I smiled as I placed one of the newly made potions on the table between us. Its precious contents glittered in the dim light of the tavern. "I have a new product, and I'm sure he will want to hear all about it..."

Sam's eyes flickered with avarice as he gazed at the potion in front of him. He quickly reached out, grabbing the small vial with his rough fingers. While he was examining the potion from every possible angle, he slightly tilted his head to the side.

"This looks exactly the same as the other potions..." Sam said with a slight confusion on his face before uncorking it and taking a small sip. However, as soon as he tasted the fizzy liquid, his eyes widened in astonishment.

I chuckled a little while observing his startled reaction. "Well, you're right; besides some minor details, it is basically the same thing. However, we are not talking about quality here... but rather about quantity instead."

I then looked at him with a subtle smile playing on my lips. "You see... My friend came up with a new method to mass produce the healing potions, allowing him to make dozens of them in the same amount of time any other alchemist would be able to craft a single one..."

"Are you serious?" Sam murmured, his voice filled with both wonder and greed.

I simply smiled at him. "So what about that meeting?"

Sam nodded, his eyes locking onto the vial as if it held the secrets of the universe. "Alright, I'll hold on to this one and try to arrange a meeting with the boss. But remember, you will owe me for this favor..."

I couldn't help but laugh as he seemed to be driven by nothing but greed. I promptly stood up, discreetly slipping a silver coin into his palm before heading straight for the door.

I hurried through the dark alleys back home to the Western District, making sure to carefully avoid anyone who might prowl the quiet streets of the city at this late hour.

I silently slipped back into the mansion's kitchen using the same side entrance, as I didn't want anyone to see me in my disguise. However, as soon as I stepped inside the house, I immediately noticed the enticing aroma permeating the whole building.

'Ah, perfect! I made it just in time for dinner.' I thought pleasantly as I headed straight for my room for a quick change of clothes before heading for dinner.

I arrived in the dining hall at the exact time the first course was being served. I quietly slipped into my seat at the head of the table, but my feeble attempt at discretion was not nearly enough to escape my sister's piercing gaze. Helga's wide eyes bore into me, and I shifted uncomfortably under their intensity.

"Where were you all day?" She asked with a clear annoyance in her voice.

"You never come back to the tea party, leaving me to deal with everything on my own! Not to mention, Miss Myra looked really sad that she couldn't say her goodbyes to you." Helga spoke reproachfully.

I gulped nervously while quickly trying to come up with a suitable excuse, as I wanted to keep my other activities a secret. 'Is it just me, or does she start to resemble our mother when she's angry?' I thought apprehensively as my sight traveled across the table, finally settling on Lily's small figure.

I silently pleaded for support, but Lily simply continued to eat quietly, her eyes fixed on her plate, while she pretended like I didn't exist at all.

With no other option, I shifted uncomfortably as I cleared my throat. "Ehm... I'm sorry I wasn't able to be there. But as I said before, I had to deal with some important matters, and the tea party slipped out of my mind..."

Wanting to placate her, I quickly added. "But I'm very much looking forward to going to the Harvest Festival with both of you! On the same note, you, as my sister, need to look splendid, so I was thinking of taking you to the city tomorrow to shop for some suitable dresses. What do you say?"

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Helga's gaze softened a little, but she still looked at me admonishingly, not wanting to let me off the hook so easily. So I had to also promise her to write a letter to Myra apologizing for my unsightly behavior.

I sighed with resignation, shaking my head in slight amusement. 'She's really like our mother...'

"So, how did the rest of the tea party go?" I asked Helga, trying to quickly change the topic.

"It was amazing!" Helga exclaimed. "Miss Myra told me so many interesting things about the city, and I can't wait to see it all for myself!"

I simply smiled and said, "That's good to hear..."

After this, we continued eating in silence, but then I remembered that I wanted to ask Lily about those inscriptions...

I turned my head toward her, asking, "Master, would you have a moment after dinner? I'd like to ask you about something..."

Lily raised her head briefly, finally acknowledging my presence, and simply nodded. After the dinner ended, we took our seats in one of the adjacent salons, where we would have some peace and quiet.

I made sure nobody was eavesdropping before briefly telling her about the inscriptions used to preserve potion vials and that I wanted to try using them on something slightly bigger before finally asking the burning question if she would help me with it.

"...No."

I raised my eyebrows at such a blatant refusal. "You can't, or you won't?"

She looked at me like I was an idiot. "...I'm here to teach you, that's all."

I released a sigh. "So if I hypothetically hired you as a venerable researcher for a little side project, would you do it?"

She tilted her head to the side and seemed to briefly think about it before she nodded, saying, "...200 silver."

The corners of my mouth twitched a little. 'That greedy...,' I thought with clear indignation. I'm already paying her quite handsomely, so would it kill her to show a little appreciation toward her poor pupil?

But I knew very well that she wouldn't budge when she made a decision, so I had no choice but to agree to her outrageous demand.

I found out right away that Lily never lifts a finger to do anything not specifically written in our contract. It's a good thing I let the Merchant's Guild clerks craft the contract for me, specifying every little detail of our arrangement.

'I wonder what she needs all that money for as she rarely goes into the city and always wears the exact same clothes all the time...' Those were my last thoughts before I retired to my chambers for the night.

***

The following morning, I kept my promise to Helga and decided to take her to the same luxurious store where I bought my outfit. We took my brand new carriage for the journey to not draw any unnecessary attention by walking, as my face was now pretty recognizable.

Its sleek black lacquer glinted in the bright sunlight, and I looked out of the window with delight as the horses trotted along. Inside, crimson velvet seating cushioned us like a cloud, and Helga marveled at the opulence of it all.

The driver kept his eyes straight ahead, ever mindful of my request to go unnoticed. The road buzzed with life and activity on this beautiful morning, and I couldn't help but smile. It sure was a pleasant experience to have someone drive you around.

We soon arrived at the entrance of the store, its imposing facade adorned with intricate carvings. I promptly stepped out of the carriage, making sure there were no curious onlookers, before helping Helga out and quickly ushering her into the store's lofty parlor.

The store's heavy oak doors creaked open, welcoming us into a world of lavish elegance. Helga was looking at everything with a slightly startled expression, betraying her humble origins, as she had yet to be fully accustomed to the life of opulence and extravagance that awaited her from now on.

Before long, we were approached by the same middle-aged woman attendant with keen eyes who assisted me the last time I came here. However, as soon as she laid eyes on me, she instantly recognized me, and her demeanor couldn't be more different than the last time we met.

She quickly offered a polite bow, addressing me respectfully. "Welcome, young master Darian. We are so honored that you decided to grace us with your presence today."

Helga blinked a few times before turning her puzzled face toward me, probably wondering why the attendant was addressing me so respectfully. I realized that she didn't know how big of a deal being a mage actually was.

But I also couldn't help but roll my eyes at such a blatant attempt to win my favor. I released a sigh and simply nodded at the attendant before quickly stating my request, as I wanted to get out of this awkward situation as soon as possible.

"We're here to pick a dress for my sister. Something suitable for the Harvest Festival..." I said with an authoritative voice.