Chapter 42 ….
About 15 minutes earlier.
The start of our business wasn’t easy.
And for good reason…
“Hey! You can tell at a glance those guys are scammers! Our potions are the real deal!”
“What nonsense! Ours are the real ones!”
There were potion-selling scammers sprawled around like pebbles on the roadside…
I clicked my tongue.
‘Such textbook tactics.’
To sum it up, it went like this:
Put others down and insist that only theirs are real.
Brag about fabricated credentials—winning some competition, receiving a certificate from a certain lord, and so on.
When customers approach, pop open the cork to let them smell a pleasant fragrance.
‘Beginner adventurers think it’s a real potion if it smells good and buy it on the spot…’
Of course, it wasn’t just the scent—they were falling for the scammer’s slick tongue.
But seasoned adventurers didn’t take their words at face value.
“Isn’t this just colored with dye? The scent smells kind of artificial too…”
“What are you talking about? It’s a high-grade potion! I made it myself!”
“Hmm… No matter how I look at it, it seems fake.”
“Don’t you see this trophy? I won it at the Castel Royal Academy Pharmaceutical Competition!”
“Why does the trophy look so cheap? Isn’t it forged?”
“If you’re not buying, then get lost!”
Exactly like that.
In a situation like this, saying something like, “Excuse me, our potions are real,” wouldn’t work.
So what should I do?
In times like these, taking a detour was the best strategy.
‘We need to target a niche market!’
Just then, an adventurer casually passed by our stall, and I quickly tried to reel him in.
“Would you like to try some strawberry jam?”
“Strawberry jam?”
“I made it myself.”
The adventurer paused, then gave a faint smile.
“You sell strawberry jam too? I thought this was a potion stall.”
“I farm and cook as well. This jam is made from strawberries I grew myself.”
For some reason, he burst out laughing at my words.
Then, with a playful smile in his eyes, he said,
“The apothecary is cute, so I’ll give it a try.”
“C-cute…?”
While I creaked like a malfunctioning robot in embarrassment, a cold scoff sounded beside me.
“Ha…”
It was Lishian.
A dark, ominous aura seemed to seep out of him.
‘C-calm down…!!’
I quickly squeezed his hand once before letting go, then spread some jam onto a small piece of bread and handed it to the adventurer.
“Here, try it.”
“Thanks. I’ll enjoy it.”
He smiled brightly as he put the bread into his mouth.
A moment later, as he chewed, his eyes widened.
After swallowing, he spoke in surprise.
“It’s good? Not too sweet—just right.”
“Hehe, right?”
“And there’s something oddly addictive about it… What is it? I kind of want more….”
Yes. Of course you do.
Because thanks to my cooking skill, this strawberry jam had these effects attached to it…!
An oddly addictive flavor!
You keep wanting to eat more!
And that’s not all.
If more than three spoonfuls are consumed, Awakening Effect Granted: Your mind spins sharply and concentration increases! Improved work efficiency!
This strawberry jam basically functioned like caffeine…!
‘Once you taste it, you won’t just walk away….’
Hehehe… I laughed wickedly on the inside while wearing the most innocent smile on the outside.
Just as I expected, the adventurer picked up a jar of strawberry jam, examined it quietly, then declared,
“I’ll take this.”
I beamed brightly.
“Great! That’ll be 5 rubels! Is there anything else you need? Feel free to look at the other items too.”
He raised one eyebrow slightly and stroked his chin.
“Hmm….”
His gaze carefully scanned the goods on the stall.
Tomato sauce, pickled vegetables, and potions of various grades.
His eyes narrowed as he looked at the potions.
“You don’t look like the type to scam people, Apothecary.”
Which was practically the same as asking if these potions were real.
I was about to answer when Lishian suddenly cut in with a cold voice.
“If you doubt my master, just buy the strawberry jam and leave.”
“Master…?”
“I-it’s just a nickname! Ahahaha…!”
Forcing a laugh, I secretly pinched Lishian hard at the side.
We’re doing business right now! How can you talk to a customer like that?!
But contrary to my worries, Lishian’s rough remark had an unexpected effect.
“Who said I was leaving? I’ll buy a potion too.”
This adventurer was the type who did the opposite of what others told him.
He picked up a low-grade recovery potion and, without even asking the price, told me to ring it up together with the jam.
But I couldn’t just sell that potion as it was. It had a fatal issue. I hurriedly spoke up.
“Please wait—listen to my explanation before deciding!”
“What explanation? Isn’t it just a low-grade recovery potion?”
“Well, yes, but….”
I gestured toward a group of potions set to one side.
“These are the bad-tasting ones.”
“…?”
Then I pointed to the others.
“And these are the good-tasting ones.”
When crafting potions, whether they tasted good or bad was completely random.
The odds were almost half and half—out of 150 low-grade potions, 78 tasted awful and 72 tasted good.
I had planned to sell them separately from the start. It would be strange if some tasted good and others were horribly bad without explanation.
For reference, low-grade potions made by other apothecaries had a uniform taste—the typical bitter, medicinal flavor.
Only the potions I made were either extremely sweet or horrendously vile. I had no idea why.
“A low-grade recovery potion usually costs 10 rubels, but I’ll give you the bad-tasting ones at a special discount—9 rubels.”
The adventurer tilted his head and stared at the potion in his hand—the bad-tasting one.
“Aren’t all potions the same taste? Just different colors depending on grade?”
As potion grade increases, the color deepens.
Low-grade recovery potions are pale pink.
Mid-grade are deep pink.
High-grade are light red.
And the supreme-grade recovery potion—which I still couldn’t make—was a dark, blood-like red.
I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
“Well, the ones I make… taste different. The one you’re holding tastes truly awful.”
“So what? I don’t care. I’ll take this one.”
If he didn’t mind, what could I do?
After receiving payment, I handed him a jar of strawberry jam and one low-grade recovery potion—internally offering my condolences.
‘That one tastes really terrible. Still, the effect is solid….’
While looking at him with pity, he opened the potion bottle and held it up to the sunlight.
Then he glanced at me and grinned.
“You can tell whether it’s real or not by drinking it, right?”
“…!”
Before I could respond, he poured the potion into his mouth.
And then—
“Ugh…!”
He gagged violently, his face turning pale as he clamped a hand over his mouth.
“A-are you okay?”
Just as I reached out in alarm—
Sway—
His body tilted and collapsed to the ground!
I quickly rushed over to check his condition.
Fortunately, he was still breathing.
‘At least my potion doesn’t assassinate people with its taste…!’
Relieved, I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead.
‘We can’t leave him lying in the street. I should ask Lishian to help move him.’
Just as I stood to call Lishian—
“M-murder!”
“Someone died!”
“He drank a potion from that stall and died!”
“That scammer! They killed someone with a fake potion!”
The surrounding scammers began shouting in unison.
As if they had been waiting for this opportunity…!
‘You despicable bastards…!’
“What nonsense? You’re the scammers!”
When I snapped back in disbelief, they only raised their voices louder.
“Then why did he collapse after drinking your potion? Obviously it’s fake!”
“You brewed it wrong and turned it into poison! No doubt about it!”
At that moment, a cold voice cut through the air.
“Shut up.”
It was Lishian.
With a sword in one hand, he glared threateningly, and the scammers clamped their mouths shut like oysters.
But he couldn’t silence the crowd of onlookers who had gathered.
“What happened?”
“They say someone died….”
“Oh my.”
Just as a terrible feeling crept up on me and I was about to speak—
“Ugh….”
The adventurer lying on the ground let out a pained groan and regained consciousness.
I quickly bent down to check on him.
“Are you awake?”
He slowly sat up, glanced at me with a slight frown, then let out a deep sigh.
“The cute apothecary was telling the truth.”
He gave a hollow laugh and continued,
“It really tastes horrendous….”
“……”
Having nothing to say, I could only laugh awkwardly.
