33 – 33. Heights
Health syrup always rises. And then I become rich.
It was the muttering of Professor Bobby, with his sharp red hair, for the hundredth time in his mind.
Since he invested in Gordon LeNox Corporation, the manufacturer of health syrup, it was impossible to think about anything else.
Whether he was eating, lecturing, or sitting in his laboratory, he could only think about health syrup.
“There’s no choice. If I fail, it’s over.”
Professor Bobby was the one who wrote the pledge supporting the Third Princess and received 500 unlisted shares at face value.
The investment amount was 100,000 dollars.
He wanted to invest more, but this was the limit.
Because he had a shortage of cash due to frequent investment failures in the past.
There was a time when he lost 1.4 million dollars by buying shares of a trading company that sank, and he also had a time when he enjoyed buying various things at an art auction and only suffered losses of nearly 1.2 million dollars and had to sell his mansion.
Living modestly despite being one of the most renowned magicians in the empire, that was because of him. Recently, even his wife left him, saying she didn’t want to live with him anymore.
But it seemed that there was still no way to die in this world.
It started to show good signs in the investment he carried out by emptying his balance.
Alan Maydoff himself had taken measures against health syrup, right? Professor Bobby had a hunch about what that meant. He had felt something suspicious since the moment he encountered that guy at the Münster Palace.
Soon, there would be a line of people eager to invest.
“But I was faster than them, right?”
Being one step ahead of others meant that he could see a much greater profit. Just thinking about it made him laugh.
“Um, Professor. Aren’t you going to teach the class?”
Whether it was because his joy showed on his face or not, the students were looking at him.
Bobby Duncan stood foolishly for a moment before belatedly coughing dryly.
“Oh, right. I was in the middle of class.”
However, the desire to boast about this joyful news was stronger than any awkwardness. It was too overwhelming to keep to himself.
“Folks, curious, are you?”
“No.”
“Just spill it. Heard about Lady Chandelier’s health tonic?”
“She invested… in it.”
“The company making that is about to go public. …Of course, going public isn’t easy. To release shares to the public, you have to pay tribute to the royal family and go through an examination. But when the owner of the company is a princess, that’s not much of a concern.”
Students reacted to Professor Bobby’s words with anticipation once again.
But a few started to sparkle in their eyes. The fact that the health tonic had become famous recently was true.
Encouraged by the grateful reactions of those students, Professor Bobby enthusiastically praised the health tonic, even adding unintentional exaggeration.
“I didn’t intend to say this, but there’s something refreshing about the health tonic. Can we say that mana sensitivity improves slightly during the casting process? It needs verification, but it’s a very interesting phenomenon.”
“Professor, is that true…?”
“I’m speaking from experience. At the very least, it’s worth researching.”
“Wow.”
Listening to Professor Bobby’s words, more and more students began to pay attention.
Despite the burden of excessive wealth, Bobby Duncan’s reputation was genuine.
Ranked 8th in the hierarchy of mages, and when it came to fire magic, he was undoubtedly the top. No student could ignore his words.
In the end, until the end of the lecture, Professor Bobby only talked about the health tonic.
“My rambling went on a bit. I apologize.”
“…”
The students’ reactions were mixed, with a majority expressing disappointment. However, some quietly left the classroom, mostly students struggling due to poor grades.
…
Later that afternoon.
In front of a health drink stall, Academy students were scattered among the line.
Representatives of the empire’s prestigious educational institution, even standing in line to get a health drink, sent a peculiar signal to those considering investments. It was evidence that it wasn’t just a remedy sought by commoners in a hurry.
Eventually, some individuals, anxious in their minds, began to take action.
**
The status of the health drink was skyrocketing in real-time.
‘They seem genuinely concerned.’
The third princess of the empire, Anais Callaill, wore a clear smile without a trace of worry on her face.
Thanks to the rare good news from the stock exchange and the military headquarters.
Perhaps aware of the rapid growth of the health drink, Alan Maydoff and Siena made significant mistakes there.
It’s as foolish as revealing impatience through actions. Maybe that’s how much they wanted to sabotage the business.
“Alan Maydoff spent over five hours at the stock exchange blatantly criticizing the health drink. He even warned the department heads directly, saying it wouldn’t be fun if they met with convenience.”
Alan Maydoff obstructed the initial public offering without any intention to do so.
“Siena also caused a scene at the military headquarters. She vividly depicted the health drink as if it were a deadly poison in front of the generals. She even tried to meet with the minister, but barely withdrew at the insistence of the first princess.”
Siena was said to have acted recklessly in the serious atmosphere of the military, which was holding a crisis meeting due to recent increased conflicts with the elves. It was akin to slamming the reputation recovered through the morphine business into the ground.
‘Some things never change, especially one’s temperament.’
The feelings of the two individuals were understood.
Even at this moment, Lady Chandelier was diligently progressing through the steps for the expansion of her lucrative production. She had decided to lease facilities at two factories and was steadily securing the most crucial raw materials.
Perhaps those two individuals had also acquired such information.
It seemed as if they believed something had to be done before Health Sirup covered everything.
However, all their efforts ultimately only contributed to the promotion of Health Sirup.
“Should we express gratitude to them later for that?”
Thinking of the two individuals who tried to obstruct the competition, it could only evoke bitter laughter. It was regrettable not to witness that spectacle firsthand.
Yet, amid the pleasant mood, there was a slight suspicion.
Admit it or not, Siena wasn’t a fool. The same applied to Alan Maydoff.
If they were fools, then acknowledging the pitiful state of Anais herself would be somewhat amusing.
‘Did they not foresee it coming?’
They could have just let loose rumors maliciously without directly causing their own embarrassment.
It was unclear why they chose to step forward and humiliate themselves.
It might just be naivety, but for a moment, the thought crossed her mind that they might have different motives.
‘It’s not entirely satisfying. It would be great if I could understand their intentions.’
However, Anais’s contemplation didn’t last long.
“Your Grace, there are individuals seeking an audience to plead for prevention.”
The humans who came with the scent of money were bustling in the reception room, having swiftly found their way.
The number was over twenty.
Only figures of the rank capable of daringly requesting an audience with the princess. Ordinary commoners with a bit of wealth couldn’t even set foot in the Ministerial Palace.
They had been waiting for the meeting with Anais in the interrogation room for six hours already. They even endured skipping meals.
“Let’s at least show a welcoming face.”
They couldn’t starve themselves to death, so a brief greeting and sending her away would be appropriate. Anais thought this as she approached the interrogation room.
However, the situation inside the room was far from appropriate.
“Anais, Your Highness!!”
People rising from their seats as if in an uproar. Anais’s bodyguard even flinched for a moment, reaching for his dagger.
“Everyone, calm down for a moment.”
“Your Highness, we didn’t gather here based on groundless rumors!”
“What?”
“We have no intention of boldly asking Your Excellency to share ownership just because. That would be begging. However… we have one humble request. It might sound abrupt, but what if you change the company name?”
“…”
“I heard that the company producing the health syrup is named ‘GordonLex Corporation.’ But if you ever plan to go public, a more straightforward name is needed. How about simply changing it to ‘ChandlerSyrup’?”
Surprisingly, everyone seemed less composed than expected.
Anais took her seat, thinking it was different from what she had anticipated.
At the same time, reasonable proposals poured in. Many were suggesting how they could be of help, explaining their willingness to cooperate.
A proposal expressing a desire to participate if there’s an intention to raise capital through bond issuance.
An offer to arrange for the sale of health syrup in large department stores, commonly used by nobles.
Even a proposal to assist in the supply of sugar, a more crucial ingredient than op*ium.
From Noble mtl dot com
Is it worth considering?
Concerns about Alan and Sienna began to fade little by little.
There was a possibility that Alan Maydoff had sinister intentions.
But whatever scheme he was plotting, the potential of Health Syrup was real.
The number of people who desperately wanted to buy Health Syrup but couldn’t because of the shortage was evidence of that bitter reality.
In that case, it was a wise decision to quickly increase production.
So that even if the enemies resorted to petty tricks, they could break through with their strength. Anaïs realized that if she cowered in fear, she might fall victim to Alan Maydoff’s attack. In hindsight, it seemed like they had been targeting her from the beginning.
“Yes. Breaking through head-on is the answer.”
Anaïs resolved herself. She also decided not to reject the growing interest in Mrs. Chandler’s Health Syrup.
As a sign of her determination, she decided to change the company name.
From Gordon Lennox to Chandler Syrup.
And she allowed for investment and collaboration. With her power alone, increasing production was somewhat challenging.
“A wise judgment!”
Praise poured in for Anaïs’s quick decision.
In an instant, the damaged reputation was rapidly restored. Anaïs felt a surge of emotion.