49
Chapter 49
'No matter how many times I look at it, I still can't believe it.'
I stared at Ms. Rubia with that thought in mind.
The moment the topic of business came up, her entire demeanor changed.
Her usual scatterbrained self—the Noonim I always worried about for her future—was completely gone.
Her gaze was intellectual, almost calculating.
A cold, impassive face.
Resting her chin on her hand, thoroughly calculating the profits and losses—she was the very picture of a true professional.
Not long after Rubia had undergone this drastic transformation....
"This is...."
Her mouth hung wide open in shock.
It was a completely expected reaction.
After all, the difference in raw material costs alone was at least fifty-fold.
'I guess I was worried about Ms. Rubia for nothing.'
The ingredients I had used were all relatively obscure, minor materials.
The fact that she was able to calculate the profit margins so quickly meant only one thing.
She had all of it memorized.
The market prices and everything else related to them.
"This will definitely make money. No, it goes way beyond just making money."
Astonishment washed over Rubia's face.
Well, thinking about it, it made perfect sense.
While an Elf's Hair was somewhat hard to come by, it wasn't like there were absolutely no suppliers.
Since no one knew its true value, the market price wouldn't be that high. Plus, this wasn't the only potion recipe I knew.
"We can rake in the money."
Rubia confidently declared.
Coming from a verified, successful entrepreneur who even owned a mansion like this, those words carried weight.
A highly precise simulation of this business venture was undoubtedly running through her head right now.
'I don't have any experience in this kind of field.'
The ancient alchemist scenario from a sub-quest in the previous game.
Back when I was playing the game, it was nothing more than a way to unlock some useful recipes.
I only ever thought that mass-producing them and starting a business would be a massive hit.
It was hard for me to think beyond that.
It wasn't like I had any real-life experience running a business.
Securing ingredient suppliers, setting up sales channels, marketing strategies.
How could I possibly know the intricate details of all that?
'I really made the right choice partnering up with Ms. Rubia.'
I could repay the favors I owed her while simultaneously turning a profit for myself.
It was truly killing two birds with one stone.
While I was smiling to myself over those thoughts, Rubia's expression suddenly turned grave.
Just why was she acting like that all of a sudden?
As I looked at Ms. Rubia with a puzzled expression, she opened her mouth, her face pale.
"It's too revolutionary of a discovery. It's so revolutionary that it's actually a problem."
Her tone was grave.
The atmosphere naturally grew serious.
"How much are you planning to sell this for?"
Ms. Rubia asked.
Whether to go with a premium pricing strategy or to sell them at a reasonable price in high volumes to turn a profit.
That was a simple question that didn't even need to be asked.
"We should sell it at a somewhat ethical price."
Sure, the profits would take a slight hit. But it's better to save those who can be saved.
If I were to price-gouge life-saving medicine just to make a buck...
...how would I be any different from those Overseers at the Mining Site I found so disgusting?
'Besides, this plan also has the intention of increasing my influence.'
Not just this Elixir, but other potions too could be supplied at a much cheaper price if I used the recipes I knew.
I'll take this opportunity to start a nationwide potion business.
Providing potions to everyone at an ethical price.
A plan to save countless people dying from lack of money, and to grow my influence within the Empire.
I conveyed this intention to Ms. Rubia.
Then, with an even more serious expression, Ms. Rubia spoke.
"You do know what kind of impact that will have, right?"
"Well, yeah. I do."
It was a given.
This would completely upend the market itself.
A monster would appear in the potion market, selling all potions at less than a tenth of their original price, and with even better quality.
The market would naturally collapse.
All related businesses would fall into total chaos.
The Nobles who had their hands in that industry might even try to kidnap and murder us.
As long as Rien was around, I'd have to worry more about those guys getting dismembered than me. But anyway.
It was undoubtedly an event that would greatly shake up Imperial society.
"What in the world should we do about this......."
Ms. Rubia bit her lip, falling into agony.
But... this time, I thought I could actually help.
Of course, I wasn't an Entrepreneur.
'There's no need to solve this using an Entrepreneur's methods, right?'
A Possessor has their own unique methods.
"The potion market. Let's just swallow it up entirely."
"......What?"
"Absorb everything that exists right now. If we bring them under our wing, wouldn't that be the end of it?"
Why go through the trouble of opening new branches or hiring new personnel? Is there really a need for that?
We just need to make what's already there entirely ours.
Breaking free from conventional thinking and running amok using my knowledge of the original work and cheats.
If that wasn't the textbook definition of a Possessor, I don't know what was.
"S-Surely you don't mean... killing them all......."
"......What exactly do you take me for, Ms. Rubia?"
Just how exactly did she perceive my existence in her mind?
Pushing those thoughts aside, I continued speaking.
"Obviously, we should resolve this through dialogue."
As long as we had the cheat code that was my recipes, we held all the cards.
We were in a position where we could effortlessly dominate the market.
Once they realized that, we just had to offer them favorable terms to join our side, and most of them would happily accept.
"Well, if persuasion doesn't work, we can always just threaten them."
This was essentially a philanthropic endeavor.
If potion prices dropped, and if my plan to make them easily accessible to the Commoner class succeeded...
...countless lives would be saved.
Besides, the terms I planned to offer the existing merchants would be incredibly generous.
The only ones who would actually oppose this were the owners of the massive corporations making a fortune off the potion industry.
I had no intention of crying out, "Kill all the Bourgeoisie!" but...
...if some rich bastard tried to stop me from saving lives just to protect his own profits, I had every right to use a little intimidation.
"And if they ignore those threats too... well, they're free to do whatever they want."
If someone insisted on running a business right next to a store offering a permanent 90% discount on everything, that was entirely their prerogative.
Honestly, I wouldn't even stop them if they secretly sent an Assassin after us.
'If they really wanted to be carved into seventeen pieces by Rien, who was I to deny them?'
Hmm.
It truly was a flawless plan.
Despite the absurdity of being a Possessor who hadn't even played the original game, I had completely fulfilled my duties as one.
If you're going to transmigrate into a world, causing this level of chaos is the bare minimum.
I was busy patting myself on the back when....
"O-Oh, I see! Th-That really is a genius idea!"
...I looked over at Ms. Rubia, who was trembling like a leaf.
I was about to ask her why she was shaking again, but the words naturally died in my mouth.
......Come to think of it.
Wasn't this idea actually a bit too ruthless?
Taking complete control of the Empire's potion market...
...and declaring that I'd crush anyone who got in my way.
This was the kind of thing a Mastermind or a Boss would do.
But....
I decided to casually toss my conscience aside once again.
'It's all for the sake of saving people, anyway.'
I wouldn't get anywhere if I sweated the small stuff.
As a Possessor, I should act like one. Let's just go all out.
*****
Rubia could finally feel it in her bones.
The man standing before her was the true Leader of the Black Fang.
The most terrifying secret organization that shook the Empire from the shadows.
His audacity was on a whole other level.
His way of thinking couldn't possibly belong to a human.
......Though, in a way, it was to be expected.
That man wasn't human; he was something merely wearing a human's skin.
"I'll... use the most humane methods possible, so please don't be too scared."
Something utterly inhuman mimicked a person as it spoke those words.
"I already hold decisive weaknesses over people like Robin and Siron. If we threaten them, there'll be no need to kill them."
He seemed to be saying that to convince her he had a gentle nature and was just an ordinary human who hated killing.
But it was having the exact opposite effect.
'H-How on earth does he know about something like that.......'
A claim that he held the weaknesses of two heavyweights who practically controlled the Empire's economy, aside from the potion business.
She couldn't comprehend the Leader's state of mind, casually dropping a bombshell like that.
"W-Well, that's a relief. That we can wrap this up amicably."
In the end, Rubia had no choice but to play along with the monstrous Leader's game of house once again.
Just when was that Leader going to stop pretending to be human?
Whether he was the Evil God or a God of Good, it would be a huge relief if he just came clean and revealed his true identity.
His clumsy imitation of a human being was absolutely terrifying.
Rubia trembled in fear for a moment... but quickly pulled herself together.
'I-I have to be helpful!'
She hadn't been of any help, even in her own area of expertise. She had been showing nothing but incompetence lately as it was.
She had to make up for it somehow.
Rubia racked her brain quickly.......
'Wait......?'
And soon realized it.
A single, glaring flaw.
With that scale and those recipes, money would naturally multiply itself. But that kind of venture always came with a price.
If the vision the Leader presented came true.
Potions, which only wealthy Nobles could hoard one or two of, would be widely distributed to all social classes.
That would definitely deal a heavy blow to the Holy See's source of income. It would be much better to use cheap potions rather than going out of one's way to visit a Temple.
In other words, launching this business would highly likely make an enemy out of the Holy See.
As soon as she realized this, Rubia frantically relayed the fact to the Leader.
However, the Leader's demeanor remained entirely calm.
The Leader smiled leisurely, as he always did, and spoke.
"It's fine. We were going to have to fight those guys eventually anyway."
Since he had already erased the Black Market from this world last time, it was now the Holy See's turn.
...Rubia felt like she was going to pass out right then and there.