November 25, 1346
After selling today's potions, Altair conveniently headed to Vlad Street. She wanted to ask Rosen how his herb cultivation was going, when she could get the next batch of materials, and of course, the main reason was to pass the time.
When the bell at the door chimed, Rosen smiled and looked up at the entrance, but upon seeing that it was Altair, his expression instantly changed. Then, gritting his teeth, he said, "Rosen's Folk Herb Shop does not welcome your visit, customer!"
However, Rosen's words didn't deter Altair; instead, they piqued her interest. So she teased, "Look at you, what kind of attitude is that? Isn't it good to work for me? To protect your safety, I specially arranged a sequence 7 Beyonder to be your guard."
"In the Loen Kingdom, only high-ranking barons enjoy such treatment."
"And don't worry, as long as you work well for me in the future, I guarantee to provide you with subsequent Beyonder characteristics."
Upon hearing Altair's last sentence, Rosen's attitude softened slightly, and he asked suspiciously, "What Pathway of Beyonder are you? I'm sure you're not a Seer, because they don't have your abilities."
"Guess," Altair said with a smile, then changed the subject and asked, "How are those materials growing? Are any of them mature? I urgently need these special medicinal herbs now."
Rosen looked at the young girl in front of him, who was unwilling to reveal anything, and could only sigh helplessly, replying, "No, they were just planted recently. How could they be mature? It will take at least another half a month."
After saying that, Rosen turned around to attend to other matters, as out of sight, out of mind.
Altair, still leaning against the counter, said, "Actually, I think you should switch Pathways. Apothecary doesn't suit you very well. I personally recommend Planter."
"If you had chosen this Pathway back then, I estimate you'd be at least sequence 7 by now."
"Have you heard of this Pathway? It's the one controlled by the Church of the Earth Mother Goddess... I remember it's called 'God's Favored.' Yes, that's what the Church of the Earth Mother Goddess calls Beyonders of this Pathway."
"Do you want to switch Pathways? I can help you become a Beyonder of this Pathway..."
But even with Altair's sweet talk, Rosen didn't turn his head again.
After all, for Rosen, once bitten, twice shy; he was afraid Altair would use her abilities to influence him again.
A quarter of an hour later, a bored Altair could only leave the herb shop by herself.
Now, after buying potions, Altair enters a period of boring free time. She has been looking for things to pass the time recently.
But unfortunately, Tingen City really doesn't have many interesting places. Altair has visited the opera house and the circus again and again during this time, but still hasn't found a place to pass the time.
Moreover, yesterday afternoon, she had already made the last batch of materials into special potions and sold them today. So, there was nothing to do even if she went back now.
After leaving 'Rosen's Folk Herb' shop, Altair hailed a carriage and went straight to the Docks District.
She planned to visit the underground market of the 'Evil Dragon Bar' to see if she could find the herbal materials she needed. If so, that would be great; she would buy them, make them into potions, and sell them. If not, she would have to rest for a while.
When the carriage stopped diagonally opposite the bar, Altair got out and paid the 10 pence fare.
As soon as she reached the bar entrance, Altair heard the lively sounds coming from inside.
Pushing open the heavy door and stepping inside, she was almost overwhelmed by the stifling heat, the smell of alcohol, and the stench of sweat.
Altair's entry into the 'Evil Dragon Bar' also attracted the attention of some people. The men around, upon seeing her, would whistle and wink in unison.
She chose not to pay attention to these people. After bypassing the central boxing ring, she saw several billiard rooms.
After a quick glance, Altair found Svein, a burly, blue-eyed old man wearing a tattered naval officer's coat.
Approaching him, Altair spoke:
"I heard there's an occultism enthusiast's trading market here. Could you please tell me how to get in?"
Upon hearing someone speak to him, Svein turned around, looked at the person in front of him, and asked curiously, "There is indeed such a trading market, but who introduced you?"
"Amos, Amos Clayton." Altair really hadn't expected that entering a market would require a referrer, so she could only give the name of the old butler's youngest son, hoping it would work.
Svein nodded after hearing the referrer's name and said to Altair, "Follow me."
After taking a couple of steps, Svein stopped behind a billiard table, opened a secret door, and gestured for Altair to enter.
But before she went in, he added:
"If you see something you like but don't have enough money, you can borrow from me; there's no extra interest."
Upon hearing his words, Altair asked curiously, "It seems Amos Clayton's name is quite useful here, since I don't even need to pay interest."
"If you had mentioned Sheffield, it would have been even more useful," Svein replied expressionlessly.
Altair thought for a moment, then nodded and walked straight into the secret door.
After passing through several rooms, she finally arrived at her destination, a huge indoor space. Many people were setting up stalls, piled high with various bottles and jars. Some walked between the stalls, while others stood or squatted, negotiating deals.
Composing herself, she walked past stall after stall until she finally found a merchant selling medicinal herbs.
As Altair approached, the stall owner, dressed in a dark coat and dark trousers, proactively asked, "Miss, what materials would you like to buy?"
"Moonflower, Night Fragrance Grass, Night Glaze Grass, Moon Lily... Chamomile..." Altair listed all the items she needed as if reciting a menu.
The herb merchant was briefly stunned upon hearing the names of the herbs she rattled off, then quickly began packing. Once everything was packed, he stated the final price: "Madam, I'll give you a discount. You only need to give me 6 pounds."
"Okay." After saying that, Altair took 6 pounds from her pouch, handed it to the herb merchant, and took the paper bag he offered.