Is it wrong to fleece adventurers at the item shop?

I close the shop before heading down to the inn to have lunch, but I leave the backdoor and the windows open to let some more fresh air in, after brewing those mana potions. Those aren't just nasty to drink. The fumes the stone oil emits aren't exactly pleasant either. Yuck!

Well the smell that hits my nose as I enter the inn's common room makes me forget all about that. Roast pork with plenty of onions and garlic. What an aroma! Well, it isn't necessarily pleasant either, but it certainly beats stone oil fumes. More importantly though, the smell presages a hearty and tasty meal. To be precise, it presages a tasty and hearty meal after which I might need to freshen up a little, but I don't mind.

I have my usual beer with the meal as well and once I'm done I'm very tempted to stay and have another. I'm just so full and content. I can't give in to this temptation though. No, I still have work to do, thus I leave the inn with great reluctance.

Not everyone will be able to afford my more potent potions in all likelihood. I need to offer something slightly less expensive as an alternative. Something pretty much like the potions grandma put on the shelves. Something good but not too good.

As far as mana potions are concerned I already know the right recipe. It is pretty much the same as the one I used earlier, except I can leave out either the Night Candles or the enchanting dust. The result should still be a decent mana potion even if it won't be as potent as the others I brewed.

I'll not use the crushed Night Candles this time around. The enchanting dust is easier to replace, even if creating it is a rather bothersome chore.

Humming to myself I start preparing for this second batch of potions the moment I return home, after freshening up briefly at the creek. This includes, among other things, opening all windows and doors far and wide once again.

Sour Cream is about to come back inside, until she sees me opening the big jug with the stone oil. At the sight of that she turns on the spot and struts right back out.

I grimace a little. I really don't want to alienate her like that, but I can't exactly help it. The dwarven stone oil is an essential ingredient in just about all mana potion recipes I know. Except for the ones that use dragon blood instead and I don't even want to think about what getting some would cost me.

Never mind that dragons don't tend to think well of anyone who has dragon blood based potions, or potions that use any other body part of any dragon. The only thing that doesn't get them riled up all that much are dragon tears. Trying to get a dragon to cry is an adventure all of its own though. The most reliable way involves big bags of very expensive pepper as far as I know.

My brows furrow for a moment as I think about that little tidbit while I prepare the next batch of potion bottles, once again measuring them carefully, so as not to waste any ingredients afterwards. Why pepper? Shouldn't fresh cut onions work just as well? They would be cheaper for sure.

I shake my head to drive away these errant thoughts. The longer I don't have to deal with any dragons, the better. It isn't that they are all bad, but they tend to be eccentric to the extreme and so usually more trouble than they are worth.

I'm about to essentially repeat the procedure from before noon when a knock at the front door demands my attention.

Standing there in the frame of the door is an adventurer I have not met yet. It is a catfolk adventurer, with fur as dark as midnight, probably male, although I'm not entirely sure about that part. Judging by the gear they wear, light weapons and light armor, they probably are some kind of scout.

I resist the urge to flash him, or maybe rather them, a smile at the last second, as I remember that they do not react favorably to any display of teeth. Instead I just nod.

“How can I help you?”

They look to the side for a moment, before clearing their throat with a pleasant purring sound.

“Yurrr companion? She seems a little upset? But … ah, I'm here for the mana mill quest.”

I nod and wince at the same time. He is definitely male though. Now that I have heard his voice I'm certain.

“I'm making mana potions today. They are made using dwarven stone oil. She really doesn't like the smell. If you want I can get you the mill and you can join her on the bench out front. The smell probably would be as hard on your nose as it is on hers.”

His ears perk up a little and he nods, while blinking slowly at the same time. Once again he emits that pleasant purring sound.

“Thank mew! I'd appreciate it very much.”

I smile, taking care not to show any teeth as I do so. I can't help it. His way of speaking is just so adorable. I better not let him know. Most adventurers don't like being called adorable.

I get the mill and walk out front with him, where I set it down on the bench next to Sour Cream, who keeps watching us with half lidded eyes. As he sits down next to it, my curiosity gets the better of me.

“Say, are you new around here?”

He flickers his ears and nods belatedly.

“I am!”

He pulls the tag proclaiming him a member of the Adventurers' Guild from the collar of his vest.

“I signed up down at the inn just befurrr coming here! My name is Szmuel by the way.”

I smile a careful toothless smile once again.

“I'm Valeria. I'm the local alchemist and enchanter. I only came here a little while ago as well, to take over the shop after my grandmother's death. Have you operated a mana mill before?”

He shakes his head in answer to that question.

“No. But if it is like other mills it can't be too hard. Rrright?”

This time around I can't help but chuckle.

“It is pretty similar, yes.”

I decide to demonstrate the correct operations of the mill for him, showing him the drawer where the ground up, crystallized mana gathers and how fast he should turn the handle.

“Turn the handle at a steady pace. It actually doesn't help if you turn it too fast. Quite the opposite is true. Ready to give it a try? If you have any more questions, I'll be in the back, working on those mana potions I mentioned.”

I watch for a moment, as he starts cranking the handle at a nice and steady pace, with his eyes fixed on it as if he were trying to hypnotize prey.

Sour Cream in turn is watching him, still through half lidded eyes. Maybe she isn't comfortable with the considerably larger catfolk male around? No, that probably isn't it. She would have either gone on the offensive or run off to hide in that case. Maybe he is as much of a novel sight to her as he is to me?

Anyway, I'm satisfied with the way he works the mill, yet I have one more thing to say.

“Most people find it easier to keep the rhythm when they sing a song. It might help pass the time as well. You don't have to sing, but if you do, I won't mind.”

He just nods, after flickering his ears, keeping his attention narrowly focused on the mill.

As I don't get a reply beyond that, I leave to brew that second batch of mana potions. Since I don't have access to the mill right now, I use some of the stored up enchanting dust to finish these.

Once I'm done I head out into the garden to take a deep breath of fresh air. This gives the light breeze a little time to disperse the worst of the alchemical stench of the stone oil as well.

As I return inside the air is considerably better. I can still hear the sound of the mill from the direction of the front door. Nice and steady. Szmuel seems incredibly focused on the task. Most curious. This isn't the kind of focus I expected from a catfolk adventurer. It seems the funny songs about Ksawery don't really do them justice.

Anyway, he probably will still be busy for a little while longer. This gives me a chance to properly check the results of my work with the appraisal skill. I check the batch from before noon first.

[Greater Mana Potion, Quality: Rare, A potion that will completely restore the reserves of magical energy of the person drinking it within the blink of an eye. Still good to use for another 35 days.]

Very good! These were highly sought after by the full time spell casters in the city. I can only hope that the demand for them will be similar around here.

Then I check out the other batch I just finished.

[Mana Potion, Quality: Uncommon, A potion that will restore half of the reserves of magical energy of the person drinking it within the blink of an eye. Still good to use for another 35 days.]

Almost as good. These are pretty much like grandma's mana potions, thus I apply the same price tags. They will be sixteen bronze Crowns each. The greater mana potions receive the same tag as the regular healing potions. These will sell for two silver and six bronze crowns.

I could, maybe, raise those prices a little further, but I'm not quite sure about that. We don't have an academy full of wizards, witches and warlocks around here after all. No, these prices should do for now.

As I put these fresh potions on the shelves, Szmuel pads in. I only notice as he knocks on the door frame once again.

“Could you have a look at the glittery dust for me? Tell me if it is enough?”

I do as he asks of me and what I see is quite satisfying. To be honest, this might just be the best quality enchanting dust I have seen in years.

“Very good! Do you have your quest papers with you, so I can stamp them? Krystina explained that to you, right?”

He nods and pulls the neatly folded paper from one of the many pouches of his outfit. I put my stamp on it and he looks at it reverently as he folds it back up.

“Thank mew!”

I smile and just barely resist the urge to pat his head. Instead I decide to inquire a little about his situation.

“Say, have you met any of the other adventurers yet? You should join a party if you can. That way you can take on more dangerous but also more profitable work. You could ask Odolan and Tamara. He is a human and she is a dwarf. They have been adventuring with Danuta the witch recently, but they might still have use for a scout.”

He nods, flicking his ears again.

“I'll give it a try. Thank mew again.”

With these words he bows and is off.