Neuman grabbed one of the potions and decided to test it first.
The potion had a slightly sweet and tangy smell that tickled his nose. He uncorked it and downed it in one gulp. A warm sensation spread through his body, like the time when he was injured and the commander gave it to him, but it was much more potent than that time.
A general sense of relief washed over him.
'Not bad,' he mused.
'But it's hard to gauge its effect without actually being injured.'
His mind wandered back to his original plan of hunting. With the Energy Recovery Potions and Healing Potions now available, his confidence soared. His arsenal was now growing, but he still had things he had to gain.
He then carefully packed five Energy Recovery Potions and five Healing Potions into a separate pouch, making sure they wouldn't break during his travels.
It was still afternoon, giving him plenty of time to explore. He decided to head out.
This time, instead of searching for more herbs, Neuman went out to check the market value of the potions he had crafted.
The shop that dealt in buying and selling potions was located near the same herb store he'd visited earlier, so there was no problem in finding the shop.
Upon entering, he immediately noted the difference, as it was smaller and noisier than the herb store. The space was filled with chairs and tables, where many people sat, continuously chatting about potions, recipes, and recent trades.
Neuman ignored the ramblings. As he moved forward, an assistant approached him with a polite bow and a practiced smile. "Sir, welcome to our Wisch Potion Store. What kind of potion are you looking to buy?"
The name caught Neuman off guard for a split second—Wisch. The same as his own last name. A flicker of curiosity passed through him, but he brushed it aside.
"I'm here to sell some potions," he replied calmly.
When the assistant heard this, he looked startled. "Sir, I'm sorry," he said quickly, "but we don't buy potions from outside sources. Only potion makers officially affiliated with our store may sell here."
Neuman's expression darkened. Without responding, he turned and left the store.
No sooner had he stepped outside than he sensed movement behind him. His eyes flicked sideways—someone had followed him out.
And then another. A man exited next, followed by a woman.
Three strangers. All looking at him.
The man was broad-shouldered and imposing, his steps heavy as he approached Neuman with a smirk. "Boy, are you new here? I heard you wanted to sell some potions here. Shame though—you can't. Not in this city."
Neuman narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by that?"
The man chuckled, tapping a thick finger against his temple. "Most of the herb shops and potion outlets around here? Owned by the Wisch family. Unless you're affiliated with them, you're out of luck."
Neuman's expression soured. He was about to return to his room and rethink his approach when the burly man spoke again.
"It's a different matter if you're willing to sell to individuals like us," he said casually.
Neuman turned back, eyeing him. "So you want to buy the potion?"
The man nodded. "Yeah. The shops keep hiking the prices, and it's getting harder for us to afford the potions here."
The man gestured for Neuman to follow. He led him to a nearby restaurant just down the street. Inside, the warm hum of conversation surrounded them as they took a seat near a window.
As they sat, the man leaned in. "We're hunters," he explained. "We head out into the wilds, take down beasts, and sell the spoils to survive. Potions are vital, but buying from the stores is bleeding us dry."
Before sitting, Neuman had already asked the prices of the potions from the shop, and he told him that a low-grade healing potion costs 15 silver coins and a low-grade mana recovery potion costs 20 silver coins.
Neuman placed one Energy Recovery Potion and one Healing Potion on the table. The man's expression shifted the moment he saw them. He leaned forward, inspecting the vials closely.
"The healing potion looks quite good," he murmured, eyes narrowing with interest. "What grade is it?"
Neuman gave a calm smile. "It's a step above the low-grade ones you'll find in shops here, but not quite mid-grade yet."
The man raised his brows, impressed. Then his gaze shifted to the second vial. "And this one? I don't think I've seen a potion like this around here."
When Neuman heard this, he suddenly thought of something and said, "This is energy recovery, and it is also in between the low and mid grades."
When Neuman heard this, he paused. He suddenly thought of something and said, "It's called Energy Recovery," he said. "Its quality falls between low and mid-grade."
The man's eyes lit up. "I thought so! I've heard of it. It's new even in other kingdoms. It hasn't made its way here yet. And you've already got your hands on it... that's surprising."
Neuman gave a small shake of the head and sighed. "Alright then. How many are you looking to buy?"
The man leaned back with a grin. "Depends on the price. You set it—we'll buy accordingly."
Neuman thought for some time and said, "Well then, the healing potion is 15 silver each, and the energy recovery potion is 10 silver each."
The man thought for some time and said, "Ok, then we will take 4 potions each. How does that sound?"
Neuman gave a brief nod, then retrieved three more Healing Potions and three Energy Recovery Potions from his pouch, placing them neatly on the table. The man's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he opened a pouch of coins and slid a single gold coin across to Neuman.
"Here you go," the man said with a smile. "If you have more potions in the future, you can come find us here. We're always looking for good potions."
Neuman nodded and took the gold coin, he said. "I will keep that in mind." With that, Neuman walked away from the restaurant.
He had just made 1 gold coin! Not bad for his first sale. He felt a surge of excitement and motivation. This could be a viable way to earn money. He could make potions and sell them to hunters or other individuals.
He then went to the herb store, from where he bought the herbs, and met the same assistant he met previously. The assistant happily greeted him, and Neuman just told him to bring 30 stalks of palefern and wispergrass each.
The assistant nodded and stepped away to bring the herbs. While waiting, Neuman turned his attention to the rest of the store, as there were still around fifty herbs he hadn't checked yet, each one lined neatly along the shelves.
A few minutes later, the assistant returned and said, "Sir, we only have five stalks of Palefern and Whispergrass remaining."
Neuman glanced back, brows slightly furrowed in thought. After a brief pause, he nodded. "Alright, then bring those," he said, "and add thirty stalks of Dullroot as well."
The assistant gave a hurried nod and darted off. Meanwhile, Neuman calmly recalled the names of other herbs—cheaper ones that granted the same amount of medical points as Palefern.
Efficiency mattered, after all.
A short while later, the assistant returned with a pouch full of herbs. Neuman nodded in acknowledgment and placed forty silver coins on the counter.
While the assistant was busy counting the money, Neuman converted all the herbs to medical points, making the bag empty.
As the assistant was busy counting the money, Neuman discreetly converted the herbs into medical points.
Neuman returned to his room as evening settled over the city. The inn's dinner was the same as usual—simple, familiar, and unchanging. He ate quietly, his mind already drifting elsewhere.
Later, lying on the bed with his hands behind his head, Neuman stared at the ceiling. He couldn't help but think about the Wisch family and their monopoly on the potion market. Perhaps he could find a way to sell his potions in other cities or kingdoms.
'Maybe I am from the same family,' he thought, but he had no intention of going back to them, as, from what he thinks, they won't even let him get back.