Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 317 Pharmaceutical Monopoly

Plague medicine, malaria medicine, smallpox medicine, cold medicine, bloodworm medicine...

George Santos, the vice president of the Dragonstone Chamber of Commerce, was so shocked that he couldn't recover for a long time when he looked at the box of finger-sized crystal medicine bottles neatly stacked on the tray in front of him.

It is true that these common plagues and stubborn diseases in the mortal world can be basically cured after being purified by the high-level glorious magic of the church's healing priests - but that is a privilege that only the nobles can enjoy. Ordinary people are not qualified to attract the attention and favor of the gods' servants.

But how could true aristocrats contract these filthy, incurable diseases? They traveled in convenient carriages, drank clean, sweet wine and spring water, and their castles and estates were kept immaculately clean by servants. They didn't compete with rats for territory and get bitten or sickened, nor did they step into filthy water sources infested with bloodworms. Most people were unlikely to have any contact with these infectious diseases in their lifetime.

"Don't worry. These potions don't contain any magical substances prohibited by the Alchemical Code. They are made of absolutely legal and natural ingredients. As long as you can withstand the accusations and pressure from the church, I believe they will soon replace expensive divine treatments and become the best-selling cures."

Purely natural ingredients? Could it be a potion made from some undiscovered herb? Isn't this the "witch medicine" that those rural witch doctors used to advocate for... That would indeed lead to pressure and resistance from the church. Those witch doctors without spellcasting talent are much easier to bully than magicians.

Santos' mind moved. He carefully picked up a glass medicine bottle and examined it carefully. "Sir Harvey, can the magical ingredients contained in these potions really completely alleviate those highly contagious diseases? Could it be..."

He suddenly remembered that the plague that broke out in the Principality of Saint Valen not long ago swept across the entire principality at an extremely fast speed, causing a large number of infected refugees to flee in exile. The surrounding countries had to use military forces to block the borders to prevent the spread of the disease.

But this plague that came out of nowhere seemed to be contained quietly and suddenly, and then quickly subsided. Apart from the fact that the church and the federation each claimed to have effective medicine, it seemed that the border area of the principality where Lord Harvey was located was not affected by the plague at all.

The shrewd vice president narrowed his eyes and felt that he seemed to have grasped the crux of the matter - this pioneer lord who was also a spellcaster must have made some indispensable contribution to curbing the spread of the plague during the outbreak.

"Sir Harvey, if we can get the written approval of the Federation from you, our Dragon Stone Chamber of Commerce is willing to take over the exclusive rights of all pharmaceuticals... and become your sole pharmaceutical agent in the southern territory." Although Santos said this, he could detect some uncontrollable excitement and trembling in his tone. This was a huge business that he had rarely encountered in his life!

A miraculous potion that could cure infectious diseases that were considered incurable, and that could be manufactured and supplied in large quantities and stably—he simply couldn't imagine the extent of the lucrative profits his chamber of commerce could reap from it.

If the Chamber of Commerce did not have the family background to support it, the Dragonstone Chamber of Commerce would have immediately become a thorn in the eyes of all the chambers of commerce and church forces in the southern region as soon as it won the franchise and orders and officially started selling potions to the public.

When Santos took the business contract handed over by Xavi, his hands even trembled a little.

……

This was a sleepless night for most of the people invited to the Pioneer Territory to participate in the trade fair.

George Santos stood by the window of his third-floor hotel room, gazing out at the deserted city, still ablaze with lights amidst the deep darkness and biting snow. For merchants, the more bustling a place was after dark, the more prosperous and wealthy it was. Bright candlelight signified thriving commerce and endless wealth. But he had only witnessed this kind of city scene, with lights burning throughout the night, in a few places like the Magic City and the Royal Capital of Orland.

The vast pioneering territory before him seemed no less impressive than those long-renowned prosperous metropolises in the south. Looking out from the third floor of the hotel, the entire territory was almost lit up everywhere. Some buildings that looked like production workshops were emitting blazing white lights, the busy shops and taverns along the street were emitting golden lights, and the densely packed houses that seemed to have been uniformly copied from a mold were all lit up with soft orange lights.

Even on both sides of the street, every ten or so meters there is a metal lamp post of uniform color, with some kind of lighting magic stone product placed on the top, providing road lighting for pedestrians all night long.

What a luxury!

A voice suddenly rang out from behind him, "The secret to keeping this room warm lies in these copper pipes embedded in the wall... Tsk tsk tsk, the pioneering territory established by the spellcaster is truly full of wonders and extraordinary things."

Santos quickly turned around and bowed to a young man standing by the wall, observing the room. He was wearing the uniform of an ordinary Chamber of Commerce employee and said, "President, it seems that these magical devices aren't just found in hotels and castles that receive guests. They've installed this so-called warm water system throughout the territory. Almost every household can enjoy indoor warmth without even needing to light a fireplace."

The young man called the president waved his hand and asked in a low voice, "How do you keep the hot water flowing out of that copper pipe in the bathroom?"

"The area around the hotel is completely filled with patrol soldiers and guards assigned by the Lord, so our people can't go out to explore or move around... But I asked around, and it seems the hot water comes from those giant iron towers standing tall behind the house. Beneath the towers is an enclosed shed called the equipment room, and you can occasionally see large streams of scorching steam erupting from it..."

The young guild leader was silent for a moment, then sighed softly, "I originally thought that this Lord was deliberately showing us his miraculous creations and magical inventions, but what we see and enjoy now are nothing more than the routine facilities that ordinary civilians in this pioneering territory can use on a daily basis..."

He paused, then walked to the window and gazed at the lights of the entire city. "Only a place like this can fully tap the potential of the people, allowing them to willingly work and tirelessly devote themselves to production day and night, providing the Mage Lord with an endless supply of wealth and resources..."

It's a pity that the foolish nobles and greedy rulers of the southern countries will never realize this - they will only firmly control the land and food in their hands, tie the ignorant people to the fields to do the most stupid labor, and then desperately squeeze out the pitiful taxes.

Santos stood behind him and cautiously suggested, "President...would you like me to introduce you to Lord Harvey in a formal and public capacity?"

The young man narrowed his eyes, chuckled self-deprecatingly, and said, "That won't be necessary this time. We've taken such a huge advantage, but haven't provided equal value to the other party... Even if we meet, we won't be treated equally."

It would be more appropriate to wait until this pharmaceutical business covering the southern border is truly run by the Longshi Chamber of Commerce and brings the other party enough profits to satisfy him before making a formal visit.

(End of this chapter)