Ah, Jenora—one of the few vendors in this market who had helped him out on that fateful day. She'd said all it took was for one person to believe in someone. For Ryan, she was that one person. So when Leo asked, it was but a no-brainer.

"Come, it's this way," Ryan said, leading the way into the market with Leo on his heels.

The market still held the pungent smell of many different herbs. It wasn't overpowering per se, but it was definitely noticeable as soon as you got into the market proper.

Ryan weaved through the throng of other Statics—on their way to make their own purchases—easily. Leo, on the other hand, struggled, his frame making him stand out in the crowd, something that Ryan was sure made the big man feel highly uncomfortable.

Ryan had always known Leo to be a very shy person; the wiry boy hardly communicated with anyone other than Ryan and Maria when they were growing up. He seemed to have lost his shyness, but his distaste for the market was apparent.

Leo hated people touching him unnecessarily, or at all even, and the market was a place where people brushed against one another frequently. Ryan couldn't help but chuckle as he navigated his way to Jenora's shop.

It didn't take them long to arrive at his helper's shop. Leo was at his side within moments, the big man looked displeased, and it wasn't because of all the bodies that had touched him on his way to the shop.

"Is this the place?" Leo asked not a second after getting there.

"Yep," Ryan said somewhat dejectedly.

The shop was closed, and Ryan didn't know what to even say or do. He'd just complained to Leo about not wanting to waste too much time, and he'd just wasted both their time by leading them to probably what was the only locked shop in the market, probably.

"Wait here," Ryan said as he headed over to the neighboring shop.

He had to figure out what had happened to Jenora. Was she okay? Had she moved? Why hadn't she opened up today? Those kinds of questions.

Walking up to the next shop, he found out that it was another alchemist shop that sold potions only, a male gnome that sold stat boosters by the looks of it.

"Hello, good day," Ryan said.

The gnome was busy cleaning his wares that Ryan believed were already at optimal neatness.

"I don't have time for pleasantries, boyyo, best get to it," the gnome said, not even raising his eyes from his wares.

Ryan didn't know if he was to feel offended or not. On the other hand, he knew he wasn't here to buy anything from the gnome, so the behavior shouldn't bother him at all. If only Leo heard the gnome, he'd have understood how things really worked in Denair.

"I'm actually here to ask about the absence of your neighbor, Jenora," Ryan said.

"Ahh, you just missed her, boyyo. She got work she do," the gnome said.

"Work?" Ryan asked, perplexed. Last he saw, she sold basic ingredients and other things like that in her shop.

"Aye, she's an alchemist, ain't she?" The gnome replied. "She makes potions on demand, and that's why she ain't here."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Oh, that explains that, Ryan thought.

He wanted to ask more questions, but he knew that the gnome was quickly approaching the end of his patience, and it'd be best for him not to make things escalate beyond where they already were.

"Alright, thank you, sir," Ryan said.

After no sign of acknowledgment from the gnome, Ryan left the shop as it was clear that their conversation was over. The absence of Jenora at the market definitely changed things. He'd been hoping to see the lady and tell her how her kind gesture had changed his life. Alas, Veron had other plans for the pair.

With Jenora out of the picture, that left only one other person—the old herbalist. He could get all the ingredients there; of that, he was sure. He just hoped that the woman hadn't gotten a 'gig' doing something else.

Ryan made his way back to Leo, the big man looking awkward and nervous standing in front of a locked shop—that wasn't his.

"Hey, I just found out that we just missed her. My luck," Ryan said.

"Pfft, unlucky you," Leo mocked. "Where to now?"

"I know just the place," Ryan said. "And before you ask, yes, I am certain that she'd be there."

At least Ryan hoped she would, else he'd have gone zero for two, and that wasn't a record that he'd really want to hold. Well, it really wasn't a record per se, just that it'd look bad for him if the old herbalist wasn't around. It'd be as though he didn't have people in the market.

"Come on," Ryan said as he led the way to the herbalist shop.

Much to the irritation and frustration of Leo, the big man looking out of his element in the hustle and bustle of the market. Of course, Ryan himself had concerns of his own.

While pickpockets weren't much in Denair, they were pretty much still there, and the markets seemed to be their favorite spots. As the market was mostly dominated by Statics carrying coin, it was pretty much an assured haul for whoever knew what they were doing. That was why Ryan kept his pouch in the inner pocket of his, and he patted it often to make sure that they stayed where they were meant to.

The herbalist shop wasn't hard to find, the old woman sitting inside the shop, waiting for customers to find their way to her as opposed to young bloods like him who hollered at any potential customers.

"Alright, we're here," Ryan said as he approached the calmly seated lady.

"Good day," Ryan greeted, receiving a nod in return.

Knowing the normal procedure, he wasted no time telling her to prep up his usual order.

The old woman got on her feet and stretched, which led to a few popping noises coming from... her. Noises that Ryan found a little alarming but didn't have the guts to comment on.

Ryan was surprised to see the woman act with such grace and strength that belied her appearance, and within moments, his order was laying at his feet.

"One gold, three hundred silvers. Would that be all?" she asked, clearly not intending to waste any more time than she had to.

Ryan motioned for Leo to step up quickly, not wanting to anger the woman.

"No actually, my friend here is intr—"

"What would you want to buy?" the woman asked, turning to Leo. "No need for pleasantries, boy. I've gotten too old for that shit."

Ryan wasn't surprised that he was cut off mid-sentence; after all, this wasn't the first time that something like this had happened.

Leo, on the other hand, seemed to have lost his ability to speak. Ryan didn't know if it was the way the woman had quickly gotten all of Ryan's order done in a bit or the way she spoke that caused it.

"Well, I'm waiting, and I don't like waiting," the woman said, a little more nicely to Leo than she did to Ryan.

Ryan chose not to comment on the matter; rather, he used that moment to tap Leo, who was still... shocked for some reason.

"U-uhm, yes, I'll take half a bag of sentra and a pouch of uncag," Leo said as he regained his voice and composure.

"Huh, weird request," the woman said softly. "Can I know why?"

"I'd rather not say," Leo said neutrally.

"That'll be five hundred silvers for the two," she said, her voice turning cold. "A gold and eight hundred silvers... no discount, take it or leave it."

Before Ryan could offer to pay or protest the price, Leo reached into his pouch and produced two gold coins, giving them to the herbalist.

"You can keep the change," Leo said neutrally as he turned to leave.

"I don't need your charity, boy," the herbalist spat but didn't refuse the coin or offer the change.

Leo had already left the shop, the items still on the ground, the big man obviously pissed about something. So the task fell to Ryan to find a cart pusher—which was easy. Then meet up with Leo, who was waiting at the exit or entrance—depending on which way you were headed.

"What now?" Ryan asked, trying not to pry into whatever was eating up Leo.

"Now, we brew."