Arcane Innovator

I woke up the next day early in the morning, eager to put my latest scheme into action and get back to those pompous Alchemists and their law-sanctioned monopoly on potions.

Theo seemed to share my sentiment as he, too, was already present when I arrived at the dining hall for breakfast. We simply nodded at ourselves with knowing smiles, much to the puzzlement of Helga, who regarded us with a raised eyebrow and a silent question.

I simply shrugged my shoulders as I didn't want the servants overhearing our plans since I still didn't know if I could trust them.

Before the sun managed to rise above the colorful roofs of the City, we were already on our way toward Isadora's shop.

I looked up at the unassuming building with a small garden full of nostalgia. As we were coming closer, I showed a wistful smile, remembering all those countless hours I spent working here before taking a deep breath and opening the creaking doors.

The soft tingling of the bells echoed throughout the store as they announced our arrival. Stepping inside, I immediately noticed Elena standing behind the counter, her eyes wide with recognition and surprise.

She had changed much since I last saw her, looking much more mature. Her long hair was pulled back in a neat bun, and her features had softened, becoming more defined. She was no longer that thin girl I remembered but a young woman.

I nodded at her with a knowing smile. I still hadn't forgotten all that torment she subjected me to when I used to be an apprentice here.

Still, I decided to let it be and not seek revenge as she was just a stupid girl back then, not knowing any better, so getting back at her would be petty and not worth it.

On the other hand, she didn't return a smile but instead paled as soon as she saw us entering. Without uttering a single word, she quickly escaped to the back room, looking distraught, presumably looking for Isadora.

I chuckled while shaking my head. 'Is that how you greet a customer?'

But I understood her sentiment. The boy she liked to torment so much turned out to be an Aspirant of the Arcane Arts, not to mention he was accompanied by an Alchemist who used to be their most valuable customer before he started working for the said boy...

As we waited, I curiously took a look around the shop. It didn't change much. The room was permeated with a light herbal scent, and the shelves were filled to the brim with countless jars and vials of various medicines.

'They will be soon joined with our very own elixir...' I thought, hopeful.

Before long, the doors leading to the back room swung open, and an agitated-looking Isadora promptly emerged from within.

She threw us a guarded look and, with slightly widened eyes, hurriedly greeted us. "Be welcomed, honorable guests. What do we owe the pleasure of welcoming you at our humble shop?"

I could see a mix of concern and eagerness in her eyes, much in line with her character as she was cautious but also opportunistic, and I hoped to exploit that part of her today.

Elena didn't come back, probably shivering with fear somewhere in the back. But I didn't care. She was not crucial to our plans, so I simply looked Isadora in the eyes and smiled confidently. "We came to make you a certain offer..."

"Oh?" She raised her eyebrows as she looked around before quickly locking the doors. "You should have sent a word that you would come. I would make arrangements to receive such important guests..." She added after she made sure we were truly alone.

I simply waved my hand dismissively. "Oh, don't worry about it. That's precisely why we didn't announce us as we wanted to keep our visit a secret."

"Can I ask what you might require from an old herbalist like myself?" She asked with a puzzled face.

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't sell yourself so short. I realized you were quite a resourceful woman a long time ago. That is why we came first to you."

I paused for a short while, trying to organize my thoughts as now will come the hard part. "You see... You might have heard about the potions we sold at the market the other day."

Isadora's eyes narrowed, and a knowing smile appeared on her lips. "Well, I'm sure the whole City had heard about that by now. Quite a bold move, I must say. But what has any of this to do with me?"

I smiled at her. "That's why we are here. Since the Alchemist Guild expelled my friend Theodore here from their ranks and stopped us from selling our potions, we had to make some changes..." I said as I took a vial of our new elixir out of my pocket.

As soon as Isadora laid her eyes on the vial, she instantly paled and took a step back. "You can't possibly mean to sell your potions in my store... I don't want any trouble with the Alchemists!"

I quickly raised my hand to stop her from making premature conclusions. "What do you mean? We can't legally sell any potions now, and we intend to fully adhere to the Guild's decision, although we are not happy with it."

"This..." I said while pointing at the unassuming vial, "is our brand new product. We combined my knowledge of herbalism and Theodore's knowledge of alchemy to create a new form of elixir - an enhanced elixir. It's much more potent than a normal elixir, but not as much as a real healing potion would. Here, see for yourself."

I handed the vial to Isadora, and she reluctantly accepted it. She scowled at the elixir in her hand, examining it with a great deal of suspicion. However, I could also see a slight curiosity in her eyes.

"Please feel free to taste it too. I'm sure you would be able to instantly notice that it tastes nothing like a healing potion." I encouraged her.

After tasting it, she widened her eyes in surprise, and I could see a pleased expression spreading across her face. "Ehm," she quickly cleared her throat and said. "I must say that it has a very peculiar taste but an enjoyable one."

I took out another vial, and by cutting my finger and healing it, I also demonstrated that they worked just as well as they tasted.

"I'm sure that your customers will appreciate it very much. Since we will be selling it as a simple elixir, it is outside the purview of the Alchemist Guild, so they wouldn't be able to cause you any trouble."

Isadora was seemingly thinking about it for a long time. I could see the hesitation in her eyes. However, I knew Isadora was an intelligent woman.

Although she still appeared quite reluctant to the whole idea, I was able to notice the subtle smile forming on her lips as she was probably already imagining how much she could rake in by selling this.

"Well, I'm immensely flattered by such an offer. But I'm just a simple merchant. I can't hold a candle to the Alchemists..." She started fidgeting. But I could see it was just an act. She saw the opportunity before her and was just weighing the risks, so I decided to ease her worries.

"Isadora, you have a reputation of being one of the best herbalists in the whole of Ereneth. If you started selling our elixir in your store, every other herbalist would soon follow your lead. And we are not talking about just any elixir... This is an enhanced elixir that will undoubtedly attract the attention of many."

I then looked her square in the eyes with a knowing smile. "And for every elixir sold, you'll get a percentage of the profits. I'm sure you can imagine that the potential for profit is immense with a product like this."

Isadora's eyes glinted with almost palpable greed, and I knew we had her. She simply extended her hand towards us, and we shook on the deal.

'Perfect...' I thought as we finalized the details of our arrangement. The Alchemists won't like this one bit, but there was nothing they could do about this, and if they tried anything underhanded, we had the protection of Dominic's gang, so I wasn't too worried about them.

'Still, I think hiring some guards around our premises would be better just in case...'

As we were coming back, I was thinking about the dinner I wanted to prepare for my father when he arrived in the City.

I knew he was very fond of meat, so a big roasted slab of meat would be a great choice. However, meat was a costly thing in the City, especially now that everyone was making their winter preparations.

'Hmm, I guess I could simply go hunt something in the forest. In the past, I didn't bother bringing any animal carcasses to the City as they were too heavy for me, and I couldn't possibly levitate them as that would expose my magic.

Now, however, I have my very own driver, and I also still have the wagon I borrowed from my uncle to transport the potions to the market, so it would pose no problem at all to make a quick hunting trip to the City's forest...