Chapter 2:
The Potion Revolution
AS WE TROTTED through the woods, I asked Noela tons of questions.
“So, uh, that was your potion, right? Why didn’t you drink it?”
“It stink. No good. First time bought. Brought with me.”
In other words, she bought it without knowing what it was. Hunh.
According to Noela, a battle between mankind and the Demon King’s subjects had erupted worldwide. However, our location—the Est region’s Kingdom of Granad—was supposedly about as far as one could get from the war’s front lines. Noela had only recently arrived from her town near the battlegrounds, and there was little danger of the demons coming here.
Since I only possessed identification and item-creation skills, that seemed perfect, as far as I was concerned. I’d only just arrived in this strange new world; it would’ve been a bummer to have to worry about the demon armies threatening my life.
Noela held my hand and guided me this whole time. Suddenly, her ears twitched. “This way.”
“Hey…so, uh, can you tell whether monsters and stuff are nearby?”
“Mm-hmm.” Noela seemed to frown for a moment.
I patted her head gently, grateful for her help. She was much shorter than me—probably about 150 centimeters tall, if that. However, she was much larger as a wolf. Man, werewolves are fascinating.
We continued through the woods, eventually making our way to a proper road.
“So, what happened to you?” I asked Noela. “Why’d you collapse like that? Did someone attack you?”
“Suddenly injured. Ran away.”
It was a little hard following her broken speech. Still, I at least parsed that Noela had headed into the woods to look for food, come across a strong monster, and just barely gotten away with her life. Since the enemy attacked her suddenly, it must’ve evaded her senses.
The village we were headed toward, Kalta, finally came into view. It was far smaller than a city, and was more like a one-horse town in the middle of nowhere. According to Noela, she visited Kalta fairly often. Not for work or anything like that, just for day-to-day stuff.
As we entered Kalta, I heard a cute sound next to me.
“Master. Tummy rumble.” Noela professed her hunger shamelessly.
“No kidding.”
I’d have loved to grab a bite myself, but I had no money to speak of. Well, maybe if I sell that potion I made, I’ll earn some fast cash.
I had Noela lead me to a general store and headed over to the manager.
“Welcome!” the man said cordially. “Haven’t seen you around these parts before. Are you a traveler, lad?”
I concisely explained our circumstances. “Erm, that’s about the gist of it. I’d love to sell one of my homemade potions. Think you can take a look?”
“Oh, homemade potions, you say? That’d be a huge help,” the manager replied. “We’ve been out of ’em for a while now. We sold our stock to the military.”
“But aren’t we far away from the front lines?”
“That’s exactly why we sold them, young man. A tiny town in the boondocks doesn’t need potions if the Demon King’s army ain’t coming around.”
He might be right, but what if someone got hurt? They’d need potions.
“Even if we make ’em ourselves,” the manager added, “nobody buys ’em much, so they end up overpriced.”
That made sense. I pulled a bottle from my bag and presented it to the manager.
“Tasty, tasty!” Noela’s eyes glimmered as she pointed at the bottle.
“What’s this, lad? The potion?” asked the manager skeptically.
“Is there something strange about it? What do normal potions usually look like?” I’d seen the potion Noela carried, but it was entirely possible that hers was unusual.
“Hold on,” said the manager, rummaging beneath the counter. “This one here ain’t for sale. I keep it in case of emergency.”
POTION (REGULAR): Stops blood loss. Effective on superficial injuries.
Quietly, I picked up the manager’s potion bottle. Hrm. That’s the same as Noela’s, all right. I slowly brought it toward her nose; she responded by impulsively fleeing the general store.
“Master, that no good! Stinky. Hate!” Noela shook her head as she peeked in from outside.
The older man frowned at us and shook his head. He must’ve thought we were ignorant or something. “What’re you saying? All potions are like this. They’re bitter, gross, and stinky. That’s just how it is.”
“The laundry’s still not done?” a woman cried. “Dear, what’re you up to?! Come here!”
“Ah, sorry, love! I’m helping a customer! I’ll deal with that laundry later,” the manager replied. He turned to me, grinning. “Pardon me. My wife can be difficult sometimes.”
“Get your butt over here!”
His wife’s loud voice made the manager jump. He turned to face me again.
“Hey, it’s fine,” I told him. “I’m in no rush.”
“Ha ha! Apologies.”
He disappeared into the back. It wasn’t long before I heard loud noises and voices come from where he’d vanished to.
“I always tell you, you’re not making enough money!”
“I-I’m sorry!”
Hell hath no fury like a wife scorned.
Noela came back inside; she crouched behind me, ready to brawl. “Sense battle. Noela protect Master.” She was simultaneously stalwart and adorable.
The manager finally returned with a tired grin, leaning against the counter and shaking his head. He was clearly trying to act relaxed, but he looked like he’d seen a ghost, and his nose was bleeding.
“Ah, perfect timing,” I said, offering him my homemade potion. “Here, try drinking some of this. Trust me.”
“Young man, I hate to tell you, but I’m not a potion fan. They don’t agree with me. Plus, they stink.” Despite the manager’s posturing earlier, even he steered clear.
Noela repeated her opinion. “Tasty, tasty!”
That persuaded the manager to cautiously pick up the bottle. He shut his eyes tight before taking a swig.
“Ah! This is great! Wh-what is this stuff?” he asked with trembling hands. He set the bottle down. “It’s delicious!”
He looked at me as if I were some kind of monster, teeth chattering. The color returned to his face, and his nosebleed stopped. I guess “excellent” potions are a cut above the rest.
“A-a potion that tastes good? I-Impossible! I-It’s a breakthrough!”
“Whoa, now. You don’t have to exaggerate.”
Noela shook her head. “Noela’s master amazing! Breakthrough! Potion tasty-tasty!”
“It’s delectable and easy to drink!” the manager added. “Lad, if this ain’t a breakthrough, I don’t know what is.”