“Thank you very much!” Kiara’s cheerful voice rang out.
I was helping as a shopkeeper at Alesia and Kiara’s stall because I wanted to see how the sales were going. Belial was here too, though he didn’t seem interested at all.
“So potions really do sell, don’t they?”
“Basic healing salves are affordable, and there’s always demand for them. Potions, on the other hand, sometimes make people uneasy, especially if they’re unfamiliar with them. Sometimes, low-quality ones are out there!”
“That would make people wary. Well, maybe they’ll start selling in time.”
The first sales after opening were healing salves, then antidotes; potions had only sold one or two bottles each so far. It had only been about an hour, and there was some competition with other stalls around.
Besides potions, Alesia ‘s handmade accessories and trinkets were also on display. A child had just convinced her mother to buy a hair clip earlier.
Looking around at the nearby stalls, there were shops selling trinkets, sweets, medicines, potions, and even weapons. There seemed to be a wide variety available even among just the street vendors. There was also an amulet with “magic-enhanced” written on it that I wanted to check out later.
“Well, well, young ladies! You’re working hard!”
It was a familiar middle-aged man. If I remember correctly, he introduced himself as a merchant named Clément Binal.
“Thank you for taking the trouble to visit us, Mr. Binal.”
“…Iriya , you’re still so formal! Take it easy!”
With a big grin, he looked over the items on display.
“How do you like my sister’s accessories? Aren’t they cute?” Kiara eagerly promoted the items, although I thought recommending the potions might be more effective here, but her excitement was adorable.
Binal just smiled wryly.
“Are you only selling basic potions?”
“We haven’t been able to get the materials, so we only have basic and mana potions.”
“Hmm, I’ll take five mana potions then. Also, when you start making intermediate or advanced ones, could you consider supplying my store?”
Though I was happy about Binal’s offer, I had a prior agreement with Alesia and the others.
When I looked at Alesia , she shook her head, indicating that it was fine.
“High-level potions are a bit risky to sell at a stall like this. While I’d like to sell some intermediate ones, advanced potions are better sold in shops with security.”
“True, there are rough adventurers out there. I hear the number of adventurers has been increasing lately, which means some aren’t making a living. You ladies be careful too.”
I handed over the purchased mana potions, and Kiara accepted the payment.
Looking around, there were indeed some rugged-looking individuals, with battered armor or imposing muscular builds. Although this city has a stationed guard force, not all trouble can be prevented. You have to watch out for yourself.
“Anyway…”
Binal pulled out a pendant from his chest and showed it to me.
“Since you seem skilled with potions, I wanted to ask if you know about magical enchantments too. I got this as a sample from a supplier, but I thought I’d ask someone knowledgeable before going to an acquaintance’s workshop.”
The pendant, strung on a leather cord, featured an orange aventurine gemstone. I could tell from the faint magical aura that it was indeed enchanted.
But as soon as I touched it, I sensed something unusual.
It was faintly draining magic.
“When did you get this?”
“Huh? Oh, a few days ago…”
“Has anything strange happened recently? Like an increase in disputes?”
“…Now that you mention it, yes…”
He seemed visibly shaken. I was sure now: this pendant was the cause.
“Is something wrong, Iriya ?” Alesia asked, looking concerned.
“This pendant has a spell that induces discord. The craft is poor, but from the pattern, there’s no mistake. It also slightly drains the wearer’s magic. There are three main reasons for adding this effect: one, to enhance the spell’s potency; two, to increase its duration; and three, when the creator lacks the skill to sustain the effect, so it draws power from outside sources.”
Binal nodded solemnly.
“So, this is…”
“I believe it’s for the third reason. It’s a crude item, and the stone itself is low quality. I recommend disposing of it. It could be purified, but…”
“…Alright, I trust you. I’ll dispose of it.”
This was only our second meeting. I honestly didn’t expect him to believe me so easily about the curse and agree to discard it. As I was about to dispel the curse…
“Oh, how intriguing! If it’s unwanted, I’ll take it,” Belial snatched the pendant, holding it up and examining its magical essence.
“Crude work, indeed. Hardly worthy of being called a curse.”
“Hey, don’t hold it! Give it back—”
Completely ignoring my protest, he clasped the aventurine in his right hand. Red magic seeped from between his fingers like smoke. When he opened his hand, the previously orange aventurine now glowed an ominous red, shrouded in a sinister aura.
“Whoa…! That’s now a fully cursed item! Don’t put it out into the world—keeping it can be deadly…”
“…What?!”
It was amazing to see something this crude transformed like this, with magic infused so perfectly it could even reshape the stone’s properties. It was impressive… but also a complete nuisance!
“Hmm, quite a fine piece now. Don’t worry; I’ll keep it away from humans.”
Belial looked quite pleased with his handiwork, ignoring everyone else’s reactions.
“Uh… Iriya , who exactly is he?” Binal turned to me, his face asking for help more than an explanation.
“Well, actually, he’s a demon I’m contracted with. When it comes to curses, he’s practically a specialist. Curses were originally techniques of demons, after all. Humans only know them because they were taught by the demon race…”
“I see… well, then I’ll leave it with him! Absolutely!”
He repeated himself, clearly meaning it. Even I would want nothing to do with it if he gave it back. Purifying it would be quite difficult…
But I worried that I’d scared him off. He could be a good customer and business partner. I needed to make it up to him somehow…
“Alesia , I’ll pay you later, so may I keep this pendant?”
“…Yes, of course!”
“Thank you for your purchase!”
Alesia , having regained her composure, replied brightly, while Kiara, who seemed not to have fully understood, chimed in enthusiastically.
“Now then… Great Spirit, life within this stone, hear my voice and manifest…” I picked up a crystal, a slightly irregular rectangular shape, threaded through a leather cord.
As I chanted, I infused the crystal with magic, causing it to emit a soft silver glow. With more magic, words appeared and embedded themselves within, granting a specific effect—this was the process of enchanting. Crystals are the easiest to enchant, though weapons and armor can also be enchanted.
Once the symbols were engraved within and the crystal returned to its clear state, the enchantment was complete.
“Apologies for the scare. This holds a spell to reduce damage from enemy magic. The effect should last for several years.”
I held it out to Binal, who looked back and forth between the crystal and me.
“…Is this really for me? You don’t need to feel obligated just because I asked about getting rid of the pendant.”
“It’s a small token of apology. Please accept it as a sign of friendship.”
“Then I’ll gratefully accept. Thank you, Iriya . I hope we can do business again.”
“Yes, likewise.”
And with that, another day at the stall came to an end.
