The elegant beauty called over a male attendant. He looked young and handsome, yet he seemed somewhat afraid of the woman, though a trace of desire could also be seen in his eyes.
Shuyue glanced between them. At that moment, the male attendant approached.
“Mr. Liya, please allow me to handle your identity registration.”
“Oh.”
Shuyue stood up and followed him out.
The registration process was simple and took less than ten minutes.
Holding the dark silver badge, Shuyue sighed inwardly.
‘Connections really do make a difference.’
Without the letter of introduction, if she had tried to register using only Lia White’s identity as an ordinary noble, the process would have taken considerably longer. She might have had to wait several days before obtaining the badge.
The badge was about the size of a gold coin, engraved with the Alchemist Guild’s emblem. Countless interlocking squares formed a brilliant, intricate pattern that gleamed beautifully under the light.
It was said that the emblem represented the first and only Philosopher’s Stone.
Shuyue held the badge in her hand and looked up at the male attendant.
“Can a Mercury-grade alchemist purchase sub-dragon blood?”
“Sub-dragon blood?”
The male attendant thought for a moment before nodding.
Once someone became a Guild-certified alchemist, the restrictions imposed on ordinary people no longer applied, especially those concerning the purchase of materials. Sub-dragon blood was not something ordinary people could buy.
Hearing that she could purchase it, Shuyue’s eyes lit up.
“I need a lot. The more, the better!”
“All right. I’ll arrange it for you immediately.”
Seeing Shuyue’s excitement, the male attendant quickly led her to a guest room to rest while he notified the relevant personnel about the materials.
Not long after Shuyue sat down, someone arrived. A pretty young woman pushed open the door and entered, carrying a small wooden board.
“Mr. Liya, how much sub-dragon blood would you like to purchase?”
“How much do you have?”
Shuyue raised an eyebrow.
The woman’s expression stiffened. She replied with an awkward smile.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t answer that question…”
“Oh.”
Shuyue pondered for a moment before suddenly speaking up.
“Then let’s start with 100 liters!”
“All right, ahem, ahem!”
The woman had been about to agree when the words reached her throat and she finally realized what Shuyue had said.
100 liters?
Her expression became extremely awkward.
If Shuyue weren’t a valued guest, she would have assumed that some country bumpkin from the countryside was deliberately making fun of her.
“Mr. Liya, 100 liters is far too much. Even Graypine City doesn’t have that much sub-dragon blood.”
She had initially thought Shuyue meant 100 milliliters. She had never imagined that she meant liters!
Shuyue pouted, feeling that her excitement had been wasted.
‘The Guild doesn’t even have 100 liters of sub-dragon blood?’
“Then how about 50 liters?”
“…”
“Forty liters?”
“…”
“Do you have 20 liters?”
“Um, Mr. Liya, the sub-dragon blood here is measured in milliliters. Besides…”
The woman was merely an employee and didn’t dare offend Shuyue, a registered Guild member.
Therefore, she took the initiative to explain the circumstances.
“Mr. Liya, you may not know this, but sub-dragon blood is an extremely precious alchemical material. Although the Guild maintains a certain reserve, most of it is set aside for emergencies.
“Furthermore, sub-dragon blood is an important ingredient in Dragon Blood potions. Whenever we receive a supply, it’s immediately refined into Dragon Blood potions to supply the various noble families in Graypine City.”
“Dragon Blood potions?”
“Yes. They help temper physical strength and are extremely beneficial to warriors who follow the combat system. Naturally, they’re highly sought after by nobles, so the Guild always prioritizes supplying them to noble families.”
“I see…”
Shuyue finally understood why the Guild had so little sub-dragon blood. The woman had hesitated because the remaining supply was reserved for emergencies. Naturally, they couldn’t allow one person to purchase too much.
In short, the supply was rationed.
“All right, I won’t empty your reserves. But you must give me at least half of your sub-dragon blood.”
“I’ll need to ask for authorization.”
The woman didn’t dare make that decision herself. After excusing herself, she immediately went to inform her superior.
In an office deep inside the Guild building, the elegant beauty who had never introduced herself to Shuyue was rather surprised to learn how much sub-dragon blood she wanted.
She turned to the black-haired noble girl sitting across from her.
“Vanessa, what do you think Lia White wants so much sub-dragon blood for?”
The girl named Vanessa had a dignified, elegant appearance. Despite her young age, she already carried herself with remarkable refinement.
Her dark eyes reflected on the question for a moment before she shook her head.
“We could go ask him.”
“If you want to go, then go.”
The elegant beauty had little interest in Shuyue and had no intention of using this opportunity to meet her again.
Vanessa, however, smiled faintly and joked.
“Perhaps he’s planning to refine an aphrodisiac?”
Besides being used to make Dragon Blood potions, sub-dragon blood had another widely known application: enhancing virility and nourishing the kidneys.
As she spoke, Vanessa turned her beautiful eyes toward the chestnut-haired girl sitting beside her, who had remained silent throughout the conversation.
“Emily, what do you think?”
“Hmph!”
Emily puffed out her cheeks, refusing to pay any attention to her best friend.
Vanessa covered her mouth and laughed.
“Since you don’t want to see him, Emily, I’ll go see what your fiancé is like. After all, he even managed to resist Lady Sharon’s Intoxicating Desire Incense.”
“Go if you want! I don’t like him anyway, and I’ll absolutely never marry him!”
The more Emily thought about it, the angrier she became.
She couldn’t understand what had gotten into her father. He had always doted on her, yet this time he had completely disregarded her feelings and arranged her marriage to a man she had never met or even heard of.
It was simply too much!
Vanessa smiled as she watched her best friend fume. She stood up, bowed to Sharon, and followed the woman who had come to deliver the report out of the room.
Two or three seconds later, Emily rose from the sofa as well. With resentment written all over her pretty face, she stormed out.
Sharon said nothing, remaining lost in thought about how a man could resist her Intoxicating Desire Incense.
She could clearly sense that Shuyue’s strength was only at Rank 1. It should have been impossible for her to resist a magical potion dispersed through the air.
At first, the Intoxicating Desire Incense merely increased a person’s fondness for its source. However, the more one inhaled, the more pronounced one’s desires became, until one’s mind was entirely consumed by the source of the fragrance, turning the person into a puppet ruled by desire.
Of course, Sharon hadn’t used much on Shuyue. She had only applied enough to provoke a strong physical response in a man, one that would subside after release.
Yet Shuyue hadn’t shown the slightest reaction.
“How strange…”
While Sharon was still pondering the matter, Vanessa had already arrived at Shuyue’s door.
A maid opened it for her.
Inside the lounge, Shuyue looked up in surprise and suspicion.
‘Who is she?’