Chapter 89

Chapter 89: Beware of pretty ladies, please! part

After our conversation I gave Mia her much deserved potion and she gulped it in one go. Her face reddened and she drew her hands close to her crotch area and started moaning. I couldn’t strand my eyes from the scene in front of me, it was quite pleasurable just seeing her, until she noticed my stare and winked at me seductively.

I really can’t stand this anymore, If I don’t see Rina soon I’m afraid I’ll go hit the red light district, if there’s one. I hope she can forgive me. No, what am i thinking, I’m not an animal, maybe I fell for her charm skill. Yes, that must be it...

After drinking the potion she became a lot more energetic and also, more beautiful. It was as if her face shined and her eyes were filled with feminine allure. Also, her kind and angelic aura came back.

If someone told me she was a saint I would believe it, her benign aura was even stronger than Helena’s, which is a lot.

Anyways, I roll my sleeves and start preparing a tonic. It’s true that I don’t have my distiller, not even a lab, but a cauldron should be enough to make a basic medicine. Something like the medicinal infusion I used to make back at our settlement.

Since I don’t have any medicinal herbs at hand, I make good use of the vegetables at mi disposal. Although cooking some carrots and garlic in a cauldron may not seem very medicinal, it will be once I mix it with one of the potions I have left.

When I do so, Mia stares at me as if I was wasting the ingredients, but she didn’t say anything. The only reason I noticed was because her body seemed to react when I was pouring the content of the glass vial on the, now cold, mix of vegetables.

.....

Tonic: provides a decent amount of nourishment, small healing properties.

This is a lot better than what I used to drink when I had a stomachache, and a single potion was enough to make a whole cauldron of it.

“It’s time to open the shop Mia”

“This is a scam! you can’t sell these health potions!”

“It’s not a scam at all, it’s not a health potion but a tonic. It’s not unusual for people to be so weak after drinking a health potion that they can’t move for several minutes or even hours, that happens because they don’t have enough nutrients in their bodies. If you drink a health potion and then a tonic, you can diminish that side effect”

“Is this really a tonic master?”

“Why don’t you try it yourself”

She grabbed the copper ladle and took a sip of it, then another and then drank it’s content entirely. I managed to stop her before she went to the cauldron for seconds.

“So, what do you think?”

“It’s taste is so sweet! I don’t know if this will feed me properly, but ever since I became an adult food tastes like ashes in my mouth. I missed the flavor so much”

Her eyes got teary and she tried to hug me, but she got my hand on her face stopping her completely.

“Excuse me master, I don’t know what got into me, you know”

“Is everything ready to open?”

“Yes master! it’s a bit late, but I think people will still come. I used to be quite popular...”

“I know! stop blabbering and go open then”

“Yes!”

Just like she said, it was too late to open, most shops are open from first hour in the morning. I know that, but it’s not like I can just sit on my ass the whole day. Im running low on funds and I only have enough holy water for a few days, If I don’t find a way to make money fast I’ll start with another bad luck streak.

The first customer was an elderly man. He had a grey mustache and walked with the help of a wooden cane. His back was a little hunched by his age and his eyes were squinted, he looked like a frail old man, but his attire looked brand new.

“Welcome mister, how are you feeling today?”

“Oh, miss Mia, just a little bit tired that’s all. I’m so glad to see you got back on your feet again, I knew you would”

“Thank you mister Johan”

Mia said taking his hands in between hers.

“Anyway miss Mia, forgive me if I’m in a hurry but I didn’t expect to see you open today. I’ll take a healing potion please.”

“Uhm, I’m sorry but we don’t have any. May I interest you in a tonic maybe?”

“I don’t know, the doctor told me I needed to drink a health potion at least three times a week and I’m a day past already. Maybe I should go to the oak street alchemist”

The old man sighed looking disappointed.

“I’ll tell you what mister Johan, since you’re one of my loyal customers I’ll sell you a 50% off tonic, and if you don’t like it I’ll give you back your money!”

“Oh miss Mia, would that really be ok?”

“Of course! anything for my dear customers!”

The old man returned Mia’s gentle smile with one of his own.

He drank the tonic as soon as he got it, at first he made a disgusted face, but then he started gulping it down as if it was the most delicious thing.

“What do you say? did you like it?”

“It tastes really bad, but... It made me feel a lot better immediately! I can’t wait to tell my neighbors!”

The client put a silver coin on the counter and winked at Mia as he ran darted back outside. He looked ten years younger than when he came in.

It seems he did tell his neighbors because the shop was filled in no time and we ran out of tonic in about an hour. Mia closed the shop amidst promises to give priority to the customers who didn’t manage to get a tonic as soon as we make more.

“Mia... I’m really amazed at your social skills. We made a killing today, I wouldn’t mind keeping you around if you behave properly”

“I told you I was popular!”

“Well... yes... But what surprised me the most was how well you get along with everyone. You remember their names and everything. Your manners are proper and you treat everyone with respect and kindness. If you acted like that with us we could have got along in a much more positive way”

“About that... it’s a bit complicated. When a succubus starves we become a bit aggressive you know. I didn’t want to harm you or be mean to your friends, but I was desperate. I had enough to drink with the potions your friends gave me, but I really needed the ones you had”

“It’s still not an excuse to steal from others, I needed them too, It could be said that my life also depended on selling those. Well, I won’t forgive you that easily, but at least now I know what you went through so I’ll try to be nicer to you”

“Thank you master”

She tried to hug me again.

“No physical contact, I have a girlfriend, ok?”

“Oh! really? but you smell like a virgin!”

“Can you really smell that, no wait, what did you just say?”

“Of course we can smell that, as easy as it is for you to smell different dishes. Your smell is so good I almost couldn’t stop myself yesterday”

“So that’s why you went to my bed”

She nods awkwardly, until a loud knocking on the door interrupted our conversation.

“Do you have any idea who could it be?”

“I’m not expecting anyone master, I lived all by myself and no one comes when the shop is closed”

“I hope it’s not Hiraku, because that would mean he ran into trouble”

As soon as Mia opens the door a young lady in a day dress gets in, accompanied by another woman wearing heavy armor.

“What do we have here? didn’t I tell you I wanted you out of business? do you enjoy making me beat you up or something”

“No! please miss Athela, it’s not what you’re thinking”

Mia managed to say before the blond girl pulled her hair.

“Hey! hey! what’s going on in here?”

I yell and get closer putting my hand on the hilt of my sword, but the other woman stops me.

“This is none of your business peasant, I’m talking to this trash here”

“Do not talk like that to my employees please, if you have any business you have to run it by me”

“Oh, so you’re the responsible for the rumors I’ve been getting about a miracle tonic”

She lifted an eyebrow and came closer to me and the other woman made way for her.

“I don’t have to answer your questions”

“Actually, you do. I’m the representative of the merchant association. If I say a business is closed, then it’s closed”

“I don’t know any of that. I just bought this place from the miss you’re mistreating”