Chapter 131: Fertilizer

"Golden Kela?"

The elderly elf pondered for a moment. In all his memories, he could not recall any alchemical potion capable of resolving a curse upon the land.

Although it was a rare sight, he was not entirely surprised. Alchemy and magic potions were fraught with uncertainty; sometimes, even an accidental mistake during an experiment could yield a miraculous new potion or formula. He himself had experienced such occurrences many times.

History was filled with wondrous techniques and formulas that had vanished into the river of time for various reasons. Thus, when Bourne claimed there was a potion that could solve the land’s curse, the old elf did not doubt him for a second. He even speculated that Bourne must have discovered some mysterious ancient formula or had "accidentally" created this solution himself.

"Rest assured, you only need to assist in accelerating the growth of the magical plants; leave the soil issues to me!" Bourne said confidently.

"Very well. Since you can resolve the soil problem, I will help you with the growth acceleration." Seeing Bourne’s firm conviction, the elderly elf was eager to see exactly what kind of magical effect this "Golden Kela" possessed.

The prerequisite for mass production was a steady supply of raw materials. If this obstacle were truly cleared, Bourne’s goal of mass-producing spell potions might actually become a reality!

Just then, a falcon—Lehman’s familiar—flew in from outside. After receiving the message from the bird, Lehman’s expression shifted. He walked quickly to Bourne’s side and said, "The Academy has sent word. The mission hall is flooded with tasks related to the front lines. Not only are the credit rewards astonishing, but they even include military merit!"

"They’re already pulling people from the Academy so soon?" Bourne’s expression turned somber.

"Oh? Have they begun to assault the forward positions? It seems the number of magical creatures has increased," the elderly elf remarked from the side.

Hearing this, Bourne realized the old man must know something, and he quickly pressed for information.

"I am not entirely certain of the specifics, but one thing is clear: something must have happened in the Starfall Sea region in the center of the continent. It has caused a massive exodus of humanoid races and other creatures, and there is an invisible hand guiding a portion of these beings toward the direction of Netheril."

Upon hearing the old elf’s words, Bourne immediately thought of the lizardman tribe he had encountered earlier—specifically, the one he had wiped out, leaving only about a hundred survivors and no priest to command them. If the priest had still been alive, he wouldn't have been able to dispatch them so easily with a single *Stinking Cloud* spell. That victory had been a stroke of luck, allowing him to absorb the "spirit" that was about to be born.

"You are in such a hurry to catalyze the magical plants—is it to supply the army at the front?" the old elf asked.

"Yes, Master," Bourne nodded. There was no reason to hide it, so he briefly explained his collaboration with the military.

The elderly elf nodded silently. He hadn't expected this young man to be so versatile and skilled at making money; once you’re linked with the military, it’s hard not to turn a profit.

"I may have to trouble you, Master. I will go immediately to prepare the 'Golden Kela,' and once it is ready, we shall begin the forced growth of the magical plants," Bourne said apologetically.

The old elf chuckled. "That is a trivial matter, no problem at all. Do you mind if I observe how you concoct this 'Golden Kela'?"

"Of course not. In fact, I would appreciate it if you could help oversee the process in the future."

Bourne acted swiftly, and the supplies were gathered in no time. Long ago, under his instruction, the Lehman Chamber of Commerce had begun hoarding supplies—especially grain, steel, and medicinal herbs.

In truth, this was the most profitable aspect of the Lehman Chamber of Commerce. They would collect small amounts of goods during quiet times at rock-bottom prices. Whether it was scrap metal, obscure herbs dug up from nowhere, or unidentified items, the Chamber of Commerce accepted everything, catering specifically to the lower and middle classes of Seven Cities. A major merchant house often looked like a scrap-collecting outfit.

However, it was precisely because of this that the Chamber was extremely popular in the slums. Its boss had started as a commoner, building such a vast enterprise from nothing—a rags-to-riches story that inspired many at the bottom of society. (Only the nobility knew Bourne was the man behind the scenes, and no one was bored enough to run around the West District with a megaphone shouting about it.)

Though their prices were low, the Chamber of Commerce never cheated the people. Their reputation was impeccable. In other merchant houses, if someone brought in a decent weapon or a rare item, they were often cheated or accused of theft—after all, how could a commoner possess such a treasure? This was precisely how the black market formed; people were too afraid to trade anywhere else.

Because of the Lehman Chamber of Commerce’s practices, many vagrants and impoverished people were able to survive. It created countless jobs; unless someone was truly lazy, they could at least make a living by digging up wild herbs outside the city. Consequently, the Chamber’s reputation in the West District was stellar, and its headquarters faced no trouble.

Other merchant houses rarely built shops near the West District. Beyond market factors, the main reason was that the "craftsmen" of the black market would steal you blind, and the cost of stationing a professional adventurer at a shop 24/7 was simply too high. Thus, after the Lehman headquarters was built, the surrounding shops became highly sought after, as being under the Chamber's protection eliminated many worries.

The group arrived at Bourne’s private laboratory. Usually, this lab was off-limits unless Bourne was teaching or conducting major experiments. The elderly elf looked around with curiosity, as if he were in his own home.

Bourne ignored him and began refining steel to synthesize gas canisters. He didn't need to produce a massive amount—only enough to supply his own alchemy workshop—but he still followed an industrialized model to ensure the fertilizer’s quality remained consistent, to the point where even ordinary people could operate the machinery.

The fertilizer consisted of nutritional elements like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, boron, copper, iron, sodium, manganese, sulfur, molybdenum, and zinc. However, Bourne didn't need high-purity elemental fertilizers; he could simply create a compound fertilizer. The raw materials were simple—he posted a notice for silt from the moat, and within an hour, a burly man pushed a cart of foul-smelling black mud to his door. Bourne tossed him a few copper coins, and the man left, delighted.

The elderly elf was truly enlightened, seeing for the first time someone using "separation," "purification," and "transmutation" magic circles with such proficiency. These arrays were created for crafting potions or alchemical artifacts, yet Bourne was using them to produce common synthetic goods. He wondered if the masters who had invented these arrays would jump out of their graves to strike Bourne down for using such high-level magical techniques for such low-end work.