Inside Sovereign’s Apothecary, Titus and Theon had a restless night.
Theon grumbled, “Damn it! They actually managed to open Medicine God’s Covenant. We sent several groups to interfere; even the head of the Murphy family showed up, but it was useless.”
“It seems we need a different strategy. That bastard thinks he can compete directly with Sovereign’s Apothecary? Who does he think he is?”
“Mr. Sterling, please, calm down. Our priority now is securing the key negotiations scheduled for tomorrow,” Theon advised, trying to be the voice of reason.
“You’re right. Sovereign’s Apothecary’s most crucial clients are the major elite families of Chetvine, several royal lines, and a few important martial sects. We cannot afford any missteps here.”
“I’ve already sent Mikayla to handle it,” Theon informed him. “She’s from the Owens family here and is now the new public representative for Sovereign’s Apothecary. I trust she won’t disappoint us.”
“I suppose we have to let the girl try,” Titus grumbled. “In the past, Brielle would have handled this personally. But since she’s refusing to show her face now, I won’t stoop to begging her.”
The next day, Andrew was still busy with matters related to Medicine God’s Covenant’s grand opening. The doors were officially open, but he knew the road ahead was long. His most immediate problems were a lack of skilled alchemists and finding distribution channels for the pills they produced.
While the Reyes family’s auction house provided a reliable sales outlet, Andrew was wary of becoming too dependent on them. After all, Medicine God’s Covenant was his venture; the Reyes family was merely a partner. He was willing to offer them profit shares and internal discounts, but he refused to let them control the distribution network or the valuable connections it would create.
High-grade pills were a premium product that practically sold themselves. The real challenge was securing contracts and standing orders from Chetvine’s powerful clans and institutions. If he could secure deals with just three more major entities on par with the Reyes family, Medicine God’s Covenant would not only survive but also thrive in Chetvine. After that, attracting new alchemists to fuel growth and expand their influence would be straightforward.
Andrew’s goal in founding Medicine God’s Covenant was not primarily profit or alchemy for its own sake. He wanted to use the elixirs as leverage to influence Chetvine’s power dynamics and break Sovereign’s Apothecary’s monopoly. Once he achieved that, he would not have to answer to anyone. This venture was the first major organization he had founded from scratch.
Nonetheless, he knew that alchemy alone was not enough; he needed other talents and experts to join his cause. So, he picked up the phone and made another call to Gabo Creek.
“Pretty boy, get to Chetvine. You’re working with me now,” Andrew said into the phone.
Eric sneered on the other end. “I’m perfectly comfortable here, living the good life. I have zero interest in that backwater Chetvine.”
Andrew laughed. “Is it a lack of interest, or are you just scared? In Gabo Creek, you might pass for a genius. But here in Chetvine, you’d be less than a bug on the sidewalk.”
Eric was furious at the insult. “Looking down on me? Just wait, I’m booking a flight right now!”
“I’ll be expecting you,” Andrew replied with a triumphant chuckle before hanging up.
Beyond Eric, he thought of his other close allies. However, as noted before, Lauren, Francesca, and Chantelle were all tied up with their own serious commitments. It was not feasible for them to come to Chetvine to assist him at the moment.
“It looks like I need more capable people to join my side,” Andrew mused to himself, contemplating his next move.