First customer
After my introduction, the Twin Horns quickly began introducing themselves.
"Hey Malcius?" Adam asked while sitting next to Helen.
"Ya?" I responded already knowing what he's most likely going to ask.
"Uh, so how long are they going to be paralyzed like this?"
"Hmmm, well I could do it right now.
But the Helen was rather rude, I don't mind helping Angela though."
I say with a shrug and walk over to Angela.
I pull out another needle from my storage ring and see their eyes widen.
"Never seen a storage ring before?" I asked with a tilt of my head.
"No, we have.
We're just surprised a kid has one.
Are you some nobles kid or something?" Adam asked.
I shook my head at the last question while pricking Angela's skin with the needle.
"No, I told you already that I'm a B rank adventurer.
I bought this ring myself."
They still didn't entirely seem to believe so I just sighed and pulled out my adventurer card.
"See." I said with exasperation and they finally nodded with embarrassed expressions.
"You can't blame us for being skeptical, I mean you said you're only 9 years old after all." This time it was Reynolds who spoke and I just nodded.
"Indeed a 9 year old that pushed you 5 to your limits." I said with a grin.
"We weren't trying to kill you though." Adam tried to speak in defense.
Seeing a bird sitting on a branch I pull out a poisoned needle and throw it at the bird.
Immediately the poison takes effect and the bird falls dead from the tree with blood oozing out of its eyes and mouth.
"Neither was I." I reply while staring directly at Adam before going back to the water in my hand.
"So you have multiple types of needles you use?" Angela asks.
"In a way I suppose, the needles themselves are identical, but they are coated in various liquids."
She seems to contemplate something before looking back up to me.
"Don't they harm you as well?
I don't see you wearing any gloves, and you didn't stick yourself with the antidote needle."
I froze momentarily at the unexpected question before looking back at her.
"It's not as if I coat the entire needle." I respond.
"That's not the whole story though is it?" This time it was Alice who spoke up from her spot beside Rey, and I cocked an eyebrow in her direction.
"Is it not?" I ask her in return and she nods before speaking again.
"I could feel it when you sent mana through your body, but I was positive when I healed your wound.
You're an emitter, like me." She finishes and all eyes land on me.
I narrow my eyes at her, and then stand up and walk towards Helen.
I place a finger on her forehead and send some healing mana through and eliminate the paralytic in her body.
She immediately starts moving and I just sigh and sit back down.
"Are you happy, Alice?
Does having me reveal that gain you anything?"
Her face blushed similar to a child being chastised, but I just ignore her and go back to sipping my water.
"How?" Helen asks as the paralytic subsides.
"How what?" I respond.
"How can you be an emitter and able to use fire affinity?" I stare at her for a moment before shrugging and then stretching.
"The same as any other duel element mage I suppose.
When I awakened I had the affinities within me."
They stared at me incredulously due to my nonchalantness for the situation.
"But nobody has ever been recorded to be a healer and have an elemental affinity!" Adam exclaimed and glared at him.
"And I hope to keep it that way." He flinched back from my tone, but didn't say anything more as the camp fell quiet.
"Well then, I think I've stayed long enough.
I'll be heading on my own way now.
I hope the next time we meet is under better circumstances." I said as I began to stand and stored my water jug back into my ring.
"Wait, you're leaving?" Alice asked with a nervous expression and I just nodded as I slid my cloak back on.
"Yes, I'm assuming you all are heading to Xyrus and I'm not quite ready to return.
Which means we part here." I responded.
"But you shouldn't be out here alone, it's dangerous!" She called with increased desperation.
I turn to face her, but turn away as I raise my hood.
"I believe we all know that I can handle myself if I was able to hold off a party of experienced adventurers."
"But-" Alice went to continue but was cut off by Rey.
"Alice, we can't stop him. He's not… he's not our son." He said with a sorrowful expression and his words served to break whatever was keeping Alice from crying.
As she began to cry I walked to the forest and disappeared within as I began to look for more herbs and plants to test out.
[Little over a year later]
I was currently sitting within my new shop that I had bought with money made from adventuring.
The shopkeep had been surprised when I showed up just 2 weeks later with the remaining money I needed for the storage ring, but my speed served me well.
As when I asked him about good storefronts to open my one place of business he gave me a great recommendation to one of the city planners.
They helped me pick out a shop that had the ample space I would need to sleep there as well as brew my products.
It took me a full year before I bought the place, not because it was that expensive I just wasn't quite ready yet.
I spent those 12 months stockpiling plants and materials I would need to run my store.
Then I scouted out potential employees, I suppose it's not the greatest but I hired orphans and kids of the streets.
Selfishly so that I could pay them less than a normal person, but they were overjoyed when they got their 2 silver coins each day.
I hired 10 of them, 2 to run the front desk and the others to pour the concocted liquids into containers.
While it would have sped up the process if I had them brew it as well, I didn't want anyone else to know how.
Besides we were able to get a bunch of stock ready and they are to sell them at high prices, so it shouldn't run out too quickly.
I was actually standing next to Cara and Tara now.
They were Identical twins that shared the same cocoa brown hair, and bright green eyes that contrasted the hair well.
Cara wore her hair in a side ponytail to the right side while Tara wore hers to the left.
They were 12 years old and due to my sensitivity to mana I could tell they were close to awakening their mana core.
That was another reason all my workers didn't mind the 2 silvers coin pay as they got baths, beds to sleep in in the store and I've been helping them progress as mages.
All I've been doing them is showing them how I meditate each day and what they should look out for.
They of course took this very serious because as an orphan a lot of them felt their only way out of that life was by becoming an adventurer.
Like I said before none of this was done purely out of the goodness of my heart, there were definitely my own selfish reasons.
They develop a sense of loyalty to the person that provides them such a living.
Then they tell other orphans and I basically end up with a never ending supply of workers for cheap, while I make a killing.
Not too mention, even if it's only 1 out of every 10 orphans, I'll get a mage who will want to protect the store.
Or find another way to help it such as gathering the ingredients needed, and then I just gotta find someone I trust to be the brewer.
Once that's done I won't even need to be at the store at all times, they will be able to run it for me.
But that's for the future for now I should probably focus on the customer that just walked in.
"What is this place?" The man asked and Cara perked up at the opportunity to speak.
All of them had been given clothes of the same color scheme to act as uniforms and the shop had a bath they were allowed to use, so nobody could tell they were orphans.
"This is Master Malcius' Tincture Shop, we sell a variety of products from Anesthetics, paralytics, and even aphrodisiacs." She responded with a practiced tone and the man nodded but remained confused.
"What is an aphrodisiac?" He questioned and both Cara and Tara's cheeks went pink from the question so I stepped in.
"It is a liquid that boosts ones desire and pleasures in the bedroom. It can be mixed with a drink or even in food."
This time it was the man's turn to have his face blush slightly but he eyed the purposely pink bow wrapped bottle labeled "Lover's Languish".
All of fixed our faces with the practiced smiles and when he looked back at us he saw encouraging smile.
This seemed to ease the tension in the man as grabbed the bottle and brought it to the counter.
"That will be 100 gold sir." Tara spoke up with a bright smile, but the man's face turned to a frown.
"100 gold?
That's outrageous." Cara and Tara looked shocked and I placed a hand on their shoulders as I took over.
"How about this sir.
The bottle only needs one drop for the desired effect, so I'll allow you to take a test sample and try it out.
If it is to your satisfaction, just return and pick up the whole bottle.
I think you'll find the price well worth it. After all the bottle contains 50 doses worth." I said with a pleasant smile and the man's outrage died down a little as he considered it.
Eventually he nodded, so I motioned to Cara who promptly pulled out a box from below the counter and placed the small sample bottle within.
"Here you go sir, one dose of our Lover's Languish." Cara said as she slid the box to him with a smile.
""We hope to see you again soon!"" Cara and Tara called out to him as he began to walk out the store.
"Good job girls, that was just like we rehearsed.
Alright I'm gonna go check on the others, and remember we close as the sun begins to set."
They nodded seriously and turned back to oversee the storefront while I headed to the back.
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Little time skip thrown in.
MC is now 11 he turned 10 a couple months after meeting the Twin Horns and the skip was a little over a year, so he went through another birthday making him 11.
Hope that's not too confusing.
Gonna make the shop be able to operate without the MC as I don't want that to take up too much of the story.
Malcius would never get to do other stuff if he ran a store full time, but we will stop by there from time to time to check on the workers, and how everything is running.
Gonna be more adventuring next chapter.
Until next time.