amount, Link handed Samuel a pouch containing all the ingredients, along with three gold coins and twenty copper.

  Then, he pced nineteen silver and eighty copper onto the counter before cpping his hands in satisfaction.

  "Thanks for the help, Link—and you too, shopkeeper," Samuel said as he accepted the materials and coins. Then, following protocol, he took out one gold coin and handed it over. "The commission fee, as per the rules."

  A kid who knows the rules… The shopkeeper grinned as he took the gold coin, then shot a sharp gre at Link, who looked like he wanted to protest.

  "Rules are rules!"

  "Mr. Hawke, I’d like to brew the potion here—would that be alright?" Samuel quickly interjected before another argument could break out.

  "Of course, no problem at all." The shopkeeper fshed his trademark smile, then hesitated before sighing. "Fine… it’s free."

  Samuel thanked him before shooting Link a grateful gnce. Under the shopkeeper’s guidance, he stepped into a secluded potion-brewing chamber.

  The chamber was located underground, dimly lit by oil mps. Apart from the necessary equipment, the room was devoid of any unnecessary furnishings.

  Samuel nodded in satisfaction. While the environment wasn’t the most critical factor, privacy was paramount for an apothecary—and the shopkeeper had handled that aspect perfectly.

  "First, I need to process the venom… This has to be done with extreme caution."

  In the quiet chamber, Samuel worked carefully. Brewing toxic potions carried significant risks—the ingredients alone were highly poisonous.

  Fortunately, in his past life, he had often prepared deadly toxins for his Venusaur. His accumuted experience allowed him to proceed methodically, step by step.

  Meanwhile, back in the shop…

  The argument between Hawke and Link had yet to die down.

  The shopkeeper accused Link of ruining his business, while Link ughed, calling him short-sighted and money-obsessed.

  In the midst of their bickering, a knock suddenly echoed at the door.

  "Harn! What brings you here today? Have you finished your test potion?" Link greeted him with a wide grin.

  "Yeah, just wrapped it up. Came to check if there are any commission requests—experiments burn through money way too fast."

  Harn bumped fists with Link before stepping inside and dropping into a seat at the bar.

  "Anyone interesting stop by today?" he asked casually, gncing at the red-faced shopkeeper.

  Before the shopkeeper could answer, Link eagerly jumped in. "Harn, remember that apothecary I told you about?"

  Here we go again… Harn sighed inwardly but pyed along, feigning surprise.

  "He’s in the potion-brewing room right now. You’ll get to meet him soon," Link added excitedly, thrilled at the prospect of introducing a new friend.

  Harn’s interest was piqued. "Brewing a potion? What’s he working on?"

  Just as Link was about to answer, the shopkeeper let out a deliberate cough.

  Link hesitated, then gave a sheepish grin. "Harn, you know the rules—no prying into potion details."

  Realizing his mistake, Harn smacked his forehead. "Right, right… damn curiosity gets me every time."

  Link nodded in understanding. He, too, had an insatiable curiosity, though he saw it as a strength rather than a fw.

  After all, curiosity was what drove the field of potion-making forward—just as a great apothecary once said.

  -----

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