Is it wrong to fleece adventurers at the item shop?

I wave goodbye as the kids leave again a little later. Despite the fact that it is getting a little late, I'm not quite done with my experiments yet. I close the shop and return to the workshop to get started on the next batch of my frozen treat. I need to prepare another essential ingredient first though.

After all you can't make iced coffee without coffee. Well, I'm sure some alchemists would try to substitute the actual coffee with other, cheaper ingredients of similar taste, but not me. This isn't about mana potions or something like them after all. No, this is first and foremost supposed to be a nice and tasty treat.

There simply is no substituting the main ingredient in a case like this. Curiously enough people tend to be a lot more sensitive, or even downright picky, about what goes into their food than they are with just about any potion. If I want to call it iced coffee I have to use coffee. I have seen people thrown into the harbor for false advertising during my time in Barter Town after all and I somehow doubt people here at the frontier would be any more forgiving.

Thankfully the fire is still burning and as a result the water in the big cauldron is still hot. This means I only have to roast and grind the coffee beans. Well, I have to crush some more sugar as well, but that is almost negligible by comparison. Before long I have a nice kettle of freshly brewed coffee again. And although I can't enjoy it just yet, I take a deep breath, sucking in the heavenly aroma.

I'm not the only one either as I find out then and there. Standing in the doorway is Maryla, the mother of our local adventurers' guild employee. Belatedly she knocks on the frame of the open backdoor while taking another deep breath at the same time.

“So this is this coffee I have been hearing about? I have to say, the smell alone is already quite invigorating.”

I nod and motion for her to come in.

“It certainly is, but that probably isn't why you are here, right? I doubt even the allure of the strongest coffee would draw you in all the way from the inn. Is it about business or something else?”

She comes inside and moves a little closer, taking in my workbench and the ingredients, tools and implements spread out on it, before answering.

“Well, it is about business in a way. I heard gossip about this coffee of yours and decided to investigate a little, while business is slow and my husband and Krystina take care of things at the inn.”

I blink once, then realization strikes me.

“Oh! You are worried that I might compete with the inn?”

The thought isn't entirely out of the world. After all the inn, so far, is the only place in the village to sell food or rather ready to eat meals.

She scratches the back of her head and grins apologetically.

“Well, yes. It is a small village after all and we all have to look out for our businesses. So I thought it would be for the best if we were to talk about this early on, before there is even the slightest chance for any bad blood to develop.”

Now it is my turn to grin sheepishly as I rub the back of my head. It is of course not like this is entirely unexpected. I motion for Maryla to get a chair and sit down as I get back to work. I get started with the milk based icy treat.

“I'm still experimenting, but in general it can be said that I'm working on a frozen treat using, among other things, coffee. This mixture has milk, egg yolks, sugar and honey in it. I'll stir and scrape it in the ice bucket until I have a nice even texture of small ice crystals that feels nice on the tongue.”

When I'm done I scrape out two helpings of the frozen treat. This time I don't dump them in bowls though. Instead I use two cups this time around. Then I repeat the process with about half of the coffee I made, adding a nice dollop of frozen coffee to either cup.

As I finish this step, I point to what little leftover milk I have.

“Could you whip up some cream?”

Maryla just nods and gets to work, still watching me with hawk's eyes all the while.

While she is busy I pour the rest of the coffee over the frozen treats in the cups. Both the milk based mixture and the frozen coffee start melting, but only a little. Good. I'm just in time too, to top the cups off with the cream my visitor whipped up in the meantime. I even sprinkle some more crushed sugar over it all and decorate with a little more honey for good measure.

The innkeeper eyes the cup I hand her carefully for a moment, before she takes a first tentative taste.

“Nice. I can't believe that this is actually just food and not an alchemical concoction.”

I just nod and take a sip from my cup as well, before I grab a spoon to get to the two kinds of ice and the whipped cream.

“The sympathetic properties of the ingredients have to match up for a mixture to become an alchemical concoction. Milk, coffee, Sugar, Honey, I could use all those to make potions, but in this mixture they don't match, thus it just becomes a tasty treat.”

Maryla laughs out loud.

“Just? I'm pretty sure I can't put something like that on the regular menu. I think it takes a little too much work to make. I might be able to offer it as a special treat every once in a while though.”

She pauses briefly as another thought occurs to her.

“You know, it might be even better if you whip the mixtures for the frozen treat creamy before actually freezing it. Well, at least the milk based mixture.”

My eyes open wide at this revelation.

“Oh my! You are right. We should give that a try.”

My eyes wander to the pretty much used up ingredients.

“Well, maybe not right now but some other day?”

She nods and for a little while we just enjoy the iced coffee in silence. Then I speak up again.

“So, would you like to buy the recipe and the tools? I wouldn't mind if I have to get my frozen treats at your place.”

She looks thoughtful for a moment, before she answers.

“I would like to, but I have to talk this over with my husband first. Maybe I can bring him over one of these days? I think he will like this idea, but I have to make sure first.”

I just nod enthusiastically.

“There is no hurry. There are still more experiments I would like to run anyway. The improvement you suggest for one and then there are some berry or juice based mixtures the kids suggested earlier. I would like to give those a try too.”

Maryla's eyes light up at the mention of the latter.

“Fruit based mixtures? That sounds tempting! Sweet and sour! It certainly will help to convince my husband, if we could offer a variety of flavors.”

A little while later we are both finished with our iced coffee. Maryla seems a little anxious or maybe excited though. I raise an eyebrow.

“Anything else on your mind?”

She shakes her head.

“No, no … it's just. I'm not sure. Its hard to believe that this isn't an alchemical concoction. All the weariness of the day. It's just gone. I don't feel tired anymore at all.”

Now it is my turn again to sheepishly rub the back of my head.

“Yeah. Maybe I shouldn't have saved this particular experiment for last. I might actually have trouble sleeping at all tonight.”

She looks at me for a moment, blinking once then twice, before she breaks into laughter.

“Why don't you come down to the inn with me then? Have a drink or two and maybe a little fun?”

That proposition catches me a little off guard. I look around my workshop, looking for an excuse. To be honest though I'm not quite sure if I want to find one. Having a little fun for a change probably would be nice. Finally I sigh and nod.

“I have to clean up a little here first. I'll drop by afterwards.”

She hugs me, even if just briefly, and pats my back.

“You do that! See you later!”

And with these words she is out the door, with a little extra spring to her steps.