I decided not to talk about the possibility that there might be a spy in Catherine's pharmacy.
After all, the fewer people know, the less chance there is the spy will find out.
In the meantime, I sent Catherine a message asking for a meeting, so we could talk about what to do with the pharmacy.
We met at an elegant café for wealthy people. Inside, there were silky seats, large windows to see the city below, several tables, and pastry chefs serving each table.
"Order whatever you'd like, Catherine."
"Thank you."
Catherine looked at the menu for several minutes, choosing very carefully. Her face leaned closer, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Finally, after what seemed like two or three minutes, Catherine made her choice.
"I'd like several macarons of different flavors, a mille-feuille, and to finish off, a flan for dessert."
"As for the drink, I'll have a tea—Red Kiss."
"Very well, miss. And you, miss?"
"I'll have tea too, and a Malibu cocktail. Thank you."
The waiter leaned forward to bow slightly to us, then left for the kitchen with our order. While we waited, I started talking about the pharmacy.
"Catherine, I've been thinking about solutions for our pharmacy."
"First, we're going to remove all pharmaceutical products that don't sell. We'll keep the best-selling ones and the important ones for common illnesses—even if those illnesses aren't widespread."
Catherine nodded, already thinking about which products to keep and which to discard.
"Second, I want employees who stay at the counter, and others who approach customers looking for a product. I want staff capable of advising clients properly—and quickly. Time is money!"
"It's not impossible, Gina, but it'll take a little time for some of them. I'll need to send them for training."
"Some of our current employees aren't qualified for pharmaceutical advising."
I nodded, already knowing that was a possibility.
"That's fine. The most important thing is efficiency. And if we need to slow down a little to reach it, that's just as good. Nothing must be sloppy."
Catherine smiled at me and nodded, satisfied that I wasn't rushing things.
"Third, find a way to make clients come to our pharmacy instead of another. The doctors. If doctors refer their patients to our pharmacy, we'll make money. And our pharmacy will gain popularity. And for that, doctors are very important. Just as they can recommend our pharmacy, we should recommend them."
"A symbiotic relationship," said Catherine, nodding. "But how do we choose the right partners?"
"I don't want just anyone—I want those with real talent."
"Also, I want partnerships in several fields of medicine. The more options we have, the more clients will come."
"What do you think, Catherine?"
Catherine didn't answer immediately. Instead, she thought deeply about it. Eyes closed, hand holding her chin, she pondered the advice I had just given her.
I wasn't upset at all that she took so long to respond. On the contrary, to me, it was a good thing.
It meant she was careful and thoughtful in her actions—not impulsive!
While she was thinking, our order arrived on a rolling tray pushed by the chef.
He placed our teas before us, and our pastries on a multi-tiered tray—each of us had one.
After the chef left, Catherine finally opened her eyes.
"I think it's good advice. If I can apply it properly, we should be able to turn things around."
I nodded with a slight smirk, my eyes curving just a bit like crescent moons.
"With good connections to doctors and well-trained employees, we really can turn this around."
"But this is only the beginning! I'll keep researching which medicines sell well, and I'll especially look into partnerships with drug creators. Let's pay less, sell for more—while still keeping normal prices."
"Catherine, keep monitoring the prices of our products. They should never be too high, but never below market value. Got it?"
"Yes."
Catherine and I continued to eat, drink, and discuss the pharmacy, especially the potential doctors we could partner with.
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In the plains, at the heart of the greenery, the sun gently warmed us with its rays.
Seeing everything was going well on Gina's side, I looked toward Mina.
Mina, Maya, and Velmira were continuing their investigation of the villages and goblin attacks.
We attacked several goblin bases, which gave me lots of star points. As for Maya, she collected various materials along the way, improving our gear—my Doll mask, her puppets, and weapons for Velmira.
Velmira, on her end, captured a goblin queen. Once she evolves into a Hobgoblin Queen, she'll have a better chance of producing hybrids. And with the other queen, a goblin army could be created quickly. But to do that, she must evolve—and for now, Velmira lacks the necessary resources.
Unfortunately, she's mad because, during our attacks, I killed the king leading the army—and she holds it against me.
"Sorry, but it's easier to kill them like that! Besides, I only wounded the queen so she wouldn't get in the way, and so you could contract her!"
"Yes, thank you, but with the king I could've built several armies very quickly. And with two Hobgoblin Queens, it's going to be slower!"
"Having an army with us would've made things way easier!"
"Okay… I'm sorry! Happy now?!"
"Yes!"
"…"
"…"
Maya couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing, holding her belly, eyes squinting with delight.
"You two sound like children!"
Velmira and I both blushed.
"Look on the bright side, Velmira. With two Hobgoblin Queens, you can produce pure-blood offspring, making the whole army stronger than just regular goblins. And now, with two queens, hybrids will be easier to get too."
"That's… true…"
Velmira nodded, though she was still pouting a little.
After that little episode, we continued our journey toward the next destroyed village.