Chapter 174: Noor’s Sanctuary (Part 4)
Shirone threw the Elixir to the merchant who had the drone.
The merchant's hands trembled as he received it. He was so moved he could barely hold it.
It wasn't Red, Green, or Yellow—it was a White Elixir.
Shirone flipped his palm and spoke.
Shirone: "How about it? It's over now, right? Give Kanya the item."
Merchant: "This kind of deal is problematic. That Elixir should also be mine for the transaction to be valid."
Shirone: "Then go take it from him."
The merchant's eyes twitched. He realized Shirone's actions weren't just a simple provocation.
As if to prove it, Shirone turned to the merchant fiddling with the Elixir and asked.
Shirone: "What are you going to do? Can you back down now?"
Merchant: "Ah, no! The deal is absolutely not canceled!"
The merchant panicked and waved his hands.
Of course, the Mech drone was valuable. But only if it was in a usable state.
The drone he had sold was, in reality, only worth a Yellow Elixir. He had traded it for a White Elixir, making it the deal of a lifetime.
Shirone: "So, what are you going to do? Are you heretics going to fight among yourselves? That seems to be your specialty."
The apothecary's face hardened.
Indeed, this situation was awkward. While he could be shameless in bargaining with customers, conflicts between merchants had no benefits. Especially among lower-tier community merchants who dealt mainly in daily necessities.
The apothecary finally took a closer look at Shirone.
The way he was pressuring them, he was clearly a Noor's. And not just any Noor's.
Should he just take the one and move on? Trading Epines for a White Elixir would go down in history.
But it was a matter of pride. He didn't want to accept that a citizen had gotten her way.
Apothecary: "Fine, I won't sell it. So, be satisfied with your toy. You know what? You've crushed this girl's hopes."
The merchant had played his trump card. He chose the thrill of victory over money.
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As a merchant, it was a zero-sum deal, but seeing a citizen cry seemed worth it.
Shirone realized the merchant had lost the game.
Shirone: "No, you have to sell the medicine. If you don't, you're breaking the contract."
Apothecary: "What? What contract did I break?"
Shirone: "You said it yourself. If I bring all the Elixirs I have, you'll sell the medicine. Kanya did that. But now you're canceling the deal. That's a breach of contract. You know what happens when a merchant loses credibility, right?"
He knew all too well. At the very least, he would lose his place in the community.
But he couldn't help feeling wronged. Shirone was the one being unreasonable.
Apothecary: "Speak clearly. When I proposed the contract, you had two Elixirs. And right after the contract was made, you bought the drone. So, I didn't break anything."
Shirone: "How do you know when I bought the drone?"
The apothecary's pupils shook in shock. Though he was losing his temper, his years of merchant experience gave him a hunch.
He was at a disadvantage.
Shirone: "I had already made a contract to buy the drone. I just hadn't handed over the Elixirs yet. For a merchant, you didn't even check that before making the deal. You've got a long way to go. If you're suspicious, you can check."
The apothecary gritted his teeth. The situation was slipping out of his control.
The merchant who sold the drone would side with Shirone no matter what. If he proved that Shirone had a contract with him, the White Elixir would go to him.
This was commonplace on the mainland. He himself had profited from monopolies, so he wasn't in a position to criticize.
'Why am I at a disadvantage? Shouldn't it be the other way around?'
As he replayed the events in his mind, the apothecary realized something. Shirone had known the drone's value was lower than expected.
He didn't know how Shirone had investigated, but if that wasn't the case, this situation wouldn't exist.
The merchant was siding with Shirone because he had made several times the profit.
A sigh of admiration escaped him. Shirone had a keen understanding of human nature when it came to material gain. He had the skills to thrive even among mainland merchants.
Shirone: "What do you think, sir? We made the contract first, right?"
Merchant: "Of course, we did. Before that girl started shouting, we had already made a verbal contract to trade the drone for a White Elixir."
Shirone had confirmed it without even being asked.
Now there was no way out. If a contract had been made with another merchant, it was the merchant's responsibility for not checking the customer's limits.
Should he back down now? One White Elixir was still a huge gain, but it was a matter of pride.
He played the lowest card a merchant could play.
He decided to spill the beans.
Apothecary: "My mother was a citizen of Heaven. But she didn't undergo the Day of Blossoming Wine. Do you know why?"
When no one answered, the apothecary continued, tapping his head.
Apothecary: "She went mad. My father was murdered in Heaven. By some lunatic who was obsessed with my mother. And do you know what the punishment was? A 40-year reduction in lifespan. And yet, he still had 40 years left. My father died, but that man... My mother cursed him for the rest of her life, kekeke. And then, unbelievably, the Day of Blossoming Wine was scheduled. With that same lunatic."
Kanya's pupils shook.
Shirone didn't understand the significance, but everyone except the party was horrified.
Apothecary: "So, my mother took her own life. With the ritual's subject gone, I had to bear the remaining guilt. That's why I fled the laws. Now do you understand? I hate citizens. Just looking at them makes me want to vomit! And you think I'll sell you medicine?"
In short, he was saying, "If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me."
Shirone snorted in response.
Someone truly resolved to self-destruct wouldn't explain their reasons. In a situation where both sides would die, the process didn't matter.
What he wanted was an emotional victory, but Shirone had no intention of giving it to him.
Apothecary: "So, are you going to sell the medicine or not?"
Shirone: "I won't sell it. I won't even spit out the Elixir. I've made my decision, so do whatever you want."
Apothecary: "Then I have no choice but to take it by force."
Shirone: "Go ahead. But are you sure you'll be okay? If you resort to violence, you won't be able to settle in any community. You'll be wandering for the rest of your life."
Shirone extended his hand. Photons compressed, and a white sphere vibrated in his palm.
The apothecary was startled. This kind of magic was supposed to be impossible. The only ones who could possibly wield it were those who had made a contract with the light spirits, outsiders living on the fringes of the community.
Apothecary: "You... are you an outcast?"
Shirone: "The Vortex Serpent was quite strong. Thanks to it, I managed to get three White Elixirs."
Shirone showed no emotion.
And the apothecary knew—when a mage suppresses their emotions, they become the most cruel and ruthless.
Apothecary: "What kind of Elixir do you have in your body?"
Everyone knew that the apothecary's survival depended on his answer.
The apothecary struggled for a long time. He had reached the end of the line. Realizing he couldn't win, he raised his hands with a bitter smile.
Apothecary: "There's none. I don't have any Elixir in my body. So, spare me."
Shirone fired a Photon Cannon. A beam of light grazed the apothecary's nose and embedded itself into a pillar of the ruins.
A loud explosion followed, and the pillar shattered.
The apothecary turned to Shirone, his face devoid of any trace of laughter.
Apothecary: "Don't laugh. You might be bluffing, but I'm serious. I don't care about laws or communities. If you act despicably one more time, I won't forgive you."
Shirone: "Alright, I get it. I understand. Calm down."
The apothecary realized the gravity of the situation.
Shirone had shown the maximum level of hostility without resorting to violence. If compared to a swordsman, it was like drawing a blade; if compared to a beast, it was like baring fangs.
Realizing there would be no further concessions, the apothecary threw the Epines to Kanya.
Apothecary: "Here, we're done. The contract is over."
Shirone: "There's one more thing. Apologize to Kanya."
Apothecary: "Why should I? You don't have the right to interfere with my personal feelings."
Shirone: "But you have a painful past too, don't you?"
Apothecary: "What does that have to do with apologizing?"
Shirone: "I'm not saying you have to apologize unconditionally. Words without sincerity are worthless. But didn't you also wish someone would understand your past wounds?"
Is that so? Have I... still not moved on?
The apothecary glanced at Kanya's pitiful face. She had mentioned that her mother was waiting for the Elixir.
Back then, her mother was not in her right mind. Every day, she screamed in agony and harmed herself. The fear she felt was even more terrifying to the young Kanya.
Apothecary: "Tch, who would've thought I'd be apologizing?"
The apothecary snorted as he packed up his stall. He placed the medicine bottles into his bag, rolled up the blanket, and placed it on his backpack. As he got up to leave, he tossed a purple potion to Kanya.
Apothecary: "It's called Corphin. A nerve-enhancing potion. Since I made a good profit, I'll give it to you as a service. It might work well with the Epines. Not that it'll mean much in the end."
As he walked toward the tent village, the apothecary turned to Shirone and said, "And kid, everything I said was a lie. It's impressive that you beat me, but if you don't realize even that much, you'll have a hard time on the mainland."
Arin relayed a message through the mental channel.
Arin (telepathically): "Shirone, should I check if it's a lie?"
Shirone (telepathically): "No, it's fine."
Shirone watched the apothecary's lonely retreating figure.
Noor's Sanctuary.
A place where wanderers of Purgatory rest.
Perhaps what they lay down here is not their weary bodies but the wounds in their hearts.
The dazzling shopping spree had come to an end.
Shirone comforted Kanya, who was on the verge of tears. Beside them, Rena puffed out her cheeks and watched.
The group, excluding Shirone, began a meeting.
The items purchased with the three White Elixirs were the Fire Spirit, a drone, and the Epines.
Although it was the best they could do under the circumstances, they couldn't help but feel like they had lost out. Especially Tess, who couldn't hide her guilt.
Tess: "It's not my place to say since I was the one who pushed for it, but are you really okay with this? There were things that could've helped in battle. Especially the Epines—we paid an absurdly high price for it."
Rian: "What does it matter? If we need more, we can just hunt for it. There's no need to dwell on the past."
Amy: "Rian is right. And it's not just a monetary loss. Shirone used the Elixirs in the most efficient way, and if he's satisfied with that, then it's fine."
Tess, comforted by Amy's words, made a face.
Tess: "No matter how efficient it is, the situation was a mess. I support Shirone's choice, but if the apothecary hadn't pulled those tricks, we could've gotten the drone for half the price."
Canis sneered as he spoke.
Canis: "That's not what Amy meant. Shirone didn't actually lose anything. He bought something that couldn't be obtained even if he spent all the White Elixirs."
Tess: "What? The Fire Spirit was that expensive?"
Canis: "No. The most expensive item was the Epines."
Tess thought Canis, who wasn't even close to her, was joking.
But now that it was mentioned, the thought of buying something that could've been obtained with a Red Elixir using a White Elixir made her so angry she could've jumped out of bed.
Rian: "Why is the Epines the most expensive? It's a common medicine."
Canis: "It is, but today its price was beyond imagination. More importantly, it's about the owner of the item. Kanya and Rena. In other words, they're citizens of Heaven."
Rian: "Ah..."
Canis: "Now do you understand? It's not about the Epines. Shirone bought a ticket to Heaven with one White Elixir."
Indeed.
Thinking about it, entering Heaven seemed like a distant dream. But now, they had a foothold. With Kanya's power, they could enter Heaven.