Inside the shop, Yuira, Velt, and Nurveus entered. Yuira immediately grabbed a flask and drank the heated poison.
"The taste of the poison has weakened," Yuira remarked as he set the Erlenmeyer flask down. He pulled a pencil and paper across the counter and noted his findings.
Velt gave a small smile and turned toward the door. "I'm heading back."
Yuira looked up. "Eh? You're leaving already?"
"The trouble in this town is over. Besides, I have no reason to stay here any longer," Velt replied. With that, he walked out of the shop.
Several hours later, Yuira finished testing all the heated poison batches. "Just as I thought. The perfect concentration requires exactly three hours of heating."
Yuira summoned nine living mannequins. Each had a hollow face fitted with a glowing green crystal sphere. These were Worker Dolls
two artifacts merged into one. Their mannequin bodies provided movement and labor, while the crystal spheres, which were Golem Cores, served as their eyes and hearts.
Yuira clapped his eyes. "Alright, time to renovate this place!" He showed the dolls a blueprint for a shop extension and ordered them to begin the work.
As the Worker Dolls nodded and set to work, Yuira turned to Nurveus. "I'm going to register at the Merchant Guild now. You can do whatever you like while you wait for me."
Nurveus nodded. Yuira headed into the Guild, while Nurveus stood outside the entrance, unmoving, until the sun began to set. Eventually, Yuira emerged, clutching his official merchant certificate.
He saw Nurveus still standing in the exact same spot. "Hey, were you bored?"
Nurveus shook her head. "No, I had a wonderful time."
Hey, I know you were just standing there the whole time, Yuira thought, sighing. "In that case, let's get back to the shop."
When they returned, they found a large new section attached to the back of the store. Behind the counter, a new door had been installed.
They stepped through into a vast room where the Worker Dolls were busy crafting tables. At the far end of the hall was another, smaller door. Inside was a private room filled with desks and shelves.
Yuira beamed; his private laboratory was finally finished, while the large hall behind them would serve as the production line for the Worker Dolls.
Yuira began unloading his alchemical equipment and summoned an Alchemy Cauldron. He drew his Magic Wand and cast a blue magic circle, filling the cauldron with water.
"You know, the best ingredient for a Healing Potion is Yggdrasil Tree Sap," Yuira explained. "But if you don't have that, a mix of Phoenix feathers and Dragon blood will do... though we're short on Dragon blood."
Hearing this, Nurveus stepped forward. "In that case, I shall provide my blood."
Yuira immediately held her back. "H-hey, there's no need for that! Besides, I actually have some Yggdrasil Sap."
He produced a massive bucket filled with the sap. It was a thin, white liquid that shimmered with faint rainbow hues. Yuira added a single drop of the sap into the cauldron and ignited a flame beneath it, stirring slowly.
"You have to use Eternal Fire Magic for this," Yuira noted as he stirred. "Ordinary Fire Magic just won't cut it."
Five minutes later, the water turned white with a pearlescent rainbow glow. Yuira bottled the liquid and held it up. "Tadaaa~! The world's greatest Healing Potion."
Nurveus tilted her head. "Why are there rainbows inside it?"
"Who knows? Maybe because the tree represents the essence of life itself," Yuira replied.
"Will you be selling these?" Nurveus asked.
"Of course, but not for cheap. Why would I sell something at a low price when the ingredients are so rare?"
Fifteen minutes later, the sap mixture was depleted. They now had 5,000 High-Grade Healing Potions ready for sale.
Yuira then took a small Mana Crystal from the Blue Crystal Dungeon and placed it in a mortar. He crushed it into a fine powder with a pestle. After refilling the cauldron with water, he pointed his wand at it. A banana-yellow magic circle with a prayer symbol appeared.
"Holy Magic."
Specks of light began to dance in the water, turning it into Holy Water. "Even though it looks like normal water with light in it, this actually tastes quite sweet," Yuira said, finishing the purification.
He poured the Holy Water into bottles containing the crushed Mana Crystal powder. After a quick shake, the liquid turned blue and began to glow. He had created Low-Grade Mana Potions.
"Do you always have to use Holy Water for Mana Potions?" Nurveus asked.
"No, ordinary water works too," Yuira explained. "But since there were Terqio monsters around, people might be poisoned. This version can cure most toxins."
Yuira could have used Divine Water instead, but he chose not to. While Holy Magic purifies, Divine Magic tends to be destructive in nature.
"We're heading to another city tomorrow," Yuira declared.
The next morning, Yuira shrank the shop back into its miniature form. The Mayor approached them as they prepared to depart. "Are you leaving already?"
"Yes," Yuira replied. "But I want to leave you with something."
He produced 50 crates, each containing 20 Mana Potions. "These are Mana Potions. They restore Mana, but they can also neutralize deadly poisons."
The Mayor was overjoyed and thanked them profusely. Yuira and Nurveus turned and began their journey.
"Do you know where we are going, Master?" Nurveus asked.
Yuira smiled. "Of course. We're heading to the city of nobles: Noblesser."
In a nearby forest, a white aristocratic carriage was being escorted by four guards in silver armor and blue capes. They were Beast Hunters, a specialized unit from the Frontsen Magic Tower.
Suddenly, eighteen bandits emerged from the brush, blocking the path. "Where do you think you're going?" the leader sneered, licking his blade.
One of the Beast Hunters approached the carriage. "Master, your orders?"
A cold voice drifted from inside. "Kill them."
"Understood."
The Beast Hunters drew their swords. Within minutes, the bandits were being systematically slaughtered. One desperate bandit charged the carriage, screaming, "Even if we die, I'm taking the master with me!"
He yanked the door open, only to be met by a gloved palm inches from his face.
"Burn."
The bandit's body erupted in orange and blue flames. He didn't even have time to scream before he was reduced to ash in less than a second. His comrade behind him froze in terror.
A man stepped out of the carriage. He had white hair and piercing red eyes. The remaining bandit pointed his weapon with trembling hands. "D-don't come any closer!"
In a flash, the man was standing beside him, a hand resting on the bandit's shoulder. "Burn," he whispered coldly.
One of the Beast Hunters bowed. "The threats have been neutralized, Master."
The man turned back toward the carriage. "We move out now."
This man was Lloyd Frontsen, the eldest son of the Frontsen family.
To be continued...