- Nia -

 

Left alone with that creature, I can't help but feel nervous.

 

"You're not going to dissolve us, right?" (Nia)

"No? I'm full, and my Shari told me I can't." (Liqu)

 

That's the blue one, right?
I should probably thank her when I get the chance.

 

"So, how was being dissolved by my Shari? I rarely have the chance to ask people." (Liqu)

 

I wonder why...
Yet something tells me I should choose my next words very carefully here.

 

"I think she was gentle? I mean, it hurt very much, but not as much as it should have. Kinda weird." (Nia)

"Oh. Interesting. Well, nice for you to still have your arm. Wait a moment, I need to get ready for today." (Liqu)

 

At once, she leaves for the cellar.
Okin and I follow her to the doorstep, but once we reach the boundary, we become aware that the whole ground down there is covered with slime.
Also, the air is stale but weirdly humid and the smell feels unnatural.
Both of us directly decide that our instinctual dread is a good hint that we shouldn't follow.
Surprisingly, only moments later the creature emerges again, now fully dressed in what looks like a high-quality adventurer getup, topped off with an eerily artsy mask.

 

"So, I'm ready!" (Liqu)

"Are, you intending to go out?" (Okin)

 

Not sure how that works out for them, but now that I know what they're hiding I have to wonder how they're getting away with this.

 

"Sure. My Shari said I'm supposed to follow him." (Liqu)

 

It's always my Shari, my Shari.
Though, that could mean she knows some stuff.
Maybe I can ask her about all these potions.
If I could only gather a tiny, little bit from a stamina potion, or even a healing one, or who knows what else they have in store for us.
Just the tiniest amount would suffice to keep us aloft for months.
It's not like I'd have to disclose the source.
Not to speak of how convenient it would be to have at hand if again something happens.
It might be wrong to do this to my benefactor, but I need to think here about Okin.

 

"Do you have any idea what the stuff in the pots is?" (Nia)

 

She directly follows my hand with her gaze.

 

"In the pots? Oh, that's my Shari! Though, that's not quite right. She mixed it to this potion stuff. No idea why that's so important to her." (Liqu)

 

It's soothing to hear she doesn't have any greater interest in it.
Now I need to find out what they are, or they're useless for me.

 

"Can you identify the potions?" (Nia)

"Sure!" (Liqu)

"Great. Would you tell us? I'm so curious to learn how she could save me." (Nia)

"Uh, she mixed stuff in there. I can identify the respective stuff, but I don't really know how you'd call them. Neither do I know what they'd do to a human body." (Liqu)

 

Damn, this means she's useless.

 

"Oh, but why don't we just read what she wrote on them?" (Liqu)

"Do what!?" (Okin)

 

I second this!

 

"Yes. I know the letters. You don't?" (Liqu)

"Uh, no?" (Nia)

"Okay, then I'll tell you. Here, there stands h-e-a-l-i-n-g s-a-l-v-e. H-ea-l-ing sa-l-v-e. Healing salve! Easy, right?" (Liqu)

 

I feel slightly irritated that this monster kinda brags about being more knowledgeable than I am.
However, for the sake of my survival, I will swallow this.

 

"And what is this?" (Nia)

"St-a-m-i-na po-t-ion. Stamina potion! This is so interesting! My Shari was right that this is useful!" (Liqu)

 

I... guess so?
Anyway, I proceed with letting her read out all of the labels.
It seems that Shari made quite a variety of simple utility potions.
Which is great, as those are the easiest to turn into money.

 

"Liqu, are you finally ready?" (Michael)

"Yes, yes! Just got distracted for a moment!" (Liqu)

 

We follow her back to the main room, where the man turns toward us.

 

"You two, when I return I'll put a lock on this door. Don't expect that you’ll be able to come and go from here as you please." (Michael)

 

Never thought so.
Yet Okin seems a little downtrodden about this.
The man notices as well.

 

"Sigh. I know the situation is difficult for you. So we will leave first, and you go some time later. If anyone is already interested in us, they'll follow us, and you can just sneak away once they're gone." (Michael)

 

For real?
It's like they're pleading with us to take their stuff.
Is it maybe because they think we wouldn't dare to steal from monsters?
Well, the way I plan to go about this, I don't think there shouldn't be much reason to worry.

As soon as they're not as close anymore I tend to Okin.

 

"Okin, go to the dumpster and fetch some small containers. Bring them here after cleaning them out at the river. I'll look somewhere else in the meantime." (Nia)

 

There's always something people throw away.
Especially, the rich households are particularly wasteful with containers that aren't glass.
I'm sure he'll find something.

 

"Nia, what do you intend to do?" (Okin)

"We're taking a bit of the potion stuff with us. That's gonna keep us afloat for a while." (Nia)

"But... They... You know..." (Okin)

"Okin, they won't even know it's gone. Did you look at the pots? You can see at the lines on the side that they were initially much fuller. I'm sure it's somehow evaporating. So if we take a bit from everything there won't be much of a difference to notice." (Nia)

"You really think so?" (Okin)

"Yes, I do. Just do it. They're well off. We need to think about ourselves here." (Nia)

"I-If you say so." (Okin)

 

So Okin and I split into different directions.
While Okin heads to the usual dumpsters, I'll look through the garbage of the adventurers.
There are some who are stupid enough to throw their flasks away.
Even the cheap wooden ones are good.
I get lucky and can gather some usable containers.
As we don't want to take too much of the potion stuff I can return early enough.
Funny enough, Okin arrives at the same time as I.
It looks like they're still not back, so we have time.

 

"Okin, wait here at the door. If they return, shout and run away." (Nia)

"Nia, I'm really not sure." (Okin)

"We're almost there. Just a bit more. Don't worry, I'll take full responsibility. You don't need to do anything." (Nia)

 

I walk quickly to the backroom.
According to my suspicion, I'm sure the amount reduced a tiny bit more.
Perfect.

First the salve.
That one worked great.
I still remember how raw my arm was back then after she used this special potion, which would be too high spec to steal.
But now, after applying the salve it's almost fully healed.

Then a bit of the stamina potion.
Maybe the fever-release agents?
I only need to be very careful while filling them up.
Don't take too much!
Don't spill anything!

Okay... great!
I did it!
I'm sure this will be very advantageous for us.
Once I think I have enough, I head back to the front door.

 

"What are you doing, lingering around here?!"

 

Shit!
What is going on?!
At the door, I see how a man is looking down at Okin.

 

"Sorry, is there a problem?" (Nia)

"Two of you! What are you doing in this place? This is a decent neighborhood!" (man)

 

Damn, we're in a bad spot.
This here is still kinda part of the better area of the slums.
The local people might be poor, but not destitute.
So the area still has some kind of standards regarding crime in the open.
Okin is too intimidated to do something, and I can't run with all the different filled containers I'm carrying.

 

"We, we know the owner. It's fine." (Nia)

 

I try to appease him, but don't think it works too well.
Worse, some people noticed the ruckus and now start to gather.

 

"Did something happen?"

"What are those kids doing here?"

"They look like street urchins."

 

Damnit!
Could we even escape through the growing crowd?
It starts to become more unlikely with every passing moment.

 

"Please, believe us! We belong here!" (Okin)

 

It seems like Okin found his voice again, yet it doesn't do much to divert this scrutiny.

 

"Are they maybe lying?"

"Should we call the guard?"

"Owner? Then where are they?" (man)

"They're currently out, and we’re watching their place for them till they come back." (Nia)

"And why would they assign someone like you while they're gone?" (man)

 

They're coming from our ragged appearance.
While biased it isn't a completely unfounded assessment.
I seriously have to come up with something.

 

"B-because we're working for them!" (Nia)

"Work? What kind of work?" (man)

"They're working?"

"For real?"

 

Do I have him hooked?
Whatever, I have to make this believable.

 

"Th-the owner hired us as shop hands. See? I'm right now carrying the goods to the counter." (Nia)

 

I try to convincingly present the potion bottles I just filled with their stolen contents.
The latter was profusely omitted.
Though, it doesn't seem to completely get rid of all the suspicion.

 

"What did you say the owner does?" (man)

 

A test, I'm sure of it.
There's no other way but forward.
I have to play my role convincingly.

 

"They're an alchemist who just set up shop here, focusing on simple utility potions. May I offer you a sample? It's a stamina potion. It will directly get rid of all your fatigue for you." (Nia)

 

I fill a smaller cup, which Okin brought, with the stamina potion I got this morning and hold it out towards him.
The other stuff like healing or fever decrease wouldn't show a convincing instant effect.
I try to smile at him like the barterers on the merchant street, trying to sell him my lie.
He looks at least unsure at the potion.

 

"You know that if you poison me you won't get out of here, right?" (man)

 

Luckily, this is the real deal, so I'm safe.

 

"I would never do such a thing to an honored customer, sir." (Nia)

 

Once again I extend it towards him.

 

"Well, if it's for free." (man)

 

He's still hesitant but takes a careful sip.
Then his eyes shut open.

 

"It works!" (man)

 

I know.
I took it myself and was quite surprised at how good it is.
Aside from the slightly bitter taste maybe.

 

"Hey, can I also have something?"

 

A random dude comes closer.
This is really the wrong area to offer anything for free.

 

"Sure. But I need to insist that the next one gets paid for." (Nia)

 

Maybe this will help to scatter them.
Anyway, he drinks it.

 

"Wow! Far better than what the gangs are offering!"

 

Can't really talk here.
Not like I could ever afford something of those goods.
However, now a woman comes closer.
I'm starting to get nervous.

 

"What else do you have in store?" (woman)

 

"All kinds of stuff! She makes great wound salve, and there are also pain easers, stuff if you get sick, or this stamina stuff." (Okin)

 

Damn, Okin, don't get them interested!

 

"Uh, the alchemist is just starting out. Everything is rather basic." (Nia)

"Does the healing salve work?" (woman)

"It works great! My sister's whole arm was hurt and now look!" (Okin)

 

At this, he excitedly jumps to my side and exposes my arm where one can see the lightly scarred tissue.
I get a bad feeling about this.

 

"You see that?"

"Such a great surface was injured?"

"It healed evenly, not just bit by bit! That must be the work of magic!"

"They're the real deal!"

 

Should I be glad that this seems to work out?
Somehow it doesn't help my anxiety.

 

"Say, how much is this salve? My husband often gets injured on the job." (woman)

 

Shit, what now?
I have no idea.
Maybe guesswork?

 

"Ehm, ten copper for a small cap? That should last for like five times depending on how much you apply." (Nia)

 

Maybe this will discourage them and they will finally go home.

 

"Ten copper?! That's a proud price!"

"Don't you know the current prices for healers or alchemists? That's a bargain!"

"I can easily sell this for twice the price!"

"What do you say? I know someone who'd pay thrice!"

 

For real!?
I never had the chance to go to a healer, so how would I know?
That's five times of what Okin and I get for a day of scavenging in the dumpster!

Meanwhile, the woman I was just talking to seems to have become unsure and overthinks everything.

 

"Alright. A small cap. No, rather two. That's twenty copper, right?" (woman)

 

Just who carries this much money around?

 

"Y-yes. That's right. You should put something on it. It dries fast otherwise..." (Nia)

 

My gaze is somewhat hollow at this point.
I only come back to my senses once I get handed the money.
It's so much!

 

Instead of putting it away like the treasure it apparently is for her, she puts a bit on a finger and applies it to a tiny cut at her thumb.

 

"Oh my, it's nicely cool to the touch. I think I can already feel it working. It's just like a clearsprout wrap, if not better." (woman)

 

And then all hell breaks loose.
It seems that an affordable alchemist is such a novelty that people can't pass on this chance.
Not only this, but many run home in a way that I think they’re only going to fetch money.
Just what did I get into here?!!