Villain's Odyssey: Enslaving heroines, Conquering Villainesses

"I could get you a healer," offered a man gazing at Natalia, who was now seated on a plush couch in the expansive building. "No need for that. He’ll be alright—he just exhausted his ether pool," she replied with a small smile. "Just get me my order."

The man nodded and walked away, leaving them in the golden-lit splendor of Almeria.

Natalia’s gaze swept around the impressive interior. Almeria—a merchant company solely focused on selling all sorts of potions, from mundane low-tier healing concoctions to literal limb-regenerating elixirs. They sold every conceivable potion and alchemical ingredient, having monopolized a huge sector of the trade over time.

Rumor had it their headquarters was located in Arcane, with branches spanning all kingdoms regardless of species. Their reach was truly universal—every organized community had some form of Almeria presence. The level of each branch corresponded to the importance of its location: small towns far from major centers got modest branches, strategically placed to widen their reach while disrupting any potential rivals.

This particular building rose five stories high, marking it as one of the major branches throughout the human kingdoms—at least for both Ezram and Montellia. After all, both kingdoms were more or less in alliance and Vermillion as a whole was created from a union of both kingdoms, though none of them actually OWNED it . As for Albion, there was supposedly a massive branch at the capital that might rival even this one.

The place buzzed with activity. Smaller merchants bought in bulk alongside serious alchemists, all bathed in the radiant golden glow from an enormous chandelier above. The walls were a sleek green with strategically placed light fixtures that enhanced the beauty and splendor of the space. Various attendants and cashiers worked efficiently to attend to the crowd, though even with their numbers, long queues were inevitable.

The only reason Natalia had been able to get priority service was her golden card—well, technically her father’s card. The privileges that came with it made these visits smooth and efficient whenever her ’medicines’ ran out.

"Ugh..." A soft groan reached her ears, and she looked down to find Asher stirring from sleep. She’d kept him on her lap the entire time they’d been here, though she couldn’t feel any numbness even till now—probably because her legs provided no sensation anyway.